Collab: Zyn and Miquiztli

León, Spain, the location associated with initial SCP-XXXX manifestation reports.

Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: All cases involving successful civilian manifestation of SCP-XXXX's phenomena are to be carefully documented.

A dedicated team of at least three Level-2 researchers is to maintain a Foundation webcrawler tasked with searching social media posts, news outlets, and lyrics compilation websites for wording matching or similar to SCP-XXXX. Should an exact match be identified, the team is to obfuscate the information by making minute edits to the wording or activation details that would negate the manifestation of SCP-XXXX's associated reality-altering anomalies.

As part of a disinformation campaign to discourage civilian investigation of SCP-XXXX, the team is also to maintain several social media accounts with high-visibility on internet searches, with posts tagged as "urban fantasy writing". Notes about the blog writer experiencing sleep deprivation, being under the influence of various substances, and so on should be used to discredit belief in the anomaly.

Foundation personnel wishing to be added to the SCP-XXXX experiment list must submit a request to their immediate supervisor to arrange for a consultation meeting with the SCP-XXXX team. A background screening and psychological evaluation are required before a personnel member is permitted to engage in test trials.

Description: SCP-XXXX is an anomalous Latin ballad, which serves as an activation trigger for the manifestation of additional anomalous phenomena. The chorus of SCP-XXXX is as follows:

Los recuerdos que atesoré
ahora no puedo
verlos del mismo color
Los pétalos de clavel
las pequeñas cosas de nuestras vidas
se aferran a mi corazón

¿Cargaré estas cosas conmigo por siempre?
Aunque me duela en el alma
no puedo seguir mientras recuerde
la dicha perdida de ese amor

(English translation)
The memories I cherished
now I can't
see them in the same color
these carnation petals
the small joys of our two lives
cling to my heart

Even though it pains me so much
will I carry these joys with me forever?
I can't move on while I remember
the lost happiness of this love

Activation of SCP-XXXX's primary anomaly occurs when an individual who has recently ended a long¹ romantic relationship sings the chorus of SCP-XXXX, in front of any privately owned shop with a floorspace less than 150 square meters. Upon this action being taken, the interior of the store will exhibit reality alterations solely viewable to the affected individual (now designated an instance of SCP-XXXX-1):

The clerk² at the checkout register will appear the same across all manifestations of SCP-XXXX. The clerk encountered while SCP-XXXX's anomaly is active will not be listed on any company rosters pertaining to the affected stores.
All items for sale will display the text "Small Joys" written on their packaging in a language readable by the viewer. The labeling will also be accompanied by a short phrase describing a hobby or activity, such as "flower arranging", "morning runs followed by coffee", etc. All items for purchase affected in this manner revert to non-anomalous states after leaving the shop.
The shop will only accept cash.

A glass bowl dated to 1st–2nd century A.D., currently the oldest-known keepsake acquired during an SCP-XXXX anomalous manifestation. The associated text at time of purchase was "making famous wine blends to name after your loved ones."

When an SCP-XXXX-1 individual makes a purchase from the store affected by SCP-XXXX, any cash or coinage used to pay will display text describing a memory involving the SCP-XXXX-1 instance and their former romantic partner (e.g., "going for a walk in the rain, and sitting at our favorite park to watch the birds when the sun came out"). Turning the currency over in one's hand will result in the text being replaced with new words describing different memories.

Should SCP-XXXX's effects be activated at a pawn shop, any items the SCP-XXXX-1 instance offers for trade-in will display the same memory-related text. For both cases (cash and trade-in), currency and items with greater value display text describing especially fond memories, or involving hobbies that were heavily invested in.

After an SCP-XXXX-1 instance completes a purchase (or trade) and exits the shop, SCP-XXXX's secondary effect manifests: the SCP-XXXX-1 individual will experience an alteration of their memories and proficiencies with respect to the exchange.

Based on the text upon the currency or item they have surrendered, associated memories will be considered of much lesser importance, and any related hobby proficiencies (e.g., rollerskating, cooking, ability to count butterflies in a swarm) will have degraded to the level of an average human's untrained ability. An SCP-XXXX-1 individual wishing to re-attain their former mastery of a skill lost to SCP-XXXX would need to engage in the same practice they had done previously.
Based on the text upon the item they have received, the SCP-XXXX-1 individual will gain a newfound appreciation for a certain hobby or activity. The more valuable the item purchased or traded-for, the more likely the SCP-XXXX-1 instance will also develop high proficiency in the activity, with minimal training.

Addendum: Partial SCP-XXXX Experimental Log

Subject Name:

Subject Background:

Experimental Protocol:

Results: [People who left polyamorous relationships see a smaller stock since they can only remove "small joys" that were shared between all of the individuals involved in the relationship]

Subject Name:

Subject Background:

Experimental Protocol:

Results: [The "stock" visible has prices that vary depending on whether the person who wants to acquire it would be able to engage in the hobby or not (e.g., "skydiving" wouldn't work for someone who does not live near skydiving services and does not have the budget for it).]

