soundtrack most strongly associate is the one for eidolon! but the soundtracks for feist & oxenfree are both also on the playlist due to feeling . similar vibes. similar colors? they fit in my brain in the same place.
ooooo, i haven't heard of eidolon or feist before now, but i'm checking them out. they seem cool! I haven't played oxenfree in a while but it's a fun game for sure. Thank you for sharing with me!
hi! it's been a minute, but. i still think about scorpion grass a lot— ghost stories mean a lot to me, and the rules + imagery of your setting live in my head rent free at all times. there's a couple soundtracks that i... don't remember if i listened to them while first reading, or if there is just some synaesthetic aspect that ties them, but i am relistening to things and so am reminded.
i hope you are doing okay.
Hello! It makes me very happy to hear that my strange little project has made an impact on you. I don't want to jinx myself by saying that I hope to start updating again soon, so I won't say that. But i'm trying to work up to it.
I'm curious about what songs remind you of scorpion grass, that's kind of cool you have a soundtrack for it!
Easier said than done, really, to figure Theo out. He doesn’t always seem to have the best grasp on what’s going on himself. But you’ll give it your best shot.
It’s a little hard to figure something out with just what you have.
He said that you shouldn’t trust him just before taking you here, which could be reason to worry. Or it could be his low self esteem talking because the guy seems to have some issues there.
You wander as you think things over. Let yourself drift into your thoughts.
Not having to maintain whatever weird labyrinth thing he was doing before is probably making this less dangerous. But he also made it seem like having anyone inside his soul put it at risk of… tearing?
So why is he risking that to bring you here? He asked if you trusted him, but didn’t really ask you to trust him.
Really you doubt he’s doing anything that would intentionally put you at risk. He had all his chances, why wait?
But when it comes to his own safety. Well.
It’s pretty clear how far he would go for a friend.
You’ll have to try your best to avoid fucking him up while you’re here.
You wonder if touching the paintings actually has an impact or not. Would it be reckless to test it? Will you have any choice when the paintings seem to make choices for you?
Oh. You’ve managed to wander your way into Theo’s bedroom.
It looks tidier than normal. No longer stuck at the moment of his death, you’d guess.
The internal representaion of Concrete is curled up on Theo’s bed. You give the creature a little pet and it starts purring. What a cute little thing it is.
Petting Concrete makes you feel more settled.
Looking around the room, you see that the hanged man portrait is propped up against the wall. That one isn’t a memory, you’re pretty sure. Maybe touching that one will do nothing.
Your curiosity is getting the better of you again, and you can’t help but wonder if this is natural. Then again, it’s not like your curiosity hasn’t been driving you this whole time.
You reach out and touch the painting, tapping the painted Theo on the cheek.
Now that you think about it, it is kind of interesting that the Cabin isn't oil-paining styled like the rest of Theo's soul. Maybe it would clash with all the actual paintings inside of it? Or maybe since it's based off of a real place it's easier to get that photo-realism.
You wander around as you ponder. It doesn't seem to matter which route you choose to take. You try doubling back once or twice, just to see. The paintings you previously looked at all change to become the paintings you had seen up ahead before you doubled back. It's a little trippy, but as long as you steer clear of the drowning painting, there's no real danger afoot as far as you can tell.
It does keep popping up, though. And it keeps calling out to you.
Maybe even a recovered ghost can't help but haunt a little. It's not like you've figured out how to stop yourself from haunting yet, either. And Theo's keeping his haunting here inside his soul instead of out there where it can hurt people. Sure it can still hurt you in here, but that's probably not intentional.
Does it matter that your haunting isn't intentional either, anymore? You're pretty sure there's still a piece of you haunting Ametrine.
Maybe you should fix that.
Maybe not.
A little haunting might serve Ametrine right. And if you're haunting her the way you used to haunt people, the chances of her coming after you again go way down.
On the other hand, you did very much decide that you don't want to be that person anymore. You probably shouldn't make an exception for her, even if you don't like her much.
