Mind Blind (01/31 Demo Update. A Story Where You Are NOT The Chosen One!)

[idonotlikeusernames]

I think Sally and Nick would still be good together because they could both help the other grow up in ways they need. Sally could potentially help Nick deal with his power and privilege a bit more responsibly and Nick in turn could help Sally grow out of some of her more annoying immature mannerisms.
I always felt like Nick and Sally both still had the most growing up to do as people (and yet mc is the one who is forced to live like he’s 10 years old).
And, yes, in my case my mc does feel partially responsible for that state of affairs as he does believe Nick essentially being forced into being his guardian on top of assuming the leadership of Aeon when he was barely an adult himself did mess with Nick’s own process of maturing, particularly as regards to dating and those kinds of relationships.

Like I said, in the new situation, my mc is likely to start Snickly in response to Nick messing with his own feelings for Gray from the inside…and while it may start as some sort of prank in the new situation, as he knows that Sally is infatuated with his brother, as long as Nick doesn’t really shut it down he’d continue. I mean Nick only needs to threaten to turn into mopey Nick to shut my mc down most of the time.

[Lotta]

@wildelight

It’s for players who don’t to be friends or have her around, since that option more or less confirms that Button only let her remain because she provided the “service” of protecting Button’s brain.

Ohh oof. I guess that I’m not picking this option again then…

It didn’t actually even cross my mind that this choice basically means that my Button considers Sally “only valuable as a precog and not as a person” and doesn’t want her friendship, because this is simply not true. So thank you for clarifying this Jo. Now I feel horrible as a bonus tho! I might not be too fond of Button/Sally friendship dynamic at the moment (chapter 4 to be specific) but I would like it to go up for them from this point on. I for sure didn’t plan to be cruel to Sally or break her relationship with my Button. Did my post really came across as so negative towards Sally?

[sviyagin]

@wildelight

I should probably mention that sending Sally home effectively cuts off access to her friendship scenes as well as her romance route.

I can definitely understand the reasoning behind this decision, but do you think there could be an in between option? I personally like the Sally friendship and intend for my MC to pursue/maintain it, but at the same time think that there are some things that are family matters, and a family crisis seems like one of them. It would be nice to be able to choose to have a family moment without needing to push Sally away permanently. Maybe there could be an option to at least talk about it/what Sally wants to do with her rather than just making the decision for her?

That’s just my two cents! Really great game, and really great writing. Will love and play no matter the outcome <3

[M.Agil.R_HRP]

If

@wildelight

should probably mention that sending Sally home effectively cuts off access to her friendship scenes as well as her romance route. It’s for players who don’t to be friends or have her around, since that option more or less confirms that Button only let her remain because she provided the “service” of protecting Button’s brain

Would it connect to when they first met? The part where Button thought that (depending on readers choice) if they will still be friends if Button was normal

[bric]

@sviyagin

I can definitely understand the reasoning behind this decision, but do you think there could be an in between option?

I, personally, am cool with cutting off Sally, but I agree that an in-between option makes sense. Tbh, I found it weird that my MC told Sally what was going on so willy-nilly to begin with (would’ve liked an option not to tell her at all, or to tell her with great reluctance, or even to have the father spill the beans). I’m guessing MC tells her becaussse the visions are foreshadowing things to come.

It makes sense to me that MC might just want to deal with this without Sally, while not intending to cut her off completely… especially since Sally is pretty much useless when it comes to helping in a situation like this.

Kind of related but not necessarily: I’m also hoping that there’ll be an opportunity to reach out to Gray for help because 1. he’s almost certainly more useful than Sally and 2. he’s kind of like family (or a future husband??? lmao) to some MCs,

[Hart]

@fabulist

On another note, anyone have any theories on the true situations behind Sally’s visions?

WOW DO I EVER

Replayed again today and my tinfoil hat is slowly fusing to my skull.

Summary

So. In K’s vision, someone addresses “Hemera”. Who is Hemera? Apparently, the Greek goddess of the day, and daughter of Nyx/Nox. So Hemera is probably a callsign. Nox and Hemera were likely chosen as callsigns together, or one was chosen in reference to the other. This leads me to…

Theory 1: Glitch has a second, secret callsign, and they are Hemera.

Theory 2: It is K who has the second secret callsign, and is both “Night and Day”.

