Firstly I'd like to thank you for the work you've been doing in the quest. I really enjoy the social intrigue/mystery elements that it has and the visual designs of the characters.

I'll try to post most of my questions (and probably observations) here, since my postings seem very long in comparison to the other posters.

I suppose my first question would be about Millie's insights as a detective. I likely would've missed how Sioko dodged Garvin's if she hadn't brought it up. Seeing as she is also a character in her own right in addition to being "the person we are following," is it possible to ask Millie what her thoughts on the matter are?

>>132092
I am glad that you are enjoying my quest, I really like making it and interacting with the participators. The quests are truly a unique kind of media with a lot of possibilities for interesting dynamics between the storyteller and story readers. At this point, I am more experimenting with this media and seeing just what can be accomplished with this quest format. You may ask Millie about her insight on certain scenarios and she will give her short thoughts on the subject. For example when the other participator asked if she knew anything about Grandle and Maria religion and she gave her short summer of what she knows about it. I was meaning to ask you particularly about one thing that was kinda a strange thing about you. The name that you use "Doors" if you don't mind me asking but where did get that idea for that name in the first place.

>>132093
I'm glad too.

I suppose that I went with the name 'Doors' because it seemed appropriate for this place. Each quest in an of itself is a world to explore and interact with, and as participators we have been given the privilege to enter these places. Admittedly I've never been this abstract when it came to usernames in the past, but as I said, it felt appropriate here.

>>132095
That name actually makes a lot of sense, it is just the first time seeing this kind of name and I have been using this site for so long. Did you participate previously in any other quests?

>>132098
I've haven't really participated with many quests before, but I have been lurking around and reading them for a while.

But now I've managed to muster the courage to try and suggest actions of my own. I'm hesitant to jump into more long running quests as I don't want to step on the toes of the long-term participators. They've invested a lot of time and energy into developing the story and characters, and I don't want my inexperience to interfere with that.

>>132100
Yeah, I had the same problem at the beginning when I first started coming to this site. But at this point it always makes me feel weird when I start posting suggestions in other quests, but there are some quests where I do want to participate. But more than anything I like just reading quest and looking at the art of other quests authors.

>>132102
I agree, a lot of quests have very beautiful artwork and it is very interesting to see where the story goes.

Im enjoying the quest so far. I find it interesting that everyone's face is some kind of object. I'm trying to figure out which object each person is. If anyone would like to help, i'd appreciate it.

Millie: not sure, but she looks like a moose and I find that kind of funny.

Garvin: a fork I think

Zizzy: a rake

Vivlly: some kind of tool used for torture

Rivrik: not sure. Reminds me of a zipper, but I think it is some kind of power tool, like a saw?

Boliston: not sure

Sioko: not sure

Eidenly: not sure, maybe rope?

Sioko seems to be heart-shaped, though I'm not sure what tool or object that might represent.
Vivlly is a man catcher, funnily enough.
And I think Eidenly might be some form of bident or tuning-fork.
I'm not sure what Boliston is either, but he reminds me of a fleur-de-lis.

Actually Boliston could be the head of a fountain pen.

Absurdity DeVoid 2020/02/20(Thu)03:16 No. 132114 ID: 2bd15b
File 158219740871.jpg - (2.20MB , 3508x2475 , BB 478.jpg )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD6qtc2_AQA

Man, Rivrik is hard to read sometimes.

>>132125
Yeah, he tends to go off the rails.

>>132127
So out of curiosity what is a Tipla actually used for? I see its for electrical work. But when I first saw him, I thought he looked like the end of some kind of key, and when I saw what he actually was I thought he was some kind of strange tampon.

>>132128
nevermind, I figured it out, he's a wall plug/screw anchor

I'll just note here (since it might have been a bit out of place in the actual quest thread) that the majority of criticisms Vivlly was leveling at Rivrik could be mirrored back on him.

