Cătălina, I'm just doing what I know you would want me to do. You would want this published, somewhere, for someone.
Cătălina was more than the love of my life. She was my obsession, GOD DAMN IT. You NEVER saw someone as beautiful as her, I never knew anyone who DANCED like her, Cătălina drove me crazy before crazy was cool. Everyone wanted to be around my Cătălina, she was so... magnetic, so teasing, it drove me crazy. She was my fucking GODDESS. And she let ME in. She showed me her vulnerabilities, her troubles, her scars, yet... she was no less BEAUTIFUL to ME, maybe more so, she was GOLD from surface to core and I will continue to hunt people who are even remotely responsible for her death. Call me mad if you want. But you don't know me and you didn't know her.
Anyway, here is the first segment of her research I've typed up:
Six years ago I began an investigation into the psychosocial nature of proxies, including but not limited to their social structures and backgrounds. As of writing this, I have studied 352 proxy societies across Europe, Asia and Africa, and have some striking trends and patterns I would like to share.
I classed an individual as a proxy when they met the following criteria:
1) Human, or at least originally human
2) Professed to serve, or shows a tendency to serve, the Slender Man. The individual cannot serve any other Fear in a formal capacity.
3) Engaged in manual or non-manual labour for the progression of its interests and the interests of its associates
#1 – The Undermask
I classified an individual as an Undermask if they meet the following criteria:
1) Meets the criteria for a proxy.
2) Is rewarded for, or compelled or coerced into, engaging in physically and emotionally demanding labour on behalf of the Slender Man and those that associate with it.
3) The individual cannot be in any official or socially approved position of leadership.
I have named them for the masks that Undermasks in Western societies tend to wear - however, a mask is not necessary to be classed as an Undermask.
My research indicated that the Undermask is the most common type of proxy. Undermasks I interviewed described their own activities as “grunt work”, “dirty work”, and semantic, cross-cultural and lingual equivalents.
Those most at risk of engaging in proxy behaviour are male adolescents from low income urban areas.
Trends:
-Most reported having been bullied or abused at some point in their lives
-Low self-esteem
-Exponentially increased risk of criminal behaviour
-Increased risk of victimisation
-Higher risk of suicide
-Traits of personality and mood disorders
-Higher risk of developing a drug or alcohol addiction
-Symptoms of psychosis
-Increased azoth in the system, inducing coughing and other health complications.
It should be noted that the above are factors associated with low income and poverty. Comparing it to research on poverty and low income areas, it is apparent that being an Undermask exacerbates the above factors.
Suggestions:
-Create more activities for adolescents
-Support groups for adolescents in low income areas
-Instill measures for recognising addictions, disorders and psychosis within hospitals, schools, youth clubs and workplaces.
-Provide resources to treat and minimise the impact of addictions, disorders and psychosis.
-De-stigmatise addictions, disorders and psychosis to improve likelihood of diagnosis
-Improve community relations
