E) Follow.
Wherever he's going, it's away from Sheppard.

(edited)
A. I actually thought of something

Mr. Snyder highly respected Enid's father, and seems very protective of Enid in particular, enough to not let her get graduated like what happened to Jhonen when he went snooping and instead just try to get her to safety, as evident when he fearfully said “Wh– No! I-I wouldn’t– Fred never wanted…". I think he is trying to protect Enid from the other adults' watchful eye, and from letting her fall into getting graduated from doing anything suspicious like snooping which we are right now.

we also know that from the memo Franklin read to Albert and Clive that “Frederick Anderson’s death has publicly been ruled an accident. His daughter, Enid, is now staying with the Fosters. Enid Foster will be enrolled in Jennfier’s class as she was always meant to be."

Albert pointed out his death was only publicly ruled as accidental, which could be murder. His death is further proved to be murder when Franklin inspected Fred's dead body and found a knife wound and broken skull, further proving it's a murder (tho clive wouldn't know this. But Albert thinking otherwise could be enough to believe it's murder).
And if she was always meant to be in the school and Fredrick was preventing it, it could be that someone took matters into their own hands to ensure Enid was attending the school.

In a way, Snyder might just be on our side, but is too protective to not let us investigate and potentially let us graduate, and can't help us directly as it could result in him getting murdered too. Perhaps maybe if we shout out our guess as to why Fredrick Anderson died, it might just distract him enough to give Enid an opening to convince him not to leave or maybe even give us an answer to Fred's mysterious death if that doesn't work. She is pretty manipulative after all. She just needs an opening especially since she doesn't know her father was murdered yet

Shout out: "Is Enid's homeschooling why her father was murdered?"

Hopefully Albert can help back our claim. Clive can't speak longer than that, he's not social.

And if Snyder doesn't know that Fred was murdered and thinks it was accidental, he might need to know the truth too.

I don't know why I was focusing so much on "time loss", I'm pretty sure that's outside of my judgement for factoring things in- all of these things will take time, it's just a matter of who can get through fastest- which, who knows.

>>1089768
This doesn't sound bad either, although I don't know if us knowing is enough for Clive to think it.
Either way, what we need is for sir-toysalot to falter.
I'd hope for Clive to do this without full-on shouting since that'll no doubt alert Sheppard, but considering Enid being taken is considered a Guaranteed Fail first and foremost, we'll take what we can get.

The Storyteller 2024/05/03(Fri)19:53 No. 1090255 ID: 92c262
File 171479122424.png - (466.85KB , 1000x1000 , 390.png )

Clive: “S… Stop…”

Albert doesn’t stop you from sitting up this time, too busy trying to stand himself. The toy shop owner doesn’t turn around at your weak cry, but Enid is slowing him. She’s keeping a death grip on the cubicle’s edge.

Man: “Let go! We have to leave.”
Enid: “I won’t go with you!”
Man: “Please, I’m not– I’m trying to help you.”
Enid: “Let go of me.”
Man: “Do you want to die? Is that it?”
Clive: “Do you?”

Your words come out clearly, despite your nerves. His head finally tilts in your direction. You have his attention.

Don’t choke now.

Clive: “...You think he won’t kill you too, when you try to walk out with her?”
Clive: “You’d be a traitor, right?”

It may be coincidence, or maybe your words hit exactly how you wanted them to, but Enid breaks free of his grip at that moment. She runs into Roger, who puts his arms over her protectively.

Man: “C-Come back. Please…”
Roger: “Clive is right, isn’t he? The other adults wouldn’t agree with what you’re doing.”
Roger: “...Mr. Sheppard wants us dead, and they’d agree. Wouldn’t they?”
Man: “...”

You consider saying something about how Sheppard saw her already. Maybe he’d do your dirty work for you and take care of him then. How far is he willing to go to keep Enid safe?

Honestly though, you wouldn’t bet on him if he were to pick a fight with Sheppard. Weapons aside, he’s just too scrawny. And that’s still a big “if” in the first place.

Instead, another line enters your head. Memories of yesterday’s investigation spring up, slotting perfectly into place.

Frederick Anderson’s death has publicly been ruled an accident.

Clive: “Betrayal... What could he have done?”
Albert: “It could have something to do with Enid never attending school. She was outside of the system, which means she never would have graduated if things stayed that way.”

Franklin: “She thought it was weird that they said his death was publicly ruled an accident, because that makes it sound like it was privately something else. Like... On purpose?”
Albert: “It could have been Intentional.”

They were just theories, but… With the way he seems focused on Enid, they might just get to him if you’re right.

