Content Warning: Depictions of relationship abuse.
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<Begin Recording at: 07:00AM>
Date: 27/07/37
Location: Apartment Zimals, first floor, apartment four. Level 11.
Involved individuals: Esther Hanks, Magnus Grand.
[Early into the day, and bang on 7:00AM, Magnus Grand's smart watch gave a series of diminutive vibrations and gentle shockwaves of electricity from underneath its clockface, doing so through the metal underside conducting the discharged power into his wrist. With a shuffle, he woke up, and hugged the still-sleeping Esther Hanks closer to himself, pressing his palms softly onto her skin. His eyes opened slowly, looking over his partner's shoulder to watch her sleep soundly, barely stirring or moving beyond an idle and quiet snore.
He stayed hugged against Esther for a good few minutes, keeping her embraced in their spoon underneath the covers until he received another buzz from his new watch, the rhythm of vibrations—that being one elongated resonance—indicating it was a calendar alert. Slowly, he moved his hand off of Esther's body and checked the digital clockface, which transitioned to the notification once it met his eyes.
Not intending to disturb Esther, Magnus slowly shuffled out from the covers, stepping over Esther to do so. Once on the carpet, he dressed himself spartanly, slid his feet into slippers, and put on his dressing gown which was hung next to Esther's on the door. Once he had more modesty, he went to sit at the bedside, and gently began to shake Esther awake.]
Magnus Grand: Hey, c'mon… Let's wake up, aye?
Esther Hanks: Ngh, in… in a minute. You know I'm not much of a morning person…
Magnus Grand: I know, you keep saying… But today's important, remember? We've got a group to walk with.
Esther Hanks: We do?
Magnus Grand: Yeah? We've only been planning it for, like, two months now?
Esther Hanks: Shit, right! 320, god, how did I forget?
Magnus Grand: Cus you're sleepy, and that's bound to happen?
Esther Hanks: Hah, good point…
[Esther grumbled, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and slowly shuffling to sit up, the covers shifting off of her front and draping only over her back in the process. Once she was sat, Magnus' eyes trailed downwards, which seemed to make Esther momentarily uncomfortable, but not enough catch her off-guard.]
Esther Hanks: Do you mind passing me my dressing gown?
Magnus Grand: Can you not get it?
Esther Hanks: Um… still sleepy, need a moment or two still.
Magnus Grand: Ah, suit yourself…
[Magnus shrugged jovially with a carefree expression, getting off of the bed as Esther crossed her arms over her chest and hunched forward. She watched as Magnus idly took the dressing gown off the wall hook, and felt the fluffy fabric in his fingers before walking back to Esther, offering it to her with an outstretched hand.]
Esther Hanks: Oh, thanks! I-Is it okay if you make us both a coffee? I'll make one tomorrow, promise.
Magnus Grand: Ack, you always change what you want in your coffee, I can never remember what you like. I'd rather make it with you.
Esther Hanks: Oh! Right, right.
[Esther's eyes seemed to widen momentarily at Magnus' comment, causing her to gulp and rub her elbow. Breaking eye contact from Magnus, Esther got up onto her feet as well, hastily throwing the gown onto herself and tying it high up her waist, with Magnus conversely not breaking line of sight from her once.]
Magnus Grand: There we go! Not too hard, aye?
Esther Hanks: No! No, I suppose not… Sorry for being bossy.
Magnus Grand: Nah, you weren't bossy, just groggy. There's a difference.
[Esther watched with still tired eyes as Magnus walked to their bedroom door, opening it up and keeping it propped in place with the end of his foot. Esther shuffled towards him, putting her own slippers on in the process and stopping in front of him. She looked across his face with deep thought before going onto her toes and gently kissing his cheek, to which Magnus chuckled and patted her hip, guiding her into the main room afterwards.]
Welcome to the M.E.O.D.'s reformatted private internet service.
Despite old events, The M.E.O.D. holds the data of its residents with upmost care, even in-spite of alleged data breaches of its residents. We at the M.E.O.D. ensure conversations, written documents, and private messages are not kept long-term within The M.E.O.D's immediate archives, and are instead deleted after the appropriate time has passed. We greatly apologise for internal lapses in judgement, and we are doing all we can to keep the family of The M.E.O.D. whole during these trying times.
M.E.O.D.
Acting as one on the behalf of many
2023 — 2037 Reformatted General Public Database
SURVIVAL DIFFICULTY:
Class Inhabited
- Safe
- Sustained Economy
- No Harmful Entities
Description
The front gates of Level 320 that all guests have to pass through.
Level 320, colloquially regarded as "Entertainland" and originally known as Level 32, is an amusement park measuring approximately 200 meters across in the four main directions, not accounting for the landmarks and visible features outside of the venue due to the level's unique history. It was a level that had originally expired its life cycle in late 2021, but was recently revived due to a recent interest in the old venue and a desire to expand the scope of what the M.E.O.D.'s Renovations Division and Vacation Division are capable of.
