[TINY CAT PEOPLE] VOID SESSION: ACT 4

[Lilium Mortem]

we could say you gave chops some kind of skill, like psychology, or deductive reasoning, that let them sus out they were in a bad situation by themself. Just needed a final nudge from us to show we were better for them.


We could probably get Dad, our dad type, to watch over chops, she already takes good care of the team as a whole. We might be able to ask the wizits to help out. Buddy can help them learn to deal with anxiety. Just make sure there's always someone there for chops. get them their own space, let them pursue hobbies, give them books and entertainment. We can't undo abuse in the limited time we have in this session, we just gotta make sure chops is comfortable, listen to them, and be accommodating. if we win, and if they come along we'll get them a therapist... ok everyone needs a therapist including us. I've been kicking the existential crisis that is our existence down the road but that can only last for so long.

[sarcovyn]

does spit know how much you hate her? how come she lets you manage her TCPs, if there's someone much worse who could do it for her?

spit's TCPs not knowing much seems like a tactic and giving them "Critical Thinking" could not be more on-the-nose. why not go the other direction, make it seem like you were too harsh on her TCPs - enough so that they'd risk leaving - when in reality you didn't hurt them? we can make a serious effort to make sure spit never sees her TCPs again so she never figures out that they weren't brutalized.

[sarcovyn]

OR we can blame it on wax

[skinstealer]

 

VOIDSY: Does Spit know how much you hate her?
VOIDSY: How come she lets you manage her TCPs, if there’s someone much worse who could do it for her?
CHELSEA: I’m not 100% sure, but my hypothesis is she wants me to suffer through this.
CHELSEA: If I do a “good job” and help her win the game, I’ll have put the TCPs through further brainwashing and cult tactics, and I can say with certainty that she gets off on the idea of having me do things like that.
CHELSEA: If I “screw up”, there’s two options.
CHELSEA: Either the TCPs die and there’s blood and guilt on my hands, or they get away and I get punished extra.
CHELSEA: Even with the option of me helping the TCPs, which is what we’re doing now, I still end up in hell.
CHELSEA: And to Spit, that’s the ultimate joy.
CHELSEA: It’s just another screwed up game of hers. 
VOIDSY: That’s horrible…
CHELSEA: I agree. But right now, what we’re doing is what I’ve assessed to be the best option. 
CHELSEA: There are ways I can endure this, and Spit won’t let me die yet. 
CHELSEA: The TCPs don’t have that option.

VOIDSY: In that case…
VOIDSY: What if you say that you gave Chops some kind of deductive skill, or something like psycholog-
CHELSEA: No.
CHELSEA: We want to make me look incompetent, not outright out to sabotage the operation.
CHELSEA: Teaching her TCPs skills outright labelled with things that could counter her brainwashing would be suicidal, so I’ve had to try and go about things the old fashioned way- just talking and making points.
CHELSEA: It doesn’t show up on the skill list that way.
CHELSEA: So no, that’s out. 
VOIDSY: Then...what about going the other way?
VOIDSY: Saying that you were too harsh with them, enough where they would leave.
CHELSEA: Hm.
CHELSEA: Maybe.
CHELSEA: The main problem with that is that I don’t know if she’d actually believe me.
CHELSEA: I’ve done plenty of atrocities at her “request”, but she knows me better than anyone.
 

They look somewhat unconvinced at their own statement, but you can’t tell which part actually lacks conviction to it. 

 
CHELSEA: It’d make her laugh, in any case...which could either make things better or worse for me, depending on the kind of day she’s having.
CHELSEA: I’d say that’s an option on the table.
VOIDSY: One last idea, though we don’t know how it’d shake out.
CHELSEA: Oh? 
VOIDSY: We could always just
VOIDSY: Blame Wax?
 

Chelsea stops to think this over.

