Basically in terms of writting, it is a MacGuffin. It's something audience dont give a shit about, never asked for it, but is necesary to speed up the main plot, and that is considered 99% of the time bad and lazy writting (sometimes is genious tbf).
The masquerade cult is a very bad MacGuffin. We don't care about it. We didn't asked for it. It moves us away from the main hooks (at this point mainly the kids but I hope more good ones to come). If it ends up with a simple visit, we dont care. Most of us wish we could simply jump over it.
We don't know why that place is special. We don't know why Susan decided to go. We don't know what Susan really thinks and feels about it appart from swallow comments. Susan didn't earned the right to assist. "A random girl in a random store invites another random woman with an important age gap that she just met and knows NOTHING about her, to the most exclusive and dangerous but lustful place on earth", are you kidding?
Come on! cut the shit, go back to the story! Don't incite him to keep with that bullshit, make him a favor and don't clap on that! Don't be a yes-sayer, dont bow to shit! This guy can write some interesting shit with the kids and the neighbours, dont comply to that weird shit. This novel was promising, dont fuck it up.
Anyways, I'm moving. Hope the author realises that this direction is not welcomed by part of his audience, and if forced, it passes several red lines pushing people out.