A majority of Level 320 is split up into sections, many of which have been tailored with specific anomalous effects. However, Level 320 does have a few synchronous level-wide properties. The main coincident feature across Level 320 is its climate and day/night cycle. As Level 320's vegetation has intentionally been manipulated to be as Earth-like as possible, they require a regular circadian rhythm to keep alive. To ensure maximum guest comfort, however, the rain—and the amount of rainfall—is scheduled to occur only during closing time.1 Seasons are also prevalent in Level 320, and follow the northern hemisphere's seasonal patterns.
The entrance of Level 320 takes the form of both an empty car park as well as a large plaza area with long lines of turnstiles to access the portion of Level 320 with the attractions. As it is currently anticipated that Level 320 will have a high quantity of guests,2 there are both a myriad of benches, artificial and natural places for shade, and pop-up stalls for individuals to get refreshments.
To ensure a consistent flow and reduce overcrowding within the park, access to Entertainland itself is limited to prepaid bookings only. Either a cardboard or digital QR code is scanned at the display of any one of many turnstiles present in the main plaza to allow access, all of which are bought online. No in-person staff are employed to police these front gates, however a myriad of surveillance methods (using the recently updated TwoKo systems) bring live surveillance and transcripts of any suspicious activity, and constant monitoring is done inside the park to ensure all guests have valid passes. In the event one does not, the in-person staff that patrol the venue's pathways will deal with these misdemeanours accordingly.
Once inside, the only paid-for items are concessions and minute niceties such as on-ride photos, souvenirs & merchandise, restaurant meals, as well as drying and tanning services. Similar bookings to enter the park can also be made for a select handful of the above items.
Entertainland
Entertainland, while also being the informal name for the entirety of Level 320, is in actuality only the name of the amusement park venue within it. It is, however, the largest section of Level 320—hence why it became the level's namesake.
The venue is split up into a variety of areas, differentiated based off both genre, theming and/or ride intensity, much like many real amusement parks that Level 320 was modelled off of.3 Each zone of Level 320 is primarily taken up by the attractions, as one would expect, but the zones are also themed with minimal but aesthetically pleasing and appropriate decorations for the genre of the zone. In total, there are seven zones, not counting the surplus locations outside Entertainland's perimeter, all of which can be read about in more detail on Entertainland's booking page and informational website. Alternatively, one can speak to any member of staff when at the venue itself.
Main Plaza
The top left corner of the Main Plaza. The road going left in this T-intersection leads to the Holiday Homes.
The "Main Plaza" is the unofficial designation for the social area and high street just beyond Entertainland’s entrance turnstiles. The south of the plaza is identical to the open area south of the turnstiles, though there are fewer seats, more trees, and the pop-up stalls have been replaced by actual structures for purchasing food and drink.
Beyond this flat area, however, is a dense facsimile of an urban high street, with relevant modifications to make it both fit for a theme park and to be safer than a real street. Like other areas, the high street plaza has made use of Non-Euclidean geometry, specifically in making the inside of shops larger than their exterior depth to allow the façade buildings to be compact enough to allow the other neighbouring zones space to breathe.
The road, the buildings, and the ambient speakers sport a more retro aesthetic in comparison to other zones, emulating a commercial pedestrian road from the 2010's, with area specific fake brands that intend to be parodies of both Frontrooms companies and Backrooms groups from that era to appease both noclipped and Backborn parkgoers.
Kiddie Zone
A pathway and bridge within the northern area of the Kiddie Zone, with Level 320's mountain visible beyond Entertainland's perimeter.
The Kiddie Zone, being its official name, is one of the first themed zones of Entertainland, and is intentionally kept isolated from the other areas as to give parents an easier time with their young, especially given that the rides present in this sector are designed for children six and younger. The entire area, due to being more isolated, has its own wildly different theme that does not blend with the others, which was intended to give the target audience an experience separate to the other zones; ensuring they do not feel left out or feel a need to go on the attractions that are unsafe for them.
The zone, due to its young audience, is designed to feel as child friendly as possible and, as such, employs a cartoon, toy-town aesthetic. The proportions of buildings are exaggerated to sometimes comical degrees with an emphasis on height, part of Level 320's mountain has been chiselled and smoothed into rolling hills, and there are countless decorations in the non-commercial and non-ride areas to still give the impression of a child-friendly and fun atmosphere.
There are no extreme roller coasters, or indeed many roller coasters at all, and instead the Kiddie Zone places an emphasis on safe flat rides, such as spinning swings, teacups, and a handful of carousels, all of which can be researched on Entertainland's website. Due to worries with Backrooms non-Euclidean effects and infant development, no Non-Euclidean properties were punctured into the Kiddie Zone, not even to expand queue length like is done in other zones.
The Folding Point
An elevated view of this sector, showcasing the attractions and shops whilst being taken from a level recreation area.
