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 You all got what you wanted for Christmas, unless it was your real parents. Still, Marcus Young's gifts are extravagant, and he never asks questions like "Are you excited to go back to school?" He's in Prague now. It's Monday, January 5th, 2015. A light dusting of snow falls over the Young estate as you all return to classes at the New Salem School. As you take your seats in homeroom, you realize that Mr. de Luna has given up on trying to combine the hokey class materials from three different language classes, and has redecorated his classroom with clippings and photographs from all over Europe. Do well, they seem to say, and you can go anywhere in the world. But at the moment, your world is focusing in on who thinks what about who. De Luna, for his part, seems resigned to this and doesn't spare so much as a "Welcome back" as he digs further into his copy of Le Monde. The Cast Alex the Ghost, OldKentuckyShark Jackie the Chosen, Jolinaxas Toby the Mortal, inklesspen Victoria the Queen, PlatonicSolid Violet the Infernal , SuddenConsequences Zachary the Werewolf, Heliotrope The Homeroom  The Ties that Bind The Rules 1. Don't quote previous posts. Please put OOC stuff in italics, but use regular text otherwise. 2. Use orokos.com for rolling dice. 3. Make an OOC note of it when you mark XP, and especially when you buy an advance! Remember to edit your playbook. 4. At least once per page, please put your stats, harm, XP, any Conditions, and location in your post. Here is a good example of how to do it. SuddenConsequences very graciously made these excellent nameplates. 5. We hang out in #stwendy on SynIRC if that's your thing. 6. Post! The Advice Monsterhearts is a fiction-first game. Combined with the fact that this is PBP, you will have a lot of player agency--feel free to establish scene details, narrate trivial discussions with NPCs, change location, etc. within reason. Feel free to initiate your own Moves as long as you following the "to do it, do it" principle. (And likewise, per the rules, I will call on you to make Moves based on the fiction, and to justify using Moves and Conditions with fiction if you haven't already.) When the game calls for you to say what happens, go for broke. When it's my turn, wait for me. The game is a conversation, and it's not a disaster to have to say "Wait, back up..." Feel free to interact with each other without my intervention. Keep It Feral! Monsterhearts is a game about teenage monsters. When it's your turn to establish your characters and the world, resist the urge to make things normal, safe, stable, and fair. Give in to the urge to be selfish, immature, vulnerable, and downright lovely at times. The more you pull your punches, the less I will. Go outside your comfort zone while staying within your boundaries; I'm always available in the OOC thread and by PM for any concerns. Now, go break hearts and get your heart broken. Class, take your seats!  Victoria, you didn't even have a chance to meet up with your girls before homeroom. Karen got a horse for Christmas, so she was incommunicado. But Susan Kimball did see her over the break. What's she telling you this morning? Violet, you haven't even taken your coat off yet, but Dave Saunders is already asking you for a favour and making with the sad puppy-dog eyes. What the gently caress does he want? Alex, Laura Malcolms likes your new outfit. She wants to know how your Christmas was. Actually, it's really obvious she just wants to talk to you. What do you have to say to her? Jackie, Eddie Greene is picking on Hiral. At first, he was just staring at him, making it obvious, never speaking. Now he keeps poking him in the shoulder and asking if they have Christmas wherever he's "really" from. Do you give a poo poo? Zachary, Stacy Richardson came back from break with a serious case of cabin fever. It's bad enough that Ester keeps asking you about your, uh, living situation, but now Stacy wants to take you to Fortress with her friends! It's your fault for buying that leather jacket. What do you think of that? Toby, Carla McDonald is up to her old tricks again. Hiral told you about a rumour she spread about you right before you all went on break. Now it's had time to percolate. What was it? As for Carla, Leon's whispering something in her ear, and she's giggling just a little too loud.
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Jan 8, 2015 04:51
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 Hot 0 | Cold -1 | Volatile 1 | Dark 1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 0/5 | Conditions: Location: Homeroom As much as I loathe to admit it, I was actually looking forward to going back after Christmas break. Well, not to class so much, but I looked forward to making people flinch just walking down the hall in my kickass new leather jacket. People like Dave Saunders who, for some reason, has decided to ring in the new year by making a mistake and bugging me before I even make it to my seat. I wouldn't even let that stop me, but he decides to really step into it. "H-hey Violent--I mean Violet." he quickly corrects himself and I can hear Laura snort out a laugh. Fantastic. I take a deep breath, mostly for show, and turn back around to him. "What was that, dweeb!" I snap, tossing my backpack towards my desk where it lands with a thud. "Sorry! Sorry, I didn't... I just..." He looks like he got derailed from a carefully planned out script but to my surprise he then visibly pulls himself together. He still looks kinda pathetic and wimpy but he's owning it. Kind of. "I know you're failing Math and I can help you but you have to do something for me!" he bursts out rapidfire. I'm already mentally preparing myself for having to beat this kid up after school for reminding everybody within earshot that my grades are terrible but he's not done yet. "I'll do your math homework for a month and text you answers during the next test, I'm always done early anyway and Mr. Harris doesn't pay any attention to me." I blink at the pathetic wimp who just offered to help me cheat. "What?" "I'll help you pass Math. I'd help you study but I figured you wouldn't really care for that..." "You got that right. So what's in it for you." "Well... You hang out with Jackie sometimes, right? And you live together at the mansion?" he says, glancing over to where Jackie's sitting and I'm starting to get the picture. "Are you kidding me!?" I burst out laughing. "You manage to scrounge together enough balls to bother me but you're scared to talk to Blondie?" I ask, slamming my hands down on his desk and making him flinch. "And what's keeping me from just making you do my homework anyway?" He doesn't really have an answer for that and just stares at me with a quivering lip. Maybe I should beat the math homework out of him, make sure everyone knows I'm scarier than Jackie...