You sort of miss when your whole experience of the world was a mystery, rather than a series of moral quandaries.
Honestly, you probably don't need to figure this out right now. Ametrine is probably at the hospital. Depending on how much time has passed outside, she's either getting herself checked out for weird magical overuse fatigue or something, or she's keeping an eye on Pat while they're in the hospital, since you got the impression they'll need a little more intervention.
Which means that there's nothing you can do for Ametrine immediately.
Still. You could try figuring out how to help her while you're waiting around.
Or you could keep exploring, try to figure out what Theo's plan here was.
Now that you think about it, it is kind of interesting that the Cabin isn't oil-paining styled like the rest of Theo's soul. Maybe it would clash with all the actual paintings inside of it? Or maybe since it's based off of a real place it's easier to get that photo-realism.
You wander around as you ponder. It doesn't seem to matter which route you choose to take. You try doubling back once or twice, just to see. The paintings you previously looked at all change to become the paintings you had seen up ahead before you doubled back. It's a little trippy, but as long as you steer clear of the drowning painting, there's no real danger afoot as far as you can tell.
It does keep popping up, though. And it keeps calling out to you.
Maybe even a recovered ghost can't help but haunt a little. It's not like you've figured out how to stop yourself from haunting yet, either. And Theo's keeping his haunting here inside his soul instead of out there where it can hurt people. Sure it can still hurt you in here, but that's probably not intentional.
Does it matter that your haunting isn't intentional either, anymore? You're pretty sure there's still a piece of you haunting Ametrine.
Maybe you should fix that.
Maybe not.
A little haunting might serve Ametrine right. And if you're haunting her the way you used to haunt people, the chances of her coming after you again go way down.
On the other hand, you did very much decide that you don't want to be that person anymore. You probably shouldn't make an exception for her, even if you don't like her much.
You sort of miss when your whole experience of the world was a mystery, rather than a series of moral quandaries.
Honestly, you probably don't need to figure this out right now. Ametrine is probably at the hospital. Depending on how much time has passed outside, she's either getting herself checked out for weird magical overuse fatigue or something, or she's keeping an eye on Pat while they're in the hospital, since you got the impression they'll need a little more intervention.
Which means that there's nothing you can do for Ametrine immediately.
Still. You could try figuring out how to help her while you're waiting around.
Or you could keep exploring, try to figure out what Theo's plan here was.
Okay. Whatever that was, things are going to be okay.
Surely Theo wouldn’t let you run around in here if he thought you could hurt him.
Except.
If you think about everything that's happened so far, that's probably not true at all. He brought Ametrine in and she definitely hurt him. And you did too, whether you meant to or not.
Sure, the circumstances are different now, but if you really think about it, you aren't sure Theo is the best at prioritizing his own well being.
You'll try to be more careful from now on.
The weird painting maze is still in effect, but now the paintings are all different. These scenes are all unfamiliar to you, with people you don't recognize at all.
Well.
Actually now that you're looking, there is one that's a bit familiar.
You're pretty sure Theo's sister is in the one you're standing in front of right now. She's younger than when she killed him, but that's got to be the same person. You'd have a better idea if you could hear her voice, but you are not about to enter the memory to check.
The painting depicts a bunch of kids having a tea party. Courtney, you're pretty sure that's her name, is giving off the impression that she is In Charge of this event. Theo isn't anywhere to be seen, but you can't discount the idea that he's in it and just looks too different as a kid for you to recognize him. You've been him in his memories as a kid, sure. But not anywhere where there was a mirror.
You turn away from the painting, and it doesn't try to pull you back towards it.
You wonder why some try to pull you in, and some don't.
Some make you really uneasy, and some seem to be completely normal paintings.
There doesn't seem to be any pattern to it yet, as far as you can tell.
The wood floors of the cabin pave your way as you head deeper inside.
You’d like to avoid letting Pat down. Kind of a running theme in your un-life these days.
It’s unclear whether the terror you’re experiencing at being the center of attention here is your own or you-as-Theo’s and that makes you feel even worse somehow.