The Folding Point, being the sector of Level 320 most outlandish from the venue's Level 32 days, is a massive indoor complex that has roller coasters and amusement park attractions, a variety of shops, and many safe recreations of more dangerous levels. The Folding Point is also a more budget option for parkgoers, as it has similar content to that of all over zones. (barring the kiddie zone.) Many of the cheaper packages, especially multiple-day trips, offer cheaper tickets for access only to the Folding Point.
The superstructure of the zone is comprised of five stories and a basement layer, although many areas have high ceilings that penetrate into the above floors. This is the case especially for the large theme park attraction areas, which take up the ground floor all the way to the fourth, leaving the basement area for staff maintenance and storage (Which is the purpose for all basements in this zone.). A majority of it is also constructed of glass, minimising electrical cost and requirement by allowing natural light to flood in from as many areas as possible. The rest of the exterior is crafted out of reinforced concrete and rebar, and is built simply to reinforce the dense number of things inside.
The roller coasters and flat rides in this zone are relatively simple and compact due to the space limitations, however, the open area in which these rides are located has been made retroactively bigger by expanding the side of the interior dimensions to a safe degree, as with the queues for the rides also. Yet again, to act as a blend of all areas for a cheaper price, the themes of the rides differ greatly, with some fit for children and some for older guests only. The shops and eateries of the Folding Point are directly connected to this area, and stretch deep into the complex also. However, they lack much interesting of note other than normal Non-Euclidean tampering.
Designed to still be entertaining, the level recreations exist to give younger parkgoers who have not left the safety of towns or cities4 a safe feeling of what it is like to venture beyond direct M.E.O.D. protection. Extremely dangerous levels, or dead end levels, have not been recreated, as this area is intended to be a more educational venture for a multitude of ages. The main levels replicated are Level 0, Level 109, and Level 253, with other levels planned to be on temporary, seasonal rotation. The actual recreations of these levels are non-lethal, and obviously incredibly downscaled in size from their prototypes, but they work well both as educational areas and living museums.
X-Treme Sector
A drone perspective of Entertainlands X-Treme Sector.
In contrast to Entertainland's Kiddie Zone, the X-Treme Sector is tailored to older audiences with more extreme and thrilling rides, with an emphasis on actual roller coasters of varied and sometimes experimental rides. It is also tied for the largest area, above the size of the Folding Point and tied with Piering In. It is also located at the back of the park, to the right of the Piering In and directly above the Main Plaza after diverting right at an intersection.
Within the X-Treme Sector there is actually quite minimal decoration and theming, replaced with an extra emphasis on rides. Despite being tied for the largest zone, the rides themselves are still built compactly both for cohesiveness with the rest of the park, and to ensure that more rides of more kinds can be fit within. Most rides, while all built to be high intensity and thrilling, are basic steel or wooden roller coasters with different layouts of varying lengths and speeds. There are, however, more unique rides like suspended coasters, hypercoasters, water-based coasters, and VR and AR integrated coasters, which are present but in lesser quantities.
Despite being the opposite to the Kiddie Zone, it is not designed to be an individual experience, especially since it has no eateries and the only options for merchandise are at the end of attractions. There are also no ticket plans that only offer access to the X-Treme Sector.
Due to the fact that the X-Treme Sector is built near to the mountain that was part of a dead level,5 some of the rides have been built into, and more accurately around, the mountain, sometimes leaving the perimeter of Entertainland itself.
Piering In
An elevated section of Piering In.
Piering In is the sector of Level 320 that is deliberately designed to be the most similar to the original Level 32, imbuing a certain level of nostalgia for the park guests that were around during its original life. This zone is themed around a carnival pier and other similar temporary/travelling fairs and amusement parks between the end of the last century and the early 2010's, with various modern amenities present to enhance the experience.
Different to every other outside area, the main substance that makes up the ground is a mixture of stones, pebbles, and fine sand particles that were salvaged during restorations and copied to precise detail. On top of this flat paving of silicates are, mostly, carnival attractions and stalls such as ring tosses, duck ponds, balloon darts, bucket balls, as well as a handful of arcade buildings; containing penny pushers, claw machines, daily raffles, as well as game arcades with VR and AR support.
Roller coasters and flat rides, while still having all modern safety functions, are deliberately built to fit the aforementioned aesthetic. They are rusted in places, and have minimal actual theming or supports, to which the same is true with the queue's and ticket booths. The ratio of rides to carnival games weighs heavily in favour of the latter, and the number of rides is made even lower by the abundance of food stalls and dedicated buildings to eat and purchase other goods.
In an attempt to take the carnival-esque aesthetic further, the north of Piering In is elevated onto a large wooden platform over a shallow bed of salt water to imitate a pier, hence the zone's namesake. This area, despite the difference in elevation and flooring, poses no other differences in buildings.
The Holiday Homes
One of this section's restaurants and hotels.