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Jan 8, 2015 07:32
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 Hot 1 | Cold -1 | Volatile 2 | Dark -1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 0/5 | Conditions: Location: Homeroom Sitting down, the first thing that happens is Ester Lindberg poking me in the back and somewhat loudly going "Psst! Hey! Hey! Zach!" I turn around. "Hello Ester. What is it?" She looks at me, eyes shining with curiosity. "Soooo, what was your Christmas like?" We talk about it for a bit, and she tries to get as much detail as possible. She asks about what I did during the break, what everyone else did during the break, what the house is like during Christmas, who got what gifts, where Mr. Young is now, all sorts of things. I try and answer what I can, but man is she persistent. And then Stacy Richardson leans in and saves me. "Hey Ester, just gonna borrow Zach for a moment here." I give Ester a shrug, and turn to Stacy. Thank you Stacy! "What's up?" "Some friends and I are going to check out that awesome new club that opened up - you know, Fortress? You should totally come, it's gonna be great!" Dang it Stacy. That noise wasn't too bad, but an entire night of having to hear it? And trying to focus on actually talking to people with it going on? "Oh! Uh, well, I dunno..." I see she looks disappointed. "I mean, it's just that clubs aren't my thing, you know? I'd love to hang out elsewhere though." "Come on Zach, don't be a downer! Just try it out, I hear it's incredible! Maybe you'll like it! Live a little!" Man, getting out of this is going to be hard. "Hmmm...well, I'll think about it." But I can see she's not going to take no for an answer.
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Jan 8, 2015 19:49
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 Playbook Hot 2 | Cold -1 | Volatile -1 | Dark 1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 1/5 | Conditions: Location: Homeroom I'm just relaxing into my seat when I hear the telltale laugh of Carla McDonald with some juicy gossip. She always laughs too loudly, practically begging for someone to ask her what's so funny; that way she has an "excuse". When she realized she wasn't getting any traction over "Toby and Violet were making out", she turned to "Violet's only dating Toby because she had to promise Mr. Young she wouldn't risk getting pregnant under his roof." I don't know what the hell she thought she was doing with that one; from what Hiral told me she was sharing the "secret" with anyone who would listen, but it wasn't spreading any further from there. I turn and see Leon leaning forward, whispering something I can't hear; all I know is if Carla's making that laugh, it's probably trouble. I glare at her. "Hey Carla, maybe laugh a little louder so Violet can hear you? I bet she'd love to hear what you're up to." Shut Carla Down: 2d6+1 13 Using Violet's name as a threat, so she gets another string on Toby per the move. Carla gains the condition dead meat. Marking experience for using a highlighted stat. inklesspen fucked around with this message at 23:42 on Jan 8, 2015 |
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Jan 8, 2015 23:37
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 Hot 1 | Cold 0 | Volatile 1 | Dark -1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 0/5 | Conditions: Location: Homeroom Playbook Brutal honesty time: whatever unfortunate poo poo is happening to Hiral, I usually have bigger things to worry about. He's apparently a nice guy - the word around the house is that he took a bunch of people to an amusement park for Toby's birthday. Didn't invite me, but whatever. Things would have gotten awkward at the water park anyway. But Eddie's... an anomaly. I don't know what his deal is, and he -clearly- has one. Maybe I can goad him a little, put him off-balance. Make him make a mistake. I crane forward and tap him on the shoulder. "What's wrong, Eddie? Didn't get the cute lil' pony you wanted, or some poo poo? Lay off of him." Shut Someone Down: 2d6 7 Giving him the condition Bully, and awaiting one in return.
