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BallisticClipboard
Feb 18, 2013

Such a good worker!



Geary Street, San Francisco, California

Burl Toler High School is college preparatory charter school that has been serving the communities of San Francisco since it's creation in 1998. It's not the best of the best but it's the best you can get for free. Burl Toler is an extremely small school with just under 500 students evenly divided among the 4 years. While it might lack in size compared to San Francisco's other school, it boasts small class sizes, an highly diverse student body and an impressive 95% college acceptance rate of it graduates. But college is 4 years away. You need to get there first.

High School is difficult enough for your run-of-the-mill teenager but it's a little more difficult for you. Because, you see, you're a monster.

-
That's right, it's another Monster Hearts game. But this one is set in San Francisco, not some Podunk town. San Francisco is the home to all sorts of people and personalities. If you can think it you'll probably find them here. Freak out with the freaks.

If you're interested, what I'll need is a basic feel for your character (normally people like to write Monsterhearts in First Person), and your filled out character sheet. Your background can be as long or as short as you feel like, as long as it isn't too long or too short - I'll be asking some follow up questions to help fill things out. It's not required to have a reference photo of your character, but it'd help me picture them if you want to throw one in.
After, answer these questions:

1. Tell me about another student you've had the pleasure (or displeasure) of interacting.

2. Tell me about a teacher or facility member you've met or had to deal with.

3. Tell me any interesting places you've seen or heard of from the other students.

4. (Optional) You got a good thread title?

I'm looking for 4-6 players who will post often so we can keep the game moving. I know life happens so tell me if you'll be away. And I'll do the same for you players.

-FAQ-

Q: How can we contact you?

A: You can find me (BClip) in #Swampthings. Hanging out in IRC is worth bonus points. Note: I am currently residing in Tokyo so my time will probably be way off yours. But you can always send me PMs.

Q: What Skins are allowed?

A: Any from the Core book, any from Second Skins. Skins for the Skinless skins are not allowed. All others are open at my discretion. If you really want to run a skin not in one of the above PM me or hit me up on IRC and I’ll consider it.

Q: How old are we?

A: Students will be 14-15 and entering their freshman year.

Q:Teacher, when is this all due?

A: Let's say by the evening of my June 7th. (UTC +9) Closed. Much like real school, tell me if you need an extension.
(If apps and questions are done earlier I'll close it earlier)

As a general note - Monsterhearts deals with some mature (meaning adult) themes, like sexuality, bigotry, and abuse, so please try to be mature (meaning considerate and not a creep) about things. If you feel like you need to contact me to express any discomfort or doubts about anything, please do. This should be a safe sort of thread for these sorts of topics.

Double side note - It's my first time, be gentle.

BallisticClipboard fucked around with this message at 00:05 on Jun 3, 2015

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Rauri
Jan 13, 2008




Edit: In too many games already, so withdrawing my app. Good luck and fun to everyone else though!

Rauri fucked around with this message at 23:09 on May 27, 2015

someone awful.
Sep 7, 2007


e: Actually I'm in too many games as it is, so nah. Good luck, though!

someone awful. fucked around with this message at 04:04 on May 27, 2015

Heliotrope
Aug 17, 2007

You're fucking subhuman
Working on an Infernal.

Ferrosol
Nov 8, 2010

Notorious J.A.M



My name's Ginny and I need your help. I think I've killed someone and I'm scared I might do it again.

Ok unpack Ginny.

The whole thing started a few weeks ago. Everything was going great I was a freshman. I had a boyfriend. I was doing ok at school. Mom had got a new job that was paying fairly well. Everything was looking up for once. I should've known something would go wrong. But this was the last thing I expected. See Andy and I had been going steady for a while and well he'd tried to make out with me. I didn't say no, maybe I should've. But I wanted it as much as he did by then. At least I thought I did. So there's the two of us alone in a deserted corner of the park behind a bush. Just one more teenage couple right. Wrong. See he put his hands on me. Pinched me just a playful nip. But I felt something inside me snap.

