My to-do list:

Go grind some skills I'll send some more instructions later.

I’ve practiced all my skills. Twice now. I’m standing in front of the alchemy shop where I just did another round of potions. People are walking by. Now, what do I do? I like grinding but the thought of doing the third round without new instructions doesn’t seem like much fun. I imagine doing 1000’s of rounds of practicing the same set of skills, in the same order, endlessly. Yuck. I wonder if that’s what it was like for my away character.

Got it. I can check up on my away character and see how he’s doing. I head back to the inn.

I walk into my H. Grindswell room and he’s still sitting there looking at his list. The floor is littered with ration wrappers. I think I have a whole stack of rations in my bag. Has he been here eating rations the whole time?

“H. Grindswell?”

He turns to me and says, “Yes, I’m H. Grindswell. Can I help you?”

“I gave you a new list the other day. Why are you still here?”

He replies, “I didn’t understand your instructions. Access the help system for creating valid task lists for your away character. You can either view this online or via your help menu in-game. ”

He's talking weird. I wonder if there’s something wrong with him. He’s acting really strange. I could try to figure out this help thing but I feel strange and disoriented after that exchange. I don’t say anything more and leave the room. I’m feeling lost. I don’t know what to do either.

Did I use to be like that? Did I sound like the system messages? The thought of that possibility is disturbing.

I got out of the inn. My to-do list isn’t working for me. I don’t know why my player hasn’t given me a new one. My away character is a freak. I’ll stop and get some wake-me-up. Or is it coffee?

Dana is working the counter at the wake-me-up shop.

“Would you like to order something, Hashi?”

“Dana, I’d like a coffee with cream and sugar.”

“We only sell wake-me-up here. Would you like to order something, Hashi?”

I’d never noticed before, but Dana sounds just like Shirley over at the Stout and Trout. And the way she says things reminds me of my away character. Very repetitive.

“I’ll have a wake-me-up.” I pay Dana and leave the shop.

I stop by a few more stores and I’m seeing the same thing over and over. The people working in the shops keep saying the same things over and over. The only difference in what they say is the name of the customers.

My world is starting to seem very unreal. Fake. Artificial.

I need something different. Running is good for that. I start practicing running. I run out of town. I want to see something new. [System: now leaving town. Damage restrictions are removed.]