 
CHELSEA: ...it could work, actually.
CHELSEA: It’s not like Wax has any allegiance to us anyway. 
CHELSEA: And frankly, while I don’t know a lot about him, I feel like if he was accused of helping Spit’s TCPs, he’d rather take the bullet than possibly implicate someone else who did the right thing. 
CHELSEA: So...he could definitely take the fall for us. 
CHELSEA: Good idea.
CHELSEA: We’ll go with that.
 

VOIDSY: In the meantime...we could probably get Dad, our dad type-
CHELSEA: You named a dad type “Dad”?
VOIDSY: ...Yes?
CHELSEA: Hm.
CHELSEA: Continue. 
VOIDSY: ...we can get Dad to watch over Chops, considering she already takes good care of the team as a whole. 
VOIDSY: We’ve also got the wizits-
CHELSEA: The clowns?
VOIDSY: -yeah, the clowns, they might be able to help out. 
VOIDSY: Our knife type Buddy can help them learn how to manage their anxiety…
VOIDSY: We just have to make sure there’s always someone there for them.
VOIDSY: If we can, we can try to get them their own space, let them pursue hobbies, give them books and entertainment-
CHELSEA: And how do you plan on doing that while we’re at war?
CHELSEA: Having someone watch over Chops? Fine, yes, that sounds doable so long as you aren’t making a poor decision with that.
CHELSEA: But do you think you have time to play games and make toys?
CHELSEA: How are you going to do that while having TCPs outside of your base?
CHELSEA: When do you think you’re really going to get the chance to do any of this?
CHELSEA: I appreciate the sentiments, but making promises you won’t be able to keep doesn’t impress me.
CHELSEA: Think.
CHELSEA: You need solutions for taking care of Chops that you can do even if this world ends up crumbling around you.

[Lilium Mortem]

What if we ask Wax to take care of Chops? even if we lose, as long as spit doesn't screw wax over chops will get to live. If it's unsafe to have them here, it's unsafe to have our friends look after them too. and we can't just send them into the woods to wait out a war.

[Ignispark]

A few thoughts, agreeing with the not making promises you can't keep and being ready for things going wrong.

1. It is likely correct that there is no place fully free from potential fallout, should a catastrophe strike.
2. It is unknown when things may go horribly wrong.
3. It would be wise to avoid sugar-coating things. Keeping expectations realistic is probably worthwhile.
4. In the event Chops does have to stake it out on their own without help, or really just most emergency scenarios, it wouldn't be the worst idea to at minimum pass on first aid. Other skills probably wouldn't be a bad idea either.
5. Speaking of emergencies, it would probably be worthwhile to draft emergency plans for evacuation, reconvening, and other such things that would work even if somehow communication is disrupted or other such things.

[victorianflorist]

I get why you can't teach Chops things, but can't our TCPs learn how to teach Chops things? Perhaps instead of you trying to do things, you just have the TCPs meet up and have an actual conversation, clearly Spit isn't leaning over you right now, or you wouldn't feel safe discussing these options at all?

[SodaCube]

A few thoughts, agreeing with the not making promises you can't keep and being ready for things going wrong.

1. It is likely correct that there is no place fully free from potential fallout, should a catastrophe strike.
2. It is unknown when things may go horribly wrong.
3. It would be wise to avoid sugar-coating things. Keeping expectations realistic is probably worthwhile.
4. In the event Chops does have to stake it out on their own without help, or really just most emergency scenarios, it wouldn't be the worst idea to at minimum pass on first aid. Other skills probably wouldn't be a bad idea either.
5. Speaking of emergencies, it would probably be worthwhile to draft emergency plans for evacuation, reconvening, and other such things that would work even if somehow communication is disrupted or other such things.

Number 5 seems like a very good idea. Having backup plans for the worst possible outcome is probably something we should have prepared for sooner. That being said, I think it would be a good idea to have some sort of holding area for Chops. Not some sort of prison cell, just someplace safe enough for Chops to be unrestrained but still "captured".