Subject Name:

Subject Background:

Experimental Protocol:

Results: [maybe sometimes the new small joy acquired doesn't always pertain to a romantic relationship? Love from family, friends, etc. It's up to the buyer what they do with the new hobby/gift.]

Subject Name: [name here]

Subject Background: [name]

Experimental Protocol: [name] was instructed to

Results: The clerk refused to take [name]'s payment, stating simply, "You don't really want to give this up. Go home." [Name] was instructed to leave the shop without making any purchases, and return to their place of residence. During a follow-up debriefing session, the research team noted that upon [name] returning home, they discovered their partner waiting for them. The breakup was resolved after the two attended couples counseling; the two currently are discussing engagement.

Negotiations regarding authorization for further Foundation personnel usage of SCP-XXXX are underway.

Miquiztli: Co-author
Zyn: Co-author

Images Used:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Le%C3%B3n%2C_Spain_-_panoramio_%281%29.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Glass_bowl_MET_DP265535.jpg

Zyn: I came up with some basic lyrics! Please feel free to note anything that needs to be changed. If any of the words look strange or need to be removed, just let me know!

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D42jooB9ghk
I don't know
whether I'll ever see you again
don't know
what will become of my life
without the blue splendor of your self
which can't illuminate me anymore

now I want to relish in my pain
I don't ask for pity or compassion
the story of this love was written
for all eternity

Miquiztli: Translation Beta 2.0 added
I might need to arrange the words so it comes up more natural in spanish (Further discussion needed).

Zyn: Great, thanks!! I've written a rough draft of the containment procedures. I'll work on the description tomorrow or Friday. Do we have a city picture in mind for Leon?

Miquiztli: I think this is what we looking for, what ya think? https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Le%C3%B3n%2C_Spain_-_panoramio_%281%29.jpg (you can even see some small businesses).
I asked for help to some friends from the spanish brand who live in Spain to see if it was possible to get an original image but none of them live near Leon. The closest one is a girl and its a 3 hours drive from her hometown :(

Zyn: The image is beautiful, thank you! I've added it into the article. Great for setting up interest in the reader! No worries about not getting an original picture; it was nice of you to ask though! I'll try to work on the description tomorrow; was pretty busy at work today. Let me know when you'd like to plan another chat meetup!

Miquiztli: Glad you liked it, we could meetup today. Maybe at 10 or 11 my time so you don't have to be here too early?

Zyn: Sorry, I was busy today—friends and I are planning a meetup over the weekend. Sunday works alright for me though; I should be able to meet earlier? Does that work for you?

Miquiztli: Let's do it. Ill be here till night, send me a DM when you arrive :)

Zyn: Not sure if you're around, bit I just hopped into chat and attempted to PM. Maybe it's better to set a certain timeframe a day in advance so we can plan for it? (I still have some chores to finish today.) How about 8-9pm your time on Tuesday?

Zyn: Noting that we'll plan for Wednesday chat meetup at 22-00 your time!

Zyn: So, regarding experiment logs, here are some things to keep in mind:
- the phrase "show, don't tell" applies here! For example, rather than saying "the shop has been around for a very long time", the image of the old Roman cup leads a reader to figure out that people have been trading items in since those times, thus the shop has been around for a long time. Having a few of these little puzzles helps make sure the reader is more involved with the information, and they have that nice "aha!" moment of discovery.
- don't add too many details that aren't important to understanding the main anomaly. Excessive minutiae to keep track of can make readers confused or overwhelmed.
- don't stress too much about names or locations unless they're super important to the story.
- keep the tone/theme focused and consistent! It can distract a reader if they read something, for example, super serious and then something funny that stands out in a confusing way.
- make sure each log entry introduces new information that's important to understanding the anomaly. If the information in the log is already elsewhere in the article, then that log is unnecessary. The reader should be constantly learning about the anomaly as they go through logs.
- it should be clear to the reader what the Foundation is testing and why they are testing that criteria, even if it is not specifically stated in the logs.
- the order of the logs is important for keeping a reader interested. For an emotional article, you want a balanced mix of neutral-tone information-giving logs and more emotional "feeling" logs. It helps to alternate! Start out with a neutral log, then a slightly emotional log, then so on. End with the log intended to get the strongest emotional reaction. The last log (provided a reader makes it to the end of the logs) tends to be the most remembered. So you want the ending to be your strongest entry.

ballad is used as a pass-phrase to enter a certain anomalous pawn shop from any pawn shop location in the world. In the shop, people who have just acrimoniously ended a long relationship can trade away their ability to enjoy certain things, if said things remind them too much of the person whom they are no longer in a relationship with. They can then receive, in exchange, someone else's similarly discarded enjoyment of a new hobby/pastime. The ballad is only taught by agents of the pawn shop, who sometimes sell particular memories to their benefactor.

