The Storyteller 2023/03/19(Sun)12:58 No. 1059047 ID: 629f2e
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> “Why do other people keep deciding what I should or shouldn’t know?” Because they have more experience than you, are older than you, they think they know what's best for you. They want to avoid their own mistakes, shield you from harm, etc, but that can backfire too. Excessively sheltering or coddling someone can negatively affect their psyche.

> The worries of "Can they handle it?" "Is it right?" "When is the right time?" "Do they deserve to face the consequences of that knowledge?" and more make that kind of thing so much harder to determine. For example, is it right for Enid to know her father was likely killed? Certainly. But is now the right time? When she has more to worry about? When she's... relatively stable right now? She might be able to handle it at her current Fear. But maybe it's unnecessary digging at old wounds.

With everything else happening, I forgot about Enid’s dad. What are we going to tell her when we meet again?

Well... If she’s really not in a good place, I guess I’d wait for her to calm down first. I want to tell her as soon as possible though. She should know what happened. It was her dad, none of us were close to him like she was. We don’t know what that information will do to her, but holding it back because we’re scared it could hurt wouldn’t be right.

That and I feel like she has her Suspicions already.

Enid: “Adults Lie all the time. Even Giovanni lied to us when we asked him about Jhonen.”
Enid: “Why wouldn’t they lie about this too?”

It’s just a feeling I have. I don’t think any of us have really talked to her about the house fire, or what she thinks about it. We don’t want to upset her, but maybe she’d feel better talking about it. Something to think about.

Anyways, I would be honest with Enid, and I’d want my friends to do the same for me.

> First things first: you can’t blame yourself for “messing up” or “abandoning” Lillian and Lemmy. They’ll completely understand that you’re going through some extremely stressful stuff, and Lillian knows what it’s like to suffer through that. They won’t feel bad or blame you for taking the time you need to focus and recover.

I still wish I hadn’t left how I did, but I’ll try not to feel too guilty about it.

> Speaking of recovery, I still think it’s important to go see JoJo. Think back to the flashback you just had. How good did it feel to get a visit from Judy after you were admitted, when even your own mom wasn’t dropping by?

...It can be lonely, staying by yourself in a room like this without anyone to talk to or play with. Lonely, boring, and weirdly draining. You’d think it’d feel great to rest that much, but it doesn’t.

I still want to visit Temmie, but... I’ll check on JoJo first. I’m here after all.

> This is what memories are there for: they help us make better decisions now, for other people, that we wouldn’t have made if we didn't have them. Use all your memories, Franklin. Especially the ones where you’re being called Jordan.

I may not have all of Jordan’s memories, but the ones that I do have made me look at things Differently. I don’t know if I can even get back in the headspace I was in before I had them, and that was just today! Or, I guess it started yesterday...?

I wish I had the rest, but who knows how different things would seem then?

The Storyteller 2023/03/19(Sun)12:58 No. 1059048 ID: 629f2e
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I don’t run into any of the doctors while leaving my room. I try to walk quietly, peeking into every room in the hallways I’m in. The third door ends up being right. I hear her voice come through as soon as I crack it.

JoJo: “Who’s there?”

I let myself in, shutting the door behind me. She doesn’t look good, but then she is sick. Her hair is a mess, her face seems tired, and they have more blankets on her than there were in my bed.

JoJo: “You? What do you want?”
Me: “To see if you’re feeling better.”
JoJo: “Why?”
Me: “Because I was worried?”
JoJo: “Yeah, see, that was implied. Why though? It’s not like we’re friends.”
Me: “Well, I guess that’s true...”
Me: “...I thought it would be sad if nobody visited you, and you were all alone here.”
JoJo: “Oh great, a Pity visit. Awesome, this day just keeps getting better and better.”
Me: “Really?”

Not really, judging by the glare she shoots me. Maybe I should change the topic.

Me: “So... Did something happen to you?”
JoJo: “I got sick. That something enough?”
Me: “Sort of. Is it serious?”
JoJo: “...Just a cold.”
Me: “Then why are you here? Don’t most kids just stay home when it’s a cold or fever?”

She lets out a scornful laugh.

JoJo: “Whatever. I’m fine. You can leave.”
Me: “...Um, have your parents stopped by to visit, maybe?”
JoJo: “What? Planning to grill them next? Make them explain how I wound up here?”
Me: “No. I was just wondering if anyone else had come yet.”
JoJo: “...No, they haven’t. Satisfied?”

Good question. I really just wanted to check in, and she seems to be her usual self. Her usual abrasive self. That’s... good?

Me: “I guess so. It’s nice that you’re doing well.”
JoJo: “It was better before you showed up, but whatever.”
Me: “Should I go then?”
JoJo: “What do you think?”

I think that’s a yes.

I turn around to leave, getting as far as stepping out of the room, when I hear her call back.

JoJo: “Wait.”
JoJo: “...Have you seen ‘Bec?”
Me: “...Hmm...”

It takes me a minute to place that name, but I remember Albert saying it while we were talking about yesterday. I don’t know what she looks like though.

Me: “I don’t think so? Is she coming over?”
JoJo: “The doc said that she... Look, I just figured she might drop by.”
Me: “Did you want her to?”
JoJo: “Beats seeing your ugly mug.”
Me: “...”
JoJo: “Whatever. She probably has other things going on.”
Me: “...If I see her, I could ask her to stop by and visit.”
JoJo: “Huh? Who told you to do something like that–!?”

The Storyteller 2023/03/19(Sun)12:59 No. 1059049 ID: 629f2e
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A cough from behind me interrupts the conversation. I startle slightly, turning around to see one of the doctors standing there. It isn’t just any doctor, but Mr. Horvitz.

Mr. Horvitz: “I see you’re awake. Feeling better?”
Me: “Er– Yes sir.”
Mr. Horvitz: “Splendid. If that’s the case, then you’re free to go. It’s nearly curfew, so you should hurry if you want to make it home.”
Me: “Okay...”

Part of me wants to say something. This is Jhonen’s dad, which means it’s his fault Jhonen graduated. His fault that Jhonen’s head was–

I stop myself. If I say anything, I’ll just mess up. I know I will, I’ll say everything that I shouldn’t and get in trouble. I don’t want to do that, so I keep my anger on a leash. For now at least.

Before I go, I give JoJo a small wave. She doesn’t wave back or say anything.

The Storyteller 2023/03/19(Sun)13:00 No. 1059050 ID: 629f2e
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It’s not long after that I’m standing at the door to the hospital, watching the rain come down as the last bit of sunlight is fading away.

> I want to see Temmie too. But at the moment, we did get some insight that she is being kept a close eye on by her father and he might actually suspicious of her after she took that opportunity to speak with you alone instead of going downstairs with her father after their window broke... talking to her is going to be difficult and might risk her and you getting in trouble.

...If that wasn’t what I was supposed to do, then she would have said that, wouldn’t she? Her fortune said that it would come back to her, not that we’d talk tomorrow.

> From what I remember though, she does have one trick up her sleeve to escape him, but she said she is saving that opportunity for later and I'm not too sure if she will need that opportunity to speak to you or use that for another reason.

This is later, so that could mean now! I bet if I go to her house, she’ll be waiting for me!

...I’m going to go see her. I’m sorry, but I can’t just wait and do it tomorrow. It has to be tonight. I’m not going to be able to get any sleep if I can’t get some sort of explanation out of her for... everything.

The only thing I’m willing to delay my visit for are my friends. I don’t know if they’re still out there or if they went home. If they’re looking for me, I might make them all late for curfew. But even if they’re out there, there are so many places they could be, and it’s dark, and raining...

...Which should it be? Temmie, or Lemmy and Lillian?

Temmie can speak with spirits and has some limited foresight, so whatever you end up doing, Franklin, she'll likely be prepared in one form or another.

You know who doesn't have that ability? Your friend, Lillian. And that kid Lemmy.

