Why Was I Chosen?

Now that you've chosen Lumiere, please determine what his stats will be. This //will// affect the things you can and cannot do, the passages you read, and even how the story turns out, so choose carefully! You have 24 points to assign across 6 stats, with each stat getting between 1 and 6. (set: $skillpointsused to 0) First, please choose how many points to assign to Lumiere's ''Aggressiveness'' stat. This stat will determine how ready Lumiere is to fight, use force when presented with the opportunity, and otherwise go looking for trouble. [[Aggressiveness 1]] [[Aggressiveness 2]] [[Aggressiveness 3]] [[Aggressiveness 4]] [[Aggressiveness 5]] [[Aggressiveness 6]]

Depending on the rest of Lumiere's stats, he may still fight like a hero, but with such a low pain tolerance, he's going to feel every single thing that happens to him. (set: $paintolerance to 1) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 1) Almost done! The fifth stat is [[Technique]]!

Lumiere's proud enough to not complain about the amount of pain he's in at any given time, but he may start to wish he wasn't. (set: $paintolerance to 2) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 2) Almost done! The fifth stat is [[Technique]]!

Lumiere's going to take a hit just fine, but he may have some soft spots that can be targeted. Such is the life of a hero. (set: $paintolerance to 3) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 3) Almost done! The fifth stat is [[Technique]]!

With a fairly normal pain tolerance, Lumiere won't be in agony unless something goes terribly wrong, but he won't be invincible either. (set: $paintolerance to 4) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 4) Almost done! The fifth stat is [[Technique]]!

With a high pain tolerance, Lumiere will be more capable of shrugging off blows that would drop lesser combatants. (set: $paintolerance to 5) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 5) Almost done! The fifth stat is [[Technique]]!

With a pain tolerance this high, Lumiere walks through fire. It may get a little tricky for him to tell when he's hurt badly enough to warrant a retreat, come to think of it... (set: $paintolerance to 6) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 6) Almost done! The fifth stat is [[Technique]]!

This Lumiere is so composed, he's very nearly pacifistic. Bit unusual for a vigilante, but if anyone can make it work, it's him. (set: $aggressiveness to 1) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 1) Up next is [[Strength]].

It's not often that Lumiere's ever this calm. Don't get used to it, but maybe you'll get a chance to enjoy it while it lasts. (set: $aggressiveness to 2) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 2) Up next is [[Strength]].

A nice and balanced level of willingness to charge. Lumiere generally tries to play it safe, but he's not averse to swinging when he has to. (set: $aggressiveness to 3) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 3) Up next is [[Strength]].

Lumiere's standard level of aggressiveness. He's always ready to get in a fight for his town, but he's not likely to completely lose his head. (set: $aggressiveness to 4) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 4) Up next is [[Strength]].

Lumiere's had enough of the people threatening his home. He's willing to go big now, but let's see if he's able to follow through. (set: $aggressiveness to 5) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 5) Up next is [[Strength]].

Lumiere is seeing red, and as any bullfighter will tell you, that's the worst color for a charging bull to see. He's going for it all. (set: $aggressiveness to 6) (set: $skillpointsused to 6) Up next is [[Strength]].

So, you've allocated points to your first stat. Stats are inherently dynamic, but they don't usually stray too far from what they're set to in the beginning, so make sure the Aggressiveness stat is where you want it before moving on. Now, the next stat. Lumiere is naturally gifted with incredible innate power, but how well he can harness it without hurting himself is what makes his ''Strength'' a skill. So what'll it be? [[Strength 1]] [[Strength 2]] [[Strength 3]] [[Strength 4]] [[Strength 5]] [[Strength 6]]

So, Lumiere has plenty of power, but with a one in Strength, he has absolutely no idea how to use it. Fascinating. (set: $strength to 1) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 1) The next stat will be [[Loyalty]].

Lumiere's going to be a little weaker than expected, then. Maybe his reputation precedes him just a little. (set: $strength to 2) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 2) The next stat will be [[Loyalty]].

With average strength, Lumiere won't be in much danger of hurting himself trying to channel his power, but he's not about to do anything out of the ordinary with it. (set: $strength to 3) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 3) The next stat will be [[Loyalty]].

This is about the standard strength for Lumiere. He's strong, but not superhuman. (set: $strength to 4) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 4) The next stat will be [[Loyalty]].

With this much strength, Lumiere may be able to turn his power loose in ways that are unexpected. See where it gets you. (set: $strength to 5) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 5) The next stat will be [[Loyalty]].

Maxing out Lumiere's strength makes him very scary for anyone to face. This may come with its own consequences, but the benefits are obvious. (set: $strength to 6) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 6) The next stat will be [[Loyalty]].

It's obvious that Lumiere loves his town and the people in it, but how much does that affect how he operates? That can be defined by his ''Loyalty''. [[Loyalty 1]] [[Loyalty 2]] [[Loyalty 3]] [[Loyalty 4]] [[Loyalty 5]] [[Loyalty 6]]

A one means Lumiere looks out for number one before anyone else. This might make life a little difficult for the player, but the same can be said of any stat this low. (set: $loyalty to 1) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 1) Up next is [[Pain Tolerance]].

While Lumiere is a hero, he didn't survive long enough to become a hero by fighting battles for his town that he couldn't win. He's going to save them, but they're going to owe him. (set: $loyalty to 2) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 2) Up next is [[Pain Tolerance]].

Of course Lumiere's goal is to keep his town safe from the evils constantly descending on it, but he knows when he has to put himself first. (set: $loyalty to 3) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 3) Up next is [[Pain Tolerance]].

Lumiere loves his town. He didn't have to stay or fight for them, he could have packed up and left and nobody would have blamed him, but that's not how he operates. (set: $loyalty to 4) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 4) Up next is [[Pain Tolerance]].

Everything that Lumiere does, he does for those he loves. That means absolutely //everything//. Maybe that can get used against him, maybe it can't. (set: $loyalty to 6) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 6) Up next is [[Pain Tolerance]].

Lumiere is very attached to the people around him. It's a quirk of spending so much of his time working alone to protect them. Could be bad if turned against him. (set: $loyalty to 5) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 5) Up next is [[Pain Tolerance]].

