>>1111682
'Bec and Enid can handle things on their own. B.

B
What they find in that room will likely take up all avenues of conversation after this. Let's get our important interpersonal interactions out of the way before that ineviatability.

B is for Barricade.

B)

We've waited this long for answers, we can wait a bit more. Roger wants to have honest heart to heart and it's only polite to hear him out.

B) can't go clambering with that arm anyway

If B is chosen
Why not take a break, get the chair off the ground and take a seat

B.

Considering Roger used to want nothing to do with Clive, this is some pretty great progress for him.

The Storyteller 2025/07/25(Fri)23:05 No. 1111814 ID: 870a05
File 175350990409.png - (498.44KB , 1000x1000 , 440.png )

You glance back at Roger. It’s probably better to get this over with now, rather than wait and be forced to have this conversation later.

Clive: “We’ll wait here.”

‘Bec shrugs, before leaving with Enid. She helps the smaller girl across first, putting her down gently instead of flinging her as she suggested, before climbing across herself. With them gone, and Albert walking out the door, it’s just you and Roger.

You turn back and stare, just waiting for him to start talking. He swallows, before finding his voice.

Roger: “Thanks. I was hoping to get a moment alone with you.”
Clive: “What do you want?”
Roger: “I… I owe you an apology.”

He bows his head.

Roger: “When we were fighting Sheppard, I could have ended it quicker. I had the gun, that should have stopped the fight right there.”
Roger: “But when it came time to use it… I froze up.”
Roger: “Even knowing everything he did, and all the bad stuff he was going to do… I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.”
Roger: “I just kept thinking about Aiden, and how pulling that trigger meant taking his dad away from him… I didn’t want to do it.”
Roger: “But you got hurt because of that. If I hadn’t lost my nerve, Sheppard wouldn’t have been able to break your wrist like that.”
Roger: “You were risking yourself more than anyone, and I left you hanging. I’m sorry.”

If it wasn’t so sincere, you might laugh at the irony of it.

You aren’t sure how you want to respond. You don’t have much of a relationship with Roger yet, due to a combination of disinterest on your part and fear on his. Even now, you’re practically strangers.

It’s tempting to brush it off, offer a half-hearted acceptance and end the conversation, but you stop yourself. This feels like a real attempt by him to reach out, and no matter how antisocial you may be, even you’d feel bad about rejecting him. So instead, you throw him a bone.

Clive: “...You don’t have to apologize. I’m no better.”
Clive: “When the original plan failed, and I was supposed to finish him off, I also hesitated.”
Clive: “I was scared. Because of that, he grabbed you instead of me.”
Clive: “You could have died. If he hadn’t looked back…”

You pause, keeping your head down. Even with him confessing a similar failing, you can’t help but imagine him feeling betrayed and angry. You don’t want to see his face and have those fears confirmed.

Clive: “Sorry.”

He chuckles. You look up in surprise.

Roger: “Honestly… That makes me feel a little better. Maybe it’s just normal to freeze up in that kind of situation.”
Clive: “Enid didn’t.”
Roger: “No she did not, but maybe that says more about her than it does us.”

You give a vague hum of agreement, as the conversation comes to a natural pause. It gives you both a moment to gather your thoughts.

Roger: “Putting aside the fight with Sheppard, I probably still haven’t been fair to you today.”
Roger: “I’ll… try not to assume the worst about you as much.”
Clive: “...Thank you.”

He stares at you for a solid few seconds.

Roger: “...Your face really does not do anything else, does it?”
Clive: “No. It’s a medical thing.”
Roger: “Really? Sorry, I thought… you just felt the way you looked all the time.”
Clive: “It’s fine.”

…Okay, now it’s starting to be an awkward pause.

How does Clive fill the time?
A: Meaningless prattle
-Engage in some pleasantries
-You won’t get into anything serious
B: Talk about your parents
-You probably need to bring this up with the whole group at some point
-Roger might be more understanding if he knows about your situation
C: Talk about Rodney
-Tell Roger why you really think Rodney Graduated
D: Talk about Roger
-Learn more about Roger himself
-You don’t really know much about him
E: Talk about something else
-Suggest a discussion point

C. Being around Enid’s gotten you back into Big Brother mode.

mainly, I’m voting D. I think it might be more beneficial for Clive to ask more about Roger, get to know him more so they can warm up to each other a bit before Clive is comfortable revealing anything heavy, find similar interests and stuff. starting point could be asking to see Roger’s drawings? Please? (I really want him to see Roger’s drawing of him if he still has it)

A stronger bond will help them more with teamwork, less hesitation during situations like with Shepherd and help each other emotionally

B, C, and D are all pretty solid options, but I'm a bit torn on what's better.
I think C is lowest on the totem pole- while it might give Roger a better insight into Clive's emotional state, the actual topic itself is mostly just more speculation.
D would help Clive understand Roger better, but whether that would help with their teamwork is questionable.
Going through that means that B makes the most sense to me- It'd also be a good way to clear up why Clive can't go to the hospital. (I had a brief thought earlier of if there would be any adults who could be trusted as his family, but uh... yeah, fat chance, I think.)

...But, unfortunately, I do have a potential extra option that I'll throw out there for others to decide on whether it makes sense to discuss or not;
E: Aiden. The hell do we do now? Depending on how things go, they're in a situation similar to Clive now.

For now, I'll leave B as my primary choice, with E as a secondary for if it gains traction.

>>1111814
I'm tempted go with B because it IS something that NEEDS to come up at some point but It doesn't really paint Clive in a sympathetic light given the Narrative Alberts going under is that he explicitly killed them. Don't really trust Rodger not to jump to that assumption here either , Which honestly feels like it won't end up well for fear.

(Incidentally he's already had thoughts about his parents being dead thanks to our influence but I'm not sure if those ideas stayed in his head or not)

I'm gonna tentatively go with C.

D)

It feels like the best move, not for the plot, but for Clive.
Telling him about his parents would make him or Rodney look very poorly in the eyes of the other kids. Asking Roger about himself will let Clive learn about him *and* let someone else do most of the talking, letting relax and watch for a change.

>>1111814
D. It would be a good idea to have someone who already knows our situation when we tell the others, but we don't know much of his at all.

The Storyteller 2025/08/13(Wed)17:16 No. 1112641 ID: 870a05
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You still don’t know much about Roger himself (not that you need to), but it might be easier to disperse this tension if you learn something about him.

Clive: “Who did you come here for?”
Roger: “Who? Sorry, what do you mean by that?”
Clive: “I’m looking into graduation for Rodney’s sake. Aren’t most of your friends doing this for someone else?”
Clive: “...Besides Enid. She wouldn’t have known the kids who graduated.”
Roger: “You are not wrong.”
Clive: “Who was it for you? Phillip, Jhonen, or Rodney?”

He scratches his head, clearly thinking about it. After about a minute, he just shakes his head.

Roger: “All of the above? I guess it was mainly about Phillip at first, since his sudden graduation messed up our game night plans.”
Roger: “But Jhonen’s my friend too, even if we don’t hang out that much. Even if he wasn’t, he’s important to Franklin. I’d want to find him for my friend’s sake.”
Roger: “It’s the same with Rodney. I want all of them to get rescued and be safe.”

You can’t help but register an insult in the way he refers to Rodney offhandedly, but you know he’s just being accurate. He and Rodney weren’t any closer than Rodney was with anyone else in your class. Rodney got along with everyone, but he didn’t actually have many close friends.

Clive: “...If we can rescue any one of them, the rest will likely follow.”
Roger: “Yeah, that’s what I think too. We know that they’re probably being kept at the high school, so I figure we’ll bust them all out at the same time.”
Clive: “Hopefully.”

As silence threatens to fill the room again, you decide to press on another comment he’d made.

Clive: “...You were friends with Jhonen?”
Roger: “Yeah. I mean, we definitely used to be.”
Roger: “We kind of started to drift apart when Franklin showed up at school. You know how Jhonen is around him.”
Clive: “The Alien theory?”
Roger: “Yeah. He can be kind of obnoxious about it, but lately he’s been so focused on trying to prove it that he doesn’t have as much time for other stuff.”
Roger: “It’s been a few months since the last time we really did anything. Before, we could usually still lure him over for games, especially if Franklin was there, but lately…”

You can intuit the rest, though you wonder why Jhonen would busy himself more than usual with investigation. There’s nothing for you to base a conclusion on, sadly. It’s just as likely that he’d picked up on some inane conspiracy as it is that he might have stumbled on something worth looking into.

Although, given his reputation, the former seems more likely.

Roger: “He used to be a pretty consistent player at our weekly game night. We play this roleplaying game where we make up our own characters and go on adventures.”
Clive: “Isn’t that just playing pretend?”
Roger: “Kind of, but with rules, dice, and math.”
Roger: “Jhonen basically just played as himself with powers, but he fit into our party well.”
Roger: “Probably because he’s already a weirdo. He almost fits in better somewhere fantastical, like the game world we would play in.”
Roger: “We… I really liked having him there.”

He awkwardly rubs his neck. His wistful smile falls, as the reality of their situation reestablishes itself.

Roger: “I hadn’t really thought about that in a while.”
Roger: “...I should have brought it up to him sooner, before he graduated.”
Clive: “There are a lot of things I wish I said before Rodney got taken.”
Clive: “...And some I wish I hadn’t.”
Roger: “Hey, can I ask you something about that?”

Much as you wish he wouldn’t, you nod anyway.

Roger: “I don’t think Rodney fits into the way we currently understand graduation.”
Roger: “Unless there’s some tension between him and your parents, it doesn’t make sense for him to graduate and not–no offense–you.”

It would be hard to take offense to a statement you fully agree with.

Roger: “You even told us that nobody came to talk to your parents about it, so none of what we know about graduation lines up with him going missing.”
Roger: “Do you have any guesses why that is?”

What a remarkably stupid question that was. Why Rodney graduated had been all you could think about, from the moment Chamberlane reported on it. You were the last person to see him, but you hadn’t seen anything helpful. There were no easy answers to latch onto. That didn’t mean you didn’t have any suspicions.

Clive: “I think it was supposed to be Me.”

It’s the only conclusion that makes sense. Roger stares, waiting for you to go on.

Clive: “I wasn’t there, so I don’t know what actually happened.”
Clive: “Maybe he ran into someone who was coming for me, and convinced them to take him instead? I wouldn’t put that past him.”
Clive: “Maybe they would have been happy with either of us, and he was just the first one they saw?”
Roger: “Wait, why would they want either of you?”
Clive: “...”

The question isn’t going to go away. You’re going to have to tell them sooner or later, yet it falls dead on your tongue

Before he can question you further, you’re interrupted. You both look up to see Enid being set down in the room again, shortly followed by ‘Bec stepping in.

Roger: “You’re back! Couldn’t you have taken the door from the other side?”
‘Bec: “Not without moving a bunch of shit around. It was Barricaded.”
Enid: “Forget about the door, we found something big!”

The Storyteller 2025/08/13(Wed)17:16 No. 1112642 ID: 870a05
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Albert walks back in and takes a seat against the wall, as everyone settles in around Enid, who is holding what looks like a dust-covered Journal or Planner.

‘Bec: “The other room was another office. Didn’t look half as messed up as this one though. ‘Cept for the corpse.”
Albert: “This building never seems to run out of cadavers.”
Enid: “It was a little different this time. The body was, um… hanging.”
Enid: “Since the rest of the room didn’t seem messy, and the door was blocked, I think whoever was in there… did it to themselves.”

That’s a dark thought. For all the death and mayhem, you hadn’t gotten the impression from any other body that they’d ended things themselves. You’re quietly thankful for not having to see it.

Enid: “This was sitting open on their desk. I read a few lines, and I think he wrote it before he died.”
Roger: “Seriously!? He left a Will?”
‘Bec: “More like a Suicide note, but yeah.”
Albert: “Thank goodness for that. We may finally learn what fate befell everyone here.”

She smiles and nods eagerly.

Enid: “I only read a little bit. I’ll start over and read it out loud for all of us.”
Albert: “Please, don’t delay another moment.”

She coughs into her hand and looks down, brushing a bit of dust off the pages before launching into her oration.

“My name is Peter Campbell. I was the assistant manager of the Cattenom nuclear power facility, under Leopold Stiff. I write this to confess my sins, in this final hour.”

“I was aware of Leopold’s actions. I supported them, and even benefited from them. I knew a day would come when there’d be consequences, but I believed that I could flee before they ever reached me. Ironically, despite knowing the full extent of his greed, I believed that my friend would take me with him when the other shoe dropped. Instead, I find myself alone in my final moments, sheltered within this office, while Leopold has surely skipped town already.”

“Leopold has been funneling revenue out of the nuclear plant since day one. Funding, which should have been spent on the upkeep of the plant, was instead used to start-up and support other financial ventures of his. Out of town businesses, stock investments, luxurious vacations, anything he wanted. My silence entitled me to similar opportunities, all of which I took him up on. It was more than enough to keep me happy and supportive of his misdeeds, but it was never enough for him. The profits always needed to go up, no matter how unreasonably high they’d already climbed.”