The Holiday Homes are the final large section within Entertainland, and also the area of it that is the most expensive and exclusive to access—requiring a specific tier of ticket plan to access. As the name describes, this zone is specifically for those wishing to enjoy a multi-day trip to Entertainland without once having to leave the venue itself.
Despite being the second smallest zone in Entertainland, it has still been ornately decorated and built as though it was part of a larger, grander area, with a mixture of grassland and sand outside of its roads and plazas. The pedestrian walkways house various exclusive shops, which sell various exclusive merchandises, and top quality restaurants that imitate places such as Las Panaderias and Level 81's various exotic meat eateries.
The hotels in this section, of which there are only three, are still lavishly designed, and are planned to later adopt periodical, unique, and seasonal decorations. Beyond the large foyer and waiting areas, Level 320 museums, and large canteens, there are around 50 rooms per building, each with different numbers of beds in different sizes.
As to be expected, almost all rooms are geared towards families, with generic and IP themed suites. Regardless of the quantity of adults and children staying in these shared suites, the children's room(s) are always kept in a separate space to the kitchen and adult room(s) via an open doorways to ensure children are always within reach. There are also rooms that do not have children spaces, which are intended for club attending adult visitors and optional wedding packages. Prices obviously vary and can be consulted online, especially with discounts and group purchases.
Dark Alley
One of the sector's titular alleyways.
The Dark Alley is a small back area, situated between the north wall of the Folding Point and the southernmost and largest hotel of the Holiday Homes. It is a singular and long alleyway, made longer thanks to some heavy usage of Non-Euclidean puncturing to add twists, turns, and even intersections into what is actually a straight alleyway.
Although designed as an open and non-linear experience, like all other sections of Entertainland ( and practically every theme park that exists), the zone has been designed with a level of storytelling to imitate the environmental designs regular levels exude. While the merchandise remains consistent, the stalls will gradually look more imposing, gloomy, and spooky, imitating a more dangerous appearance. Everything from the buildings, the pavement, and even the on-site staff follows this general atmospheric rule.
The Dark Alley has no coasters or flatrides, and is instead solely focused on its visual storytelling, general ambience, and most importantly the sales of merchandise. Said products are cheaper within this zone, but the increased quantity of shopfronts and markets offset the cheaper costs. The Dark Alley only has two entry and exit points, being at the northeast exterior of the Folding Point and the main Southwest road in the Holiday Homes, however both are still easily accessible and using either one does not spoil the pseudo-narrative of the zone.
Due to the heavy amount of 4th dimensional overlap in this zone, more-so than in the Folding Point, it is not recommended that those who are pregnant visit this section.
Outside Entertainland
Despite Entertainland being both the main and largest portion of Level 320, due to the circumstances in which the level was resurrected there are new portions that were never present during the level's original life, not counting all the new zones within the park's walls. Technically speaking, these sections are also loose recreations of other levels that had met similar ends to Level 320 under its previous designation. However, due to only part of these levels being grabbed during 320's restoration process and the fact that they were not the focus of the project, a great deal of creative liberties have been taken with them.
The Mountain
Two of the smaller hillsides next to the Mountain, as well as some tents.
"The Mountain", as well as several other surrounding mountains, come from what is believed to be the previous Level 101, a level that passed on some time after Level 32 did. Upon its death and during its descent to the bottom of the Blue Channel, the west side of its mass landed atop of Level 32's resting space, crushing one of the previous roller coasters. All of its previous anomalous features have been lost to time, having decayed after exit and Voidstone evaporation, however this complete normalisation of the level ruins allowed it to be easily modifiable.
With Entertainland's recent opening, there has also been a separate venue opened for those who wish to camp within the mountains. This venue is different to the also recently opened Camp: Camp in Level 118, being a more expensive and luxury rental with options for static caravans and caravan trailers present also, all without the need to actually erect one yourself. If one does not wish to camp, there are also boating lessons, rock climbing, and even parachuting activities available, all of which can be found at different elevations and across different pathways through these mountains.
Looking beyond the campsite and its 1st world amenities, however, the entire main mountain and the surrounding hillsides have been terraformed6 to more resemble a natural mountain, with winding nature trails that both start and end at the roads of the other exterior sector.
High Street
A rug shop towards the edge of High Street, at the opposite end of the mall.
The High Street, located directly south from the main entrance into Entertainland and taking up the entire south side of Level 320 outside the park, is a combination of two different deceased levels that have been smoothed together and modified into an actual commercial high street and adjacent shopping mall. From consulting with a greater collection of level archives, the two levels portmanteau'd into the High Street were once known as "Level 2021", and "Level 2024".
Despite its similarities to the Main Plaza and the Folding Point, this High Street (much like other areas) is designed to exist as a separate experience from Entertainland itself, broadening the target demographic and allowing more people to enter the level and potentially become interested in visiting the park itself. If they do not, however, the funds and proceeds collected from this commercial area are pumped back into Entertainland itself to keep it operational.