Sometimes, you need a little deftness of hand when beating up everyone trying to claim your home for the mafia. That's where ''Technique'' comes into play: it determines how good Lumiere is at fighting and how many different things he can do both in and out of combat. [[Technique 1]] (if: $skillpointsused < 22)[ [[Technique 2]] ] (if: $skillpointsused < 21)[ [[Technique 3]] ] (if: $skillpointsused < 20)[ [[Technique 4]] ] (if: $skillpointsused < 19)[ [[Technique 5]] ] (if: $skillpointsused < 18)[ [[Technique 6]] ]

Lumiere's going to have a lot of trouble if he's only able to flail at his enemies. But, if you have to dump a stat, you have to dump a stat. (set: $technique to 1) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 1) Now, the final stat before you can start playing: [[Audacity]].

Lumiere's capable of a lot of things naturally. However, with subpar technique, some of those things may have unintended consequences. (set: $technique to 2) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 2) Now, the final stat before you can start playing: [[Audacity]].

Lumiere's very practical when fighting. Nothing fancy, but damned if he doesn't get results. (set: $technique to 3) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 3) Now, the final stat before you can start playing: [[Audacity]].

With a solid technique stat, Lumiere's going to be able to pull every usual fighting maneuver without causing himself undue harm. (set: $technique to 4) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 4) Now, the final stat before you can start playing: [[Audacity]].

Lumiere knows how to fight very well, and he's always eager to show off just how much he knows by pouring it all into whoever's unfortunate enough to stand opposite him. (set: $technique to 5) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 5) Now, the final stat before you can start playing: [[Audacity]].

All of Lumiere's movements may appear effortless, but everything he does is calculated. He practically shimmers like a star as he flows through fights. (set: $technique to 6) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 6) Now, the final stat before you can start playing: [[Audacity]].

For the final stat, ''Audacity'' is nice and simple. It's Lumiere's capacity to create unusual and unorthodox plans that may or may not work in the least. But if he's got the audacity to try, anything can happen. [[Audacity 1]] (if: $skillpointsused < 23)[ [[Audacity 2]] ] (if: $skillpointsused < 22)[ [[Audacity 3]] ] (if: $skillpointsused < 21)[ [[Audacity 4]] ] (if: $skillpointsused < 20)[ [[Audacity 5]] ] (if: $skillpointsused < 19)[ [[Audacity 6]] ]

Everything Lumiere does is by the book. He is entirely unwilling to improvise, and the slightest deviation throws him off. (set: $audacity to 1) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 1) That's all the stats required for this game. Go to the [[Stats Overview]] to see how you've built Lumiere.

Lumiere has the presence of mind to right the ship when things start turning against him, but he's simplified how he moves, thinks, and fights tremendously. (set: $audacity to 2) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 2) That's all the stats required for this game. Go to the [[Stats Overview]] to see how you've built Lumiere.

Lumiere will occasionally do something off-script when he sees a good opening for it, but for the most part he'll stick to his plan. (set: $audacity to 3) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 3) That's all the stats required for this game. Go to the [[Stats Overview]] to see how you've built Lumiere.

Lumiere can be considered pragmatic, but he's without a doubt adventurous. Getting adventurous with his choices is part of that. (set: $audacity to 4) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 4) That's all the stats required for this game. Go to the [[Stats Overview]] to see how you've built Lumiere.

With a high audacity, Lumiere will both generate more and more high-risk ideas and be more willing to follow through on them. Take that as you will. (set: $audacity to 5) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 5) That's all the stats required for this game. Go to the [[Stats Overview]] to see how you've built Lumiere.

Lumiere's willing to try absolutely anything to send the mafia away for good. The ideas he has can get so crazy, they just might work. (set: $audacity to 6) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 6) That's all the stats required for this game. Go to the [[Stats Overview]] to see how you've built Lumiere.

Welcome to //Why Was I Chosen?//! Before we begin, please choose if you would like to play as Lumiere or Legion. While the overarching story won't change drastically between the two protagonists, the parts of the story you'll experience, the ways you can change it, and how the story is presented to you will change, sometimes in dramatic ways. [[I want to play as Lumiere.]] [[I want to play as Legion.]]

So you've chosen the mighty vigilante Lumiere, who would lay down his life to protect the town he calls his home. Very good! Let's determine [[Lumiere's Stats]]. (set: $lumiere to true) (set: $legion to false)

So you've chosen Legion, the head enforcer of the Ya Family crime syndicate who's starting to have a crisis of faith. Wonderful! Let's determine [[Legion's Stats]]. (set: $legion to true) (set: $lumiere to false)

So you've decided how well Lumiere can deliver punishment in a fight, but how well can he take a hit? That's where ''Pain Tolerance'' comes into play. [[Pain Tolerance 1]] [[Pain Tolerance 2]] [[Pain Tolerance 3]] [[Pain Tolerance 4]] (if: $skillpointsused < 18)[ [[Pain Tolerance 5]] (if: $skillpointsused < 17) [ [[Pain Tolerance 6]] ] ]

