A Study in Tabitha Scarlet

a fateful encounter....

I really understood this when my grandma, who basically refused to do any optional talking with characters, played. Stella, Kaneeka, Dr. Kelly, Sybil, Reese, Tabitha, Duke, Bo, and even Oscar were basically forced onto her. But by the time she got to chapter 5 she had seen Avery once. One time. And it could barely even be considered an interaction.

It is complete night and day from my playthrough where I took basically every chance to bring Avery along. There were entire scenes in my grandma's playthrough that were missing a character from mine. And yeah, some of that is explainable by my need to ask every character questions, but most of it is that I did get interested by Avery quickly. Otherwise, I could have easily not noticed them

And this isn’t a criticism of Avery as a character. You know the phrase "show don't tell." I think in video game landscapes there is a third way video games can make a point. "Play, don't tell." Video games can easily put the player themselves into the thoughts and experiences of the characters, and I think Avery works as a great example of this. They are in a town where very few people care to get to know them, and the game makes you feel this by making them an optional encounter. They blend into the background, you don't need to talk to them, they are just that waiter. Only when you go out of your way do you realize they are a fully fleshed individual. And if you don't, the only point they matter is their lowest point.