You should go find Lillian and Lemmy and make sure they don't get in trouble for trying to find you after curfew. It's been a bad day for SUSPICION by adults of y'all, let's not make it worse.

I'm not sure what to pick right now, but I think there is a couple things to keep in mind,

Temmie's fortunes can be metaphorical, and not literal. with that in mind, when she said the journey would lead you back to her, it could actually mean that she was the answer to the journey you were going out to seek, leading you back to her as the answer. That said, what she explained could be literal, or it could have been metaphorical.

And also, I remember her saying that at the end of your journey, only most of your questions will be answered, not everything. Whether you see her or not, I do not think you are going to get answers to everything like you want. But remember that you did get most of answers you were seeking from this investigation, the big one being who Judy was, and who your friends may have used to be.

I'll think over my answer a little more, but I thought I'd explain what I'm thinking right now for context. I'm right now leaning towards seeing Temmie since we have no idea where Lemmy and Lilian are, and there could be a chance we won't find them, unless you guys had planned a meeting place to catch up with everyone else like Roger and Albert.

When you're lost, it's always good to review. Shall we re-examine the promise and fortune?

>“I need a favor from you, something that I am incapable of doing by myself. I’m fine for now, but I’ll need this from you in a few days.”
If Temmie was fine, what would cause her to not be fine? A few days is also... kind of vague, but is at least two?
>“If you promise to keep up your end when it matters, then I will let you ask me Two Questions right here and now."
>“In the final act of your story, I will have already spent what little usefulness I could offer to you and your friends. At that time, I will have Nothing left to give.”
She emphasized Nothing. No fortunes, no protection, no suggestions. I'm uncertain of what would cause that either.
>“I’d like you to promise that no matter how little help I can be, or how much time it will cost you at a Critical Juncture, you will still come back for me at the end.”
How critical is the current choice? This could be it, unless it's related to Group B (Clive/etc).

>"You learn quickly, so this will be more than enough for you.”
...At the end of the day, she believed you would know when the time would come.

If you say it's now, then that's all there is to it.

(fortune minimized due to redundancy/space, use Ctrl+F if reference necessary.)
>“In the opening act..."
If we assume that Jhonen deduced the "plot"... then, who are the other two? Franklin Sr. and Mr. Sheppard? ...I'm not confident in that answer.
>“Three guides stand at the start of each road..."
>“One stares so deeply inward... Perhaps you are more the guide than the follower.”
>“Another has never been one you could trust... You will question who they truly are, and eventually come to know throughout your quest.”
>“The last sees no path at all..."
I'm uncertain who the three guides are still.

>“Eventually, the show will end, the curtains will fall, and the actors will drop the charade. Strive not to get lost in the performance, lest you find yourself unable to face reality when the story concludes.
I'm wondering if this 'end' and the "end" Temmie mentioned before the fortune are one and the same. If they are... is the act, the charade- still going?

...
If you're going to Temmie, I'd suggest seeing if there's anyone around on the way to her that you trust to deliver a message to Lillian. That way they know you're okay.

Actually, wait, would there even be anyone out this late that would do that? I doubt it. Um...

...You could... check in with one of the doctors to have them place a call for you? Maybe have them call Lillian's parents?
Actually... damn, I don't know.

>"Even Giovanni lied to us when we asked him about Jhonen."

...

...He knew? I want to give him the benefit of the doubt that he falls under the "was made to stay quiet" category, but...

Hmm. Maybe don't ask the doctors to call.

The Storyteller 2023/04/01(Sat)00:19 No. 1060141 ID: 629f2e
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> You should go find Lillian and Lemmy and make sure they don't get in trouble for trying to find you after curfew. It's been a bad day for SUSPICION by adults of y'all, let's not make it worse.

> I'm right now leaning towards seeing Temmie since we have no idea where Lemmy and Lilian are, and there could be a chance we won't find them, unless you guys had planned a meeting place to catch up with everyone else like Roger and Albert.

Those are both good points. We didn’t decide on where to meet up after our investigation, and even if we had, Lillian and Lemmy might still be looking for me.

> Temmie's fortunes can be metaphorical, and not literal. With that in mind, when she said the journey would lead you back to her, it could actually mean that she was the answer to the journey you were going out to seek, leading you back to her as the answer. That said, what she explained could be literal, or it could have been metaphorical.

I guess that makes sense, even if it’s confusing...

If it’s literal, then I need to go see her. If it was metaphorical, then I don’t need to... right? Even if it was just a metaphor though, that doesn’t change the conclusion, does it? Temmie is still Judy. Even if she wasn’t telling me to visit, it still makes me want to. I have so many questions for her... I guess it wouldn’t need to be Tonight then, but...

...What if she graduates tomorrow? Or what if she goes missing, or gets sick, or Dies?

Terrible things keep happening in town, and I don’t know that she’ll be around tomorrow. Something bad could happen to me, and then I wouldn’t be here tomorrow! What if this is my only chance?

...There are things I need to know.

Mrs. Fitzsimmons: “Heading out?”

I turn back to the Lemmy’s mom, who is watching me from the check-in desk.

Me: “Mhmm.”
Mrs. Fitzsimmons: “Well stay safe! And walk fast, it looks like the rain is picking up.”
Me: “Okay.”

She returns to reading a book she’d been holding after that. Her missing son didn’t seem to bother her at all, a fact which bothers me more than it should. I bury the emotion, not wanting to consider it anymore.

I don’t have an umbrella, so I just let the water run over me as I step outside. I’ll be soaked by the time I make it home, even if I cut through the forest.

Temmie’s house isn’t far, only a short walk down the sidewalk really. With minimal lighting and the downpour though, it’s a slow trek. I have to be careful not to get spun around and wind up lost, which is easy to do when my mind is racing like it is now. There are so many things I want to ask, just trying to choose between them all feels impossible.

> Shall we re-examine the promise and fortune?

We can try that. It’d make for a nice break.

> “I’m fine for now, but I’ll need this from you in a few days.” If Temmie was fine, what would cause her to not be fine? A few days is also... kind of vague, but is at least two?

> “In the final act of your story, I will have already spent what little usefulness I could offer to you and your friends. At that time, I will have Nothing left to give.” She emphasized Nothing. No fortunes, no protection, no suggestions. I'm uncertain of what would cause that either.

> ...At the end of the day, she believed you would know when the time would come. If you say it's now, then that's all there is to it.

...It isn’t tonight. I mean, it hasn’t been any days since that fortune, and she said it would be a few before she needed any. Plus, I’m going to her right now because she Does have something she can help me with. She can answer my questions, or at least I hope she can.

If I’ll know when the time comes, then I don’t have to wonder about when it’ll be. It’s not like I have to study to be ready.

> If we assume that Jhonen deduced the "plot"... then, who are the other two? Franklin Sr. and Mr. Sheppard? ...I'm not confident in that answer.

Lillian had a good point earlier though. Temmie knows about all of this, so shouldn’t she count as one of the people who read the script? Whatever it’s actually referring to, she has to count, right? She wouldn’t be able to make a fortune out of it if she didn’t understand, right? So maybe it’s Jhonen, Temmie, and the Doctor? I guess that still depends on what the “plot” is.

> I'm uncertain who the three guides are still.

The only one I might know is the one that I’m supposed to “come to know”. It feels like that could be either Temmie or Me. We did find out a lot about me after all, and this whole investigation ended with figuring out that Judy was Temmie. So we sort of came to know about me and her.

That’s just what I think though, and I still don’t know who the other two would have been. Maybe that’s something I can ask Temmie to explain?

The Storyteller 2023/04/01(Sat)00:20 No. 1060142 ID: 629f2e
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I see a figure off in the distance, standing on the street. The rain pours down their umbrella, almost like a halo around them. My breath catches in my throat.

Judy...? But how–

She glances towards me, but then averts her gaze back up. She’s looking at...

