Silicon County: An Interactive Story (Ongoing)

Lord_EAA · December 2016

Oh god I'm sorry. For absolutely whatever it is I'm sorry. Well ....first thank you for correcting me, I'm sure I made several mistakes here. Like I said I wasn't really that involved. Mostly I was the swing vote you kept trying to get.

I think my mistake here is a combination of several things. First I grossly over estimated when Silicon started. I assumed it started during the Dark Angels era when Forum of the dead was ending. I remember you commenting a few times that you were still pretty new to the concept so I just sneaked that in. My huge apologies here, this was fully my mistake. But even here I don't pretend you were at any time new to the concept, I think you might have been here 3-4 months before me actually. So please don't take this as a question of your seniority.

This was my way of trying to be funny talking about a serious topic. "Absolutely insane" was my way of comically exaggerating your reaction. Please don't take it seriously, I know the joke was that bad.

Okay this is probably the biggest mistake I made so far. I remember someone mentioned once I think, but he might have been exaggerating and besides Lana I have no proof. I'm sorry.

Ok Liquid I know you will never see it this way but Luke LITERALLY had no control over almost anything. If it wasn't for Owen he would have probably have fallen asleep on that bench. I kept feeling Nohope went out of his way to give Owen the blame for all of it. And yes your logic was rule by Luke hate and your first thought was always extremely negative. I was one of the reasons I found your arguments to kill him hard to agree with.

Well if I remember the first thing XSensus said on the topic was 'Liquid why do you hate my character' but his might be my flawed memory. Also I did say in the next sentence the Luke hate did not die there and lasted till the reboot. I'm getting worried you might have been really angry reading this. Again I am very sorry.

But he only did it because of Owens bizzare serum thing. Ok, ok I have no proof that's what Nohope did. Well he asked for my opinion, he had already heard you and Nohope who were more involved and knowladgeble so I just put my two cents. And now I'm convinced you took this personally. I am very, very, VERY sorry.

I never saw Luke as conscious. First he seemed to have no goals or reasoning. Helps a cop, then tries to kill him. Also that huge speil Owen gave about reminding him of who he was. It just seemed like he was a 'thing' now instead of Luke.

Ok the word 'dissagree' has been used about 6-7 times now. This really made you mad. I feel like it really was a bad idea. Killing Alex before he showed any development or had any screentime hurt you and it was a bad idea to pick him out of all the alternatives. This opinion is fully born of how I saw it affect you and the rest of the story. Alex deserved better. And considering I have either heard fantastic things about NoHopes writing and have loved almost everything else he wrote i thought i could say this. However i freely admit i don't know what his goal was with it and if anything would end up coming out of it after his resurrection.

[considerd]

..........Oh my dear God...............This is the first time i can remember in the past 2 years in which a reply of your contained a grammar error. You were that mad? Liquid listen to me : I AM SORRY, WHOLY SORRY. For anything i might have implied or said against you Hope or anyone else. I was just saying my opinion and i felt you weren't as angry. I didn't mean to come across as objectively right.

[So please, let us not have that sort of debate again, because I guarantee that nothing good is going to come out of this.]

You...you don't want to talk about it? YOU? LiquidChicagoTed DOES NOT want to talk about something because its to controversial? The guy who likes arguments and debating and loves seeing others opinions and views. Oh what the hell have i done. I AM COMPLTELY SORRY MAN. PLEASE, PLEASE understand that.

Lord_EAA · December 2016

But what he did caused Luke to kill Alex in the first place.

Lord_EAA · December 2016

No never again. I am done blaming voters. I feel shameful of doing it before and never want to do it again. in my eyes Owens warning was very serious and the choice to learn about the killer in a mystery story a too good to be true thing. So yes i do blame Sam herself for chosing this despite the warning.

Ok I'm starting to worry this might permanently damage my friendship with you please pretend i was still writing Prime like i was supposed to and these comments did not happen.

NoHopeLeft · December 2016

Guys?!

I've got 26 notifications. I'm gonna try to address this. After this, I would like to keep pre-reboot conversation to a minimal, as it's just an ugly footnote to what could be something great. We're all cool here. No harm, no foul. Seriously.

I'm glad the debate exhausted itself so quickly, but let's not have it again. @Lord_EAA, I believe the misconceptions garnered from your comments stemmed from their sarcastic tone, which just didn't come off right in text form. Obviously, I don't believe you were attempting to sound rude or stir the pot, and I don't want you to feel bad or feel you've contracted a negative reputation for a simple misunderstanding. We're cool, dude :^)

And, @LiquidChicagoTed, I appreciate you keeping your inner hulk under wraps during this conversation. Despite it being water under the bridge, I do feel the need to apologize again for the original treatment of Alexander. While his statement came off a little blunt, I agree with Lord in that it was my possibly my most horrible decision to date. However, I'd say every misstep in the writing of the original story can be traced back to a severe lack of planning. Couple that with the backtracking and the damage control I did to try to keep the story from derailing, and I wasn't able to salvage the original story. It's true that I attempted to paint Luke more innocently, but that was just me flailing around, trying to stop a doomed vessel from sinking. As it was, Silicon would have never worked; now, with a history, a growing mythology, and an actual plot behind it, Silicon County is a phoenix reborn, rising from the ashes. And I. Am. So. Goddamned. Stoked. For what's to come.

Don't feel bad, @Tales-from-Telltale! You've done absolutely no harm! It was inevitable that this debacle would flare up again, and to be perfectly honest, it probably came and went in the best manner possible. With luck, this will be the last of it. Once again, I want to welcome you aboard. It's gonna be wild and I'm happy to have you along for the ride! :^D

Lord_EAA · December 2016

[I've got 26 notifications. I'm gonna try to address this. After this, I would like to keep pre-reboot conversation to a minimal, as it's just an ugly footnote to what could be something great. We're all cool here. No harm, no foul. Seriously.]

I am very sorry for this, especially since you wanted us to ignore the original. I just wanted to help out but its clear i ended up doing more harm that anything. I am sorry.

[I'm glad the debate exhausted itself so quickly, but let's not have it again. @Lord_EAA, I believe the misconceptions garnered from your comments stemmed from their sarcastic tone, which just didn't come off right in text form. Obviously, I don't believe you were attempting to sound rude or stir the pot, and I don't want you to feel bad or feel you've contracted a negative reputation for a simple misunderstanding. We're cool, dude :^)]

I'm happy you took it this way. I thought it was water under the bridge but obviously i was horribly wrong. My fear now is that Liquid feels differently.

Also I'm happy you feel excited for what's to come. You just got me even more hyped!!!

LiquidChicagoTed · December 2016

I've got 26 notifications. I'm gonna try to address this.

I'm sorry for your poor feed. After writing my replies to Lord, I had this thought that we may have just blown up your notifications. Perhaps I really shouldn't have answered, but I feel like there have been some parts where I had to reply to. I know that Lord obviously meant no harm, so I tried to keep things as civil as possible. That said, I would also very much like to refrain from discussing the original story in too much detail. Some of the issues there have been discussed to death and at this point, I don't really think anything new can be said. We all know where we stand on this matter and I don't think any further discussion can do anything but to stir up unnecessary conflict. This is also why I won't answer to Lord's replies to my comments here (sorry Lord), because I really feel that it wouldn't do any good to discuss this topic any further.

Despite it being water under the bridge, I do feel the need to apologize again for the original treatment of Alexander. While his statement came off a little blunt, I agree with Lord in that it was my possibly my most horrible decision to date.

Well, I meant what I said above, in my reply to Lord. It obviously was a decision I've been deeply unhappy with, but none where I feel an apology would be in order. I appreciate and accept it, but I also agree, that is water under the bridge. No need to feel bad about anything. You said it yourself, we're all cool here.

However, I'd say every misstep in the writing of the original story can be traced back to a severe lack of planning.

This on the other hand might be something I am more inclined to agree with. I mean, I don't know how much you have planned ahead for the original Silicon, but I know that a lack of planning can definitly cause big problems later on, so if you're not happy with the way some of the plotlines unfurled, this might indeed have been the reason. I did notice some minor plotholes, but nothing too dramatic, especially given that the story was barely halfway done by the time you decided for the reboot. That said, I have always been convinced that you had some sort of a plan, which was what initially kept my anger at Luke in check, until this anger outgrew my patience.

It's true that I attempted to paint Luke more innocently, but that was just me flailing around, trying to stop a doomed vessel from sinking.

Hm, this just made me curious and I have to ask yet another question... Does this mean that the whole attempt to make Luke less guilty was something you considered only after realizing how much I hate him, or was it always the plan to make things more morally ambiguous with him? And if that wasn't always the plan, does it mean that you originally intended to have him more clearly guilty of his actions?

And I. Am. So. Goddamned. Stoked. For what's to come.

Yes! Yes, a thousand times yes, I couldn't agree more with this. You obviously have me hyped and I can't wait to see what you're coming up with this time, especially considering the drastically different direction you seem to take the story into this time.

NoHopeLeft · January 2017

Chapter 1 Finale, Part 1

Tyler Gavins, 01-11 - Monday Night: Two halves of Tyler fought for a moment. The one that commanded logic said that the door would not hold either way, and letting his father in would cull further unpleasantries. And the other one didn’t listen to reason: it was a child’s voice, operating on the shortsighted logic of a child, who whispered frightfully that he should burrow deeper into the alcove… despite the fact he’d be trapped, and still well within reach...

Tyler fought tears as his grip on the countertop tightened. He shouted, with a voice on the verge of cracking, “I’m coming out!”

His father grew silent and waited, but Tyler could hear his father’s heavy boots shifting restlessly through the thin door. Tyler pulled the t-shirt all the way off and left it on the counter as he approached the door. He took a breath, turned the lock, and let the door fall inwards.

His father wasted no time with words. He grabbed both of Tyler’s wrists with a vise grip and surveyed the pale undersides, checking for marks and not finding any additional bruises or so much as a scar, and looked at Tyler’s downturned gaze with something that might have been relief.

Daniel placed a frigid hand on Tyler’s jaw and brought his head up, aligning their eyes. His father’s hard stare was all the inquiry that was needed.

“It’s my back,” Tyler whispered, the fight having left him, but his heart still raced. A complicated fear had replaced it, a fear of eyes and of being watched and of being seen through. The glowing green lanterns possessed by Clifford; his father’s hollow, one eyed stare; and the blood red, eye-like markings on his shoulder blades. Each gaze made Tyler feel horribly vulnerable and scared. “I didn’t want to show you what’s on my back,” he added, but his father had already turned him around.

Tyler cringed when his father’s cold hand touched the raw area in and around the markings, but he said nothing and neither did his father for the longest time. His father withdrew, crossing his arms and giving Tyler an uncomfortable stare.

“I’m sorry for nearly breaking down the door.” Then, Daniel asked, “Do they hurt?”

“Yes,” Tyler answered softly, “but only because I rubbed the skin raw.”

Daniel nodded. He picked up Tyler’s t-shirt and handed it to him. “Get some rest, Ty. You’ll tell me if there’s a change in any shape or form.”

Any shape or form echoed in his mind, conjuring everything from lions and tigers and bears to werewolves and zombies and vampires in a kind of blind fear of the unknown, a doubting of everything known that contradicted such creatures of the night, that he hadn’t experienced his early childhood.

“So it’s a secret then?” Tyler managed.

“You won’t show it to anyone. Not your friends. Not even Mitch when we see him tomorrow.” It was an order.

Daniel went back to the entryway and returned to Tyler with his backpack. He presented it to Tyler, who now lingered in his bedroom doorway. Tyler took it hesitantly and dropped inside his room. Then, looking at his father with mild trepidation, he prepared to ask Do you know what Clifford is? but paused and reformulated the question. He asked, with a tone far more accusing than he’d intended, “What do you know about it?”

“You think I’m... in on some kind of conspiracy?”

Tyler shrugged. He wished, silently, that his heart would stop pulsing in his throat.

“I believe you, Ty, because your my son and because of everything points in the favor of you telling the truth. You know more than me.” His father sighed. “It seemed like it might rain, so I went ahead and checked out the quarry as soon as possible. I found your backpack… and found you’d crashed your bike into the deepest part of the quarry. Sorry to say it’s gone.“ He shifted nervously, and there was a hint of disturbance in his gesture as he pointed toward a camera bag sitting by the door. “There were tracks. Big tracks made by something fuckin’ heavy. And not like any mammal I’ve seen, either. But they’re indisputably real.”

“What do you mean?” The pitch of Tyler’s voice rose slightly, indicative of a sudden spike in anxiety. His heart beat droned in his ears.

“They’ll believe you, Tyler, when they see they photos I took,” Daniel clarified, doing nothing to alleviate Tyler’s anxiety. In fact, his father’s statement only worsened it. “Wherever this thing walked,” Daniel went on, “it’s claws just cut through everything in its path like butter. The claw incisions were the most distinct part of the print. Leaves, twigs, and branches were cut clearly—so clearly they weren’t really disturbed by its own movements. I imagine it can sneak around easily. I found a good print and took a cast of it with quick drying plaster. It’s big, and it’s deep in parts, so I’m not sure what the quality will be. I’ll find out tonight.”

