Arc II, Chapter 43: The Prescription

Arc II, Chapter 43: The Prescription

The needle on the Plot Cycle was nearly to The End. I thought about crawling toward Isaac, but then I thought better of it. His Dead indicator was blinking longer and longer. He was unconscious. The only thing that approaching him might do was wake him up. That would only cause him to suffer.

I sat and contemplated how he was even still alive. His Grit was nothing to write home about. He must have triggered his If hes still cracking jokes trope constantly throughout the run. His injuries were minor but numerous. I just hoped he wouldnt be too affected.

It took twenty minutes for the story to end. I was sure glad about it because it meant my hoodie had returned. The pain was one thing. The cold, wet ground was another.

I stood and cracked my back. That made me feel better.

Isaac was still asleep at the top of the stone steps when I climbed up to him.

He was fully healed.

I nudged his shoulder. He came to with a cough.

Im up, he said.

As soon as he realized what was going on, he reached for his face to make sure it was back to normal. It was. His face and his shaggy hair both back the way they were before his ordeal.

My shirts not ripped anymore, he chirped, examining his tie-dye t-shirt.

Thank god, I said. I was worried about that.

He chuckled.

It was actually one of the things I kept thinking about while I was zonked out. I only have one shirt with me. I need to go back to the hotel to change.

I laughed. Yeah, that sedative really had a way of rearranging your priorities.

I helped him to his feet.

The switch to open up the secret path into the hospital was hard to find at first, but I must have found it because the door creaked open.

Not so bad, eh? I asked.

He shook his head. Not bad at all, he responded. He was lying. He got quiet for a moment as we walked out of Halles office and then asked me, Did I die?

No, I said. Even if he had, I might not have told him. Save that existential crisis for after the tutorial.

We kept walking. I wasnt sure which direction the others had fled in, but soon enough, we found Dinas messages on the red wallpaper, which were still there.

We talked, theorizing about why we didnt start to turn into monsters as a result of being experimented on. I theorized that was for a different version of the story.

That was the thing I was most afraid of, he said. If I hurt Cassie.

Well, you didnt, I said as we made our way through the carnage.

There were body parts everywhere. There were more than made sense.

You think they knew what would happen to them? Isaac asked about the NPCs.

Some did. Others didnt, I said.

Howard Halle had given me an important piece of information in our conversation. He said that NPCs only remember what makes them better at their roles. Did these poor people improve at being victims by remembering what would happen?

Could they even remember what would happen?

Willis talked about them like their situation was something he had never seen beforea generation of NPCs born during the continuity loop of the Tutorial. It was like he thought they were different. He questioned how they would fit into the storylines.

NPCs usually respawned at the same rate as a storylines Omen did.

But these NPCs didnt really have normal storylines. They were part of a Throughline story, and those didnt stick around once they were completed. The Tutorial would become a husk of what we experienced. Once we pushed the Throughline forward, would they still have an Omen to regenerate for?

I pushed those thoughts away. I was likely going to find out soon. I couldnt say for sure what the Throughline would entail, but I was developing theories.

The path of messages from Dina led us back to the town square. It was still a mess.

There goes that, I said.

What? Isaac asked.

I pointed to the time capsule. The mayor, a level 50 version of him, was having it loaded into a wooden crate and hauled away with a forklift.

Back to square one on that thing.

I suspected that if I talked to someone, I would find out it was still the day before the Centennial, and it would be for quite some time.

Lets wait here, I said.

Isaac nodded.

~-~

It took a while for the others to return. When they did, Willis was not with them. He wasnt going to stick around for Silas, much like the Stranger hadnt. That was annoying. I still had questions for him.

Cassie hugged Isaac tightly. She even hugged me, as did Kimberly. It was a big, happy reunion.

I didnt have frogs on my bingo card, Antoine said.

I did, Isaac said.

They continued talking and even laughing. I was waiting for our last arrival. Before long, he was there.

Step right up, Silas the Showman said, You won a ticket!

This time, I was the first to hit the red button on his box.

I got two stat tickets. That was really good, considering how high my level was. I received one trope.