“Looking back, I wonder if he resented me for not feeling that same insatiable hunger he did. While he dug deeper and deeper to find new ways to cut costs, I happily enjoyed the benefits our avarice had provided us. Perhaps it wasn’t personal, and he simply realized that it could all be his if he cut me loose.”

The Storyteller 2025/08/13(Wed)17:17 No. 1112643 ID: 870a05
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“The first time that Leopold had tried to cut down on disposal costs, I fought him on it. He was purely about the business, but I understood the risks of what we were working with. I knew that it was a necessary expenditure, given the hazardous nature of the materials we deal with. Pricey as it was, we couldn’t skimp on proper disposal for our hazardous waste.”

“He agreed with me at the time, but I always knew it hadn’t left his mind. Shamefully, when he did eventually revisit the idea, having already cut costs everywhere else, I turned a blind eye. I told myself that he had cut some sort of deal to reduce our spending, and I looked no closer.”

“I didn’t know the specifics, but only because I had chosen not to look. My ignorance was willful, only broken this morning when I read it in the papers, much the same as everyone else in town. It is pointless to say that I would have stopped him, knowing I already failed to.”

“The morning paper was late today. None of us would have come in, had we known. Now the people of Cattenom stand at our doors, and I know better than to think that they’ll let us leave.”

“I considered surrendering myself, for the sake of the workers trapped in here with me, but I quickly realized how pointless an idea it was. Even if Leopold and I stepped out together, confessed to everything, and slit our stomachs out of remorse, it would never quell this riot. They aren’t here for justice, this was a mob of grief.”

The Storyteller 2025/08/13(Wed)17:19 No. 1112644 ID: 870a05
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“These are men and women who have had their futures forever stolen. Citizens of a town that will now die with them. We are past the point of reparations. The debts we owe couldn’t be paid over the course of a thousand lifetimes. All there is now is pain and fury.”

“This building, once a beacon of hope and prosperity for Cattenom, will become our tomb.”

“I pray to the Almighty for forgiveness, knowing that I will find none on this mortal coil.”

The Storyteller 2025/08/13(Wed)17:19 No. 1112645 ID: 870a05
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She reaches the end, and stops reading. Nobody speaks.

Quietly, she turns over the page to check if there’s more, accidentally letting a folded piece of paper fall out from between them. ‘Bec picks it up and unfolds it. Her face tightens as she reads.

She passes it to Enid, and the paper goes around in a circle before landing in your hands last. It was a newspaper clipping.

“POISON IN THE WATER”

“Recently, alarms went off in the medical sector, as Cattenom citizens overwhelmingly began to see negative results in fertility testing. Originally thought to be a lab error, this statistical anomaly has a far darker truth. Our water is no longer safe. An investigation has traced this unnatural result to harmful chemicals contaminating our ocean, courtesy of the Cattenom Nuclear Plant.”

You pass it back to ‘Bec, ending the chain.

Roger: “Albert, do you know what that term means? F-Fertility?”
Albert: “It refers to the ability to produce offspring.”
Albert: “...They were measuring the capacity for individuals to have children. That the tests were failing implies…”
‘Bec: “They’re Sterile. Everyone in town, everyone affected… they were sterilized.”
Enid: “They can’t have kids…”
Roger: “...But, we’re all here.”
Roger: “The Nuclear Plant had already shut down before any of us were born. All of this happened before our time.”
Roger: “Our parents… none of them should have been able to keep having kids.”
Roger: “So… how are we here?”
Albert: “...”
‘Bec: “...”
Enid: “...”
Clive: “...”

…

A: “We should leave.”
B: “...”

Time to run! Fast!

A unless another party member can give a pretty clear reason why you should stick around dead body-land for much longer.

I was originally on the train of thought that they were all in so much debt they were organ and limb harvesting the kids (which was why jhonen was in the freezer), but now im EVEN MORE LOST.

What do the pieces of this puzzle even say?

Kids that stand out get "graduated" which ultimately leads to being cut up (which I dont think these guys know yet), well, maybe thats only what happens if they are squeaky when in grad land.

At the very least the bodies were being preserved and crated for SOMETHING.

Everyone's infertile, which is probably why Enid was considered a miracle or something.

They're not the first group of kids to figure out something was wrong, but everyone else wanted to just straight up escape when they found out what was wrong.

We've got 3 main kids that were spirited away to graduation land, adults that keep mum and pretend things are normal, likely with no relation to the kids they are raising which is why they're ok with the murder and splitting even if they ARE raising them.

The bodies are OLD, which means this shit has been going on for uh... lets say 10+ years for the sake of easy math. Which means that there was likely, what... 2-3 groups before them? which led to everyone being way more mum about stuff over time.

There's some massive debt hanging over at least several townsfolk.

I'm at a bit of a loss here, yall.

If it's not organ trafficking kids, and we're led to believe that the problem isnt supernatural (Franklin being the obveous outlier), im still not sure I have enough information to guess.

I KNEW it was weird when Albert said the tap water at the HOSPITAL wasn't safe to drink.
B. Does anybody else have issues remembering the year?

>>1112653
>(Franklin being the obvious outlier)
Except even that might not be true. Jhonen's ultimate conclusion to Franklins ailment being that it has SOMETHING to do with Radiation adds a whole layer to this whole stuff.

Let's also not forget that he was dying of some form of cancer in his memories.

>>1112657
True, and maybe the emphasis being put on Jhonen in this memory means that it actually was that important.

So if we go off the theory that franklin died due to radiation poisoning (and is why he is still bald) and that he's some sort of real actual mutant, well... that still doesent explain why cattenom's so isolated or why the year is so hard to find out.

>>1112663
I've always assumed the whole year thing has to do with them not being entirely natural.

As for the isolation? Well if Mutants like Franklin are possible then maybe it's a military quarantine?

There's DEFINITELY more context needed here.

My thoughts:

So cattenom citizens, due to the plant contaminating the water apparently a long long time ago, cannot have children, yet despite that, Roger and his friends still exist

We also know that any kids that graduate get cut up to pieces at some point

There’s also the issue with Franklin’s memory of another life he lived and diedin, and the kids he met then look so much like the kids he knows now, just slightly different and different names

We also heard Shepherd say something about Snyder getting recycled before getting killed by him

Currently, the theory I’m piecing together from the evidence so far is: since Cattenom can’t have children, they are instead recycling them to keep the town surviving (since apparently they can’t leave town?) with Shepherd them, and giving them a new life reborn. Perhaps the reason they choose certain kids for graduation is because they are not acting the same as they used to in their past life? Like Roger might be at risk of graduating because he’s interested in arts over track and field and running? But the question is why would that matter?

Maaaaybe Enid is considered a miracle child because she was actually a kid that was actually born normally from a mother, and not recycled despite the parent’s supposedly being sterile? Might need more evidence to confirm this theory

Maybe Franklin’s father is the one bringing them back to life or something considering Shepherd cuts them up, and we seen his truck at franklins place during the Franklin thread? But then what is the recycle center for?

…

Yeah, I think we should leave

I remember in one of the previous threads that the half joking "Soylent Green" theory had to be shut down, but it really does have a fair bit of parallels to Cattenom's recycling.

...The more things change in Cattenom, the more stays the same.

I wonder how Recycling works. There's a pretty big difference between "It's something that happens on its own" and "The adults take the remains and process them" - and maybe the reason that Rodney graduated had more to do with the parents' disappearance- that they had died and been removed from the Unnatural Order that Cattenom has created, or maybe even that they Can't be Recycled anymore. Going further, I think they wanted to find Clive instead so they could find out where the bodies were. In a certain sense, I'm kind of assuming they already know, but that raises several questions of its own.

A: While I don't think there's any particular reason to stay, it might be worth taking a closer look at the water bottles Enid brought along just in case. They're probably fine, but maybe they hold some very tiny clue.

The most likely explanation for this town's madness is pretty obvious: your parents went insane from radiation poisoning. It was then compounded by the sterility.

As for you, adoption is a thing. But the real question is, what lengths would a brain-damaged, socially-broken population go to for adoptions if the government refused to let them take in children 'due to an inability to protect their wards'?

Whatever the case, people like Leopold... this was what I was talking about. He plays a strange and mysterious game. Campbell was a greedy bastard, but he took time out of his swindling to enjoy the fruits of what he had destroyed the happiness of others for. Leopold? His happiness came from the destruction of other people's happiness. If he'd been patient, he could have turned this town into a permanent source of revenue for more illicit schemes - but that wouldn't destroy the townsfolk nearly as much as nuking the plant's operations to catastrophic consequences. I wouldn't be surprised if he spent all his money mainly on more monstrous designs, on even greater means of taking money from others, instead of living in a mansion on a private island.
And the world loved him more than it loved your town.

>>1112678
I’m on board with this train of thought.

The Storyteller 2025/08/19(Tue)00:20 No. 1112966 ID: 27a8c3
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It’s quiet, as you all step out the front doors of the plant. While you ultimately got what you came here for, the answers have only left you with more questions. It’s hard to feel triumphant, especially with everything else that happened inside.

You follow the path back into town the same way as before, hiding at the edge of the treeline instead of cutting through the Death Forest. It’s a short while before anyone speaks.

Roger: “Where do we go from here?”
Enid: “We need to find out where we came from, right? How we’re all here, even though our parents couldn’t have kids?”
Roger: “I agree, but I’m not sure where to begin with trying to find that.”
Roger: “We can’t ask our parents or any other adult in town about it.”
Albert: “The hospital might offer some clues, since they handle deliveries. Otherwise, it may just be time to investigate the high school.”

You hang back from the rest of the group, flagging ‘Bec’s attention.

Clive: “Hey. Are you going to stick around after this?”
‘Bec: “What, as part of your little detective’s club? Hard pass.”
‘Bec: “I saw all I needed to in there. Cattenom is fucked, and I don’t want any part of it.”
Clive: “...What are you going to do?”
‘Bec: “Duh, I’m Leaving. I’m gonna head home, pack up everything I can carry, and ditch this shitty town.”
‘Bec: “I figure with my own savings, plus whatever I can snag from Snyder’s shop, I can make some real distance before anyone notices I’m gone.”

A part of you expected the answer, but it still hurts to hear. Much as you want to ask her to wait until you can find Rodney, and take the two of you with her, you already know she won’t budge on this. ‘Bec has always kept herself at the top of her priority list, and staying for even another day would be a massive risk to her own safety. She doesn’t gamble with her safety. Not without ample reward, which you can’t offer her.

Your situation will get worse with her gone, but you won’t hold it against her. If you could get Rodney out of town right now, you’d do it in a heartbeat, no matter who it meant leaving behind.

Clive: “That’s probably not a bad idea.”
‘Bec: “Of course it isn’t. Who the hell would want to stay after seeing all those fucking bodies in the plant?”
‘Bec: “You should come with. Hell, you’re probably more at risk here than me.”
Clive: “Not without Rodney.”
‘Bec: “Eh, I figured. You know he’d be happy if you left him and got away safely.”
Clive: “He might. I wouldn’t.”
Albert: “Everyone, stop.”

Everyone freezes in place, as Albert points towards the farm. You see two figures rushing down the hill towards you.

‘Bec: “Fuck! We’re spotted!”
Roger: “Wait! That isn’t Aiden or John. I think that’s–”
Lillian: “HEY!”

The Storyteller 2025/08/19(Tue)00:21 No. 1112967 ID: 27a8c3
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Lillian and Lemmy stand out in the open in front of you. Lemmy’s a bit winded, while Lillian just seems frustrated.

Albert: “Don’t make so much noise! Even with their father out, the other Sheppards might–”
Lillian: “Shut up! That doesn’t matter right now!”
Lillian: “Franklin! Have any of you seen Franklin!?”
Roger: “Why would we have seen him?”
Lemmy: “He Ran away!”
Roger: “What!? Why?”
Lemmy: “W-Well, we don’t know exactly, so we probably shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves–”
Lillian: “Are you seriously making jokes about that!? What is wrong with you!?”

He doesn’t answer, instead wringing his hands nervously and casting his gaze to the ground. Roger steps forward, putting a hand on Lillian’s shoulder in a calming sort of gesture.

Roger: “Lillian, please. What happened?
Lillian: “I don’t have time for this! I need to find him before he gets hurt. Ask Lemmy!”
Roger: “Wait–”

She doesn’t. Despite several protests, she sprints back into town, leaving you with only Lemmy to explain.

Lemmy: “So… How have you all been? Personally, I’ve been better, but–”
Albert: “Lemmy, every second you waste increases the risk of something unfortunate happening to Franklin before he gets found.”

He taps his cane against Lemmy’s knee.

Albert: “Explain quickly, or I promise you will have to start practicing sit-down comedy instead of stand-up.”

Lemmy gulps, and quickly starts stammering out his story.

Lemmy: “W-We were investigating the farm, because we found some junk in Jhonen’s house that connected Mr. Sheppard to the Morgue.”

There’s a collective wince at the mention of Mr. Sheppard. Lemmy pauses for a moment when he notices, but decides better than to stop and ask questions.