I was thinking of looking at some of the famous examples from this page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_ballad and seeing how long a ballad chorus usually is. I think it shouldn't be too short, if it's meant to preclude a pretty significant life decision?

Why keep those memories whith my ex when I can finally learn how to make proper croquembouche

I think is a great idea and it has a lot of potential for a really fun experiment log , I think people is going to like it. Do you any ideas regarding the lenght of that composition? For a pass-phase I think it would be weird if it was longer than a haiku

Maybe not as a pass-phrase but as part of the "exchage" ritual they have to "sing" or something…

My thoughts were that the singing as a passphrase needs both the words/melody and the emotion—if someone sings the passphrase and doesn't have anything they need to trade, they won't be able to access the pawn shop. No sense having unrelated window-shoppers, after all.

Addendum: Partial experimental log
- some notes about restrictions/results:
- someone who has not recently gone through a breakup does not trigger the manifestation.
- People who left polyamorous relationships can only remove "small joys" that were shared between all of the individuals involved in the relationship?
- The "stock" visible has prices that vary depending on whether the person who wants to acquire it would be able to engage in the hobby or not (e.g., "skydiving" wouldn't work for someone who does not live near skydiving services and does not have the budget for it).
- Ending note: small joys pawnshop vendor refuses to take someone's money, says "you don't really want to give this up. Go home." followup note/footnote indicates that the breakup was resolved after the two partners went to counseling. Two are now happily married. Something like that?
- maybe sometimes the new small joy acquired doesn't always pertain to a romantic relationship? Love from family, friends, etc. It's up to the buyer what they do with the new hobby/gift.

Trimmed:

updated content

Experimental trials have shown that incorrectly singing the ballad's chorus (missing parts of it or partially completely altering the lyrics) will result in the subject not being able to access the shop. Singing it without any emotion also leads to the same result (the Class D personnel sent to the first trials failed to reproduce the effect since all of them were convicted and transfered to the Foundation at least two years before).
(Savage idea: what if singing AWFULLY wrong would take you elsewhere, to another kind of anomalous place/shop?)

Subject Name: Dr. Oliver ███████

Subject Background: Dr. ███████ is a member of the investigation team assigned to SCP-XXXX's contention procedures, he is currently 44 years old and had recently divorced his wife after 15 years of marriage. Subject has a tendency to engage in numerous casual sexual affairs with women often at the same time and without his partners being aware of the situation. Psychological evaluation results showed traits of narcissistic personality disorder and strong emotional detachment particularly directed towards current or former sexual partners alike.

Experimental Protocol: A local pawn shop with the required floorspace was selected for the trial, the subject was instructed to sing the chorus of the song in front of the stablishment.

Results: According to Dr. ███████'s report, after singing the lyrics the consequent reality warping effect was described as "instantaneous and almost unnoticeable". A transcript of the report is included below for further detail.

Dr. ███████'s ██/██/████ trial report.

- Close

"I don't think I can fully describe it. It was almost like blinking for a second and then finding that all items displayed in the store had little "labels" attached to them with text in spanish (Dr's mother tongue is spanish, even though he is fully proficient in english and uses this second language on a daily basis)" that weren't there a second before. Even the atmosphere inside the store was different, warmer and inviting. However, what you could not possibly have ignored was the clerk.
He was short in height, leaning on the glass counter with his arms crossed at the level of his chest.
Its not that he had any particularly distinctive facial/body characteristics, but you could feel the eyes of the man on you (which was the reason I noticed him in the first place). He was staring directly at me, ignoring the other customers.
I approached the counter, greeted the man and began to ask for the price of a little music box inside the display below his arms. It was a soft-pink, heart-shaped box with a ballerina figurine on top. A little label with the words "ballet soirée and dinner" in italics was attached to it with a little golden ribbon.
The clerk gave me one last upset look and without saying a word proceeded to turn his back and point with his index finger to a dusty sign hanging in the wall behind him. The notice was also written in spanish:

We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason at any time.
Sincerely, Management.

I didn't even had the chance to say a word to the man, and then in a blink I found myself in the small parking outside the shop again. The sign was now hanging in the glass window in front of me"

Note from the investigation team: Even in those cases where access to the anomalous space is granted, this does not necessarily mean that the subject will be able to succesfully complete a transaction. Thanks to Dr. ███████'s experience it was possible to confirm that the entities behind the anomaly have means to know the background of any potential customer. How do they get this information is still under investigation.