"I doubt it, on every possible point he would say something against us all and he doesn't seem like he even wants to help anybody but himself."
- I found this one to most blatant as Vivlly (whether deliberately or not) has been provoking/demeaning the other members of the group (and Pink) and currently Rivrik is the only person who's stood up to his bullying.

"I always knew that you were going to be a disruptive force to all of us here. It is too much to expect from a crook to act like a chef and not a drug dealer."
- Vivlly gave me bad vibes as soon as he came on screen >>947430 and I have a feeling that he might go full dictator on us unless he gets put in his place. Luckily we only need him to be the Lawmaker for a day, since we'll (hopefully) get the chance to search for that possible secret room.

"... Be grateful with what you got and don't blame others for what you lack."
- I have a feeling that this might come up in the future.

As it stands, I don't believe that Vivlly would be the kind of person who would take criticism well, and would probably get pissed off if someone tried to reflect his word back on him. I'm mainly posting this here for my own sake and for the eventuality where we will have to come up with arguments to remove Vivlly from the Lawmaker position.

While I haven't written off Vivlly as an individual (yet), I have a feeling that him and Zizzy are going to our primary antagonists socially, so we'll have to be on guard with them. Admittedly, everyone here (including Millie) will have their own issues that we should be on the lookout for, but right now the situation seems workable.

One other side note:
- I have the suspicion that the secret room we are looking for might be a form of Panic Room for the Lawmaker. We might need to search through Vivlly's new office to fine the unlocking mechanism and that will prove to be difficult.

>>132134
Something to consider, Another possibility what that secret room could be is something for prisoners to escape out of their jail cells from, placed there purposely by Pink/the previous owners of this facility for this weird social experiment on people's behavior. We might also need to check the cells if there is nothing in the halls or office.

>>132136
That's a real good idea too. We'll probably have to check the cells and hallway first anyway, since I doubt Vivlly will let us root around his office when he's around.

Absurdity DeVoid 2020/03/01(Sun)13:44 No. 132207 ID: 2bd15b
File 158309908826.jpg - (355.31KB , 752x707 , BB 484.jpg )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOFCQ2bfmHw

The other participator asked me to draw something specific for him about the other character that is personally connected to this story. I know that I have the draw thread but there are so many drawings in it so might as well put it here.

((I'd like to apologize if my posting seems a bit infrequent, tezakia.net seems to going down from my end I think.))

Firstly:
>>132207
This is a very lovely drawing.

Secondly:
I agree that we should collect all the items for later examination. I have the sneaking suspicion that we aren't the first group of people that Pink snatched up for his utopia experiment, so these 60 days we have to be treated like a time limit to get what we need in order to escape.

Question:
Does Zizzy look familiar to Millie?

I ask because her tactics seem to be motivated by some sort of grudge that she has against us. While Zizzy's callousness might be a way of coping with the situation, it seems like there was a distinct shift in her demeanor when we revealed that we were a form of law enforcement. So that would indicate that either she, or someone she knew, had a run in with the law at some point. While it might not have been us or our family specifically, it could be a connection we could try to work from.

So following that line of thinking:
Can Millie recall any names or faces of suspects from more contentious cases? Specifically any that might bear a family resemblance to Zizzy?

Well, I feel that argument between Millie and Zizzy could have gotten a lot worse. It didn't look like she pushed further to discredit Millie's profession as a law enforcer, and She even gave the bottle back for us to discard ourself since I expected Zizzy to throw it away herself. but it looks like we defused the situation without complications.

That said, I don't think she has it out for Millie or her profession as a law enforcer. Maybe a tiny bit, but we should consider she did also talked rudely to Eidenly calling her a "crazy bitch" to keep her comment of the "place being a doomed plane of existence with no hope" from affecting the other prisoners.
I think it is more that Zizzy has a bad habit to lash out on others when put under a lot of stress or nervousness. But despite that, I think she has good intentions with her harsh words, she is just being strict to make sure people are kept in place and nobody does anything crazy or stupid that would potentially cause problems for others in the future. I mean, picking up that broken bottle would raise some red flags for anyone.