{(if: $lumiere is true)[As night falls on the peaceful town of [[Bell]], and the townspeople return to their homes and leave the streets empty, you slip out of your apartment and begin your patrol. Your legs fall into their usual rhythm as you make the first turn on your route, a left off of Main Street down the dimly-lit Silver Way. You let muscle memory carry your body while you observe your surroundings, looking for anything that might be the slightest bit out of place. Satisfied with the state of one road, you casually turn again, another left onto Third Street as your mind starts to wander just a little. Your name is Alcor Lyons. Bell is your hometown, not in the sense that you were born there but rather in the sense that you've started to suspect you'll die there. They treat you well in Bell: you live quite comfortably in your little apartment despite having no job, and this town is the only place you've ever lived where you feel seen as yourself instead of as an extension of your father, God rest him. Perhaps there's some truly incredible irony there, you think to yourself with a humorless smile, clearing Third Street and turning again onto Brass Road which is never properly paved. Bell is the first place, maybe the //only// place in the world, where you've felt like you can be yourself, and you decided to adopt an alter ego. It couldn't be helped, you think as you (if: $technique > 3)[narrowly miss turning your ankle] (if: $technique < 4)[turn your ankle slightly] on a pothole. The people who had threatened Bell before were small rings of rogues, but it wouldn't have been smart or safe to fight them as yourself, or they would have known who to retaliate against. They could have put a hit out on Alcor Lyons, the sweet, easygoing, maybe a little bit lazy kid (well, “kid”—you’re 21, but that still makes you one of the youngest people in Bell) who rarely left his street. But nobody could do anything to get back at [[Lumiere]].] (if: $legion is true)[As the moon rises over the expanse of the river, you sit in complete silence in your small powerboat. You've never been in this part of the country before; the heaps of coal slag and slash-and-burn debris that cover the riverbanks for miles offer a deeply depressing first impression. You let yourself float along, not aimless but in no hurry as your destination appears on the horizon. Your brother had told you that the town of [[Bell]] would be a good place to establish a foothold. With so many gangs forced out of New York, those with enough survivors to entertain thoughts of a comeback were starting to look at other big cities that might serve just as well. Your family was no different. Your brother had landed on Philadelphia, and with Bell being close enough to maintain a presence in the city without being so close that others could retaliate, he decided it would be perfect. Naturally, he decided to send you to scope it out, since you were going to be the one in charge of Bell while you trained to take over the whole family. Of course, he made these decisions for you. While you've long been able to convince yourself that your brother cared about you, sometimes you have to try harder than you're ready to admit. You (if: $courage > 3)[tried to have a conversation with him about why he continues to volunteer you for tasks that should be his responsibility, but he refused to acknowledge you until you dropped it.](if: $courage < 4)[don't know why he sent you here alone, but knew better in the moment than to contradict him.] It doesn't matter now, anyway, because you're on the water and swiftly approaching Bell while your brother stays safely out of it. With a quiet, scornful grunt, you take your oar from the floor beside you and start paddling forward, taking care to make as little noise as possible. You had been carefully advised to be silent for the last mile of water, as the town was said to have a [[vigilante]] on nightly patrol, and you didn't want to be heard.] }

Lumiere is your alter ego. In a vacuum, it’s not a particularly //good// alter ego for hiding your identity; after all, you were named after a star, and you've based this entire facade around stars. The time of day when you're active, your inexpertly-designed and handmade outfit, even the name Lumiere itself—these all involve the stars. It wouldn't be hard for a criminal to make the connection between Lumiere and Alcor, if they had the time to sit down and think about it. So, when you do have to fight, your focus is to never allow any time to think. The way you fight isn’t pretty, but it’s effective at keeping your enemy on their heels. This is the key to your sustained success: it’s much harder for them to think about anything, let alone your secret identity, when you’re in their face and bombarding them with punches. You've been doing this for a couple years now, so you’ve seen just about all the local gangs trying to take over Bell. “Why Bell?” is a common question you ask yourself, even now; your working theory currently is that it’s a small town with one way in and one way out, making it easy to defend, hypothetically. But honestly, when you catch yourself trying to think like the gangs do, you have to remind yourself that it isn’t your job to ask questions, just to fight off those threatening your home. If you see anyone who has any visible gang paraphernalia on them, your first move is to rush them and chase them away. Being Lumiere helps with this, as after so much time spent keeping Bell free of organized crime, you've developed a reputation as a vicious fighter and vigilante, and so most of these would-be assailants have had second thoughts about adding to the list of reasons to stay away from you. If you had your way, which when it comes to the results of your run-ins with the gangs you regularly do, nobody would see enough of you to even recognize you as a person, let alone have the necessary information to figure out who. These are all things you think about often during your nightly patrols. It's safe ground, keeps you from dwelling on other things that you would rather not remember. Plus, even if you don't always enjoy the things you do as Lumiere, they give you a safe and grateful town in which you can be Alcor the rest of the time. That's a trade-off you'll gladly accept, no matter the cost. Bell has given you a lot, and being Lumiere, the town's guarding star in the night, is simply your way of giving back. You've covered an awful lot of distance now, letting yourself get into your head like that. It's been a boring night, and the town's streets have all been clear; you've passed a few people, but all have either politely given you a wide berth or nodded in your general direction. It's all people you've recognized, anyway. Bell isn't a large town by any stretch, and though you don't know everyone by name, you've seen and remembered just about every face that populates it. Best you can tell, nobody seems to mind that you don't ever greet anyone while on patrol. You try to make up for it by greeting everyone during the day--though, perhaps, that's just another way to distance yourself as Lumiere from yourself as Alcor. You shake your head airily, not interested in pursuing those more troubling questions of self while on duty. You turn again, a sharp one-eighty off the main roads and onto the riverwalk. The dirt path is softer, a welcome reprieve from the hard stones and jagged macadam of the town roads. Your mind starts to wander again, but everything screeches to a halt when you see a motorboat beached on the river's shore, a figure low to the ground beside it with their shoulder against the hull. [[This person isn't from here.]]

Carefully, you pull your mask up further over your nose and step off the dirt path onto the grass. Even as you approach, your mind is occupied with trying to figure out who this person is, why they're here, and why on Earth they would have come in on a motorboat. How they even got the motorboat here is beyond your understanding; those things are uncomfortably loud, and you're certain you would have heard the noise so late at night. You decide to catch the figure off-guard, but as you speed up your approach, the figure's head snaps up, and you realize it's completely jet-black, featureless, and slightly translucent. It draws itself up to its full height, taller than you, and as you stop dead and stare in horror, the shadow sprints at you. (if: $aggressiveness > 3 and $strength > 3)[ [[You rush up to meet it.]] ] (if: $aggressiveness < 4 or $strength < 4) [ [[You're caught on the back foot.]] ]

You've been in plenty of these fights before, and even if this is the first time you're fighting something as unnatural as this, you're pretty confident that the way to fight it won't be that different. Human or not, everything has a threshold before they have to submit, and you're eager to discover what that threshold is for an animated shadow. It attempts to grab you, but despite the sensation of a cold, air-thin hand closing strongly on your arm, you shake off both the unpleasant feeling and your unpleasant enemy. Now on the offensive, you swing out with your fists, and God it feels weird to punch something that's only half-corporeal. Nevertheless, the blow clearly lands, and the shadow staggers backwards and nearly topples over into the boat before catching itself. As you catch yourself pondering why your hand wouldn’t have punched directly through the shadow’s veillike form, you see it push off from the boat’s railing. The shadow seems unwilling to give up as it rears back up to its full height, but you're faster and with a mind to sit it down. You grab its arm, and while it does contort wildly to squirm out of your hold, that gives you enough time to put your full weight into a haymaker. The punch goes right into its chest, and though the horrid spongy sensation of making contact with the shadow’s barely-present body buzzes through your arm, its knees buckle and it falls. In that split second of you admiring another fight won, [[something shoves you in the back.]]