The Storyteller 2023/04/01(Sat)00:20 No. 1060143 ID: 629f2e
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...

The Storyteller 2023/04/01(Sat)00:21 No. 1060144 ID: 629f2e
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Home.

How did I not recognize it before, I was here just this afternoon!

All of the pieces fall into place, just how I remember them. It’s like a building built straight out of my memories. The living room window I’d rush up to whenever the ice-cream man passed by, the yard I liked to play games in with Mittens, even that massive tree I remember getting stuck in once.

It’s all there, just how it was before... Nothing has changed...

...But that’s not really true, is it?

I turn back to her, looking more closely this time.

Me: “You’re...”
???: “And so the number who’ve read the script returns to three.”
Me: “...”

The Storyteller 2023/04/01(Sat)00:23 No. 1060146 ID: 629f2e
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Temmie: “It’s been a long day, hasn’t it, Jordan?”

My mind goes blank, as I struggle to find my voice. I had so many questions, but What did I actually want to ask her?

mommom momomo momomo momomo moo mm momm momm / omoo ooo mmo / oo mo mom mom omoo / oo m / ommmmo / moo mmmm mo o / mo oo / mm / mmm mo omoo mm om oom mommom / omom mmo mom momm / mm om o ooo / mo / ommm mo momm momm / mmo om omm m mom / mmmm m mom / mmo oo ommm mom m momm momm mo momomo

>>1060146
How long has it been since you died? Where are your parents? Do they know about what's going on here, or that you were raised from the dead?

>>1060151
Translated:
"...WILL YOU MARRY ME - WHAT AM I SAYING" CURL INTO A BALL UNDER HER UMBRELLA.

You know most of the "what" of everything that led up to this point, and the "how" is... complicated, but not unguessable.
So, here's a couple of simple suggestions.

- Why did things turn out this way?

- What should I even do now?

- The spirits say happy April Fools. What are they talking about? It's neither April nor the First...?

There might be something more important to ask, but I think you should just appreciate that this possibility came to be.
Welcome home.

I think probably the most pressing question is "Why aren't the parents stopping us from dying, why are they just okay with us dying"

Psychologically people typically get a sunk-cost fallacy with something they've invested into a lot, for example, kids.

They spend money on food, time raising, pay rent, etc, and while some of them seem *uncomfortable* with graduation *vaguely* it seems most everyone is in on it.

That or "is everyone just a clone or getting cloned from eachother" because honestly that's where my theory is leaning, that they clone or brain transplant or something people, since you're literally jordan put in another body right?

Uh, actually, franklin, stupid question, but what's your earliest memory? like can you remember anything from before you were 7 or something, do you sort of just remember being in elementary school, or remember anything before that?

you know what I'm thinking?

Temmie, or rather Judy has probably been waiting so very long to see Jordan again, and for Franklin to remember her... I think while answering questions is important, I think it is more important to let her enjoy your company as her long lost brother in this little reunion, even if you don't remember the full details.

If it was me, I'd probably give her a hug immediatly, and tell her thanks for not breaking her promise that you would be okay while you were sick in the hospital bed, because despite dying from cancer probably you got better and are alive. Also I would assure her you won't break your promise and let her know you and your friends will come back for her near the end when she needs you guys accordingly to her fortune.

Keep in mind too that as far as questions go, Temmie can hear our questions, so you don't need to repeat what we want to ask her.

I'd guess I'd ask her if she still has that journal she was researching back then, but only if it has something to do with everything that has been going on.

Why are children comming back from death? Why looking different and to new parents?

Why didn't Jordan come back, all those years before?

I don't know what to ask you Temmie. I can only wish to free you from your curse of knowledge. No one should have to live as if life were a story already written. Enjoy meeting your brother I suppose, and may something happen that you did not anticipate.

Oh, you don't have to tell her that Franklin. She can hear us.

1. Would you rather call me Jordan or Franklin, going forward?

2. Why didn't you tell me about this earlier? Or for that matter, at all?

3. Will the cycle ever end?

The Storyteller 2023/06/16(Fri)00:52 No. 1065972 ID: 629f2e
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The spirits around us speak fervently, almost drowning out my voice when I respond.

Me: “Yeah, I guess it has been. It feels like forever ago that we had our playdate.”
Temmie: “I can imagine.”

She laughs, in a quiet, casual sort of way. It’s nice, but I think we both know it can’t last.

Temmie: “...So, I’m sure you have questions.”

I slowly nod.

Me: “I think... I Understand? Most of it- or, at least some...? Even if I don’t know Why it’s like this, or How.”
Temmie: “And you want me to fill in the gaps?”
Me: “...”

I came here for answers, she isn’t wrong. But... Now that I’m here, the questions I was going to ask feel... Less important? Like, I want to know them, but it’s not the big question I want to ask.

Temmie: “Hmm, it seems They want it at least.”

She definitely isn’t wrong. You guys are being pretty loud about it, even though she can already hear you when you talk normally.

Temmie: “Why don’t I speak to them first? Quiet them down a bit.”
Me: “...Okay.”

She claps her hands together, suddenly bringing order to your scattered voices. It’s almost like she lined you up, as the questions come one after another.

> How long has it been since you died?

She frowns, shaking her head.

Temmie: “In what way am I dead? Am I not still here, in the flesh? I reject this framing.”
Me: “But just because you’re alive now, doesn’t mean that you were before.”

She takes pause at that, rubbing her chin. Then she shakes her head again.

Temmie: “For the sake of an answer, I’ll reassign the “you” to Jordan here. How long has it been since Jordan died?”
Temmie: “Time is an odd concept. Everybody wants more, and yet when you have enough of it, it loses all meaning.”

There’s a beat of silence, and then another.

Me: “...That isn’t really an answer.”
Temmie: “No, it isn’t. Both you and they would prefer a number, wouldn’t you?”
Me: “Yes?”
Temmie: “Let’s see... Either I don’t know, and thus cannot tell you; or I do know, but am choosing not to tell you.”
Temmie: “Or perhaps it’s both? I do not know, and I am choosing not to answer.”
Temmie: “You may choose what you feel to be true.”

I’m not sure how to interpret an answer like that, and before I can question it further, she’s moving on to the next question.

> Where are your parents? Do they know about what's going on here, or that you were raised from the dead?

Temmie: “...Do not worry yourself with that.”

I hadn’t been worried before...

> Why aren't the parents stopping us from dying? Why are they just okay with us dying?

Temmie: “Does a broken clock not seem to function as it should, if you only check it at the time its hands point to?”
Me: “What?”
Temmie: “What does it mean to die, truly? If death is an Ending, then is a continued story not a sign of its absence?”
Me: “Are... you talking about what happened to me? That I’m still alive?”
Temmie: “I have nothing more to say here.”
Me: “But, what about Jhonen. He’s... His story isn’t continuing, is it? Why didn’t his parents stop him from dying?”
Temmie: “...”

Her face tightens up with visible frustration. She opens her mouth, but flinches without speaking a word. She glares down at the floor, shaking her head.

Temmie: “I have nothing more to say.”

> Is everyone just a clone or getting cloned from each other?

Temmie: “...”

She rubs her chin thoughtfully, clearly considering something. Eventually she shakes her head.

Temmie: “That would be telling, wouldn’t it?”
Me: “What would? Is that spirit right?”
Temmie: “To different degrees, yes and no. Does that help?”
Me: “Not really.”
Temmie: “Hmm... I have nothing more to add, unfortunately.”

> Why are children coming back from death? Why do they look different, and why are they going to new parents?

Temmie: “I ask you again: What does it mean to die?”
Temmie: “If my soul lingers on, am I Living, regardless of the body it inhabits? What if the body lives, yet the soul is damaged or even wholly different? Am I my body, my soul, or the combination?”
Temmie: “To tell you the truth, however you may answer this, the dead stay dead as far as I am concerned.”
Temmie: “Hmm... Though, it would be silly not to bring up the exception in front of me.”

