Pennywise's Neverland

Chapter twenty: Planning.

Finn stared at Georgie, his brow furrowed, disbelief evident in his eyes. "Gain his trust? You’re kidding."

Georgie shook his head, glancing between Finn and Sofia, feeling the weight of his plan expanding. “No, I'm not, it’s not like we have a lot of choices here,” he took a breath and exhaled. “Look, I know how it sounds and I swear I'm not just gonna jump into this. But you’re the one who said we needed a new perspective. And I’m the one he’s focused on right now. If we have no other options then we use that to find out what we need to know.”

Finn crossed his arms, his gaze hard. “It’s dangerous, Georgie. You’re talking about… getting close to him, letting him think he can use you.” He shook his head with a scoff. “A-and what if this is exactly what he wants and he doesn't tell you anything?”

Sofia, who had been listening quietly, spoke up, her voice gentle but certain. “I don't think it’s a bad idea. Pennywise… he can be niave when it comes to genuine trust. He kind of goes.. unresponsive if he thinks you're being ingenious. Maybe he’d be more open to tell him things if he thought Georgie was… on his side.” She looked at Georgie, nodding with a small frown. “But you have to believe it too—to some extent.”

Finn ran a hand over his face, frustration mixed with worry. “Well thats not gonna happen. Georgie cant just fake trust him, Pennywise will see right through it immediately. We can’t just wing this. You’ve got to have a plan.”

Georgie took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. “I know it’s a risk, but just a second ago, he told me the stuff I wanted to know after I.. we.. um.. hugged.”

Finn’s eyes widened. “You hugged—”

“For the information, yes.” Georgie stopped him firmly, the last thing they needed was any doubt between them. He pinched the bridge of his nose with a huff before continuing. “The point is, he's given me an opening to exploit. He craves my affection, I don't know why, but if I can give it to him, maybe he'll lose focus on our plans.

Finn frowned, clearly torn between his concern and the slight chance the plan offered. “Sheesh.. alright. But if we’re doing this, we're setting some ground rules.” He said, gathering them a bit closer as he whispered. “First, if he ever starts getting angry or suspicious, you pull back immediately. Don’t push your luck with him, hes not against hurting us, remember that. Second, I don’t care what he says, you keep yourself detached. Don’t let him pull you into his charm more than you have to.”

Georgie nodded, understanding the seriousness in Finn’s eyes. “I’ll be careful, I promise.”

Sofia leaned in, her voice soft but encouraging. “And maybe… maybe you could try to make him feel like he’s teaching you something? Like, compliment him when he shares stuff, like he’s showing you the world or something.” She paused, her cheeks coloring slightly. “Sometimes, when he’s proud of himself, he gets… more talkative.”

Georgie’s eyes brightened at her suggestion. “Yeah, I think you’re right,” he agreed. “And its not like I'm lying, I am interested in learning about this place so, it can't be hard to convince him my focus has shifted to him instead.”

“Right..” Finn exhaled, clearly still uneasy but resigned. “Just keep that perspective, Georgie. This is about learning his weaknesses, finding out if there’s any way he can slip up. Not about feeding into his obsession.”

Georgie gave a quick nod, meeting Finn’s gaze with determination. “I got it. Don't worry, i wont let you down, either of you.”

The three of them sat in silence for a moment, each processing the weight of the plan, the risks it carried. But even with the fear, there was a sense of resolve among them—a shared understanding that this was the best chance they had to unravel the truth and, possibly, escape Pennywise’s grasp.