You don't have a chance to do more than brace for impact as the figure jumps you, knocking you to the ground with a full-body slam. The wind is knocked out of you, and you clumsily roll away from a punch and struggle to your feet. As you dust yourself off, the shadow comes up on you again, clearly aiming to knock you back down. You refuse to let that happen again. You dive away from the shadow, and its momentum carries it crashing into a nearby tree. As you pop up, you notice that the shadow doesn't seem to have been terribly affected by the collision, because it's coming for you again. However, even if the shadow wasn't staggered by hitting the tree, you still have the advantage, and you press it hard. You land a haymaker cleanly on the shadow's featureless face. The feeling of making contact with the shadow reverberates horribly through your body--for hitting something that should have no corporeal form, the impact was disturbingly spongy--but you shrug it off with some effort and continue to force the shadow backwards towards the boat. As you reach the boat and start knocking the shadow off balance against the side, [[something shoves you in the back.]]

You and the shadow go tumbling into the boat. You land hard on your arms and chest, while the shadow lands square on its head and dissipates into motes of darkness. You blink at the motes, watching them sink into the floor of the boat, before rolling over and sitting up. What you see when you get your bearings isn't much better. Another figure, definitely human this time but with their lower face masked to match your own, flanked by... a second, slightly wider shadowy figure, which you quickly realize bears //your// silhouette. As you look from one to the other, you recognize that the shadow you just fought has the human's shape. You try to scramble to your feet, but the human jumps into the boat and pushes you backwards, trapping your feet under your knees. They're in your face quickly. "You must be... Lumiere, yes?" Their voice is deep, but despite their imposing stature, it’s surprisingly soft. If you weren't in such a bad position, you might have snorted at the question. Between your fight with the first shadow and your star-covered getup, it was a pretty stupid thing to ask. As it is, you nod slowly. "I am, yes. Who are you?" You don't expect to get an answer, but your attacker briefly casts their eyes down and away from you, as if considering it. "I am a messenger of..." their voice trails off. Despite yourself, you quirk an eyebrow. "Of?" [["The Ya Family."]]

Those words do not sit well with you. While most of your time off-duty is spent either avoiding everything to do with being Lumiere or trying to predict the comings and goings of more local gangs, you do still try to keep up with current events in and around your part of the world. One such current event, one you had in the back of your mind for a little while but ultimately dismissed as immaterial, was now staring you in the face. The Ya family, at least from what you've read of them in the paper, was one of the many gangs jockeying for position in the great New York City power vacuum. They, like many of the gangs that ultimately muscled them out, reportedly harbored members who had supernatural abilities and could use them to inflict incredible harm on the family's targets, accounting for their rise. But in the end, the family was beaten out of New York and went completely dark (or so the stories had gone). You figured they had gone away, or at the very least that they weren't ever going to pose a threat to you or to Bell. But now, here you are, with one of their supernatural enforcers quite literally on top of you and calling themselves a messenger. They’ve even helpfully demonstrated their supernatural abilities for you by animating both your shadow and their own, so you know the rumors aren’t made up. It's funny how these things happen. The messenger looks down at you. There's unease in their eyes, but they know who you are, what you do, and almost certainly what you mean to the town. Past them, your shadow paces behind the boat menacingly. If you're going to survive the rest of your patrol tonight, you have to do something. [[Push them out of the boat.]] (if: $audacity > 4) [ [[Suplex them over yourself.]] ]

Taking advantage of the messenger's apparent second-guessing, you lunge at them from your knees and shove with everything you have. It takes more energy than you anticipated—despite their slender frame, the messenger is deceptively strong on their feet—but you catch them off guard and send them sprawling onto the grass. You get to your feet in the boat and jump at them, clotheslining your shadow as it rushes in to protect its creator. You land hard on the messenger, knees-first against their diaphragm as you knock the wind out of them, before leaping up and punching out your shadow as it shudders from the pain its maker is in. Your shadow dissipates immediately, and in the blink of an eye you've turned the fight around entirely. It's now you bearing down on the messenger, your opponent clearly behind the eight-ball. With a pained grunt, you hoist up the messenger and toss them onto their motorboat. "This town is under the protection of Lumiere. You can tell the whole family that, now get the fuck out and never come back." The messenger groans, still holding their stomach as they try to right themselves. "Ah... very w-well. Lumiere... we will remember you." They concentrate for a moment, and their own shadow animates and stands from where it's cast under a streetlamp along the shore. Silently, defeatedly, the shadow grabs hold of a ring on the front of the boat and begins to pull it into the water. The messenger dismisses the shadow from its physical form once the boat is fully in the water and turns the engine on. It's quiet as they pull away down the river, but you definitely would have heard it. You sigh, massaging your injuries as you catch your breath. You're near the end of your patrol, you may as well [[finish it.]]

You notice how close the messenger is to you, and a crazy plan appears in your head. You shove them backwards, and though they don't topple out of the boat, you get enough space to jump to your feet. The shadow behind the messenger starts to step into the boat, but it's a second too late. You grab the messenger as they try to rise, hard around the stomach, and throw yourself backwards out of the boat, flinging them onto the ground headfirst. You land pretty hard yourself, your back rubbing painfully against the boat's railing as you disembarked, but you get up fast and the messenger doesn't. The shadow--//your// shadow, and it's no less weird to see it standing up--pursues you out of the boat, but the messenger's impact with the earth clearly staggered it, too. It's a pretty simple matter to get a firm hold of the strange, cold, thin-feeling body and beat it into dissipation. You take another look at the messenger, who's just now getting to their feet with a sick-sounding groan. As they struggle, you move to stand over them menacingly. "Listen. I want you to go to your family, and I want you to make sure that they know that what happened to you is what will happen to every person who tries to encroach on Bell. Tell them that Bell is under the protection of Lumiere, and that I will personally see to it that every attack on it and its people will end the same way tonight did." The messenger nods defeatedly, still trying to get their bearings. Their hands move to cradle their head as they climb into the boat. "V-very well. W-we will not f-forget you easily, Lumiere..." "I'll make sure you forget a lot more than that if you don't get the fuck out now." To your surprise, the messenger actually flinches at that, before shaking their head with a dull groan. A shadow manifests in front of the boat, once again bearing the messenger's silhouette, and grabs a rope connected to the front of the boat. Slowly, with their head low, the messenger allows themselves to be towed out onto the river. After a few minutes, the boat's engine turns on, and the messenger pulls away down the river and into the night. You sigh, massaging your injuries as you catch your breath. You're near the end of your patrol, you may as well [[finish it.]]