Can we deduce that Hemera uses tactics or powers that work better in broad daylight, as Nox references K’s preference for darkness? If so:

Theory 3: Noh is Hemera. On the subway route to school, Button can notice that there is fresh graffiti which must have been applied while the platform was quite busy during rush hour – how could the artist have escaped detection? If we entertain the possibility that Noh planted the bomb personally (without controlling Button) (if, indeed, Noh was responsible) they must have had some method of evading detection.

But what could that method be? Are they telekinetic, capable of bending light around themself and becoming invisible? Or are they able to alter the perceptions of the people around them? If they do have abilities like this, they would be unheard of within the world of Mind Blind. But the existence of telekinesis was only a rumour before Gray became a public figure, and Button’s own neurological situation is, of course, unique. Not to mention that K is also kind of a weirdo powerwise – most empaths have a very limited brainrange, and it’s unclear if they’re even able to read Button’s mind.

But why would Noh and K choose callsigns together? Are Noh and K siblings? IS NOH K’S MOTHER??? Noh is a classical music snob (god I love them lmao) and K’s mother was musical! She was a fan of Elvis! Check and Mate.

None of this is even getting into the identity of the “woman of ice”, who has “pale, cold hands”. She seems mean but I’m willing to give her a chance. Maybe she’s freaking out and that’s why she’s laughing. Maybe she’s Noh…

[wildelight]

Letting Sally make the decision is a great suggestion (she’ll choose to stay though, since she considers herself to be more Button’s family than John is tbh). The friendship between Sally and Button is very much meant to be family-esque from Sally’s side. From my personal experience with long-term friendships, the relationship becomes one where there’s a sort of . . . presumptive behavior from both sides? The dynamic is very “Shut up, I love you, let me grab my bag and I’ll be over asap. No, stop talking, I didn’t ask for you’re permission, I’m coming over because I know you and you need me.” (I’ve had the same best friend for two decades, and although obviously all relationships are different, Sally is very much the kind of person who falls into that dynamic.) She’s also not going to hang around someone who’s still neutral about her after over a decade of friendship.

Of course, that presumption on Sally’s part doesn’t seem to quite work in-game right now since, unlike Button, players have only known Sally for a few scenes as opposed to years. Which means I need to better refine and convey their dynamic, since right now it appears that a lot of people read her as aggressive and uncaring rather than as a long-term friend who honestly kind of just has a forceful personality Letting people chose whether they’re comfortable with this type of relationship is the best I can do and still be true to the characters, since unlike K/Glitch/Rosy, Sally’s known the main character for over half their lives.

Sally is pushy and decisive but it has more to do with her personality and the fact she basically considers Button to be her platonic other half, rather than because of Button’s limitations (Button may not read it this way, obviously!).

@M.Agil.R_HRP

Would it connect to when they first met? The part where Button thought that (depending on readers choice) if they will still be friends if Button was normal

That effects it somewhat, although Button is a preset enough character that Sally will always genuinely like them in the beginning. Pushing her away when she’s no longer useful, however, informs for Sally that, despite her best wishes, Button doesn’t really consider the dynamic between them to be the same kind of friendship that she does.

@bric

I’m also hoping that there’ll be an opportunity to reach out to Gray for help because 1. he’s almost certainly more useful than Sally and 2. he’s kind of like family (or a future husband??? lmao) to some MCs,

Definitely later, but right now Grayson is kind of busy handling the fallout from well

EDIT:
Also, I don’t take personal offense to people who dislike Sally. She, like all the other characters, has a strong personality, which means she won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. She’ll sometimes rub the wrong way, and that’s perfectly fine! My goal is to make certain that character intentions, at least, are always clearly conveyed. Which Chapter 4 failed to do and thus is being reworked

People who dislike Nick, I have more complicated feelings towards

[M.Agil.R_HRP]

@wildelight

players have only known Sally for a few scenes as opposed to years

The fact that this game is text-based might also contributed to it, since other media with a visual cue could’ve conveyed their dynamics better. Though i’ll say this is an amazing job already, the reason that Sally feels aggressive is the shortness of time frame for us to get to understand her character better.

[Flame9091]

Noh being able to alter peoples perceptions would explain things like the strange nurse and also why Noh wears a mask as cameras wouldn’t be affected but no one would see them as someone wearing a mask

[Hart]

@Flame9091

cameras wouldn’t be affected

yes omg I didn’t even think of that

[bric]

@M.Agil.R_HRP

@wildelight

players have only known Sally for a few scenes as opposed to years

The fact that this game is text-based might also contributed to it, since other media with a visual cue could’ve conveyed their dynamics better. Though i’ll say this is an amazing job already, the reason that Sally feels aggressive is the shortness of time frame for us to get to understand her character better.