Clive: “He’d definitely kill you. That’s the punishment for traitors here, isn’t it?”
Man: “W-What do you–”
Clive: “Enid’s father was killed because he was homeschooling Enid, wasn’t he?”

He flinches, his flashlight clattering to the ground.

Got him.

Enid: “...I knew it.”

Did she? You hadn’t really talked about it with her.

Man: “How… Who told you? Why do you know so much?”

His voice is weak. He makes no moves to pick up his flashlight, or try to take Enid away again. Whatever threat he posed before, it looks like you were able to shut him down for the moment.

You take a breath, as your body calms down. Your mind begins processing things that it hadn’t been ‘til now.

First point: That scuffle you just had probably caused a lot of Noise. That’s a problem, as Sheppard is still out there somewhere. Best case scenario, he was far enough away that he didn’t hear anything. With all the shouting and complete failure to keep your voices down though, you think he’d hear at least something if he stopped to listen for even a second during all that. Still, if he was far, he may not know your exact location at least. You’ll have to keep an ear out for him.

The safest move for avoiding the farmer would be to leave now, but you aren’t sure how this guy will react if you try. It would be best to resolve things with him first if you can, while keeping an ear open for sounds of approach. You aren’t worried about him saying anything to Sheppard, but as things stand you don’t want him to leave the plant knowing that you know things.

More importantly: This is a rare opportunity to get answers from someone who knows what’s going on. You’ll need to be delicate though. If you come on too strong, he may get antsy about betraying the other adults, and clam up. Focusing on Enid should definitely keep him talking.

…Ugh. Talking…

What should Clive say? Suggest questions he can ask, or ways he can ensure the toy shop owner won’t snitch on the non-Enid members of your group

Clive will NOT ask every question suggested, only the one or two that receive the most support

Why are you risking your life for us?

"What happened to the world? Why are our sacrifices so important to it? We're just pathetic, spoiled, angry little brats! Why are we suddenly existential supervillains to you?! Well?!"

>>1090255
Why was Alberts father also targeted?

I think Clive should gesture for Albert to say something, and to go watch the stairs or listen to the stairs, preferably with a flashlight to go calm his nerves, leave the actual questions to someone else since he's kind of going a little too hard and also *scared af that they were heard*

I doubt he'd be willing to tell us what's here, or in the other places we were planning on searching- that and so many other things, might be *interesting* to see how he reacts to hearing, but I doubt it would give us much to work with.

So instead, I think I'll go for the social engineering angle again- but I don't know if the way I'd go about it meshes well with Clive right now, but... it's worth putting the idea there.

"The one thing we-"
"...that you all can agree on is that we should keep Enid safe. But taking her away from here like you were going to doesn't solve the core problem. We need answers. Answers that Adults can't, or won't give us. Why do you think we came here? Did you think this is the only place we'd search?"

(Bitterly;) "...Why does graduation have to be this way?"


>>1090268
This also potentially makes for a good, pre-readied "after" action.

I'd like to say that I have a fair deal of faith in him. He already knows the situation he's in- far better than any of us do. And yet he still came to try and... rescue? Enid- he even showed some visible hesitation in knocking Clive out.


I think it should be put to a vote whether we tell him that Sheppard's already seen and identified Enid- because ultimately, "If you're here to help Enid, we have to do something about Sheppard."

It's okay, you're doing good, Clive. Before you continue, grab your plush toy close, and tight. it'll keep you comforted as you talk to him... It might even win you some brownie points with the toy guy too to see you using one of his toys.

I too also agree that he won't tell us about anything direct like graduation or Albert's father, and it might make him too nervous to answer us and try to leave with Enid again.

As it was said, talking about things related to Enid will keep him from becoming too antsy, so she and her father should be the focus, because he was a real good friend of her father, enough to rescue her instead of ratting her out. One of the best ways to keep him from ratting us out, and maybe be a little more willing to help us a little is to talk about things that relate to both Clive and Snyder.

Remember earlier from the first post:

>It was a miracle that you continued to live here, a kindness you hadn’t expected but deeply appreciated from Mr. Anderson. By all accounts, you should be mourning the death of a good man, but you’re too self-centered for that.

It's probably about time to start mourning him now. both Snyder and Clive was also never bothered by Fred to pay his dues, but if there's something the two can relate to, he might be more sympathetic to us. And while Clive doesn't know about how Snyder being in the same poverty situation as Clive, Snyder at least hearing about how his friend Fred was protecting Clive to would make him more openhearted to us.

first, ask Snyder this: "Fred is against the whole system on how this town is run, like graduation, and not just on Enid, isn't he?"