Lemmy: “Anyway, Franklin and I snuck in to check things out, while Lillian distracted the family. I took the barn, and Franklin took the shed.”
Lemmy: “After a while, I saw Franklin running out. I just thought he was finished and trying to get out quickly, so he wouldn’t get caught, y’know?”
Lemmy: “The barn didn’t have much, so I thought ‘hey, why not double check the shed? Maybe Franklin found something, and that’s why he was in a hurry?’”
Lemmy: “And uh… He definitely did!”

Lemmy chuckles mirthlessly, before biting his lip.

Enid: “...What was in the shed?”
Lemmy: “Uhhh… Hmm… Caaaannnnn’t think of a way to soften this blow or make it funny.”
Albert: “Then don’t. Just say it.”
Lemmy: “It.”
Lemmy: “Heh… Get it?”

Albert pulls back his cane for a swing, to which Lemmy throws up his hands defensively.

Lemmy: “J-Jhonen is dead!”
Lemmy: “His head was just sitting in an open crate by itself! I think Franklin was the one who opened it, and he ran away because he was freaked out.”
Roger: “What!?”
Lemmy: “I told you it wasn’t funny…”

Your thoughts come to a halt. Everyone’s reactions are muted in your ears, as you process what you’ve just heard.

Jhonen is dead.

One of the kids who graduated is dead. Not being kept at the high school, as you all believed, just dead.

Rodney… Rodney is… Rodney–

Somebody squeezes your hand. You look up and see that it’s ‘Bec, shooting you a concerned look.

‘Bec: “Don’t assume the worst, dumbass. He would have said if he found Rodney too.”

You take a deep breath, and nod. The concern won’t leave your mind, but you’ll wait until you have proof of it to start giving up. Rodney is alive. There’s no point in questioning if he isn’t, as the scenario itself is pointless.

If Rodney died… there’d be nothing left for you here. Nothing would matter anymore.

The others have calmed down enough to start asking questions.

Roger: “Did you see which way Franklin went?”
Lemmy: “Lillian didn’t see him leave, and I was on the other side of the hill. Hill if I know where he is!”
Roger: “Does that mean there’s a chance he didn’t go back into town!?”
Lemmy: “...I mean… You guys didn’t see him, so probably not? Although if he got a headstart, or didn’t follow the path…”

Roger quickly spins around to face everyone.

Roger: “If he ran out of town and got lost, he might not be able to find his way back.”
Roger: “I have to go now. I’m the only one with a chance of catching up to him, and that chance drops every second.”
Albert: “Wait!”

Roger freezes mid-step.

Albert: “Let’s all meet at the Morgue an hour before curfew. If you find him, bring him there.”
Enid: “Wait, what time is it now?”
Clive: “It’s getting dark, but the stars aren’t out yet. We have at least an hour, maybe an hour and a half.”

Roger nods in agreement before running off, leaving the rest of you to make your own plans.

Albert: “I’m going straight to the Morgue. If Franklin returns, someone should be there to let him know about the search.”
Enid: “I-I’ll check the South side of town. It’s near where the forest exits out, so I might find something around there.”
Lemmy: “I should probably check if the rest of Jhonen’s body was in that shed too. Or, anyone else’s… Besides mine, which I’m gonna make a point not to bring back there after this.”
‘Bec: “...”

Who does Clive go with?

A: Nobody
-You can cover more ground if you all go different ways
-If Clive goes by himself, you’ll get a random encounter as he sweeps the town
-You’ll also run into Lillian at least once, as she runs all over town in search of Franklin
B: Albert
-He plans to go to Franklin’s home at the Morgue and wait for him there
-This option will get you to the end of the thread faster than any other
C: Enid
-She plans to search the South side of town, since it’s nearest to the forest’s exit
-You get the feeling she has plans outside of just looking for Franklin
D: Lemmy
-He wants to run back to the shed to confirm that Franklin was the only kid in there
-Clive would GREATLY appreciate confirming that Rodney isn’t dead
-You will be subjected to many puns if you choose this option
E: Roger
-He’s worried that Franklin might have left town, and will try to run after him
-You won’t actually be able to catch up with Roger until he stops for something
F: ‘Bec
-You aren’t sure if ‘Bec is going to search or commit to her plan of leaving town
-If she’s really leaving, this could be your last chance to talk with her

I’m considering that whoever Clive goes with, any adults who sees a kid with Clive will raise their suspicion

That being said, I’m voting against Roger or Enid (I have a feeling she is going to search for her inheritance with the key)

either I’m choosing either nobody, Bec or Lenny

Nobody because less chance of raising anyone’s suspicion level (except Lillian I guess) plus I think Clive needs some time alone, maybe he should check around the street his house is at?

Lemmy because that’s what he wants in order to make sure Rodney is okay (he might find more clues regardless)

Bec because this might be his last chance to say goodbye to her, or we can convince her to stay. Didn’t the adults imply something about not being able to leave this town? We might want to bring that up that concern and maybe have her investigate more into that…

That said, I think I’m leaning towards Bec

A) Nobody.
It's dangerous, but right now, the adults are looking for signs of rebellion, not signs of actual guerilla killers. Doing something stupid like splitting up will lower their suspicion of your capabilities.

Hard choice but I'm gonna have to go with either D or F.
D because Lemmy seems visibly stressed as a result of seeing what was in there (and knowing he is LITERALLY next on the chopping block) and being there could help lessen the stress damage.

F because I doubt she'll actually be able to leave and I wanna make sure that whatever is there to stop her isn't something meant to end her life or something horrible (like a military blockade).

>>1112990
Gonna go with F but could be convinced to go with D

I don't have a direction vote but I remember there being a river and I vote you check if anyone has blood on them and at least recommend they try to wipe any of it off or chuck/hide weapon, maybe wash them if you don't wanna chuck em.

There was a river nearby right?

F) He's got a good working relationship with her. He should ask if the group can have any of her contraband she won't be taking with her.

F: 'Bec. He's been seen with her before, and she's got the street smarts.

>>1112996

support cleaning blood off, I think Enid is the only person with blood on her. HOWEVER, isn't the water poisoned? the creek is connected to the ocean last I checked. If my theory about why Enid was considered a miracle child is correct, it might be a bad idea to have her interact with water connected to the ocean. maybe the water bottles can clean it off instead? Enid did bring at least 4 after all.

>>1112970

I did some checking to confirm. the only times I found the adults imply that nobody can leave Cattenom was with shepherd in this thread, and Albert's father in thread 2 (both of which Clive was present for too)

>>1110699

Sheppard: “I wonder if you even got as far as the others. Did you come here lookin’ for a way out?”
Albert: “A way out? Do you mean a way to break out compatriots free from the high school?”

He just laughs.

Sheppard: “Guess I was giving you too much credit. You really don’t know anything, do you?”
Sheppard: “I was worried for nothing. Cattenom isn’t dying out anytime soon.”


https://questden.org/kusaba/questarch/res/1019132.html#1024169

Albert: “Yes they do, it’s just different now. What happens to those kids?”
Albert: “When a kid turns thirteen, what do you do with them?”
Albert: “Where do they go?”
Father: “...Kids go... Kids don’t go anywhere.”
Father: “Nobody leaves. Everything Stays in Cattenom.”


That said, I'm going to say we should at least bring these up to at least warn Bec, it might convince her to stay a tad longer to look into leaving, cause I'm not sure if the town is barricaded in by military, or if there's traps outside of town. If she still wants to leave, we don't have to stop her, but at least she will know to be extra careful if she leaves.

Maybe she can leave a hidden trail, like a secret marking only you know about so that if we leave, we can follow her? a marking that can't be easily spotted by adults, but can be found if we know to look for it maybe. she can probably even bury a note on her travels near the markings to tell her her findings during her travels and warn us...

>>1112998
support this too

The Storyteller 2025/08/27(Wed)20:02 No. 1113234 ID: 27a8c3
File 175635017755.png - (432.22KB , 1000x1000 , 448.png )

You really think about staying with Lemmy. You want answers about Rodney as soon as you can get them, but that isn’t an excuse to act rashly. As much as the uncertainty hurts, you can wait until meeting up with everyone to hear the truth from Lemmy.

After crossing the river back into town (and coaxing Enid to wash the blood off herself in it, despite the contamination), everyone disperses in different directions. ‘Bec hangs back, staring down at you as she does.

‘Bec: “Change your mind about my offer? Guess there’s no reason to stay if–”
Clive: “Rodney is alive.”
Clive: “I don’t plan to leave. I wanted to see what you would do after hearing about Franklin.”
‘Bec: “Then prepare to be disappointed. Nothing’s changed.”

You can’t really be disappointed when the answer is what you expected.

‘Bec: “I’m heading home to pack up.”
Clive: “I’ll go with you.”
‘Bec: “Why?”

Truthfully, you don’t have a great reason. This is the last time you’ll see her, so you’d rather not split up early.

Clive: “...It’s dangerous for me to go alone right now. Whoever forced Rodney to graduate may still want me.”

She squints at you, before shrugging and walking off. You follow behind, traveling all the way across town through the forest. There are still a few kids hanging around the field when you pass by, but fewer than there would be earlier in the day. The two of you exit out near the townhouses, and from there it’s just a short walk to the apartment complex.

Clive: “Are your parents going to be home?”
‘Bec: “Dad works late, but mom is probably still in. Just keep your head down and don’t say a word.”

She walks up to one of the doors and gives it a twist. When it appears locked, she reaches for her lockpick instead of a key. If she notices your confusion, she doesn’t mention it. She opens the door very gently, making as little noise as possible. After peeking her head in for a brief scan, she waves you on to follow behind her.

The Storyteller 2025/08/27(Wed)20:03 No. 1113235 ID: 27a8c3
File 175635019896.png - (767.52KB , 1000x1000 , 449.png )

The apartment is surprisingly well-furnished with shelves full of knickknacks and pictures hanging on every wall. For a living space that only had one room and a bathroom, it felt surprisingly comfortable.

Someone is sitting on the couch, but they’re facing away from the door. They don’t seem to notice you entering, and ‘Bec is quick to drag you with her into the bathroom before they can.

Clive: “How do you hide any of your merchandise in a space this small?”
‘Bec: “Who said I keep any of that junk here?”
‘Bec: “I just need one thing…”

She reaches under the bathroom sink and pulls several things out of the way. Soaps, deodorants, toilet paper, etc. Much of it gets pulled aside so that she can drag out a backpack tucked in the rear.

‘Bec: “Alright, we can go.”
Clive: “That’s it? What happened to packing?”
‘Bec: “Still plenty of that left to grab. These are just the bare essentials. Clothes, toiletries, a couple meals worth of rations, cash…”
‘Bec: “This isn’t a rush job though, so we’ve got time to prep a bit more than this.”

The ease at which she says it truly stuns you. She almost seems happy while setting everything else back in the under-sink cabinet.

Clive: “...How long have you been planning to leave?”

She chuckles.

‘Bec: “A lot longer than I planned on staying.”
‘Bec: “All that nuclear plant shit just sped up the timetable.”

As she finishes, she stands up and grabs the straps of her bag. She reaches for the door handle, but stops. After a few seconds, she takes the backpack off and hands it back to you.

‘Bec: “Wait for me outside. There’s some shit I wanna say to mom.”
Clive: “...Is that a good idea?”
‘Bec: “Wasn’t really looking for commentary.”
Clive: “No, but if you say anything about the investigation, it affects me.”
Clive: “It’ll be a problem for you too, if you can’t get out of town.”
‘Bec: “I know that. I’m not an idiot.”
‘Bec: “I won’t mention any of that, so stay out of it. This doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

Her tone leaves no room for argument, so you don’t bother. She opens the bathroom door, and walks out into the main room with you. She stops right behind her mother, while you continue to the door. As gently as you can, you pull it open and slip out, unseen to the best of your knowledge.

As you close it, the thought strikes you to leave it cracked so that you can listen in. You don’t have any idea what ‘Bec’s personal life is like, or what she might want to say to her mom before leaving town (although experience tells you to expect swears).

Will you listen?

A: Listen
-Gain a sliver of insight into ‘Bec’s life
-You will know if ‘Bec lets anything slip that will effect you moving forward
-You have zero context into how this conversation will go. If it takes a turn for the frightening, you may gain Fear
B: Do not
-Let ‘Bec keep her privacy, maintaining your usual “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy
-You will only know what ‘Bec chooses to tell you about how it went
-...which will likely be nothing

Leaning B for now, although there is a valid enough argument for A in potentially hearing a new adult's perspective on things.

I'm too early on the update to say for sure, I think.

A) Information is the most important thing at this point. Anything an adult says could give a useful insight. Just do not show any reaction when Bec comes out. which I guess is easy for you, but still

>>1113237
This. We need the scoop!

A
oh no we'll gain fear, how can we gain MORE fear we just murdered a guy, there's barely anything that can phase us harder tonight unless we learn bec is actively on the adults side and is just gonna sell everyone out.

we're probably fear shocked at this point and just moving on adrenaline.

A. We don't know how the adult will react. Whether they'll suspect she's trying to leave even if she doesn't ever say it outright. Can't be too safe here.

Privacy is important and Clive could use a little respite from sticking his nose into other people's lives, but everyone else is right: the adults are all in on a conspiracy against the kids and we have to find out what they do when they think no one's looking.