[Guest]

I think it would be a good idea to have some sort of holding area for Chops. Not some sort of prison cell, just someplace safe enough for Chops to be unrestrained but still "captured"

that's not a bad idea, but we'll have to be extra careful with this option. we mess up and we're more likely to make a gilded cage then a sanctuary...

[skinstealer]

VOIDSY: What if…we ask Wax to take care of Chops?
VOIDSY: Even if we lose, as long as Spit doesn’t screw Wax over, Chops will get to live.
VOIDSY: If it’s so unsafe to have them here, or have our friends look after them-
CHELSEA: Stop.
 

You stop.

CHELSEA: I didn’t come to you because I figured you’d pass the buck onto someone else. 
CHELSEA: I came to you because you have the most stake in this, and from what Spit’s said, you’re also a bleeding heart that wants to actually help TCPs.
CHELSEA: No offense.
CHELSEA: I’m sorry if me asking you to make hard decisions makes you insecure-
VOIDSY: That’s not-
CHELSEA: -but you’re just going to have to deal with it.
 

They take a deep breath.

CHELSEA: Sending Chops to Wax is an option, but not a very smart one.
CHELSEA: I have no doubt that he’d take Chops in as his own, but due to still collaborating with Spit against his will, they’d still be exposed to us and our team.
CHELSEA: The only way Wax would be able to get around that would be to hold Chops entirely in secret- only able to watch the game from a distance.
CHELSEA: I don’t want them caged.
CHELSEA: War is bad enough. Forcing them into isolation…
 

Something about their voice changes for a moment, the cat trailing off. 

CHELSEA: …sorry.
CHELSEA: It’s not what I want for them.
CHELSEA: I know this isn’t an easy situation to come up with solutions for, but all caging a person in does is make them feel trapped.
VOIDSY: No, no…you’re right. 
 

You wrack your brain for solutions as the cat watches you, their eyes boring into yours.

VOIDSY: We need to take care of Chops, but we can’t just…make promises we can’t keep.
VOIDSY: So…best idea would be to be ready for when things go wrong, and take a more…prepared route.
 

They nod, hanging onto your words.

CHELSEA: Keep going.

VOIDSY: You’re right that there’s no place fully free from possible fallout and danger, should a catastrophe strike.
VOIDSY: And…it’s unknown when things may go horribly wrong.
VOIDSY: So we need to stop sugar-coating things, and keep expectations realistic.
VOIDSY: For fuck’s sake, we just had one of our TCPs do an amputation within his first day or…however long it’s been of being alive.
VOIDSY: So…no more playing around.
CHELSEA: That’s much better.
CHELSEA: So, what are you going to do now?
VOIDSY: Well…we still want to keep Chops around.
VOIDSY: Some of us think that we should make some kind of holding cell so that they’re still “captured”, but…
VOIDSY: Some of us are afraid of that feeling like a cage, especially after what you said. So that’s out.
VOIDSY: We do want to teach Chops skills, but keeping them practical for now is a good idea.
CHELSEA: Go on.
VOIDSY: In the event that Chops does have to stake it out on their own without help- or any emergency scenario, really- it wouldn’t be a bad idea to give them something like first aid. 
VOIDSY: Though…learning from our TCPs directly would be the best idea, we think.
VOIDSY: We could always just tell our TCPs what to teach them, but if it comes from them…that’d be honest interaction that could build trust.
VOIDSY: If the TCPs ask us what they should do, that’s one thing, but agency is important here.
 

 

The corner of their mouth twitches up into a smile, but only for a moment.