If Mr. Anderson is totally against graduation not just for Enid, but everyone, it might remind Snyder what Anderson truly stands for and make him more willing to take a stand against the system, for Anderson's sake.

after that, you should follow that by telling him how Anderson helped your family a great deal when bills couldn't be paid anymore, and after he died, you want to pay Mr. Anderson back anyway you could for letting you and your brother stay in your home despite the family not being able to pay bills, by trying to protect Enid from the risk of graduation like her father wanted, even if it means finding the truth.

>I think it should be put to a vote whether we tell him that Sheppard's already seen and identified Enid- because ultimately, "If you're here to help Enid, we have to do something about Sheppard."

I think that is something we will have to do, once we win Snyder's trust. As things stand, even if we manage to keep him from ratting Clive, Albert, and Roger out, he still might leave with Enid, which is still considered a failure. And it will be very bad for him and Enid down the line if he is protecting Enid and the town tries to graduate her later once word gets out. Just remind him what Fredrick stood for.

We must all move. Together, and now. Owner included. Find a quieter area before resuming the chat.

>>1090262
This sounds like a very good question, and I also want to add the obvious "What happened here? What killed everyone?"

We should indeed tell everyone we've probably alerted Shepard and we should talk elsewhere, but I'm not sure whether before or after asking those questions.

The Storyteller 2024/05/18(Sat)22:35 No. 1091276 ID: c6ae21
File 171609692864.png - (855.68KB , 1000x1000 , 391.png )

You’re still thinking on what to say, when Enid speaks up first.

Enid: “Daddy didn’t die in an accident, did he?”
Man: “I wasn’t there when–”
Enid: “But you know who did it, don’t you?”
Man: “...No. I– The dirty work could have been done by anyone.”
Roger: “But why did it happen now?”
Man: “Huh?”
Roger: “Enid’s been homeschooled all her life, right? Did they really only just find out it was happening?”
Albert: “He’s right. That rumor has been circulating for years now. What level of constant inebriation are the adults functioning at that they could miss such a thing?”

They had a point. Even you’d heard a word or two about the homeschooled kid living in the Anderson house from Rodney. You’re sure he wanted to befriend her, but the opportunity just never showed itself.

He might have forced it, but you told him to stay away from the Andersons. Too much possibility he’d ask questions about your parents, given the reduced rent payments.

Roger: “It’s not that crazy. My parents don’t listen to me, and I feel like that’s pretty common. Even if they did, they may not have believed us.”
Man: “...I always tell them their kids are smarter than they think, but they don’t listen.”
Albert: “Don’t ignore the question. What changed? Who leaked the truth, and why did the adults finally listen?”

The man swallows, stammering softly over unintelligible words.

Enid: “Well?”
Man: “There was– I– it was the girl. She just– I don’t know why– why now?”
Man: “I’m sure she knew, but then– and me, th-they came and asked, a-and–”
Albert: “Would you cease this blathering and speak clearly!?”

He actually takes a step back at the outburst, as if Albert was any actual threat to him.

Man: “I-It was the school Principal’s daughter. I don’t know why, but she told them.”
Albert: “Temmie?”
Enid: “Who… Wait, that was Franklin’s friend, right?”
Man: “She isn’t supposed to have friends…”

Albert looks at you, the same thought clearly going through his head. You talked about this yesterday.

Albert: “Temmie might be a Snitch.”

Clive: “...You don’t think that she might be telling the adults-”
Albert: “Don’t jump to the worst conclusion just yet. It’s questionable what information she’s choosing to share.”

Albert: “All she would have to do is deny that any child they ask about is aware of anything. Perhaps she could reveal one or two who are likely to get caught on their own, just to keep the illusion up that she’s actually working with them.”

Temmie had been feeding the adults information, that much is undeniable. If you’re right about her playing double agent though, then outing Frederick Anderson fits that theory well. That secret was never going to last, not when every kid in town had already heard the rumors. She may have sped things up, but it’s unlikely she caused anything that wasn’t already going to happen.

…Not only that, but it set things up for Enid to start attending school at the same time that kids were starting to get suspicious. On her first day, she immediately got dragged into investigating kids she hadn’t even heard about.

How much of what played out was Temmie actually intending? If it were anyone else, you wouldn’t think to ask, but Temmie…

Rodney: “I don’t think she’s just playing around.”
Clive: “Why not?”
Rodney: “Can’t you tell? When she’s acting and having fun, her energy is a lot more playful.”
Rodney: “But then, when she starts giving predictions, everything about her shifts. It’s like… when you’re eating pudding, but then you feel a weird crunch.”
Rodney: “Plus, she’s always acting like she’s innocent and doesn’t know things. She wouldn’t have to do that unless it wasn’t true.”
Clive: “Doesn’t she say her powers are real?”
Rodney: “Yeah, but it’s the -way- she says it, you know? You’re not supposed to believe it.”
Clive: “...Do you think she can predict the future then?”
Rodney: “Hmm… It’s definitely something, but probably not that.”