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Jan 9, 2015 01:29
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 Playbook Hot -1 | Cold 1 | Volatile -1 | Dark 2 Harm 0/4 | Experience 0/5 | Conditions: Location: Homeroom "I love your boots," Laura Malcolms says, sounding truly envious. I had to admit, I was glad to get back to class. That's so weird, right? Well, there were reasons. This was one of them. "I know," I gushed, scuffing the heel of my new Doc Marten's. They were real poo poo-kickers; triple-strapped lady's calf-cut black leather, already distressed. Badass, but in a feminine way. "They were a present from Mr Young. They look like he picked them up in a thrift store. The best!" "Mr. Young got you presents?" Laura asks me. She's wearing more makeup than usual today; maybe she got makeup for Christmas? or maybe her parents made her take it off while she was gone, and now she's making up for it. "Well, yeah," I say. "I mean, I guess it's because my parents didn't." I hang my head a little, sort of half-faking grief. I told Laura my parents were dead, but actually, I don't know if they are or not. I could look it up, but, honestly, I'm afraid to find out. If they're alive, they're twenty years older than they were when I last saw them, with a dead daughter. I can't deal with that. So instead, I tell her how my holidays went. I told her how I stayed with Mr. Young; about how it wasn't as boring as you'd think, because he has a lot of wards: "Only they're all kind of standoffish and weird, or intimidating, or both. But we still had fun. Well, I mostly watched other people having fun, like Victoria and her friends. But in a fun way!" "Even Violet?" She asks. "Oh yeah," I say. "She's great. She let me hang out with her. Well, around her. In her vicinity, anyway. She's pretty cool. I told her I liked her new jacket, and she smiled." I'm pretty sure she wasn't just baring her teeth. "So how was your Christmas?" I ask her, changing the subject. Then I slap my forehead. "Sorry, I meant Hanukkah." Cultural sensitivity is very important. "Sorry."
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Jan 9, 2015 02:02
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 Hot 2 | Cold 1 | Volatile -1 | Dark -1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 0/5 | Conditions: Location: Homeroom "Oh. Wow," Susan says. "Huh?" I asked. I barely even saw Susan there, I was all focused on surreptitiously getting in a quick text before Mr. de Luna notices. "Zephyr." Susan replies. "What?" I answer, squinting. I drop my bag next to my chair and slides in, executing a perfect leg cross, like always. Susan gets her look, the 'You've just grown antennae from your head' look. "Karen's horse! That's her name, Zephyr," Susan says, turning in her chair to look at me straight-on. "I went out to see her over break...Karen and Zephyr both. She's amazing." "Don't I know it," I mutter. It only gives Susan a moment's pause, until she continues. "We spent days just going out into the hills just riding. It wasn't that cold and we stayed warm." If I didn't know Susan I'd think she were actively entendre-ing. As it is...well, maybe it's her subconscious. "So where was she this morning?" I ask. Susan shrugs. "Great. If you see her tell her to call me." Have to remember Karen who's in charge. And Susan. I'd probably chat more with Susan, if Carla didn't distract me. Carla. What the gently caress is her deal? Lately she's been pushing this whole Violet/Toby thing, which is true, just...meh? Toby's I barely know, Violet's managable, not a cog or anything. So what, Carla's jealous? Just doesn't scan. I shush Susan and lean in a bit to listen.
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Jan 9, 2015 03:51
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Eddie Greene is an ugly human being. Slope-shouldered, with a square granite face that never looks more stony than when it's contorted into a sneer. He twists around in his desk to face Jackie, and the nails-on-chalkboard screech gives Carla the excuse she needs to look away from Toby and lick her wounds in silence. "I godda normal family. The gently caress do you care, chickensheeyit?" With a lazy drawl and a flat, nasal drone, Eddie's voice is pure mountain music from the armpit of Appalachia. "Is there some kinda weirdo code I don't know about? Let him live with you, he can ride the special bus with you in the morning." His gaze falters a bit when he realizes he's staring past Jackie at Susan and Victoria, and maybe he's put his foot in it. Jackie gains the Condition Freak. Shocked by the noise, Stacy says "Thursday" and then clams up, motioning to Zachary that she'll text him the info. He barely settles back into his desk before Ester "whispers" in his ear loud enough to make him jump out of his skin. "You're going to Fortress? That is sooo crazy! Laura's cousin or something is gonna get you in." Speaking of Laura, the back of the classroom is quieter but no less heated. She giggles when Alex mentions Hannukah, and drapes an arm over her desk. "Hannukah was okay. Actually, on Christmas I saw Mockingjay and Dad took us to Lemaire, so that wasn't bad either." She's trying to relax, and almost pulls it off until you can actually hear her clear her throat. "Actually, if you're not still busy, Stacy's taking us to Fortress on Thursday. You can bring Violet if you want." Her black-rimmed eyes widen a little and her elbows and shoulders tense into a funny little hands-up gesture. "I mean, or just you can come with me. And Stacy, just yourself. That's cool too. Great, even. Fortress is a club." Laura offers Alex an XP to take her out. Meanwhile, Dave isn't even talking to the girl he wants to talk to. He's talking to the girl he wants to talk to the girl he wants to talk to, and--well, the point is he's loving it up, and looks like he could sink into the floor. Against all odds, Freddy Miller is his saving grace when he pokes Violet repeatedly in the shoulder with the eraser end of his pencil. "Hey, if you don't need his help, I sure do. I'll talk to Blondie for him if you're scared." Halloween Jack fucked around with this message at 06:59 on Jan 9, 2015 |
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Jan 9, 2015 06:53
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Hot 1 | Cold -1 | Volatile 2 | Dark -1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 0/5 | Conditions: Location: Homeroom When Ester mentions Laura, I take a look over at her. She and Alex are talking together - hey wait, Alex! Maybe she'd be able to hear the same thing, or even heard it if she already checked it out like I did. Of course, ever since that time she freaked out and vanished we haven't spoken. Have to figure out a way to talk to her. I turn to Ester. "You ever been there yourself?" This might take a while to listen to if she's going to talk about everything she's heard on Fortress.
