Vestigial Library/Books

Lobby

Book 1

“-and the rain continued to pour down on the two boys. They rushed underneath the overhanging roof of a nearby cafe, for they were completely soaked.”
“������ shivered feverently. ���� absentmindedly held ������ close to preserve their shared warmth.”
“������ felt safe in ����’s embrace, a feeling that he cherished beyond anything else.”

Book 2

“‘����?’”
“‘Yeah?’”
“‘What do you see yourself becoming in the future’”
“‘What do you mean by that?’”
“‘Well like, are you gonna be like a chef or something?’”
“‘I’m not sure myself… What about you?’”
“‘I want to be a detective.’”

Book 3

“������ lets out a long drawn out groan. ‘But like, what do we want out of our lives?’”
“‘I mean, I wanna be rich.’ ���� jokingly remarks as he idly caresses ������’s hair.”
“‘But like, we’re literally doing nothing right now. What are we gonna tell our kids when they ask what we did as kids for fun? I don’t think ‘sitting around in the sun is a particularly exciting response.’”
“‘Oh, er-... Our kids?’”
“‘Yeah dude like when you get married to that one froyo girl you always make passes at and have a ton of babies.’”
“���� sighs. ‘Uh, oh… Yeah… No, she’s not really my type. We’re just cool, that’s all.’”
“‘You never tell me about any girls you like.’”
“‘I’m not really into… anyone right now.’”
“‘Hmmm. I see.’”

Book 4

“Rise and fall.”
“The silence of the humid summer day was only disturbed by the gentle noise of ������’s breathing. He was asleep, his head in ����’s lap. ���� silently ran his fingers through ������’s soft black hair.”
“The gentleness of ������’s hair against ����’s skin only made him fall more in love with the other boy.”
“This tranquility, this peace. A place where ������ felt safe and secure was something ���� was willing to die to protect.”

Book 5

“‘May I have this dance?’ ���� asks. Holding out a hand to ������.”
“������ smiles. ‘Dude, it’s raining so hard.’”
“‘So what?’ ���� scoffs. ‘A little bit of rain never stopped us.’”
“‘Shut up, you flirt.’ ������ jabs back, eliciting a mad red blush on ����’s face. Before he could take his hand back, ������ stands up and grasps it. ‘Let’s dance then, idiot.’”
“���� lets out an exuberant chuckle, and both metaphorically and quite literally sweeps ������ off his feet.”

Book 6

“‘������~...’ ���� whines, fanning himself while turning on a third electric fan. ‘How do you survive in this heat?’”
“������ looks up from his book, clearly undisturbed by the intense summer heat. ‘I’m just too cool for this kind of weather.’”
“‘Is that soooo…’ ���� sits next to ������, passing him a plastic cup filled with cold juice. ‘Whatcha readin?’”
“������ flashes the cover of the book. ‘Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, it’s a good book.’”
“‘Hmmm…’ ���� rests his head on ������’s shoulder. ���� glances over at ������’s face. His eyebrows furrowed softly in concentration. At the moment, ���� was very aware of the space (or rather the near-lack-of) between their two faces. And a dangerous and risky idea enters his head.”
“He didn’t go through with it, thankfully.”

Miscellaneous items around the Library

Medicine

“... and his heart pounds at the thought. Just like every time he thinks about that; being with another boy. There are so many people who could hate him for that and it makes him so nervous.”

Hourglass

“He doesn’t like me that way. He’ll never be in love with me the way I do. It’s so hard to breathe.”

Cherry Blossom Painting

‘Superliminal Theory is the idea that there is a boundless space filled with alternative realities and there are specific weak points in the world that allow multiple realities to touch or overlap.’

Paper? 1

Is it possible to miss something you never had?

Paper? 2

The waves of the universe churn underneath these lost halls. The universe’s loved, reality's forgotten. The drops of oblivion trickle down the pipeline of experience. Experiences become stories, stories become myths. Myths are forgotten. They drop, they splash. And become lost forever, in the Eternal Tide.

Paper? 3

Do you truly understand what people say? Is it accurate to assume that the word that comes from another person’s mouth is the truth? Truth is a flexible aspect, one that intertwines itself with the fabric of humanity in such a vital way that tearing it would cause the entire braid to unwind.
Is a metaphor a lie? Or is it the truth, accentuated? Is a metaphor a way of crossing a bridge over a wetland of ignorance? Or is it a way to paint a picture, only visible to those with rose-tinted glass?
Metaphor Mire, we are forever trapped in.