- Close

—-

Logs from 07/20/2021

Hide 07/20

22:22 <Zyn> how would you like to divvy up the writing for the piece?
22:23 <Miquiztli> Hmmm
22:25 <Miquiztli> Your original intention was to write yourself the composition and having me translate the lyrics, right?
22:25 <Miquiztli> I can do that :)
22:25 <Zyn> Pretty much! Though if you'd like to cut your teeth on part of the article, I'm good with that too
22:26 <Miquiztli> I mean, as a draft I can try and I'm feeling confident
22:27 <Miquiztli> But, still it kinda scares me lol
22:27 <Zyn> no worries, totally understandable
22:27 <Miquiztli> But yeah, I think drafting will do no harm
22:27 <Miquiztli> I could try writing an experiment log
22:27 <Zyn> this kind of piece lends itself well to experiment logs
22:28 <Zyn> are you familiar with formatting?
22:28 <Miquiztli> Yes, I've never tried to write something
22:28 <Miquiztli> But I've read a lot of articles with experiment logs on them
22:29 <Zyn> How about I set up a quick example template and you can go from there?
22:29 <Miquiztli> Oh, that would be awesome
22:29 <Miquiztli> Thanks :D
22:30 <Zyn> you're welcome!
22:30 <Zyn> also, general obligatory question, if either of us need to drop from the collab, how would you like it handled?
22:31 <Zyn> I don't mind if you post the work so long as you credit me as co-author (provided I wrote at least part of the work lol)
22:31 <Zyn> also, in that same vein, I think it would be good if you post the eventual page to the mainsite, since this would be your first piece
22:33 <Miquiztli> I could finish the article by myself if something pops up and you can't continue working on this, tho it would maybe take aeons before it sees the day light hehe
22:33 <Miquiztli> No problems regarding crediting
22:33 <Miquiztli> This is your idea after all :)
22:35 <Zyn> cool, sounds good. If you need to tap out, how would you like me to proceed?
22:37 <Miquiztli> I think pretty much the same, I don't mind you posting the article as original work if I couldn't contribute at all, again, this is your idea n.n
22:38 <Zyn> thanks! Just formalities to cover all the bases :)
22:38 <Miquiztli> Nice :D
22:38 <Zyn> okay, am typing some notes up
22:39 <Zyn> generally I start with an outline, and notes of things I want to make sure to include
22:39 <Zyn> http://scp-sandbox-3.wikidot.com/collab:miquiztliandzyn
Collab: Zyn and Miquiztli - SCP Sandbox III
22:39 <Zyn> I'll poke you when I've got the format in
22:42 <Miquiztli> Okay
22:43 <Miquiztli> "singing the song's chorus in front of a pawn shop or privately-owned shop with [certain floorspace] will result in the store being semi reality altered"
22:43 <Miquiztli> Nice!
22:44 <Miquiztli> Lots of The Holder-ish vibes coming from this, I love it
22:44 <Zyn> glad you think so!
22:48 <Zyn> okay, updated
22:48 <Zyn> I went with a simple quote-box format
22:48 <Miquiztli> Okie
22:48 <Zyn> you'd just fill in the text after the colons with the log information. The asterisks are the code to make text bold
22:49 <Zyn> I tend to favor shorter, punchy articles, so I recommend keeping the log count on the lower side, maybe 5-6 entries max
22:49 <Zyn> if the audience likes it enough, we might want to consider opening an extended log for people to contribute entries to
22:49 <Zyn> otherwise, just stick to simple and sweet
22:49 <Miquiztli> I agree
22:50 <Zyn> I did put some notes in the addenda about the things I thought should be included in the tests
22:50 <Zyn> but that's only enough for 3-4ish entries
22:50 <Miquiztli> Nice
22:51 <Zyn> I would like the entry where the owner refuses to make the sale to be the last one, since I think it hits the hardest emotionally
22:51 <Zyn> and the one establishing no recent breakup = no anomaly at the start, since it begins the log
22:51 <Zyn> other than that, you can write the other entries in whichever order you like!
22:51 <Zyn> we can talk through edits after we've got material on the page
22:52 <Miquiztli> I'm totally okay with the
22:52 <Zyn> Oh! and how good are you with image editing?
22:53 <Miquiztli> The most experimented of us to go with those two entries*
22:53 <Miquiztli> I suck at editing :(
22:53 <Miquiztli> I know a thing or two about audio editing tho
22:54 <Zyn> ah, okay
22:54 <Zyn> no worries
22:54 <Zyn> I would like to have a picture, since a visual cue is a great way to pique attention
22:55 <Zyn> do you know of any cities in Spain that are particularly famous for arts? Music, specifically?
22:55 <Zyn> We can have that city be the origin point of the anomaly
22:55 <Zyn> and have the starting image be a scene from that city
22:57 <Miquiztli> I could take a picture of a random local pawn shop in my city if that helps :P shop's name and signs will be in spanish since I live in Mexico
22:57 <Miquiztli> Could be Barcelona
22:58 <Zyn> Up to you! I typically don't take pictures that are easily identifiable for privacy reasons, to be honest
22:58 <Zyn> hmmm
22:58 <Miquiztli> Or Leon
22:58 <Zyn> Barcelona has some good creative commons compliant images https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=barcelona&title=Special:MediaSearch&go=Go&type=image
Search media - Wikimedia Commons
22:59 <Miquiztli> Leon is kind famous for spanish guitar. Also Malaga
22:59 <Zyn> oh dude
22:59 <Zyn> Leon might be better then, since it fits the aesthetic
22:59 <Zyn> and also Barcelona is kind of overused d:
23:00 *** User Miquiztli hasn't logged in or does not exist.
23:00 <Zyn> ?
23:01 <Zyn> oh! there you are. Looks like you disconnected?
23:01 <Miquiztli> Sorry, freaking mobile browser keeps disconnecting me
23:01 <Zyn> no worries haha
23:01 <Zyn> anyway, Leon has some really pretty images that would be great to set the tone of the piece
23:01 <Zyn> https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prunus_cerasifera_pissardii.003_-_Leon.jpg