CHELSEA: I like that.
VOIDSY: When it comes to emergencies, also…it’d be a good idea to make emergency plans for evacuating, reconvening, etc…
VOIDSY: We need to make sure that even if communication’s disrupted, our TCPs can still take care of themselves. 
CHELSEA: Good.
CHELSEA: You want to encourage as little reliance on you as possible, while still giving them a support system.
VOIDSY: There’s just one more thing, off the top of our heads…
VOIDSY: Why don’t you just…have Spit’s TCPs meet up and discuss options? Spit’s not watching them-
CHELSEA: No, but she has her hooks in them pretty badly.
CHELSEA: That, and only Hark was allowed to talk at first.
CHELSEA: I gave Chops the skill for it once I was sure I could get them to run away, but Writhe, Raw, and Bile weren’t given it either- or at least, until you gave Raw and Writhe it yourself.
CHELSEA: I’m planning on giving the skill to Bile myself, but…
 

They grimace a little.

CHELSEA: I…want to work with him a little more first. He very clearly doesn’t trust me and I fear that the second he gets the skill and the opportunity, he’s going to tell on me.
CHELSEA: I might be able to pass it off as me just…not knowing how to interact with nonverbal TCPs, but considering Bile’s nosy as it gets and has probably seen me taking care of Chops through all the secret passageways in the pit…
 

They shake their head, clearly at a loss.

CHELSEA: It’s a delicate situation.
CHELSEA: I can encourage it with Writhe and Raw though, now that you have them and I can easily pass the blame on teaching them onto you.
CHELSEA: But…Bile and Hark are both horribly, horribly brainwashed, and I’m going to need more time.
CHELSEA: They’re going to be the hard ones to turn.
 

They pause for a moment, choosing their words carefully.

CHELSEA: You’re…good with TCPs.
CHELSEA: I’m good with understanding Spit’s tactics, and I seem to have gained Chops’ trust, but…
CHELSEA: I haven’t exactly had the best track record with…”parenting”.
CHELSEA: Not that this is one-to-one, of course- but there is a sense of raising someone up, albeit rapidly.
CHELSEA: I hate to ask but, do you have any ideas- keeping in mind that we don’t have time for things like games or diversions- on how to break through to those two?

[victorianflorist]

Not sure, deprogramming conditioning is hard and can take time. Perhaps exposure to media which portrays positive relationships might make them yearn to be free of their negative ones. The problem is we lack time, time is key in deprogramming conditioning like this, be it Abuse or Cult-like, it takes time for the person to become used to living a different way.

[Wilds]

I'm not sure exactly what to suggest but definitely seconding parts of the above: exposure to what life SHOULD look like, as well as just having someone who will actively care about and listen to how they're feeling (and challenge their beliefs gently without being too intense about it) is Important

The problem is we don't have a lot of time, so it's difficult to know how best to communicate with either of them; it could be easy to mis-step and damage any trust built

Chelsea understands Spit's tactics more than we do and that means they likely also understand how it makes the TCPs in question feel, which will probably come in useful

I'm stuck on what else to say other than "be kind to them and empathise with their situation" since we lack time D:

[Dzib 9001]

So we just need a way to get more time. Spit is many thing's, but she seems easily distracted. are there other things going on that require her attention? there's no way she can focus on the game all the time.

[skinstealer]

VOIDSY: We’re…not sure. 
VOIDSY: This is a really complicated situation, and deprogramming can take time.
VOIDSY: Showing them that there can be different ways of living- more positive ones- is a good goal, but exposure to media may be tricky when we don’t have time for it.
CHELSEA: I can…see what I can do. My knowledge of picture books and the like are fairly limited to propaganda media found in Consumption schools, decades ago, when I was a chil-
 

They shake their head.

 
CHELSEA: Nevermind that.
CHELSEA: I suppose I can try to make something based on a prompt, I’ve yet to test the limitations of the create system.
CHELSEA: …wait.
CHELSEA: No, that’s out. 
CHELSEA: You have some of our TCPs outside the base. Damnit.
CHELSEA: Well…
CHELSEA: If you manage to make the three of them go rogue, I’ll be able to make something light and easy to carry around, even in wartime.
CHELSEA: I’m no good at stories, so…I’ll take my chances with the game’s interpretation of a prompt.
CHELSEA: With any luck, Wax will have made it so the system skews towards things beneficial to the TCPs.
VOIDSY: It’d also be a good idea to make sure they have someone who will actively care about and listen to how they’re feeling…and challenge their beliefs without being too intense about it.
CHELSEA: There’s only so much of that I can do, seeing as Spit could pull me away at any moment-
VOIDSY: …then we find a way to get more time.
CHELSEA: …what?
 

