Jordan Rivers and Charlie's TrustWelcome to Jordan Rivers' story. You are Jordan, an ambitious individual seeking fame and recognition. But how far will you go?
(set: $CharlieTrust to 0)
(set: $Ambition to 0)
You learn about a scandal with the soon-to-be-former head of the local LGBTQIA Resource Center. It's the only one left in Atlanta that's largely gone under the radar due to its lack of online presence, lackluster streetside presentation, and perception of ineffetuality.
Charlie is the king of digital detox: he's almost allergic to knowing what's going on in the news. But he's in his bag when it comes to community advocacy.
Charlie advises that bringing attention to the Center puts it at risk of political targeting by the ruling party and risk of wealthy donors pulling out due to fear of retaliation for their support becoming public.
Charlie also reminds you that the center is the only lifeline for the most marginalized communities--specifically transgender people, immigrants and people of color, and the poor. Especially those who fit into multiple of those categories.
You tell him he's overselling it and he begs you not to expose the scandal.
When he leaves, you're all alone in your room with your thoughts. With nobody there to influence your thoughts. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose.
A story this big would activate your followers and gain you so many more. And doesn't the public deserve to know the truth, even if it's uncomfortable?
[[Expose the scandal->ExposeScandal]]
[[Let it go->DeclineExposure]]You decide to leak the information. The scandal goes viral, and suddenly, your name is in everyone’s mouth. However, Charlie, suspects you had something to do with it.
(set: $Ambition to $Ambition + 2)
Deciding to forgo due diligence, Charlie confronts you, vowing to never seek the truth in any other way. How do you respond?
[[Lie to Charlie->LieToCharlie]]
[[Deflect the conversation->DeflectCharlie]]
[[Confess the truth->ConfessToCharlie]]
[[BootyShorts]]Against your better judgement, you do nothing.
Your sleep that night is mediocre.
You wake up to the same mid 6-figure follow count.
Charlie calls and offers to take you out for brunch.
//It's the least he can do//, you think before chastising yourself for thinking like a goblin. You're you, you reconcile. You'll have plenty of opportunities in the future, right?
(set: $Ambition to $Ambition - 1)
(set: $CharlieTrust to $CharlieTrust + 1)
Time marches forward, and you see others rise while you struggle to make a name for yourself.
[[Continue->SabotageAct]]You lie to Charlie, insisting that you had already schedulde the post and social tweets but forgot to turn them off after your conversation with him.
(set: $CharlieTrust to $CharlieTrust - 1)
Charlie doesn’t seem convinced but lets it go—for now. He's noticably chilly towards you.
[[Move forward->SabotageAct]]You deflect Charlie’s questions, changing the subject.
[[Move forward->SabotageAct]]You admit to posting it, hoping your straightforwardness counts for something.
(set: $CharlieTrust to $CharlieTrust - 2)
Charlie is furious and feels betrayed. Your friendship suffers a severe blow, but you sense a small opening for reconciliation in the future. C'mon--it's Charlie!
[[Move forward->SabotageAct]]When Charlie finally arrives, you're mid-rant. You don't care how your uncombed hair and wild eyes make you look as you pace around your room muttering. You make him have a seat and you start from the beginning:
"So Yung Xanax really made a RealTok trashing me. He called me everything from a Coon to a grifter and then some! And he sits there and makes these arguments that I’m homophobic and anti-trans when I literally am partially famous for being gay. Like, are you kidding me? The audacity, right?!
But that’s all right, because I got something for that ass! I looked at his profile and he’s supposed to be hosting a panel at the end of the month. However, I don’t think they’re going to want him if they could only see what I have on him. Because if you scroll all the way down to the end of his profile, and if you check out some of his old cheeps on Chitter, he really looks like a crazy person because he’s calling people faggots and threatening them and their safety. I don’t think The Advocate wants someone like that hosting their panel.
And I called up Alyssa, who works at the corporate HQ and she told me that he’s getting somewhere around 12-15K for the gig. But here’s the thing: I live in the same city as him—I can do that gig. And, I can promise their magazine more viewership and eyeballs since my following is actively engaged."
Charlie blanches. "You're really going to stop a Black queer man's bag?"
"He tried to stop mine when he mentioned me to his followers, I don't see you rushing to defend me," you say.
"Show me the video." You show him.