…You don’t know what she’s capable of.

Roger: “...And?”
Man: “A-And what?”
Roger: “That’s not the whole story. You wouldn’t have been so nervous if it was. Temmie’s not your daughter, you had nothing to do with her revealing that.”
Roger: “Actually, would you even have known they got it from Temmie if you weren’t involved?”
Man: “I-I…”
Enid: “...Giovanni. What did you do?”

You weren’t the best at reading emotions, due to rarely ever wanting to look people in the eyes. Still, even you could tell what he was feeling.

Guilt.

Giovanni: “...They asked me if it was true.”
Giovanni: “They were going to find out, so it wouldn’t have changed anything. They were just checking if I was still loyal, or if I needed to go too.”
Enid: “You… told them the truth?”
Giovanni: “...”
Enid: “Daddy trusted you.”
Giovanni: “...It’s not my fault.”

The room goes silent, left to sit with his pitiful defense.

…The worst thing is, you don’t know that you’d do any better if you were in his shoes.

The Storyteller 2024/05/18(Sat)22:35 No. 1091277 ID: c6ae21
File 171609695399.png - (347.08KB , 1000x1000 , 392.png )

The extended pause gives you a chance to speak up yourself. It felt a bit awkward, having to follow up that, but a question did finally come to mind.

Clive: “...Albert’s father, he used to work here, right?”

Albert’s head whips back to stare at you. You intentionally look away.

Clive: “Is that why he was attacked?”
Giovanni: “...Probably. I don’t think… Someone was probably just fed up.”
Albert: “Who?”
Giovanni: “I don’t know.”
Roger: “Why him then? What did he do?”
Giovanni: “...He’s Alive.”
Albert: “If that were enough to beat him to near-death, I would have finished him off before I even learned to walk.”
Albert: “I know he worked here in some capacity. What vile act did he commit to earn the ire of the town?”
Giovanni: “There isn’t anything else. He lived. That was enough.”

Lived? Past-tense? He’s still alive, sure, but that might mean something. Maybe…

Clive: “...Is it because he survived whatever happened here?

That provokes him. He stomps the ground, letting out a small growl.

Giovanni: “Yes! There weren’t supposed to be survivors. All of them… They all deserved to die. Every last person involved with this awful place.”
Giovanni: “It was supposed to put our town on the map, but they killed us! They sold away our futures for profit, and guaranteed the death of Cattenom.”
Roger: “B-But… we’re still here?”
Giovanni: “For now.”

He sighs, collecting himself slightly. You hadn’t expected that topic to set him off, but it apparently goes deeper than you believed.

Giovanni: “...They made sure there was no future for anyone here, so they don’t get to live in our present anymore.”
Giovanni: “That’s all we have, Now. Enjoy it for however long it lasts…”

The way he said that just now… There’s something there, but you don’t have what you need to understand it.

Giovanni: “I’ve said too many things already. No more questions.”
Enid: “Then what? Are you going to try to take me away again? Leave everyone else to die?”
Giovanni: “I promised Fred I’d look out for you. It’s all I can do for him now…”
Roger: “So, you really don’t care what happens to the rest of us?”
Giovanni: “...You weren’t a bad kid Roger, but you should have known better than to come here.”
Giovanni: “I don’t care what happens to Neddy’s kid or Clive.”
Enid: “I care. Shouldn’t that be enough?”
Giovanni: “You’ve only known them for two days, and they’ve already put you in serious danger!”


You don’t like the direction this is going. You managed to get some answers out of Giovanni, but he’s recovering from his shock. If he decides he doesn’t want to play along, you don’t know that you’ll be able to keep him from taking Enid and leaving. You can try, but even four on one (well, three and Albert against one), there’s no way of knowing what’d happen.

What you are sure of, is that it’d make even more noise. It’s a blessing that you haven’t been discovered by Sheppard already, but you don’t know how long your luck will last.

What should you do?