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Jan 9, 2015 18:43
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Playbook Hot -1 | Cold 1 | Volatile -1 | Dark 2 Harm 0/4 | Experience 1/5 | Conditions: Location: Homeroom Marked XP I swallow and lean back, one hand going up to touch my face. Laura was asking...? On reflex I hunch my shoulders and look around, to see if their were any witnesses. Stupid! I catch Zach's eye, and he stares at me. He knows! I hunch back down in my seat, swallowing. Laura is staring at me. Her face is red. Does mine look like that? Probably worse, with all these freckles. "Yeah," I say, startling myself. "Definitely." When did my mouth develop a brain of its own? My hands are making little gestures, like butterflies, which is how my stomach feels. Act cool, dipshit. People will stare. "I mean, I've heard of the Fortress; it's supposed to be real cool. We should definitely go. You and me... and, and Stacy. Together. It'll be fun!"
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Jan 9, 2015 23:53
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Hot 0 | Cold -1 | Volatile 1 | Dark 1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 0/5 | Conditions: Location: Homeroom "Shut the gently caress up, Freddy!" I snap maybe a bit too harshly, slapping the pencil out of his hand and sending it skittering across the floor. "Fine, I'll ask her. But don't blame me if she bursts out laughing. Or I guess you can then turn to Freddy to see if he and his friends will browbeat a date out of her for you." I probably shouldn't be pushing Freddy this much on the first day back at school and risk a run in with his buddies but the idea of Jackie tossing him around is too amusing not to burst out with that.
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Jan 10, 2015 00:32
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Eddie's certainly got his obnoxious on this morning. What's torquing him? I look back at him, narrowing my eyes just slightly, a warning that, whatever he's up to, he'd better keep me out of it. I have no patience for his poo poo right now. "Fortress?" Susan asks, overhearing Stacy and Zach. "New club," I tell her. "Went right before new years. Pretty good," she says. "For around here." I'd say more, but Violet...holy poo poo. Is everybody amped up today except me? "What's up your rear end, Vi?" I ask in my sweetest tone.
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Jan 10, 2015 03:51
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Hot 1 | Cold 0 | Volatile 1 | Dark -1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 1/5 | Conditions: Location: Homeroom Playbook I meet Eddie's gaze, trying to figure out what gears are turning in that pea-sized brain of his, if any. Why does he wonder off after class, and mess with people while he's there? Is he involved with that strange incident the other day? With Brody? Gaze Into the Abyss: 2d6-1 9 Asked about this in IRC, but haven't gotten an answer. If I can use Bully against him or spend my string, then I'll have lucid visions and carry 1 forward to whatever I gotta do. If not, I'll take crazy visions. Marking XP.
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Jan 10, 2015 04:11
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Eddie revolves back toward the front of the class in a deliberately slow gesture. He tries to play it cool, but it's obvious that he doesn't want to look Jackie or Victoria in the eye. Zach, likewise, shouldn't have turned around far enough to exchange glances with Alex...it only makes it easier for Ester to lean right up against him and continue "whispering." He feels a tiny fleck of spittle against his ear. "What? No, I'd never go to Fortress. I mean, not alone." Laura is still blushing all the way through every bit of makeup she's got, but seems more than satisfied. Thrilled, even. "Cool," she says through her clasped hands. "We'll meet up after school." Dave Saunders, on the other hand, doesn't know whether to poo poo or wind his watch. He manages to blurt out a quavering "Really? Thanks," at Violet's gesture of, uh, tactical cooperation. Freddy, already on the verge of cracking up, is unfazed. He settles back and chuckles through a poo poo-eating grin. Jackie, you can use your Strings to gaze into the abyss concerning someone, but it isn't a momentary reading-a-situation move. You have to spend some time really introspecting, researching, outright stalking, etc. which you probably can't do here. In this case, I'll let you keep the result, but you don't get your answers until you actually have the time to dig them up. Freddy drops the act when the alarm goes off. A fire alarm on the first day back? Either something's really on fire, or some joker pulled it. Either way, this is not a drill. The alarm isn't so loud that Toby can't hear a disgusted groan from Mr. De Luna. "All right, class, you know what to do," he says, pulling on his blazer in no particular hurry. "Hey! Hey!" he calls at Hiral, who is making for the door ahead of the rest of the class. "Okay, in case you've forgotten, we go as a group. Line up single file outside the South exit." With that, the lot of you disperse into the hallway and join the shuffling, chattering mass of the student body. Jackie notices that Eddie slips away from the rest of the class at the first opportunity. Halloween Jack fucked around with this message at 05:23 on Jan 10, 2015 |
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Jan 10, 2015 05:12
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Hot 0 | Cold -1 | Volatile 1 | Dark 1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 0/5 | Conditions: Location: Homeroom I'm about to shout Dave's question for Jackie across the whole class when the loving fire alarm cuts me off. Now the whole thing won't be nearly as funny when there's no audience for Jackie's reaction. But with everyone heading outside maybe there's still a chance to salvage this! Plus it's time not spend sitting around in class, so my frown quickly turns into a grin as everybody files out of the room. I make sure to keep track of Jackie so I don't lose her in the crowd when I notice she's not really paying attention to the whole evacuating thing and her eyes are instead following Eddie the creep. I shoulder my way past a couple of people until I'm next to her. "Hey, what's up with creepballs ducking out?"