“Tonight?” Tyler reverberated softly, a little surprised. It was at least three in the morning. He studied his father’s expression for a moment, deciding the man wasn’t excited in the traditional sense. Neither did he seem manic. There was a tiredness, maybe even exhaustion, but there was determination more than anything else.

There was a description that fit his father like a glove: Tired but determined. That and tough loving. And below all that… Yes, there was one more. It was confined to the eye. Guilt seemed to glint occasionally. An ever present guilt.

“No one will call you a liar,” his father said with a hard tone, and the characteristics of his expression were mirrored by his tone: tiredness, determination, and a subtle hint of guilt. Guilt that pulled the strings and puppeteered the man.

After they parted and Tyler laid down to rest, he cocooned himself in a blanket and waited for what seemed like hours, his eyes clamped shut, trying not to think. But thoughts came, and they were restless. They drifted from his hollowing encounter with Clifford, to the markings, to his interactions throughout the day, to what his father planned to do with all the evidence, to his sarcastic quips sprinkled here and there which he now cringed at. His thoughts drifted worryingly inward. He waited for sleep to come. He waited.

He waited and he became increasingly impatient.

Clive Carson - Tuesday Afternoon: “Okay,” Clive said at last, a trickle of regret in his tone and a feeling of guilt becoming prevalent. He felt shameful that he had seriously considered lying to his wife. So he told her. He told her about that morning’s iteration of the dream, his encounter with Thomas Callahan, and everything Thomas disclosed to him. He recounted their trip to the hospital, his uneventful conversation with the sheriff, and his hallucination and strange new iteration of the recurring dream.

And Melissa waited through all of it with a school teacher’s patience. She didn’t give a single token nod; she only stared watchfully, listening intently, her expression becoming grave as the monologue reached its most sensitive subject matter.

The matter of a little girl with amber eyes.

Following a brief silence at the completion of his monologue, Clive whispered, “I think she’s our daughter.” A moment later, with hesitation and extensive observation of Melissa’s reaction, he added cautiously, “Or what could’ve been.”

“What could’ve been,” Melissa repeated. Her frown deepened.

“What should we do?” Clive asked desperately.

“I don’t know,” she whispered. She repositioned her arm, tightened their embrace, and buried her head into his shoulder as she began to tear up. “I feel bad about this, Cliff. Or something else. Maybe it was some kind of manifestation of your inner regrets, that we grew old without taking the next step in life… that… Christ, I don’t know, Clive.”

He stared at the dark dots spotting her blouse and wondered long he’d been weeping.

They had never had a child, despite extensive considerations, out of fear. Where and when and how the fear had spawned was unknown; it was a placeless fear. But it wasn’t nameless. Clive feared that Melissa would die in childbirth, and she shared in such a foreboding feeling that it was crippling at times. They didn’t practice abstinence, but they had been overly cautious. Now, sex was an irregular occurrence, as both of them had faltered, but their relationship was still healthy without it and they were still very much in love. They’d just decided early on not to have kids.

That was why Clive had a vasectomy two decades ago. That had been a long ago. Now, it was possibly never of them could do their part in producing a child.

“I’m here for you, Clive,” she whispered. “Don’t bottle it up. Tell me if the dreams continue. I’ll listen to you. And the hallucination… it seems dangerous… Please be careful, if it happens again.”

“I will. I love you.

Her laugh was pitiful and more of a croak. “I love you, too.”

Part 2, Below

NoHopeLeft · January 2017

Chapter 1 Finale, Part 2

Thomas Callahan - Earlier - Tuesday Morning: The old sheriff was waiting for him in one of the hard plastic chairs of the lobby, a good natured grin plastered on his wrinkled face while the storm lashed the windowed half of the hall leading to the ER entrance, contrasting his blissful appearance starkly. He had more than fifteen years on Clive Carson but miraculously retained a head of brownish salt-and-pepper hair. His bread, folded in places by his grin, was rugged. The shoulders and back of his jacket were wet but he was nonetheless chipper.

Sheriff Mitch Jenkins uncrossed his legs, came to stand a full inch taller than Thomas, and extended a hand to Thomas. More bear than man, Thomas thought not for the first time as his hand was relinquished with no small amount of pain. That conjured the image of a grizzly on its hind legs dressed in full sheriff’s uniform, ticketing a speeding driver. The comparison was as apt as it was amusing.

“How ya feeling, boy?” the old sheriff asked.

“Sore and bruised,” Thomas replied with a slight smile of his own, massaging his crushed hand more with amusement than annoyance. He guessed Mitch got a kick out of shattering expectations—and hands—and rough handshakes had simply become a habit. For Thomas, however, there were no expectations to debunk—the old man had been one of his parents’ peers back when they were in high school and part of the sheriff’s office for just as long. That recollection was sobering. His smile shrunk but lingered on the corners of his mouth.

“Nothing serious?” Mitch asked, a catcher’s mitt of a hand clasping Thomas’s shoulder and leading him back toward the entrance/exit.

“No.” The vestige of a smile vanished and Thomas was left with a troubled frown. “I might catch a cold from being out in the cold and rain. Just a few deep bruises and some that are more superficial than anything else. They didn’t believe I was in a car crash. To be honest, I find it difficult to believe myself. Did Clyde tell you what I said?”

Mitch paused at the door, letting Thomas put his outer layers back on. The old man nodded. “Clyde told me. If it’s how you said it is—” He cut himself off, shaking his head. “Well, how ‘bout we withhold speculation until we see the damage for ourselves? Henry’s meeting us there. I’m not sure you’ve met.”

“We haven’t,” Thomas said. He was away getting his endorsement for chaplaincy when Henry Parker came to the the county—that was three or so years ago—and had never encountered the deputy during his visits home. “I’d like to meet him.”

“He’s rough around the edges and a little rigid, but it’d be a challenge to find a more kind and thoughtful man.” Mitch sighed and his expression at last acknowledged the torrential downpour washing the glass and the cruiser in the parking lot. “I’ve unlocked it. We’ll make a run for it. I see that those boots don’t fit ya right, so don’t fall on your face. It’d be an embarrassment to have to carry your concussed hide back inside. You ready?”

Thomas nodded, unable to contain a nostalgic smile as he remembered the time a little girl—Lilly Crawford or Emily Classon, he couldn’t recall who, it had occurred so long ago—slipped in a puddle and was helped to her feet by the sheriff. Righted, the girl actually mistook the man for a bear and ran home crying. Thomas had been privy to that encounter, riding home from high school on his bike. His route home took by the girl’s house where he’d seen the sheriff apologizing profusely to the girl’s mother.

Mitch held open the door and they rushed through the breach. Thomas’s borrowed socks were slouching in about an inch of water within his boots by the time they reached the old cruiser. Mitch wasted no time cranking up the heat and a chilling breath blasted them, growing progressively hotter. Picking up speed on the highway, the old wipers couldn’t keep up with the torrent.

During the drive, Mitch spoke adamantly about a plaster of paris cast brought in earlier that morning by Daniel Gavins. He told Thomas it was the biggest paw with the nastiest looking claws he’d ever seen, and he hoped it was some sort of elaborate hoax, but the old man regretfully admitted he was inclined to believe it. Tyler Gavins’s encounter with the thing in the woods last night was relayed and Thomas couldn’t help but wonder if it’d been embellished.

He still felt a chill run the length of his spine.

The radio came to life with a distorted voice that Thomas had never heard as they passed through Dayton. “Jenkins, it’s Parker. Pick up. Over.”

Mitch brought the hand radio to his mouth and held the button down as he spoke. “Mitch and Thomas here. Did you find the wreck? Over.”

“Callahan’s Civic is totaled. His story couldn’t hold a drop of water.” There was a pause during which Thomas’s brow furrowed. “Apologies, Mr. Callahan, but it’s swiss cheese,” the voice said at last. “Anyway, there’s another vehicle here. It’s been abandoned. Over.”

Mitch shot Thomas a sideways glance and Thomas could only shrug. Mitch pressed the button and didn’t speak for a moment. Then, simply, he said, “Wait for us, Henry. Over.”

“Acknowledged. Over.”

The car’s atmosphere became quiet and serious for the last few miles leading to their destination. The foreboding silence between them, interrupted only by the monotonous wipers and rain, made Thomas anxious. His heart began to race when flashing red and blue lights appeared, drowned and distorted by rain. A sheriff’s cruiser edged into existence along the lip of the road, and he recognized the ratty Civic Sedan which appeared a moment later in front of the cruiser. Thomas told Mitch.

“From Russell's bar?” the old sheriff asked, peering at the Civic Sedan, a look of recognition passing over him as well.

Thomas nodded, noticing his expression. “It was there when I left. Do you know it?”

There was a moment of silence, then he nodded gloomily. “I think that’s Wade Pittman’s car. He’s the high school gym teacher. Lives in Marla.”

“Greased back hair? Big black eyebrows?” He wondered, more anxious than angry, if Pittman had spiked the drink, had drugged him, striped his clothes, and dragged him out naked to the middle of the woods. He found some solace in Pittman’s vehicle being here—it hopefully meant Lana was out of harm’s way.

“Like caterpillars camping on his forehead,” Mitch answered without sarcasm. He pulled up behind the other cruiser, where a man in a raincoat was climbing out to greet them. “He frequents most of the bars in Dayton and Hawley and Marla. Duskin, too. You saw Pittman at Russell's last night?”

“Uh-huh,” Thomas said, his voice a whisper as he stared out the passenger’s side window and through thick curtain of rain at his Civic, wrapped around a tree. There was a trail of torn up grass, carving wide lines—which had withstood hours of rainfall—indicative of where it edged off the lip of the road, down an incline, and careened into its final resting place.

Thomas’s eyes snapped to Mitch with a start when the old sheriff popped his car door. The blurry figure of Henry Parker stood outside by the hood, soaked and looking more than a little impatient.

“Stay in the car, Thomas. I’ll be back in five,” Mitch told him, his tone grave. Before Thomas could interject, the old man fully opened the door and instantly became distorted by the rain. He met with Henry and the two padded down the small slope toward the crashed Civic. Henry’s gestures and Mitch’s nods suggested they were talking, but Thomas could hear nothing at all beyond the rain’s overwhelming shower. Something about their body posture was worrying.

When the sheriff and deputy disappeared into the woods in front the Civic, Thomas couldn’t sit idle any longer. He threw off his seat belt and proceeded to throw himself into the storm, muttering a curse each time his slouching boots threatened to make him slip as he stumbled down the incline. As he came up to the wreck, he continually wiped water from his eyes just to get a look it. Henry Parker yelled something at him that he did not hear. Suddenly he wished he hadn’t left the warm cabin of the cruiser. Suddenly he felt like he might be sick.

The tree, a little less than a foot in diameter, was buried more than a foot into the crumpled right half of front of the Civic—as it crashed, the back tires appeared to have lifted off the ground, allowing the whole vehicle to swivel a feet or so with the tree as its axis. Through the open driver’s side door, Thomas could see that upholstery and floorboards were littered with shards of glass. The casing of the dashboard was broken and pushed outward by the engine block. The seat belt was ripped from its base and the majority of it had furled into its upper compart.

The driver—Thomas had to reminded himself with horrified disbelief that it was him—was thrown through the windshield upon impact and grazed the first tree, close enough to leave behind light blues fibers from the dress shirt he’d been wearing that night. The brief contact with the first tree had sent him ricocheting between two more trees—these were hit directly and more clothes fibers and what looked bits of flesh were left behind at every point of impact—before hitting the final tree. It was about the width of Thomas’s upper arm and had snapped partially below the final point of collision, leaving it at a seventy degree angle and held that way by the denser groups of trees behind it. It appeared to have once been coated with blood, now washed away by the rain but still noticeably red around the break in the trunk. His clothes, the tatters of his light blue dress shirt stained dark purple, were torn to shreds at every seam and scattered around the vicinity of the tree.

Lightheaded, Thomas stumbled back up the incline with both of the other men at his heel. While in the process of tripping, Mitch caught his shoulder brought upright with firm but gently expressed strength. Mitch held him more closely than Thomas would’ve expected, and he helped Thomas up the remaining six feet and into cruiser.

Shivering, with water dripping off his nose in swollen drops, Thomas’s expression was in no small way terrified. Mitch climbed in across from him and lightly shook his shoulder. Thomas only looked into his own lap, toward his clawed and shaking hands.

End of Chapter 1: Undiscovery

The Star Song

Post-part Notes:

There's a lot I'd like to say, but I have to be out the door in a few minutes, so I'd just like to say there will a post addressing the direction the reboot has taken, where it's going, and few other things, I think, and last but not least, I'm going to have a lot of questions to ask you beautiful people now that we've reached the end of the first chapter! Let me just say it's been a pleasure and I've had a blast with this chapter! You'll hear more from me tonight :^D

Lord_EAA · January 2017

You know Nohope your timing is impeccable. I literally returned to the forums yesterday after spending time in the countryside with my family and the first thing I noticed was, 'wow seems I wasn't the only one who had to take a break, I wonder what Nohope has been doing'. Next day you post this. Good thing too I was worried you also had had big issues with your internet. Also happy new year!!!!!!!!!!! I hope its a great year for you and everyone you love . Now lets dissect the part itself, shall we.