Pat stands from their seat and gestures for you to sit while they go get another chair. You sit down. Everyone is staring at you. Are their gazes as menacing as they feel?
No. Probably not.
Pat introduces everyone to you by name. You’re a little too busy feeling like the ceiling is going to fall down on you to take them all in.
You wave again, not knowing what else to do.
You feel really out of place.
“Right, where were we…” Pat mutters, looking back down behind their game master shield. “That’s right. Kep, I’m going to need to you roll an alertness for me.”
Kep grumbles about how the dice hate them today.
“Theodore, you wanna give my dice some luck for me? I’ll need it,” they say, pushing four strange looking d6 your way.
“What? No way,” someone else, Isa?, complains lightheartedly.
“Come on, I want him to feel included here.”
“More like you want your alertness curse broken,” Isa ribs.
“I’ll allow it,” Pat says with a grin.
“How do I give them luck?” you ask, pushing through the sense that something is wrong.
Theo’s cadence is missing from the question entirely.
“You can just pick em up and hold em for a second.”
You do as you’re instructed, then hand them back. Theo’s hands are smaller than you remember them being.
“Thank you,” Kep sing-songs.
They roll, and you have to assume it’s a good one based on the reactions.
You finally manage to wrench yourself away from the memory.
That was kind of weird.
It felt different from the times you were in memories before.
You’ll add it to the list of questions you have for when your absent host returns.
At least that’s what you’re thinking to yourself before you take a good look at the canvass in front of you.
Theo is missing from the painting.
That… can’t be right.
The scene changing, sure. You saw a little more of it than what was there before. But it’s Theo’s memory. Theo should be in there.
Not you.
But there you are, sitting at the table with everyone. The only trace of Theo left is the shadow you’re casting on the floor.
You didn’t mean to do that. Whatever that was, you didn’t mean to.
What did you even do? Does this mean something, or is this just another quirk of playing around in a semi-imaginary space?
Did you break something, or is everything okay?
It doesn’t feel okay. It feels like you fucked something up.
Is this something you could have avoided if you hadn’t touched the painting? But you felt compelled to do it. You don’t think you could have stopped yourself.
You apologize to Theo. You say sorry, and say it again. There’s no response.
Does he care? Does it matter?
Maybe this really doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it doesn’t matter what the paintings show. The paintings aren’t literally Theo’s memories of things, just visual representations, right? If they change a little it should be fine.
You’d like to avoid letting Pat down. Kind of a running theme in your un-life these days.
It’s unclear whether the terror you’re experiencing at being the center of attention here is your own or you-as-Theo’s and that makes you feel even worse somehow.
Pat stands from their seat and gestures for you to sit while they go get another chair. You sit down. Everyone is staring at you. Are their gazes as menacing as they feel?
No. Probably not.
Pat introduces everyone to you by name. You’re a little too busy feeling like the ceiling is going to fall down on you to take them all in.
You wave again, not knowing what else to do.
You feel really out of place.
“Right, where were we…” Pat mutters, looking back down behind their game master shield. “That’s right. Kep, I’m going to need to you roll an alertness for me.”
Kep grumbles about how the dice hate them today.
“Theodore, you wanna give my dice some luck for me? I’ll need it,” they say, pushing four strange looking d6 your way.
“What? No way,” someone else, Isa?, complains lightheartedly.
“Come on, I want him to feel included here.”
“More like you want your alertness curse broken,” Isa ribs.
“I’ll allow it,” Pat says with a grin.
“How do I give them luck?” you ask, pushing through the sense that something is wrong.
Theo’s cadence is missing from the question entirely.
“You can just pick em up and hold em for a second.”
You do as you’re instructed, then hand them back. Theo’s hands are smaller than you remember them being.
“Thank you,” Kep sing-songs.
They roll, and you have to assume it’s a good one based on the reactions.
You finally manage to wrench yourself away from the memory.
That was kind of weird.
It felt different from the times you were in memories before.