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Jan 10, 2015 05:23
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Hot 1 | Cold 0 | Volatile 1 | Dark -1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 1/5 | Conditions: Location: Homeroom Playbook Ah, Violet. I knew she'd be interested in this - especially after Eddie's strange behavior in homeroom. "I don't know, but this is the first time he's left before homeroom even ends. Usually he scurries away afterward... I think I'm going to follow him. Something's really sketchy here. You up for it?"
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Jan 10, 2015 05:28
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Hot 0 | Cold -1 | Volatile 1 | Dark 1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 0/5 | Conditions: Location: Homeroom "Hells yeah. Let's see what he gets up to skulking around." I punch my open hand for emphasis. If Jackie's on to something things usually get pretty entertaining.
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Jan 10, 2015 05:32
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Hot 1 | Cold -1 | Volatile 2 | Dark -1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 0/5 | Conditions: Location: Homeroom Ew. Gross, Ester. Luckily, when the fire alarm goes off I'm able to wipe out my ear as she looks up in surprise. As we all go out into the hall, I scan around for Alex. Ah, there she is! I try and move past the other students as quickly but carefully as possible. Don't want it to look like I'm charging at her. Once I reach Alex, I lean over and whisper "Hey, I think we need to talk. Let's do so outside." Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Violet and Jackie having their own conversation. What are those two up to?
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Jan 10, 2015 06:03
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Playbook Hot -1 | Cold 1 | Volatile -1 | Dark 2 Harm 0/4 | Experience 1/5 | Conditions: Location: Hallway Wow. I wonder if Violet will let me borrow some of her clothes to wear to Fortress... At first I don't know if the ringing is in my ears or actually happening. Then students start bumping into me on their way out the door, and I realize it's a fire alarm. Standing up, I hurry outside. I don't know if i can actually die twice, but being on fire probably really sucks. I'm halfway down the hall when Zach whispers in my ear. I jump halfway out of my skin, and barely catch what he says. "S-sure," I gulp. "Outside." He knows!
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Jan 10, 2015 06:49
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Playbook Hot 2 | Cold -1 | Volatile -1 | Dark 1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 1/5 | Conditions: Location: Hallway As we file out into the hall, I spot Jackie and Violet splitting off from the group. Oh man, this should be interesting. I hurry along behind them. "Hey guys, what's going on?"
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Jan 10, 2015 17:19
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I'm eying Violet for some kind of response when the alarm goes off. Bam! Susan's out like a bolt - she always was a bit twitchy. I go slower, taking my time to stuff my things in my bag and then saunter calmly down the hall, even as everybody rushes around me. Gotta stay cool, show them I'm unflappable. Then again, what the heck is going on? It can't be a drill. Did somebody just pull the alarm? Dick. I head for the south exit with the others, wondering where my girls are. I can tell they're on campus, thanks to my... ...superpower? Ugh. Gotta find a better term for it. 'Ability'? Whatever it is. I pause just outside the doors and close my eyes, trying to focus in on Amanda and pick up her thoughts. Gaze into the Abyss (Read Amanda): 2d6+0 6
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Jan 10, 2015 19:48
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Hot 1 | Cold 0 | Volatile 1 | Dark -1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 1/5 | Conditions: Location: Homeroom Playbook "Oh, hi Toby. Ummm..." Eddie's footsteps echo in the slowly filling hallway. drat it. Well - Violet hangs out with him, right? Should be fine. "Just follow us!" I take a peek around the corner to make sure Eddie's still around before I start walking after him.