I stare at her with utter confusion. How can she be saying that? She’s... She should know that isn’t true, right?

> Why did things turn out this way?

> Why didn't Jordan come back, all those years before?

Temmie: “Because of choices made outside of our control. We didn’t Choose for Jordan to be used as an experiment, or for all other suspect happenings in this town to take place.”
Temmie: “We’re just kids. We don’t have power here.”

> Would you rather call him Jordan or Franklin, going forward?

She looks at me for a moment, suddenly seeming abashed.

Temmie: “That isn’t my place to say, really. I will call him as he wishes, although I was assuming he’d prefer Jordan.”
Temmie: “One is the name he was given, and the other is simply sloth on the mortician’s end.”
Temmie: “Have I chosen incorrectly?”

That was a great question. I haven’t really resolved most of my feelings about being Jordan yet, so the idea of being called that...

Franklin: “...Can you call me Franklin? Just... for now?”
Temmie: “If that’s what you’d prefer, Franklin.”

I nod. That felt better. It’s not just the name The Doctor made me use, it’s what all my friends call me too. It feels... right. I don’t know if I should keep using it, but I’m not ready to change. Too much has changed already, I just want to keep this one thing the way it was. Just for a little longer.

Temmie: “So, Franklin... Do you know what you want to ask?”
Franklin: “...I have a question. But it... isn’t for Temmie.”
Franklin: “There’s something I want to ask Judy.”

The Storyteller 2023/06/16(Fri)00:52 No. 1065973 ID: 629f2e
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I wince, as her expression falls.

Temmie: “Franklin–”
Franklin: “I know that you’re her! I... I pieced it together. It makes sense!”
Franklin: “You both know about occult stuff. You both live here, just like I did. You both... You look a lot like each other!”
Temmie: “Franklin...”
Franklin: “You even said I’d be back here when I was looking for Judy. That no matter how I got there, looking into Judy would bring me back to you. It’s because you’re her... Isn’t it?”
Franklin: “It makes sense. Please. I just want this to make sense.”

There’s no sound but the rain falling around us. I look at her, begging for her to just agree with me. Just tell me I’m right. Please.

Temmie: “...Explain it.”
Franklin: “Huh?”
Temmie: “If it makes sense, then you should be able to explain it, right? How am I here? Why am I not the same as you remember.”
Temmie: “Can you do that?”
Franklin: “...”
Franklin: “You... You’re just like me. You died, and you were brought back. That’s why you’re different.”
Temmie: “By who?”
Franklin: “Mom and dad?”
Temmie: “Can they do that? The Doctor was a mortician who experimented on corpses, but my parents aren’t doctors.”
Temmie: “Mom is a principal, and Dad stays at home to watch over me. And before that he was just a politician. Neither of them would know how to do that.”
Franklin: “Th-Then The Doctor helped them do it!”
Temmie: “When was that? I’m six now, but I remember being five, and four, and the rest. Nobody at school says that I suddenly appeared.”
Temmie: “So, was it six years ago?”
Franklin: “Yes? Or- no? I don’t...”

If he could make Temmie six years ago, and nobody thinks she’s weird, then why would I come out so weird two and a half years ago? Did he want me to be like that, or could it have been a rush job? Is it my fault?

No, that doesn’t make sense. Jordan wasn’t like this, and The Doctor didn’t want me to know anything about where I came from. It would have been easier to make me normal, so that I wouldn’t have questions.

But that’s the point she’s trying to make, isn’t it? When I try to put the pieces together like this, they don’t match.

Franklin: “It... doesn’t make sense. I can’t explain it.”
Franklin: “Which means... It isn’t true, is it?”
Temmie: “I’m sorry. I know you wanted to see her, but...”
Temmie: “Judy Died, Franklin. She’s been gone for a long time.”
Franklin: “...Then why do you know her?”

Her smile is small and sad.

The Storyteller 2023/06/16(Fri)00:53 No. 1065974 ID: 629f2e
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Temmie: “You weren’t completely wrong. Judy is someone very important to me.”
Franklin: “Is she... your sister? Or, your mom?”
Temmie: “No- or at least- those labels mean nothing to me. We do share blood, if that is what you're wondering. In that way, I guess it wouldn’t be wrong to call me your sister.”
Temmie: “My connection to Judy however is more... Spiritual. I owe much of what I am to her.”
Temmie: “My awareness of the spirits surrounding us was once hers. I inherited what she once had. Well–”
Temmie: “–No. Let’s not complicate it further. I doubt I could explain that anyways...”
Temmie: “Judy passed her gift on, and I received it. That’s my connection.”

I want to object and say that Judy never had any sort of power like that, but I can’t muster my resolve there. Maybe it’s because I’m scared to peek further and learn that she did, and just didn’t tell me. I go with a different question.

Franklin: “Why did you get her powers?”

She laughs bitterly.

Temmie: “I’ve asked myself that question a lot.”
Temmie: “...To be honest, I kind of Hate her.”
Franklin: “Because... you don’t want to hear spirits?”
Temmie: “It’s not worth the price. Maybe she thought it was, or maybe she just didn’t understand, but she made her decision.”
Temmie: “I never had a choice though. Judy made a pact, and I inherited her terms. That isn’t her fault, but... It doesn’t feel fair.”
Franklin: “What is the price?”
Temmie: “...”

For a moment, her eyes seem to glaze over, as she stares up towards nothing.

Temmie: “...”
Franklin: “Temmie?”
Temmie: “Sorry, just... It’s not fun to think about what I can’t have. You probably know what that feels like, don’t you?”
Franklin: “I guess I do.”
Temmie: “I’ll tell you. You have enough mysteries and questions on your plate as is. I won’t leave you with another.”
Temmie: “It’s... Isolation within the Infinite.”
Franklin: “...Um?”
Temmie: “Hmm... Think of it like: I’ve been dealt a full deck, but I’m not allowed to play with it. All I can do is watch everyone else. Explain the rules, teach others to play, moderate...”
Temmie: “But I can never be a player. Not like you, or Clive, or Albert, or Roger. You get to play your cards, strategize with the other players, change how it all ends.”
Temmie: “I’ll never have that. It’s branded too deep into my soul, and I’ll be carrying it with me for eternity.”
Temmie: “This is all there is for me. Now and forever...”

...If there’s a right response to what all she said right there, I haven’t found it. I want to tell her that it’s going to be alright, but we both know that I don’t know that.

Franklin: “...I’m sorry.”
Temmie: “No, I’m sorry. This isn’t anything new, yet I’m still wasting time whining about my own problems.”
Temmie: “You came looking for your own answers and I keep going off on tangents. You said you had a question for Judy?”

I slowly nod, wondering whether it’s even worth asking her at this point. It’s... so much smaller than everything she was talking about.

Temmie: “What was it? I can’t promise anything, but I may be able to tell you how Judy would have answered.”
Franklin: “Really?”
Temmie: “As I said, I make no promise.”

I take a deep breath. Dragging every memory I have of Jordan and his family to the front of my head, I try to focus on the feelings one more time. The way he felt about them, the way they felt about him.

Jordan Loved all of them. Judy, Mom, Dad... And they all loved him back. That’s what my memories tell me. Even if I know it isn’t really true.

Focusing on that... I know deep down that I have to ask it, no matter what. I have to know for sure.

The Storyteller 2023/06/16(Fri)00:53 No. 1065975 ID: 629f2e
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Franklin: “Did Judy actually care about me, or was all of that just a Lie?”

Temmie blinks twice, before making a face I’ve never seen her make. It’s a mixture of shock and utter confusion.

Temmie: “What...? Why are you asking that? Why would it be fake?”
Franklin: “I don’t know. But... it could have been, couldn’t it?”
Temmie: “...Franklin, I don’t understand, and that’s very rare for me.”
Franklin: “It’s just...”