The rest of the patrol, which at this point consists of the other eighty percent of the riverwalk and a brief stop at the bottom of town where the road becomes the highway out into the rest of the county, passes without incident, though you do keep an eye on the river in case the messenger comes back with backup. They don't, and the boat is a small dot on the river by the time you turn away. It's very late by the time you get back to your apartment. You sneak in through the side entrance and up through the stairwell, finally reaching your door and unlocking it with a sigh. In the dim light of the hall, you can see blank spots on your outfit where you've lost some of your star embellishments. No doubt those came off in the scuffle with the messenger. As you close the door behind you and change back into Alcor, shutting Lumiere away in your closet until the next time you need to become him, the thought occurs to you that the messenger probably has one of your stars in their boat. Oh, well. It can't be helped now. Maybe they'll keep it as a trophy.

Now that you've chosen Legion, please determine what his stats will be. This //will// affect the things you can and cannot do, the passages you read, and even how the story turns out, so choose carefully! You have 24 points to assign across 6 stats, with each stat getting between 1 and 6. (set: $skillpointsused to 0) First, please choose how many points to assign to Legion's ''Leadership'' stat. This determines how much of a leader he is within the Ya Family, and how well those around him respond to his words and actions. [[Leadership 1]] [[Leadership 2]] [[Leadership 3]] [[Leadership 4]] [[Leadership 5]] [[Leadership 6]]

You would think, for a commander in a crime family, Legion might have just a touch more command over the people around him. Turns out, apparently not! (set: $leadership to 1) (set: $skillpointsused to 1) The next stat will be [[Tactics]].

Legion, naturally soft-spoken and maybe a bit timid, doesn't make for a very imposing figure if you're on his side. (set: $leadership to 2) (set: $skillpointsused to 2) The next stat will be [[Tactics]].

Legion's //okay// at ordering people around, but his heart's not really in it and those close to him can tell. (set: $leadership to 3) (set: $skillpointsused to 3) The next stat will be [[Tactics]].

Legion won't have many issues with the people he's ordering around. He's respected, trusted, and maybe just a little bit feared. (set: $leadership to 4) (set: $skillpointsused to 4) The next stat will be [[Tactics]].

Legion has a lot of people at his disposal, and however he manages it, he keeps all of them in line and answering to him. (set: $leadership to 5) (set: $skillpointsused to 5) The next stat will be [[Tactics]].

Legion's men will follow him into the very depths of Hell without flinching or questioning him. Perhaps they're more afraid of him than they are of anything that could come against him? (set: $leadership to 6) (set: $skillpointsused to 6) The next stat will be [[Tactics]].

So, you've allocated points to your first stat. Stats are inherently dynamic, but they don't usually stray too far from what they're set to in the beginning, so make sure the Leadership stat is where you want it before moving on. Next is Legion's ''Tactics'', which will determine how good he is at planning his attacks, allocating those who answer to him, and deciding the best and most efficient ways to destroy the Ya Family's enemies. [[Tactics 1]] [[Tactics 2]] [[Tactics 3]] [[Tactics 4]] [[Tactics 5]] [[Tactics 6]]

A brilliant tactical mind Legion is not. He's just hoping things don't get too crazy out there. (set: $tactics to 1) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 1) Up next is [[Stealth]].

Legion doesn't have much of a mind for advanced planning. He may have very basic ideas for what he wants to have happen, but everything beyond that is someone else's job. (set: $tactics to 2) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 2) Up next is [[Stealth]].

Legion's smart enough to keep everyone from dying because of his plans, but safety is pretty much where the positives end. (set: $tactics to 3) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 3) Up next is [[Stealth]].

Legion's pretty good at planning things out. He generally knows how to maximize his advantages and minimize his risks, but he doesn't have the confidence to get creative. (set: $tactics to 4) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 4) Up next is [[Stealth]].

Legion is an excellent tactical mind, and even if he doesn't speak up much about his plans, people listen to what he thinks is best, because it almost always works. (set: $tactics to 5) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 5) Up next is [[Stealth]].

Legion's men are in the walls, and he's the one who figured out how to put them there. He is a peerless strategist whose plans are to be followed and admired. (set: $tactics to 6) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 6) Up next is [[Stealth]].

Legion's ''Stealth'' dictates how good he is at skulking around in the shadows while doing his work, as well as how easily he can lie about what he does and the things that happen to him. [[Stealth 1]] [[Stealth 2]] [[Stealth 3]] [[Stealth 4]] [[Stealth 5]] [[Stealth 6]]

Whether he's tripping over his feet or wearing his heart on his sleeve, there's nobody in the Ya Family more obvious than Legion. (set: $stealth to 1) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 1) Halfway through! Now let's calibrate his [[Moral Compass]].

Legion may be quiet, but he's got a long, wiry frame and no filter. Hiding doesn't come easily to him. (set: $stealth to 2) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 2) Halfway through! Now let's calibrate his [[Moral Compass]].

Legion's not terrible at sneaking, but this is going to be the first time he's seriously had to do it. He'll need to adapt pretty fast. (set: $stealth to 3) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 3) Halfway through! Now let's calibrate his [[Moral Compass]].

Legion's perfectly adequate at not giving himself away, whether it's his position in the dark or how he truly feels about the Ya Family. (set: $stealth to 4) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 4) Halfway through! Now let's calibrate his [[Moral Compass]].

Legion's always been very good at hiding. It's as natural to him as riding a bike. (set: $stealth to 5) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 5) Halfway through! Now let's calibrate his [[Moral Compass]].

Legion is the perfect enigma. He can appear in places even he didn't know he could get to, and keep secrets even he didn't know he had. (set: $stealth to 6) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 6) Halfway through! Now let's calibrate his [[Moral Compass]].