VOIDSY: Spit’s many things, but she seems easily distracted.
VOIDSY: Are there other things going on that require her attention?
CHELSEA: Well…you’re both wrong and right at the same time.
CHELSEA: She is easily distracted, but when she really gets interested in something, she has a tendency to fixate.
CHELSEA: The only reason why she had to put the game down for now was to do something about a “brand new master plan”, and I dread to think of what that means for the citizens of Consumption.
CHELSEA: If we’re lucky, we have a few hours, but she’ll be right back to this soon enough.
CHELSEA: Though…
CHELSEA: Hm.
CHELSEA: There are ways to draw her away from the game itself, but w- I wouldn’t be in control of the console, providing I’d be doing the distraction.
CHELSEA: Attempting to fight her would be effective in the sense of her getting into torturing me, but there’s a good chance it would knock me out of the game entirely.
CHELSEA: I could make up some kind of problem, but she’d figure me out fast. She’s not stupid.
CHELSEA: …or I could start a fight with her head cultist. He’s had it too good for too long, and he operates on a hair trigger.
CHELSEA: I’ll still likely get beaten for it, but if I can make it…
 

They grimace.

CHELSEA: Funny, she may give me a pass.
CHELSEA: So…
CHELSEA: I guess that’ll be my plan.
CHELSEA: And you have yours.
CHELSEA: Thank you for talking to me, but now’s the time to act.
CHELSEA: Godspeed.
 

Before you can even get a goodbye in, they’ve hung up on you.

Time to get back to it.

[victorianflorist]

Lets check back in on the cats, see how everyone is doing now that there's been a bit of time since the incident.

[skinstealer]

 
You tab into your main view, seeing what’s happened since you turned your attention away.

It looks like Primus is out cold, but judging from his occasionally twitching body, he’s just resting. Buddy however, appears to be coming to.

Buddy slowly pulls itself into a sitting position, jolting a little when it sees its amputated leg. It pats at the sealed area and seems to almost wince- Numfi asks if it’s in any pain, to which the knife type says yes, but…not in the ways it would expect for something like this. It can still feel its old leg, but it knows it’s not there…but the wound doesn’t hurt at all, and neither does its face.

You’re probably going to have to decide whether you’ll explain the scalpel’s effects at some point…

Before you can get too caught up in that, Buddy turns and notices the two people on the floor- Facade, sitting cross legged next to Chops.

You half expect Buddy to recoil at the sight of its past captor, but…it just sits there, the two TCPs staring at each other.

It takes a few moments before Chops starts muttering apologies, saying that they hated doing it-

It’s okay, says Buddy. There’s the slightest bit of wavering to its voice, but it is no less convicted in its words.

They’re here now, and that’s what matters.

[Guest]

relay the team mates about the coverup plan
if anyone asks, wax did it and we don't know anything about chelsea

[Guest]

Ask Buddy if it's up to talking with chops or not. We need to facilitate some sort of connection with them.

[Guest]

Ask buddy how he is doing and to do a check on him in the stats

[Endrecen]

Ask if Buddy feels as if it still needs to be out there when the plan commences, if it feels like it should still join the missions. If Buddy says yes, first check in with everyone in the room if they feel he really should. If it sounds genuine, search the tower. Tell someone to get down to the emergency bunker and bring up anything that's in there. Tear up the fold chair and lantern for parts. Take pieces off the sleeping bags and wrap said pieces around Buddy's stub, then attempt to connect the constituent parts of the lantern and chair to create a crude prosthetic. If buddy can't comfortably walk on it, it stays here. I'll comment some other plan as well if I can get my brain going again.