First rambling abt a mansion AU I'm posting is going to be just random stuff that doesn't particularly pertain to one character, just kinda general over-arching concepts for funsies <3
Please remember things aren't meant to be mega canon to anything they're based on! A lot of this is just "because I think it's neat" :3
The mansion itself is a bit weird, it is a physical place but it sort of acts inside as it's own sub space. It's very obviously a different space inside than outside would allow. It also acts as a physical entry into the Ark. I haven't decided exactly at what point is used for this entry, the current debate is an entire wing of the mansion is for slenderman and only slenderman (unless given express permission) and its over there somewhere OR it's the basement.
There is more than one "mansion" there's different sort of regions the different proxies reside in or frequent, so there's different locations attached to the Ark spread around. Not all take the form of a mansion, they can really be anything tbh. There could be like a cabin, an apartment, a suburban house, an office, the world is your oyster <3 (obv the hospital in Rosswood is one)
If you're familiar with traversing the Ark, you CAN use it as a sort of fast travel. Most don't unless absolutely necessary they hate that shit. TECHNICALLY anyone can do this, but knowing how to go through effectively and quickly makes it a hell of a lot easier and slightly less dangerous
Who does and doesn't live there? Whoever wants to, as long as you have some loyalty (forced or willing) to Slenderman you can use the space. Typically those who are more notoriously wanted criminals or those who are missing/dead persons don't wish to go through the effort of faking an identity reside in these residences. It is NOT a requirement, proxies are permitted to live in society normally as they wish as long as they complete any tasks given to them
Living conditions depend on your location and life style, more remote locations deep in woods like the mansion tend to have harsher living conditions than one or two proxies living in an apartment upholding public identities might experience a better environment
The main area I use for this AU is the mansion itself, it's major region is VAGUELY eastern/south eastern US. It's generally regarded as a more major hub of a larger region and houses more prominent proxies and/or allies. I don't have a specific location picked for it, so no state or anything. All I've determined is the forest around it is MASSIVE and dense, a small town is near the forest itself that residents frequent for supplies. Residents have a sort of inner understanding of keeping illegal activities in this town to a minimum to keep a source of supplies.
Around this forest various structures unrelated to the Ark exist. Some are abandoned some are occupied. (Idk what they all are yet I'll get back to you on that)
Number Stations! I remember them being really popular back in the day as like a creepy thing, so I've decided that they all use some obscure unused radio station as a number station for themselves. Whoever is reading out the numbers changes with whoever is available to do it, typically if someone is like injured to the point of it being too difficult for them to complete proper work they get to man the station until they recover. Typically all that's really relayed through these is updates, warnings, order changes, or any sort of emergencies. Playing with the idea of different types of messages having different codes?? Unsure how practical that would be tho so its not decided. All proxy carry some form of radio on them to have access to the station if and when needed
Outside of a station, communication between those working together or just those who are close is entirely up to them! Little cliques aren't uncommon amongst peers, and groups often have their own verbal codes or gestures to relay things quickly and discretely between each other. Things like sign languages or morse are commonly adopted from being more easily learned, although some groups will have more niche ways of communicating
As long as you're completing tasks and jobs, slenderman will not give a FUCK what you do with who. The risk comes from if you're being a little too disobedient or rebellious for his taste he knows who can be used against you
Don't ask me what these tasks and jobs are I genuinely don't know atm, proxy stuff?? Yeah proxy stuff. Feeding the Ark is in there obv, anything else? Idk. Probably location dependant
Being a proxy is not a choice in the slightest. Get afflicted with enough slender sickness and not die to it? That's your new job congrats. Some proxies are a lot more accepting and eager of this than others. (Interjecting this here, Masky and Hoodie are unwilling proxies in this AU <3 Hoodie is essentially indebted to the Ark for keeping her kinda sorta alive, Masky was dragged in as a "well everyone's dead so you got nothing else to go for" type thing. They'll get their own AU lore rambles eventually they make me so ill)
If you become a proxy, it's not a guarantee you get to stay in the area you're from! Most of the time, new proxies will be moved to new regions to reduce risk of being immediately recognized as a local missing persons or local criminal and to reduce the likelihood of running into someone you personally knew before. It is on you as a proxy at that point to remain out kf high suspicions. If you get caught, that's on you, you get to deal with that consequence with how you see fit (+maybe some added torment from slenderman to drive the point home yknow)
That's my ramblings for now 🥹 not everything makes PERFECT sense and this is so disorganized but I LOVE rambling and just throwing random shit out there. I'll try and make character ones a little more organized whenever I get around to those ramblings XD