Legion's ''Moral Compass'' has naturally been run under a few magnets in its time, but how well does it still point him towards what's right? His navigation of the world that he's suddenly thrust into will depend on it. [[Moral Compass 1]] [[Moral Compass 2]] [[Moral Compass 3]] [[Moral Compass 4]] (if: $skillpointsused < 18)[ [[Moral Compass 5]] (if: $skillpointsused < 17)[ [[Moral Compass 6]] ] ]

Spending your whole life in the mafia, especially when you're considered to be the next leader, either galvanizes your moral compass or completely shatters it. Legion's is shattered. (set: $moralcompass to 1) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 1) Now to determine his [[Capability]].

Legion's first priority is to Legion. Everything else, unless it directly advances his own goals, is secondary. (set: $moralcompass to 2) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 2) Now to determine his [[Capability]].

Legion's not a bad guy. He's a bit of a screwup, maybe, but he's surprisingly noble for being a lifelong mafioso. (set: $moralcompass to 3) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 3) Now to determine his [[Capability]].

Legion's rough around the edges, but he's a good man with a good heart when it matters most. (set: $moralcompass to 4) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 4) Now to determine his [[Capability]].

Legion knows what is right and what is wrong, and he knows it so fervently that even all those years of being raised to do wrong couldn't beat it out of him. (set: $moralcompass to 5) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 5) Now to determine his [[Capability]].

Spending your whole life in the mafia, especially when you're considered to be the next leader, either galvanizes your moral compass or completely shatters it. Legion has become a beacon of good within himself, and it's killing him. (set: $moralcompass to 6) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 6) Now to determine his [[Capability]].

The final stat, ''Courage'', is Legion's willingness to do the things he's afraid to, both in the field and in the home base. Courage may be what gets him killed, or it may be what sets him free. [[Courage 1]] (if: $skillpointsused < 23)[ [[Courage 2]] ] (if: $skillpointsused < 22)[ [[Courage 3]] ] (if: $skillpointsused < 21)[ [[Courage 4]] ] (if: $skillpointsused < 20)[ [[Courage 5]] ] (if: $skillpointsused < 19)[ [[Courage 6]] ]

Legion is held firmly in line by his fear. Every step away from the path of the Ya Family is paralyzing to him. (set: $courage to 1) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 1) That concludes the stat-selection process. When you're ready, go to the [[Stats Overview]] to see your completed character.

Legion's heart knows what it wants him to do, but his mind knows he can't do it. He's stuck in the middle, pulled to both sides but getting the benefit of neither. (set: $courage to 2) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 2) That concludes the stat-selection process. When you're ready, go to the [[Stats Overview]] to see your completed character.

Legion knows what the things are that he needs to do, but he's fighting a mental block that tells him he can't. What he needs is a push. (set: $courage to 3) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 3) That concludes the stat-selection process. When you're ready, go to the [[Stats Overview]] to see your completed character.

Legion has been beaten down relentlessly by his life in the Ya Family, and yet he continues to get up. He may get up slowly, but he never truly stays down. (set: $courage to 4) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 4) That concludes the stat-selection process. When you're ready, go to the [[Stats Overview]] to see your completed character.

Legion knows what he needs to do and how he's going to do it. But he also knows when he needs to wait. (set: $courage to 5) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 5) That concludes the stat-selection process. When you're ready, go to the [[Stats Overview]] to see your completed character.

Not only is Legion willing to do the things that terrify him, he welcomes them as challenges. He knows what he wants to do, and he knows every scary step along the way. (set: $courage to 6) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 6) That concludes the stat-selection process. When you're ready, go to the [[Stats Overview]] to see your completed character.

Legion's ''Capability'' determines how adept he is at harnessing his supernatural power. He has the capacity to do incredible things, but how close is he to reaching that summit? [[Capability 1]] (if: $skillpointsused < 22)[ [[Capability 2]] ] (if: $skillpointsused < 21)[ [[Capability 3]] ] (if: $skillpointsused < 20)[ [[Capability 4]] ] (if: $skillpointsused < 19)[ [[Capability 5]] ] (if: $skillpointsused < 18)[ [[Capability 6]] ]

Legion's powers drain his energy, hurt his hands, and fizzle out almost as soon as they leave his body. If there were reports that the Ya Family had supernatural powers, did they even mean him? (set: $capability to 1) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 1) One stat to go, and it's his [[Courage]].

Legion's very one-note with his powers. It hurts even more that he doesn't even play that note very well. (set: $capability to 2) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 2) One stat to go, and it's his [[Courage]].

Legion can make his human shadows pretty well, but everything beyond that feels a little out of reach. (set: $capability to 3) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 3) One stat to go, and it's his [[Courage]].

Legion can bring out his human shadows consistently without issue, and he's started trying to branch out into other ways to manipulate shadow. (set: $capability to 4) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 4) One stat to go, and it's his [[Courage]].

Having mastered the creation of human shadows, Legion's been working hard on manipulating the shadows into other, even stronger forms. (set: $capability to 5) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 5) One stat to go, and it's his [[Courage]].

The shadows are things for Legion to play with, and he can make them take whatever form he desires without breaking a sweat. (set: $capability to 6) (set: $skillpointsused to it + 6) One stat to go, and it's his [[Courage]].

{(if: $lumiere is true)[Here's what your character sheet for Lumiere looks like: ''//Alcor Lyons - Lumiere//'' ''Aggressiveness'': $aggressiveness ''Strength'': $strength ''Loyalty'': $loyalty ''Pain Tolerance'': $paintolerance ''Technique'': $technique ''Audacity'': $audacity ] (if: $legion is true)[Here's what your character sheet for Legion looks like: ''//Kaiyang Ya - Legion//'' ''Leadership'': $leadership ''Tactics'': $tactics ''Stealth'': $stealth ''Moral Compass'': $moralcompass ''Capability'': $capability ''Courage'': $courage ] } You used $skillpointsused of your 24 allowed points to get these stats. When you are ready to begin play, please advance to [[Chapter 1]].

