The unofficial official loreFILE 002 / FICTION DEPARTMENT

a beautiful
failure to
understand.

Every legend has a beginning. This one has a loading screen and a single tooth.

RETLI at his tiny desk in a room filled with glowing CRT monitors
Chapter 01 / The accidental awakening

it was 3:07.
probably AM.

The room was lit by a screen that should have been switched off hours ago. Another tab. Another thread. Another person explaining something with far too many arrows.

Then the internet blinked. In the half-second between two bad takes, a little grey face appeared. One eye looked at the past. The other looked at something shiny. Neither knew what was going on.

He opened his mouth to say something profound. Nothing came out. It was his finest work.

RETLI drifting peacefully through a pink void
Chapter 02 / The great buffering

no thoughts.
unexpected
company.

They found him floating through the feed. People who had also read a whole paragraph and retained absolutely none of it. People laughing at the same terrible image for reasons they couldn't defend.

Someone sent the face to a friend. The friend sent it to a group chat. The group chat stopped pretending to be productive. For a brief, glorious moment, nobody needed to be the smartest person in the room.

They just needed somewhere to smile.

Chapter 03 / An extremely small philosophy

you don't have to
make sense to
make someone's day.

RETLI is the face you make when life gets too complicated and the group chat sends something completely ridiculous. An inside joke with the door left open. Pull up a chair.

The smile code

three rules.
one is
optional.

01

Be weird. Be kind.

A strange face. A warm welcome.
✳
02

Bring a meme.

It doesn't even have to be good.
✳
03

Remember rule one.

The last brain cell has enough to do.
✳
Your last brain cell found its people

come for the meme.
stay for the
smile.

The internet is loud. Our little corner is just weird. Pull up a chair, bring your worst meme, and make yourself at home.

Tap the face · 0 smiles on this device

Go on. Poke the last brain cell.