The Storyteller 2023/06/16(Fri)00:53 No. 1065976 ID: 629f2e
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Franklin: “I’m kind of realizing, the more I learn about myself, that pretty much everybody I care about lies to me.”
Franklin: “The Doctor lied about where I came from, why I’m like this, where my mom was... pretty much everything really.”
Franklin: “Then Mom even existing turned out to be a lie.”

The Storyteller 2023/06/16(Fri)00:54 No. 1065977 ID: 629f2e
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Franklin: “...My Friends have been keeping things from me that they don’t think I’m ready for. The Spirits do it too.”
Franklin: “...Jhonen never told me he was looking into dad. He wanted to tell me when he found something, but he didn't mention it before.”
Franklin: “Jordan’s Parents... They lied all the time. When they promised they’d do things, or acted like they cared about him... None of that was true.”

The Storyteller 2023/06/16(Fri)00:54 No. 1065978 ID: 629f2e
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Franklin: “It just seems like... if everybody is lying, it would be weirder if Judy wasn’t, right?”
Franklin: “So... Was any of it real? Did Judy actually care about me, or not?”

The Storyteller 2023/06/16(Fri)00:54 No. 1065979 ID: 629f2e
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Temmie: “...”

The Storyteller 2023/06/16(Fri)00:55 No. 1065980 ID: 629f2e
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Temmie: “Judy never really got over your death.”
Temmie: “She was obsessed with finding a way to save you, even before you departed. Everything else became an afterthought.”
Temmie: “After you died, she never stopped searching for answers. In the end, she sacrificed Everything for that goal.”
Temmie: “Wishes like that, the kind that you’re willing to give up anything for... When you cast them out into the universe, sometimes you get a Response.”
Temmie: “...I know that you’ve been exposed to a lot of hard truths recently, and it probably feels like you can’t even trust your own judgment anymore.”
Temmie: “But I promise that the way you remember your sister was Real. No lies. No misunderstandings.”
Temmie: “She loves you. And she always will.”

The Storyteller 2023/06/16(Fri)00:55 No. 1065981 ID: 629f2e
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Franklin: “It wasn’t a lie?”
Franklin: “It was real... She cared.”
Franklin: “...”

The Storyteller 2023/06/16(Fri)00:55 No. 1065982 ID: 629f2e
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Franklin: “...”
Temmie: “Franklin?”
Franklin: “...”
Temmie: “Wasn’t that what you wanted to hear?”
Franklin: “It was.”
Temmie: “Then... what’s wrong?”
Franklin: “...”
Franklin: “She’s gone.”
Temmie: “...”
Franklin: “I didn’t want it to be a lie. I wanted it to be real, and it was!”
Franklin: “She really loved me.”
Franklin: “...But Judy isn’t here anymore.”
Franklin: “She isn’t anywhere.”
Temmie: “...”
Franklin: “I miss her.”

The Storyteller 2023/06/16(Fri)00:58 No. 1065984 ID: 629f2e
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I don’t know how long she lets me hold her. When she pulls away, she stays beside me on the floor, silently trying to protect us from the rain.

I can see her wanting to say something. It’s written all over her face. It isn’t long before her thoughts come right out.

Temmie: “Sorry, but I can’t offer much comfort. She would have known what to say, but I don’t. I barely talk to kids...”
Temmie: “This probably isn’t the right thing to say right now, but... have you changed your mind?”
Franklin: “What?”
Temmie: “Before, you were mad at the Spirits for withholding information. You said you’d prefer a harsh truth over a pleasant lie.”
Temmie: “Do you still think that? Would you still put Enid through the same, knowing how it feels?”

Earlier, I probably would have said yes. I was annoyed at how much I didn’t know, and I didn’t think it was right to let anyone else feel that way. But now, I have my answers. Was it really worth it though? Could I honestly say Enid should go through the same thing I did?

I need a minute. Just some time to sit with that question and really think it over. It takes a few passes before I have any idea of what to say.

Franklin: “...I’m Sad.”
Franklin: “Finding out about Judy didn’t make me happy at all. My sister is dead, I was dead, my best friend is dead too... This whole investigation was awful.”
Franklin: “...But it was awful before I looked into this stuff too. I was scared and confused, and it was hurting me. It’s kind of like I traded one bad feeling for another.”
Franklin: “I was confused because nothing made sense, and now I’m sad that it does. But I don’t think I’ll be sad forever.”
Franklin: “And it feels right to be sad. All this time my sister has been dead, I never even knew. I never cried for her like I should have. That doesn’t feel right to me.”
Franklin: “I’m Happy that I know what happened to her. I needed this... even if it hurts.”

In the end, my position hadn’t changed. I still want Enid to know about her dad, even if it might hurt her. Temmie seems pleased with my answer.

Temmie: “That’s a healthy way of looking at it.”
Franklin: “Thank you.”
Temmie: “I wasn’t sure how you’d take this earlier. I could easily imagine the outcomes where this was all too much for you to bear.”
Franklin: “It did sort of feel that way at times. But now...”

Party Fear Levels:
Franklin: [40/100]

Franklin: “It’s not as scary as it was before.”

The way she lights up makes it hard not to smile back.

Temmie: “...Well, that’s that.”
Franklin: “Huh?”

She offers me a hand, helping me stand.

Temmie: “I have to go now.”
Franklin: “Already? I feel like there were still a lot of questions I should ask though.”
Franklin: “Like, what do Jesse and Roger, or Danny and Phillip and Lillian have to do with each other? I know you’re sort of connected to Judy without being her, but...”
Franklin: “Um, to be honest I still don’t get that either. You were kind of vague about your connection.”
Franklin: “And all that other stuff. Like why Jhonen died and got his head cut off, or what’s going on with graduation, or even just how long it’s been since I’ve died.”
Temmie: “There’s really no point in asking questions like that. I would never be able to answer.”
Temmie: “Those are the Rules I’m bound to. I can nudge you in the right direction, but I can’t outright tell you anything of importance.”
Franklin: “Oh, right... Um, sorry about that. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Temmie: “Survive. Find the truth, and march towards your happy ending. I cannot change the outcome, but I may share in its results.”
Temmie: “And when the time comes... Keep your Promise.”

Temmie: “In the final act of your story, I will have already spent what little usefulness I could offer to you and your friends. At that time, I will have Nothing left to give.”
Temmie: “I’d like you to promise that no matter how little help I can be, or how much time it will cost you at a Critical Juncture, you will still come back for me at the end.”

Franklin: “Okay. I can do that, I think.”

She twirls her umbrella and turns around.

Temmie: “That’s all I’ll ask.”
Franklin: “Thanks for everything! If you want, tomorrow we can play during recess together.”

She pauses, turning back to look me in the eyes one last time.

Temmie: “I would prefer it if we didn’t meet again. At least not until The End.”

She didn’t turn back after that. She just kept walking, off towards her home. My old home.

The Storyteller 2023/06/16(Fri)00:58 No. 1065985 ID: 629f2e
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And in the end, I’m all Alone.

I had my answers. There are still lingering questions, but none of them are about me anymore. At least, none of the ones that could be solved by investigating. There are still some things I need to figure out about myself, but I sort of just need to sit down and think about those.

...I can’t stay here. Not only is it definitely Curfew by now, but there are things I need to do, people I need to see. I have to find my friends, and... do something.

I don’t know. Maybe we can figure it out together, or maybe you guys have some ideas. I don’t even know what to think about first. Dad, Jhonen, having Lemmy sleepover again, meeting up with the others who went to the nuclear plant...

I’m going to start walking towards home, hopefully avoiding any adults and maybe finding some of my friends. While I do that, can you guys give me some ideas on what I should do moving forward? Um, not necessarily stuff that I need to do right now or even tonight. It could be stuff for tomorrow or later. I just need some Ideas to think on, now that I’m done looking into myself.