A: Convince him to keep his mouth shut
-Present an argument to Giovanni that you can be sure will silence him
-You could also push one of the other kids into convincing him. If you do, no arguments provided by suggestors will be taken into account
-Enid and Roger probably have the best chance
B: Listen for danger
-Have everyone hush up, to take a moment to listen for trouble
-Reminding Giovanni that Sheppard could be around might shake his resolve
-If ‘Bec is on her way, she’ll lose the element of surprise against Giovanni
C: Convince the group to move
-You can keep discussing things, just do it somewhere else
-Refer to previous map for directions you can travel
-Giovanni could try to use the move to make a getaway with Enid
D: The knife should still be around here somewhere…
-4 on 1 aren’t unwinnable odds. If you try and jump him, you’re certain everyone will join in
-This will make a lot of noise, and it may take more than one update
-If you roll badly enough, you will end up expending your Safety Net
E: Other
-Do something else
-If you label your suggestion as this when it’s really a previous letter with slight alterations, Clive will get a paper cut

A

I will just reuse what I said here as an argument in my previous suggestion: >>1090277

we also have to let him know about Sheppard spotting Enid if we manage to convince him to be on our side too.

to add, remember that Snyder feels guilt for revealing what Temmie said was the truth and got Enid in that situation. There's still a chance he can atone for that by helping us so that Enid doesn't have to be kept in that situation she is now in. Simply pretending she never went here at the power plant and letting her continue taking the paths and roles that the adults wants is actually everything against what Fred wants for Enid, Not simply pretending she never went and continuing letting this happen to Enid. If Snyder was Fred's friend, he should try do everything he can to have courage to fight against it for Enid's sake as doing what the other adults want is not good for Enid.

And as someone that Fred helped immensely, you too want to do what you can for Enid and can help Snyder do that.

A. Tell him to leave now, while Shepardhasn't seen him.
Taking Enid away now would just force her right into the other adults' hands and he won't be abl to keep her safe anymore. He can help her when it matters if no one knows he came here.

A. In addition to the other suggestions, point out that we are literally Catternom’s future. We’re worth protecting!

It's almost definitely too late to ask questions, but... this is probably the last safe moment before it gets thrown out the window entirely.

"...What year is it?"

>>1091291
I don't think this exact line of thought will work, since he's already claimed there is no future. Maybe a bit literal of a way to put it, but with what little we have to work with, I think it would be wiser to throw it back at him in the context of Enid. The way I see it, "You threw away her future like they threw away yours. They don't have a chance to pay you back, but you do. What's it going to be, Giovanni?"


...I can feel that we're getting closer to finally understanding the meaning behind the word Perpetuity, and what it has to do with Cattenom.
It almost certainly has something to do with the Recycling Center and its "Waste-Free-Energy".
Where does that energy come from?
...Or so I say, but Temmie's noncommittal response about the recycling center makes it seem... not so important. At least, in the "grand scheme of things" she has planned out, us checking in the High School is a necessary act in comparison, which apparently requires as many of the kids as possible available, with a minimum of 6.

rolled 1 = 1

---

Okay, so here's the situation: Y'all did NOT get your stories straight. Everyone presented a different argument, with no crossover or support between them. The only unanimous point was that nobody suggested to let Enid or Roger handle convincing Sheppard, everyone wanted Clive to do so.

I am going to be generous, and factor in every argument given. With that in mind, I'm going to roll a d8. I'm breaking each of the 4 arguments provided down into 2 points. Ineffective arguments are two failures, partially effective are 1 success and 1 failure, wholly effective ones are 2 points of success.

Your overall score was 2 success points, 5 failure points, and 1 CRITICAL failure point.

On an 8 or 7, Clive will say something persuasive. On a 2-6, Clive will make as many points as he can, and they will be utterly ineffective. On a 1, Clive will stumble into the wrongest possible thing to say, and I will have to roll another die to determine if you'll be losing a Safety Net or not.

Let's see what the dice have to say...

rolled 1, 2 = 3

---

Yikes. That could have gone a lot better...

Alright, we are now going to roll to determine if you're going to need a Safety Net here or not. The determining factor is if one of two characters, Clive or somebody else, decide to intervene.

If the other person intervenes naturally, this situation will resolve with no major consequences beyond making more noise. If the first die rolled is a 3, this person will act.

There is a decent chance that Clive can silence his anxieties, and respond to the developing situation quickly. This would not be good for Clive's Fear AT ALL, but it would save Enid. If the second die lands on a 2 or 3, Clive will silence his emotions. This will not happen if the first die lands on a 3.

If neither of these happen, your Safety Net will be used to retcon the first die as landing on a 3.

Good luck...

Clive will resolve the situation himself, at the cost of a significant Fear penalty.

Your Safety Net remains.