First of this part basically confirmed all of our suspicions, Rachel and Alex do not exist. My only fear now is that their introduction, well existence really, now will have to be seen as really, really weird by who ever survives this 'other dimension'. Which I shall now dub 'Reality B' as I hope that when the 'Reality Shift' happens the one with Clives children will overtake it wholeheartedly or that at least in a manner similar to Prime several 'Shifts' occur till its only remembered as 'the first one'. Anyway yeah someone HAS be weirded out of their skull by them which has the possibility to be a blessing or a curse since it makes everything they do seem impactful to the entire world whether it actually is or not but it has the possibility to make Clive overshadow them and not make them characters in their own right. But I fully trust you in this so I'm just looking forward to seen how the Shift happens and how long Reality B actually lasts. Infact the fact that the Shift will basically alter the whole story means that you can basically kill off everyone and then make the story reinvent itself. Its a brilliant concept with a lot of creative freedom. Its a similar thing to what I hope to have in my own story someday. You can completely alter things but they still matter since at least one character in question experienced those events. For example you can have Lana and Thomas's relationship completely altered. Maybe they have always known each other, maybe they hate each other, maybe they are a couple, maybe the are MARRIED. Ok THAT is a stretch but still.

I also want to congradulate you on finishing your first chapter in the reboot. Only took you a year . But no sweat its taken me 2 and a 1/2 and I'm still not done.

Also can we appreciate the irony that both the original and the reboot ended the fist chapter with the discovery that a fan submitted character is dead. Hopefully however submitted Pitman won't be as affected as Liquid.

NoHopeLeft · January 2017

You know Nohope your timing is impeccable. I literally returned to the forums yesterday after spending time in the countryside with my family and the first thing I noticed was, 'wow seems I wasn't the only one who had to take a break, I wonder what Nohope has been doing'. Next day you post this. Good thing too I was worried you also had had big issues with your internet. Also happy new year!!!!!!!!!!! I hope its a great year for you and everyone you love . Now lets dissect the part itself, shall we.

All part of the plan B^) Fortunately, outside of an occasional hiccup, my internet's been fine—I was actually just busy writing some one-shots for my other story (and I also had an f ton of self-imposed reading to finish up on before the new year). Once Nutcracker was over, the holidays were really low key, which, if I'm being honest, I prefer. But let me wish you a happy new year! I hope it's a good year for you, too! And that goes for every wonderful reader here :^)

First of this part basically confirmed all of our suspicions, Rachel and Alex do not exist. My only fear now is that their introduction, well existence really, now will have to be seen as really, really weird by who ever survives this 'other dimension'. Which I shall now dub 'Reality B' as I hope that when the 'Reality Shift' happens the one with Clives children will overtake it wholeheartedly or that at least in a manner similar to Prime several 'Shifts' occur till its only remembered as 'the first one'. Anyway yeah someone HAS be weirded out of their skull by them which has the possibility to be a blessing or a curse since it makes everything they do seem impactful to the entire world whether it actually is or not but it has the possibility to make Clive overshadow them and not make them character in their own right. But I fully trust you in this so I'm just looking forward to seen how the Shift happens and how long Reality B actually lasts. Infact the fact that the Shift will basically alter the whole story means that you can basically kill off everyone and then make the story reinvent itself. Its a brilliant concept with a lot of creative freedom. Its a similar thing to what I hope to have in my own story someday. You can completely alter things but they still matter since at least one character in question experienced those events. For example you can have Lana and Thomas's relationship completely altered. Maybe they have always known each other, maybe they hate each other, maybe they are a couple, maybe the are MARRIED.

You've brought a very understandable concern about characters being alienated. It should please you to know, what with the way things are going and what I have planned, that it shouldn't be a problem. I have explanations that explain what the f is going on. They may not be the most sound or satisfying of explanations ever, but I feel they avoid this Reality B conundrum you mention without being too hand-wavy.

I also want to congradulate you on finishing your first chapter in the reboot. Only took you a year . But no sweat its taken me 2 and a 1/2 and I'm still not done.

Thanks! I had a bunch of sparks of inspiration, but I'm gonna chalk this one up for having a plan this time around surrounding the main plot line and the events of most chapters. Bridging those events with fulfilling filler is what I've had a challenge in planning, but I've found it easier to wrap it around a center event (chapter 1, we had the rainstorm, and in chapter 2, we'll have thanksgiving). Seriously though, writing can be a freaking challenge. Take your time, dude, and don't stress! If your creative energy is on the fritz, I'd recommend checking out some movies, tv shows, or books with similar themes and genres to what you're exploring with Prime. It may help, it may not, but it's always worth a shot!

Also can we appreciate the irony that both the original and the reboot ended the fist chapter with the discovery that a fan submitted character is dead. Hopefully however submitted pitman won't be as affected as Liquid.

You see, in the original story, Alex's body was discovered at the chapter finale. In the reboot, however, it's only hinted that a submitted character may or may not be missing by the finale. Besides, while there are similar elements, this won't be a retread of the original. Who's to say Pittman's dead? I haven't said anything. Henry and Mitch didn't say anything. Anyway, the user who submitted Pittman hasn't followed the story for a long time, but that doesn't mean I'm going to treat their character (or characters like Pittman, whose submitters are no longer present, of which there are many) as expendable. Does this mean Pittman lives? It's difficult to say... ;^)

By the way, you'll be happy to know Lana will have more screen time this act, and (assuming she's not dead or erased from existence or something crazy) it's getting more and more likely she'll command a point of view in Act II.

LiquidChicagoTed · January 2017

The chapter finale! I haven't thought that we'd reach the chapter finale already, that's crazy, but awesome. And all of our PoV's got an intriguing part, although Thomas is the one taking the centre here, with what I see as the best PoV in this part, on account of getting quite something to speculate on.

First of all, there is Tyler's part, which gave me something to worry about, namely his odd fear of eyes that came up here. I wonder where that came from and now I have to think, what if these marks on his back are actually meant to watch him, maybe even to control him. But unless we know what Clifford is, I wouldn't see it as impossible. The fact that Clifford was able to leave these clearly supernatural marks on his skin also worry me as to what exactly Cliffor is. Maybe it is like a mark that allows him or it to do something with Tyler, but since Clifford itself hasn't done anything obviously bad so far, it might not even be a bad thing. But ah, I hope it is not a serious as I think it is, though I am afraid I am wrong.

Then there is Clive's part, which gave me the feels. More than that, it gave me a reason why Rachel and Alex don't exist. If I'm not mistaken, she was about 24 in her submission, so if Clive got a vasectomy over two decades ago, that explains a lot. I am happy that Melissa is taking him seriously and doesn't think that he is losing his mind or playing some trick on her. At least I don't think that she thinks such a thing. I also noticed how he explicitly mentioned Melissa's death by childbirth as his worst fear. Maybe somehow, his worst fear got prevented by something.

And finally Thomas' part, which already answers one big question, or at least I thought it would be, before I read through Lord's comment, which mad me doubt this once again. Tyler has his meeting with Clifford, Clive has the unexplainable absence of his children, but in comparison, Thomas getting drugged seems strangely mundane for a storyline. But seeing the wreck of his car, I more than ever started to have a serious concern. The state of the wreck, the signs of the driver being thrown out of the car with serious force, smashing against the trees in th process... no one could have survived that, at least not without serious injuries. Thomas has no injuries. Does that mean that he is dead, undead or has Wolverine-like healing abilities? After reading through Lord's comment, I am confused though. Maybe it is just me reading this at a very late hour, but I was fully convinced that this was Thomas' car. Now I have to doubt it, so I'm asking directly before I make any more specific speculation. Is this Thomas' car, or is it Wade Pittman's?

Anyways, this was a great finale for a seriously great chapter! I am incredibly hyped for the future chapters of this story, you did a tremendous job in setting up the story and building up some early core mysteries that I just love to speculate about. I can't wait for the next chapter to start

Lord_EAA · January 2017

[You see, in the original story, Alex's body was discovered at the chapter finale. In the reboot, however, it's only hinted that a submitted character may or may not be missing by the finale. Besides, while there are similar elements, this won't be a retread of the original. Who's to say Pittman's dead? I haven't said anything. Henry and Mitch didn't say anything. Anyway, the user who submitted Pittman hasn't followed the story for a long time, but that doesn't mean I'm going to treat their character (or characters like Pittman, whose submitters are no longer present, of which there are many) as expendable. Does this mean Pittman lives? It's difficult to say... ;^)]

Plays dramatic Twin Peaks music Well, well seems we have an old town mystery on our hands. The scene described presents evidence of a possible assault, accident or maybe even a murder. But which is it? Even with greater analysis and study there is not enough evidence to prove any theory. So even if I am fully 100% correct I will have no way of knowing about it......... AND ITS SO FUN!!!!!!

[By the way, you'll be happy to know Lana will have more screen time this act, and (assuming she's not dead or erased from existence or something crazy)...]

.....Nohope you sadistic, torturous, evil.............

[.....it's getting more and more likely she'll command a point of view in Act II.]

...lovable, compassionate, caring, awesome human being and writer! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! Even if it doesn't happen I'm sure ill love act too but seeing her just makes me smile.

(Also that whole being mad at first thing, that was me making an over the top sarcastic joke. It kinda ruins the point when I outright say it but I'm currently afraid that my sarcasam is so bad it will be taken seriously and kill all of my friendships for earlier events in this thread that luckly ended otherwise.)

AgentZ46 · January 2017

Oh man, I am so in love with this story. This was an excellent chapter to start the story off. Obviously Tyler was my favorite POV.

NoHopeLeft · January 2017

The chapter finale! I haven't thought that we'd reach the chapter finale already, that's crazy, but awesome. And all of our PoV's got an intriguing part, although Thomas is the one taking the centre here, with what I see as the best PoV in this part, on account of getting quite something to speculate on.

To be honest, I thought the final part was a little overdue, at least by my usual standards. It came to be 37 pages long in the doc! That's definitely my longest chapter so far. And that's something considering it's objectively the best-written chapter I've churned out yet on a technical level (subjectively, it's also probably my favorite). I'm kind of hoping chapter 2 is a little shorter, cause 37 pages becomes a lot to manage and it'll only get harder as the story progresses through chapters, but I seriously have no idea what will happen once the ball gets rolling again—it could go beyond 37 for all I know, but I think it's unlikely to.

First of all, there is Tyler's part, which gave me something to worry about, namely his odd fear of eyes that came up here. I wonder where that came from and now I have to think, what if these marks on his back are actually meant to watch him, maybe even to control him. But unless we know what Clifford is, I wouldn't see it as impossible. The fact that Clifford was able to leave these clearly supernatural marks on his skin also worry me as to what exactly Cliffor is. Maybe it is like a mark that allows him or it to do something with Tyler, but since Clifford itself hasn't done anything obviously bad so far, it might not even be a bad thing. But ah, I hope it is not a serious as I think it is, though I am afraid I am wrong.

The eye thing wasn't meant to be anything terribly deep—just sort of a list of eyes that scare him: Clifford's, his father's, and the eyelike markings. We'll get a really good idea of what the effect of the marks is in Tyler's segments of chapter 2. We've actually seen a glimpse of its effects at the end of his part here. Anyway, who knows when we'll see the mysterious mutt? Or what truths we'll learn about Tyler and the other characters alike? Perhaps next... or the time after that...

Then there is Clive's part, which gave me the feels. More than that, it gave me a reason why Rachel and Alex don't exist. If I'm not mistaken, she was about 24 in her submission, so if Clive got a vasectomy over two decades ago, that explains a lot. I am happy that Melissa is taking him seriously and doesn't think that he is losing his mind or playing some trick on her. At least I don't think that she thinks such a thing. I also noticed how he explicitly mentioned Melissa's death by childbirth as his worst fear. Maybe somehow, his worst fear got prevented by something.

She's 25, actually. And yes, we know in part what has seemingly erased them from existence, but there still remains many unknowns, chief among is how the fear of death by childbirth spawned. It's obvious to us that it's because of what originally unfolded. Your last sentence isn't the farthest from the truth... Ultimately the question is, how was that fear imposed on him?

And finally Thomas' part, which already answers one big question, or at least I thought it would be, before I read through Lord's comment, which mad me doubt this once again. Tyler has his meeting with Clifford, Clive has the unexplainable absence of his children, but in comparison, Thomas getting drugged seems strangely mundane for a storyline. But seeing the wreck of his car, I more than ever started to have a serious concern. The state of the wreck, the signs of the driver being thrown out of the car with serious force, smashing against the trees in th process... no one could have survived that, at least not without serious injuries. Thomas has no injuries. Does that mean that he is dead, undead or has Wolverine-like healing abilities? After reading through Lord's comment, I am confused though. Maybe it is just me reading this at a very late hour, but I was fully convinced that this was Thomas' car. Now I have to doubt it, so I'm asking directly before I make any more specific speculation. Is this Thomas' car, or is it Wade Pittman's?