Mirror

“I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.”
“Let me out.”

Mirror?

“Let me go.”

You?

“Please stop, just stop.”

Not you.

“Let GO OF ME.”

LET GO OF HIS HAND.

“LET GO.”

let him breathe let him breath let him breathe

“LET ME GO.”

Aqueduct Hall

Paper 1

???

don't try to understand

Book 1

������

I want to run away in the biggest way.
I want to keep running until I can breath again

Book 2

������

Why is everything so tiring?
Why is it so hard to breathe?
Why are you dragging me back home?
Why can’t you just let me run away?

Book 3

������

“Wow… It’s so beautiful…”

����

“I knew you would like it.”

������

“Yeah…”

����

“������… You should probably get down from that railing.”
“Wait, ������, what are you doing?”

������

“It’s easier to see it this way.”

����

“Wait, ������, you’re gonna fall, get back on this side.”

������

“What if I did fall… It’s so easy for me to just let go… Then i’d be in the water… Of course, you’d jump in to save me.”
“...I wouldn’t want to burden you like that.”

����

“������… Hey- let’s… Let’s go home now, it’s getting late.”

The Waterway

Mirror

Rynn

“Hey, Tristy.”
“I-uh… I hope this message finds you well… n’ stuff…”
“Make sure to take your meds, I’ll be coming by soon.”
“... I know you don’t want to talk about what happened last night but…”
“I, uh… You’ve been… You know, the things you’ve been saying… I just…”
“You’re worth it, dude. I know things are hard right now, and I wanna help…”
“J-just… call me back… At um-when you can, okay?”
“I miss you

Seaside Repose

Puget Hall

Papers

???

tristy, i love you.

Mirror

‘You look into the mirror and you see two boys walking along a beach boardwalk.’

Rynn

“There’s a Starbucks around the corner if you want to sit down.”

Tristy

“I’m fine, thanks.”
“You really don’t have to coddle me all the time, I’m fine. Really.”

Rynn

“I like coddling you though.”

Tristy

“Of course you do.”
“Oh, there’s a spot.”

‘TRISTY runs into the sand and puts down a long beach towel on the ground. RYNN follows behind.’

Rynn

“I’m gonna go to Starbucks now and get our stuff.”

Tristy

“Alright.”

‘RYNN runs off to fetch their drinks. TRISTY sighs and sits down on the beach towel.’

‘The weather is nice here. The sky is a clear and calming alice blue. And the sounds of waves and people seem to melt into a calming white noise. TRISTY feels himself drift off.

‘RYNN returns to a half-asleep TRISTY. He presses the cold drink against TRISTY’s half-lucid face.

Rynn

“Here.”

Tristy

“Oh. Thanks.”

‘RYNN sits down next to TRISTY, staring wistfully at the water.

Tristy

“I thought you were gonna swim.”

Rynn

“I don’t feel like taking my coat off.”

Tristy

“Hmm.”

Rynn

“What? Wanted to see me shirtless?”

Tristy

“I really don’t.”

Rynn

“Yeah, I figured.”

Tristy

“... ha... ”

‘They stay this way for awhile. TRISTY rests his eyes for a bit.”

Rynn

“Tristy. Triiiisty… Tristy!”

Tristy

“huh... what?”

Rynn

“Here!”

‘RYNN holds out an orange shell to TRISTY.’

Tristy

“...”
“...?”

Rynn

“It’s for you!”

Tristy

“A… Shell.”
“I’m not a girl, dude.”

Rynn

“So? I can’t give my best friend a shell?”

Tristy

“Fine, I’ll take it.”

‘RYNN passes the shell to TRISTY, who places it into his bag. RYNN sits down next to TRISTY.’

Rynn

“This is nice.”

‘TRISTY leans over to rest his head on RYNN’s shoulder. RYNN reaches out to grab TRISTY’s hand, and their fingers interlace.’

Tristy

“Yeah. It is.”

Along the Cherry Path

The Inventor's Cradle

Mirror

"It's you."

Lywood Room

����Gate

‘I can fix everything for you.’