You’ll add it to the list of questions you have for when your absent host returns.
At least that’s what you’re thinking to yourself before you take a good look at the canvass in front of you.
Theo is missing from the painting.
That… can’t be right.
The scene changing, sure. You saw a little more of it than what was there before. But it’s Theo’s memory. Theo should be in there.
Not you.
But there you are, sitting at the table with everyone. The only trace of Theo left is the shadow you’re casting on the floor.
You didn’t mean to do that. Whatever that was, you didn’t mean to.
What did you even do? Does this mean something, or is this just another quirk of playing around in a semi-imaginary space?
Did you break something, or is everything okay?
It doesn’t feel okay. It feels like you fucked something up.
Is this something you could have avoided if you hadn’t touched the painting? But you felt compelled to do it. You don’t think you could have stopped yourself.
You apologize to Theo. You say sorry, and say it again. There’s no response.
Does he care? Does it matter?
Maybe this really doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it doesn’t matter what the paintings show. The paintings aren’t literally Theo’s memories of things, just visual representations, right? If they change a little it should be fine.
The closer you get to the cabin, the more the scenery around you warps to match the area around Theo’s actual house. The light gets dimmer, the trees thicker. The gravel of the driveway crunches underfoot.
Despite being pretty sure that Theo isn’t out to get you, you can’t help but start to tense up as you approach the door. If you get bitten this time you’re going to feel really stupid for falling for it. Knowing you won’t die no matter what happens is less comforting than you’d like it to be.
You step through the door and it shuts behind you. The stairs greet you again. You honestly aren’t sure if they look as tooth-like as last time or if you’re psyching yourself out.
“No way out but through,” you mutter to yourself as you head up the stairs. They don’t bite you. They do branch off weird, splitting and splitting and splitting like lightning. The walls feel like they’re closing in on you a bit as you pick a path at random.
You end up in a hallway that you think you might have been in before. Paintings line the walls. They are, for the most part, representations of memories you’ve stumbled into.
Or memories you’ve experienced before.
The painting of Theo laying face down in the creek is, unsurprisingly, very unpleasant to look at.
You feel compelled to take it down from the wall. You don’t, but you want to. You really, really want to.
You pull yourself away from the painting to look at others.
There’s one of Pat and their friends playing a tabletop game together. Theo’s there too, technically. He’s in his more shadowy form, tucked into a corner and just watching. Everyone looks like they’re having a good time, except for him.
You kind of want to touch this one. You’re really not sure if touching oil paintings is bad for them or not, but since this is an imaginary painting it should probably be fine.
“Hey, kid. Stop moping in the doorway and come say hi,” Pat calls, without turning to look at you.
You wince. You thought you were concealing your presence well enough, but then Pat’s not a ghost whisperer for nothing. You manifest into a more solid form and wave sheepishly as everyone turns to look at you.
“Oh, who’s this?” asks one of the people crowding the table.
“This is Theodore, my new roommate,” Pat introduces. They wave you to come closer, so you do.
“Ah. Hello everyone. Its… nice to meet you,” you say.
You know that Pat’s friends are probably all perfectly lovely. But your heart feels like it’s about to beat out of your chest. You can’t remember the last time you were properly in a room with so many people, let alone the center of attention in one. It would probably be rude to run off without saying anything. You really, really want to. But then again you don’t want to disappoint Pat.
The closer you get to the cabin, the more the scenery around you warps to match the area around Theo’s actual house. The light gets dimmer, the trees thicker. The gravel of the driveway crunches underfoot.
Despite being pretty sure that Theo isn’t out to get you, you can’t help but start to tense up as you approach the door. If you get bitten this time you’re going to feel really stupid for falling for it. Knowing you won’t die no matter what happens is less comforting than you’d like it to be.
You step through the door and it shuts behind you. The stairs greet you again. You honestly aren’t sure if they look as tooth-like as last time or if you’re psyching yourself out.
“No way out but through,” you mutter to yourself as you head up the stairs. They don’t bite you. They do branch off weird, splitting and splitting and splitting like lightning. The walls feel like they’re closing in on you a bit as you pick a path at random.