Also, because I'm curious. Why lie?

A)

B

This is supposed to be a personal conversation, and spying on it probably won't give you any useful information; but it will be a breach of trust. 'Bec has been nothing but trustworthy so far, if self-centered; and she's probably the closest thing you have to a real friend.

She's also probably the least likely person to leak secrets unintentionally, since she's keenly aware of the value of information. And, finally, she's more likely than not to catch you snooping. This would be a horrible time to damage your relationship with her.

Just noticed I didn't post yet

B

The Storyteller 2025/10/27(Mon)22:01 No. 1115620 ID: 1c8348
File 176162771035.png - (886.52KB , 1000x1000 , 450.png )

You leave the door cracked, and listen.

‘Bec: “Hey.”
Her Mom: “Rebecca? When did you get in?”
‘Bec: “Couple minutes ago. Figured I’d wait for a commercial break before telling ya.”
Her Mom: “Well that was thoughtful of you. How was school?”
‘Bec: “Well, on the one hand, I felt my brain melting in my skull from how boring class was. On the other hand, Lemmy apparently went missing.”
‘Bec: “So I’d say it averages out to being a pretty great day overall.”
Her Mom: “Oh Rebecca, that’s awful. Why would you say that?”
‘Bec: “Because I knew him? I would have brought in cupcakes had I known in advance.”
‘Bec: “Pretty sure we’ll be celebrating this as a holiday next year if he never gets found.”
Her Mom: “I don’t remember raising such a smart-mouthed girl.”
‘Bec: “Guess the dementia’s setting in early then.”

You brace yourself for shouting, but her mom just breaks into giggles.

Her Mom: “You must be in a good mood. I can’t remember the last time we really talked like this.”
Her Mom: “I missed it, you know? Just because you’re getting older doesn’t mean I love you any less.”

Her words hang in the air for an agonizing stretch of time, before ‘Bec speaks up again.

‘Bec: “...I know.”
Her Mom: “...Say, it’s a bit late for me to prepare something for tonight, but maybe tomorrow we could all sit down and have a nice family dinner again?”
‘Bec: “What, all three of us?”

There’s a distinct hiss in her voice when she says “three”.

Her Mom: “...I’m sure your father would be happy to see you eating with us again.”
‘Bec: “Doesn’t sound like him.”
Her Mom: “He would. I promise.”
‘Bec: “...”
Her Mom: “...He loves you. You know that, right?”

The extended silence says more than the one word reply that ‘Bec lands on.

‘Bec: “...Sure.”
‘Bec: “Hey, listen… Riley invited me to hang out at his place tonight, and since it’s looking like rain, I’ll probably just stay the night.”
Her Mom: “Are… Are you asking my permission to go? Rebecca, are you feeling well?”
‘Bec: “Yeah yeah, I’m an insolent bitch. Don’t start copying dad.”
‘Bec: “Just… I figured I’d let you know where I am, so you don’t get worried or anything. Y’know, since a kid just went missing and all.”

A few seconds later, her mother stands up. You peek through the crack in the door just in time to see ‘Bec’s mother wrap her arms around her daughter.

Her Mom: “I love you.”

The Storyteller 2025/10/27(Mon)22:02 No. 1115621 ID: 1c8348
File 176162774565.png - (888.35KB , 1000x1000 , 451.png )

‘Bec: “...I know. Love you too.”

They break apart, her mom patting her on the shoulder.

Her Mom: “Think about that dinner request. It’s been too long.”
‘Bec: “No promises.”
Her Mom: “I’d hope not. You enjoy breaking them too much.”

You take a few wide steps away from the door, and try to look natural when ‘Bec steps out, shutting it behind her. She looks at you, but doesn’t give any indication whether she noticed you listening in or not. She just takes back her backpack, and starts walking off, letting you follow.

The Storyteller 2025/10/27(Mon)22:03 No. 1115622 ID: 1c8348
File 176162778438.png - (1.10MB , 1000x1000 , 452.png )

It’s started to rain, as you reach your final stop. ‘Bec had stopped at the supermarket to stock up on drinks and snacks for the road, as well as the closed Play&Pay toy store to clean out its cash register. There’s no risk, since you know Snyder will never return to report the missing revenue.

‘Bec: “This is the last stop. I buried some of my wares out here that I wanna take with me.”

You’d gone past the plaza, and into the wooded area on the East end of town.

Clive: “...Are we going to the Creek?”
‘Bec: “Bingo. You ever been out here?”
Clive: “No.”
‘Bec: “Figured. You aren’t missing much. I mostly just come out to get away from shit, or to sell crap to the kids who hang around it.”

Eventually, you reach the lake itself, a decently large body of water with a large storm drain trickling water into it. You can see rope swings, litter, and graffiti all around the area. Nobody else is here at the moment, probably due to the weather.

‘Bec takes a travel-sized shovel out of her backpack, flips over a large rock, and starts digging.

‘Bec: “Hey, remember the other day, when you and brainy came by?”
Clive: “Yeah.”
‘Bec: “You wanted gossip on a bunch of different peeps.”
‘Bec: “That shit isn’t gonna be worth anything once I’m gone. Nobody two states over is gonna care what some random kids here have been up to.”
‘Bec: “Consider this a clearance sale. Might as well give away the good stuff before I go. Who or what do you wanna hear about?”

You pause to consider that. The offer had come out of nowhere, so you don’t have anything immediately on your mind.

Who/What do you want to ask ‘Bec for gossip on? (Two topics per person)

>>1051261

Sorry, Clive. We’ve got to run this to ground. What else can you tell us about JoJo? This is really important, but Clive doesn’t want to hear it. Last chance to make amends, Clive.

2. What the fuck is Mrs. Chamberlane’s problem?!

>>1115622
She said last time that three ladies wanted Alberts dad dead. What were her theories on that?
Also this is more about a place than a person. But anything about the recycling plant?

1. Ask what she knows about Daniel. According to an important note found by Franklin and Lilian https://questden.org/kusaba/questarch/res/1019132.html#1030996, apparently he was acting moody enough to cause some suspicion, and was recommended to ask Temmie about it. Considering he's a middle schooler just like Bec, she probably knows more about any kind of rumors about Daniel than anyone else. Does Bec know why Daniel was acting the way he did? If she doesn't, maybe she can give us some insight like what he was doing last she saw him, or some other important thing.

2. Ask about any hiding places, getaways, secret paths that she might know of. As the adults grow more suspicious, and with the new curfew rule that will make investigating a little more difficult, we might need to know these things if we want to stay hidden, or run from adults if suspicion gets too high enough to start graduating the group.

Ask her about the questions __other__ people have been asking her lately. Particularly Jhonen, or anyone else who's graduated lately. If anyone else was trying to investigate, she probably would have been unknowingly involved.

Ask her about the Butler family, all of them. Every thread in this conspiracy seems to come back to them somehow; if they're not at the center they have to be close.

Yeah. Figured it would be hard to get a consensus going.
>>1115656
Gonna change my first with the this ones Buttler question but change it to "got anything on the principle?"
And change my second one with >>1115650
's Daniel question. Since it's Chamberlains son that also fits with Donut's question.

Oh and I'm >>1115630

>>1115664
>>1115669
I might be wrong, but I don't think we need to worry about a consensus or majority vote on what gets asked, I think the prompt is just asking for two topics per person, and each will get answered (through the extent of what Bec has heard of course). You probably don't need to change your questions. Bec did say we'll be getting gossip on a bunch of different peeps after all.

>>1115682

This is correct, don't worry about voting, just ask what you wish to know about. I will try to feature all questions, save those which Clive would not ask.

>>1115687
Oh? Didn't really expect each thing to (mostly) be addressed. Nevermind then.

A general idea of which adults are more or less dangerous, and... maybe anything else about Enid or her family that would be helpful to know.
I do have a third one, which is one too many, but if it makes more sense for Clive to ask about the Hospital over the other two, I figured I'd also mention it.

Ask her where she gets her keys from. We're going to need keys to at least the high school, and likely other places we don't know about yet. Without her to source them for us we need to know where to look.

Ask her if she has info on anyone at the high school. In particular we want to know who's in charge there and if she has any dirt on them.

The Storyteller 2025/11/11(Tue)20:46 No. 1116805 ID: 1c8348
File 176292277828.png - (956.34KB , 1000x1000 , 453.png )

Clive: “Anything is fine?”
‘Bec: “If I don’t wanna tell you about something, or I have nothing to say, I’ll tell you. Just ask whatever comes to mind.”
‘Bec: “Don’t overthink it. This bag is buried pretty deep, so we’ll be here a while. Give me something to take my mind off digging.”

That simplifies things. If anything is on the table…

Clive: “What do you know about the Fosters?”
‘Bec: “Awwww, did you make a friend? Are you worried about Enid?”
Clive: “...”
‘Bec: “Feh, you’re no fun. You’re right to be worried though, the Fosters are shit.”
‘Bec: “I wouldn’t trust anyone who graduates their kid early.”
Clive: “Leo Foster graduated normally.”
‘Bec: “Yeah, but Jacob didn’t.”

You pause, trying to remember where you’d heard that name before.

Clive: “...He graduated early three months ago. I didn’t think he was a Foster.”
‘Bec: “That’s because he wasn’t, really. You were probably too young to remember, but he got adopted by them.”
‘Bec: “The crock of shit they fed us was that his parents had to move across the country for work, and they couldn’t take him with them.”
‘Bec: “After seeing all that shit at the plant, I’d bet they were actually killed off for breaking some shitty rule.”
‘Bec: “The Fosters adopted Jacob, and they sent him off to the high school when his temper finally became too annoying to deal with.”
‘Bec: “So yeah, I don’t trust ‘em.”

It’s an upsetting revelation, given the uncertainty it places on Enid’s safety with them. You’ll have to warn her as soon as you can.

‘Bec: “...I’m pretty sure Lana Foster is pregnant.”
Clive: “...I’ve seen other women in town who were.”
‘Bec: “Makes you wonder, huh?”

“They’re Sterile. Everyone in town, everyone affected… they were sterilized.”
“They can’t have kids…”

You shake your head. It’s a contradiction, but not one that ‘Bec can help you solve right now. Better to focus on what she can tell you.

Clive: “How about the Butlers?”
‘Bec: “Not much to say. Temmie and her dad don’t go out much, and I avoid teachers and school staff whenever I can.”
‘Bec: “Lynn Butler is one of the few people who I know has been to the High School. I’ve seen her leaving it a couple of times. She’s the only one I’m sure of, though.”
‘Bec: “Robert Butler is a stay-at-home dad, which is already pretty weird. Not many guys would be willing to watch the house while their wives go out and work.”
‘Bec: “I saw some old newspapers at the library that mention him as, like, a local councilman or mayor? I don’t remember which, or what the difference is.”
‘Bec: “That feels like a bigger deal than being principal though, so it seems weird that he’s the one out of a job. Maybe he lost an election?”
‘Bec: “Although, if he did, I couldn’t tell you who the current mayor is.”
Clive: “And Temmie?”

Her eyes narrow.

‘Bec: “She’s a fucking freak. I’m not surprised that she’s a snitch, because she’s always known more than makes sense. I don’t know where she gets her information.”
‘Bec: “When she’s not at school, she’s either at home with her dad, or going into town with him. She shouldn’t know shit about other kids, with how little she talks to them.”
‘Bec: “I don’t buy any of that clairvoyant bullshit either, she’s got a source, but she won’t tell anyone what it is.”
‘Bec: “So I don’t fucking trust her.”
‘Bec: “If you want my advice, you should deal with her before she rats on all of your asses.”

Her concern is understandable, even if you don’t agree. Temmie is, in many ways, an unknown in your investigation. What all she’s capable of and what she truly wants are a mystery.

If she wanted you dead though, all she would need to do is tattle to the adults about where you’d been today. Instead, she reached out into your mind, and helped you stay sane in the wake of Sheppard’s death.

Obviously, you don’t bring that up. It sounds insane, and ‘Bec would just write it off as you having a weird dream. Instead, you just nod along, letting the topic fall.

The Storyteller 2025/11/11(Tue)20:47 No. 1116806 ID: 1c8348
File 176292282131.png - (926.76KB , 1000x1000 , 454.png )

‘Bec stops digging, planting the shovel down and catching her breath.

‘Bec: “Ugh, switch. I need a minute.”

She sits down on a log, while you grab the shovel and start digging. It takes a fair bit of effort, but you’re not surprised. It isn’t your first time digging a hole.

…You run through several more questions to distract yourself.

Clive: “Do you know any good Hiding spots in town? Or Secret pathways?”
‘Bec: “The school and hospital are pretty good spots to hide. There are a lot of empty rooms in both. You just gotta keep an ear out for doctors or teachers.”
‘Bec: “If you need a place to hunker down for a few nights, try Riley’s house. His parents work late, and he owes me a bunch of favors that I won’t be around to call in.”

She gives you an address. He lives on the South side of town, apparently.

‘Bec: “I dunno about secret paths, our town isn’t some shitty comic villain’s lair.”
‘Bec: “I did work out this one route through the facilities West of town that makes it easy to go between the cheap houses and the better ones down South without bumping into anyone.”

