. . .

A graphic design image I made for a friend in 2022, using some of the same techniques from Hollow Crowns, along with symbols/imagery matched with his aesthetic. The full size is large; over 5000 x 5000 pixels... it took quite a while to finish this one, but I have a lot of fun with these sorts of collages.

Some detail shots...

Strangers aren't quite proxies; moreso they're sort of like a reflection on the surface of the 3D reality.

The universe of Goodbye Strangers is one of infinitely cascading/collapsing dimensions, with the 3D world as the 'base' area in which interaction takes place, 4+5D as the two time dimensions, and 6+7D as the sensory dimensions. Previously I had characterized 'self' as a dimension (and had recognized only one sensory dimension), but the self's similarity to gravity led me to view it more as a force.

Dimensionarians are higher dimensional beings, but are primarily stable in the 8th, 9th, and 10th dimensions – which are "congruent" to each other, much as the three dimensions of the physical world are "congruent" to one another. So, this is why they can look like 3D entities.

So the probotaxazatonians & company aren't bound by time in 4+5D, since their base of stability is in a higher dimension. This allows them to see the VHZ future at all times, with its unreality that seems heavily connected to the dimensionarians' specific brand of entrancement/mesmerization – and although for those in the 3D world, strangers' appearance seems to predate VHZ, their generation can be seen as somewhat of a ripple/byproduct of the dimensionarians' magnetic pull.

Stranger generation also seems contingent upon the existence of psychics. As strangers are ultimately created by the 'friction' between dimensions, psychics being 'trans-dimensional' seems to draw strangers into a more concrete reality (i.e they can be interacted with in the 3D world).

The timeline of Goodbye Strangers isn't strictly linear (or, rather; it's multi-dimensional), which is why the VHZ era has numerous "entry points". So, something I don't think I've mentioned is that within the world of North Mural, Default and Bracey don't escape the Red Hell Engine, and are killed by Argona and Olivia. Default is heavily experimented on by Olivia before his brain is removed (and experimented upon further), and Bracey becomes Argona's general test subject. (It's weird and a little scary to think about this, haha.)

The "dolls" are mostly found during urban exploration excursions. The hardest part is finding places to keep a stranger "secured"… Virgo, for example, doesn't want Bracey making drugs and generally being a deviant, hence their rivalry/antagonism to one another. (It's worth noting that when it comes to urban exploration, the presence of the strangers is helpful to indicate that there probably aren't any human beings around… sort of like the canary in the coal mine.)

A note about the word "dolls"… it has a different "weight" to it than other words. The closest comparison might be how Japanese has kanji and kana, with the former possessing a higher level of complexity than the latter; so, the word "doll"/"dolls" is like a kanji compound in a paragraph of hiragana. This extra "dimension" is what allows Default to occupy these strangers' "point of view" - since the level of attachment that Bracey has to his "dolls" gives them a level of (projected) anthropomorphic quality. Though, not all of his named strangers are "dolls"; Wet Velvet is, daydreamnation isn't. It's generally pretty intuitive to figure out which strangers fall into which category....

I've talked before about lifelong struggles with shyness and embarrassment when it comes to talking about my characters. Recently, though, I've been able to work past some of this, and come to terms more with the connection that I have with these fictional characters and their stories.

Something that I've finally admitted to myself more fully, is just how deeply I view Bracey as a "comfort" character, in a way that can feel very vulnerable. I really do feel a sense of warmth and love when I think about him, almost as though he was a real person. This is something I felt a lot of shame towards in the past… both since he's not "real", and because I've received some really hurtful treatment from people who did not like his inclusion in the project. It really, really messed me up that my former collaborator somehow accessed the site when it was under password protection, and wrote such a hateful callout post… after that happened, it really did leave me feeling so unsafe to express myself, and this has taken years to really come to terms with and start to recover from. But, I don't want to keep blaming myself for other people's actions and interpretations, and I don't want to beat myself for something that brings me such comfort.

So, here's some writing I did yesterday; switching between 'prose' and 'essay' sections. Semi-NSFW, but nothing explicit.