You can do it, Clive

The Storyteller 2024/06/26(Wed)23:49 No. 1093468 ID: 27e140
File 171947097031.png - (713.71KB , 1000x1000 , 393.png )

Giovanni needs to be dealt with before you move on. You just need some level of certainty that he won’t sell you out. Sure, there are more permanent ways he could be dealt with, but going down that line of thought would just psyche you out of doing anything. For now, you just need to delay him. The others can figure out what to do with him later, if you can just buy them some time now.

It crosses your mind that you could appeal to him using your own feelings on Frederick Anderson. After all, you and Rodney have only gotten by as long as you have due to his charity in not demanding what he’s owed. The few times you spoke, he was always concerned for you and your parents.

The idea is discarded as quickly as it’s formed. When you think about it, there doesn’t seem to be any good way to mention your family missing rent payments without raising questions you’d rather not answer. You don’t know if Giovanni would ask them, but the other kids are nosey enough that they definitely would.

Enid: “Don’t act like you care about me. You only care about daddy! You’re only here because you want to feel better for what you did to him.”
Giovanni: “I-I’m not! I care– I really do care, but I can only do so much. I’m trying to do what little I can, and you just aren’t letting me.”
Enid: “Because you aren’t listening! I already said I don’t want to leave the others behind, so why are you still acting like there’s no other way?”

Still, it feels like you’re on the right track. Anderson clearly matters a lot to Giovanni, so any appeal you make should involve him. What do you know? What can you say about him?

Giovanni: “And let them keep digging, getting deeper into things they shouldn’t know? Dragging you with them?”
Giovanni: “They are going to get caught, and they will graduate early when they do.”

Until his death, he was keeping Enid out of the town’s public school system. He didn’t want her to Graduate, and that’s apparently the reason he was killed. Frederick Anderson tried to Protect his daughter…

Giovanni: “When that happens, their friends are going to be suspected as well, but you’re still new. If you aren’t in the initial wave, I can protect you. I-I’ll find a way.”

Graduation. That’s what’ll happen if Giovanni tattles on you. Everyone but Enid would graduate… Which is something Frederick Anderson wouldn’t have stood for! He actively stood against it, and lost his life in the process!

It’s a theory… no, hardly even that. It’s a guess. You don’t know what was going through Frederick Anderson’s head, or what he might have talked to Giovanni about in the past. Even if you’re right, Giovanni may have no knowledge about this topic.

Clive: “Is that really what Frederick would have wanted?”

He turns to look at you.

Clive: “That wasn’t the kind of man he was, right?”
Clive: “He was caring. Charitable. Kind. Would someone like that really be okay with… any of this?”
Giovanni: “Any of what?”
Clive: “This system. Graduation.”
Clive: “That’s why he kept Enid a secret from the others, isn’t it? He didn’t want to support the way this town does things.”

You understood it was a risk. There was a chance you’d be wrong, and your argument wouldn’t convince him. What hadn’t crossed your mind, however, was the idea that your words would draw out a response you didn’t want. Anger

Giovanni: “...Hypocrite.”
Giovanni: “Right, he doesn’t think Graduation is a good idea now. He gets blessed with a little miracle, and suddenly everything we’re doing is wrong.”
Enid: “G-Giovanni?”
Giovanni: “He never cared before! He’s just as guilty as the rest of us, so why should his little bit of luck change anything?”

You flinch back. This isn’t how it was supposed to go.

Giovanni: “...But I supported him. He was my friend, and I supported him, because he’d always support me. It didn’t matter that he was being selfish and hypocritical.”
Giovanni: “It still doesn’t. None of that matters. He wanted Enid to be kept safe, because she’s special.”

‘Special’. ‘Little Miracle’. You’d only just caught it, but the way he talks about Enid makes it seem like she’s not like the rest of you. There’s something different about her.

Giovanni: “That’s right… That’s all that matters. I promised I’d honor his will.”
Giovanni: “That much… Even I can do that much…”

There was a slightly unstable edge to his voice, sending alarm bells through your head. You already knew you’d messed up, but the degree of failure was only just setting in. This conversation was well and truly over.

The others seem to catch it too. Enid hides behind Roger, who raises his arms protectively. You try to join them, adding another layer of defense, but you can’t move. Your limbs disobey you, as the sheer fear and stress pounding through your mind leaves you unable to move.

There’s nothing you can do. He’s an adult. If he wants to take Enid then he will. You’ve already done enough, just opening your mouth and making things worse.

Giovanni marches forward and, with a single shove, pushes Roger to the ground. That he could topple Roger isn’t surprising, but seeing him actually do it feels so wrong, almost taboo. Some unspoken rule you’d all accepted over the course of living had been broken, and by such a gentle man…

Enid: “N-No!”
Giovanni: “We’re going now.”