"OK, he didn't need to go that hard," Charlie says. You scowl. He continues, "I'm serious--that's not a callout. It's a 'call-in.'"
You narrow your eyes quizically, and he responds: "He's critiquing from a place of wanting you to do better with your platform."
"Oh, he wanna talk about platforms? you say outloud, almost derangedly. "I got his platform."
"Jordan, do not play with that man's bag," Charlie warns. "He's already struggling as it is! I know this Advocate money is going to be a big help for him."
[[Sabotage Lil Xanax->SabotageRival]]
[[Refuse to sabotage->RefuseSabotage]](set: $Ambition to $Ambition + 3)
(set: $CharlieTrust to $CharlieTrust - 2)
"Thank you and goodnight," you smile to the onslaught of applause as you wave to the audience.
You ruthlessly undermined Lil Xanax, securing the gig and the bag. Which is Teflar, in case you wanted to know. You hope Lil Xanax has a lil himself at home, because last time you saw him, he was crashing out online about how his past needs to stay in the past.
As you shake hands with the panel guests, the segment producer praises your "killer instinct." He offres to take you to dinner to meet the brand head. Full charm offensive, you accept the invitation. As the producer leaves, you look at the thinning audience and lock eyes with Charlie, who's apparently came to the show.
Your face falls. He is not smiling.
[[Face the fallout->Fallout]](set: $CharlieTrust to $CharlieTrust + 2)
(set: $Ambition to $Ambition - 1)
You decide against sabotage, trying to rise fairly. The opportunity passes, but your conscience is clear.
//What good is a clear conscious when I'm sitting on the curb like king of the bums?// you ask yourself.
Thanks to Charlie, you let a perfectly good opportunity that would have raised your national profile go. All you would have had to do was repost publicly available images and words.
He's taken you to dinner and it's nice, but you're not paying. You couldn't pay if you wanted. Half the check would proabably be a utility bill at this place.
Of course it would be the Senator's son who praises you for not being greedy while he lives in a three story mansion on a literal hill.
[[Face the fallout->Fallout]]Charlie confronts you about your recent behavior. Your choices so far weigh heavily on your relationship and career.
{A/N: This is a reflection section meant to give Player a chance to gain back some esteem from Charlie. Based on the choices, Player will deal with a Jordan who has made 0, 1, or 2 AMBITIOUS choices That determines what line of questioning they're presented with..
0. If Jordan Declined Exposure AND Refused Sabotage, make Charlie's dialogue not about taking action when confronted with those decisions, but about even being in those circumstances. Let them choose which situation to talk about:
[[Where was your head?->WhatWereYouThinking]]
2. If Jordan Exposed OR Sabotaged, then he gets these options:
[[Apologize but justify your actions->ApologizeToCharlie]]
[[Fully admit fault->AdmitFault]]
3. If Jordan Exposed AND Sabotaged, then he gets this option in addition to the others in #2:
[[Gaslight Charlie->GaslightCharlie]]
+ IF Jordan LIED to Charlie in the FIND OUT section, Charlie confronts Jordan and (after a Random Heads/Tails generator with weight based on more or less CharlieTrust) decides if he believes you and if he takes -1 CharlieTrust.
+ IF Jordan CONFESSED in the FIND OUT section, Charlie gives him +1 CharlieTrust.
+IF Jordan DEFLECTED in the FIND OUT section, Charlie leaves his feelings ambiguous, leading to a surprise +/- CharlieTrust to be decided at the end of the game.(set: $CharlieTrust to $CharlieTrust - 3)
(set: $Ambition to $Ambition + 3)
You insist Charlie is overreacting and misinterpreting your actions. He sees through you. Charlie’s trust in you shatters completely.
[[Final opportunity->FinalOpportunity]](set: $CharlieTrust to $CharlieTrust - 1)
(set: $Ambition to $Ambition + 1)
You apologize but justify your actions as necessary for your career. Charlie reluctantly accepts but grows distant.
Daily calls turn weekly. Calendars are more formalized. Random drop-ins are only as last resorts during emergencies.
[[Final opportunity->FinalOpportunity]](set: $CharlieTrust to $CharlieTrust + 2)
(set: $Ambition to $Ambition - 2)
You fully admit fault, expressing regret and asking for a chance to make things right. You vow to not do anything like that again. Charlie begins to forgive you, but it’s clear things won’t be the same. He sees you for who you are. BUT all you need is the time to make him see things your way.