It is probably best to listen to her and take what she says into great consideration, since she does give a lot of good points in what she says, even if she can be cold towards us and others in the process. We'll just need to take her insults in stride.

Maybe when we get the chance in a more quiet setting, we can take the time to thank Zizzy for keeping us outta trouble or something?

>>132216
Well, my idea for this quest is that these are strangers that never got a chance to talk with the other prior to this event. So I doubt that anybody else would know anything about Zizzy.

>>132235
Noted.
>>132233
I agree that Zizzy might be acting out as a result of stress, and it could be an avenue of thought to follow up on. I brought up the idea mainly because Millie also noted that Zizzy might have it out for us. Admittedly, that might be because we are one of the more vocal members.

I mainly find the contrast of dialogue quite striking. Back when everyone was still waking up, she seemed to display some degree of sympathy for Sioko and was willing to collaborate with us, but her current actions seem to fly in the face of such gestures.

We'll probably have to speak with her individually if we want to get a clearer picture.

Another (I guess technically RP) question;
I have basic Outdoor Education and First Aid training. Am I allowed to bring that information into the quest for Millie's use? Or are we meant to ask Millie what her set of skills are and use them to navigate the situation.

This won't change my vote for surviving the night, but I would like to know the framework that I am allow to work within.

>>132255
Your words are her thoughts, whether she succeeds or fails in what you suggest it all depends. I determine the outcome by taking into consideration lots of things around here.

So wait, if we decide to do this, is this only for the night (like will we be able to go inside for the day to look around and prepare for the night before we head outside), or will Millie be staying behind outside while everyone leaves through the elevator from right now until tomorrow?

in any case, lets ask ourselves if this can be done and what our plans will be on how we can do this if we decide to take this challenge.

right now, in the area, the items we have to work with is some cans, a broken bottle, broken glass from windows probably, a pillow, a blanket, broken wooden table and chairs, and curtains on the windows.

My guess is that we should wrap Millie inside the blanket we found here for warmth, but also use the curtains as an extra layer of warmth. But of course, when it starts getting colder out as night comes, we will definitely need to start a fire, and the broken wood from the table and chairs can help with that, and if it is possible, maybe wood from the walls of the cabin as well. I wonder, is it possible to use the cans or the broken bottle to start the fire in some way?

and hey, our options might open up a little more if we are allowed to prepare for the night during the rest of the day, like we can pick up our own blanket and pillow from our room, and we might be able to try to gain more points during the day to pick up some stuff from the prize room before the night starts (don't think we will be able to get the coat, but there are other prizes we can work with I'm sure).
But that is why I want to know whether or not Millie will have the day to prepare for the night, or if this challenge requires her to be outside for both the rest of the day and the night

>>132260
No, if you decide to do this there is no going inside. This will be a do or die type of scenario, rest will go inside and Millie will be left outside alone.

>>132256
Very well, I will try to employ all of my skill and knowledge to the best of my ability.

>>132262
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvFM-M2q9D0

>>132260
Hello. It's great to have a name that I can ascribe to you now. I've kept an eye out for your ID every since you presented that wonderful insight into Boliston's story.

If I may ask, what is the inspiration for your name? It just strikes me as that might have a history to it.

>>132265
Oh hey!

I don't really have much of a history with my username except I came up with it last year and wanted to use a weird name.

I've actually been on tgchan for about over 5 years now and have always been anonymous. I've always been a fan of interactive stories you see on tgchan ever since Problem Sleuth way back when on mspaintadventures (before Homestuck), and I came over to tgchan around the time after the mspaintadventure forums went down (there were interactive stories in the forums there made by fans at the time)

it wasn't until recently that I decided to give myself a username because I am actually planning and hoping on making a quest of my own sometime in the near future. I hope you look out for it, its a story I've been thinking about for a while but never had the inspiration to do so until now.

