Would Tad Join Cult?

I definitely noticed Mr. Smiley, who was one of the people I thought might have called Tad on Thursday, taking a special notice in Tad as soon as he spoke to Ursula to order combos. I clocked him. Me. Fin. I had to roll to see if Tad clocked him. And he did. If there's anything a nat 20 is good for, it's noticing the psychopath even your potentially sociopathic fixation don't yuck with taking notice of you. Of course, Tad doesn't know who he is. And he hasn't connected the man at the food stall with the man on the phone. Yet. 

Tad is probably more anti-cult than he is anti-gang. Why? Well, that's a lore thing, isn't it. Just know that the only charismatic leader Tad would ever follow without question is his own father who, luckily, didn't have the mental capacity to run a farm, let alone a cult. Though I suppose his grandma could have shadow led one. Her son's charisma and her know-how? Why not? 

That said, following without question and successfully being brainwashed to fall in line with a particular philosophy are two different things. Will Tad join a mass murdering cult leader? 

I can't answer that. Depends on the rolls.

I'm just...unsure why Tessa would sic Mr. Smiley on Tad. This is where I don't have info. Don't answer these questions for me. Did Tessa make up with Kenneth at some point? I feel like it's more likely that Tessa and Tad because best friends forever than Tessa asking Kenneth for any favors. Did Tad scare her enough that she's swallowing her hatred and asking him (or maybe Ursula?) for help? I really have trouble believing that Tad could scare her enough that she turns to the one person who might be able to guarantee he turns into an SK if he isn't one already.

So the "nip it in the bud" line (the video will be up within the next 24 hours). I will tell you that Tad had two thoughts at that moment. 1) I'm already trying. 2) Wait. Why? Is there something you get out of me giving up on that friendship? 

Smiley may have successfully made Tad MORE determined to befriend Tessa. Not less.

The second thought only appeared because the caller was very interested in whether or not Tad had a group of friends. Just an FYI for y'all, dear audience, it's much easier to recruit people into a cult when they are lonely and disillusioned by humanity. The main thing that Tad has going for him is that, though he's in LS to learn to make friends, he is not desperately lonely. He's just impatiently lonely. Though he feels like a lot of people are wary of him for very little reason right now, he is unlikely to allow himself to become his own father just because some dangerous guy with a cool voice smooth talks him over a phone.

He won't go down to those depths without a lot of head trauma. And even then, depends on the dice.