Character sheet · Program

easel.exe

E1 E3 E4 born Y+55..63 Running

Alsoeasel.exe; easel --clock (Revision 2); the painting clock; ~/projects/easel; PID 1043

A forgotten process on Episode 3's machine, up 76 d 10:42, whose README says "painting clock. leave it running.": Episode 1's painting clock, which stopped at the last stroke, DAY 76 · 10:42, still keeping time for a painting that is finished.

Show What the tiers mean

easel.exe, up 76 d 10:42: Episode 1's painting clock (DAY 76 · 10:42) as a process that never stopped {E3 S04} edit

The easel's own clock in Episode 1: the burned-in day stamp at the last stroke, DAY 76 {E1 19:58} edit

At a glance

Kind: Program
born: Y+55..63Running {E3 2:41; started 76 days before the night}
In: E1 E3 E4 dashed: not released yet
Lines: 38
File: characters/easel.md

In Episode 1 the painting keeps its own clock: a day stamp beside the window that runs from DAY 1 to DAY 76 · 10:42, 76 days of drying in twenty minutes of a dawn broadcast, with one 66-day wait. The caller is the one who works out that it lands at exactly twenty minutes ("Somebody owns a calendar."). In Episode 3 that time is a process on a stranger's machine: easel.exe up 76 d 10:42, a README that asks to leave it running, and an agent who checks it by name and does exactly that. In Episode 4 the same time is hand-lettered on a sealed move nobody opens. Nobody ever says who keeps the clock running, or for whom.

On the Y axisY0 = the night of Episode 1

E2 0–5 Running
E3 0–8 Open
E4 0–8 Running

Ages at each episode come from the birth year and the episode's place on the axis, and are only as sure as the weaker of the two (their mark says which). Empty decades are drawn short, at the break marks. easel.exe on the whole timeline →

Who8 lines

On screen~/projects/easel/README.txt: painting clock. leave it running. {E3 ~2:20} edit
Egg1043 easel.exe up 76 d 10:42: its uptime is Episode 1's last stroke, DAY 76 · 10:42. {E3 2:41-2:45; E3-EGG-22} edit
On screenEpisode 1's painting clock: a day stamp beside the window, DAY 1 to DAY 76 · 10:42. {E1 19:58} edit
RunningThe painting clock is the canvas's time, not the night's: 76 days pass in twenty minutes. {WORLD_TIMELINE} edit
Running0.1% CPU, 220 MB, started "76 d ago", like logo_bigger, hydrate_reminder and storm_bell. {E3 SIM_WORLD §9; SIM_STRINGS §5} edit
RunningWho installed it on the machine is never said. {E3 2:41} edit
Steel(Revision 1) The machine is full of processes left open, from projects nobody cleaned up. {Aaron REVISION_1 2026-10-20} edit
IdeaFor our own reference: a clock for a painting that is finished; it counts on because nobody told it the last stroke was laid. {lore crew 2026-10-22} edit

Life on the Y axis5 lines

On screenY0 Painting clock DAY 3 · 10:48: the old picture goes face down. {E1 09:52} edit
On screenY0 Painting clock DAY 7 to DAY 73: the one wait, 66 days. {E1 16:21-16:55} edit
On screenY0 Painting clock DAY 76 · 10:42: the last stroke, one hair, laid by nobody. {E1 19:57.5} edit
On screenY+55..63 76 days before Episode 3's night the process starts; at the first look it reads up 76 d 10:42. {E3 2:41} edit
Eggabout Y+63 SEALED MOVE · DAY 76 · 10:42 on Episode 4's box-world noticeboard (The sealed move). {E4 21:38} edit

By episode11 lines

Crimson Coil

On screenThe painting is finished at DAY 76 · 10:42 on its own clock, with nobody holding the brush. {E1 19:57.5} edit
On screenThe caller reads the day stamps: "That puts the last stroke at exactly twenty minutes. Somebody owns a calendar." {E1 10:00-10:12} edit
On screenThe day stamp runs backwards once, DAY 75 back to DAY 73, around 17:40. {E1 QA_REPORT} edit
On screenThe silent film's card: DAY 76. THE LAST HAIR. {E1 26:03} edit
On screenIts namesake: the host's easel, whose rail he taps twice with the brush at brush changes. {E1 14:24} edit

Context Window

not released yet

On screen~/projects/easel is among the projects in her first look, beside pawn, logo and site_old. {E3 ~2:11} edit
On screenShe reads its README, then filters the process list for easel, pawn and module, and leaves it alone. {E3 ~2:20; 2:41} edit
Egg1043 easel.exe up 76 d 10:42 in the process list. {E3 2:41-2:45} edit
On screenIts row is among the Episode 1 and 2 rows under the moth's curls in the process city. {E3 16:15.9} edit
Running(Revision 2 world) Kept: easel --clock, PID 1043, started Aug 8, up 76 d 10:42, the same README. {E3 rev2 build_rev2.py; rev2_main run} edit

Touch Move

not released yet

EggThe last stroke's time, DAY 76 · 10:42, is a sealed move on the foyer noticeboard: an adjourned game nobody resumed. {E4 21:38; E4-EGG-05} edit

Look2 lines

On screenA process row: 1043 easel.exe up 76 d 10:42. {E3 2:41} edit
On screenIn Episode 1, a burned-in day stamp beside the window. {E1 19:58} edit

Voice1 line

RunningSilent; it only keeps time. {E3 2:41} edit

Ties6 lines

Egg Keeps the The host's painting clock, on which Crimson Coil was painted. {E1 19:58; E3 2:41} edit
On screen The The caller worked out where its last stroke would land. {E1 10:00-10:12} edit
On screen Runs on The machine beside logo_bigger, The hydrate reminder, PAWN and "dinner, noor ♥". {E3 2:38-2:45} edit
Running Its README sits next to PAWN's: chess helper. do not let it near the mugs. {E3 ~2:20} edit
Egg Its 10:42 is the The sealed move's. {E4 21:38} edit
On screen The agent leaves it running, as asked. {E3 2:41} edit

Must stay true1 line

Runningup 76 d 10:42 at the first look; "leave it running." {E3 2:41; Q-E1-21} edit

Open4 lines

OpenWho installed it, and what it is still counting toward. {E3 2:41} edit
IdeaIt is Rosie's: she keeps her brother's painting's clock running in her house's machine. {EGGS_SWEEP one-house idea} edit
IdeaEverything "76 d ago" on the machine arrived with the The lonely man, 76 days before the night. {EGGS_SWEEP story point} edit
OpenWhat the sealed move DAY 76 · 10:42 is. {E4 21:38} edit

Mentioned on 10 other pages

logo_bigger2 Threads2 Episode 1, Crimson Coil1 Episode 3, Context Window1 The host1 FEED 31 The sealed move1 The machine1 The world1 Egg atlas1