I’m not sure it’s a matter of not having enough time as a reader to understand her; I just think the fact of the matter is that her personality is kind of aggressive(/overbearing). To me, saying she’s pushy is just a nicer way of saying she’s aggressive lol.

Based on how she’s been described, I don’t think I have a misunderstanding of her character/personality, I just think I’m not a fan of it personally. And that’s totally fine! It’s not easy (or likely) to write a character that’s universally loved. But as a reader, I don’t feel like the shortness of time made it impossible to see the dynamics of the relationship between Button & Sally. I think it’s especially easy to see if your MC sees Sally as a best friend and interacts with her in that way. But other readers might feel differently, of course! (Basically, as a reader, I don’t think you have to worry too much about not getting the dynamics of their relationship across @wildelight)

[Baam]

@wildelight

People who dislike Nick, I have more complicated feelings towards

Now that’s just blatant favoritism.

[M.Agil.R_HRP]

@Baam

blatant favoritism.

It’s not favoritism. Nick is simply too precious to hate on. Or maybe it’s just that i’m so lonely in real life that the idea of even disliking a fictional character is incomprehensible.

[nuna]

I just wanted to drop by and say I love this story this update fixed my mood right after the cliffhanger of previous update huehuehue

Also who the heck is Noh, I have a specific MC personality I’m playing as and I have not seen or heard of any Nohs?!?! lmao whenever I read comments about Noh, I feel like that one player that keeps on doing side missions and never ends up doing the final boss battle to end the game

I’m all for supporting my bff with my bro, whom I have like a 159% percent relationship with If the relationships are bugged (going past 100%) I hope Nick’s still stay able to go through the roof after a fix; he is a special person for our MCs after all.

I do have a question. When we discover that K is an empath, our MC acts like he can read minds (calling him husbando in our ~mind’s temple~ might have been a mistake) but in reality he can only sense emotions rigth? Or am I misremembering?

Also, another thought. Since Nick is inside our minds, would it be possible that prolonged stay would cause him to be affected by/assimilated into our thoughts and vice versa? I know this can be a serious topic, but holy shit the drama potential of Nick feeling second hand romantic feelings for Gray because our MC has a crush on him, and then Nick getting back to his own body and thinking ‘whelp am I seriously crushing on Gray now’ would be kinda hilarious, ngl. Not to mention other more serious changes of thoughts and feelings of course. Like our relationship with other family members might get super intertwined with Nick’s, and I do not think that is healthy or cope-able for neither Nick or MC.

Not to mention the mom’s clinical-trial-to-hug-my-children arc. Like, oh my god. Such an interesting dilemma for our MC to go through!

I feel like CoG should have a ‘follow user’ button for new topics. Wildelight is one I would definitely follow for any new potential games on the horizon, your writing style and choice variety for MC’s thought and actions make this game super immersive, such good roleplaying!

[Azraeel]

The thing is though no matter what choice you make the crockpot gets left behind

[Flame9091]

You get introduced to Noh when you take the metro path to get to the academy and K normally can’t read minds but they can read buttons because of the mind blindness just like grays situation

[VioletHikari]

And yet no matter what choices we make, the MC has to mysteriously use the bathroom after being separated by Sally. Ps, I think it’s the MC who planted the bomb. Which is why I don’t think it’s Gray.

[HanaRed]

@VioletHikari

Ps, I think it’s the MC who planted the bomb. Which is why I don’t think it’s Gray.

Me too, especially after it was confirmed on Tumblr that secret ro has brainwashed mc at one point.

[Redhood53]

@nuna

I do have a question. When we discover that K is an empath, our MC acts like he can read minds (calling him husbando in our ~mind’s temple~ might have been a mistake) but in reality he can only sense emotions rigth? Or am I misremembering?

Well, the MC is a Pollard Zero, that means it doesn’t matter the score or what kind of abilities the Ments have, they all can basically hear him and even take over his body. A prime example of this is when the MC’s mom, who is a telemetric goes out of control after hearing his thoughts 24/7 and even accidentally takes over his over and almost kills him.

[VioletHikari]

@HanaRed

secret ro

Wait, there’s a secret RO ?! Geez, days like today makes me wish I had Tumblr .