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Jan 10, 2015 23:15
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Victoria's vision swirls for a few moments...and never quite comes into focus. Everything going on in the hallway feels distant and numb, and she almost trips and falls from not being able to hear the click of her heels or even feel the floor underneath them. What's worse is that she can't see anything on the other side of the darkness. The images only come in distorted flashes, like the flickering spot in your vision that won't go away after a camera flash. It makes her want to throw up. The only good news is that Gwen, Karen, and Amanda are together. Their own homeroom teachers are herding them toward the exit with the rest. They're further down the hallway, almost outside now, and Amanda is...upset. In fact, the only feeling that comes through to Victoria clearly is that wetting of the eyelashes that precedes real crying. Other sensations crowd around the edges. Gwen is too nervous to speak up, Karen's trying to stick up for her, to tell off...is it Daryl? Whoever it is, Amanda's weakly slapping her hand against his chest, which is the last thing Victoria senses before she starts awake into the present. Eddie, on the other hand, knows exactly where he's going. Although you're moving against the crowd, it's easy enough to follow him undetected with a swarm of other students flowing around you. But as you get further down the first floor hallway, the crowd thins out. Eddie turns right down a stone stairway with no door--it leads down to the basement, a part of the school hardly used by anyone but the custodial staff. Jackie, Toby, and Violet hear his shoes clattering on the stone steps. Best proceed silently. After a moment, Jackie leads the group down after him, quietly. There's no sight of him when they reach the bottom of the stairwell, but only one place he could have gone; the only light is coming from the window in the door of a nearby classroom. It's obviously old. I mean, New Salem is an old building, but well-kept. The door to this classroom has been battered and scuffed for decades. Through the small window in the door, the three of them can see Eddie and Ms. Lee. Her hand is on his shoulder, and he's rocking back and forth. They're sitting in what appears to be less a classroom and more a small library. Jackie is the only one of the three who's visited this room before; it's an overflow room for special collections and books the library doesn't really need in general circulation--mouldering books on topics such as ancient Latin and religion. For that reason, she's the only one who knows that there's a tarnished mail slot a few feet from the door. It doesn't creak when she opens it to listen. Toby and Violet crowd around her, but she's the only one who can clearly pick up what they're saying. "It's fire, Ms. Lee. The alarm went off. I can't do that again. I can't do it again. Eddie doesn't sound like himself. Well, he does, but you've never heard him on the verge of sobbing. His nasal drone is reduced to a pitiful keening. "It's just a prank, Eddie. Look at me." Her attention is entirely focused on him, trying to get him to make eye contact. "There's no fire." "Not fire, Ms. Lee. It's not fair. It's not fair!" he plainly whines. Then there's another voice on top of his. Perfect harmony, but nothing like Eddie's. A woman's voice, high, clear, and furious. "You're supposed to take care of me! You made a deal!"
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Jan 11, 2015 02:24
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Hot 1 | Cold 0 | Volatile 1 | Dark -1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 1/5 | Conditions: Location: Homeroom Playbook I slowly lower the mail slot before I start to whisper to Toby and Violet. "You... might want to have a listen at that. I have no idea what's going on... but I don't think that's Eddie. Or entirely Eddie?"
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Jan 11, 2015 04:14
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Hot 0 | Cold -1 | Volatile 1 | Dark 1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 0/5 | Conditions: Location: Homeroom "You think it's something pretending to be a creepy gently caress?" I whisper back as I lean my head close to the mail slot.
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Jan 11, 2015 04:29
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Playbook Hot -1 | Cold 1 | Volatile -1 | Dark 2 Harm 0/4 | Experience 1/5 | Conditions: Location: Outside Zach wants to talk, and I really, really, really don't want to talk. So it comes as a welcome relief when I see Violet and Jackie chase off after Eddie. That's weird, and best yet, it's not talking to Zach, so i follow them. it helps that I already know where Eddie goes when he runs away. I take the shortcut ducking under the hedge fence and get there in time to see them listening at the door and whispering. I walk up to them really quietly. "What are we listening to?" I ask. I'm not passing judgment.
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Jan 11, 2015 14:59
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Hot 2 | Cold 1 | Volatile -1 | Dark -1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 1/5 | Conditions: Location: Homeroom Things go swirly, everything's distant. I can't feel my fingers. I could break my ankle on the stairs and not know it. Or I'd know it but not feel it. I'm vaguely aware that somebody stops me from doing so. It's a vague academic point to me. What really matters is what I can feel, my girls. They're together. That makes me smile. Until...something's not right. Gwen shouldn't be nervous. Amanda's hitting somebody. I start out of it, now out on the South lawn with the homeroom. How'd I get her? Oh, right, walking. That could have happened to somebody else. "Daryl!?" I call. I reach over and grab the closest classmate I can find, turns out to be Dave. "Dave!" I snap at him. "Have you seen Daryl!?" Dave looks hit by a wet fish, then shakes his head. "Fine," I say, letting go of his lapels. Next it's Ester and I've got her right in my sights. "Daryl! Seen him?" I ask outright. "Anybody!?" I say, raising my voice. Realized I forgot to mark experience last time, so have done it in this update.
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Jan 11, 2015 16:27
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Hot 1 | Cold 0 | Volatile 1 | Dark -1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 1/5 | Conditions: Location: Homeroom Playbook After nearly jumping out of my skin at Alex's sudden arrival, I keep my voice low and point towards the mail slot. "Where did you come from? Never mind - Eddie's talking with two voices and freaking out at Ms. Lee!"
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Jan 11, 2015 16:35
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Playbook Hot 2 | Cold -1 | Volatile -1 | Dark 1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 1/5 | Conditions: Location: Hallway Wow, this is really exciting! "Is he in a secret plot with Ms. Lee? I didn't think he was the kind of person to dabble in magick, but I guess you never can tell."