We just have to wait and see. If he gets cut and it heals a moment later or if claws come out of his hands, we'll know if he's secretly Wolverine lol

And you had it right the first time with the cars! Pittman drives a ratty Civic Sedan, which was abandoned at the side of the road, behind which Henry and Mitch parked their cruisers. Thomas drove a Civic which ran off the road and crashed into a tree. Similar names aside, it's pretty clear it's Thomas's car that crashed.

Anyways, this was a great finale for a seriously great chapter! I am incredibly hyped for the future chapters of this story, you did a tremendous job in setting up the story and building up some early core mysteries that I just love to speculate about. I can't wait for the next chapter to start

I'm happy we feel the same way! Now that it has found its ground, I'm looking very more forward to later events! I'm incredibly happy with Mitch's introduction and how the final scene played out, and I really just can't wait to see how all the other stuff I have planned translates once it's written in prose. There's a lot of things going on in Silicon County, big and small, and it's going to be a wild ride. If all goes to plan, it's gonna go off the rails with Act II (not in the same way as the original story, mind you)—but I hope that turns out to be a good thing. I think it will! :^D

NoHopeLeft · January 2017

I'm sliding into home plate with this story lol

Seriously though, I'm having a freaking goddamn blast and the sooner it continues the better. I've got some stuff pre-written for chapter 2—bear in mind it was written weeks ago, way before chapter 1's finale. It's going to need some adjustments but chapter 2 will totally premiere before the week is up!

I'm also really happy that you've liked Tyler's POV! I'm going to try hard to keep it up for the coming chapters!

NoHopeLeft · January 2017

Post-chapter 1 Stuff

That's chapter 1! Done and done! It's incredibly gratifying to hear it's been enjoyed and rest assured, the show will go on very soon! As I've said to Agent, I've been sitting on some pre-written stuff for chapter 2 for a while now. Having had a spark of inspiration for a pretty neat dream sequence (if I say so myself) that was distracting me from other stuff, I wrote it down to get it out of the way. One thing led another and a major player is now debuting in it.

It's worth noting that while the original Silicon contain some of my worst creative decisions, rebooting it has totally proved to be one of my best.

Chapter 2 will premiere this week, not counting the continuation of Postlude to Fire, which requires very tinkering for its release.

Onto the questions. Since this is the first chapter, of a reboot no less, there is a ton to go over, so please bear with me. Whether or not you're detailed in your answers is entirely at your discretion. If a question gives you trouble, don't think twice about skipping it. Okay... take a deep, calm breath... let's go...

1. Who was your favorite and least favorite character who commanded a point of view?

2. Who was your favorite and least favorite side character?

3. Let me first confirm that in addition to some protag rotation, there will be new point of views in Act II, one for sure. Now, including unintroduced characters, who do you think would make a good additional point of view or could carry a storyline of their own?

4. What are your favorite and least favorites scenes/segments/points in the plot so far?

5. What are your favorite plot threads that I've left dangling? Alternatively, which do you find most interesting?

6. There were several chilling/unsettling scenes. Which impacted you the most and why? Alternatively, which was your favorite and why?

7. There were some small similarities between this and the original story. As things progress, however, we'll be moving into newer and newer material. What are some elements/plot points/even scenes you might want to see revitalized from the original story that you think I should carry over before it may become too late?

8. Silicon County is going to be exploring an f ton of genres, paying homage to things aplenty. I'm paying to homage Clifford the Big Red Dog of all things. I'm literally willing to give anything a thought. Suggestions?

9. Speaking of Clifford, what the hell do you think our furry little friend is?

10. That's one chapter out of nine. What the hell do your thick is going to happen next?

11. Who, among our beloved characters, do you think will be our first death in the Silicon County family? You can't say Wade Pittman! >:^)

12. I'm in dire need of constructive criticism. For a while, I wrote "definitely" as "defiantly" before it was thankfully pointed. I once called bathroom stalls toilets with doors in front of them. So, repeatedly misspelled words and asininity/improper word choices if nothing else, what flaws do you see in my writing? What could I do to improve it?

12. Our closing question is terribly off topic: on Friday, I'm visiting a used bookstore out of town as a late Christmas/New Years thing and I'm would be happy to hear if you have a recommendation. If there's a book you like, you darn well better tell me about! :^P Don't worry about it not being my cup of tea—I'm pretty genre-fluid and I'll look stuff up before making any sort of list (so if a jokester recommendations something weird their prank won't go undiscovered).

That's it, dogs, and I'm sorry X( This is seriously a crap ton of bricks in terms of questions and some demand a lot in terms of answers. Some you can't really answer and require speculation. I just want to remind you that every single question is optional (but please don't submitted a black sheat lol), your answers can be as brief or detailed as you want, and there's absolutely no rush to answer. I gotta go now. It's really late. This has been Hope, signing off.

Lord_EAA · January 2017

Well before I answer any of this i'd like to ask you a question: What is 'Postlude to Fire'? Is it a new story you have?

NoHopeLeft · January 2017

I probably created a lot confusion by changing its name a bunch, but it's that weird thing with the knight that sort of opened chapter 1, and it ties heavily into what's going on in the story. I've almost finished the second draft of Postlude to Fire's continuation—it'll be up later today.

AgentZ46 · January 2017

Favorite POV is Tyler for obvious reasons. Least is Clive because I don't really like him as a character.
Favorite side character is Samantha, you just can't go wrong with her, she's so likable. Least favorite is Wade Pittman but that's mostly because we don't really know much about him.
I think Mitch Jenkins or Henry Parker would be great candidates for a POV. It'd be good to get the perspective of authority and I imagine they'll somehow get wrapped up in almost everything serious that happens.

NoHopeLeft · January 2017

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The Interloper, 02-01 — Postlude to Fire, 02: Half a ton of steel and iron moved with fox-like precognition between charred trees, trampled the entanglements of deadfalls at an unhesitating speed, and ran straight through the decaying husks whenever it was of convenience with the momentum of a locomotive.

The monster was an ivory-colored tower in the knight’s peripheral vision, halfway vanished into the dark overhanging haze, looming closer with each lumbering step. Each mountainous footfall crushed several dozen tree husks into dust at ones, spreading billowing clouds of powderized black soot like isolated sandstorms while larger tree fragments shot skyward, deteriorated as they fell downward, and shattered and threw clouds of dust and ash on impact.

The monster, closing the rapidly closing the gap between it and the knight, deliberately uprooted trees with its mockery of hands—masses of intertwined human and animal bones that split into five opposable appendages with a resemblance to palms and fingers—and threw the improvised projectiles over- and underhanded until one might strike the fleeing speck of dull metal in the sea of dead forest.

“I DREAM, BUT DOES IT?” the monster bellowed above the concealing haze, the passage of each prolonged syllable through its throat lined with protruding bones audible in its obscene imitation of language. ”DOES IT ENVY?”

The moment the tree stuck the knight’s back, it exploded into dust and harmless fragments—but the attack knocked the knight off balance and caused it to tumble into a clump of trees. Before the cloud of debris could settle, it was scattered by the speed and mass of a hand-thing that succeeded in its attempt to pin the tripped knight, but not before the knight had rolled onto its back and drawn its sword in time to allow the force of the monster’s own attack to the blade up to its hilt in the monster’s palm. Bones crunched and split. The monster screamed with rage, the knight’s grip tightened on the sword tilt, and the world became a black and gray blur as the monster swung its arm in a wide arch and flicked its hand.

Mental tore as the knight sailed through open air.

The knight flew, tumbled end over end above three miles of blurred landscape. Its trajectory degraded as it entered the remains of a desolate, modern city, crashing to a building and vanishing into the hole it made. The knight reorientated itself, rose to a kneeling position among upturned office chairs and collapsed cubicles, and glanced at its stump. Ash and pulverized drywall cascaded from the breath in the two-story office building’s side. Though the breach, the knight observed for a moment the dissipating cloud of destruction trailing from the now out of sight lake, the separate plume of dust where its severed arm impacted, and the abomination as it closed five percent of the gap in several bounds.

Weaponless and with no time to waste, the knight ran through opposite wall of the office space, fell to the street below amidst a shower of debris, and resumed running south. A brief howl issued from the southeast like the signal of a warhorn then died out to silence. The knight adjusted its course.

To be continued...

AgentZ46 · January 2017

These parts are interesting, but I'm not even going to try to understand what they mean.

LiquidChicagoTed · January 2017

I know it took me forever to answer But this has been quite a big amount of questions. Not that I'm complaining though

Who was your favorite and least favorite character who commanded a point of view?

Well, obviously I got the most feels out of Clive's parts. I never thought it would come to this, that Clive would be my favourite, but damn, I really got invested in his storyline. It is also the one I love to speculate about the most, so I'd say it is my favourite. The dynamic with Melissa is also something I have never expected but greatly enjoy. And my least favourite... ah... well... do I really have to choose? Please don't make me, I liked them all

Who was your favorite and least favorite side character?

My favourite... well, Mitch I think. He has been neat and while he was one of many characters that were alright in the original story, I really feel like he got far more interesting here in the reboot. While a lot about the reboot is still a mystery for me, I can already say for certain that Mitch has improved. Another candidate is Melissa, simply because of how incredible I find her completely unexpected presence. My least favourite now... well... I hate choosing. I don't have a least favourite. Can I name Luke for reasons? Nah, just kidding, if I have to choose someone, I'd probably say Wade Pittman, even though he barely qualifies as a character at this point, having only appeared in passing in Thomas' first part.

Let me first confirm that in addition to some protag rotation, there will be new point of views in Act II, one for sure. Now, including unintroduced characters, who do you think would make a good additional point of view or could carry a storyline of their own?

Including unintroduced... oh, hehe, you know what I'm going to say Well, though aside from the obvious, I have to agree with Agent that one of the police people might be able to provide an interesting view on some topics. Especially this stuff with Clifford, I could see this getting some serious investigation and it might be interesting to see what they are up to. But ah, in the end I also like our current set of PoV's, so do how you want it. I'm sure you'll pick some great PoV's for the future. Though, will it remain at three, or will there be more than three storylines at once? That would be interesting to know.

What are your favorite and least favorites scenes/segments/points in the plot so far?

Again, can I skip the least favourite part? I always have a hard time answering these, because even when I have least favourite scenes, which I don't really have in this part, I have a super hard time to even find them and I'd feel like I'd do some super nitpicking. But I have favourite scenes, yes I do. Two, to be precise. One would be Tyler's encounter with Clifford, because holy shit, that was terrifying. I haven't even realized what he was seeing at first and thought he was simply hallucinating, until it hit me. I think I have read this part much like how Tyler actually experienced the situation and that was a great experience. And then there was Clive's part with the vision, because it was unexpected, worrying, sweet and gave me the feels and the confusion, as well as the will to speculate about just what the hell is going on there.

What are your favorite plot threads that I've left dangling? Alternatively, which do you find most interesting?

I am not sure if I understand that question correctly. Do you mean which ending to each of the three storylines I liked the most? In this case, I can say it is easily Thomas'. The implication right at the end of his storyline has been huge and I can't wait to see what is happening there. The other two have interesting storylines as well of course, but they had a relatively soft ending and most of their action before this final part, while Thomas had it the other way 'round and just dropped a huge bomb in his final few paragraphs.

There were several chilling/unsettling scenes. Which impacted you the most and why? Alternatively, which was your favorite and why?

Well, the one I found to be the most unsettling was Tyler's encounter with Clifford, because it was completely outlandish. I haven't expected it and the way I had to imagine the scene was terrifying. It was the only scene so far I found genuinely unsettling, whereas the others intrigued me more than anything else. Of course, Clifford intrigued me as well, but it also have me the chills. The others have made me more curious than scared.

There were some small similarities between this and the original story. As things progress, however, we'll be moving into newer and newer material. What are some elements/plot points/even scenes you might want to see revitalized from the original story that you think I should carry over before it may become too late?

Well, I don't know. I really don't know. Nothing related to the Luke-Owen-Alex stuff, that much is for sure, though I guess that one's been confirmed to have been cut. I can't specifically think of particular scenes or plot points I would like to have carried over, because most of them had at least some connection to that dreaded murder storyline. But one element I greatly enjoyed and even already see carried over in some way is the visions. Sam had them in the original, now it seems Clive gets flashes of them, but it is definitely something I like greatly about the original story and something I would certainly not object to if you decide to feature it more prominently in the reboot. More stuff to speculate about, I guess

Silicon County is going to be exploring an f ton of genres, paying homage to things aplenty. I'm paying to homage Clifford the Big Red Dog of all things. I'm literally willing to give anything a thought. Suggestions?

I am a sucker for high fantasy. I don't know how Silicon could include things of that genre, but that is my favourite genre, so I thought I'd mention it in case it gives you some ideas. Other than that, I love classically supernatural themes, though I could see some of these already being a part of the storyline.

Speaking of Clifford, what the hell do you think our furry little friend is?