[[Final opportunity->FinalOpportunity]]A major brand offers you a chance to become their new face. However, accepting the deal requires revealing a deeply personal secret about Charlie.
What will you do?
[[Accept the deal->AcceptDeal]]
[[Reject the deal->RejectDeal]]
[[Negotiate to minimize harm->NegotiateDeal]](set: $Ambition to $Ambition + 3)
(set: $CharlieTrust to $CharlieTrust - 3)
You reveal the secret and secure the deal. Fame skyrockets, but Charlie cuts all ties with you.
[[Calculate your fate->CalculateEnding]](set: $Ambition to $Ambition + 1)
(set: $CharlieTrust to $CharlieTrust - 1)
You manage to negotiate terms that reduce harm to Charlie while still taking the deal. It’s a fragile compromise—your career advances, but the trust with Charlie is shaky.
[[Calculate your fate->CalculateEnding]](set: $Ambition to $Ambition - 3)
(set: $CharlieTrust to $CharlieTrust + 3)
You turn down the deal, deciding Charlie’s friendship matters more. You peak far lower than you thought you would by this age. Charlie's holding you back from making the more strategic choices.
But your conscience is clear. The sound of Charlie's laughter filling the room must be worth it.
[[Calculate your fate->CalculateEnding]]Here are your results:
Ambition: (print: $Ambition)
Charlie Trust: (print: $CharlieTrust)
(if: $Ambition >= 6 and $CharlieTrust < 0)[[[Ending: Total Fame, Total Alienation->EndingFame]]]
(else-if: $Ambition >= 3 and $Ambition <= 5 or $CharlieTrust >= 0 and $CharlieTrust <= 3)[[[Ending: Fragile Compromise->EndingCompromise]]]
(else-if: $CharlieTrust > 3)[[[Ending: Moral Redemption->EndingRedemption]]]
You sit alone in a lavish penthouse, surrounded by wealth and accolades. Yet, there’s an emptiness as you realize you’ve lost the people who mattered most.
THE ENDYou and Charlie share a quiet moment, reflecting on your journey. Fame may come slowly, but you’ve kept what truly matters.
THE ENDYou attend a high-profile event, knowing your career is on the rise. Charlie’s presence is distant but not absent. The balance is bittersweet.
THE ENDYour ambition crumbled, and your actions left you without fame or friendship. Alone and forgotten, you reflect on what could have been.
THE END
[[Talk about the Exposure->TalkExposure]]
[[Talk about the Sabotage->TalkSabotage]]-Charlie: Why would it even be a question about exposing the Resource Center Scandal if you knew vulnerable people would be at risk?
>Jordan: Rueful- I made the wrong choice.
>Jordan: Be vulnerable- I'm afraid.
[[ExposureRueful]]
[[ExposureVulnerable]] -Charlie: Why would you even CONSIDER going so far as to sabotage someone's career over an ineffetual post that barely got that much attention?
>Jordan: Everybody's funny but it's a problem when I get hilarious. [[SabotageDismissive]]
>Jordan: I don't really know that I don't wish I could go back to that moment. [[SabotageDissociative]]
>Jordan: Honest- I was angry. [[SabotageHonest]]Jordan: I could have hit my first million followers by now.
(- 1 CharlieTrust). C fears your mindset.
[[Final opportunity->FinalOpportunity]]I can't be left behind in this world (+ 1 CharlieTrust). C cherishes your openness.
[[Good Heart->GoodHeart]]Charlie: "Thank you for being a friend. I am comfortable around you. I hope it can stay that way forever."
[[Final opportunity->FinalOpportunity]]Jordan: They start it and I finish it. I'm the problem??
(- CharlieTrust). Charlie thinks you're shady.
[[Final opportunity->FinalOpportunity]]Jordan: Not to necessarily make the opposite choice, but to give myself the chance to.
Charlie: If you had the opportunity to redo things, you would really not change your actions?
Jordan: I don't know.
(No CharlieTrust). Charlie is put off by your entertaining the potential economic violence.
[[Final opportunity->FinalOpportunity]]Jordan: His video was a direct attack on my brand. I'm glad you were there, because I would look crazy dominating and deplatforming a small creator like that.
(+ 1 CharlieTrust). Charlie thinks you are mature and responsible.
[[Good Heart->GoodHeart]]
