In the meantime, the Dark Rizzards had arrived at the next point of the star and were now planning to make a personal delivery to their next target, Clive, as well as hopefully to pickup the next piece of the EVP Blue-Print.
They didn't have a lot of intel on Clive though - except that he was noted as a "Cold Killer" on the files they had scrounged up way back from Chapter 10 and from the website ARSES-R-US.
This 'Convenience' store was a little different - whilst Jon's joint was a traditional 7-Evans Store, Clive seemed to cater for clientele that preferred clothing and pharmaceuticals.
A bell jingled as they entered.
"Clive… is that you?"
___
Clive turned around, as his cut-scene began.
Clive was in fact, like almost everyone in this novel whose name wasn't Jon (although Jon was also extraordinary in his own way) not exactly normal...
Ok fine, so he was also crazy in his own way. And in his case, he, especially, was someone who sought micro-management, aspiring to achieve his own brand of optimisation and perfection in life.
You see, when he was young, he once caught a cold, felt quite cold from the chills, and became considerably conflicted about it.
"Well. This... is... unpleasant." He grimaced to himself.
He despised that feeling, of weakness, of shivering, of these... irrational, displeasing sensations coursing through him, and after recovering, putting on clothes, and calming down, he resolved that he would never feel cold, catch a cold, or be swayed by his emotions ever again if he could help it!
As a result, he spit, swore, and specialized in pharmacology, psychology, and puffer-jackets, getting his flu shots religiously, practicing a regime of emotional regulation, and wearing of thermal, temperature-regulating clothing at all times.
He also became a ruthless killer, learning to control, curb and channel his emotions - as well as other people - so that he wouldn't get upset about things as easily...
As you might expect being a veteran grandmaster of this novel, it was indeed usually humans, that's right, *other people*, that could potentially upset him.
At the beginning, he had chosen to ignore them - these upsetting influences in his life. But that seemed to only temporarily solve the problem. Time and time again, other people would do things that would push his buttons, and then he would be inclined to get upset!!!
But then one day, he realised.
Of course. He could just kill them - and hey presto, the problem was solved once and for all - once the people who had upset him were dead, he realised that - not only was he no longer upset - but the threat had been neutralised - in fact, they could no longer upset him ever again!!!
Armed with this profound insight, the fog was lifted, his path and purpose in life was made clear - and Clive the Cold Killer... was created...