Honestly, I have an idea. Maybe he is from another dimension. You know, like these things the knight from Postlude to Fire fights against, just far less aggressive. Maybe Postlude is set in a different dimension of sorts, where creatures like Clifford exist. Something obviously went terribly wrong in Silicon, as the absence of Rachel and Alex proves and maybe the same incident caused Clifford to appear there. Other ideas would be a mutated animal, the result of some secret government tests or maybe an alien.

That's one chapter out of nine. What the hell do your thick is going to happen next?

enter image description here

In all seriousness, I have no idea. I can see Clive learning more about this vision of his, maybe even learning that Melissa is dead in the reality where they actually had children. Maybe we also learn more about what Clifford is, though I guess the big hints will have to wait for Chapter 3 for that. The only one where I don't even have the figment of an idea is Thomas' storyline, which I could literally see getting developed into any direction at this point.

Who, among our beloved characters, do you think will be our first death in the Silicon County family? You can't say Wade Pittman! >:^)

Wade Pi... oh, you clever...! Now, well... it pains me, but Melissa? She is technically dead in what I want to call the main reality, the one where Rachel and Alex exist, so if anything happens to fix the problem that went wrong there, I could see her just vanishing, which would be tragic. Other than that... I have the bad feeling that maybe Clifford isn't as harmless as he seems to be, so maybe one of the people that try to interact with him. Certainly not Tyler, but I could see either Daniel or Mitch doing something to accidentally provoke Clifford.

I'm in dire need of constructive criticism. For a while, I wrote "definitely" as "defiantly" before it was thankfully pointed. I once called bathroom stalls toilets with doors in front of them. So, repeatedly misspelled words and asininity/improper word choices if nothing else, what flaws do you see in my writing? What could I do to improve it?

I think I remember that bathroom example That was Monument, Act 2 Chapter 1 or 2, wasn't it? The one where the Harvest Hills group was still on their way to Laredo. But nah, I really can't say I have noticed anything. I haven't even noticed the stuff you mentioned, especially not the defiantly part. I tend to overread such individual mistakes most of the time and they really don't bother me. You have improved so vastly on that field that I can't say anything you could do to improve it. Trust me, this is as constructive as it gets, your writing is amazing. Of course, a pro critic could probably point out flaws, but at this point, it would really need a pro critic to properly see them and to properly give you advice on how to improve it. I'm not a pro critic, I'm just good enough to say with certainty that your story is really, really good and that there is nothing I could tell you to improve on, especially when it comes to spelling and grammar.
Actually, I just noticed one thing though. In question number 10, you wrote "thick" instead of "think"

Our closing question is terribly off topic: on Friday, I'm visiting a used bookstore out of town as a late Christmas/New Years thing and I'm would be happy to hear if you have a recommendation. If there's a book you like, you darn well better tell me about! :^P Don't worry about it not being my cup of tea—I'm pretty genre-fluid and I'll look stuff up before making any sort of list (so if a jokester recommendations something weird their prank won't go undiscovered).

I know I am a bit late for this one, as Friday came and went already. But I'm relatively confident that it won't be the last time you're going to visit a bookstore. So, next time you're going to be there, I got a couple of recommendations. I think I already mentioned the Discworld novels before. Purely beautiful in terms of the topics that get explored, especially starting with the fourth novel of the bunch. The only thing even better than the heartwarming humanistic themes and morality in the series is the humour, which is on par with Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, if that rings a bell. In fact, the humour between the two series can be compared. If you wish to start, the first three novels are a bit stronger with the humour than the philosophical themes, whom I always tended to enjoy the most, but starting with Book 4, it gets downright amazing. So, if you're looking for something humorous but still really deep to read, try Discworld. The first novel is called "The Colour of Magic" and the fourth, which I see as the best of the early series is called "Mort". Save for the first two books, the series has only a loose continuity, even though there is a rough order in which they should be read in.
If you are not that much into humorous fantasy, there is another series I have read, which I can only recommend. It's the Traitor Son cycle by Myles Cameron, a mixture between various types of fantasy. It's dark, certainly not high fantasy, it's gritty and incredibly thrilling. The author is really into historical swordfighting and it shows in the way he writes his fight scenes. If you're into super realistic descriptions of medieval battles, then this series is basically better than porn. On top of that, it has a plot that I found to be on of the most intriguing out of all the fantasy novels I have read. Comparable to Game of Thrones, but with much more physical fighting and fantasy elements. A fun fact about it, it actually inspired me to write one particular fighting scene in Forum of Thrones and it ended up as the fighting scene I probably got the most praise for. I think it really helped me with this sort of scenes, but even outside of these benefits, the novels are a sheer joy to read. The first novel is called "The Red Knight", if you're interested. There are five books planned in total, with four of them written already and the fifth probably getting released either in late 2017 or early 2018.

NoHopeLeft · January 2017

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Thomas Callahan, 02-02 - Nov. 24th, Thursday, ??:?? AM: One of two giant doors swung open. It stopped with a loud clang, resonating throughout the chapel, bringing those in attendance to silence and their eyes to bear. Thomas lingered in the threshold, his hands cupped over his privates. He was naked, and an intense vulnerability washed over him in the awkward silence as the echo of his entrance faded. He ventured down the center aisle, failing to ignore the sheep who stared from his right and the predatory glares cast by the wolves from his left.

The wolves occupying the left pews were clothed in black suits and dresses over predominantly black fur, pelts smudged with infrequent patches of white around the muzzle and chest. They were sat freakishly still on their haunches, but their demeanor in no way suggested obedience—their eyes brooded with a loathful impatience directed toward Thomas. He sped up, glancing at the stunned expressions of sheep to his right, who were similarly clothed in suits and dresses. Several heads among both groups were veiled by dark netting.

The chapel was lit by bright fluorescent lights embedded in the high ceiling. The stained glass windows, spaced at regular intervals along either side of the nave, buffered an outside darkness. Black and impossibly large masses moved across entire fifteen-foot panes of stained glass, suggesting the misshapen silhouettes of strange and disproportionate creatures from a time far removed.

Thomas slowed, then paused, regarding the snout jutting from the open casket with uncertainty. He continued at a stilted pace, climbed the raised platform, and skirted the podium placed at the fulcrum of expectant stares. Unlike the other animals filling the nave, Thomas’s father looked humanoid beneath his onyx suit. His black-furred head bore a solemn frown until one was close enough to see the slightly upturned corners that adorned his maw with a small but fittingly wolfish grin. His father resembled Lon Chaney Jr.’s Wolf Man if one turned the wolf-dial a few degrees further.

Dad didn’t look like this, Thomas thought as a thin relic of a wolf in priest’s attire made way for Thomas at the podium. Thomas glanced at a blown-up photo of his father in a college sweatshirt, more of a Teen Wolf than a Wolf Man in this picture, and his mind was thrown through a loop. Confused and anxious but hidden behind the podium, Thomas placed his hands on the podium for stability.

“I don’t--” He came to a full stop and realized his mouth was devoid of moisture. He began again. “I don’t think anyone really knew my father. No one really what was going through his h-head… Certainly not… not…”

Another full stop. He asked himself if he knew his father would snap and kill his mother before committing suicide. The answer was no. He asked himself again and the answer was the same but not as sure as the first. The attendant's dark animal eyes drilled holes into Thomas and he suddenly realized they saw the truth just by looking at him, a truth which he might never know or fully understand.

A stranger was amidst the wolves in the first pew, closest to the stained-glass window. Thomas had missed it during his approach and ascension of the platform and was now confronted by its empty and bottomless black eye sockets. It wore a predatory animal’s bleached skull as a mask. Tendrils of weeds or hair or feathers flowed out the back of the skull-mask, draping over its figure like a dark green, organic cloak. The hollow sockets were ringed with blood red paint and two flame-like shoots rose from each circle.

It watched him, evidently amused by the funeral's proceedings, while dark shapes churned in the window beyond it.

“You’re dreaming, Thomas,” it told him. The skull-mask lacked a lower jaw and there was no movement indicative of speaking—the only movement was the organic cloak, swaying gently like curtains in a whisper of breath. “Yesterday was the final dreamless night for everyone but one. This makes your job more difficult.”

Thomas could only stammer. He cupped himself again.

The skull-mask, its line of sight having drifted an inch to Thomas’s right—toward the college photograph of Thomas’s father—readjusted its gaze to the naked man. “I digress,” it said in a menacing undertone. “I wouldn’t want to break you. You’re well aware how fragile the human mind is. Besides, I need you. We’re partners in this, Thomas, you and I.”

There was a moment of silence filled only by the animals in the nave, who were growing restless. He heard wolves bark and sheep bay as if from a great distance.

“D-Dreaming?” Thomas finally managed.

“Yes. Don’t tell me I’ve broken you already.” It sounded more amused than annoyed, but there was something deliberate and unauthentic about its sarcasm—it wasn’t good natured. “You’re dreaming. And you’re not the only one.”

“Who else is dreaming?” Thomas asked. His voice was thin. His heart pounded in his chest.

“There are eight, but one’s not going to dream, one’s dead, and two are somewhere else—none are out of reach. My lot is limited to you, Thomas. The Lion possesses his own agents, but I’m unsure of their numbers.” There a noise, perhaps a chuckle, and it was the most sinister had Thomas had ever heard. “You’re all drawn to the Lion’s palace like a moth is to flame. Steps in any direction carry you toward it—an infinite number of paths, and they all lead to him. You can sit, and that will work for a time, but his palace will eventually come to you. But you’re exempt from this rule, thanks to me.”

“The Lion?” Thomas questioned.

“The King of Lions,” it agreed. “He’s our enemy. We’ll going to kill him.”

Thomas said nothing. His heartbeat was audible in his ears.

“Perhaps this is too much for you to handle,” the skull-wearing figure said. “Men are fragile creatures. Listen, Thomas, and we might win. Bide your time here, and when the others draw closer together, you will gather them before they walk into the Lion’s palace alone, one by one, like lambs to a slaughter. This is a place of many interconnected places, and there are fates worse than death here. It’s called the Kingdom of Divine Dreams. It is a beautiful hell, Sleepwalker.”

“‘Sleepwalker’?” Thomas repeated.

“That’s you.” With a tone one might accompany with a nasty grin—though the skull was still an inanimate, fleshless thing—it said, “You may call me the Prince of Wolves. Stay in the chapel, Thomas. Stay well.”

The figure in the skull-mask was gone in an instant, along with priest and congregation of wolves and sheep. Thomas was alone with his father’s inhuman corpse. After a moment of hesitation, he shut the casket, applied the latch with an audible snap, and sat at one of the pews. He waited for the dream to end, pondering the figure’s words and understanding little to nothing.

Eventually, the dream ended, and he woke up confused and disturbed.

To be continued...

NoHopeLeft · January 2017

Well, obviously I got the most feels out of Clive's parts. I never thought it would come to this, that Clive would be my favourite, but damn, I really got invested in his storyline. It is also the one I love to speculate about the most, so I'd say it is my favourite. The dynamic with Melissa is also something I have never expected but greatly enjoy. And my least favourite... ah... well... do I really have to choose? Please don't make me, I liked them all

It's great to hear you've become invested in Clive's storyline! You will be happy know there will even more Clive-Melissa interactions in chapter 2. And you don't have to choose a least favorite. I'll likely ask the question again during act II, which is when we will get our first "antagonist" point of view. It will probably be easier to pick a least favorite then.

My favourite... well, Mitch I think. He has been neat and while he was one of many characters that were alright in the original story, I really feel like he got far more interesting here in the reboot. While a lot about the reboot is still a mystery for me, I can already say for certain that Mitch has improved. Another candidate is Melissa, simply because of how incredible I find her completely unexpected presence. My least favourite now... well... I hate choosing. I don't have a least favourite. Can I name Luke for reasons? Nah, just kidding, if I have to choose someone, I'd probably say Wade Pittman, even though he barely qualifies as a character at this point, having only appeared in passing in Thomas' first part.

I enjoyed characterizing Mitch a lot this time around and I'm glad that seems to have paid off. I don't feel any of the characters got time to shine in the original story, with the possible exception of Sam. I've been really happy with the reintroductions of all the characters so far, so I hope to further flesh out their characterization as things progress. I think Wade Pittman can qualify for your least favorite at present, considering what a horrible person he is and, if he did spike the drink, the implications of his intentions, he's certainly worthy of contempt.

Including unintroduced... oh, hehe, you know what I'm going to say Well, though aside from the obvious, I have to agree with Agent that one of the police people might be able to provide an interesting view on some topics. Especially this stuff with Clifford, I could see this getting some serious investigation and it might be interesting to see what they are up to. But ah, in the end I also like our current set of PoV's, so do how you want it. I'm sure you'll pick some great PoV's for the future. Though, will it remain at three, or will there be more than three storylines at once? That would be interesting to know.

