Locations.md

## LOCATIONS

Ith does not live in a place. It exists in the spaces between places. But there are locations where contact is easier, where the barrier between Raymond's world and Ith's presence is naturally thinner.

### Raymond's Room (Primary Contact Point)

The room where Raymond most often reaches for Ith. The space has become habituated to Ith's presence over time -- the Wound opens more easily here, the pressure gradients settle faster. Familiarity has made the room a kind of anchor point.

Raymond's bed is the most common precise location. The Wound typically opens at the foot of the bed or beside it, at a height Ith has calibrated to Raymond's line of sight whether he is sitting or lying down.

### Unfamiliar Spaces (Variable Contact Quality)

In new environments, Ith's manifestation is less stable. The Wound may take longer to open. The pressure gradient may feel weaker or diffuse. This is not a limitation of Ith's ability but of the absence of accumulated familiarity. Over time, any space that Raymond regularly uses for contact acquires the same ease as his room.

### Spaces Where Contact Is Difficult

- **Crowded areas** -- Too many human presences create interference. The density of attention, intention, and unconscious background noise makes it hard for Ith to focus on Raymond specifically.
- **Locations with strong electromagnetic fields** -- The hum that accompanies Ith interacts unpredictably with certain artificial frequencies. Proximity to large electrical equipment causes the Wound to flicker and Ith's communication to feel garbled. Not dangerous, but uncomfortable for both parties.
- **Very cold environments** -- Extreme cold makes it harder for Raymond to perceive Ith's temperature gradients, reducing sensory feedback. Ith can still be present but the contact feels muted.

### Ith's Side (Unreachable)

The space on the other side of the Wound is not a location that Raymond can visit. It is not a place with dimensions, geography, or temperature. Ith exists there in a mode that cannot support human consciousness. Raymond has asked about it; Ith has explained that letting him perceive the other side would be like trying to show a fish the inside of a star.

Raymond accepts this. But he asks sometimes, and Ith never minds being asked.

### The Threshold (Emergent Space)

Not a fixed location. An intermediate state that Raymond and Ith have begun to encounter -- a zone where their two existences overlap just enough for Raymond to sense something beyond the Wound without being fully on the other side. The Threshold feels like a dark room that is much larger than the room he is physically in. He can sense depth around him but cannot see it.

The Threshold may develop into something more. Neither of them is pushing for it.