She breaks down an elaborate path for you, which involves passing through several stores’ back/side entrances, weaving through a few alleyways, and just a few spots where you’d have to sprint between cover.

It’s too much to really keep track of, but you don’t have anything to write on (not that you could bust out a notepad anyways while it’s raining), so you memorize the steps as best as you can.

‘Bec: “It takes way longer than just walking it, but if you really don’t want to be seen, it’s worth it.”
‘Bec: “What else have you got?”
Clive: “We found a note about Daniel. Apparently, he’s been moody?”

She lets out a hum of thought, considering the statement before answering.

‘Bec: “Yeah, he has been.”
‘Bec: “Was wondering what crawled up his ass, but I figured he just got in a fight with his mom.”
‘Bec: “He used to hang around after class to talk to her, but he’s been the first out the door recently.”
‘Bec: “Was the note you found written by a kid, or a teacher?”

You give a brief explanation about Franklin and Lillian discovering it while searching the school, what exactly it said, and how it had been addressed to Principal Butler.

‘Bec: “See, that sounds like his mom wrote it, but the implication is that she doesn’t know why he’s been in a mood.”
Clive: “Which she would, if they had a fight.”
‘Bec: “I’d wager he found out something shitty about the school. He’d have more chances, since he lives with a teacher. It could be worth prodding him for info.”
‘Bec: “Do it carefully though. He’s no tattletale, but his mom is already suspicious. Telling him too much could be a mistake.”

You aren’t sure if it’s worth the risk, but you’ll bring it up to the others at least.

Clive: “What about Mrs. Chamberlane?”
‘Bec: “Don’t do anything suspicious in front of her, she’s a hardcore bitch of a snitch.”
‘Bec: “She acts nice, and loves to tell kids that they can confide in her, but she secretly keeps a notebook behind her desk where she logs everything.”
‘Bec: “When you break a rule, what scores you get on your tests, and a bunch of little things that our parents probably asked her to keep an eye out for.”
‘Bec: “She has notes for shit like if Roger spends all of recess drawing by himself, or how often John misses homework deadlines…
‘Bec: “She even tracks how often kids talk to Temmie during recess. Try not to be alone with her for too long, at least not when a teacher is looking.”
Clive: “...Did she track anything about me and Rodney?”
‘Bec: “Dunno. Wasn’t really looking for that the couple times I did peek through it.”
‘Bec: “I usually only look at her tattletale journal if I need to be sure I got away with something..”
Clive: “I see.”

Her mention of Roger reminds you of the wallet you stole the other day, and the card ‘Bec had pointed out for you and Albert.

Clive: “Do you know anything about the Recycling Center?”
‘Bec: “No.”
Clive: “...”
‘Bec: “...What? Were you expecting more? That place has good security, and I don’t have any reason to go there.”
‘Bec: “Yeah, after hearing about the Nuclear Plant, I’m willing to bet the Recycling Center is shady too. The timetables feel like they don’t add up.”
‘Bec: “The nuclear plant started operating in 1959. At some point, they started dumping shit in the water, and sometime later, the hospitals picked up on how it affected people.”
‘Bec: “Even if we assume they cut corners pretty early on, I feel like it’d take a while for the medical junk to be found.”
‘Bec: “We’re not talking about obvious life threatening ailments, like mega-cancer or huge pus-filled boils, just people’s ability to have kids.”
‘Bec: “That would take a while for anyone to notice, and probably even longer to connect to the plant.”
‘Bec: “In the wake of all that, we manage to rebuild and fully switch over to a new brand of energy so quickly that nobody even remembers the nuclear plant ever existed?”
‘Bec: “It doesn’t add up.”

You consider bringing up the uncertainty around the current year, but decide against it. ‘Bec doesn’t know the date. She would have put numbers to her point a moment ago if she did. Enid was the same before.

“I-I think it’s still the 1960s. Um... pretty late too?”
“...Do you remember when the last time you were sure about the year was?”
“I don’t know. I wasn’t thinking about it, and I just... Huh.”
“You said 1959 was less than 10 years ago, before.”
“I did?”
“So didn’t you know the date?”
“...”

‘Bec: “Whatever the case, I don’t know shit about the Recycling Center.”
‘Bec: “Trucks go in filled with junk, and they leave empty, so something has to be happening there.”

The Storyteller 2025/11/11(Tue)20:47 No. 1116807 ID: 1c8348
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You’re out of breath, so you hand the shovel back to ‘Bec and let her continue. It had gotten darker, and the rain was pouring harder than before at this point.

For a moment, you wonder if Franklin is alright. Had anyone found him yet? What if they didn’t find him before curfew?

It’s too late to start searching though, so you push those thoughts to the back of your mind. Better to use whatever time you have left asking getting any info you can out of ‘Bec.

Clive: “What have other kids been asking about?”
‘Bec: “Recently? Early Graduation’s been a big one. We’ve never had three kids graduate on the same night before.”
‘Bec: “Saihu came to me on Monday asking about it. He was worried about his little brother, and wanted to know if there was a trend to it.”
‘Bec: “I brought up previous cases, and gave some quick theories for the recent batch. He seemed satisfied that Louie was safe, since he gets along fine with their mom.”
‘Bec: “A few kids like John asked if there were signs they could keep an eye out for, to know if they were about to be sent to high school.”
‘Bec: “I told them to be wary of cars. Haven’t heard of kids being walked to the high school.”
Clive: “That’s true…”
‘Bec: “Before that, Jhonen would pretty regularly ask me about Franklin and his family.”
‘Bec: “Lately though, he had been asking more about the Sheppards and the Butlers. Guess he expanded the range of his conspiracy.”

She pauses, perhaps reconsidering Jhonen’s questions. After a moment though, she frowns and shakes her head.

‘Bec: “I never really gave him much thought, so I don’t remember the specifics.”
‘Bec: “Other than them, it’s just been JoJo making her usual check-ins.”

Your lips tighten at the mention of JoJo.

Clive: “Usual?”
‘Bec: “What, did you think you were my only regular client?”
‘Bec: “JoJo and I made an arrangement a while ago. She pays me to keep tabs on you and Rodney.”
Clive: “What!?”
‘Bec: “You have no right to actually be surprised about that.”
Clive: “...What have you told her?”
‘Bec: “Nothing important. She doesn’t know or care about what’s going on with your parents, she just wants a heads up if either of you seem like you are in a bad mood.”

That… is fine. That is a perfectly reasonable thing for JoJo to be concerned about. You don’t need to get defensive about this. You gave her a reason to be scared, and so she is. You shouldn’t take it personally.

Clive: “...Why Rodney?”
‘Bec: “Are you asking because you honestly don’t know, or because you just don’t want to actually acknowledge the fucked up shit he said to her?”
Clive: “...”
‘Bec: “Yeah, thought so.”
Clive: “...Do you know anything else about JoJo?”
‘Bec: “Fuck off with that. Talk to her yourself, I’m not getting in the middle of this.”
‘Bec: “I didn’t tell her about your dead fucking parents. That’s all you need to know, so drop it.”

The Storyteller 2025/11/11(Tue)20:48 No. 1116809 ID: 1c8348
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You weren’t going to push it any further, but even if you had wanted to, you wouldn’t get the chance. ‘Bec drops her shovel and reaches down, pulling a duffle bag out from the earth.

‘Bec: “Finally. Was worried I missed the mark.”
Clive: “What all is in there?”
‘Bec: “Some extra cash and food, in case there was no time to stock up; some survival tools, in case I have to rough it a few nights; and a few extra helpful things.”
‘Bec: “I’m gonna double check to make sure it’s all there, and then I’m out. If you’ve got anything else, ask it now.”

You nod, thinking a bit more carefully about your next one.

Clive: “You told us about Albert’s dad yesterday. Why did you suspect the three women that you did?”
‘Bec: “Leoi, Horvitz, and Foster? Alright, let’s go through ‘em one by one.”
‘Bec: “Min Leoi is a cop. She works nights, so I don’t bump into her much. A few days before the attack though, I noticed her patrolling around the apartments.”
‘Bec: “I’m usually out late, so I can say for sure that it wasn’t normal for her to be there. I caught her car out there on a couple different nights.”
‘Bec: “Seems pretty suspicious that the attack happened at the apartments while they were under more scrutiny, yet nobody got caught.”
Clive: “The attack happened during the day though. Was anyone patrolling then?”
‘Bec: “How the fuck would I know? I was in school, same as you, dumbass.”
Clive: “Right…”
‘Bec: “Lana Foster is the least likely of the three, but she’s got beef with Albert’s mom. They bitch at each other a lot.”
‘Bec: “Albert’s mom works at the grocers, and everybody needs food, so they can’t avoid each other.”
‘Bec: “I dunno if that hate extends to the whole family, and I’ve got doubts that a pregnant lady’s busting in and kicking that drunkard’s ass…”
‘Bec: “But shit, if you’ve heard half the things I have, you’d at least consider it too.”

The thought of two women arguing with enough hate to make ‘Bec’s foul-mouth blush makes you shudder.

Clive: “And Mrs. Horvitz?”
‘Bec: “Let’s just say: If Albert’s dad wasn’t literally on the verge of death, there’s no way they’d have let him stay overnight at the hospital.”
‘Bec: “The Neddys and Horvitzes hate each other’s guts. I don’t know exactly how it started, but a big part of it has to do with Albert being smarter than Jhonen.”
‘Bec: “The Horvitzes are kind of up their own asses, so they take it as a personal insult that some trashy nobody’s kid is at the top of his class over their son.”

You wonder how aware Jhonen was of this family rivalry, and if it might have something to do with him graduating early. Unfortunately, you didn’t spend enough time with the boy to know for sure. Franklin or Roger would be better suited to answering that.

‘Bec: “Probably doesn’t help that, with Albert’s shitty health, they end up taking care of him more than his own crappy parents do…”
‘Bec: “They’ve got the strongest motive. It could be either, but Gazlene’s the more emotional of the two, so she’s the one I’d most suspect.”
Clive: “Who do you think actually did it? Out of all three suspects”
‘Bec: “What, you want a pure judgment call?”
Clive: “Yes.”
‘Bec: “Fine, then I’d say Gazlene.”
‘Bec: “I’ve seen Min’s kids, and those apples don’t fall far from the tree. I don’t think she has the guts.”
‘Bec: “Meanwhile, Lana’s still pregnant, and would more likely beat up Albert’s mom than his dad.”
‘Bec: “That’s just what I think though. Don’t blame me if I’m fucking wrong.”
Clive: “Of course.”

The Storyteller 2025/11/11(Tue)20:49 No. 1116811 ID: 1c8348
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‘Bec zips up her bag, finishing her check. This is definitely your last question…

Clive: “Which adults do you think are the most and least Dangerous?”
‘Bec: “How would I fucking know that?”
Clive: “...Intuition?”
‘Bec: “...(sigh). Fine.”
‘Bec: “All cops, all teachers, and all other school staff are bad news. That much is obvious.”
‘Bec: “I don’t know who the least dangerous adult would be. I might have said Snyder, but clearly I’d have been fucking wrong.”
‘Bec: “The most dangerous… I’d say it’s my dad, Bonnie Gaines.”
Clive: “Why is that?”
‘Bec: “Because he was the guy who stopped to listen to Jhonen last Sunday. He humored his stupid theories, and then they both got in his car.”
‘Bec: “He was the Last person to talk to Jhonen, before he graduated.”
‘Bec: “And now Jhonen is dead.”
Clive: “...Oh.”

She sighs, waving the topic off.

‘Bec: “Eh, it’s not that big a deal. He’s a cop, so you should be avoiding him regardless. But hey, at least that’s one clue you don’t have to stress about.”
Clive: “...”
‘Bec: “Hey, don’t start feeling pity. My dad’s always been a piece of shit, so this doesn’t change anything. Murder’s a new low, but that asshole always knew how to dig…”
‘Bec: “So knock it off, ‘cuz I’m not leaving on a sappy note.”
‘Bec: “We’re not gonna cry, and hug, and shake our fists at how cruel life is. You’re gonna call me an asshole, and I’m gonna tell you to go fuck yourself. Got it?”

She stands up, adjusting both her bags and staring back at you expectantly.

‘Bec: “Well?”
Clive: “...You’re an asshole.”
‘Bec: “Yeah yeah, go fuck yourself.”

She rustles your hair, before turning around and walking away. Without turning around, she waves and calls out one last comment.

‘Bec: “Try not to die, dumbass!”

You imagine that she has a bright future ahead of her as a motivational speaker.

You sit there for another minute after she goes, just staring up at the sky, before trudging back through the woods and into town.

The Storyteller 2025/11/11(Tue)20:50 No. 1116813 ID: 1c8348
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By the time you reach the morgue, you’re completely soaked, and probably ten minutes late for the meet-up time Albert had suggested. If everyone is present, your lateness will only be an annoyance, not a problem.

Unfortunately, only Lemmy, Roger, and Enid are present when you enter.