File:Prunus cerasifera pissardii.003 - Leon.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
23:01 <Zyn> https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Torio_hacia_Le%C3%B3n.jpg

File:Torio hacia León.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
23:01 <Zyn> assuming these are actually from that city, lol
23:01 <Zyn> I'm not familiar with the area
23:01 <Zyn> do you mind taking over the image selection?
23:01 <Zyn> https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=leon+spain&title=Special:MediaSearch&go=Go&type=image
Search media - Wikimedia Commons
23:02 <Miquiztli> Me neither, never been to spain
23:02 <Zyn> you can actually read the image titles unlike me though d:
23:02 <Miquiztli> But I have some friends in the spanish branch that could help
23:02 <Zyn> ooh!
23:02 <Zyn> That would be great!
23:02 <Zyn> make sure to take down their names so we can thank them in the eventual posting please
23:02 <Miquiztli> Yes, no worries
23:03 <Miquiztli> We'll get a great picture
23:03 <Zyn> yay!! a picture is never required, but often is the part of the article that brings in the most immediate attention
23:03 <Zyn> just need to make sure it adheres to CC license
23:04 <Miquiztli> Yes, I'm familiar with that
23:04 <Miquiztli> Leave it to me
23:04 <Miquiztli> :)
23:04 <Miquiztli> Oh, sorry, one last question
23:05 <Miquiztli> So, after you write the lyrics, which version will be posted in the article? I suppose that should be the spanish version, but what are your thoughts on that?
23:06 <Zyn> I would say both
23:06 <Zyn> The Spanish one will start
23:06 <Zyn> since that's what needs to be sung to manifest the anomaly
23:07 <Zyn> the english translation would be there since the page is in english and presumably in-universe is being read by someone who speaks english
23:07 <Zyn> if this were translated to another language, then the english would be replaced with the language of the translation
23:07 <Zyn> and if translated to Spanish, there would be no need for a translation
23:07 <Zyn> is what I was thinking?
23:07 <Miquiztli> Okay, I thought the same
23:07 <Zyn> also, is there anything I should keep in mind for the lyrics?
23:08 <Zyn> sentence structure, topics, that sort of thing?
23:08 <Miquiztli> By the way, regarding translation, after we finish this and *hopefully* makes it into the main list, I would like to translate the whole article for the spanish (and maybe French) brands
23:08 <Miquiztli> Is that ok with you?
23:09 <Miquiztli> Branches*
23:09 <Zyn> Yes of course!!
23:10 <Miquiztli> Noise :3
23:10 <Zyn> I hope the readers on those branches like it
23:10 <Miquiztli> As for the lyrics, yes!
23:11 <Miquiztli> Spanish ballads tend to have a very classic structure of *verse>verse>chorus>verse*
23:11 <Miquiztli> The wikipedia article you quoted last time is mainly about 80's romantic spanish ballads
23:11 <Zyn> I was thinking of just writing a chorus
23:12 <Zyn> since it would be a little awkward to sing a 2+ minute song in front of a small store?
23:12 <Zyn> if you would like to do more/the whole song, let me know though! I'll do my best!
23:12 <Miquiztli> I was thinking the same, thats why I brought the haiku thing up
23:13 <Zyn> maybe stick to a chorus then. Anything I should know about writing a chorus? Also, any phrases to avoid, that sort of thing?
23:13 <Miquiztli> However, being this an anomalous event it wouldn't be surprising if the other customers in the store didn't notice someone singing to a random clerk lmao
23:14 <Zyn> I was thinking that you need to sing before you enter
23:14 <Miquiztli> Oh, that would also work perfectly
23:14 <Zyn> let's go with that then
23:15 <Zyn> Oh! If you have examples of lyrics (with English translations if there are some please…) I can look at, that would be amazing. I can usually mirror sentence structure if I have reference material
23:15 <Zyn> just the content that I'm stuck on
23:15 <Miquiztli> Hmmm, in a chorus you might want to avoid long sentences
23:15 <Zyn> avoid long sentences, got it
23:15 <Miquiztli> I can totally provide you with plenty of examples
23:16 <Zyn> yes please!!
23:16 <Miquiztli> Lemme get you something from my favorite ballad singer
23:17 <Miquiztli> Haha
23:17 <Miquiztli> And some actual spanish ballads (from spain) that got big in the 70's/ 80's
23:18 <Zyn> that would be great!!
23:19 <Miquiztli> https://youtu.be/OyciloI1nUY
23:19 <Miquiztli> This is a fairly good translation
23:19 <Miquiztli> And it's a song about a break up
23:20 <Zyn> where is the chorus for this song?
23:20 <Miquiztli> Hell, you can feel the pain in this man's voice (which is also absolutely amazing)
23:20 * User Miquiztli hasn't logged in or does not exist.
23:22 * User Miquiztli hasn't logged in or does not exist.
23:22 *** User Miquiztli hasn't logged in or does not exist.
23:23 <Zyn> poke
23:23 <Zyn> ah! welcome back
23:23 <Miquiztli> Woah, thanks
23:24 <Miquiztli> You can't look for someone for a DM here, right?
23:24 <Miquiztli> Anyways
23:24 <Miquiztli> Chorus is from 1:15 to 2:12
23:24 <Zyn> thanks!
23:25 <Zyn> okay, looks like two stanzas
23:25 <Zyn> this is pretty great
23:25 <Zyn> I think I might be able to come up with something
23:25 <Zyn> let's see… am writing it now in notepad
23:25 <Zyn> oh, is there any flower that is of particular note in Spain/Spanish culture?
23:25 <Zyn> I have "rose" as placeholder but idk if something else would work better?
23:37 <Miquiztli> Ah, finally.
23:37 <Miquiztli> Sorry, my browser is kind of going crazy here
23:37 <Zyn> no worries, I've been wrestling with the words lol
23:37 <Miquiztli> I sent you a DM on wikidot since I couldn't find you here
23:38 <Miquiztli> So, it's kind of getting late here and I'm only getting like 4 hours sleep if I go to bed now lol
23:39 <Zyn> oh geez, go get some sleep!
23:39 <Miquiztli> Let's talk tomorrow?
23:39 <Zyn> Yeah!!
23:39 <Zyn> I'll port the chat conversation and then put any thoughts from me in the notes, and you can respond at your leisure
23:39 <Zyn> get some rest and thanks for talking!!!
23:39 <Miquiztli> You are so kind
23:39 <Zyn> and feel free to let me know if you need to leave, there's no need to stay up this late
23:40 <Zyn> I'm on an earlier timezone so I lose track of time
23:40 <Zyn> go sleep!
23:40 <Miquiztli> I'm actually getting vacations after tuesday so tomorrow after work I can focus on the article
23:40 <Miquiztli> If I come up with ideas during the day I'll update the sandbox
23:40 <Zyn> okay, just remember no pressure! Between the two of us, we might be able to get this written, reviewed, and posted pretty quickly
23:40 <Zyn> sounds good!

