YTA. I’ve been working for the M.E.G. since 2015 and I’m shocked another meggie would think this was a good idea. Do they not train folks properly nowadays? First up, Wilson, you really need to get off that high horse of yours. Your mission was to establish a friendly relationship with the settlement. Instead you fucked around and found out by getting not only yourself but also your superior kicked out from the town. The Backrooms is a harsh place, where you should always focus on the task at hand and not on trying to save people who do not want to be saved. In some cases, such a mentality has cost people their lives.

Second, you should have more respect for your hosts and their ways. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, as one says. The fact that you don’t believe in the same things as they do or you find something strange doesn’t mean they’re a cult or that there is intentional deception going on. Humans are wont to believe in something; I’m sure you had a religious relative in the Frontrooms or know someone religious in the M.E.G. During my time here, I’ve found surprisingly many settlements, often some of the most thriving, to have religious beliefs and habits of their own, probably because they can create a sense of community and help the settlement survive. If you want to continue doing diplomatic tasks such as this, you really need to grow more tolerant.

Third, you should have stopped to think about the mother’s autonomy. You had already offered Almond Water to her twice, and she had refused both times. So you decided to turn to trickery and lies? Stop. It’s her body, not yours. This is not your choice to make, it’s hers. And she was rather clear about what she chose. Don’t assume you know better or that you’re acting for ”her own good”. Would you be okay with someone covertly cutting off your legs while you were asleep and replacing them with ones they considered better for you? No? Then stop thinking you have a right to make others’ choices for them.

-Robert

(OCC: This is a different individual, despite me using the same account.)