There's no other way to describe it. But it took me out of the moment. I felt this terrible rage, like nothing I'd ever felt before. How dare this man, this boy lay hands on me and something in me changed. I'm not sure I can do it justice I've never been good with words. But it felt kind of like a volcano must feel like when it's about to erupt. Something changed, See he was taller than me, but all of a sudden I could look him in the eye. I could smell the stale sweat beneath his cheap body-spray, I could see him in the dark as clear as day. I could hear every breathe he took count every heartbeat as he made it. I think he could tell something was wrong but the words came out all muffled and wrong like he was talking a foreign language. All I could feel was that rage. I pushed him away from me with a shove , and I don't know if it was that or something in the way I looked but he panicked and he tried to run. Bad move. So I chased him. I moved without thought. I didn't notice the claws till it was too late, by then it felt right to pounce to drag him to the floor to....

Sorry. I remember him bleeding but that just made the beast worse. It's all a bit of a blur after that. I woke up hours later clothes shredded, covered in blood. His blood? I dunno. But I could remember what I'd done before that. I heard they think Andy is missing, that he ran away from home, But I know the truth I killed him.

I'm scared. But you know what the scariest part is, It's not that I've killed someone. It's not the beast that I feel even now in the back of my mind. It's not the inexplicable hunger for raw meat. No the scariest part is when I look back on that night. I don't remember the hurt I caused. You know what stands out? It's the thrill of the hunt, the thrill of the chase, the exhilaration of it all. And the worst thing of all is a part of me wants nothing more than to do it again. I guess I truly am a monster. I have to find a way to control this before I kill again. Please help me.


quote:

Name: Virginia "Ginny" Connor
Skin: Werewolf
Look: Wiry, Predatory Eyes
Origin: Born a wolf


Stats:
Hot: 1
Cold: -1
Volatile: 1
Dark: 0

Harm:

[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Experience Points:

[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Sex Move:

When you have sex with someone, you establish a spirit
connection with them. Until either of you breaks that
spirit connection, by having sex with someone else, add 1
to all rolls made to defend them. You can tell when that
connection has been broken.

Darkest Self:

You transform into a terrifying wolf-creature. You crave
power and dominance, and those are earned through
bloodshed. If anyone attempts to stand in your way, they
must be brought down and made to bleed. You escape
your Darkest Self when you wound someone you really
care about or the sun rises, whichever happens first.



Moves:

Heightened Senses

When you rely on your animal instincts to make sense of
a charged situation, roll with dark. On a 10 up, ask the MC
three questions. If you act on one of the MC’s answers,
add 1 to your first roll. • On a 7-9, ask one:
- Where’s my best escape route or way in?
- Which enemy is the most vulnerable to me?
- What’s their secret weakness?
- What poses the biggest threat to me?
- Who’s in control here

Primal Dominance

When you harm someone, take a String on them.

Backstory:

You lack subtlety. Give a String to everyone.

You’ve spent weeks watching someone from a distance.
Their scent and mannerisms are unmistakable to you
now. Take 2 Strings on them


1. Tell me about another student you've had the pleasure (or displeasure) of interacting.

I'm trying to stay away from the other students. It's for their own good.I don't want to hurt them. But one of them won't leave me alone. Danny Wright. Thinks he's god's gift to women and I suppose he's not that bad looking. But no not now not ever. Still I've tried turning him down a couple of times but each rejection seems to have him come back for more. I overheard him talking to one of his cronies. Said he loves a challenge and wouldn't give up till I cracked. He really doesn't want me to crack. Not if he knows what's good for him.

2. Tell me about a teacher or facility member you've met or had to deal with.

See since it all happened my senses are sharper than ever. Even when the beast doesn't come out. I can still hear better see better and most importantly of all smell better. Which brings me to one of the teachers. See I'd been making a bit of a game of it. Closing my eyes when in a room and trying to match the smell of someone to a name. I made the mistake of doing this in Mr Riley's Math class. I've never enjoyed Math. I was doing pretty well as it happens. Although come on boys use something other than axe bodyspray please. Then he must've noticed I wasn't paying attention because he marched over. And that's when I noticed. I'd say it was the way he smelled but that was the thing, he didn't smell of anything at all. How the hell do you hide a scent like that? and why would you bother?