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Jan 11, 2015 16:48
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Hot 1 | Cold -1 | Volatile 2 | Dark -1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 0+1/5 | Conditions: Location: Outside I'm trying to think of the best way to bring up Alex being a ghost and all, when she takes off after Jackie and Violet. "H-Hey! Alex, wait!" I almost start chasing after her, and then realize that might look really bad to everyone else. Fine. Whatever. I can talk to someone else then. I head outside with the rest of the students, and watch as everyone begins gathering with their friends and talking about what's going on. As for me, I look around for someplace a bit more secluded, and sit down. After checking around a bit to make sure no one else is nearby (I don't really need anyone to hear me), I mutter "Moon? Moon, you there?" "Hey kiddo! What's up?" It's kinda weird, talking to Moon during the day but I mean it's still in the sky. You just normally don't see it. I tell Moon a little bit about what's been going on since we last talked, before getting to what I need to know. "Anyway, this girl invited me to a club called Fortress but there's something odd about it. Is there anything you can tell me?" Gaze Into The Abyss: 2d6-1 6 oh boy Marking XP for using Dark
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Jan 11, 2015 18:11
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Alex easily catches up to Jackie, Toby, and Violet. She doesn't know to keep things quiet, but for her, creeping around in silence is not even something that requires conscious effort. Violet catches sight of her, and almost gasps before thinking better of it. Although she can't hear what Jackie is hearing, she can see Eddie through the window, clearly in the middle of a full-on breakdown. Alex knew that Eddie is one of the handful of students who comes down to the old library room for remedial classes with Mrs. Hansen, but this is something else entirely. Alex gets 1 XP from her Creep Move. What Jackie hears through the mail slot is less obvious. "We're going to take care of you Eddie. We're going to get you on track. It's okay. In a year or two you'll be up to date and all sorted out." Eddie coughs and snorts back snot, and as the eerie voice leaves him he begins to right himself. "There's no fire, Eddie. Even the alarm's off now. Go on outside; Mr. de Luna will be looking for you." The two of them start moving toward the door. Eddie's not the only one having trouble with voices. "Well, Mr. Hunter, I think you should just take her out for a milkshake. Have you been to Galaxy Diner yet?" Wait. The Moon is a surprisingly good source of advice, but it definitely doesn't have a Yelp account. It also doesn't have an unplaceable accent, either. Zach comes to his senses and realizes he's standing alone in the middle of the hallway. Worse yet, he sees he's talking to a different Luna--Mr. de Luna, to be precise. "The rest of the class is already outside. No, that's not true. I'm missing four students who coincidentally reside in the same household as yourself. I don't suppose you have any idea where they are?" Meanwhile, Victoria has no trouble at all finding who she's looking for. "Don't spaz," says Telly Caruso, catching her by the shoulder. "The second floor homerooms all got down the stairs and went ahead of us. He's probably already out there." When she makes it out through the South entrance, most of her homeroom is already waiting for her, absent their teacher. The first thing that hits her is a chilly morning breeze. The second is the sight of Daryl together with Amanda, Stacy, and Gwen. There's only two homerooms between the four of them, and they're all-too-conveniently lined up next to each other on the shallow green hill behind New Salem. Daryl has his hand on Amanda's shoulder. She won't make eye contact with him, and it's plain that he's pummeling her with questions she doesn't want to answer, breaking only to bark back at Karen, who is telling him, essentially, to go gently caress himself. If he'd taken that advice, Amanda would never have been in trouble.
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Jan 11, 2015 23:39
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Hot 1 | Cold -1 | Volatile 2 | Dark -1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 1/5 | Conditions: Location: Outside Oh. Oh no. I can't believe Mr. de Luna, of all people, caught me talking to Moon. But, uh, maybe he thinks I was just thinking aloud? Yeah, sure, let's go with that if he asks (which he isn't, thankfully). "Er-no. I don't. Sorry Mr. de Luna, but last I saw, it looked like they were heading outside too. I could go check for you...?" Time to awkwardly leave this situation. "I'll be outside!" I say as I leave the building. I head over to where the rest of the class is. But on my mind right now is what those other four are up to. Especially if Violet is with them. Should I have followed them earlier?
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Jan 12, 2015 01:50
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Hot 2 | Cold 1 | Volatile -1 | Dark -1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 1/5 | Conditions: Location: South Lawn Telly gets the god drat death stare. Touching me!? He had useful info, at least. That'll get him a pass, this time. I smack his hand away and head to the lawn, keeping to the paths as long as I can. "Get your paws off her!" I snarl as I smack away Daryl's arm, moving into the space between him and Amanda. I lock eyes with him, my heart thumping in my chest. "You okay, 'Mandy?" I ask, not breaking my look. Shut down Daryl: 2d6+1 6 Platonicsolid fucked around with this message at 22:10 on Jan 12, 2015 |
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Jan 12, 2015 02:56
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Hot 1 | Cold 0 | Volatile 1 | Dark -1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 1/5 | Conditions: Location: Homeroom Playbook Oh poo poo - they're starting to come towards the door. "That's our cue to leave... we gotta get back to the fire alarm lines or whatever. Now."
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Jan 12, 2015 05:21
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Playbook Hot -1 | Cold 1 | Volatile -1 | Dark 2 Harm 0/4 | Experience 2/5 | Conditions: Location: Outside marked XP. I gulped. Jackie was the toughest girls I'd ever met -- I'm pretty sure she's been arrested! If she AND Violet were running, I needed to get gone. "This way," I motioned, and scurried off. Down around the side of the building, where the spent cigarette butts accumulate, and up over the retaining wall, and in between the big bushes where you can just squeeze through. "What happened? Why was everyone running?"
