The Feast

**The Feast** was an event that occurred in Downtown Olathe that served as the final meeting of the Central Powers, who met to discuss the growing threat of the Infinity Franchise as well as rumors of a city and a girl leading people away from The Game.

## In-Game

### Introduction

The Feast begins once Alex Churchland and Joel Miller enter the Gambling Hall, enter the hall's kitchen, and attempt to exit. After leaving the kitchen, Alex and Joel are halted by Office Ottoman, a member of the Central Powers who questions Alex about his identity. The player is then given three options to choose from:

#### *"Alex."*

Ottoman will comment on the blandness of Alex's name, and the feast proceeds as normal.

#### *"Um, we live here."*

Ottoman believes the lie, assuming Alex is the host of the event. The feast proceeds as normal.

#### *"We were just leaving." \*leave\**

Ottoman will mistakenly believe he's late, and say that he will no longer carpool with Fringe Boy. Following this brief exchange, Alex and Joel leave the event before it begins, depriving them of the benefits which attending provides.

### The Main Event

After Ottoman's questioning, Lester Bean - the owner of downtown's cafeteria - arrives at the scene, inviting both Alex and Joel to take a seat at the table. Deciding to see the event through to the end, Alex and Joel take their seats at the end of the table, and Lester enters the kitchen to prepare food for the attendees of the feast.

One by one, more of the Central Powers begin entering the Gambling Hall. The eldest of the Powers, Fringe Boy, enters with a shout before messing with the TV and tuning in to a channel featuring a broadcast of Mortimer Gunhause and Roy Rube. Not long after, Zein Ka enters, having been beckoned by the serpentine sounds of the television static. He takes a seat next to Shef, who enters shortly after Zein. Long Leg Lenny and Tic-Tonic come in wordlessly as the television broadcast begins, and John Johnson makes his debut, showing off his King brand 14-karat solid gold tracksuit to the others. Once everyone is seated, the lights flicker. Food appears on the table, and the feast begins.

After being given a talk by John Johnson, Fringe Boy reluctantly assumes his responsibilities and instructs Office Ottoman to take roll. While doing so, Ottoman inquires with his fellow warlords, asking about Zein Ka's glaucoma and joking with Shef, causing canned laughter to play as a result of his *"funny curse"*. However, it is also revealed that two of the Central Powers - Silvester de Maistre and Jessie Mack - have abandoned The Game, with Jessie having defected to The Infinity Franchise much to the dismay of the remaining Central Powers.

Once Ottoman finishes taking roll, the Powers address the issue that necessitated their meeting: The Infinity Franchise. They blame the Franchise for assimilating their gang members and causing an outbreak of violence across Downtown. They also discuss the rumors of a better place that have been going around, as well as the issue of the possible existence of a girl. Long Leg Lenny chips in with news of a “*small man, telling lies about big things*”, luring their men away with promises of city life. With no one offering a solution, Alex suggests that the Central Powers abandon The Game as well and flee the Franchise. Shef questions if Alex is correct in his assertion but - following a bout of canned laughter - Fringe Boy promptly shoots the idea down. Lenny then announces he needs to make a phone call. Ottoman, confused, reminds Lenny that all of the phones Downtown had been destroyed.

The lights flicker again and reveal a grotesque scene. Long Leg Lenny has disappeared without a trace, and Shef has decapitated Zein Ka, cannibalizing his remains. Fringe Boy has snapped, now bashing John Johnson’s head in with a stool while Tic-Tonic watches in a cold sweat. Despite this, Ottoman, Alex, and Joel are seemingly unfazed by the violent shift of events. Alex reminisces about his family dinners with his aunts and great aunts. Ottoman asks Alex if any of them were attractive, which Joel chuckles at. Alex responds by saying they were *"so old, we were having funerals for them every other year."* Ottoman jokingly likens the funerals to *"a biennial holiday"*, to which Fringe Boy remarks *"No school! Hell yeah!"*, further cementing his childish persona.

Alex further reflects on the atypical passage of time throughout the world after the Flash, and contemplates the possibility of traveling to get back to what the world was like before the Flash ever happened. Fringe Boy rejects the idea, still believing that time still flows linearly, but not being able to put his idea into words. Ottoman is moved by Alex's ideas and ponders the notion of joining Alex and Joel, but Shef interjects, proclaiming: *"None of you are paying attention. Nowhere to go, but INFINITY*.”

With the canned laughter sounding once more, the lights flicker a final time. It is revealed that Tic-Tonic has self-detonated, having taken Fringe Boy's life in the process. Ottoman has been stabbed in the back by Shef, who himself choked on the flesh of Zein Ka after deciding to wear his Infinity Jersey like a scarf. After a quick remark by Alex, him and Joel promptly exit the Gambling Hall.

### Effects

Following the conclusion of the Feast, the Burgundy Threshold is triggered, resulting in several changes across Downtown. Two Empty Bottles can be found on the table within the Gambling Hall, and an infinitized Russel Bats can be seen outside the Hall next to the remains of his former gang members, including Raun Rawo. Additionally, the Tall Machine will be absent from the background. Several more members of the Mack Clan (Matty Mack, Wack Mack, Jack Mack and Mickey Mack) appear within Cherry Village. Maurice Falcon and a now infinitized William Double J. Palmer can be found in the Downtown Underground. Lastly, Kai Mok's corpse can be found at the Maroon Cliff right before the encounter with Arnold Shpitz.

Besides the threshold changes, attending the Feast will fully restore Alex and Joel's HP and SP and make Joel temporarily Drunk.

## Notes

1. ↑ If the player has visit Lester's cafeteria beforehand, he will recognize Alex and Joel and comment on the circumstances. If not, he will instead address the pair as *"fellow normal people"*.
2. ↑ If Alex and Joel have killed Jessie Mack prior to participating in the feast, Alex will mention it when Jessie's name is called during roll.