>>1065985
I think right now a big idea to fixate on is... pragmatism.

What we can do to assure the future we want for ourselves, to arrange things such that we have the highest chance of victory and the lowest chance of losing that which we want to keep.

That's somewhat how us spirits tend to look at the world, what we try to guide towards. And, as per that last discussion, I'll try to keep honest even with the reservations I have at sharing the following information.

For starters, right now your friends are in danger. Rushing in to help would achieve little though, as the danger is in the form of a farmer with a shotgun.

We need to figure out a way to A: quickly obtain some kind of weapon or safeguard against that gun, B: a way to quickly get to the power plant, and C: a way to incapacitate, distract, or orchestrate an escape for your friends.

There is also a hard timer on this, and not just the immediate danger of the man with the gun.

Something, we do not know what, is about to happen at that power plant. I doubt we can find out what that is before it does though, which worries me given the potential it could be a radioactive incident.

Curfew is immaterial right now, mortal dangers are at play.

I'd like to clarify that 3A and 3B's events are not happening concurrently at this time. The most recent event to take place with Clive's group, as of this 3B update, is not simply the last update posted in 3A. At this point in time, Franklin is at least 4 hours ahead of his friends at the plant, owing to the lopsided update schedules, and pacing of each thread.

You can still recommend he go to the plant and find his friends if you'd like. Just know that currently, nobody at the plant in 3A is breaking curfew to be there.

>>1065988
I don't know if it is happening right now, or if it already happened, but I think time is weird between guiding Franklin and guiding Clive. I think while we are guiding Clive, we're actually in the past, while guiding Franklin, we are in the future, or in this case, the present. I don't think rushing into the power plant now is going to solve anything if it already happened. But, I do think Franklin may need to look into protecting himself and his friends in the future. That said, don't go to the plant.

Immediate future:
As you walk home, you're most likely going to need to mentally prepare for yourself for your father when you get home, not because you'll get in trouble for coming home late, but I think if he was easily able to figure out that you went into his lab, he'll figure out you snooped in his closet. We'll guide you if it comes to that if you need us to (if we're still together at that time, I think our time with you is running out)

Also, tonight, write everything important you learned about down like you have been doing, and keep doing that moving forward. It's helped you a great deal to remember and organize your thoughts, and it might help someone else in the future if you all fail your objective and they stumble upon it.

tomorrow future:
Also, I hate to say it, but I think under your bed is not a good hiding space for those evidence we found, sorry to say. That's like, the first place I would look if I was looking for something, and probably one of the first places you would look when you play hide and seek with your friends. I think it would be best to give it to one of your friends, one of whom isn't under heavy suspicion. I want to say hand them over to Lilian when you get the chance tomorrow after you show everyone. her suspicion is pretty low, and we're not sure how much of a suspect to everyone else they will be if they return from the nuclear power plant.

I also think you need to tell the rest of your friends in the investigation team about your limbs and head being attachable (not Bec though, she sells secrets) because, well, I know you want to keep it private, but if your head were to pop off before you tell them, they are not going to realize you're not dead and just need to get your head back on. After all, yesterday, as we told you already, Albert was told in a prophetic dream that he will witness one of his friends getting beheaded. If it's you (which I hope it is as it would mean no one died), your friends will just be able to get you patched right back up after Albert starts screaming. And no, I don't think it's Jhonen because it's something Albert will witness happening before his eyes

And yes. Tell Enid about her father. Try to be delicate with her about it and don't be blunt. I'm not sure if we'll be guiding Enid or Lilian in the future, but if we guide Enid, we'll help her through it.

What else... oh yeah, tell everyone about the promise you made to Temmie. If you don't make it out of this alive, we need to make sure one of your friends will fulfill that promise for you.

far future moving forward:
You're probably going to witness and learn a lot more scary stuff in the future, maybe stuff you'd prefer were kept secret even if it is important that you know. But I want you to know one thing, it won't rain forever. There may be storms now, but the sun will rise, and maybe you'll get a rainbow. much like this rain right now.

>>1065972
It's all about having time when you need it, and giving away time when you don't. And the problem is we can't @#$%ing do that on command. So, better to have it and not need it.

>>1065974
D'aw, I'm sure you'll get a chance to be the star if you wait long enough! It's a big multiverse. And you've got enough time to wait for your improbable opportunity.
...Or if your existence gets intolerable you could just walk into the Warp without a Gellar Field. I don't think it's a good idea, but it is an option.

>>1065977
Franklin, we... we've seen what happens when children break.
It's not pretty. Millions die.

I err towards the side of truth. But truth hurts.
Enough hurt and you can permanently stunt a person's ability to decide what they believe.

In the same way that an addiction to lying in an adult can cause suffering, a glut of truth without the time and support to process it can drive a kid mad.

But we can give you little bites of the big stuff.

>>1065985
You're living proof of one of the greatest scientific discoveries of all time. Unfortunately, if you try to show everyone your neck scar, pretty much all of America is going to respond with "oh that's nice, which anime are you cosplaying?" (The rest of the world will call you a dumbass American rube.)
From here on, one of your priorities should be to gather evidence, stuff that others can't just tell off. Try to get enough medical documentation that a relatively skilled neurosurgeon can replicate what your dad bumbled through.
Riches, power, and the ability to save others past death's door. What's not to like?

>>1065996

It's probably better than dying, because you can do more things this way, but it's definitely not perfect. It would be a big discovery maybe, but there are a lot of things going on here that would be too. Temmie can see the future, sort of. That's a great scientific discovery! There's also that nuclear thing out of town, that might have great discoveries that also have problems. And "what is graduation" would be a discovery.

Maybe some discoveries aren't... good. What your new dad did to you seems like a great discovery, but there might be a reason it isn't being done all over the world. For now, it doesn't have to be a bad or a great discovery, just... you.

>While I do that, can you guys give me some ideas on what I should do moving forward? ...I just need some Ideas to think on, now that I’m done looking into myself.

1: Continued Information Collecting.
You have experience with this now. As a goal, why not try seeing how many families there are in town? It might unexpectedly come in handy later. You could also spend some time cross referencing graves- although I would refrain from asking about the people who died unless you come across something... unusual.

2: Catch Jolene up to speed.
Someone's gotta do it eventually, right? It doesn't have to be you, but the sooner she's on board, the better.
3: Louie & Others?

I think it would be a good idea to gauge the reactions of other kids who haven't been dragged into the conspiracy yet, to see if they would be worth trusting with the truth, or if they would end up causing more trouble to the things you care about. It might be hard to gauge effectively, but having a general idea is better than none.

4: The Conspiracy behind Enid's Dad.
It would be wise to learn more before figuring out what to say to Enid.
You were ready to face yourself, but... is Enid?
Check in with Louie, or better, Saihu, to find out more about what kind of he gave her, and what they think about her mental state. (Note: Also talk with Albert about it if possible.)

5: Northeast ??? Area...
A while back, we got shown a map of the town. There's an unknown area of town (at least to us spirits) really close to your house, that we know nothing about from our time with all of you. I can't confirm that it's... important, but what isn't these days?
Since it's close to home, it shouldn't be hard to find out at least a little about it.

6: Prep/Stockpile.
Who knows what the future might bring? It wouldn't hurt to start putting together kits for various situations, although it might bring some unwanted attention.

I’ll start with the obvious and say “don’t do anything on your own tonight, and have a weird excuse ready for Dad at home because Dad believes weird excuses more readily than he does regular ones.”

Don’t go to the power plant. What happens there, happens there. We’ll need to deal with the fallout at home, and be in a position to either hide our friends from a pursuing madman (long story) or give them cover for their parents tomorrow by setting up a totally-a-sleepover-and-not-a-safehouse. So I recommend prepping and stockpiling, but only to the extent that we can actually carry our stuff around. We gotta have a single “go bag” for one of us if SUSPICION gets too high. If more than one of our friends are tripping the suspicion scales, that’s going to be enough for a search party if both of them flee into the woods, so we gotta have alternative options.