You two have a point. I agree that Mitch or Henry could make a good protagonist (and there's a really good cast of characters at the Sheriff's Office—I'm planning to keep most of them the same, but a lot hasn't been established yet in the reboot). It's something I'm considering and thinking about, but I'm not entirely sure I can fit an investigation storyline in as its own point of view into act 1. The investigation stuff is going to play out over the three separate storylines, so we'll get a picture of what's happening with them. Of course, as the county sheriffs and authority figures, Mitch and Henry are really important side characters. They'll likely be mainstays in the story (assuming they survive).

Again, can I skip the least favourite part? I always have a hard time answering these, because even when I have least favourite scenes, which I don't really have in this part, I have a super hard time to even find them and I'd feel like I'd do some super nitpicking. But I have favourite scenes, yes I do. Two, to be precise. One would be Tyler's encounter with Clifford, because holy shit, that was terrifying. I haven't even realized what he was seeing at first and thought he was simply hallucinating, until it hit me. I think I have read this part much like how Tyler actually experienced the situation and that was a great experience. And then there was Clive's part with the vision, because it was unexpected, worrying, sweet and gave me the feels and the confusion, as well as the will to speculate about just what the hell is going on there.

Like I said, you skip entire questions whether you can't find an answer or they just interest you. In the future, I'll probably add you can skip aspects and interpret the questions as you see fit. Anyway, it's about feedback and figuring what's worked and what hasn't. So it's really helpful to know the trippy and surreal stuff as been a hit with you because there will be a lot more like in future segments. I would the say elements of the newest part fall under both categories. And I think a lot of what I have planned will be similarly effective, like Tyler's encounter with Clifford. It also wasn't Clive's last vision, so you better prepare for the feels.

I am not sure if I understand that question correctly. Do you mean which ending to each of the three storylines I liked the most? In this case, I can say it is easily Thomas'. The implication right at the end of his storyline has been huge and I can't wait to see what is happening there. The other two have interesting storylines as well of course, but they had a relatively soft ending and most of their action before this final part, while Thomas had it the other way 'round and just dropped a huge bomb in his final few paragraphs.

I wasn't very clear with the question, but I like you answer. I didn't have the forethought to ask which POV finales were most enjoyed. It'll make a good question for the future. What I was asking isn't far off from what how you interpreted it, though. I meant plot threads in a very general way (like Thomas's relationship with Lana, his relationship with his father, his father's suicide, him getting drugged, the discrepancies with the crash site, etc, just to use plot threads from Thomas's storyline as an example), not specifically asking for which finale was your favorite, but the finales would certainly qualify as answers! But I do understand your answer, and you're right: it's hard to argue which left the most impact since there were a lot bombshells dropped at the end of his.

Well, the one I found to be the most unsettling was Tyler's encounter with Clifford, because it was completely outlandish. I haven't expected it and the way I had to imagine the scene was terrifying. It was the only scene so far I found genuinely unsettling, whereas the others intrigued me more than anything else. Of course, Clifford intrigued me as well, but it also have me the chills. The others have made me more curious than scared.

There's going to be a lot more outlandish stuff in the future. Not the least of which is Clifford, whose presence is going be explained in its entirety before things are done. There's gonna be some chilling stuff about the mysterious mutt in the future, though, I don't think it'll be what you suspect.

Well, I don't know. I really don't know. Nothing related to the Luke-Owen-Alex stuff, that much is for sure, though I guess that one's been confirmed to have been cut. I can't specifically think of particular scenes or plot points I would like to have carried over, because most of them had at least some connection to that dreaded murder storyline. But one element I greatly enjoyed and even already see carried over in some way is the visions. Sam had them in the original, now it seems Clive gets flashes of them, but it is definitely something I like greatly about the original story and something I would certainly not object to if you decide to feature it more prominently in the reboot. More stuff to speculate about, I guess

I think a lot of the stuff involving Sam's abilities from the original story are going find new life with Clive, but in a different method and manner. I can confirm there's not an empathetic link this time around, so he's not going to kill himself looking at someone's death. Anyway, there's going to be more stuff involving Clive's visions once he uncovers a method to trigger them...

I am a sucker for high fantasy. I don't know how Silicon could include things of that genre, but that is my favourite genre, so I thought I'd mention it in case it gives you some ideas. Other than that, I love classically supernatural themes, though I could see some of these already being a part of the storyline.

All I can say is... high fantasy is a possibility, although a small one, and perhaps nothing more than small elements could appear. There is going to be a lot of abstract fantasy themes going on. And we have a lot of supernatural themes already present and with more on the way.

Honestly, I have an idea. Maybe he is from another dimension. You know, like these things the knight from Postlude to Fire fights against, just far less aggressive. Maybe Postlude is set in a different dimension of sorts, where creatures like Clifford exist. Something obviously went terribly wrong in Silicon, as the absence of Rachel and Alex proves and maybe the same incident caused Clifford to appear there. Other ideas would be a mutated animal, the result of some secret government tests or maybe an alien.

Clifford just needs to phone home. That's what this is all about.

In all seriousness, I have no idea. I can see Clive learning more about this vision of his, maybe even learning that Melissa is dead in the reality where they actually had children. Maybe we also learn more about what Clifford is, though I guess the big hints will have to wait for Chapter 3 for that. The only one where I don't even have the figment of an idea is Thomas' storyline, which I could literally see getting developed into any direction at this point.

Aliens are the answer to everything. They've messed with the crime scene, probably abducted Pittman as well.

Wade Pi... oh, you clever...! Now, well... it pains me, but Melissa? She is technically dead in what I want to call the main reality, the one where Rachel and Alex exist, so if anything happens to fix the problem that went wrong there, I could see her just vanishing, which would be tragic. Other than that... I have the bad feeling that maybe Clifford isn't as harmless as he seems to be, so maybe one of the people that try to interact with him. Certainly not Tyler, but I could see either Daniel or Mitch doing something to accidentally provoke Clifford.

With what we know as readers, correcting the timeline makes Melissa's disappearance an unfortunately but distinct possibility. As for Clifford, any giant animal is a recipe for disaster if the situation is not handled correctly—Clifford could just as well kill someone on accident. All we know at the moment is Clifford was relatively friendly to Tyler during their first and only encounter (possibly being the one to mark Tyler—but we don't know how harmful it is, or if it's harmful at all), but we can't be too sure the mutt will be passive again, and we have absolutely no idea how the mutt will respond if threatened or even approached. Clifford is definitely a wild card.

I think I remember that bathroom example That was Monument, Act 2 Chapter 1 or 2, wasn't it? The one where the Harvest Hills group was still on their way to Laredo. But nah, I really can't say I have noticed anything. I haven't even noticed the stuff you mentioned, especially not the defiantly part. I tend to overread such individual mistakes most of the time and they really don't bother me. You have improved so vastly on that field that I can't say anything you could do to improve it. Trust me, this is as constructive as it gets, your writing is amazing. Of course, a pro critic could probably point out flaws, but at this point, it would really need a pro critic to properly see them and to properly give you advice on how to improve it. I'm not a pro critic, I'm just good enough to say with certainty that your story is really, really good and that there is nothing I could tell you to improve on, especially when it comes to spelling and grammar.
Actually, I just noticed one thing though. In question number 10, you wrote "thick" instead of "think"

I think you've placed it correctly. Whenever they got to the restrooms, which I think was chapter 1 of act 2. But I understand what you're saying about reading over spelling mistakes and whatnot. I have a knack for missing "the" when writing especially and just fill its absence in in my head when I'm looking for mistakes. I forget words more often than I misspell them. Though, I saw the one you pointed out when I was looking over what I'd written the following day. I'm just gonna chalk it up to doing that at 2 in the morning and excuse myself :^P

I know I am a bit late for this one, as Friday came and went already. But I'm relatively confident that it won't be the last time you're going to visit a bookstore. So, next time you're going to be there, I got a couple of recommendations. I think I already mentioned the Discworld novels before. Purely beautiful in terms of the topics that get explored, especially starting with the fourth novel of the bunch. The only thing even better than the heartwarming humanistic themes and morality in the series is the humour, which is on par with Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, if that rings a bell. In fact, the humour between the two series can be compared. If you wish to start, the first three novels are a bit stronger with the humour than the philosophical themes, whom I always tended to enjoy the most, but starting with Book 4, it gets downright amazing. So, if you're looking for something humorous but still really deep to read, try Discworld. The first novel is called "The Colour of Magic" and the fourth, which I see as the best of the early series is called "Mort". Save for the first two books, the series has only a loose continuity, even though there is a rough order in which they should be read in.
If you are not that much into humorous fantasy, there is another series I have read, which I can only recommend. It's the Traitor Son cycle by Myles Cameron, a mixture between various types of fantasy. It's dark, certainly not high fantasy, it's gritty and incredibly thrilling. The author is really into historical swordfighting and it shows in the way he writes his fight scenes. If you're into super realistic descriptions of medieval battles, then this series is basically better than porn. On top of that, it has a plot that I found to be on of the most intriguing out of all the fantasy novels I have read. Comparable to Game of Thrones, but with much more physical fighting and fantasy elements. A fun fact about it, it actually inspired me to write one particular fighting scene in Forum of Thrones and it ended up as the fighting scene I probably got the most praise for. I think it really helped me with this sort of scenes, but even outside of these benefits, the novels are a sheer joy to read. The first novel is called "The Red Knight", if you're interested. There are five books planned in total, with four of them written already and the fifth probably getting released either in late 2017 or early 2018.

The weather actually got bad and we had to delay it until next week, so I'm still going soon! I'm nearing the end of the Witcher Saga, so I've actually been looking for a new fantasy series to fill that void. I was considering a Song of Ice and Fire or the Kingkiller Chronicle, but I'll definitely look into the Traitor Son cycle! It sounds pretty sweet! And I haven't forgotten your suggestion to check out the Discworld series, but I do have a question. Would be okay to check out the separate sub-series? The Death and Guards books interest me the most, and I was considering starting with Guards! Guards!. Would it be better to read the whole series in order of publication?

Tales-from-Telltale · January 2017

At first, I thought these parts took place in an alternate fantasy dimension, but now I'm considering that this is taking place in some sort of post apocalyptic future.

NoHopeLeft · January 2017

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Clive Carson, 02-03 - Thursday, Nov. 24th, ??:?? AM: Clive’s vision was limited by the hazy gleam of mercury and density of chrome trees. Leafless limbs reached toward the dark sky like devout worshipers praying to a god looming overhead. He wandered among the sea of devotees, feeling like an undesirable whose presence was known and contemptible to the assembled masses. Hollow knot eyes stared palpable daggers in his wake.

Stagnant was his word of choice to describe the woods and the earth below. It was stuck in perpetual stagnation like an insect stuck in amber. The sky churned vaguely, sickeningly, so perhaps this was what a dead world might look like, in which case the description seemed even more apt. He wondered uncomfortably if his very footsteps were a defilement to a mass grave—a thought that he took strangely seriously.

He tried assured himself it was a lucid dream, but he had never been prone to lucid dreams. In truth, he’d dreamed lucidly on only one occasion and it was an unpleasant experience which fueled a lackluster novella which released to mixed reception about a man whose imagination turned against himself in an inaccurate representation of lucid dreaming. He had garnered some additional knowledge on lucid dreams after publishing the novella, and that contributed to his difficulty in declaring this a lucid dream. A lucid dream was defined by the awareness that one is dreaming, godlike control or not. He was aware, scarily, of precisely the opposite.

He felt like a nut relaying the dreams to Melissa and couldn’t satisfyingly convey the realness of it all with words. The chalky texture of the trees, which he was beginning to think were charred, felt real. The ash got under his fingernails, it coated his hands, it itched, it simply felt real.

Clive froze, his eyes wandering upward. Meanwhile, either his legs were shaking or there was a weak tremor in the ground.

Skeletal branches swayed overhead, scratching lightly against one another.

His skin crawled. Overwhelmed with a feeling of vulnerability for a reason he could not determine, he crouched behind a tree. He rationalized that the sudden reintroduction of something even as basic as a breeze was what had unnerved him, due to the previous lack of it, but even so, he wasn’t certain. He spent the remainder of the dream with his eyes watching the sky and dead woods around him.

Eventually, Clive faded from one form of consciousness to another, and his blurry vision opened upon the woman in bed with him, whose gray-rooted auburn hair was spread wildly over her pillow and whose paleness was understated in the dim light. Clive smiled and gently caressed a stray lock of hair. Without surprise, but accompanied with a sad frown, his thoughts turned to the little girl.

He carefully rolled the lock between his fingers—once again acknowledging its color as one of the similarities his wife shared with the little girl he’d seen—before he set it down and slowly rolled over to get a look at the digital clock. The time was 07:47 AM. Melissa’s internal clock would wake her soon enough, and if he wanted to surprise her with breakfast, he couldn’t loiter.

He climbed out of bed slowly to compensate for a lack of grace, slipped on his slippers, and shuffled into the hall. He used the downstairs restroom to freshen up without the risk of disturbing Melissa, skipping his morning shower and shave to save time. In the kitchen, he set out the indigents and got cooking. He whisked, seasoned, and poured the eggs into the pan, then diced a variety of peppers and tossed those in as well. He sprinkled a handful of cheese. The omelet sizzled in olive oil, becoming fluffy, and when it was finished, Clive slid it off onto a plate and got started on the hash browns. Once crisp and golden on the outside, he put the hash browns on a plate adjacent to the omelet. He set both plates out on the dining room table and looked at his work with satisfaction.