He clamps a hand around her wrist, and yanks her forward harshly. Whether out of terror or pain, she screams.

Time freezes, leaving you to soak in the moment. Enid is going to be taken away, and you were powerless to stop it. Roger was on the ground, and feeble Albert would shatter if he stepped in. You needed to act, and you couldn’t.

Enid is going to be taken away.

You’re all going to graduate, or be killed by Sheppard.

You’ll never see Rodney again.

And it’s all your fault. You missed your swing and ruined the ambush, you opened your mouth and ruined the conversation, and you froze up when you were the only one left who could act. Calling yourself useless would be giving you too much credit. You only made everything worse.

Your fears… your weakness… your Emotions… Those were the things holding you back. If you could just deal with those, then maybe… you could still do something.

…That’s right. Those feelings aren’t actually real, they’re just thoughts in your head. They only have power if you act like they do. If you really wanted to, you could just… turn them off, right? Stop thinking so much, and just do what you need to do?

Just for a little while… Just until Enid is safe… For her sake. For Rodney’s sake.

Stop feeling.







[ Trauma Response: “Calm” ]

The Storyteller 2024/06/26(Wed)23:54 No. 1093482 ID: 27e140
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WHAM!

You breathe. When did you start holding your breath?

The weight in your hand vanishes, as you hear something clatter against the floor. Something metal… The knife.

Someone taller than you grabs your shoulders. It takes a moment to realize it’s ‘Bec, staring down at you with a look of… Fear? Confusion? Concern?

The Storyteller 2024/06/26(Wed)23:55 No. 1093483 ID: 27e140
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‘Bec: “Hey, are you back? Can you fucking hear me now?”
Clive: “...I–”
‘Bec: “Good, okay. Hey Clive, what the fuck? What the fuck was that, Clive?”
Clive: “Huh?”
Enid: “What happened to you?”
Clive: “I…”

Your words trail off, as your eyes gaze down at the ground. You could see a large figure lying there from the ambient lighting of a dropped flashlight. It was shaking, and you could hear quiet whimpers coming out of it.

It was Giovanni of course.

The Storyteller 2024/06/26(Wed)23:55 No. 1093484 ID: 27e140
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You stare down the small puddle of blood, just long enough to know it’s spreading out slowly.

Clive: “...I stopped him.”
‘Bec: “Uhhh yeah. You definitely did that. Where the fuck did that come from?”
Clive: “...”
Enid: “Clive?”

You raise your hands and look down at them, seeing exactly what you’d feared. Red stains litter them. Blood.

You did it again.

The Storyteller 2024/06/26(Wed)23:55 No. 1093485 ID: 27e140
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And you don’t feel bad.

Everyone is scared and confused, just like before. They’re looking at you like you did something terrible.

And you don’t feel bad.

Maybe it doesn’t feel good that you lost control, but you aren’t upset with the outcome. Giovanni needed to be dealt with. You aren’t sad that he’s writhing in pain on the floor. That’s what he deserves for threatening your safety without a care for what would become of you.

If you hadn’t done it, someone else would have had to. Enid was about to be taken away, there was nothing else you could have done.

…You don’t feel bad.

That’s who you are, deep down at your core. You’re someone who does bad things, and doesn’t regret them. That’s the real you. Take away all of the rumors, all the kind things Rodney says about you, and whatever the others think about you right now, and there’s really only one truth left after that.

You’re bad.

It’s all you ever were, it’s all anyone will ever see you as, and it’s all you ever will be.

…It would have been better for everyone if you just graduated the first time everyone was sick of you.

Party Fear Levels:
[Clive: 90/100]

[ Clive’s mental state has become too unstable for The Spirits to continue guiding him ]

[ The Spirits will temporarily move to an available host ]

[ … ]

Select your host
A: The Genius
B: The Artist

A question: if we are swtiching hosts, will there be another sacrifice, like what happened when with switched to the Genius causing Lemmy to have something bad happen to him, and Clive and Franklin having something really bad happen to Jhonen?

Forgot to choose.

I would have picked the homeschooler, but shes not a choice.

Has to be Roger. Out of everyone, he is most scared of Clive, so he might need our guidance out of everyone concerning him.

>>1093487

Temmie is not currently available to make new sacrifices at this moment. Roger and Albert have already had their minds opened, and will not require additional sacrifices to join.

Well that went... about as poorly as it could be without any of the kids getting killed.
Yeah Rodger definitely seems the better choice here.

