The Aftons and Emilies React to Game Theory

Gathering the Watch Party

William parked his car, retrieved the box, and started toward the door. The sun was in the near center of the sky, as it was just an hour past noon. William wondered why that Hermit had appeared so early in the day. Why could it not have been around the closing hour?
He sighed frustratedly as he struggled to reach for his keys without dropping the metal box. When he finally unlocked the door and opened it, he was met with screams coming from the television. He was unfazed by it. He knew what was happening.
Sure enough, Michael was smiling while watching a VHS of the 1978 Halloween film with his siblings. Elizabeth had her head turned and Evan hid his face in his Fredbear plush.
"Michael, why are you letting them watch this rubbish?" William put down the box and ejected the tape.
"Aw, c'mon!" Michael protested. "I was watching that! It's not my fault they can't handle it, Father!"
William groaned and rubbed his face. "You are the reason I drink," he muttered under his breath.
"You know, I can hear you."
"Just...don't let them watch those brutal films with you again. Can you do that?"
"I'll try," Michael mumbled, rolling his eyes.
"Where's your mother, by the way?"
Without a word, Michael half-heartedly raised his hand and pointed to the kitchen.
Nodding, he went to the kitchen to find his wife, Clara, preparing to cook dinner. She was beautiful, although I will not elaborate on how beautiful she was. We have not the time nor inclination to describe that. However, I must say, William often questioned why she chose him among all the other young men of her day.
Looking for a dish rag, she turned and saw him. She smiled sweetly at him. "You're home early."
He smiled back. "We had an incident and had to close."
"Aw. I'm sorry, honey," Clara said as she approached him. "What happened?"
"Ah, that mad hermit who thinks himself more intelligent than most paid us a visit."
Clara sighed. "Him? Was anybody hurt?"
"No. It happened not long after the diner had opened. We called the police and they escorted him out in handcuffs." William smiled down at his wife at that last part.
Silence passed and William stared into Clara's emerald eyes. "What?" Clara asked, smiling.
"You look beautiful, darling."
"No hinting, William," Clara smirked.
"Why not?"
"Because we have a visitor," Clara said as she pointed to the floor next to him. Sure enough, there stood Evan looking up at him, holding his Fredbear plush close.
"Hi, Daddy..."
William reached down and ruffled his hair. "Hello, Evan. How was your day?"
As Evan told his father about his day, Clara noticed someone parking their vehicle just outside. "Who is that?" she wondered out loud.
"Oh, yeah. I forgot. Henry and his daughter are coming over today."
Clara glared at him. "Why am I just now hearing about it?"
"I figured you wouldn't mind. You love having him over, anyway."
"I do when I receive a warning first!"
William laughed as he walked toward the door. "It'll be fine."
"I don't know why I married that man," Clara muttered.
William opened the door just as Henry and his daughter, Charlotte (or Charlie, as he called her) reached the porch.
"Hey, Will."
"Henry." William held the door open for them. Immediately, Henry was greeted with "Uncle Henry!" Elizabeth ran up to him and hugged him. Evan ran to Charlotte and they hugged as well before running toward his room. The two had been close for a few years, like brother and sister. Michael just remained seated on the couch, excluded from everyone.
"Hello, Henry," Clara greeted. "I was just now informed that we were entertaining visitors."
"That's okay, Clara," Henry replied. "Don't stress yourself."
"Do be careful, Henry," Clara said. "She's been running a mild fever." She was of course referring to Elizabeth.
"Really?" Henry said, amused. "And how do you know?"
"She felt Liz's head and it was warm," William answered and shrugged.
"And it doesn't have anything to do with a warm rag to make you think she's sick?" Henry was grinning as he told them this. "Charlie tries the same thing with me when she doesn't want to go to school."
"I wanted to send her to school, but she insisted we keep her home."
"Sure, blame the wife." Clara laughed.
"So, Will, you have the tapes?"
"I nearly forgot about those," William snickered as he went to the metal box now sitting next to the television, on the floor.
"What tapes?" Clara asked.
As William bent over to retrieve the tapes, he said, "I meant to tell you. That hermit that I said caused us to close for the day left us tapes."
All four tapes in hand, he turned to meet Clara again. She glared at him.
"And you decided to watch them?" she hissed.
"Why not? Sweetheart, we were curious. We couldn't very well leave it alone, could we?"
"You certainly are a pair, aren't you?"
"I don't know. He hasn't proposed yet," Henry laughed. Disgusted, Clara turned back toward the kitchen.
"Oh, shut up and grow up," William said to Henry before following his wife. "Darling!"
"Watch it without me!" Clara said. "I'll be preparing dinner. Apparently for seven."
William turned back toward Henry.
"Well, Will. We came this far. We might as well watch them."
William smiled some. "Might as well..."
"What's going on?" Charlotte asked while walking toward them, Evan tailing behind her, holding his Fredbear plush tightly.
"Yeah, we h-heard some yelling," he said shyly.
Henry knelt to meet them. "It's nothing. We are about to watch some tapes we found. How would you two like to join us?"
"Yes!" Charlotte exclaimed. Evan just smiled, happy to be included.
Henry turned to Elizabeth and started to speak, but he knew that she would join them regardless. He stood and turned to Michael, who was still sitting on the couch staring at the blank television screen.
"What about you, Mike? You in on this?"
Michael shrugged. "Why not? It's not like there's anything better to do."
"Well, Will?" Henry said, turning to William. "Put the first tape in. Let's see what this guy wanted us to see."