He washed the dishes he’d accumulated with no real haste, allowing his thoughts to drift toward his dream as he scrubbed dishes and set them out to dry. The breeze still unsettled him, or was it really a tremor? He was less sure of his rationalization—that he was merely shocked—now that he was awake. His mind went back to his dead world theory and thought about its state—stagnant and a lack of motion and noise—and how he was the only one who whose footsteps made the ground crunch, who made and caused noise. Had someone or something else caused the ground to shake, the branches to sway?

Was he really alone in the dream?

It’s a dream, he told himself, breaking off the train of thought as he dried his hands on a towel. Don’t shit yourself over a dream.

He didn’t want his mind muddled with anxiety. Especially not today, because it was already an anxious occasion for him since he and Melissa were playing host and hostess that evening to the Pages and Schneiders for Thanksgiving dinner. The food was all made and just needed to be warmed. All that remained was to pick up cranberry sauce, which he’d forgotten until last night and by then it had been too late to go out and get it. He’d run out for that after breakfast.

He made a pot of coffee and a thought that was not new crept into the forefront of his mind. Yes, he decided he would ask her.

It was ten after eight when Clive heard Melissa moving around upstairs. He checked and the food was thankfully still warm. Three minutes passed and she descended the stairs. A smile painted her expression, as sleepy as it was, and she planted him with a kiss on the cheek.

“You’re such a sweetie,” she said, a rare air of sarcasm in voice. She sat across from him and allowed him to divide the omelet. Her smile was smaller now but it never faded completely. They ate and discussed the happenings around town, the school, in particular, and Tyler Gavins’s encounter that they had read about in yesterday’s paper. There was no talk of dreams or hallucinations but their separate thoughts certainly brushed upon those topics.

“We could invite another person or two, couldn’t we?” Clive asked suddenly as the meal was winding down.

She gave a small shrug. “There’s enough food, but seating would be tight. Do have a few someones in mind?”

“Maybe,” he answered, pushing the remains of breakfast around his plate nervously. “How would you feel about Thomas Callahan coming over?”

She smiled a sad smile. “That’s a wonderful idea, Clive. If Thomas doesn’t have any obligations, I’d very much like to meet him.”

He nodded. “I feel bad for him.”

“You feel responsible for him,” she corrected.

Clive looked up and smirked. His tone was lighthearted. “So that’s it?”

“I think so.” Without saying it directly, her tone and choice of words implied she knew exactly how he felt.

He chuckled and sat his fork down on his plate. A few bites remained despite its tastiness—he just didn’t have the appetite. “Gotta leave room for tonight. May I take your plate, madam?”

“Much obliged, kind sir,” she replied similarly.

“It’s been an honor,” he said, taking her plate and his and scraping the scraps into the trash before turning the water on at the sink. She hugged him from behind and slightly to the left, hindering his ability to wash dishes for the moment she kissed his ear. He felt a pang of anguish unbefitting of the moment as she withdrew and ascended the stairs. He was left to ponder what he’d felt just then and how he might phrase his phone call.

[Invite Thomas for dinner.]

[Don’t. He may have his own plans.]

Tales-from-Telltale · January 2017

Let me first confirm that in addition to some protag rotation, there will be new point of views in Act II, one for sure. Now, including unintroduced characters, who do you think would make a good additional point of view or could carry a storyline of their own?

An unintroduced character who I think might make a good Pov would be either Kate Davis or Morina Malani. Kate, due to her profession, or Morina due to her past/backstory. I don't know much of anything about any of the other unintroduced character, except of course, for the other two I submitted.

Speaking of Clifford, what the hell do you think our furry little friend is?

Well he is some kind of Cryptid. Liquid basically said what most of my theories were. I thought it might be a government experiment or an interdimensional being.

Tales-from-Telltale · January 2017

Well, this comment looks a lot different than what I expected.

Tales-from-Telltale · January 2017

[Invite Thomas for dinner.]

I don't really see a reason not too. It's interesting that both Clive and Thomas had strange dreams on Thanksgiving morning. Although, I'm not sure how the conversation would come up, they could possibly discuss their strange dreams with each other.

AgentZ46 · January 2017

[Invite Thomas for dinner.] I don't see why not. Worse case scenario is that he says no.

The hell is going on around here? Tyler gets tattooed by Clifford the Big Red Dog and now Clive & Thomas are having weird dreams.

Lord_EAA · January 2017

Well it could be table talk. 'Hey I had this really weird dream'. That kind of thing.

LiquidChicagoTed · January 2017

It's great to hear you've become invested in Clive's storyline! You will be happy know there will even more Clive-Melissa interactions in chapter 2. And you don't have to choose a least favorite. I'll likely ask the question again during act II, which is when we will get our first "antagonist" point of view. It will probably be easier to pick a least favorite then.

An antagonist PoV? That is... actually intriguing, especially as I have no idea who the antagonist could be. Wade Pittman doesn't really seem to be PoV material, but other than that, I can't think of anyone that might be an antagonist and a PoV. Owen maybe? Depending on wether or not he shows similarities to his original story counterpart. Or maybe someone whom I don't expect at all. Just imagine if it would be Rachel No wait, I actually had to imagine that now and could you not?

I enjoyed characterizing Mitch a lot this time around and I'm glad that seems to have paid off. I don't feel any of the characters got time to shine in the original story, with the possible exception of Sam. I've been really happy with the reintroductions of all the characters so far, so I hope to further flesh out their characterization as things progress. I think Wade Pittman can qualify for your least favorite at present, considering what a horrible person he is and, if he did spike the drink, the implications of his intentions, he's certainly worthy of contempt.

Well, I personally felt like Clive got some good scenes in the original as well and Rachel likely would have gotten some in the chapter that got cut. But other than that, you are right, Sam was the one that had most chances to shine, though I kind of liked Kayla in the original as well. Mitch however is already a vast improvement, that much is for sure. He's really great and I enjoy him. And Pittman, I remember that Lana implied such a thing in the original story, which makes me inclined to believe that he as a character is capable of such a thing. But his reasons for that are very much unknown. Maybe he is indeed the mysterious antagonist you hinted at.

I wasn't very clear with the question, but I like you answer. I didn't have the forethought to ask which POV finales were most enjoyed. It'll make a good question for the future. What I was asking isn't far off from what how you interpreted it, though. I meant plot threads in a very general way (like Thomas's relationship with Lana, his relationship with his father, his father's suicide, him getting drugged, the discrepancies with the crash site, etc, just to use plot threads from Thomas's storyline as an example), not specifically asking for which finale was your favorite, but the finales would certainly qualify as answers! But I do understand your answer, and you're right: it's hard to argue which left the most impact since there were a lot bombshells dropped at the end of his.

Ah, I understand it now. In this case, my answer to your question would be that I definitely find this stuff with Clive's visions to be the most interesting, for obvious reasons. However, another thing that intrigues me greatly is Thomas' car crash and the implications coming from it and the stuff with the marks on Tyler's back. There are so many interesting aspects to the storyline that it's hard to narrow it down to just one specific thread there.

I think a lot of the stuff involving Sam's abilities from the original story are going find new life with Clive, but in a different method and manner. I can confirm there's not an empathetic link this time around, so he's not going to kill himself looking at someone's death. Anyway, there's going to be more stuff involving Clive's visions once he uncovers a method to trigger them...

Trigger them? Oh, that sounds dangerous but intriguing, highly intriguing. I must say, I can't wait for the things he is going to see there, because every bit of it might hold a clue for me to finally uncover what exactly is going on there.

Aliens are the answer to everything. They've messed with the crime scene, probably abducted Pittman as well.

I really can't say I'm feeling sorry for him on that one. That ass definitely deserves it.

With what we know as readers, correcting the timeline makes Melissa's disappearance an unfortunately but distinct possibility. As for Clifford, any giant animal is a recipe for disaster if the situation is not handled correctly—Clifford could just as well kill someone on accident. All we know at the moment is Clifford was relatively friendly to Tyler during their first and only encounter (possibly being the one to mark Tyler—but we don't know how harmful it is, or if it's harmful at all), but we can't be too sure the mutt will be passive again, and we have absolutely no idea how the mutt will respond if threatened or even approached. Clifford is definitely a wild card.

Yes, that's what I was thinking as well. Tyler has been too stunned to do anything Clifford might perceive as a threat, but there's no saying how he will react to people that particularly seek him out. It also seems that Clifford displayed some intelligence, so he might have a personal interest in avoiding anything that could lead to his capture. Damn, now that is making me nervous, because it currently seems to hold the most potential for character deaths.

The weather actually got bad and we had to delay it until next week, so I'm still going soon! I'm nearing the end of the Witcher Saga, so I've actually been looking for a new fantasy series to fill that void. I was considering a Song of Ice and Fire or the Kingkiller Chronicle, but I'll definitely look into the Traitor Son cycle! It sounds pretty sweet! And I haven't forgotten your suggestion to check out the Discworld series, but I do have a question. Would be okay to check out the separate sub-series? The Death and Guards books interest me the most, and I was considering starting with Guards! Guards!. Would it be better to read the whole series in order of publication?

Here I must admit, if you haven't read ASOIAF yet, then the Traitor Son Cycle can't compete. It's more something if you enjoyed the ASOIAF books and wish for something thematically similar, yet unique. But George R.R. Martin beats it. The only one I'd see as even better when it comes to modern fantasy is Terry Prattchett, so Discworld beats Westeros for me for sure. And regarding your question, yes, there are many people who read the books of a specific sub-series first and I have heard that this works very well. I myself haven't exactly followed the series in order of publication either, though I followed a rough order and always switched between the different series. I have found this reading guide, which should give you at least a good overview of the titles in each series and their order: http://i.imgur.com/qHa8Zf5.jpg
I myself have started with the first three books, though only because I got them first, then I followed with Mort, followed by Guards! Guards!. I must say, the first two books give a good introduction of the Discworld as a whole, but they don't play much of a role outside of the Wizard series. Generally though, I'd say the Death and Guard sub-series are the most entertaining, with Mort and Guards! Guards! being certainly good starting points as well, if not as smooth of an introduction as The Colour of Magic. The Death series includes Reaper Man and Hogfather, who are ranked 2 and 3 on my favourite Discworld books, while the Guard has the best overall experience, as well as the most books in general. The guards also appear in several books that are seemingly unrelated to them at first, including a small role in Monstrous Regiment, which I consider to be the finest Discworld novel ever written. So, reading the specific sub-series is something many people do, as far as I know, so that shouldn't lead to any major problems with understanding the contents of the books, safe for some small references and easter eggs to other parts of the Discworld and events of previous books. Catching all of these references would more or less require reading every book in order, but not catching them shouldn't actually lessen the joy of the individual books. There are very few novels that outright require knowledge of more than one sub-series, with the sole exception being the fifth Witches novel, Lord and Ladies, which features the wizards as major secondary characters. Other than that, some characters from other series might get cameos (Death in particular appears in every single book), but rarely more than that. Aside from Guards! Guards! and Mort, I consider Moving Pictures to be another good early novel, since it is basically a stand-alone novel and also introduces a couple of characters that will play secondary roles in later books of the Guard series. Some books of the Death series also tend to include several characters that play larger roles in the Guards and Wizards sub-series respectively. But anyways, Guards! Guards! does not require much previous knowledge, perhaps even none at all, so it should be a good first novel.

LiquidChicagoTed · January 2017

You could try to remove every blank space in front of the text, it seems like at least your answer to the second part of the sentence features such blank space. Alternatively, a couple of additonal paragraphs between the quotes and your replies could help in fixing the formatting, so that the comment can be read properly.

LiquidChicagoTed · January 2017

You know, I consider it shameful how long I needed to comment on this one. I must say though, I am highly confused, yet intrigued by these parts. I still see it as a distinct possibility that they are part of one of Clive's novels, but this possibility seems more distant every time I think about it. It definitely is something surreal. Maybe a nightmare of sorts? I don't know, it seems outlandish even for a post-apocalyptic future. This knight in particular doesn't really seem human, which means it is either a robot, or something straight out of a dream. Right now, the nightmare seems like the most likely possibility, so this will be my theory for now.

Tales-from-Telltale · January 2017

Thanks Liquid! The comment looks much better now.

LiquidChicagoTed · January 2017

Alright... alright, this gave me something to work with. I'm having a whole range of thoughts, so I think before I say anything about it in general, I'm quoting some stuff and give my thoughts to it.

“You’re dreaming, Thomas,” it told him. The skull-mask lacked a lower jaw and there was no movement indicative of speaking—the only movement was the organic cloak, swaying gently like curtains in a whisper of breath. “Yesterday was the final dreamless night for everyone but one. This makes your job more difficult.”

Alright, I knew this was a dream pretty early on, but I doubt it is a natural dream. This thing he is talking to likely has a hand in this dream and it has chosen Thomas for something. Or it had to choose Thomas. I wonder if this comment about the last dreamless night means that the entirety of Silicon County is going to have weird dreams from now on, safe for the one lucky guy who gets a healthy dose of sleep.