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Jan 12, 2015 10:38
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"Maybe you should have these family meetings at home," says Mr. de Luna, as Jackie, Toby, Alex, and Violet turn round the corner. "Outside for roll call. Now." He herds you all through the exit, onto the hard snowy ground, and pulls his tweed jacket a little tighter around him. As soon as he sees you fall into some rough approximation of a line, he checks your names off a list and ignores you, striking up a conversation with Amanda's homeroom teacher. Stuck out in the cold, between dead frosty grass and a dull grey sky, there's nothing to do but complain to each other, and wait for Ms. Lee to decide there is no fire, everyone's accounted for, and you've all been tortured enough during your first day back at school. Victoria's stepping out of line has gone unnoticed. Amanda is already pulling herself together, now that you're here and Daryl has pissed off. But she's also got the look of a child who did something she shouldn't, and knows she has to fess up to Mommy. "He called me before Christmas...I just didn't have anyone to talk to. I just couldn't pretend like nothing ever happened." Freddy Miller is tired of waiting for something to happen. It's too bad he didn't notice the scene with Daryl; it might have kept him entertained. Instead, he's been waiting not so patiently with the rest of Mr. de Luna's homeroom. At the back of the line. At the top of the hill. He feels the sudden impulse to entertain himself with a different game: dominoes. The first sound is a yelp out of Dave Saunders as Freddy's hands hit his back and knocks the wind out of him. Dave goes flying into Leon, who takes down Carla, and so on down the line. He doesn't take out the entire class, but by the time Violet catches Toby to steady him, half the class has hit the dirt. Alex, having naturally found his way over to Laura, winds up underneath her on the cold ground. As Jackie helps Hiral to his feet, they find someone's crushed his glasses underfoot. Freddy, for his part, isn't laughing or even smiling. If you're close enough to see, only a twinkle in his eye gives away how inordinately pleased he is with himself. Halloween Jack fucked around with this message at 03:41 on Feb 3, 2015 |
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Jan 12, 2015 18:12
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Hot 2 | Cold 1 | Volatile -1 | Dark -1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 2/5 | Conditions: Location: South Lawn It's a full on fight. "gently caress you," I shoot right back to Daryl, missing no beats whatsoever. The shove...the shove I almost respect. I didn't think Daryl would try that. If it were another day, I'd be fine. Now, I'm still woozy from using my vision, we're outside, on the grass and these are distinctly not outside on the grass shoes. I bounce off Gwen and go down hard, totally ready to bitch her out until I realize that Gwen, unlike me, did wear her rear end kicking shoes today. Ball kicking. Either way, it gets a "Get 'im, Gwenny," as I tug off my shoes. Daryl gets the condition Shown Up while Platonicsolid gets a valuable reminder of gang rules!
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Jan 12, 2015 22:35
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Hot 1 | Cold -1 | Volatile 2 | Dark -1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 2/5 | Conditions: Location: Outside I'm standing outside, trying to get used to the cold while we wait for the teachers to call us back when I hear the shouting match between Victoria and Daryl. It's already looking ugly, and when he shoves Victoria back I decide it might be a good idea to step in. As I head toward the confrontation, Daryl shoves Victoria. Yeah, it's going to get bad I really should - oh okay, Gwen seems to be taking care of it. Maybe. And now Victoria's taking off her shoes. Daryl seems a bit busy being in pain at the moment, so I look over at Victoria. "Er, everything ok?"
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Jan 13, 2015 00:16
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Hot 2 | Cold 1 | Volatile -1 | Dark -1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 2/5 | Conditions: Location: South Lawn Zach. I know him. The crazy condiment kid, flipped out on Toby over salt or ketchup or something. Why's he asking me? I reach out my hand anyway, because he should drat well treat me like a lady. "Daryl vastly overstepping his competence," I explain. Once on my feet, I take a long step past Daryl, still crouched on the ground and in distinct pain, to get to the path. Don't want to sink into this mud. I brush my dress a few times and if Zach's watching, well...I can't have Gwen doing all the kicking. "He giving you poo poo about the thing?" I ask Amanda, looking into her eyes. I move my hand, a subtle little gesture to bring the others closer. Amanda definitely needs support now. Yes, Victoria's being a little gratuitous. Turn Zach on: 2d6+2 10 Taking that string, banking for later
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Jan 13, 2015 00:36
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| # ? Apr 19, 2024 16:04 |
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Hot 1 | Cold 0 | Volatile 1 | Dark -1 Harm 0/4 | Experience 1/5 | Conditions: Location: Homeroom Playbook Well, at least Alex brought an exit strategy. Why don't I know about this spot? I need to pay more attention... "Okay, so we kind of followed Eddie Greene down there, because he's been acting like a weirdo, right? Well, we get there, and he's freaking out at one of the teachers, and then he... started to talk with another voice? I don't know exactly how to describe it. Like, there was this shrill female voice that -definitely- wasn't his usual 'Moonshine and Meth" drawl. The teacher - Ms. Lee - started walking towards the door, and I figured that we shouldn't be there snooping, especially during a fire drill."
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Jan 13, 2015 06:32
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