Logs from 07/27/2021

Hide 07/27

21:26 <Guest36623> The "small joys" in the store are objects, right?
21:27 <Guest36623> Like idk a vase, a jacket
21:27 <Zyn> yes, they're regular objects that anyone would be able to find in the normal store
21:27 <Zyn> the difference is that singing the ballad "activates" them
21:27 <Zyn> so someone who has sung the chorus will see text on the objects pertaining to the small joys they have available to trade in
21:28 <Guest36623> So, are the objects related to the hobby they pertain to?
21:28 <Guest36623> For example, I was thinking
21:28 <Zyn> not necessarily, but I think it would make sense?
21:28 <Guest36623> One subject wants yo learn how to fly a plane
21:28 <Guest36623> To*
21:28 <Zyn> that would make sense
21:29 <Guest36623> So, for example the object is a lapel pin with the shape of a plane
21:29 <Guest36623> Kinda a dumb example i know, but I think you get where i'm going
21:29 <Guest36623> Haha
21:29 <Zyn> that works!
21:29 <Zyn> since someone starting a new phase of their life would buy things that reflect that
21:30 <Zyn> the text on the items would be what they're looking for
21:30 <Zyn> so like a vase with "flower arranging"
21:30 <Zyn> also, any money they hand over has a current "small joy" on it
21:31 <Guest36623> That is actually the second question. In a pawn shop you can buy or trade, right?
21:31 <Zyn> so trading a [whatever amount] bill that has the current hobby on it for the plane that has the new hobby on it would trigger the exchange of those two hobbies/proficiencies
21:31 <Zyn> yeah
21:31 <Zyn> my thought was that the traded object would be "worth" more
21:31 <Zyn> in terms of store credit or the like
21:32 <Zyn> but the person would need to sing the song in front of a pawn shop
21:32 <Zyn> rather than a grocery store, for example
21:32 <Guest36623> Got ya
21:32 <Guest36623> Were on the same page then
21:33 <Zyn> awesome!
21:33 <Guest36623> And of course, you take home the object you purchased/traded for
21:34 <Zyn> yeah
21:34 <Zyn> it becomes a normal object after you leave the shop
21:34 <Guest36623> But after trading, it becones a mundane object
21:34 <Zyn> yeah!
21:34 <Guest36623> Nice!