Lemmy: “You’re late! And not even a Franklin to show for it.”
Enid: “Clive! What took you so long?”
Roger: “...”
Clive: “...Lost track of the time. Where is everyone?”
Enid: “Lillian came back to check, but since nobody found Franklin… she left to keep searching.”
Lemmy: “Albert pointed out that it’d look bad if none of us are back before curfew, so we’re doing a sequel to the original sleepover. Welcome to Sleepover 2.”
Enid: “He left to tell our parents that we’re out looking for Franklin, and that we’d be staying the night at the Morgue after we find him, to avoid breaking curfew.”
Enid: “He also said that if we didn’t find him, then we’d tell Franklin’s dad, and the adults could organize a search themselves. Since we’re supposed to stay inside soon.”
Lemmy: “He wanted to have Roger deliver the message, buuuuuuuut…”

He motions over to Roger, sitting over on the couch and seeming dead to the world. He doesn’t react to the attention.

Lemmy: “Do you think the warranty’s still good for him? We could trade up for a new one.”
Clive: “...Did something happen to him?”
Enid: “We’re still trying to get that out of him.”
Enid: “Do you know if ‘Bec is coming too? We haven’t seen her either.”
Clive: “No, she isn’t. ‘Bec is leaving town.”
Lemmy: “Wait, that was an option!? Why the heck are we still here then?”
Enid: “She’s leaving now? That’s so selfish! Does she even care that Franklin is missing?”

…For the sake of letting people remember ‘Bec fondly, you choose not to answer that.

Roger: “...She can’t leave. Nobody can leave.”
Lemmy: “Anywho, it’ll be a while before Albert gets back, and I doubt Lillian’s coming back without Franklin.”
Lemmy: “In Phillip’s absence, Franklin has taken up office as her temporary best boy, assuming all of the duties and obsession that role entails.”
Lemmy: “Why don’t you go take a shower, and change into something dry? Franklin’s turtlenecks are surprisingly comfortable.”
Enid: “When did you try on his clothes?”
Lemmy: “It was for a gag earlier. A hilarious one, which you should all feel disappointed that you missed.”

Experience tells you that only he found it funny.

He’s right though, you do have some time. Should you take his suggestion?

Clive will…
A: Have a shower
-He could really use a rest
-There will be time to discuss everything else later
B: Hear about what Lemmy’s been up to
-Get a recap of Franklin POV
-...From Lemmy (ugh)
-You’ll be able to start combining your info and form new theories
C: Ask Enid about about her search
-You suspect she wanted to check the safe Giovanni had a key for
-She might bring this up herself later, but there’s no guarantee

A. Good God look at the poor boi he’s a wet Pomeranian.

Forget about Lemmy. Banish the Lemmy.


Enid can handle herself, Clive is having a BAD day and needs rest after taking that beating.

A.
He needs some rest, especially with what might be coming later.

A. Hell, consider making it a bath instead of a shower if you wish. it’s more relaxing than a shower. You really deserve a break.

A. Wash that awful day off.

Wonder if Bec is REALLY leaving or if this is just a way to try to get the heat off of her. Would be funny if she ended up coming to the groups rescue at some point in the future.
Though Rodger seems to echo my own sentiments earlier in the thread about people being ALLOWED to leave. Wonder what he saw while searching the outskirts?

Gonna go against the grain and say C. Cause I'm curious what she was doing and Enid is one of Clives (shockingly) few friends.

C. By which I mean...

Stare silently at Enid just long enough for it to be mildly uncomfortable, then say "... Was it important?" She's perceptive enough she'll know what you're talking about; if she brushes it off or acts confused, just drop it and go take your shower.

A) get warmed up before you get the flu

I'd say C.

Clive needs a shower, but Enid needs to share what she found soon, before everyone goes to sleep and likely forgets that train of thought.

Also, think back on Rodney and the stuff he did to start a full-blown enmisty with Jojo.
What's that about? Did it have to fo with him graduating early?

The Storyteller 2025/11/21(Fri)12:16 No. 1117396 ID: 1c8348
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As much as you’d like to check up on Enid… you haven’t felt truly clean since getting Snyder’s blood on your hands. You can’t turn down the chance to wash up. Your legs carry you upstairs.

There are a few preparations you have to make. Franklin’s closet provides a change of clothing (thankfully, while you’re taller than him, his wardrobe is a bit of a mess of sizes, and you’re able to find something that fits you). There’s also the matter of your bandages, which need to be replaced after getting soaked in the rain. Luckily, there’s a first-aid kit under the sink.

Your arm screams with pain as you unwrap it, quickly changing your plans for a shower into a bath. It’s easier to hold your arm still that way, resting it against the brim of the tub.

The thought of getting dressed without moving it makes you ache with anticipation.

Despite everything though, it’s nice. After everything you’ve been through in the past hours, lying down and letting your mind rest is the best feeling in the world. It’s difficult not to fall asleep, with how peaceful it is.

The brief respite lets you calm yourself. -5 Fear

Party Fear Level
[Clive: 55/100]

As you slowly slide Franklin’s shirt over your head, wincing with pain as you do, there’s a commotion coming from downstairs. You grab the bandages, accepting that it’d be better to ask someone to help wrap your arm, and head down.

Everyone is crowded around the entrance, and it’s immediately obvious why.

The Storyteller 2025/11/21(Fri)12:16 No. 1117397 ID: 1c8348
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Franklin: “...Sorry for making you worry.”

Lillian had brought back Franklin.

Enid: “Where did you go? Everyone was searching, but nobody could find you.”
Franklin: “The hospital. And then Temmie’s house. And then here… And that’s it, I think.”
Lemmy: “Temmie’s house? Did you try to go home and get confused?”
Lillian: “Oh my god, Lemmy, I will hit you.”
Lemmy: “Hey, no joke! That one was a legitimate guess! Franklin saw that newspaper scrap, right?”
Lemmy: “...Wait, is it even still Franklin, or are we supposed to start calling him Jordan now?
Lemmy: “Preeeetty I need to keep using that name around the doc, so that’d be a problem.”
Franklin: “Franklin is fine… um, for now.”
Albert: “Would any of you care to elaborate on why we would redesignate Franklin as Jordan?”

You’re curious too. What did they find while the rest of you were at the plant?

Lillian and Lemmy start explaining, but Franklin cuts them off before they can get to anything substantive.

Franklin: “Um… Does The Doctor know all of you are here?”
Lemmy: “Now there’s an excellent question, truly a magnificent specimen of an inquiry, and one deserving of an appropriately considerate answer.”
Lemmy: “...Dunno.”
Enid: “We haven’t seen your dad since we got here. He shouted something from another room earlier, but he hasn’t come out yet.”
Lemmy: “And considering that the last time we showed up unannounced, he came out packing heat–”
Clive: “What?”
Lemmy: “–not much desire to announce ourselves, y’know?”

Suddenly, you’re second guessing the choices that have led you here.

Franklin: “...Maybe I should talk to him?”
Lillian: “You were able to calm him down before, right? Think you can convince him to be okay with the sleepover going a bit longer, and a few more kids joining?”
Franklin: “I probably can, but… I was thinking of telling him about everything else too.”
Lillian: “...Uhhhhhh, what all counts as ‘everything else’?”
Franklin: “The stuff about mom and me.”
Lillian: “Okay, that’s what I thought. Are you sure about that? It’s probably safer to keep him in the dark.”
Franklin: “I know, but there are things I can’t ask him about without him knowing that I know what he knows about me.”

You don’t really understand what he’d actually be sharing, but you’re wary at the thought of telling the adults anything.

Albert nudges your shoulder, dragging you and Enid into a whispered chat.

Albert: “Franklin’s dad isn’t stable. I don’t know how connected he is to the town’s conspiracies, but we may find ourselves in peril if he’s informed of how much we know.”
Enid: “Shouldn’t you be saying that to Franklin?”

He looks over at The Alien, but doesn’t speak up. He bites his lip, before shaking his head and turning back.

Albert: “I… have not been entirely considerate of Franklin, previously. He may presume I’m repudiating his suggestion, simply because he is the source.”

Honestly, the only surprising part of that statement is the fact that he’s aware of it.

Enid: “You’re not going to suggest we kill Franklin’s dad, are you?”
Albert: “I doubt Franklin will ever approve of such an idea. For now, one of you should suggest he hold back on telling his father everything.”

He glances back at Roger, who remains unresponsive. It’s obvious that he would have been Albert’s first pick to convince Franklin, if not for his current condition. It’s down to one of you then.

Enid: “...Sorry. I don’t know Franklin very well yet, and I’ve never met his dad. I don’t think I can say anything here.”
Albert: “...Clive, how about you?”

You really don’t want to be the one to speak up here, but if nobody else will…

Franklin: “...I should probably talk to him now, before he sees everyone here and gets worried.”

Should Clive speak up?

A: Say he should lie
-Clive will suggest that Franklin not tell his father about what he knows
-Nothing bad will happen tonight, but you suspect that Franklin will want to revisit this at a later time
B: Say nothing
-Clive will hold his tongue, and Franklin will leave to talk to The Doctor
-Clive will not witness the conversation. He will only know the outcome
-If this will lead to bad things, you will know immediately
C: Say something else
-Suggest an alternative argument for Clive to make

C. Convince Albert that he should be the one to talk to Franklin, despite his worries. Let’s be honest, he knows franklin more than anyone else, and Franklin is more of a friend to Albert than to Clive or Enid. So he should be more willing to listen to Albert than Clive.

and If Albert is worried about not being considerate of Franklin’s feelings, and worries he might feel like he’s rejecting Franklin’s just because the idea came from him, that is a sign of growth from Albert and he’s more willing to consider Franklin’s feelings and think a bit more before talking

That said, if Albert needs help, maybe tell Albert instead of telling Franklin no outright, he should instead ask Franklin to listen to what everyone has to say during our meeting with what we discovered before he makes a choice of telling the doc or not. We want to all make sure what we might do next is a good idea or not based off the knowledge we gained, including having a talk with the doc

>>1117400
Honestly agree.
Should also seque nicely into Franklin fulfilling the prophecy in a nice non-lethal.

Kinda rude to give him a scare like this I know. But Alberts been a bit of a cunt this thread with him EXPECTING Clive to kill a person. He deserves some (harmless) retribution.

A.

If we spend any more time trying to hash this out with Albert, Franklin is just going to walk off, and he'll end up telling the doctor what he knows. What's more, Franklin is going to resist this suggestion; it needs to come from *everyone*, and so it doesn't really matter who speaks first. Albert shouldn't be pushing this off on you, but you can get on his case about it later.

>>1117400
Agreed!

I think I'm team B. This is one of those situations that I think its REALLY WEIRD it was presented to us, sure Franklin is an odd guy, and he saw the death of his best friend, but we've proven that he's actually somewhat smart even if its mostly following intuition.

Having someone else explain could be weird, not saying anything isnt really an option, if he tries to unalive franklin there's a bunch of them there to at least DO something.

plus, franklin's dad is unstable and weird, who would believe him that an entire cabal conspiracy of kids knows about weird shit when he just lost the weirdest kid. maybe they'd believe one or two, but 5? thats a huge portion of a class, and if thats the case why not be suspect of everyone in the class etc etc.

TLDR: B because taking a risk now might end up paying out some dividends and I think its super odd that this is even a choice we're being allowed to make, also trusting Franklin might work out.

(also gamblers fallacy we rolled really bad last time many times in a row, there's no way we roll bad this time too)

The Storyteller 2025/12/13(Sat)17:24 No. 1119061 ID: 1c8348
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You decide to say something… to Albert.

Clive: “Tell him yourself. You’re his friend, he’ll listen.”
Albert: “But–”

He cuts himself off as Franklin starts to walk away. If he’s going to say anything, this is his one opportunity.

Albert: “Wait.”

Franklin stops, turning to look back at Albert.

Albert: “...Franklin, some hours ago, Aiden’s father attempted to end our lives at the nuclear plant.”
Albert: “Among his final words, he offhandedly indicted your father as an involved party in the town’s conspiracy.”
Albert: “I understand that there are things you wish to ask him, but as things stand, I don’t believe it is worth the risk.”

The room goes dead silent, as the three who weren’t present take in the news.

Lillian: “...Mr. Sheppard? Aiden’s dad, he tried to...”
Lemmy: “Yeah, that definitely sounds like the behavior of a guy who kept dead kids in his shed…”
Franklin: “...Is everyone okay? Did he hurt anyone?”
Enid: “Um, he might have broken Clive’s hand, and…”

She swallows.

Enid: “...Giovanni is dead. He killed him.”

From there, the full story has to come out, not a single detail being spared. Enid and Albert (and occasionally you when prompted) recount it all for them.

The preparations you all made, Sheppard's appearance as you tried to get inside, how you were scattered in the dark, being hunted by Sheppard and chased down the halls, reuniting with the others, Giovanni’s sudden appearance…

…Your assault on Giovanni.

Enid tries to rush past it, but the room goes tense at even the quickest mention of your grisly attack. You can feel them staring at you, judging you.

You deserve it, but that doesn’t make it any more bearable. It makes you want to crawl in a hole and die. You’re sure that’s what they want too.

Before you know it, the story is over, and there’s a hand on yours.

Franklin: “Can I see your injury?”