Mirror

You see two boys walking along a concrete pathway in between two lanes of cherry blossom trees.

Tristy

“Rynn, Rynn!! Look at them! They’re so pretty…”

Rynn

“Yeah… It’s so…-”

Tristy

“Magical…”

Rynn

“Yeah…”

RYNN runs off to collect some strewn cherry blossom leaves.

Tristy:::“Rynn, what are you-”
“Ah- ! Dude!”

RYNN had thrown a handful of cherry blossom petals at TRISTY’s face.

Rynn

“Ha!”

Tristy

“Dude…”

The two sit down at a nearby bench. TRISTY sighs and takes out a book from his bag and begins to read.

Rynn

“Is this a new one?”

Tristy

“Yeah, ‘The Night Circus’. It’s a good read.”

Rynn

“Well I know that, I consider you a great judge of literature quality.”

Tristy

“Shut up.”

Rynn

“It’s true!”

TRISTY smiles and leans his head on RYNN’s shoulder. They stay like this for an hour, until TRISTY feels something on his head.

Tristy

“Huh?”

Rynn

“It’s not my best work.”

TRISTY feels around his head and takes off a flower crown.'’

Tristy

“It’s so pretty…”

Rynn

“You should keep it somewhere safe, before all the petals go all gross.”

Tristy

“Y’know I could try to preserve them with one of those chemical sprays.”

Rynn

“Wow, you really must like it.”

Tristy

“Well, I… Uh. I really like… Everything you make. So…”

Rynn

“Sap.”

Tristy

“Nerd!”

RYNN laughs and wraps his arms around TRISTY. Together, they watch the cherry blossom petals fall. And at that moment, TRISTY truly believes that this is where he needed to be.
They stay this way until the sun begins to set.'’

Papers

???

don’t try to understand.

������

‘i like spending time by the water.’

‘wow. what a beautiful view.’

‘why do you go out of your way to make me happy? i’m just a waste of your time. i’m a waste of everyone’s time.

‘i’m just wasted space.’

‘you have your entire life ahead of you. why do you focus so much on me?’

‘Maybe if I pretend I’m fine you’ll stop worrying.’

‘This is where I need to be right now.’

‘Why is it still raining? I did everything I was supposed to…’

‘Cause everythin’s okay when I’m around you~!’

����Gate

‘One day, you will be face to face with whatever saw fit to let you exist in the universe, and you will have to justify the space you've filled.’

A Private Moment

The Crossroads

Stone Globe

Globe

“You don't know where you are.”

Bush & Questant Statues

???

“hrrrgh...”

Yvyniel

you’re going deeper, child.
pray that it doesn’t consume you.

The Cherry Library

Mirror

"You see two boys walking along the waterfront, there are tons of restaurants and businesses along the pier. It’s dark, and the city glowed like a starry sky."

Tristy

"It smells like seaweed here."

Rynn

“I think that’s just you.”

Tristy

“...”

Rynn

“We should get something to eat.”

Tristy

“Ivars?”

Rynn

“Ivars!”

Mirror

"The two boys run off to fetch some food. They spend their time by the water eating in silence. The two occasionally trading glances at the other.
Once they finish, RYNN and TRISTY spend some time looking out into the night sky. It’s chilly, but it doesn't bother the two."

Rynn

“Wanna go on the ferris wheel?”

Tristy

“Isn’t that like, a couple thing?”

Rynn

“Aren’t we a couple?”

Tristy

“Not in the way they mean.”

Rynn

“Still…!”

“...we can just go on a walk then…”

Tristy

“Sounds good.”

Mirror

"The two take a night stroll through the city, taking in the sights and the smells. They stop by a couple of stores, RYNN constantly being enticed by shiny objects. TRISTY sighs and grabs RYNN’s hand."

Rynn

“!!!”

Tristy

“Let’s go, nerd.”

Mirror

"The two exit the store hand-in-hand, and make their way to RYNN’s car."

Rynn

“Wait one moment.”

Mirror

"RYNN rummages in his pockets, pulling out a fancy expensive pen. He holds it out to TRISTY."

Rynn

“I bought it while you weren’t looking.”

Tristy

“I- dude, Rynn!”

Rynn

“What? Take it!”