A Method to the Madness

Type: Insight

Archetype: Film Buff

Lore Constraints: The holder may use the selected ability within the lore constraints without the need to activate the associated storyline.Protection: The player is shielded from inadvertently triggering the original storyline.Rule Compliance: The rules of use, as described in the movie's storyline, must be strictly adhered to in addition to any listed conditions.Consequence Awareness: The user is not immune to the consequences stemming from improper or natural use of the ability. This License does not prevent unrelated storylines from being triggered.Rescue Clause: Death as a result of using this ability subjects the player to rescue from the respective current movie's storyline.

Type: Debuff

Archetype: Psychic

Aspect: Occultist

Stat Used: Moxie

Who can deny the signs? A characters disbelief in magic or fate does not protect them from its wrath.

With this trope equipped, the player can warn other characters of danger and they will have their Grit and effective Plot Armor debuffed if they ignore the warning. It works with psychic visions but is much more effective with props such as tarot cards, bad omens like inverted crosses, and other visible signs of an ill fate.

You may not believe in fate, but fate believes in you.

Isaac certainly played an important role in adding to the drama and a few laughs. It would be a while until we were better working with humor. That was a big ask. He got three stat tickets, and he paid for them in blood.

Let me get this straight

Type: Action

Archetype: Comedian

Aspect: Cynic

Stat Used: Savvy

When a group of survivors barrels forward without self-reflection, they can seem reckless. Having someone there to summarize the stakes can make the team look more confident and competent.

With this trope equipped, the player can summarize everything they and their allies are up against, as well as their plans to stop it On-Screen, increasing the odds of success by making sure the audience is up to speed and the task at hand has been properly thought out. Effectively buffs the Savvy of the planner or leader.

So, I did understand. Youre all nuts.

Trash Talk

Type: Debuff

Archetype: Comedian

Aspect: Cynic

Stat Used: Moxie

At the end of the day, the effectiveness of a scary monster is determined by whether the audience is scared. Making fun of it can make it less scary.

By making fun of the enemy On-Screen, the enemys Mettle is debuffed. Remember, it is the audience that the player must appeal to, not the feelings of the enemy.

The guys got butterknives on his fingers. Come on!

Bobby didnt get a trope. He got something he wanted even more: a very special license. He also got two stat tickets.

License

License Number: [E-2455b-0001]

Issued to: [Bobby Gill]

ABILITY GRANTED: The holder of this license is granted the ability to invoke specific powers or wield certain objects from a horror movie realm without the need of a trope. This license authorizes the use of ["The Coles Dogs"] from the movie [Permanent Vacancy].

Usage Permitted in: The Throughline [ ], All Storylines [X].

USAGE TERMS:

Lore Constraints: The holder may use the selected ability within the lore constraints without the need to activate the associated storyline.Protection: The player is shielded from inadvertently triggering the original storyline.Rule Compliance: The rules of use, as described in the movie's storyline, must be strictly adhered to in addition to any listed conditions.Consequence Awareness: The user is not immune to the consequences stemming from improper or natural use of the ability. This License does not prevent unrelated storylines from being triggered.Rescue Clause: Death as a result of using this ability subjects the player to rescue from the respective current movie's storyline.

CONDITIONS FOR USE:

1. Requisition: The object must be acquired by the player and brought into the storyline.

2. Natural Use: The object can only be used in the way the players character would be able to use it.

NOTES:

1. Treat these animals well. The audience may not care if you are mutilated, but they will be very upset if these dogs suffer.

a. Their pain will be yours.

2. Do not seek her.

MISUSE AND REVOCATION: Improper use of this license or the granted ability or object may result in immediate revocation and additional penalties as per the governing laws.

It looked like we had a trip to the B&B soon.

Dina was very helpful in this story with her messages on the red wallpaper, but her presence in the stories tapered off, so she only got one stat ticket and a trope.

Savvy Safecracker

Type: Insight/Buff

Archetype: Outsider

Aspect: Criminal

Stat Used: Savvy

A truly experienced thief can tell the difficulty of opening a specific lock at a glance.

With this trope equipped, the player will be able to tell whether a lock can be picked and, if so, how long it will take by looking at the red wallpaper. The players Hustle will be buffed while attempting to pick it.

I said it would be tough. I didnt say I couldnt do it.

Having received our tickets, Silas disappeared. No cryptic messages, no pregnant pauses. It felt a little rude after all we had been through.

We made our way back to our hotel room. I wanted a break. At that moment, I just wanted chicken wings and sleep. I didnt care if the Centennial ever came.