As much as it pains me to do so, let’s grab Lemmy and set up another sleepover. Lemmy can also provide a second set of eyes regarding the conspiracy with Enid’s dad. I’m not quite sure what’s going on, and we as spirits haven’t uncovered too much, so we need all the help we can get. Also isn’t it super weird that Jordan is also Lemmy? We can form a secret society of Jordans, and he can give up the terrible curse that is BEING LEMMY.

Also damn dude just take a minute to chill, this is some heavy emotional haymakers you took.

>Before, you were mad at the Spirits for withholding information. You said you’d prefer a harsh truth over a pleasant lie.

>In the end, my position hadn’t changed. I still want Enid to know about her dad, even if it might hurt her. Temmie seems pleased with my answer.

... alright... Franklin, you're right, it is wrong of us to keep secrets and withhold information from you, even if it was harsh. You're a lot stronger at handling the bad information that was thrown at you than most, and I think you've grown up a lot after today. I wanted to apologize for what we did, and I think at this point it's wrong to keep this last bit of information from you,

Truth is, there was one more secret we are keeping from you, and I was wanting to keep silent about it as I didn't know how it would effect your relationship with us, and I am honestly scared to confess this because it might make you hate us, but in the end, just as we helped and taught you some things, you taught US that it is more wrong to keep secrets from a friend that needs to hear it, and I think it's better you heard this information from us before you find out other ways so that you can use the info I'll give you to process what you want to do next, and even if you never would have found out, it's still something that needs to be heard.

It concerns Jhonen's death. You were probably wondering HOW we knew Jhonen was there in the first place and dead after you found the cleaver, and while it is true that Mr. Sheppherd killed Jhonen, there was more to it than that, and, well... it involves us...

You know how we've been guiding you? Before we helped you, we began with assisting Roger on researching graduation a couple days ago, unable to hear us, but still able to be influenced by what we thought were the right choices. but when he was forced to take up baseball practice, Temmie called us over and had us guide your friend Albert instead in Roger's place. but, that came with a price... In order for the transfer from Roger to Albert happen, Temmie said we had to make a payment, one which involved having bad things happen to either Lemmy, or Jolene. The majority votes of us spirits chose Lemmy, and as a result, his parents decided he needed to graduate, causing him to run away and hide at your place. And while we did help Albert make amends with Lilian and become more thoughtful towards others feelings, we paid the price of having Lemmy's parents deciding to graduate Lemmy.

But then yesterday, Temmie called us away from Albert, and this time had to transfer us from Albert to both Clive, and you... however, just like Lemmy, it came with another price... in order to help guide you to find the truth about your past, and your best friend, it had to come with the price of very bad things happening to someone, and Temmie had us choose between either Lilian's brother Phillip to suffer, or... your best friend Jhonen.

It was a very tough choice for us to make, and we were even split between who would have to take the sacrifice, but in the end, the majority of the spirits chose Jhonen. It was a choice even Temmie was saddened when we looked into her eyes.

I'm not sure if it was the right decision, but we did what we did, and it'd be wrong of us to not face the consequences of our decisions. I only hope you can forgive us for that choice, but if you don't want to forgive us because of our role in Jhonen's death, we'll understand. But know that there were spirits that actually chose Phillip over Jhonen

If anything, I'm not even sure if the choice of having bad things happening between two people even mattered, because even though we chose Lemmy to suffer bad things happening to him, bad things still happened to Jolene regardless, probably even suffered worse than Lemmy, as she's sick in the hospital. It makes me wonder, and worry if that means that even though we chose Jhonen over Philip, it didn't matter, and Philip would still suffer very bad things regardless of what we picked and the choice was just an illusion. Illusion or not, we still chose Jhonen to suffer, and it is a guilt that the spirits who chose him have to bear. But I think it's the right thing to at least let you know.

I will ask Temmie if these choices she had us choose was an illusion when we see her again after we finish guiding you, but for now, I just think it is important for you to have this information and draw your own conclusions on your opinion on us and everything around you. If there's anything we can do to make this up for you, we'll try our best to fulfill it. But with that, I can only say I'm sorry, and to keep pressing forward with your friends. As Temmie said, May we change the past, the present, and our futures with these gifts.

The Storyteller 2023/08/06(Sun)21:32 No. 1069884 ID: 4481aa
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> As you walk home, you're most likely going to need to mentally prepare yourself for your father. If he was easily able to figure out that you went into his lab, he'll figure out you snooped in his closet.

> Have a weird excuse ready for Dad at home because Dad believes weird excuses more readily than he does regular ones.

He’s not my dad. Other than that part, you’re right. If I don’t think about what I’m gonna tell him, then I might accidentally reveal that I know things I’m not supposed to. That would be bad.

He probably won’t ask where I was, but... The doctors might tell him that I was at the hospital. If that happens, maybe I can say that I got really tired playing with Lillian, and was too far away from home to rest there. I’ve played plenty of games with Lillian that end with me having to lie on the floor for a while. She has too much energy sometimes.

What about a weird excuse, what works for that? Something creative? Hmmmm...

“Sorry I’m late, but the Ghost of Christmas Past needed directions to JoJo, so I brought him to the hospital she’s staying at. I thought that I would have more time, but apparently being around the Past doesn’t stop the Present from happening. I still think he should have brought me home before curfew, since that was in the past. Although, I guess me not being on time was also in the past, and changing it would change the present and future, which is outside of what he can control?”

...Hmm. Maybe that’s too creative. Also, my head hurts now.

> You're living proof of one of the greatest scientific discoveries of all time. Try to get enough medical documentation that a relatively skilled neurosurgeon can replicate what your dad bumbled through. Riches, power, and the ability to save others past death's door. What's not to like?

I don’t know, but it definitely feels like there’s something Not to like in there. Maybe just the idea of this happening to more people? Getting brought back to life caused me a lot of bad feelings.

Then again, I don’t really want to be dead. A lot of other people probably don’t want to be dead either. And what about people who are sad about other people being dead?

I’m sad that Jhonen isn’t with us anymore. Does that mean it’d be Right for me to bring him back, like The Doctor did for me? It would mean he’d be alive, which would make me happy I guess, but would he be okay with it? I’m sure he didn’t want to die either, but he’d probably have a much stronger opinion on this than I do. He’s always certain about stuff, that’s just the kind of person he is.

...I’ll bring it up with my friends later. I’m sure they’d be able to explain why it’s bad, or why it isn’t.

> I also think you need to tell the rest of your friends in the investigation team about your limbs and head being attachable (not Bec though, she sells secrets). If your head were to pop off before you tell them, they won’t realize you're not dead and just need to get your head back on.

You know, I Assume my head comes off, since it has stitches like my arms and legs. I actually haven’t tried it though. The Doctor scared me off trying by telling me I’d lose my memories if I did. There is a chance that I’m still normal in that way, and that taking my head off will kill me. That would be sad.

> Albert was told in a prophetic dream that he will witness one of his friends getting beheaded.

Hmm... If it means nobody else will lose their heads, I guess I could try and demonstrate for him.

> Franklin, we... we've seen what happens when children break. It's not pretty. I err towards the side of truth. But truth hurts. Enough hurt and you can permanently stunt a person's ability to decide what they believe.

In the same way that an addiction to lying in an adult can cause suffering, a glut of truth without the time and support to process it can drive a kid mad. But we can give you little bites of the big stuff.

...You might be right about that. I was only barely able to handle everything I learned, and I was only getting pieces at a time. If Temmie had told me the whole thing when I visited her after school, I don’t know if I would have been able to believe her. Even if I did, with just how much it is...