You end up in a hallway that you think you might have been in before. Paintings line the walls. They are, for the most part, representations of memories you’ve stumbled into.
Or memories you’ve experienced before.
The painting of Theo laying face down in the creek is, unsurprisingly, very unpleasant to look at.
You feel compelled to take it down from the wall. You don’t, but you want to. You really, really want to.
You pull yourself away from the painting to look at others.
There’s one of Pat and their friends playing a tabletop game together. Theo’s there too, technically. He’s in his more shadowy form, tucked into a corner and just watching. Everyone looks like they’re having a good time, except for him.
You kind of want to touch this one. You’re really not sure if touching oil paintings is bad for them or not, but since this is an imaginary painting it should probably be fine.
“Hey, kid. Stop moping in the doorway and come say hi,” Pat calls, without turning to look at you.
You wince. You thought you were concealing your presence well enough, but then Pat’s not a ghost whisperer for nothing. You manifest into a more solid form and wave sheepishly as everyone turns to look at you.
“Oh, who’s this?” asks one of the people crowding the table.
“This is Theodore, my new roommate,” Pat introduces. They wave you to come closer, so you do.
“Ah. Hello everyone. Its… nice to meet you,” you say.
You know that Pat’s friends are probably all perfectly lovely. But your heart feels like it’s about to beat out of your chest. You can’t remember the last time you were properly in a room with so many people, let alone the center of attention in one. It would probably be rude to run off without saying anything. You really, really want to. But then again you don’t want to disappoint Pat.
You straighten up, happy with the possibility of acceptance.
“Well. Um. I don’t want to cause undue alarm but you’ve… been cursed, I think.”
Pat raises an eyebrow. “Cursed, huh? Does that sort of thing really happen?”
You pause for a moment, collecting your thoughts.
“I’m not certain what it is, but my intuition dictates that it’s a curse.” You rub at the back of your head somewhat bashfully. That’s a gesture you’ve seen Theo make before. It’s weird being the one to do it, even though you know it’s not really you at all.
Pat takes out their notebook and makes some notes. “And you can help with this ‘curse’ how?”
“I think if I just…” you take a step closer and reach out towards Pat.
Pat takes a step back. “Wait, no don’t show me just yet. We still need to investigate what this thing is and why I have it.”
Theo perks up. “Does this mean you’ll let me help?”
Pat sighs and rubs at their face, drawing your attention to the beard they seem to have just started trying to grow. They sigh.
“I really do think you should head on back to moving on. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about ghosts, it’s that you are all a stubborn, stubborn bunch. So I might as well agree and keep you where I can see you.”
Pat mumbles something else you can’t quite hear.
You finally manage to squirm out of the grasp of the memory.
You’re a little conflicted about that, because you are curious about what that was all about.
The emotions that memory brings forth are not comfortable ones.
You’ve really made a whole lot of trouble for Pat and Theo. Ignoring the fact that you (with Ametrine’s help) were putting Pat in physical danger, you’re also pretty sure you seriously strained Pat and Theo’s friendship.
There’s no doubt in your mind that they would have all been better off never meeting you.
Ow.
You look up, rubbing at the spot on your head where something just hit you.
The branches of a walnut tree stretch above you.
You weren’t standing under a tree before you went into the memory, you’re pretty sure.
“Was that on purpose?” you call out.
You’re not even a little surprised Theo doesn’t respond.
Cool.
You’re just a little tiny bit miffed that he won’t give you any sign that he’s listening.
He could have warned you it would be radio silence from here on out. He could have given you some indication of what he expects from you while you’re here.
You kick at the fallen walnuts on the ground around you for a bit while you work on letting go of your frustration.
Subtly while you aren’t looking, Theo’s house appears nearby.
The door is open.
That has to be an invitation from Theo, right?
Unless it’s some sort of trap again?
No, Ametrine shouldn’t be able to influence things in here now that she’s outside.
