I am SO Dumb

So I thought I'd take a nice risk and see what would happen if I ignored "Get Up High" for a few days. I've been following it pretty close for the most part and sleeping in high places thus far, but the last couple days I thought I'd try camping out at ground level and sleeping on park benches. Basically just to prove if there was any merit to the theory or if I could sleep where ever I wanted and it didn't matter because he just wasn't following me that closely at the moment.

So, first couple days? Been going pretty well actually. No problems. No encounters. Everything's been cool.

Granted sleeping on a park bench is no more comfortable than sleeping on a rooftop, so not a lot of change there.

Last night on the other hand....
I knew something was wrong when I woke up in a bed. Because obviously I had not gone to sleep in a bed. So I blink myself awake and lean up to absorb my surroundings. I notice two important things thereabouts immediately. One... I'm naked. Pretty sure I don't remember being naked when I fell asleep. But all my shit is gone so... that's not very reassuring.

Even less reassuring! Two... There is Blood Everywhere.

Like I'd just woken up on the set of Texas Chainsaw Massacre 14 or some shit. The stuff was all over the place. It was dripping down the walls like they were Bleeding. Yet there were no bodies, no apparent source, it was just THERE. In regards to my condition in that moment, "Panic" would be an understatement.

So I slide out of the bed and- 'Squish'

Because of course, it would be pooled up all over the floor too. Not in my happy place. Not in my happy place. Not in my happy place....

So I check under the bed because... I'm a genius like that. Nothing there. Open the closet. Empty. Only bothered to check one of the dresser drawers after I found the same results. Best I can tell from the furniture and the layout, it's a hotel room, which means this door over here should be... a bathroom. A surprisingly spotless and clean bathroom. Save for the big sloppily drawn in red message on the mirror reading "N(X) ESCAPE." Which was, of course, Reeeeally reassuring. As was the realization that the reflection of myself in the mirror had a few things very much in common with the state of the other room. I thought about getting into the shower but I was afraid of what color the water would be so I just grabbed a towel, threw it around my waist and hurried to the other door with the locks and the peephole on it which I assumed to be the exit.

I eased it open and there he was. Just standing there in the hallway, leaned slightly back with his arms held out to greet me. His whole posture looking to me as though he were meaning to shout "Surprise!"


...and then I woke up Underneath the park bench I had originally fallen asleep on.

So I got up, gathered my things, and did what any sane and logical individual would do in that particular situation. I started Running. I didn't really have a destination in mind, it was really more a matter of putting as much distance between that place and myself as physically possible. So I ran and I kept running and I didn't stop running until the sun came up and I promptly collapsed in front of a gas station. Whereupon I was later awoken by an attendant who informed me that I could not sleep there. To which I promptly responded that quite clearly I could as I had just done so. To which he replied that I couldn't do so anymore. To which I contradicted that I was rather certain that I could indeed continue to do so as my previous attempt clearly indicated. But then I remembered I was tired and hungry so I got up anyways and went inside with the man to buy something to eat.


....so now I'm on a rooftop again.
Because fuck you that's why.

Missing the Point Entirely

I read something recently that made me kind of slap my head. Maybe it's one of those things where I'm the only one that sees the counter-logic? Or perhaps rather where I'm one of the few who sees it? Since that's a bit less egotistical of a statement. XP So since M isn't around to really handle this himself, in terms much more easily understood than I'll probably use, I suppose I'll have to step up and explain this for him.

Put simply, up front, for those of you too lazy to read big long paragraphs (assuming I actually ramble on that long about this... I mean I just started typing, this could go anywhere), the point of my present argument is this... "Get Up High does not equate to Ground Level Elevations."

That's not too hard to understand right? Basically, the argument I saw... and if you realize you're the one I'm picking on, Soooooooooorrrrrrrrryyyyyyy... that since there was evidence to suggest that the Construct had once appeared and perhaps frequently visited the peak of a one of the tallest mountains in the world, that the concept of "Get up high" must be debunked. Here is the basis of my counter-arguement... Though certainly the mountain you are standing on is most certainly "up high" in terms of geological elevation, the simple fact of the matter is that you're still standing on the GROUND.

