red thread

Mirrors covered, Precautions taken.

The First line and the signature are both coded in a Caesar Cipher with a 3 digit shift. The second line doesn't work with a Caesar shift. The last word is "ugly" with a 10 shift, but nothing else seems to work

The first letter seems likely to be "I", and a "t" after the apostrophe. Wonder if that can help us translate.

Okay, pretty sure rule 10 applies here. Cover your mirrors for the next week, folks.

I hope SeraphicI0's okay, but please make sure you protect yourselves.

What just happened? SeraphicIO?

Zkdw fdq pdjlf gr?
R wlv'n eqvi.

Completely understandable reaction, and honestly you might never see this. But in case you do come back, we try to be honest about our experiences and the safety of things without scaring folks, but that's obviously hard to do sometimes.

Stay safe out there.

Thanks for the warning…

Like I’d said to Katat0nik, I felt awe when I first saw the mural. But it felt normal? Like the feeling anyone would have if they suddenly came across beautiful art where they didn’t expect it.

Not to turn down the welcome but I think this might be my last post here. All this talk about just being on this site being such a dangerous thing is getting a bit much for me…

Welcome in Sera, you may want to redact or remove your location from your profile, just in case there are things prowling the forum that don't have your best interests in mind.

That sounds really dramatic and I'm sorry but I'd rather warn you and keep you safe.

I do wonder if Mulder isn't onto something. I wonder if it isn't the mural itself but maybe what it was trying to tell you? Do you remember what you felt when you first saw it?

I suppose that makes as much sense as anything else does in this situation. It’s been a couple of years since the “Mural Incident” so it’s not as fresh in my mind but I can definitely say I didn’t feel any particular negative or unpleasant emotions around the event. Except the disappointment, confusion, and regret from it being gone. But I felt those at what I’d imagine was a normal amount?

I’m getting the impression that if I had had another similar experience, it would shed light on this one. But I honestly haven’t experienced anything that evoked any of those feelings. I’ve felt deja vu plenty of times. That’s the closest to feeling like something is inexplicably familiar I guess, but I honestly could not give you examples off the top of my head.

If the mural did hold any meaning, I do like your thought, Fly_Mulder. I was just starting my life at [redact] after finally moving out with my girlfriend, so maybe it was a good omen. “New Beginnings” and all that. Glad I might’ve brought that energy to the forum. thanks for the welcome!

PS: Oh interesting. I just gave the rules a read. ODD and eerie... I’ll be sure to keep them in mind... The stalls weren’t metal so I was good on that front.

According to the kind people at BalloonLabUSA (hell of a source if you ask me), a green balloon represents:

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Green balloons represent growth, harmony, and nature. They are an excellent choice for eco-friendly events, garden parties, or events focused on sustainability. Green balloons can bring a sense of balance and renewal to your gathering, reminding guests of the importance of environmental stewardship.

The color green is also associated with good luck and abundance. If you’re hosting a celebration that marks a new beginning, such as a wedding or a graduation party, green balloons can symbolize the fruitful journey ahead.
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A very chipper description. But given what we've been discussing recently, it seems like something might have given you a friendly nudge that lead you here. Bringing a "Renewal" to our gathering, or a "New Beginning".

So, In that vein, Welcome to RT!

PS: Please read the rules in Zethus' "Welcome to the Darkness" post. They might seem odd, but more than one of us have found reason why they exist. (If your work has metal stalls, they might count as "Mirrors")

Well that is certainly a mysterious happening, indeed. You're in the right place.

I ask about how you felt when you saw it because sometimes these sorts of... moments out of place leave us with a feeling, burrowed deep down or ignored. The ignored part is key. Most of us see things and assume coincidence, forget what we saw because the feelings it evokes are uncomfortable, eerie, terrifying, or even worse: familiar.
It doesn't sound like this thing you saw just wanted to be seen and that's that. It could have been a sign of something to come, if there was anything that popped to mind when you looked at it. It could simply be a touch of beauty from the [redact], a brief glimpse as a small gift.
Can you think of a time where something like this has happened before? Subtle enough to forget, or push it to the back of your mind.

In any case, it sounds like a cool mural. Shame it's gone.