Logs from 07/28/2021

Hide 07/28

21:22 <Miquiztli> let me update the sandbox with my progress
21:22 <Zyn> welcome back haha
21:22 <Zyn> go for it!
21:34 <Zyn> poke
21:35 <Miquiztli> sup
21:35 <Zyn> just making sure you were still connected, lol
21:35 <Zyn> I'm going to be multitasking a bit
21:35 <Zyn> let me know whenever you're done
21:35 <Miquiztli> hahaha don't worry, I switched to my laptop
21:36 <Miquiztli> yes, i'll poke you when ready
22:14 <Miquiztli> hiii
22:14 <Miquiztli> sorry
22:14 <Miquiztli> I'm still slow writing with code
22:14 <Miquiztli> I think it is ready tho
22:14 <Miquiztli> could you check it out?
22:14 <Zyn> hello!
22:14 <Zyn> yeah, let me finish up this staff thing real quick
22:15 <Miquiztli> oh, yeah no worried
22:15 <Miquiztli> worries*
22:21 <Zyn> okay
22:21 <Zyn> sorry for the wait
22:26 <Zyn> ack, sorry
22:26 <Zyn> got suddenly called away again. Permaban was needed.
22:26 <Zyn> Okay, taking a look
22:26 <Miquiztli> its k
22:26 <Miquiztli> no need to rush
22:26 <Miquiztli> thanks
22:26 <Zyn> do you mind if I make a few edits?
22:26 <Miquiztli> ofc
22:26 <Zyn> the template is still there, by the looks of it
22:27 <Miquiztli> feel free to edit any newbie error you find
22:27 <Zyn> regarding the "Savage idea: what if singing AWFULLY wrong would take you elsewhere, to another kind of anomalous place/shop?" hmm
22:27 <Zyn> I feel like that might muddle the overarching tone?
22:27 <Zyn> if this is meant to be more on the wistful, emotional side, having a consequence for not having musical or linguistic talent seems mean-spirited
22:27 <Zyn> people who can't sing still deserve to find happiness d:
22:28 <Miquiztli> I fully agree with that lol
22:28 <Miquiztli> yeah, it was like something that came to me and put it there for memory sake
22:28 <Zyn> okay, I'll move that piece to a trimmed section
22:29 <Zyn> if enough reviewers want to see a darker edgier side, we can revisit
22:29 <Miquiztli> cool
22:29 <Miquiztli> lets do that
22:33 <Miquiztli> oh, just realized I didnt erased a piece of text in the dr's report
22:33 <Miquiztli> erase*
22:34 <Zyn> oh oaky
22:34 <Zyn> okay
22:34 <Zyn> which part?
22:34 <Miquiztli> this part
22:35 <Miquiztli> He was short in height, leaning on the glass counter with his arms crossed at the level of his chest.
22:35 <Miquiztli> Its not that he had any particularly distinctive facial/body characteristics, but you could feel the eyes of the man on you (which was the reason I noticed him in the first place), (He was short in height, leaning on the glass counter with his arms crossed at the level of his chest.) he was staring directly at me, ignoring the other customers.
22:35 <Miquiztli> text in parenthesis is what needs to be erased
22:35 <Zyn> okies
22:35 <Miquiztli> correct version would be
22:35 <Miquiztli> li> Its not that he had any particularly distinctive facial/body characteristics, but you could feel the eyes of the man on you (which was the reason I noticed him in the first place). He was staring directly at me, ignoring the other customers.
22:36 <Zyn> edited!
22:36 <Miquiztli> thanks!
22:37 <Zyn> hmm
22:38 <Zyn> how much do you want to keep the Dr. Oliver log?
22:38 <Zyn> this uh
22:38 <Zyn> doesn't really match the tone of the portion I wrote
22:39 <Zyn> Dr. Oliver doesn't seem like the type to keep fond memories
22:39 <Miquiztli> Yup, it kinda deviates from the original concept
22:39 <Miquiztli> Im aware of that
22:39 <Zyn> also, the material in the log is kind of a rehash of information already introduced in the description
22:39 <Zyn> just with more minutiae
22:40 <Zyn> I'll be honest, I'm not sure we should keep this
22:40 <Zyn> did you want to make this a less hopeful piece?
22:41 <Miquiztli> hmmm, maybe not less hopeful, just trying to play with the concept of different personalities having different experiences in the shop
22:42 <Zyn> hmm
22:42 <Zyn> if the overarching premise is meant to be hopeful, then having such a long log dedicated to something completely different would confuse more than interest the audience
22:42 <Miquiztli> A person like this particular subject, being an antonym to the type of customer that the shop would normally have would be naturally rejected as an undesirable