Mirror

"RYNN presses the pen into TRISTY’s hands. TRISTY looks down at the pen, and then up into RYNN’s eyes. He sighs."

Tristy

“I know what you’re trying to do.”

Rynn

“Huh? What do you… mean?”

Tristy

“If you don’t wanna hang out with me, it's fine. You don't have to drag me out of my house all the time. It's fine, I’m… Uh, I’m getting better.”

Rynn

“Tristy…”

Mirror

"RYNN steps forward, getting closer to TRISTY."

Rynn

“I do these things because I like being with you.”

Mirror

"There’s a moment of silent understanding exchanged between the two.
And then RYNN closes the gap between himself and TRISTY.
They kiss. It was a short, sweet kiss. But it felt like forever to the two. RYNN breaks the kiss and steps back, scratching the back of his head.
TRISTY lets out a long sigh, steps forward and hugs RYNN close."

Tristy

“Okay.”
“You win.”
“Let’s just go home now.”

Mirror

"The ride back to TRISTY’s place is quiet. As neither of them knew what to say. Or what to think. Or what today meant for them."

The Broadwalk

Jumpy

hey, how are ya!

> where am i?

great question! we're definitely SOMEWHERE...
right now, all there is to see is a bunch of railings. very VERY very Very rickety railings. not cool. not amazing.

> how are you?

have you ever seen those jeans that come with pre-ripped holes in them?
i'm not sure why i brought that up. whoops!

> who are you?

m'name is jumpy!
i'm just a wandering guy. just a wandering guy! i do a bit of wandering, don't you? you really should!

> what's your favorite ice cream flavor?

ohh, i really enjoy peanut butter anything. peanuts are great. i love a good pb and the j! pb deserves so much better. what about you?
eww. that's freaking gross. have you ever met a REAL PERSON with like, a JOB, who unironically likes Mint Chocolate Chip? no. zero. zilch. nada. stop being weird now!

> have a good day.

i'll see you around, friend!

The Morning After

The Garden

Statue

"THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE GODS."

Mune Lounge

secret location where Mirah is

Book 1

From the rearview mirror, ������ saw the sun rising on his neck.
"You're nervous."

���� shook his head but said nothing

"How long has it been?" ������ asked, tilting his gaze away from ����'s reflection.
"A couple of years."

������ sighs, shifting in his seat. The silence they fell into was only interrupted by the occasional hum of the engine as they pass through fields and fields of grass.

"You didn't have to bring me. I didn't have to come." ���� said, looking out the side window. "If you're that worried how I'll be, or how your family..."

"If I didn't ask you, you wouldn't come along." ���� said. It's a firm, calm statement-yet tense nonetheless. He shook his head. "I want you here."

���� took a hand off the wheel to pat ������ on the head. "It'll be fun. Trust me. My hometown's no circus'"
������ smirked. "Oh really? I assumed so. Considering you're the biggest clown I know."

The sun continued to rise, in a blinding curve of light that bisected the grasslands. The car didn't break down, and neither did they.

Book 2

...and then ������ saw it, the glow. The endless sky, the untouched stars. A boundless, infinite, unknowing unknown that stretched far beyond the grass beneath his pals.
The world, the world he knew-one of so much pain and struggle-dwarfed and miniscule in the grandest contexts.

In that moment, he couldn't make sense of it-why such a wide and boundless world would ever allow him to cross paths with ����.
The night sky is endless, and the stars are countless.

The abrupt closing of a car door disturbed this peaceful panorama as ������ quickly sat up, dusting himself off. He'd look back at ����, who was walking over from the car.

"My uncle would take me and my cousins here once a month," ���� began as he sat down beside ������. "He'd sit us down right over there-next to the river. He'd tell us that all those stars and the land beneath them were made for us. And the beauty of this world belonged to those who are willing to see it."

���� shrugged, then layed down on the grass. "He tried being a poet, but no publisher would touch his manuscripts."

������ snickered, letting his gaze lay upon the Spokane river which bisected the land. "I don't think your uncle has the poetic mind they're looking for."
Then he lifted his head up, to see the world beyond his own.

"...But he does know the best places to stargaze."

Book 3

...and ������ waited outside in the cold, dark night, Right outside the restaurant. The glow of the window and streetlights kept him from seeing the stars.