{(if: $lumiere is true)[`Bell, PA: Population, roughly 2000. Size, a little more than a square mile, and arranged into a more or less even square shape. People, the kindest you’ve ever met, and entirely undeserving of the horrible things that you keep them from experiencing. Capacity to fight crime, volunteer police force made up of souls far too sweet and bodies far too untrained to handle the threats of violence alone.`] (if: $legion is true)[`Bell, PA: Location, under 100 miles from Philadelphia, maybe 150 miles from New York City. Ease of movement, right on the banks of a major river that can admit decent-sized boats. Defensibility, only one major point of access by water, points of access by land unclear.`]} Return to [[Chapter 1]] here.

You don't know much about who this vigilante is. Your brother, aided by your sister, found and interrogated a handful of common criminals who had reported run-ins with a person wearing a strange outfit of dark blue fabric with silver stars attached, but that was all the information they were able to give because they were scared away or beaten into submission before they could even see anything else about this person. This came as a surprise to the three of you, if only because surely someone with such an attention-catching uniform would be easily recognized, right? But apparently not, and everyone your brother asked about this vigilante was too scared to fight them again. It didn't matter what he offered, what he threatened, even what he did to them, nobody would talk. The last person he interrogated only had one more useful thing to add, and it took your brother beating him just as bad as the vigilante had before he revealed it. It wasn't even that useful, for how much work it took--it was just the vigilante's code name, Lumiere. Between the unassuming name and bizarre description of Lumiere, you couldn't for the life of you figure out why everyone was so afraid of this person. They didn't sound the slightest bit intimidating, and yet career criminals are refusing to say anything about them for fear that they might be summoned! What was happening here? Your brother, evidently, didn't know either, hence why you're out here now, steadily paddling your way up to a low spot on the riverbank (if: $courage > 4)[(although, if his insistence that you go alone to scout out Bell was any indication, he was a bit rattled by the vigilante's reputation, too)]. You place the oar back in the boat and step out carefully, testing your footing on the gritty, coal-dusted grass as you drag the boat ashore. As you briefly pass under one of the many streetlights that light the dirt path along the river, you {(if: $capability < 3)[painfully] (if: $capability > 3)[easily]} pull your shadow out and send it to secure the boat and keep it from sliding back into the water while you start down the path. You sense danger. {(if: $stealth < 3)[`Caught in the open,`] (if: $stealth > 2)[`Ducking behind a nearby tree,`]} you see a figure at the top of the walk. They didn't see you, but they did see your shadow and the boat. [[You can't let them disrupt your mission.]]

Your shadow does as you command, and as the figure approaches it, your command is to neutralize them. You see the figure start to move faster, but your shadow snaps its head around to see them. The shadow, and by extension you, have a slight height advantage over the figure, and as they stop in their tracks, your shadow draws itself up to its full height and starts advancing on the figure. They're sure to fight now, but you notice something that gives you pause: a few stars on the figure's clothing sparkle under the streetlight. You've run directly into Lumiere. You have to see why everyone's so afraid of this person, and as they start fighting your shadow, it starts to make a little bit of sense. Lumiere clearly doesn't have the formal training that you do, as their motions lack fluidity and grace, but it's with raw and unrefined power that they get the upper hand on your shadow. Your whole life, you've heard the word "natural" used to describe you, but you've never really understood what a //natural// truly is before seeing Lumiere fight. It's spellbinding. But your shadow is starting to flag, and you'd better do something about it before Lumiere gets a chance to come looking for you. You think you can get the drop on them if you sneak up while their focus is still on your shadow, which means acting now. [[Carefully creep up on Lumiere.]] (if: $capability > 4)[ [[Cloak yourself in shadow and approach.]] ]

As the fight starts to wind down, with Lumiere holding a clear advantage over your shadow, you take the opportunity to find a spot closer to them to make your move from. Looking out from behind a burnt-out streetlight, you notice Lumiere forcing your shadow backwards towards the boat. You can't tell if the boat is secured, but you need to act before something happens to it and you're stranded in Bell. As your shadow reaches the boat, still besieged by Lumiere's steady attack, you pop out from behind the light and sneak up behind the vigilante. As you get closer, you see that the boat is solidly on land, but not secured by anything. Lumiere must have found your shadow before it could install the stake to tie the boat to, as the rope is next to the boat and the stake is nowhere to be seen, probably still in the boat. Lumiere could steal the boat now and completely cut you off from your family, and you can't let them control this fight any longer. That's why, as Lumiere buckles your shadow with a few more punches, you rush up behind them and [[shove them into your boat.]]

Thinking quickly, you manipulate the shadows cast by the streetlight on the trees to warp around you, cloaking you in darkness as you start to creep up on Lumiere. The dirt turns to grass as you cautiously step off the path, but it doesn't feel nearly as different as you think it should. You push your distaste out of your mind; you'll have plenty of time to wonder what your brother sees in this place after you've knocked Lumiere out flat. Peering through your cloak, you see that Lumiere and your shadow are fairly evenly-matched. That might not be great; you're pretty good at fighting, too, but your shadows are how you've won most of the fights you've been in. If someone gets through one of your shadows one-on-one, they're going to be hard to take down. All the more reason to not let them have that chance. As your shadow suddenly goes down from a punch to the face, you rush out from your cloak, drive your whole body into Lumiere, and [[shove them into your boat.]]

Lumiere goes headfirst into the boat, but looks to catch themselves before they faceplant. They drag your shadow in with them, and it isn't so lucky, as it bangs its head on one of the back seats and instantly dissipates. Under the working streetlight, you're able to pull Lumiere's shadow out, and it forms next to you, both of you looking at the prone vigilante as they struggle to flip over. Lumiere sits up after a few moments and blinks at you. They're obviously trying to get some sort of read on you, but you prepared for the possibility that you would run into someone. Your uniform, all black with a face cover, is specifically meant to mask your silhouette and disorient your enemies, especially when you have a shadow with you, and it looks like it's working on Lumiere. Recognition slowly hits them as they notice their own shadow standing next to you, and that's when you strike. Lumiere attempts to jump to their feet in the boat, but you're already on top of them, leaning in and trapping their feet under their knees to prevent them from getting up. Their shadow surveys the scene, ready to join you in the boat if for whatever reason you need backup. You get a good look at Lumiere for the first time, as they glance around nervously for any form of escape. You decide to get in their face and take their focus away from whatever they may be planning. "You must be... Lumiere, yes?" you ask, and it's obviously a diversion; you know they're Lumiere, and they know you know. Their eyes narrow slightly, but they nod after a second's thought. "I am, yes. Who are you?" Should you tell them? If they knew the Ya Family was coming, they could warn people, even if you hurt them. But at the same time, if someone protecting a town showed up hurt and warning them about a crime family coming to take over, it would cause mass hysteria and possibly make the town an easier target. "I am a messenger of..." As you trail off, still thinking it over, Lumiere tries to prompt you. "Of?" Ultimately, you decide to [[sow some fear]]. "The Ya Family."

