All that I have said still standing, did I like that Kale left? No. If anything I’m a bit disappointed that no one, especially Vance, fought me on that. I know Naomi said something, but it didn’t register with me/Kale.

There was also an artificial constrain applying force: that this would be my last session due to school. That forced me to take things to a climax and I think may have kept others from pushing in a direction where otherwise we would’ve said “we’ll pick this up next session.” I know that I held myself back from tacking an action that would’ve kept us up a bit longer (pulling a gun pointed at Lady Blackbird and recreating the end of Reservoir Dogs). It’s a shame because it would have forced some really dramatic confrontations, but that’s that. I can also tell you that at that moment, Kale did *not* feel like anyone in the ship had his back, let alone against Flint (aside from the fact that he’s a player character), so leaving looked like a really good option then and there. Could’ve, should’ve, would’ve.

Who knows, maybe along the way to meet Flint we’ll find out what really happened to Kale.

Now that you’ve laid it out I am, in a strange sense, satisfied. Now I have a catharsis to Kale’s departure that resonates with me, and thus I can move on.

I don’t like Kale’s choice, personally. I think it’s sad, because we’d have had your back with Flint, one way or another. Even Naomi. it would have made for a kick-ass bit of drama to go into it together, in spite of our hurt feelings, misunderstandings, mistrusts, etc. But that’s not the point. I at least understand it now, and can resonate with it as a story element.

And you didn’t OWE me any of this unpacking, so I really appreciate it.

I love that a week and a half later, we’re still talking about and unpacking this.

If my internet stays alive I’ll write more later, maybe, to honor your effort. But you rock. This is fruitful stuff.

That said, I can tell you precisely what was going through my/Kale’s mind during the last scene:

“This weak, fucking fool will not follow his feelings after I have all but guaranteed my life being forfeit so he could.”

My/Kale’s impression of Vance’s feelings towards Kale were that as the adventure/mission went on, Kale mattered less and less to Vance. Yes, we had some inside joke moments and exchanges that showed we had a history (and props to Chuck on our very first session for picking up and running along with when I spoke with overt familiarity at Vance – we truly clicked right from the start), but as time went on, as Lady Blackbird became a more central figure in his life, Kale felt tossed aside as has every best friend in history when his best bud gets the hots for a gal.

Should Kale have stayed with Vance at the end, especially because the Key that he remained with was the Key of Fraternity? Maybe. But just maybe. All I thought about was of the wasted opportunity Vance and Lady Blackbird were just tossing aside, and that there was no way I was going to show up in front of Captain Flint after I had given him the proverbial finger and had tried to sabotage the mission for which he had contracted me, delivering Lady Blackbird. So no, in my mind Kale loved Vance like a brother, truly, but not enough to commit suicide, especially when he decided to not trust me that I was acting in his best interest. Seriously, I felt Vance treated Kale with the same mistrust that Naomi had during that last scene, and that made me wonder, am I really willing to risk my life for this asshole? And the answer was No.

Kale also had some anger seething in him from his fight with Naomi the night before, and also for Lady Blackbird for reasons that never got to be aired in-game. That all combined and was topped with a cherry by Vance’s attitude. For Kale, at that moment, it got to be too much. And I think that was a very valid response.

What it IS about is exploring your mind. I accept everything you have said about Kale’s arc and your main question being satisfactorily answered. I’m not implying anything to the contrary because your satisfaction with the end is an objective fact – how could I possibly dispute it? I never have tried. I am contending that I was not satisfied, but I’ve never said you were wrong to feel like you were satisfied.

Anyhow, so as I accept that you feel like you got your main question answered and that Kale chose friendship over his mission, I’m wondering still … what truth you think has been explored when essentially, after you say you chose your friend over your mission, you then immediately abandoned your friend to fulfill HIS mission simply because he apparently failed to appreciate your gesture? What do you think that says about the nature of the friendship? Did you consider having Kale remain at his friend’s side no matter what, even though you totally disagree with his choices?

I am in no way saying you SHOULD have chosen the other option. You have every right to choose whatever you wanted. But I’m a guy who delves into the truths of the universe (as well as the truths of myself and my friends) by engaging in character-driven meaningful choice roleplaying. I want to learn more about what Kale was thinking and by extension what you were thinking through Kale.

So, please go beyond the fact that you satisfactorily answered your friendship vs. mission question and let’s ask why, after choosing friendship, would you immediately abandon that friendship out of – what appeared to me as – pique?

Chuck

Taking Kale’s epilogue is no biggie as it doesn’t really develop the character, only provides a buckle for the belt. As far as during the game, Kale, to me, had one question to answer: would he choose his friend or the mission? This is supported by two keys so it always stuck out as being THE issue for the character. 

Did I explore that question in game? Yes, I believe I did. Did I explore it fully and deeply? Not as much as I would’ve liked, no, probably my own fault due to the sessions I missed. 

At the end Kale dealt with and resolved his issue, deciding that he would choose his friend over the mission, and this was played out in front of everyone. That Kale didn’t get to explore his link with all the other characters is frankly irrelevant as that wasn’t what his question was about. 

I can understand perfectly if you feel you were “cockblocked” at the end and you didn’t get to play out Naomi’s final scene, whatever that may have been, and for whatever part is my responsibility I can say I’m sorry. But I will continue to object the implication that we didn’t complete a story, that we didn’t reach an ending, and that it wasn’t a great game.