"Hey!" ���� slid out the door and onto the street, turning to looking straight at ������. He was slightly out of breath, and his wide eyes narrowed as he walked up to the other boy.
"You good?"

������ just rolled his eyes and turned to look back up at the sky. "Peachy. I just needed some air."

���� just shook his head. "Dude, my family has been asking about you. Are you like, actually fine? What's going on?
"Lay off, ����." ������ said, not turning to look back at him.

No, you need to tell me what's wrong. We need to resolve this. You can talk to me! You can't just keep shutting me out!" ���� pleaded as he ran a hand through his hair.

������ scoffed, then turned to glare back at ����. "Okay?"
"...I need us to be a team, man. This trip is for me and I just..." ���� tilted his head, frowning. "I need something from you once."

Well, if you don't want me to protect your feelings," ������ shrugged. "I don't like your family."
"...What?"

"I don't like the way your family looks at me. I don't like the way they talk to me. I don't like the way you talk about me when you're around them-like I'm not even in the room with you." ������ said, getting more tense with each passing word. "It sucks

The shock on ���� wasn't what stung, but how that shock turned into disbelief.
"They are my family. You... You can't just say those things! I..."

"It's the truth." ������ wanted to be hurtful, to hurt him in that moment. But truthfully, his resolve broke the moment those words left his mouth.
"It's... It's just how I feel. Sorry."

���� sighs. "Can you just, like, bear with it? For one night! Just one night. I promise I'll make it up to you."
������ didn't say anything. He just nodded. He didn't want to fight with ���� tonight.

At the nods, ���� dropped his hands to his sides. He then stepped forward, embracing ������.
"You'll get through this. Just... do it for me, please?"

The air was warm, and the cars passing by were loud. There were no stars in the sky, but lights everywhere to be seen. And there he was, rooted where he stood.
"Only for you."

Along the Cherry Path

The Inventor's Cradle

Mirror

"It's you."

Lywood Room

����Gate

‘I can fix everything for you.’

Mirror

You see two boys walking along a concrete pathway inbetween two lanes of cherry blossom trees.

Tristy

“Rynn, Rynn!! Look at them! They’re so pretty…”

Rynn

“Yeah… It’s so…-”

Tristy

“Magical…”

Rynn

“Yeah…”

RYNN runs off to collect some strewn cherry blossom leaves.

Tristy:::“Rynn, what are you-”
“Ah- ! Dude!”

RYNN had thrown a handful of cherry blossom petals at TRISTY’s face.

Rynn

“Ha!”

Tristy

“Dude…”

The two sit down at a nearby bench. TRISTY sighs and takes out a book from his bag and begins to read.

Rynn

“Is this a new one?”

Tristy

“Yeah, ‘The Night Circus’. It’s a good read.”

Rynn

“Well I know that, I consider you a great judge of literature quality.”

Tristy

“Shut up.”

Rynn

“It’s true!”

TRISTY smiles and leans his head on RYNN’s shoulder. They stay like this for an hour, until TRISTY feels something on his head.

Tristy

“Huh?”

Rynn

“It’s not my best work.”

TRISTY feels around his head and takes off a flower crown.

Tristy

“It’s so pretty…”

Rynn

“You should keep it somewhere safe, before all the petals go all gross.”

Tristy

“Y’know I could try to preserve them with one of those chemical sprays.”

Rynn

“Wow, you really must like it.”

Tristy

“Well, I… Uh. I really like… Everything you make. So…”

Rynn

“Sap.”

Tristy

“Nerd!”

RYNN laughs and wraps his arms around TRISTY. Together, they watch the cherry blossom petals fall. And at that moment, TRISTY truly believes that this is where he needed to be.
They stay this way until the sun begins to set.

Papers

???

don’t try to understand.

������

‘i like spending time by the water.’

‘wow. what a beautiful view.’

‘why do you go out of your way to make me happy? i’m just a waste of your time. i’m a waste of everyone’s time.

‘i’m just wasted space.’

‘you have your entire life ahead of you. why do you focus so much on me?’

‘Maybe if I pretend I’m fine you’ll stop worrying.’

‘This is where I need to be right now.’

‘Why is it still raining? I did everything I was supposed to…’

‘Cause everythin’s okay when I’m around you~!’

����Gate

‘One day, you will be face to face with whatever saw fit to let you exist in the universe, and you will have to justify the space you've filled.’