But yeah, Absurdity DeVoid is a friend of mine and I've been keeping up on his quests here on tgchan and 4chan for a few years now. His quests can be a bit intense and pretty cruel at some points compared to other quests on tgchan, but if you have patience, are aware of what is going on in his stories, and not give up against all odds, there can be some great payoffs. If I remember, I think he told me once that one of his inspirations for some of his quests is the game Darkest Dungeons.

>>132268
Wow, I think I've been lurking around tgchan for a little over two years. But some of these newer quests have really grabbed my attention, and I think that I am ready to be more a participant rather than a spectator.

I'll definitely keep an eye out for your quest and wish you the best of luck with it. It certainly seems like it would take a lot of work with both artistry and writing.

I certainly see the darker vibes present within Absurdity DeVoid's work, and I see the similarities with Darkest Dungeon (can't wait for the sequel!). I'm currently trying to catch up on Roots and Branches so that I might be able to contribute to that quest as well. But I'll probably start asking a couple more questions in that discussion thread before I properly join in, just to make sure that I don't step on anybodies toes.

>>132269
Sounds good. I wish you the best of luck on catching up with that quest. That one is his main big quest he is working on and there are a lot of pages, enough to make me forget some things admittedly. I would recommend you also take notes because of that.

But just know that you don't have to have knowledge on Roots and Branches to enjoy Bricks of Utopia.

>>132271
Well, Doors I admire your enthusiasm but at this point Root and Branches has practically turned into a conversion point of all my previous works and transformed into an expended multiverse with so many characters, so many stories and events happening at a similar time. Trying to get into this won't actually be easy, it would be like somebody, not knowing anything about superheroes trying to read the civil war from Marvel. But I am starting one short separated story in that universe about interrogation for the investigation and if you want we can do a test run to see how you would fare in this scenario. Don't worry this role wouldn't ask you to know any knowledge of past events or characters in order to function. All that this role needs from you is to evaluate the actions. If you are interested I elaborate more in the next message and also if you want to talk with me and other participators we gave a group chat on Viber. If you don't know what Viber is, let me explain it is an application really similar to discord. We use it regularly to send messages and talk to one another.

>>132273
I agree that I am an outsider when it comes to Roots and Branches and would be very interested in participating in a separate short story.

I will try to get Viber and engage in more direct conversations with you and the others.

Absurdity DeVoid 2020/03/07(Sat)13:13 No. 132279 ID: 2bd15b
File 158361559734.jpg - (0.99MB , 2232x1219 , BB 486.jpg )

>>132275
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm6mrELlBtE

>>132279
Understood, I will get to work right away.
Is there a particular place that I should present my idea once I have all of the information together?

My initial guess would be in the draw-thread, but I want to make sure that I follow the correct protocols.

>>132280
You can post it here

Doors 2020/03/07(Sat)17:12 No. 132282 ID: d63ea8
File 158362995469.jpg - (0.97MB , 2576x1932 , smallview.jpg )

Alright, here is the character I have.
I like the style of the Bricks of Utopia species, and I want to make sure that this character can fit into your world without issue.

His name is Threshold, he's in that "trying not to be unemployed" bracket of people who have three or so part time jobs since the none of them offer enough pay and hours.

I wouldn't consider him to be tough or strong, and while he is not in shape, he is at least not out of shape. He definitely wouldn't do well in a fight.

He's a bit nervous, somber, and certainly lacks confidence. Most of the time he wouldn't meet the gaze of people unless he is specifically focusing on them.

If he has anything going for him, it would be that he is perceptive of people. He's empathetic, (hopefully) diplomatic, and will try to mirror back people's vocabulary and cadence in order to get through to them in a conversation.

Beyond that he would probably just know basic first aid and how to drive a car.

Threshold is more of a follower than a leader, and hopefully he is able to fit in with the other characters.

Doors 2020/03/07(Sat)17:14 No. 132283 ID: d63ea8
File 158363008386.jpg - (0.97MB , 2576x1932 , bigview.jpg )

Oh! And in case it is not apparent. The item I based his design off of was a rectangular hand mirror.

>>132287
He looks wonderful! Thank you.