22:43 <Miquiztli> thats pretty much the basic idea, I think
22:43 <Zyn> consistency in theme is importantand while the Foundation would definitely run all sorts of trials, having a seemingly random set of logs doesn't make for a good read narratively
22:43 <Zyn> I feel like maybe there should be more restrictions on the activation criteria, then?
22:44 <Zyn> Since if terrible people can access the shop, they might abuse its effects.
22:44 <Zyn> Better to make it so they can just never enter to begin with.
22:44 <Miquiztli> totally agree with the consistency part, thats why I was afraid of straying from the original concept
22:45 <Zyn> I feel like the shopkeeper would feel really iffy on some narcissitic cheater touching the objects that were once deeply cherished possessions.
22:45 <Miquiztli> yeah, I think that would be better
22:45 <Zyn> I'll move it to trimmed, then
22:46 <Zyn> To be sure: did you not enjoy the themes that I had introduced in the notes for the experimental log?
22:46 <Miquiztli> Oh! this was actually the only "kinda out of concept" log I had planned to write, I haven't finished the other two
22:46 <Miquiztli> the other ones are totally in tone with the notes you originally wrote there
22:47 <Zyn> Okay, just wanted to make sure
22:47 <Miquiztli> I still don't have a decent draft of those tho
22:47 <Zyn> no worries, if you want I can walk you through my usual process for logs
22:47 <Zyn> I do want this to be fun for you; that said, I do want to make sure this has a good chance at succeeding on the mainsite too d:
22:48 <Zyn> if you feel like your ideas aren't being given enough attention, let me know and we can talk through the approach
22:49 <Miquiztli> that would be educational! but I'm afraid we will have to do it in another meetup since its almost 1 am here and I work tomorrow haha
22:50 <Zyn> okay, we can plan for another meetup! thanks for staying up lateplease don't feel like you always need to do that, I can usually meet up earlier!
22:50 <Miquiztli> Im totally on the "watch and learn" mood here, don't worry. Im a total newbie writing articles, so any advice/comment you have is gold for me
22:50 <Miquiztli> thanks to you
22:51 <Miquiztli> having these sessions during the week is harsh, man its boring to be a tax-paying adult
22:51 <Miquiztli> thank you for taking the time :)
22:51 <Zyn> weekends usually work for me too, if it's more convenient
22:52 <Zyn> you're welcome! I usually have trouble being motivated to write, so it helps having a co-author who's active
22:53 <Miquiztli> I think we could keep the communication flowing on the sandbox discussion tab during working days
22:53 <Miquiztli> and have brainstorming on weekends
22:53 <Zyn> makes sense!
22:53 <Zyn> I think right now we just need to get the logs written, and then we can bring this for reviews
22:54 <Miquiztli> yup, those should be easy since they're pretty much defined by the original comments
22:54 <Miquiztli> lemme work on that, I should have something ready by friday
22:55 <Zyn> sounds good! I'll add in a quick framing for ease of reference
22:56 <Zyn> oh, also, what do you think about having one or two more pictures?
22:56 <Zyn> I was thinking of an example of a trade
22:56 <Zyn> I found this image https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Glass_bowl_MET_DP265535.jpg of a Roman bowl that I think might be a nice nod to the anomaly being around for a long time

File:Glass bowl MET DP265535.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
22:56 <Zyn> if anyone looks up the image
22:57 <Miquiztli> amazing idea
22:58 <Miquiztli> we should totally pique the reader's curiosity with that
22:58 <Zyn> thanks! I'll get it added later tonight if I have time
22:59 <Miquiztli> purrfect
22:59 <Zyn> go get some rest—I'll put some notes in the discussion section of the sandbox about experiment logs and you can take a look whenever you have time
23:00 <Miquiztli> Super! Thank you very much :) ill check it out tomorrow since I think it is necessary training for rewriting the other logs
23:00 <Miquiztli> so, i'll get going then
23:01 <Miquiztli> thanks for the comments again :)
23:01 <Miquiztli> see ya
23:01 <Zyn> good night!

SCP Sandbox III

Sandbox III: Revenge of the Sandbox