Now, though I'm gradually shifting my opinion of the Constructs nature and intelligence as I gain more information, I still generally assume it to be an element most in tune with nature and the natural order of things. I mean, what's his favorite place? The Woods. What's he most associated with? Trees. And this is not even getting into the long topic of The Path that he travels and it's Black Leaves. As such, I find myself acting under the general assumption that the Construct has no issues at all traveling about through the Earth's natural environments. Where the problem springs up is when he encounters something man-made. These structures are unnatural, foreign objects in his domain. They interfere with his vision and his natural means of travel. They're obstacles that hinder his movement. Hence, what you're looking for when you're trying to "Get up high" isn't the lonely shack on top of a mountain, but the 60 story skyscraper downtown.

And yes, these tactics still don't always work, but it isn't necessarily because the theory or "the rule" or whatever you want to call it is wrong, but rather because it's effectiveness is limited. "Get up high" is a survival tactic, not a permanent means of prolonged safety. The Construct CAN climb tall man-made structures. The issue is that it's not very easy for him to do so. He's probably getting better at it, but it still can take time. Because lets all recall in a very early Tutorial post, M was hanging out on a rooftop when the Construct found and moved him. That's where he basically reiterated another part of the theory... you never stay in one place for very long. Eventually, he's going to reach you no matter how high up you go if you just stay in the same spot all the time. You're not untouchable up there, just "safer" than you'd be on the ground.

Also, I think by the same measure, just being up high obstructs his vision. Like, maybe he suffers from videogame syndrome the likes of which Half-life tries to combat, where he just never looks up. All the people are on the ground beneath him, right? Why look up? And even then, that man-made artifact is obstructing his gaze, so presumably he might not be able to see you up there, which also leads to the whole "taking longer to find you up there" aspect.


And how does this co-relate to my current situation? I'm not sure. I'm hoping the nature of my environment renders me similarly invisible I guess but... hard to say. Regardless, I know it's not perfect and will probably suffer under the same flaws. So I'll just keep holding my breath for now I guess and stop trying to debunk my own protective strategies. In the meantime, maybe this lovely little spill will help a few of out.

Just remember... M's not Dead.

Working out Defenses

It’s been about a week now since I’ve posted anything hasn’t it? Sorry. I’ve found myself a little busy lately. F&C’s been asking me a few good questions now about my defenses and I guess it got me to thinking. I mean, I have defenses in place, but most of them rely heavily upon experimental logic. I trust the logic is sound and have a good deal of faith in it(I think it’s probably important that I “believe” it works too). But when you really start to think about it... it really is just untested highly experimental theory. So kind of flimsy as a defense against an eldritch horror.

So I’ve taken a break from my normal reading the last few days to do some alternative research. I’m working on setting up a few things that may help me out a lot in the long term, but it’s going to take me a while to really get any of it done. It’s pretty important though, I think... because I may have defenses, but in the event that I actually have to defend myself, then what I really need is an Escape Plan. And prior to now, I didn’t really have one. Everything in Onewinged’s notes was focused on survivability within the bunker and the logic pertaining to its status as a safe zone. Leaving it never really comes into the equation, since leaving equals certain death.

That’s the fear at least... I guess. I feel like... now that I know... that if I were to open that door and step outside, that the extreme sense of paranoia brought on by the knowledge I now have, would summon the Construct to me the second I placed myself out in the open. And then that’d be the end of it. I mean, it’s almost a given. I’m out here in the middle of the god damned woods. HIS TERRITORY. The only thing keeping me safe is the fact that he doesn’t know I’m here and (hopefully still) isn’t looking for me.

Which brings me back to the logic part I guess...

I’m not going to sit here and list out all of my defenses. That’s just stupid. It’s common knowledge that Proxies and Agents and whatever else that’s out there read these blogs. I’m not going to sit here and broadcast all of my secrets in a public space and give them all the information they need to work out a means of fucking me over at every turn. I mean, for the time being anyways, I’d say that I sort of trust the few people presently aligned with the Construct who have spoken to me here. I mean, they’ve yet to really give me a good reason not to. But this is a weird world I’ve entered into and one of the only certainties I can discern from it is that “Things Change.” Plus, there could be more of them watching me that haven’t made themselves known yet... I’m not going to take that risk and piss away all of my advantages. If someone is going to come after me, then good fucking luck to them because I’m not going to say anything that could even remotely aid in their quest of finding and murdering me. Sorry.

But I will discuss what defenses I can that aren’t of a compromising nature. Especially since the knowledge could prove helpful to some on the run, and that’s kind of what I’m here to help with so... carrying on.