The design of the High Street is reminiscent of high end commercial districts from the Frontrooms, and also sells equally high end and upmarket products and dining experiences. Due to only a small section of Level 2021 being taken during Level 320's revitalisation, it is now almost unrecognisable from its previous form. Although a bicycle shop does still exist on the high street, many more venues have been added of a high class. The main road is where the most high end commercial lots are placed, as one would expect, but there are a variety of arcades7 with just as modern and posh stock available.
The mall, despite being a larger visual spectacle from the outside, is in-reality no different to the exterior main street. Heavily modified to appear just as prim as the main street, what was once regarded as Level 2024 has been turned into a large, lavish, yet exclusively commercial8 shopping centre. Many recognisable chain brands from both multiverses have been established exclusively inside this area, with many areas to socialise and eat as well. These social areas are the key distinction to set this indoor area apart from the outdoor section of Main Street, as well as the planned seasonal events to happen in the ground floor plaza. Those, however, are still in the early planning stages.
Staff
Two mascots out in the Main Plaza.
To ensure Level 320 is operated efficiently for the parkgoers, a variety of staff are employed to work both at Entertainland and outside of it, a statement which sounds incredibly obvious. While there are non-sentient beings that live at the park to maintain the plant ecosystems, such as MVC's, most of the staff is made up of human, human adjacent, or otherwise sentient beings. Depending on the jobs, which range from simple fast food prep, night guard duty, to being a mascot, the pay and hours differ.
The most active job, arguably, is the aforementioned role of mascot. Entertainland specifically utilises a wide range of mascots and mascot outfits, and while most are pre-existing characters from pre-existing IP's, there are a select handful that have been custom made by the Entertainment Divisions and Art Divisions. Other active jobs are ride operators, especially for interactive flat rides, those who give guided tours, front gate workers, and cleaning crew. Pay, obviously, varies greatly between these roles.
History
An image from the physical archives of the Reformatted GPD, showcasing Level 32 from 1959. Note in this image the abundance of trees that were missing in the 21st Century, a potential signifier of the level's death that came later.
The definitive origins of Level 320, much like most Backrooms levels, are not known. From extremely deep digging into the archives, it is now believed that Level 320, in its original life and despite its contemporary theme, existed since the beginning of the Lost in approximately 1025 BCE. Quite when it developed the amusement park features it became known for is a mystery that will most likely never go answered, but the first recordings of Level 32 under the name "Recreational-28" were documented in 1959, and distinctly had many fairground and carnival attractions.
The original level number was coined by the former M.E.G., and subsequently adopted by the original GPD, as "Level 32" early into the former group's life, not long after their discovery of Level 11. Although the level was already enjoyed by many, as well as being staffed by an entity known as the InfoMan9 and his group of entities, the M.E.G. opted to help maintain the level, even when the calling cards of its upcoming demise were clear.
On the 6th of October, 2021, the level perished. Its entrances and exits ceased to function and the otherwise indestructible, immovable Voidstone underwent mass decay, causing the level to plummet. It is not known when the level's descent through the Blue Channel ended, but when it hit the base of the Blue Channel, colloquially known as the "Bottomless Blue", it sustained surprisingly few damages. When the previous Level 101 landed on top of its west side, however, the ruins of the park sustained its first damages. Not only from the impact itself crushing one of the attractions, but also from the vegetation from Level 101 overgrowing and spreading over most of Level 32.
It was in this condition that Level 32 sat for over a decade, until the M.E.O.D.'s conglomeration with the Backrooms Remodelling Company over a year ago now brought curious questions to the forefront of our minds. After many refurbishment projects, many of which have been mentioned in this text already, it was theorised whether levels that were thought lost could not only be revived, but also reconstructed and changed for a modern audience. The Renovations Division terraformed an unused office level into a controllable claw to rescue the level from the compost bed of the Blue Channel's base, which is also where fragments of Level 101, Level 2021, and Level 2024 were captured, and it was subsequently given a new position in the Blue Channel to live a new life.
Work on rebuilding Level 32, renumbered to Level 320 due to another level taking that designation, began on the 9th May of this year, and finished just a week ago on the 16th July. So far, Level 320 has seen high attendance in its first week, which it is projected to maintain.
Further developments
An archival image from the former Masked Maiden's records of the previous designation for Level 44, known as "Alternis".
Although only tangentially related to Level 320, it is hoped that Entertainland's predicted success will allow for further level resurrections, primarily using the funding generated through Entertainland to improve the level selection and saving process. Now more than ever, it is heavily recommended to leave either analogue or digital submissions at various locations in various destination levels and communities to decide what may be saved next. Due to the damages some levels receive at the base of the Blue Channel, not all can be saved, but if enough calls for one level are put through the Renovations Division, then it will be considered for revitalisation.