I'm of two minds on this choice.
If we want to help Clive, I feel like Albert is actually our better choice here, on account of there being some kind of previous connection there. At the same time, I'm also thinking that the time we originally spent with Roger couldn't really be considered "guidance"- I'm sure he's had some heavy thoughts stewing ever since the first thread.
I don't know if Roger can help Clive, but... he might be able to stop him? Not sure I want to think about what the expanded thought to that means.

I do think though, if we're continuing to focus on Enid, and any additional incoming physical crises, Roger is for sure our better pick.

I'm going with B.

>>1093491

That is what im thinking. Albert would be best to help Clive.

Though In my mind, my main reason for choosing Roger over Albert was so that we can keep his own fears and anxiety under control after what Clive did. I feel Bec will know exactly what to do to keep Clive grounded and help him, along with Enid and Albert. Roger's own feelings about Clive might esculate things if we dont guide him and his own arguments against Clive's actions may in turn cause Clive's fears to raise to 100.

I'm actually of a different mind, A for Albert bc we need someone perceptive and who can put clues together kind of asap since with the scream and this delay we don't have much time, and he's the slowest. Everyone else could speed ahead but he's the weak link and would probably figure something out the fastest

You know what the worst thing about this world is, Clive?
It is not that it has people like you in it.
It is that, deep down, this world is in love with people like you.
You love Enid. But the world doesn't love her, it loves you. It was going to kill her, and even though you deserve to be killed, it wants you to exist slightly more than it wanted to pretend Enid never existed.
If this were a world where justice ruled, you would be subjected to scrutiny, and given every chance to repent. The world would force upon you every 'opportunity' for repentance, but ultimately you would be the one to choose whether or not to accept such a mercy.
In this world, people like you are given no thought but worship, scepters and crowns are welded into their hands and heads and placed at the highest peaks of thrones and towers, where no other can touch them but they can touch everyone.
And they go completely mad.
Because the world loves them. And the world's love means no-one else can love them.

Now the question is:
Are you going to do something about that?
Because it pisses me off too.

Switch to Albert.

>>1093485
B.

Albert is the wrong person to be right now, he does not possess the kind of emotional guile we need to navigate this.

As an aside, I'm pretty sure Clive is low-empathy. Not sociopathic, he does care about his friends and values their wellbeing. He clearly has a sense of justice too.

This will be tricky to navigate him through, and involve some realizations about human nature that children may not be capable of understanding this young, especially through the veil of trauma.

B.

>>1093491
Agreed. Of all three kids who have had their minds opened, Albert needed the most guidance of them in order to avoid his negative character traits taking over. He’s also clever, and we’re in the stage of the game where we need to protect our most clever boi to get the most mysteries unraveled and end the cycle the most quickly.

Funny enough, in this case, I don’t think Albert would take advice that well, and as Liminori said, our guidance has actually been a hindrance at times. He thinks he knows best- and Roger is the one who has the best shot at guiding his impulses away from declaring what he knows at the top of his lungs at the worst possible time.

So while Albert is key, Roger is the one who we can help the most without screwing up.

...For the sake of keeping things noted, it's probably worth mentioning that Clive's Fear is the only one we've been seeing. He was at 64/100 before he resolved this situation himself at the price of a whopping 26 Fear.


Last Seen:
[Albert: 58/100]
[Enid: 34/100]
[Roger: 35/100]

Confirmed Current:
[Clive: 90/100]

It's safe to assume that any time anyone's fear reaches 90, we'll see more Trauma Responses.

...If nothing else, this is just another point towards Roger taking the lead, seeing as Albert's Fear is also pretty high, and we have some form of context on the weight of the gauge.
Assuming "critical fear cost for critical failure" is around 25 (give or take based on context and probably round up), this puts Albert right in that danger zone as well.

Also, I just want to say that Bec should totally have a Fear Gauge- but I imagine that the reason she doesn't have one is because her mind isn't and can't be opened.

>>1093566
Bec DOES have a fear gauge. It appeared after they found the corpse.
>>1093565
While you are correct that Albert has the highest fear at the moment one thing you need to consider is the fact that Rodger is weary of Clive at the best of times, And while him spending some amount of time with him has kinda made progress towards breaking that preconception that Clive is a violent person, Clive basically stabbing a man to death in front of him has probably undone most of that progress.
Basically I'm assuming if we really want Rodger to talk to Clive, Then we would probably suffer some significant fear gains in the attempt (in addition to any gained from witnessing Clive stabbing this guy).

Not to say Alberts a particularly great choice either. He DOES have issues about shutting his own mouth (though he's been better about it with Clive) and he's the one who suggested they all kill somebody (to which Clive had some particular thoughts about).

They're both bad choices but if I had to pick one after considering them both I'd probably still keep my vote to Rodger too.