>>132287
He looks good! Absurdity’s style with characters with different heads is always a fun world for sure.

Hey, if people ever break his face, at least they'll get 7 years bad luck.

I actually like the concept of a mirror character in that universe, good thinking. I wonder if that means other people will see themselves when looking at him, or if it is just a shiny mirror you can't see any reflections out of.

>>132291
I am curious as to why you named him Threshold thought, any significance to that name?

>>132291
Ultimately the decision is up to Absurdity DeVoid, but I do find the idea of people seeing themselves in Threshold's reflection as fascinating in both a social and thematic sense. Once I've spoken through Threshold a couple of times I'll probably get a stronger sense of his personality, but I see him as a more tender and distant individual. So we'll have to see what factors will make him resolute or break apart.

>>132292
The name itself seems to be built together from an amalgamation of different individual points:
First, it fits in with the 'Doors' motif I seem to have going on, as a Threshold demarcates the space between indoor and outdoor.
Second, it seemed appropriate for a person who has to bear the ever-present weight of society upon his shoulders. He wouldn't consider himself bright, or strong, or in any way special. Right now he is just another person desperately trying to keep his head above water.
Third, going back to the idea of boundaries, him having the head of a hand mirror has this inherent link the 'world' and the 'other.' Everything you are able to see in a reflection is both real and an illusion. Something so indistinguishable that one might reach through it as though it was water. But there is a solid line of what 'is' and 'is not.' A boundary where the outside world ends and Threshold begins.
Finally, I see him as a milestone. His conception has allowed me to cross from spectator to participator, and hopefully through him I will be able to explore the world.

Again, much like 'Doors' the inspiration behind it seems rather abstract in nature, but in a way that I cannot fully articulate the name 'Threshold' feels right.

Hey, just want to say interesting quest so far. I dont think I'll be playing along in Roots amd Branches, but I'll stick to bricks of utopia. Here's hoping we can make it through the cold. And if not, well, it was a good effort and at least we tried, but im gonna try my best

>>132294
I’m not gonna lie for R&B you kinda had to be there at the beginning to get it. For most part it’s just myself and Polite Ethanoic who run on that one. I might try to post a summary later like a full blown recap of everything that has happened thus far in case others want to get into it. It would be nice to have a third opinion in the mix.

>>132296
To make a long story short at this point I am just trying to make the remaining participators rage quit the Root and branches quest, and I am not being successful at it they are really persistent little buggers. No matter what I throw at them they keep coming back. It looks like I will have to try a little bit harder to break them. All joking aside that whole quest is really had to wrap your head around all the things that happen.

>>132294
Yeah, enduring the outdoors is going to be quite the trial. But I think that we have enough collective knowledge between us all and Millie has enough materials around her to survive. We're just going to have to be careful.

Grr, alright. No lighter, no easy way of starting a fire. I have a feeling that glass we recovered won't function well enough as a convex lens to focus the sunlight. Leaving only friction as our ignition method, and that is hard too pull off. Meaning that the endurance run is going to be much more of a gamble.

The only other idea I have for an ignition method is possibly taking out the shock collar in our suit and using it to start an electrical fire. Of course Pink could stop us in our tracks if we tried, and we don't know how the shock collars are constructed. Pink controls them via remote, but we could possibly use some snow to cause a short circuit if we expose some of the wires. We'd just have to get it off of ourselves without damaging the jumpsuit to badly.

I guess as another question before I fully weigh in on the quest itself:
"What is our jumpsuit made from? And is it easily cut or torn?"

The answer would inform baseline insulation, how much of that insulation is negated when we get wet, and how careful we need to be around the fire. It'll be problematic if the material is some kind of polyester, since while it is wind resistant the stuff melts rather than burns and is a lot more durable than most fabrics.

>>132302
Besides the shock system on the jumpsuit, do you think the point counter on Millie's wrist be of any use to start a fire, Doors? Like any kind of wiring circuitry or batteries?

>>132303
It very well could Poltergeist Ethanoic Acid, and it would probably be easier to take apart than shock collar. Better than that, Pink probably wouldn't go after us if we tried to break that section of the suit.