Entrances And Exits
Due to having lost its main entrance and exit when it underwent its first death, Level 320 has had new entrances punctured into it. Specifically, Level 320 is accessible through Level 1, Level 9, Level 11, Level 13.1, Level 48, Level 118, Level 178, Level 186, Level 234, Level 436, Level 608, as well as almost all other destination levels.
In their parent levels, these entrances resemble brick archways which are labelled with their destination, and are almost always placed within commercial or social areas. Within Entertainland, all entrances lead to a row of archways within the plaza just before the main gates to enter the theme park. Due to this, some do use Level 320 as a small and proprietary hub level, which has been deemed acceptable. All of these entrances are two directional, and are used to leave Level 320 also.
<Begin Recording at: 04:12PM>
Date: 27/07/37
Location: The East entrance to the Folding Point, and the Dark Alley. Level 320.
Involved individuals: Esther Hanks, Magnus Grand.
Esther Hanks: Do we have to be leaving there so soon? I kinda enjoyed the Level 0 recreation.
Magnus Grand: Yeah, obviously? There's still whole sections of the park we haven't done yet!
Esther Hanks: Do you really want to go to the kiddie zone?
Magnus Grand: Eugh, no, of course not Esther. But I would like to go to the Dark Alley. Wherever it is.
Esther Hanks: We had a chance to grab a map back at the-
Magnus Grand: Yeah, yeah, I know, you keep reminding me. We'll be fine, honestly. They changed Entertainland a lot, far more than I would've liked, but I bet I can find it just from memory.
Esther Hanks: You're going to try to find a place that did not exist the last time you were here… using memories.
Magnus Grand: Oh, it's more complicated than that. Come on, I think it's north from here.
[Without much warning, Magnus turned to face Esther and took her hand firmly in his. He grinned and winked to her, to which Esther only gave a polite nod and weak smile back. Despite the coldness of her response, it didn't seem as though Magnus cared as he began to lead on north, going at such speed that Esther almost tripped attempting to keep up. The afternoon was beginning to hit Entertainland, but because of the simulated summer sun it was impossible to tell through the brightness of the day. Instead, it was clear in the gradually reducing guest count, and the amount of other people who had left the Folding Point behind Esther and Magnus.
They crossed the large concrete area of the empty car park and towards a small ginnel between two townhouses, part of a long row that led right to—and connected to—the exterior of the Folding Point. They passed through it, watching as a mist began to faintly flow in, seemingly as part of a generated effect of this sector of Entertainland.]
Esther Hanks: Isn't it just shops here? I know you want to look around and stuff, but maybe we can… Head home?
Magnus Grand: Why would you want to do that?
Esther Hanks: I'm sort of exhausted, Magnus. I-I want to relax.
Magnus Grand: I thought you relaxed during lunch?
Esther Hanks: W-Well, yeah, sure I did but-
Magnus Grand: Look, it's okay.
[Magnus stopped slowly, halting at an intersection in the tight recreations of back alleys. He turned slowly, and transitioned his grip on Esther's hand into a more gentle hold, even interlocking their fingers.]
Magnus Grand: Look, you're overthinking it again, alright?
[Esther blinked suddenly, feeling rather taken aback by Magnus' comment. She looked at him without knowing what to say at all, apart from a few unintelligible stammers.]
Esther Hanks: I… I guess? You say that an awful lot…
Magnus Grand: That's not for no reason, sweetheart. You overthink a lot, and part of me loves that about you! But ever since Somalia died that overthinking's been getting to your head too much.
Esther Hanks: You know I don't like you bringing up my Mom like that…
Magnus Grand: Well, sorry, okay? I'll try not bring her up, if that's what you want. Look, part of this is your fault, I will say. I did suggest doing the hotel package, we have the money for it? I'm not trying to guilt you, just pointing it out.
Esther Hanks: Really? Because it feels like you're trying to guilt me.
Magnus Grand: I don't know what to tell you other than that you're wrong, Esther-Bear. Why did you not want a hotel suite, anyways? The reviews say the adults only ones are pretty romantic.
[Magnus began to raise his hand, cupping it gently into Esther's soft cheek, using his thumb to press into and caress her skin. Though looking a little upset and extremely guilty, Esther rested her head into his palm, closing her eyes momentarily.]
Esther Hanks: It just didn't feel right, I… I'd feel homesick.
Magnus Grand: For Level 11? That apartment isn't even yours, you were given it for… you told me not to speak about it.
Esther Hanks: Well, I… I still would've. I-I've… Been wanting to talk to you, actually. For a while… I don't want this to come off as me being manipulative or mean, but I wanted to wait until after our day out.
Magnus Grand: Why…? We could've chatted about it in a hotel?
[Esther hummed awkwardly, moving her head away from Magnus' hand and taking a step back from him.]
Esther Hanks: That would've soured the trip… Anything about what I want to talk about would've soured the trip.
Magnus Grand: That… just sounds like nonsense. Come on, these places close at five! I want to get my hands on some unique merch, if there's any.
Esther Hanks: This really feels like you're ignoring me, Magnus.