3. Tell me any interesting places you've seen or heard of from the other students.

There's a memorial garden on the school grounds. It's dedicated to some principal or long serving teacher or something like that anyway. But the name plaque on the statue is long gone. There's a couple of old benches there and a few enterprising students have used it as a makeout spot.There's a rumor passed down from student generation to student generation that if you make out there twice you'll be in love with your partner for the rest of your schooldays.

4. (Optional) You got a good thread title

Monsterhearts: Roll +Hot for (Cali-)fornication

Ferrosol fucked around with this message at 11:51 on May 28, 2015

GodFish
Oct 10, 2012

We're your first, last, and only line of defense. We live in secret. We exist in shadow.

And we dress in black.
Katrina "Kat" Duran - The Ghoul


How did Katrina Duran, daughter of Angelica Duran, Republican Presidential Nominee (2016), middle school cheerleader, class president, top of her year, end up speeding down a dark coastline in the middle of the night, locked in a game of bike-chicken? The simple answer is that she didn't. Katrina Duran, model daughter, and Katrina "Kat" Duran, biker, fighter and all around problem student, are different enough to be separate people, the fact that the body she's in is the same is secondary.

A year ago, you might have found Katrina studying her homework, cuddling, or maybe even kissing with her middle school sweetheart and steady boyfriend of the last few years. Having a nice dinner with her family, watching a scary movie, practicing driving for her test. Normal, happy things. That was what made her life.

A year ago, you never would have found Kat down a dark alley in the middle of the night, facing two men with rusty knives who looks like they're high on every drug out there. Even if you had, you never would have seen her charge one like a bull, slamming her fist into his gut. When the other stabbed her in the gut, she never would have grabbed his hand and twisted the knife in deeper, laughing, and smashed her head into his face. And she certainly never would have proceeded to beat the two of them bloody with the knife still hanging in her, laughing the entire time, reveling in the thrill of the fight and the taste of their fear.

But if you knew where to look, you could find Kat doing just that tonight. Later, when she comes stumbling out of the alley bleeding from her wound, she might die, or she might not. But she'd be back on her feet the next morning either way. That is what makes her live.

Katrina Duran The Ghoul posted:

Name: Katrina "Kat" Duran
Look: striking, hollow eyes
Origin: resurrected

Hunger
Fear

Moves
The Hunger
You have a Hunger for Fear.

When you heedlessly pursue a Hunger, add 1 to rolls. When you ignore a feeding opportunity, roll to hold steady.

Satiety
When you satiate a Hunger, choose one:
~heal one harm;
~remove a Condition;
~mark experience;
~carry 1 forward.

Short Rest for the Wicked
When you die, wait it out. Some hours later, you wake up fully healed.

Stats
Hot: -1
Cold: 2
Volatile: 1
Dark: -1

Darkest Self
You will maim, kill and destroy anything in between you and the nearest object of your hunger. You will feed relentlessly. You escape your Darkest Self when someone restrains you or fends you off for long enough for you to regain your composure – at least thirty or forty minutes.

Sex Move
When you have sex with someone, add “having sex with [this person]” as an additional Hunger. If you already have this Hunger, mark experience.

1. Tell me about another student you've had the pleasure (or displeasure) of interacting.

2. Tell me about a teacher or facility member you've met or had to deal with.

3. Tell me any interesting places you've seen or heard of from the other students.

4. Roll +Hot to Enter her Golden Gate
or
I wish they all could be California Monsterhearts

I'll have to finish the questions later

GodFish fucked around with this message at 07:29 on May 27, 2015

Gato
Feb 1, 2012

Franklin Giordano, the Witch
You see this card? It’s called the Magician. It’s number one in the deck, although it’s not the first. Look at his table – cups and coins and knives. He’s a street performer, a cheap self-taught illusionist. He’d con the clothes off your back if he could get away with it. Now look again. See the infinity symbol above his head? That’s potential, right there. It makes me think, maybe there’s some actual power in that silly wand he waves around. Anyway, that card’s my Dad. This card, number five? That’s Grandfather. Look at him, so stiff in his chair, walled in by the pillars of his house. He thinks he knows so much, but he doesn’t realise that his staff looks just as ridiculous as the Magician’s wand. Me? I always felt something for the Fool – the real first card in the deck, number zero. He just does not give a gently caress, even though he’s on the edge of a cliff. And he’s got a dog too!