The Trickle of Time

The Drowned Maze

Paper 1

Demon of Birth
Apollyus

Paper 2

Entity of Sargasso
Tidegate

Paper 3

Angel of Death
Yvyniel

The Drowned Library

Paper 1

”everything is alright.”

Paper 2

Various miscellaneous writings, nothing too eye-catching.

Apollyus

”…”
”don’t try to interfere.”

Mirror

You glimpse into the mirror, and you see many high school students milling around the stone and grass of a highschool campus.
You see TRISTY talking to a few other classmates. On the surface, he looked exceptionally brighter, happier even.
RYNN watched from the doorway, not wanting to interrupt this natural moment.
A few minutes pass, TRISTY spots RYNN and makes his way over to him. As he gets closer, RYNN notices how tired TRISTY looks.

Tristy

”Sup.”

Rynn

”Hey.”

TRISTY yawns, then rubs his eyes. He seems to sway where he stands.

Rynn

”Is everything alright?”

Tristy

”Just a lil’ tired…”

TRISTY trods closer to RYNN and leans heavily on him.

Rynn

Oh, okay, hey, let’s uh-

RYNN leads TRISTY inside and underneath a staircase. He sits TRISTY down by the wall.

Rynn

”You good?”

Tristy

”Just... A minor headache. I’m fine.”

RYNN sits down next to TRISTY, who slumps against him.
TRISTY’s breathing shallows and he falls asleep against RYNN, who starts to feel pretty tired himself.
RYNN reminisces about the time he’s had with TRISTY. As the clock ticks by, he finds himself cherishing every moment he has with the other.
In this short moment, in time, they share a private moment under the stairs.
And that’s okay, RYNN knows that he has all the time in the world. And they can take it slow.

The Spectator's Booth

The ??????

“...”
“it’s a bit early in the narrative, but i couldn’t help myself.”
“it won’t matter in the long run, you most likely don’t have enough context to understand what’s happening right now. and thats alright”

����

Ennis Hall

Framed Picture

����

“‘Hey, ����.’”

“‘What’s up?’”

“‘Actually, nevermind.’”

“‘What’s on your mind?’”

“‘... Well…

…Do you think… We’ll ever stop being friends?’”

“‘What do you mean?’”

“‘I mean like, would you ever forget me…?
Or forget… us’”

“‘I don’t think that’s going to ever happen, dude.
But why are you asking?’”

“‘...No reason.
No reason at all.’”

Rynn

#B06500

Tristy's Room

Paper

It’s such a sunny day, won’t you join me for a stroll on Alki Beach
Haha, leaving notes is super old-school, but I’m feeling pretty different today.
-����

Other Areas

The Drowned Gallery (Memory Hall)

Sea Shell

To see a shell in a dream represents your need or desire to be protected or sheltered from something in your waking life.

Cherry Blossom Flower Crown

Dreaming of Cherry Blossoms is a symbol of passionate and ardent love. Seeing it in a dream is a good omen in which any interpret as a meeting with one’s soul mate.

Pen

To dream about a pen represents things that are permanent- things you are unwilling to change. Perhaps you have made a decision recently that will affect the rest of your life or are about to. You might have made your mind up about something and there is no room for negotiation.

Sludge

To dream of the color black represents imbalance or excess. A negative thinking pattern or negative situation that is noticeably beyond normal limits. Black most often reflects negative feelings such as fear or behaviors where there is a lack of moderation.

N/A

There is nothing here.

The Hideaway (Author’s Abode Room)

Paper

Various miscellaneous writings, nothing too eye-catching

Mysterious Symbols

These symbols are foreign to you.

Familiar Easel

This EASEL… Strangely reminds you of a distant CHASM.

Questant 1

” oh, welcome to HIDEAWAY. feel free to stay for as long as u want !!!”

Questant 2

”i love eating books.”

Questant 3

”welcome !!!”

Questant 4

” a few of us spooks have been scattered since the NEW AUTHOR showed up.
everything changed, AUTHOR’S ABODE subsequently became derelict and ruined.”

Custodian

”…”

References

1. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FDdqKxiQrMCGN9Gj0BfC8OfxXksKwkKfVRwyk7ta-Zc/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.vuep29h6j10w