Magnus Grand: No? I just want to get stuff before we leave, and we can talk about this any time, can't we? You wanted to talk about whatever it is at home, anyway.
Esther Hanks: Okay, that sounds like you're ignoring me.
Magnus Grand: I'm just sorting my priorities, petal.
Esther Hanks: Sorting your-? You know what, n-no, I'm sorry, I-I can't do this anymore, Magnus. I'm coming clean.
[Esther trembled momentarily, trying to pick together her thoughts as her back straightened and her hands went into the depths of her coat pockets. In the awkward air shared between the pair, Magnus coughed, watching his girlfriend with a pretty unconvinced expression on his face.]
Esther Hanks: Look, I… I've been thinking about our relationship, for about a month or so now…
Magnus Grand: I thought you said you weren't doing this now?
[Esther's expression broke, blinking a few times and staring at Magnus with an incredibly hurt and befuddled expression, followed by a incoherent mumble.]
Magnus Grand: Come on, don't give me that look? Can we please do this at home? This is an important day for me.
Esther Hanks: An important day for you? Wait, no, hang on, when was this just an important day for you? I seem to remember the tickets mostly being paid for by me.
Magnus Grand: Is this another one of your issues we're going to talk about later?
Esther Hanks: What-? No! Well, yes, it is another one of my issues, but I'm not going to save it for home anymore.
Magnus Grand: Could you? Look, I-I do want to listen, obviously, you're my girlfriend and stuff, but actually being in Level 32 is important for me.
Esther Hanks: We both went here as kids, Magnus, I know.
Magnus Grand: No, no, not that! I brought it back! It's here because of me!
Esther Hanks: What? Why do you think that.
Magnus Grand: Because it's true?
Esther Hanks: What makes you so sure? Go on, humour me. I doubt your love for the level brought it back by magic.
Magnus Grand: Of course not, that would be silly. But I did talk to Holly Clove about starting that lost level series on the Blogrooms, which got Level 32 back in the zeitgeist, and then-
Esther Hanks: Y-You've been talking to Holly?
Magnus Grand: It was months ago, I messaged her with the idea, and a few more after which she ignored. Is that so bad? I thought she was a mutual of yours, she said that you've brought me up before?
Esther Hanks: I… Have. Look, I'm getting sidetracked! How the hell did you make Level 32 come back? I doubt Holly's writing brought attention forward to the fucking Renovations Division.
Magnus Grand: No, but I did send over a hundred submissions to that department, it must've been picked up.
Esther Hanks: Please tell me you're exaggerating.
Magnus Grand: Well, I never counted or anything, but I think it was that many? I did some digital, some handwritten with multiple types of handwriting… some were also AI, I think. All done over a week. I'm pretty sure they didn't suspect a thing.
Esther Hanks: That's… Magnus, that's really fucking weird.
Magnus Grand: I did it for you? I wanted to help you!
Esther Hanks: How does doing that help me??
Magnus Grand: Esther I really think you need to calm down.
Esther Hanks: Don't tell me to calm down, please, that doesn't help. Just answer my questions clearly for once, I'm begging you.
Magnus Grand: You were sad over your adopted Mom, so I figured I'd go above and beyond and try to get somewhere from your childhood back to feel like a kid again.
Esther Hanks: That's a really shallow excuse, Magnus.
Magnus Grand: It's not an excuse, sweetheart, that's why I did it?
Esther Hanks: You spent months, literally months, forging letters and lying to people. You could've just taken me somewhere nice, or kept on coming over to chat and talk without that other stuff. You didn't even come to Somalia's funeral, Magnus.
Magnus Grand: Okay…? Yeah, I didn't, but why else would I do this if it wasn't for you? C'mon, think it through.
Esther Hanks: I am "thinking it through", don't patronise me. You've never shut up about Level 32 and those other dead levels for years, Level 32 especially! You did this for yourself!
Magnus Grand: Then why would I include you in my plan if this was just for me?
Esther Hanks: Because you wanted me to be your girlfriend?
Magnus Grand: Well, sure I did, but I didn't go into it with the hope of that?
Esther Hanks: Do you not remember the first time you came over?
Magnus Grand: Hey, I apologised for that. I waited until you were more comfortable before asking again.
Esther Hanks: And ever since we've got together I've not felt… right. You make me feel uncomfortable in my skin, and it's like you don't care about me unless you're having fun or we're…
Magnus Grand: That sounds stupid, you're making me out to be some terrible and horrible abuser, like some shit you get on TV. That… hurts, Esther.
Esther Hanks: No, I-I don't mean it like that-
Magnus Grand: Then what do you mean?
Esther Hanks: You treat me like a prize, Magnus… some- some reward that you had to get for all your "work" bringing back Level 32.
Magnus Grand: That's stupid.
Esther Hanks: Is it really that stupid? Look, please, be honest with me. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and say you don't consciously realise this, but at what point did I become an object to you?