The basic logic I keep referring to as my prime defense lies heavily within the logic of M’s Rules. I touched on this a bit earlier in the comments when F&C happened to take notice of “The Joke.” One of the most important elements that The Tutorial stresses is the need to “Get Up High.” This logic is founded upon the nature of the Construct. M views the Constuct from the standpoint of any other naturally existing predator. As an animal acting upon instincts. I’ve certainly seen plenty of instances that indicate a fairly higher level of potential intelligence from the Construct than M would initially suggest, but in the long run, the concept still applies. It IS a Predator. Of a generally Parasitic variety I might add... but still an animal, the same as you or me... just with a much higher ahh... Threat Level? I dunno how to describe it. Basically just the fact that he’s capable of some crazy shit.

But just because he’s powerful and can influence others, possibly even communicate with them on some level, doesn’t mean he’s of human or higher level intelligence. I’d kind of like to make a Termors reference. The Grabboids weren’t really all that “smart” at all, they were just really good predators which were good at adapting to new situations. This fact, combined perhaps with just sheer dumb luck on the beast’s part, led the human’s hunted by them to initially assume that they were far more intelligent than they actually are. I believe similar forces may be at work here...

Tangent aside, this leads to the theory that the Construct doesn’t recognize entities which are located several stories higher than it to be human. Because humans are smaller than the Construct, it perceives anything “taller” than it to not be human. And perception is almost always the key with this thing...

Another, non-Tutorial example can be found when the Sage Shaun experimented with the Construct to determine if it preferred to appear in light or dark rooms. The test determined that the Construct prefers to appear in well lit rooms. This prompted the theory that he chooses the well lit rooms because humans are more likely to be found near such light sources. The Constuct knows his prey well and thus molds his perceptions of how and where to find us. He’s been doing this for quite some time after all. We’re rather predictable after a while I would suppose... so it all becomes instinctual. And instinctual perceptions rarely change.

As such, my current position takes these ideas and proposes an Anti-Thesis, “Get Down Low.” The concept being that if you’re down low enough, such as in a deep dark hole in the ground, then the Construct is just as likely not to perceive you as human. Human’s don’t live in holes or caves, not anymore anyways. So why would he seek out his prey there?

Certainly there are instances of him entering such underground locations, such as the “temple?” discovered by Damien O’Conner... but in instances such as this, the Construct only appears to be venturing into these locations because he was “Invited” to them previously. I plan to make no such invitations... <.<;

Secondly, as I shall explain again, is my status as an Unmarked Victim. The reason Onewinged didn’t try the bunker experiment himself is because he knew he was marked. That he was contaminated. And that to enter the bunker would simply cause that contamination to spread, rendering the location and his experiment useless. So though something of this particular nature may work well for someone like me, it seems less likely to be effective for someone already hunted by the Construct. As it seems as if hiding from him is a relative impossibility... like there is a beacon of some kind which draws him to you. But as I have no such mark, I remain effectively off its radar.

I’m not sure how long that will last however. Certainly I know of him now. So I’m... “Corrupted?” I suppose one might call it? But I don’t think that’s enough to draw him to me. I will note this specifically to Lady Elaine as perhaps one of those few things that Robert Sagel was correct about... even though it seems he never quite returned to elaborating on the matter... but the idea that simply knowing about the Construct is not enough to make a victim of yourself. There’s something more to it than that. Another step or two that must be taken before you become one of the hunted. And I’m certainly not sure what that is, but I am most certain that simply knowing Him is not enough. To believe such is quite literally stupid. It doesn’t make any sense.

I’ve read quite a few instances now and it’s never quite the same. Some will research the monster in depth, learning everything they can about him, and commenting on the blogs of runners about the creature... yet they themselves remain unstalked. They may even be actively TRYING (for some unreasonably perverse means) to attract the creature to themselves... yet still they remain unstalked for an extensive span of time before the Construct finally decides to take notice of them. Meanwhile, others may only just have become aware of him and barely know anything at all, yet they become stalked right away. And to add even more madness to the equation, there are those who know absolutely nothing about the Constuct at all prior to encountering it, yet still they have become one of the hunted. So not only is knowing about him not the only requirement for becoming a victim, but it may well not be a factor in the equation at all!

That being the case, I believe I may be much more well protected from the Construct than one would initially assume. The only connection I have to the creature at all is through Onewinged... and if the Construct took no interest in me prior to now, then it most likely remains uninterested. As such, I believe that I’m safe here. Outside of its reach. Outside of its vision.

....That’s what I’m going to keep telling myself anyways.