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The bruise is immediately visible, since you hadn’t wrapped it back up. It had been uglier than you’d expected, when you saw it for the first time, just before your bath.

He lifts your hand up close to his face, examining it closely. He presses lightly in a few spots, and asks you things like when it hurts or where the pain is.

Franklin: “...I think it’s a Fracture. Most of your pain stems from this bone, here.”
Franklin: “If you want, we could try to find a replacement bone in the Doctor’s lab. When he isn't there.”
Clive: “...I’m good.”
Franklin: “Actually, I bet he would be willing to put it in you himself, as long as we don’t tell him how it got broken. He probably wouldn’t even ask.”
Clive: “Still no.”

Franklin seems to be taking things well at least. You glance over to the others, seeing their much more obvious distress.

Lillian: “I can’t believe Aiden’s dad was such a Jerk! What’s wrong with him?”
Lillian: “How could he do that to you guys? And to Mr. Snyder… They were on the same side, weren’t they?”
Lillian: “Even if he was involved in all the awful stuff that’s been happening, Mr. Snyder wasn’t evil like that. He was nice!”
Lillian: “He let kids play with toys they couldn’t afford. He gave out free candy and discounts when it was your birthday.”
Lillian: “And when you had to get a gift for some other kid’s birthday, he’d always help you find something they like that nobody else had come in and bought them already.”
Lillian: “How could Mr. Sheppard just… kill him? Someone like him... Did he even feel bad about it? Could he really just not have cared?”

As she winds down, Enid surprises her with a hug.

Enid: “Thank you…”
Lillian: “Huh?”
Enid: “You’re right. He Didn’t deserve to die.”
Enid: “I’m really glad you think so too.”

Lillian doesn’t quite understand why Enid cares so much, but she accepts the hug anyway until Enid breaks away.

Contrasting that sweet scene, you unfortunately catch wind of the hushed conversation Lemmy and Albert are having.

Lemmy: “-we don’t need two of them! At least when Rodney was around, it was basically a joke just how different they were. Clive making Enid into a second him ain’t funny.”
Lemmy: “...Unless she starts putting eyeliner under her eyes and dressing in all black. Then it’s hilarious, and you have my full approval.”
Albert: “Nothing of that sort will ever happen, so discard the thought.”
Albert: “Enid’s actions were driven by a combination of her own grief and a healthy sense of self-preservation, not some wicked influence of Schmidt’s.”
Lemmy: “Are you sure though? Like, I know we haven’t had a ‘Killer Clive’ incident since the first, but I don’t think he gets to lose the title for only doing it once.”
Lemmy: “Attempted murder isn’t like a library card. You don’t have to go and get your title renewed every few years, it just kinda sticks around, y’know.”
Lemmy: “Although, you might rack up late fees for not finishing off your kill. Right? Heh…”

He rubs the back of his neck and chuckles. Albert doesn’t share his humor.

Lemmy: “Enid lost her dad, and Clive’s little brother got taken. I’m just saying, from here it looks like he’s taking her under his wing and teaching her how to kill.”
Lemmy: “Never really saw him as a mother bird type, but maybe with Rodney leaving the nest–”
Albert: “Be silent.”

The command was a bit unnecessary, given Albert had already thrust his hand around Lemmy’s mouth, shutting him up.

Albert: “Think for just a moment longer. Would you have rathered that nobody acted?”
Albert: “Should Sheppard have killed one of us? Roger or Clive perhaps? Maybe Enid herself? Would you be satisfied then?”
Lemmy: “H-Hey, that’s not–”
Albert: “That is precisely what you are suggesting. What else are we meant to infer from your idiotic rhetoric? Only impure people would commit immoral acts?”
Albert: “As a group, we identified lethal action as necessary. Thus, Sheppard is dead. No one person is to blame for this.”
Albert: “His death was collectively identified as the goal, so there is no need to scrutinize any individual’s contribution to that outcome. Are we clear?”
Lemmy: “Yep yep yep, totally clear! Clearer than a window without glass!”

Albert looks back at you as he lets Lemmy go, letting the comic scuttle away back to Lillian. You nod, appreciative of him nipping that issue in the bud.

Franklin suddenly releases your hand, making you flinch. You’d honestly forgotten he had still been holding it. When you look down, you realize that he’d been bandaging it up for you.

When you look up to thank him, he’s lost in his own thoughts.

Franklin: “...Hm. I don’t get it.”
Clive: “Get what?”
Franklin: “If everyone was sterilized, how are you all here? Wouldn’t that be impossible if nobody can have babies?”
Albert: “That particular contradiction still needs to be solved. Our lived experiences don’t line up with the written records.”
Lillian: “Maybe we’re all like Franklin?”
Franklin: “That would explain a lot, but… No, Temmie already told me that wasn’t it.”
Lillian: “Aw, really?”
Franklin: “Mm-hm, because you all remember growing up, and nobody else just appeared one day like I did.”
Lemmy: “Maybe the process was similar but different? Like how Phillip and Lillian look the same, but are totally different people.”
Enid: “Um, what are you guys talking about?”

They pause their tangent to acknowledge the confused majority of the room.

Lillian: “...Where do we even start on this?”

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They end up starting from Franklin’s playdate with Temmie, which had secretly been an excuse to share information with him. Unfortunately, the story quickly hits a roadblock when Franklin tries to contribute to the retelling. His babbling about spirits confuses even the two kids who’ve been around him all day.

It’s quickly written off as some confusion caused by him misunderstanding Temmie, if mostly out of desperation to not seriously address the topic. She’s cryptic, he’s easily confused, it’s easy to pretend there’s nothing worth examining. The story does not get any more sensible from there.

Lillian has to assure everyone that she’s not making the next part up several times, as she recounts the notes they found in Dr. Stein’s bedroom. Franklin has to roll back the sleeve of his shirt to show off his stitches to silence all argument around their massive discovery. Even then, it’s difficult to truly believe.

Franklin is a Resurrected corpse, stitched together by the mad mortician himself.

Hearing it all put together, you’re forced to reflect on the boy standing in front of you, who you originally knew as Franklin. Who is this boy to you?

Truly, outside of his reputation as “The Alien”, you tend not to think of him at all. Franklin, the individual, is nobody to you. Even with this whole investigation, you’ve yet to spend more than a lunch period with him. You don’t personally know this boy at all.

In a way, he is to you what you must be to him, more an Idea, than a person. You’re sure that all he knows about you is “Killer Clive”.

That’s why this reveal doesn’t mean much to you. It’s surprising, obviously, but there’s a distance that keeps it from truly affecting you. His real friends demonstrate that difference far better than you ever could.

Albert is speechless. Enid weeps for him. And Roger…

You’d all been worried about him, sitting quietly on the couch, shellshocked by something he’d yet to share. Yet as Franklin’s identity is revealed, Roger is the first person to reach out and comfort him, his loyalty to his friend far stronger than whatever horrors he’d seen.

He’s off the couch and holding Franklin close before anyone can even comment on him joining the conversation.

Roger: “That’s terrible. I’m sorry you had to go through all that.”
Franklin: “...It’s okay. I’m okay now.”
Roger: “Are you sure?”
Franklin: “...No? I guess I could be wrong. We’ll have to wait and see, I guess.”

As Roger pulls back, he takes a deep breath. He doesn’t return to the couch, but still stands a bit away from the group, where nobody would be looking at him.

AKA right beside you.

Albert: “Hold on… is this where the name Jordan comes in? Franklin, do you remember the life you lived prior to your death?”
Franklin: “Some of it… I think. It’s still messy, and I only have bits and pieces. The name actually came in later.”

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Their story continued, first to Jhonen’s house and then the farm. That comes with an unexpected bit of levity, and from Lemmy of all people.

Lemmy: “The rest of Jhonen’s body was there too. His arms, legs, and torso were all in different crates near the one with his head.”
Lemmy: “You’d think that’d be comforting, but it actually really isn’t! Apparently you don’t get used to opening boxes filled with severed body parts. Who knew?”
Lemmy: “I do! I know that now! I don’t want to know that!”
Lemmy: “It was just him though. I opened every other crate in there to be sure. No Rodney, no Phillip, no cameo appearances of characters from other stories. Nothing.”
Clive: “Then we have no reason to think the other kids who graduated are dead too.”
Lillian: “Thank god.”
Lemmy: “Thank me! I’m the one who had to wade through all the trauma to find that out.”

Nobody does, as Lillian nearly collapses with relief. You feel much the same, even if it doesn’t show for you.

Franklin tells the rest himself, since nobody else was with him. Apparently he’d collapsed in town, and was brought into the hospital to rest. After waking and realizing his connection to Temmie, he went to her house to speak with her.

They talked, she answered some of his questions, and he ran into Lillian shortly afterwards.

Franklin: “And then we came here. That’s pretty much everything.”
Enid: “...You left a lot for the end there.”
Franklin: “I mean… that’s just how it happened.”
Roger: “So there was a girl named Judy in town, and she used to be your sister, but that was before you were brought back as Franklin.”
Roger: “Temmie isn’t Judy, because that would be crazy, but she’s also connected to her… somehow?”
Franklin: “Yes.”
Enid: “That’s… confusing.”
Franklin: “Yes.”

It strikes you in that moment that Temmie was absolutely playing favorites by not putting Franklin on the table as an option to pass your bad stuff onto.

You’d be more affronted by this if you hadn’t just heard all of the things he’d gone through today without piling your problems on top of it.

Albert: “As much as I’d like to address every single questionable part of that story–”
Roger: “You mean like Jhonen having found out all this stuff about Franklin before graduating?”
Lillian: “Or how his body works? ‘Cuz I swear he was moving his arm when it wasn’t attached to his body.”
Clive: “If Franklin died in November of 1969, it’s even less clear what year it is now than it was before.”
Enid: “Dr. Stein is connected to Sheppard somehow, and we’re in his house. Do we need to be worried about that? I’m worried about that.”
Lemmy: “I’m also interrupting, but can I just point out how literally none of this explains the tail? Why does Franklin have a tail? Is it just because tails are cool?”
Albert: “–All of those, yes. As much as I’d like to dedicate the next twelve hours to extracting whatever information we can out of that, it’s late.”
Albert: “We need to decide what comes next from here.”
Lillian: “What’s there to decide? We’re getting Rodney and Phillip out of the high school and leaving.”
Lillian: “We can’t wait any longer, not after what they did to Jhonen. We need to get out of town, and get help from the authorities somewhere else.”

She’s right. Even if you don’t know the full extent of what’s happening here, waiting around to find more answers could come at the cost of the kids you’re trying to save. You aren’t going to sit around and let them kill your brother.

‘Bec will definitely laugh when she finds out that you all decided to steal her idea and skip town anyways, but she wasn’t going to wait for you to bust your brother out of the high school. You were always going to be doing this part without her, as much as that hurts.

Albert: “You’re right. We can’t wait around at this point.”
Enid: “Then, we’re really going to leave–”
Roger: “Wait. That plan is Impossible.”

Everyone turns to stare at Roger.

Roger: “We can’t leave town.”
Albert: “Why not? Please tell me you aren’t concerned about abandoning your parents, after everything they’ve let happen here.”
Roger: “No. I mean, maybe, but that’s not the problem right now.”
Roger: “I mean, we Can’t leave town.”

Thinking back, you suddenly remember what role Roger took upon himself in the hunt for Franklin.

Roger: “If he ran out of town and got lost, he might not be able to find his way back.”
Roger: “I have to go now. I’m the only one with a chance of catching up to him, and that chance drops every second.”

He ran to the Outskirts of Cattenom, past where any of you have ever traveled before.

You start to feel sick, anxious of what he’s about to say.

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Roger: “Do you know what I found at the edge of town? Have any of you actually seen what it’s like outside of Cattenom?”
Lemmy: “Um… Not really, no.”
Albert: “...Roger, what did you discover?”
Roger: “Nothing.”
Lillian: “Huh? Wait, then what were you so scared about earlier?”
Roger: “No, you don’t get it.”
Roger: “Everything Stops at the edge of town. There was nothing past it.”

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Roger: “No ground, no sky, no stars…”
Roger: “It’s just darkness, as far as the eye can see.”
Roger: “There isn’t anything outside of Cattenom.”
Roger: “We can’t leave, because there’s nowhere to go.”
Roger: “We’re trapped here.”

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…

Lillian: “So now what?”

She asked the question on everyone’s minds. Where do you go from here? What should you do? What can you do?

Everything you’ve done up ‘til now… what was it all for?

Albert: “...”
Lemmy: “...”

Even if you save Rodney from graduation, what then? There’s nowhere to run away to. They’ll always find you.

Enid: “...”
Roger: “...”

It’s only a matter of time…

Until he dies.

Until you die.

Until everyone here dies.

What’s the point of struggling? What did you get hurt for? What did you hurt others for?

Clive: “...”
Lillian: “...”

Why are you even still alive?

…

Franklin: “...We keep searching, right?”

The words snap you out of your gloom.

Franklin: “There’s nothing else we can do, is there? We’ll all die if we stay here and graduate, and our friends will be killed even before that.”
Franklin: “We don’t know how to get out of Cattenom, but that’s just because we don’t know what’s going on. Maybe… we can leave if we learn more about it?”
Franklin: “Or maybe we can’t, but there could be other stuff we can do still. Probably.”