“There are eight, but one’s not going to dream, one’s dead, and two are somewhere else—none are out of reach. My lot is limited to you, Thomas. The Lion possesses his own agents, but I’m unsure of their numbers.”

Eight... That's not the first time we get that particular number of people, so I suppose the ones that Clive saw in his dream are exactly these eight. The two that are somewhere else are definitely Rachel and Alex, I don't have the slightest doubt about it. It opens up the question just where the hell they are. They are neither in the real world, nor in the Kingdom of Divine Dreams, if I got the Prince correctly there. The dead one meanwhile... hm, this could actually be Thomas. From his final part in Chapter 1, I have gotten the impression that he couldn't have possibly survived the accident. So... that brings up the question who the one without the dreams is. We know it can't be Clive. It's a far shot, but could it be Tyler? I'm having to wait for his next part to see if he gets any dreams. Maybe Clifford's markings will prevent him from dreaming. I'm having no doubts that he is among the eight though. And it seems that the other seven, everyone that is not Thomas, has been chosen to work for another being or other beings that are neither the King of Lions nor the Prince of Wolves. After all, if they would work for the King, the Prince would know about their numbers. If they would work for the Prince, he wouldn't say that he only has Thomas.

“The King of Lions,” it agreed. “He’s our enemy. We’ll going to kill him.”

The King of Lions... could that be the bad guy? Either he or the thing Thomas is talking to, the Prince of Wolves. Whatever they are, they are powerful and they have a rivalry. I am willing to think that one of them at least might be less of an antagonist than the other one, while one of them might in fact be the main antagonist of the story.

It’s called the Kingdom of Divine Dreams. It is a beautiful hell, Sleepwalker.”

Perhaps this is the place we see in Postlude to Fire. The dream part would fit with my theory that it is all part of some sort of nightmare. I'm having nothing to back that theory up, save for how outlandish and surreal the Postlude parts feel, like a dream.

Alright then! Alright, it's crack theory time. What if these strange events behind Silicon is not the work of aliens, not the work of some sort of common supernatural force or science gone wrong, but what if this is the work of gods? Like in, actual gods, the nasty trickster kind. The Prince of Wolves is powerful for sure and a supernatural being. He has implied that the King of Lions is even more powerful and that they have a rivalry. Gods in some pantheons do have rivalries. The Native Americans come to mind, though I'm not that knowledgeable about the native mythology. I know they definitely never worshipped a lion though. A coyote, yes. A wolf, probably, but no lion. But still, my theory for now is gods. Maybe not even the kind that has been worshipped ever, but the kind that influenced everything from behind the scenes. The King of Lions and the Prince of Wolves might not even be the only ones. In fact, I'd be surprised if we wouldn't meet more of these strange beings later on. And with the place Thomas has been in being called the Kingdom of Divine Dreams, something related to divine beings sounds quite likely. In any way, if these beings are behind the mysterious events in Silicon, their power is at least god-like.

Ah, this part was one of my favourites in the entire story. It confused me, but it also gave me some glimpse of the bigger picture going on, of the way this is all connected. These events are indeed connected and this pantheon of beings, the King of Lions, the Prince of Wolves and others, they are behind it, for reasons currently unknown. Maybe Clifford is related to these as well. Maybe he comes from the Kingdom of Divine Dreams, or maybe he even is part of what I call the Pantheon for now. The latter possibility would be the most unsettling. Maybe Clifford is working for one of these beings like Thomas is working for the Prince. Another being did something to take Rachel and Alex, but for what reasons and why would it more or less change reality as it used to be to get them? Is it just a conincidence that they have been chosen by this thing, or was it a deliberate move? Argh, this is so great! So great and I can't wait to learn more about it

LiquidChicagoTed · January 2017

Hm, this part gave me a little bit less to speculate about than the one before. However, Clive's dream likely meant that he was in the Kingdom of Divine Dreams as well. And I highly doubt he was alone in his particular dream. The question is, who or what has been with him. One possibility is that whatever presence is left of Rachel and Alex is trying to reach him through this. However, if his kids try to reach him somehow, I doubt Clive would feel this strange vulnerability and uncomfortableness. So... maybe he encountered one of the beings Thomas encountered. Likely neither the King of Lions nor the Prince of Wolves, but something else, like the Prince has hinted at in Thomas' part. Either this something is not strong enough to contact him directly like the Prince did, or it chooses not to do this for now. But that thought also gave me another little theory. Clive's vision, whatever it was, could have been sent to him by one of these beings, as a method of making him realize that something is not right in the reality he currently lives in. Maybe this being is the same that Clive felt in his dream. It would fit with how subtle everything is here. But the fact that Clive feels sadness over being reminded of Rachel gives me hope that whatever caused the reality to change can be undone, as it seems that some fragment of the old reality remains within him.

[Invite Thomas for dinner.]

After the recent dream of Thomas, I have grown incredibly interested in the impact he may have on the others. I am not sure if Clive is among the dreamers mentioned in Thomas' last part, but it seems likely. Or maybe he only dreams because of his connection to Rachel and Alex, who definitely are among them. In any way, having him and Thomas in one place should be very interesting, so I'm taking the opportunity for sure. Oh man, this is making more and more sense to me and I am either horribly wrong, or up to something. And I'm willing to believe that I am finally up to something.

Mathea · January 2017

[Invite Thomas for dinner.]

NoHopeLeft · January 2017

An antagonist PoV? That is... actually intriguing, especially as I have no idea who the antagonist could be. Wade Pittman doesn't really seem to be PoV material, but other than that, I can't think of anyone that might be an antagonist and a PoV. Owen maybe? Depending on wether or not he shows similarities to his original story counterpart. Or maybe someone whom I don't expect at all. Just imagine if it would be Rachel No wait, I actually had to imagine that now and could you not?

I'll confirm it won't be Wade Pittman (but that doesn't imply he's dead). The character I have in mind to helm this new POV actually wasn't in the original story. So it's not Rachel :P I began writing a one-shot last month to introduce this character, adapting and expanding their backstory into a kind of origin story so they would be well-exposed and known by the readers before their actual introduction in the story, but my plans changed. The stuff from the former one-shot is going to see the light of day in act 2, but their backstory is now going to be imbued into their POV.

Ah, I understand it now. In this case, my answer to your question would be that I definitely find this stuff with Clive's visions to be the most interesting, for obvious reasons. However, another thing that intrigues me greatly is Thomas' car crash and the implications coming from it and the stuff with the marks on Tyler's back. There are so many interesting aspects to the storyline that it's hard to narrow it down to just one specific thread there.

Then, you will be happy to learn, you'll have more to go off of with Clive's visions by chapter 3, but a complete explanation is pretty far away, and it's entirely possible that due to user choices, the doors to a full understanding of the story's events and incidents will be closed. Anyway, we'll learn what's up with the car crash in due time, and while the stuff with the markings has been hinted already, we'll understand their effect as soon as Tyler's first part of chapter 2.

Yes, that's what I was thinking as well. Tyler has been too stunned to do anything Clifford might perceive as a threat, but there's no saying how he will react to people that particularly seek him out. It also seems that Clifford displayed some intelligence, so he might have a personal interest in avoiding anything that could lead to his capture. Damn, now that is making me nervous, because it currently seems to hold the most potential for character deaths.

If such is the case, we can safely assume trying to pet Clifford is a risky decision, and likely a horrible idea. The denizens of Silicon County certainly have guns, and plenty of them are hunters, but who knows if firepower will be effective? I don't think a giant rolled up newspaper will be a very practical defense against a possibly giant, potentially supernatural animal who (based on recent developments that you've speculated on) could very well be a mythological entity.

Here I must admit, if you haven't read ASOIAF yet, then the Traitor Son Cycle can't compete. It's more something if you enjoyed the ASOIAF books and wish for something thematically similar, yet unique. But George R.R. Martin beats it. The only one I'd see as even better when it comes to modern fantasy is Terry Prattchett, so Discworld beats Westeros for me for sure. And regarding your question, yes, there are many people who read the books of a specific sub-series first and I have heard that this works very well. I myself haven't exactly followed the series in order of publication either, though I followed a rough order and always switched between the different series. I have found this reading guide, which should give you at least a good overview of the titles in each series and their order: http://i.imgur.com/qHa8Zf5.jpg

This reading guide is actually what I consulted when deciding where to begin! I think I'll go with my gut and seek out Guards! Guards!, read along with that sub-series for a bit, then work on reading them in order of publication after I have my foot in the door, so to speak. I've also made a note of the Red Knight and will remember it when I get around to reading ASOIAF. The ASOIAF books are at my local library, and I've got to read a little over four books a month for my reading challenge, so maybe sometime this year I'll have a Game of Thrones month.

LiquidChicagoTed · January 2017

I'll confirm it won't be Wade Pittman (but that doesn't imply he's dead). The character I have in mind to helm this new POV actually wasn't in the original story. So it's not Rachel :P I began writing a one-shot last month to introduce this character, adapting and expanding their backstory into a kind of origin story so they would be well-exposed and known by the readers before their actual introduction in the story, but my plans changed. The stuff from the former one-shot is going to see the light of day in act 2, but their backstory is now going to be imbued into their POV.

Hm, I must say I kind of doubt that the Pittman is dead. However, I could see him, completely unrelated to the PoV thing, as becoming an agent for one of these god-thingies Thomas just encountered. Probably one of those that can be considered bad from our human morality. If the King of Lions is a bad guy, like the Prince of Wolves implied, then maybe Pittman is serving him now and if I have to make a guess, I'd say that's where we're going to see more of him. And well, I am kind of glad it's not Rachel. Sure I'd love a Rachel PoV but not really as the hateable antagonist And hm, now I really don't know who it could be. Not Pittman, not Owen, as the bad guys from the original story, so I really have no clue. Since this character hasn't been in the original story, I can't even revive the Evil Lana theory I'll be looking forward for that character. Many of the novels I have read have somehow benefitted from having an occasional villain PoV, so I'm sure it'll be a good thing.

Then, you will be happy to learn, you'll have more to go off of with Clive's visions by chapter 3, but a complete explanation is pretty far away, and it's entirely possible that due to user choices, the doors to a full understanding of the story's events and incidents will be closed. Anyway, we'll learn what's up with the car crash in due time, and while the stuff with the markings has been hinted already, we'll understand their effect as soon as Tyler's first part of chapter 2.

Ah, I see. Right now, I could see Clive's visions being the result of one of these beings trying to contact him, that would be my guess. Though you seem to imply that the reasons behind his visions are far more complex than that, so I remain curious. And I have reread Tyler's parts for any hints, but have found none so far. Maybe that's because I have looked for something very specific. I was looking for any hints that Tyler hasn't dreamt during his sleep, which would make him the one the Prince of Wolves spoke about. In that case, maybe Clifford's markings prevent him from having dreams. That would be my current theory, though I am sort of sure that you're going to prove me wrong sooner or later.

If such is the case, we can safely assume trying to pet Clifford is a risky decision, and likely a horrible idea. The denizens of Silicon County certainly have guns, and plenty of them are hunters, but who knows if firepower will be effective? I don't think a giant rolled up newspaper will be a very practical defense against a possibly giant, potentially supernatural animal who (based on recent developments that you've speculated on) could very well be a mythological entity.

Yeah, I think that's something I consider to be confirmed. Clifford is definitely not a pet, I am sure of it. And if Clifford is a supernatural or maybe outright mythological being, perhaps at worst even on the same levels of power as the Prince of Wolves seems to be, then I highly doubt that any mundane thing can harm him at all. It's just, I doubt the people of Silicon know that or would even just suspect that and when they see a possibly dangerous animal, the first thing they could try to do would be to shoot it. In that case, there's no saying what Clifford, the divine tattoo artist, will be able to do.

This reading guide is actually what I consulted when deciding where to begin! I think I'll go with my gut and seek out Guards! Guards!, read along with that sub-series for a bit, then work on reading them in order of publication after I have my foot in the door, so to speak. I've also made a note of the Red Knight and will remember it when I get around to reading ASOIAF. The ASOIAF books are at my local library, and I've got to read a little over four books a month for my reading challenge, so maybe sometime this year I'll have a Game of Thrones month.

Ah, good, good. I think this should work very well. As far as I know, the first real overlap between the Guards series and others happen in The Fifth Elephant (coincidentally the fifth Guards novel), where one particular supporting character appears who requires a bit of knowledge from the novel Moving Pictures, where he is introduced, to fully understand. I guess by then however, you should already have a good idea of the series in general. Other than that, there shouldn't be much confusion, the series as a whole is pretty lenient when it comes to these things. So, should be a good plan! I really hope you like them And a Game of Thrones month, that's quite a plan. It's an interesting challenge for sure, a highly enjoyable one at that, as I can only imagine. The ASOIAF series as a whole can only be recommended of course, I have no doubt that you'll have plenty of fun with it.

Silicon County: An Interactive Story (Ongoing)

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