I guess if you put it like that, I can see your side of things a little better. It wasn’t just that you didn’t want me to know stuff. You wanted to pace it out, and make it go down as easy as it could.

It may not have always been right, but I won’t be mad at you if you were trying your best.

> I wanted to apologize for what we did, and I think at this point it's wrong to keep this last bit of information from you. In order to help guide you find the truth about your past, and your best friend, it had to come with the price of Very Bad Things happening to someone.

Temmie had us choose between either Lilian's brother Phillip to suffer, or... your best friend Jhonen.

It was a very tough choice for us to make, and we were even split between who would have to take the sacrifice, but in the end, the majority of the spirits chose Jhonen. It was a choice even Temmie was saddened when we looked into her eyes.

I'm not sure if it was the right decision, but we did what we did, and it'd be wrong of us to not face the consequences of our decisions.

...

I stop walking. This one... I need my whole brain to process it.

So then, if Jhonen was alive, Phillip would... Not? Wait– but does that mean Phillip is still alive? You picked Jhonen, and he died, so did Phillip get to Live?

So, because of your choice, Jhonen is dead, and Phillip is alive.

That’s... such a Relief!

I had thought... If that’s what happened to one kid who graduated, then it could have been the same with the others. I wasn’t sure how Lillian would take that. Or worse, Clive. I wasn’t even sure if I could handle that. Phillip was my friend too! And even if I don’t spend a lot of time with him, I want to say Rodney is my friend. If they’re okay, then that’s so much better than it could have been.

They’re alive... We can still save them.

...Some of them...

...

I understand why you wouldn’t want to tell me that. Jhonen was my best friend. Of course I’m sad, and maybe a little mad that you would just choose him like that. He didn’t deserve to Die!

But... neither did Phillip. It never should have been a Choice.

But it was. I don’t know if it’s Temmie’s fault that it was. I hope it wasn’t. But, I don’t think she’s the reason either of them were in that situation. Even if she made you choose, it was the adults who made them Graduate, right? And it was them who took his head off too.

I don’t want to say that you should have chosen Phillip. That wouldn’t be less sad, it would just be worse for someone other than me. I don’t want that, but I don’t want this either.

...If I had been in your position, I don’t know if I would have been able to choose. If I did, then I probably would have regretted it, no matter which I picked.

It’s terrible that this happened at all, but the others are alive. Our quest isn’t pointless, as we can still save them.

The Storyteller 2023/08/06(Sun)21:32 No. 1069885 ID: 4481aa
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> When you get home...

> Tomorrow...

It’s a bit hard to keep every suggestion you make in mind, but I listen as best I can as you run through them. If it’s really important, then I’m sure you guys will remind me later.

I’m shaken out of writing that mental checklist when I notice something up ahead of me. It’s on the sidewalk, and it– They are coming towards me. I start to worry that it’s an adult, who will want to know why I’m out this late. Is it too late to hide? If I see them, then they can probably see me too.

As they get closer, I realize that they aren’t much bigger than me. Another kid? They freeze in place for a moment, before breaking into a sprint straight towards me. My panic flares up again. It’s wasted though. I realize that as soon as they’re close enough to make out who it is.

The moment I finish processing that, I realize that they’re tackling me.

Lillian: “Franklin!”
Franklin: “L-Lillian!”
Lillian: “You’re okay! I thought– We couldn’t find you and– Oh god, don’t ever scare me like that again!”

I won’t get the chance to, if she doesn’t free me from this bear hug. Somehow, I think I’ll still be able to die from lack of oxygen just like anybody else.

Franklin: “Sorry. I didn’t mean to ditch you. I wasn’t thinking.”
Lillian: “You can’t just leave like that. I don’t want anybody else to leave for the rest of my life. Once is enough.”
Franklin: “Sorry. Not gonna do that again.”
Lillian: “Good. Oh, and that reminds me!”

She finally lets me go, but only so that she can grab me by the shoulders and start shaking me.”

The Storyteller 2023/08/06(Sun)21:33 No. 1069886 ID: 4481aa
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Lillian: “WHAT THE HECK FRANKLIN!? YOU’RE TEMMIE’S BROTHER?”
Franklin: “Sort of? It’s something like that.”
Franklin: “...Wait, you went to the shed?”
Lillian: “Oh yeah, Lemmy checked it out after he saw you run off. Told me about the article and the gruesome stuff.”
Lillian: “Franklin, why the heck do you have the saddest backstory ever? You died, got brought back without memories, your best friend got taken away, and now he’s Dead–”

Her expression shifts with worry for a moment.

Lillian: “–Wait, you saw the head too, right? You know about Jhonen, right? I didn’t just tactlessly drop that on you like the worst friend ever, did I?”
Franklin: “Finding that was what freaked me out.”
Lillian: “Okay good. I mean, Terrible, but good that you knew already.”
Lillian: “Seriously though, it sucks you have so much awful stuff going on.”

She’s not wrong, but hearing it from her makes it feel a little better.

Franklin: “Yeah... It isn’t All bad though.”
Lillian: “I guess you did get a sister out of all this, right? Take it from me, siblings are rad.”
Franklin: “No, I already had one of those.”
Franklin: “...If the stuff that happened to me didn’t happen, then I don’t think I would have gotten to meet you, and Roger, and Jhonen, and everyone else.”
Franklin: “And even with how bad all that stuff was... I think it was Worth it to be here with you guys now.”
Lillian: “Aw dude...”

Oh, we’re hugging again. This is fine, I’m not suffocating this time.

Lillian: “Franklin, that’s so... corny. Like, really corny. But also kind of sweet.”
Franklin: “So... like sweet corn?”

The hug is over. She pushes me away.

Lillian: “Come on man, give me a break. I have had to put up with so much Lemmy today.”

That... brought up a good question. I look around, confirming that we’re alone.

Franklin: “Where is he now?”
Lillian: “Back at your place. Everyone else should be looking around, but Lemmy pointed out that someone should wait by your place in case you go home.”
Lillian: “I’m not convinced he wasn’t just being lazy, but he wasn’t wrong.”
Franklin: “Everyone else? Did the others get back from the nuclear plant?”

She makes a face, but I can’t tell if it’s good or bad before she looks away, pointing back the way she came.

Lillian: “Yep, they did. C’mon, we can talk about it later, when we aren’t in the rain. Everyone’s meeting back at your place.”
Franklin: “Really? That’s where I was going.”
Lillian: “What a coincidence! Why don’t we walk together then?”

We giggle at our own silliness, before finally starting towards the morgue.

The Storyteller 2023/08/06(Sun)21:33 No. 1069887 ID: 4481aa
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There are a million questions she could ask me. I know there are, because I had a lot of them myself. Instead, I’m regaled by stories of her tabletop sessions, or games she played with other kids from school. She never switches it up to something heavy and important, keeping the conversation light and pointless the whole way back. Eventually, I end up matching her tone, sharing a few misadventures Jhonen and I had over the past few months. Some of them get her concerned, like a lot of my stories do for some reason, but others get her laughing, which is what I was going for.

It’s the Least important thing we’ve done all day. It’s the kind of thing we used to do almost Every day, before the others Graduated.

We’ve been focused on the Distant Past, the Near Future, and the Scary Present so much that we haven’t had much chance to remember the good times we were having less than a week ago. Those times are just as important. Back when everything was normal, and we didn’t have to worry about anything this big...

...I can’t go back. Not to a week ago, or a month, a year, or even a lifetime. I can’t be the same Franklin that didn’t know the things I do now. I can’t be Jordan. I can only be Me.

But I get to decide what that means.

Right now, that means taking a break from all the hard stuff, and having a useless conversation with my friend.

...And I think that’s okay.

Perpetuity Thread 3B: END

Not sure if you can still hear us, not-Jordan-and-not-the-same-Franklin-that-was-here-yesterday, but regardless…

YOU’RE A TROOPER AND WE’RE ROOTING FOR YOU!