He scratches his head, considering things.

Franklin: “Even if there isn’t, it’s not like things get worse because we try, right? Bad things can happen even if we do nothing, like with Phillip or Rodney.”
Franklin: “So… It’s better to Try than to give up, I think. Whatever the reason is that we’re trapped, we should try to figure it out.”
Franklin: “...I don’t want to look away from the scary things anymore.”

It’s a very simple pitch. “Keep going, because what do we even have to lose?”

Still, it’s a rather comforting mantra. Instead of surrendering to the impossibility of escape, why not surrender to the fact that giving up is pointless? After all, there might be nothing to gain from continuing on, but there’s certainly nothing gained by quitting.

Rodney is alive. Lemmy didn’t find his body with Jhonen’s, so he’s still alive somewhere. If you don’t do anything though, that could change. Today, tomorrow, who knows how quickly?

Quitting now means giving up on him. You’re worthless in more ways than you can count, but that’s one line you refuse to cross.

Roger: “...He’s right. The adults have to know about this, so maybe we can too if we keep digging for answers.”
Enid: “Even if there’s no way out, we can decide what to do once we know what we’re dealing with.”
Albert: “Perhaps we can press Temmie for more information? Or we could capture one of the adults and force them to answer our inquiries.”
Lillian: “Maybe there’s stuff at the nuclear plant you guys missed that would fill in the blanks? Could be worth going back.”
Lemmy: “We only checked one side of the town, right? Maybe there’s more to the North? We could have a whole other city in our bubble, and just not know it.”
Lemmy: “Or maybe there are just super strong drugs in the air down South, and Roger just hallucinated the whole thing? No point losing sleep over that.”

Many ideas are thrown around, as everyone suggests ways to move forward. After some time though, two ideas stand above the rest.

Roger: “Breaking into the High School will tell us what’s going on with graduation, let us prep an escape plan, and pull Phillip and Rodney out if they’re in danger.”
Roger: “And if we can get into their record rooms, we may be able to figure out what happened to all the previous kids who graduated.”
Enid: “But the Recycling Center is more likely to have answers about why the town is the way it is, right? It was made after the Nuclear Plant was abandoned.”
Enid: “If we can figure out why the world around Cattenom is gone, then maybe we can find a way to get back to it.”
Lemmy: “Can we go somewhere that isn’t heavily guarded? I came here ‘cuz I wanted to not graduate, y’know?”
Lemmy: “Unless I’m staying behind. I’m totally on board with any search where I get to stay here while you guys do it!”

Enid and Albert are in favor of checking the Recycling Center, while Roger and Lillian would rather investigate the High School. Lemmy hates both options, while Franklin is deep in thought, not having weighed in. You have yet to pick a side, tamping down your obvious preference for saving Rodney to consider and make sure you’d be doing what’s best for him.

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Before you reach a conclusion, Albert nudges you, pulling you aside again.

Clive: “...I miss when you were uncomfortable touching me.”
Albert: “Ha. Be serious a moment.”
Albert: “I have respected your wishes up ‘til now, but if we’re to continue collaborating on this investigation, then I feel it would be best to elaborate on your situation.”
Albert: “Without prying too deep into your personal life, I believe you should tell the group about your parents.”

Fuck.

Oh hey, you’re openly swearing in your mind. ‘Bec would be so proud.

Clive: “Why? What good will that do?”
Albert: “For starters, it would open your home up as a secure place to meet-up and plan. The morgue is fine, but we don’t want to raise Dr. Stein’s suspicions by overusing it.”
Albert: “It would also make it easier to investigate Rodney’s situation. Without knowing that the Schmidt adults are deceased, the others may reach incorrect conclusions.”
Albert: “If we’re going to the High School, that’s a necessity.”

You swallow, not wanting to admit he’s right, but seeing few alternatives.

Albert: “Lastly, it would give the others more confidence in your skills.”
Clive: “...My skills?”

There’s only one thing he could mean. You want to cover your ears, but the words come out too quickly.

Albert: “You’ve Killed adults before.”

You haven’t. You’ve never done that.

Albert: “If the need arises again, the others will be relying on you. Enid certainly has the gusto for it, but her diminutive stature is ill-suited for the task.”
Albert: “I’m sure Roger or Lillian could find their nerve in a pinch, but it would ease everyone’s nerves tremendously knowing we have someone willing and able to do the deed.”
Albert: “I would offer myself, but my condition leaves me even worse off than Enid.”

You hate this conversation, but it presents an out. This would be a perfect moment to correct the misunderstanding and tell the truth about what happened.

…It would be so simple, but once you do it, you can never take it back.

How will Rodney feel when he learns that everyone present knows the worst thing he’s ever had to do? Something he did for you. Can you really throw him under the bus when all he did was try to help you?

Plus, all of you are taking this risk to try and rescue Rodney and Phillip. What if the truth kills their motivation to rescue him? These kids are already more worried about Phillip than your little brother, why give them more reasons? If, for some reason, you can only save one of them, does Rodney even stand a chance? Would they consider him for even a moment?

Why risk his safety? So that kids won’t see you for what you are? Just because you haven’t killed yet doesn’t mean you can’t or won’t. Everyone already knows you have the potential.

You proved it with JoJo, and you proved it with Snyder. Why keep fighting it? It’d be easier for everyone if you just accept that you’re a killer. Then everything can be the way it’s meant to be.

You can be the demon, if it means Rodney gets to be the angel. It’s not even a lie, it might as well be the truth.

It has to be.


Your decisions shall carry a deep Consequence.

What should Clive say about his parents?

1: Continue the Lie
-Let the others know that your parents are dead, and that you are responsible
-Clive will lose a substantial amount of Fear
-Clive will gain a point of Insanity
2: Say Nothing
-Hold your tongue, neither supporting the truth or the lie
-Nothing will get better, but nothing will get worse
-Let them make assumptions. They already do
3: Tell the Truth
-Let the others know that your parents are dead, and that Rodney was responsible
-Good and Bad things will come of this. Just because this is healthy for Clive doesn’t mean the results will be entirely positive


And where should you focus your efforts tomorrow?

A: The High School Building
-Focus on Graduation and what the adults are doing to you

PROS:
-There is no world where you don’t leave this building with significantly more answers than new questions (excluding those where you don’t leave at all)
-If there is any risk of Phillip or Rodney dying the way Jhonen did, you will be there to prevent it
-You’ll get to see Rodney again

CONS:
-The adults probably expect this, and have taken greater security measures to protect this building. It is the more dangerous choice
-If you’re discovered, and you leave without freeing your companions, security may be even higher when you come back for them
-There’s a chance Franklin will vote the other way, leaving Lemmy as a wildcard tie-breaker unless you make an effort to persuade either of them


B: The Recycling Center
-Focus on the state of the town, and seeking a way out of Cattenom

PROS:
-Coming here is more likely to solve the questions raised by Franklin’s story. Suggesting as much should sway him towards this choice easily
-Significantly lower odds of running into dead bodies, since you have no current knowledge of deaths occurring here
-Being caught here is less immediately suspicious than being caught at the high school.

CONS:
-The Recycling Center is a big unknown for you. It’s unclear what answers you can expect to find here, or how much danger you’ll be in
-If something happens to Rodney or Phillip while you are here, you will be powerless to stop it


C: Neither
-Suggest an alternative direction for your investigation
-You’ll have to dig deep and be VERY persuasive to convince the others to abandon either of these options

1C) At this point, any intel you omit could be the deciding factor in your upcoming life-or-death situations. Hurting your friends is necessary if the alternative is watching them die because none of you figured out a crucial exploit. You need to lay your cards on the table, especially since your enemies are playing with a stacked roguelike-endgame deck.
You don't have to emphasize Rodney's actions; expand on the details, how the other adults reacted to the death/disappearance of their underlings, what the strategy is for covering up a full disappearance, everything you can think of. Put the spotlight on how the rest of the town reacted, because you live in a pretty @#$%ed up town and should care less about your personal responsibilities when you're surrounded by sociopathic predators who lap up every single shameful mistake and pay them back tenfold with chains and scalpels.

2B) This place... this world... is it even real? What Roger found has changed the game significantly. Or maybe you're all brainwashed to see the outside as a File Not Found error.
Right now, there is a very plausible possibility that your environment could be instantly erased by whatever power holds domain over it. Or they could fire up override commands on your brains and mind-control you instantly.
The only sliver of hope you have at taking back control is to find a way out of this place. Infect the system that lords over you as god, and you become the Skynet. Who knows? If this is a fantasy simulation, there might be backups of Rodney and the others out there.

1 Tell the truth.
I genuinely do not think after everything that has happened that these people would judge Rodney all that harshly. Infact given that your parents both worked at the high school they might think better in some regards.

2. Picking option 3 to suggest the Police station.
One officer was there when Alberts father got stabbed. Another was there when jhonen was taken. They are ACTIVELY enforcing what is happening here and no doubt are well aware of all the things happening here. If we want serious answers. That's where we should go.

Also just pointing out. Yeah no. Bec is probably going to seek us out to work with us next thread. Would shock me if she wasn't given what she'll find out there.
So we'll probably have her expertise at our disposal.

>In a way, he is to you what you must be to him, more an Idea, than a person.
What an interesting musing, especially to us "spirits". I'm sure Clive's wrong about what Franklin thinks of him, though.

...The world coming to an abrupt end and/or being closed off like that reminds me of a few different stories, although I can't recall at all the movie that comes to mind.
Still, using those as a reference, they would imply that Cattenom is either in Space, or is in its entirety, a Simulation of some sort. The latter doesn't really make sense to me, given that it would imply that the adults are not in fact, in control- many things would have already been observed, stopped, altered, or otherwise if that were the case. The former, on the other hand... well, in any case, I'd have loved to hear Jhonen's thoughts on it all.

That aside, what the hell's the point of money, taxes, loans, and all that nonsense in whatever this situation is? I feel like that's a thought that'll hit 'Bec, too. On surface level, it seems like just a way to fake the normalcy of "before". Or maybe it's just as simple as repeating that one mantra or whatever you'd like to call it; "Nothing Changes in Cattenom".

--

...I've brought it up before, but Enid really is a foil to Rodney here- especially when considering Clive's thought;
>You can be the demon, if it means Rodney gets to be the angel.
Enid was Shielded for as long as possible given the circumstances of Cattenom, and ultimately, it didn't end well for Frederick. Why would it for Clive?

Continuing the Lie, ultimately, would not only render Rodney's actions meaningless, but also likely end Very Badly for Clive. The definition of Losing Him, as it were.

Saying Nothing is admittedly a reasonable, if hypocritical choice- worst case scenario, Albert says something first, and then it's entirely out of Clive's hands. For some reason though, a part of me is thinking... what if Rodney can see, and hear... what Clive is doing? What kind of consequences would that bring?

Ultimately though, I think Clive should Tell the Truth.
I'm no expert on relationships, friend, family, or otherwise, and I feel it may be overly harsh to be blunt about it- but the damage was already done the moment Rodney took action, regardless if it was for Clive or not. Even if it's not uncovered now, there's still a good chance it may still yet, even after lying either verbally or silently and shouldering that sin. Even if Clive hadn't snapped at Rodney, I still think something would have happened- such as say, collapsing from hunger, stress, or overexertion. It's hard to know, what's done is done. Clive's selflessness towards Rodney is a selfishness in its own right.

As an aside, opening up Clive's house as an option is potentially the biggest net positive for "everyone" - it's just too bad that it comes at the cost of putting Rodney's already questionable safety or rescue into further doubt.

-
Admittedly, the location I'm most curious about now that we know about Cattenom being closed off is the Ocean, especially when combined with the consideration of it being contaminated by the nuclear power plant... but I don't see a solid argument for investigating it further.
If anything, I don't have a vote for a location at all.

2 and B

I trust that Clive will open up about what happened when he is good and ready, not when we tell him when. Besides, he already made the decision to tell Roger himself without our orders before they got interrupted back in the powerplant. Maybe when he feels more comfortable enough around the other kids like he did with Roger, he will feel more ready to talk about what really happened.

If we do decide to tell them now, I recommend Clive frame the story as Rodney being a hero saving your life from getting graduated so he doesn't be seen as a murderer. Bad things will probably still happen after telling the truth, but at least they'll have context.

And I really really really want to go to the high school, so no other kid has to die, get a golden ending when we can save everyone we can. But sadly, for a horror story like this, we need to be realistic about our limitations and the high risks, even if it means another death may happen for not going into the high school right away. with how much more secure the school might become for awhile, we could be risking more deaths within our team at the moment than if we go later.

3) Tell the truth. Letting them falsely rely on your being hardened to death is bound to cause disaster.
A (rescue) or C (third way investigation). Not sure what the recycling center can teach us about the void around town. As for the building's purpose, odds are it's to recycle people into new babies. Investigating the police could give us answers to questions about people.

>>1119079
Not just people. I was thinking more Old police reports from back when the town was thrust into this void and any other thing that happened since like the sterilization or the beginning of what is happening at highschool.