Magnus Grand: Esther, I don't know what you're going on about right now.
Esther Hanks: That's all you have to say? Not even sorry? This is how I've felt with you for months!
Magnus Grand: I… sorry, I guess?
Esther Hanks: "I guess"?
Magnus Grand: I said I'm sorry?
Esther Hanks: It took me asking you to do it. You really do just see me as a trophy, don't you?
Magnus Grand: Of course not… I mean, you were always different to other girls, I've wanted to date you since we went to Level 32, I mean, I know I was really young but still. I like your company.
Esther Hanks: Okay, I don't know how any of that is relevant.
Magnus Grand: Other girls are basic, simple, frankly easy. You're different, you always have been. All feisty and fiery but still compassionate! You stand out among the others, and your traits make it harder for you to accept a date or a boyfriend. You're a trophy in that sense.
Esther Hanks: Oh, god. Magnus, please tell me you don't actually believe even half of the shit you just said.
Magnus Grand: You don't want to believe that you're special to me?
Esther Hanks: I- no, not that! That, I can believe, and that's the worst part about all of this! The way you described me, ignoring your… horrible putting down of other women, you make me out like some golden treasure from that Dumb Indiana Jones cinematic universe.
Magnus Grand: Is there anything wrong with that?
Esther Hanks: You are literally agreeing that you see me as an object. Do you even love me, Magnus? Or do you love the idea of me being your girlfriend and something to feel proud about having.
Magnus Grand: It… can it be both?
Esther Hanks: I-I-I… Magnus, I can't believe you.
Magnus Grand: What, did I answer it wrong? I just said that I loved you!
Esther Hanks: No, no I'm not taking this. Holly was right.
Magnus Grand: What do you mean "Holly was right". What has she been telling you?
Esther Hanks: Some advice I should've been listening to. I-I'm sorry, Magnus.
Magnus Grand: Sorry for what?
[At Magnus' last word, Esther paused, despite having opened her mouth to say something immediate and reactionary back. She shut her mouth with a seethe, shooting Magnus with a scornful glare intense and sudden enough to put Magnus in a sense of unease.]
Esther Hanks: No, actually. I-I'm not sorry for anything, Magnus. Don't come back to my flat, alright? I'm going home.
Magnus Grand: What? You can't leave.
Esther Hanks: I have the tickets to scan on my way out, I can.
[Magnus blinked rapidly, stammering as Esther turned on her foot and began to leave back the way they came. He lurched forward, suddenly grabbing her arm. It made someone walk by turn their head confusedly, but they didn't stop to intervene.]
Magnus Grand: I have to leave too, you know. You're not leaving until I'm ready to go.
Esther Hanks: M-Magnus, let go of me… Please.
Magnus Grand: No! You have my ticket, I can't leave easily without it. You're staying, got it?
Esther Hanks: Magnus, please. You're scaring me.
Magnus Grand: Is that enough of a reason for you to stay, then?
[Esther trembled, trying to shrug her arm from his grip with no success. She seethed after her attempt, even giving a pained yelp as Magnus' grip only got tighter on her upper arm.]
Esther Hanks: Magnus, stop it! I-I will make a scene, I'll make this way harder than it needs to be.
Magnus Grand: And why would you do that, hm?
[Magnus Grand yanked Esther closer, looking at her with a small and annoyed scowl. His grip tightened some more, causing Esther to inhale sharply as her entire body jolted in pain.]
Esther Hanks: Okay, okay! Look, um, let me go, please. I promise I'll stay, and I'm sorry as well. I… didn't mean what I said.
Magnus Grand: I… I'll believe that. I-I didn't want to scare you, I just didn't want to also get locked up in here all night. As much as I love the place.
[Magnus chuckled in a slightly forced tone at his own quip, gently letting go of Esther's arm afterwards, even patting her shoulder. Esther chuckled too, in a far more forced and petrified voice, rubbing her arm where Magnus had gripped her hard enough to bruise. She smiled at him awkwardly, her hands fiddling anxiously before she suddenly began to sprint, passing by Magnus and into the deeper areas of the Dark Alley.]
Magnus Grand: I- Esther! Get back here!
Assessing further relevancy—-potential for brevity.
. . .
Brevity assessed—-summarising further events.
[Magnus' expression swiftly changed from solace to anger, stunned on the spot for a good two seconds. When he fully realised that Esther was trying to escape him, he began to set off after her, following down the same linear alleyway that she did. He kept tailing her, gradually catching up to her until she suddenly vanished from sight. He blinked in confusion, this distraction almost causing him to trip on his face as he skidded to a halt. He looked around confusedly at the space around him, realising that even though he only saw it as a blur moments ago, it was an area he had already ran down. He grumbled loudly, having connected the dots that the Dark Alley's Non-Euclidean effects had separated the pair, putting him back by several meters. He cursed under his breath, and resumed his hunt fruitlessly until closing time.]