There's a jolt of horrified recognition in Lumiere's eyes, and you know that they're aware of the Ya Family. A few short years ago, it would have been hard for people to have not heard of you. The Ya Family held a lot of sway in New York City, and were looking to take over the city's power vacuum. The Ya Family was widely feared, in part because of the people like you who could do supernatural things. There were four of you in all: you, your brother, your sister, and your cousin. Your parents didn't have supernatural powers, but they weren't afraid of doing their dirty work the perfectly natural way, and their capacity to lead by brutal example propelled the family forward just as much as the powers you and the other specialists held. But the family got cocky, and in one night everything was ruined. Your parents were killed in a night raid by corrupt police who were in the pocket of your enemy. You and your remaining family members had to flee with any underlings lucky enough to not get cut down by what felt like half of the NYPD. You were only just nineteen then, an unwitting mascot of the Ya Family's terrifying power. You've been tapped to lead the Family since it was your mother in charge, but now, four years since her death... you're not sure you want it anymore. You stare into Lumiere's eyes. They're really worried now, and you hope that they don't sense any of your discomfort. You couldn't afford to show weakness against a foe as formidable as the vigilante stuck underneath you. You have to do something to maintain control over them, and you had better do it fast. (if: $moralcompass < 3)[ [[Hurt Lumiere.]] ] (if: $moralcompass > 2)[ [[Hesitate.]] ]

Lumiere's skilled, but they seem pretty helpless when stuck underneath you like this. It wouldn't be that hard to punch them out, throw them in the back of your boat, and take them away before they come to. Bell would be defenseless without them, and your brother can finally figure out why everyone's so afraid of the vigilante. In the second that it takes you to pull your fist back, Lumiere surges, pushing you back to the railing. You still clip them with your fist, but it's not enough to keep them from getting to their feet. As you come in for another punch, commanding Lumiere's shadow to get in the boat with you, Lumiere catches you around the waist with both arms. By the time you can process what's happening, you're in the air, and then you're nowhere. Your head swims as you regain consciousness. You're on your back, you think, and your head and neck are in screaming agony as you struggle to your feet. You're having a hard time finding purchase on the ground, and as you drop to a knee, you realize that Lumiere's towering over you. "Listen," you hear them say. "I want you to go to your family, and I want you to make sure that they know that what happened to you is what will happen to every person who tries to encroach on Bell. Tell them that Bell is under the protection of Lumiere, and that I will personally see to it that every attack on it and its people will end the same way tonight did." You regret ever coming here. You get to your feet eventually, cradling your aching head as you stumble into your boat. "V-very well." Your voice is horribly shaky, and talking physically hurts. "W-we will not f-forget you easily, Lumiere..." "I'll make sure you forget a lot more than that if you don't get the fuck out now." You can't help the full-body flinch that the threat elicits. Lumiere is capable of hurting you just as bad as you're capable of hurting them, and the thought terrifies you. Lumiere can do to you what New York did to your parents, but they can do it alone. While you still have your life, you have to [[leave.]]

You stop for just a second, and that's all the time Lumiere needs. They lunge up and slam into your stomach, forcing you backwards; you stumble as your back hits the railing and topple out of the boat onto the sandpaper-rough grass. You pull yourself up just in time to watch in horror as Lumiere clotheslines their own shadow, sending it sprawling as the vigilante leaps out of the boat. They land, knees-first and with all of their weight, on your diaphragm. Suddenly you can't breathe, and as you gasp through your mask for oxygen, Lumiere's turned and punched right through their shadow. In a flash, you've been taken out, just like your family was in New York City. You can't believe it. Lumiere bears down on you, eventually hauling you up by your collar and unceremoniously chucking you onto the boat. They're shockingly strong, and their hold on you was viselike--both useful notes for the next time you encounter them. You think back to your observations on Lumiere’s fight against your shadow: you could tell right away that they weren’t trained, and even though they made quick work of your shadow, their shadow, and you, it’s still clear that they lack finesse. However, within their unrefined fighting style, Lumiere’s as natural a fighter as you’ve ever seen. You know you'll need Bell, and to get Bell you'll need to go through Lumiere. Even though you were swiftly beaten by the vigilante, you’ve learned a lot of useful things about how they fight, and they didn’t kill you. Based on the goals of tonight’s mission, you’re willing to consider that a modest success. "This town is under the protection of Lumiere," you hear them say. Before you can respond, they add, "You can tell the whole family that. Now get the fuck out, and never come back." You try to respond, but what comes out is mostly a pained groan. Still getting your bearings, you push yourself into a seated position in the front of your boat. "Ah. Very w-well," you manage, gritting your teeth as your diaphragm protests against talking. "Lumiere... we will remember you." And you will. But for now, all you can really do is [[leave.]]

With another painful sigh, you draw out your own shadow again. It moves around to the front of the boat, pointedly ignoring Lumiere, and picks up the rope. After tying the rope to the front of the boat, your shadow pulls you and your boat back into the river. There's no point in being silent now, so you decide to turn on the motor and get out of there as soon as you can, dismissing your shadow as the boat roars to life. A little while later, you turn around to find Bell a small dot on the horizon again. A large part of you, too large to comfortably ignore, wants to leave it that way, but you owe it to your family, dead and alive, to at least try and set your brother's plan in motion. They deserve that respect from you, at the very least. As you turn back around to the front, something catches your eye. You reach down to the floor of the boat and pick it up, finding that it's one of the silver stars from Lumiere's outfit. It must have fallen off when you pushed them into the boat, or when they pushed you out of the boat. You drop the star onto the seat beside you; your fingers sparkle with bits of shed glitter as you wipe them on your pants. You're hurt, defeated, and glittering, but you have much to tell your brother when you get home.