The only thing that worries me is that the battery could be very low voltage, but it is certainly an option, and trying to figure out whether it is a viable workaround or not would be a good use of Millie's time.

So I guess another question I should add to my previous one:
"What sort of structure/material does the point counter seem to be made of? Does it have metallic sections that fit into the fabric or is it a self-contained device with little to no integration with the suit?"

Ideally it would be self-contained which would mean it would have its own batteries and we could remove it without damaging our suit too badly. Although, if it is wired into a centralized power system for the suit then we would only need to expose (and fray) a couple of wires to use it as a fire starter. We'd just have to be careful about how we re-insulate/secure the wires afterwards or else we'd be zapping ourselves a bunch.

Alright, so between the two electronic objects we'd have to smash, I think we'll have better luck with the point-counter.

With an additional five layers of clothing we will have a lot more time to work before worrying about hypothermia.

Thanks for the inspirational speech Poltergeist Ethanoic Acid, I think it was the deciding factor in getting the support of the other prisoners and the extra sets of clothing.

With the added time, starting a fire with friction might be possible, but I think that we ought to explore the electrical option first.

>>132324
Right. The point-counter is probably a more safer choice to start a fire with than figuring out the shock portion of a suit since if we make a wrong move with the shock system..... *ZZAAAAAAPPP!*

But who knows, if we're smart about it if we try to operate on the shock mechanic, we can most likely use that to our advantage to start a fire and is probably more likely to start a fire than the point counter.

I notice that it seems the robot Glad is going to be with us for this trial. I wonder if it can respond to us in any way. I'd say we can probably try to take that robot apart, but it has a self defense mechanism which might be dangerous, but if we can ask it certain questions, it might help us give some information like if we ask about how the shock mechanic works on the suits to help us operate on it and try to start a fire with it.

Also to Doors: sorry if it takes me a while to respond in these quests. I have a busy work schedule and usually have limited time to post in certain quests.

>>132346
Good catch with noticing that Glad is still outside with us. Having a possible source of information would be very useful to us since I think that they would technically count as "a thing that is available here right now." More than likely Glad's purpose is to monitor us out here (since I doubt that the cameras here are in any good condition) so we'll have to explore what we can do with them.

>>132347
Also, don't worry about the delays. I imagined that most people are busy with stuff IRL (especially with the Corona Virus grinding most of society to a halt) and I don't mind waiting. I'm just glad that I didn't do/say something that might've driven you off.

I can get a bit enthusiastic sometimes, but I don't want to inadvertently dominate the quest or the discussion.

Also a really dumb thought occurred to me just now, and I am astonished that I didn't think of it...

Now that we have other sets of clothing, doesn't that mean we have the option to take apart the shock systems in the other suits rather than our own.

>>132350
Yes you can do that

Doors 2020/03/21(Sat)15:25 No. 132382 ID: d63ea8
File 158482953145.jpg - (1.04MB , 2576x1932 , slingdesign.jpg )

Here is a drawing of what I am talking about on the main quest thread. I'd recommend using the straightforward but useful 'square knot' to tie off the arms and legs. We can probably do this twice, (once for the front and once for the back) but the highest priority is getting something to cover our head.

((I don't know what makes the image flip sideways in the minimized view, but the representation should still be good.))

((Part of me was worried that this might've been a trap Pink was setting up. But we can't afford to give up now. I... do hope that we can help get Millie through this.))

I'm also thinking that if anything could damage the suits it would be Glad. Even in there inoperable state we could use one of those shoulder spikes to gouge the material.

>>132382
>>132383
Thank you for that visual representation, it really helps me when it comes to understanding what you suggested. As for the idea with Glad if you want you can suggest it. Also, I was meaning to ask you about Viber, did you install it on your mobile phone?

>>132384
I linked Viber with my mobile phone number and can access it via the app from both my computer and tablet.

>>132386
Do you want me to give you my Viber number so that we can talk?