Anyway, I should start from the beginning. My name’s Franklin. I was born in Charleston, though I grew up all over. I wasn’t being metaphorical about my Dad – he really was a street performer, and a con man, and a magician. Mostly the coins and cards and fortune telling variety, but there was some real magic mixed in there too, and he taught me as much as he could manage. I probably would have grown up to be just like him and you know what? I reckon I would have been happy.

I don’t know how Grandfather got word that I could do real magic. He must have had something to do with Dad getting arrested, because I ended up at his house in San Francisco way too drat fast after the cops showed up. And since then, he’s made it pretty drat clear what he thinks of his son-in-law. You see, there’s a Right Way to do magic, and it means sitting in a library learning three dead languages and endless breathing exercises and training your focus and you know what, the bastard hasn’t even taught me any spells! But apparently that’s the proper way to become a Witch. (Never a ‘magician’. ‘Wizard’ is apparently unspeakably nouveau. Whatever, Grandpa.)

Of course, there’s a Wrong Way too, and that just happens to be the way I’m already good at. You just acquire something valuable from somebody (it doesn’t hurt that I’m pretty good at that part too) and, well, do some magic. poo poo’s hard to explain in words. But you can’t argue with the results – people out of their mind screaming about demons, or losing their hair, or looking like they got kicked in the nuts when they try to take a swing at you. It’ll never get old.

And it’s just as well I’ve got all these tricks, because, man, have you seen this school? The place is a loving pressure cooker. Everyone knows everyone, and everyone knows how everyone’s doing, and everyone’s looking out for ways to make everyone else do worse. I don’t give a poo poo about getting a rigorous academic foundation or whatever else Grandfather sent me here for. I just want to cover my back, and have some fun, and if using magic to help me with that is wrong, I don’t want to be right.


quote:

Name: Franklin Giordano
Skin: The Witch
Look: Lithe, smirking eyes
Origin: Gifted

Stats: Hot -1, Cold 1, Volatile -1, Dark 2

Moves:
Sympathetic Tokens: You gain power from sympathetic tokens - items of personal significance that you take from others. Each sympathetic token counts as a String.
Hex-Casting: You can cast Hexes. Choose two that you know. To cast them, either expend a sympathetic token during a secret ritual, or meet the target’s gaze and chant at them in tongues. Then roll with dark. On a 10 up, the Hex works, and can easily be reversed. On a 7-9, it works but choose one: the casting does you 1 harm; the Hex has unexpected side effects; trigger your Darkest Self.
Bide My Time:
If you’ve got a sympathetic token against someone, add 1 to all rolls to hold steady against their actions or to run away from them.

Hexes:
Binding: The person cannot physically harm others.
Illusions: Pick one: snakes and bugs, demonic visages, false prophecies, non-existent subtext. The hexed sees that thing everywhere. You have no control over the exact images or manifestations.

Sex Move:
After sex, you can take a sympathetic token from them. They know about it, and it’s cool.

Darkest Self:
The time for subtlety and patience is over. You’re too powerful to put up with their garbage any longer. You hex anyone who slights you. All of your hexes have unexpected side effects, and are more effective than you are comfortable with. To escape your Darkest Self, you must offer peace to the one you have hurt the most.

1. Tell me about another student you've had the pleasure (or displeasure) of interacting.
Crystal Eastman is a nice girl who spends way too much time on the internet and thinks she's a fairy or a dragon, or possibly both, or like, part of her spirit is part fairy-dragon or something, I don't even know. She's super weird and kinda creepy, but the strange thing is, it pisses me off when people give her poo poo for it. Like, what is the point? What are you trying to prove?

2. Tell me about a teacher or facility member you've met or had to deal with.
Miss Lake is our English teacher, a super chilled out middle-aged hippy type who just wants us all to realise our potential, man. Which sounds great, except there's a difference between being relaxed on the job and not doing the loving job in the first place. She's so laid back and useless that kids have literally got beaten up in her classes without her stepping in.

3. Tell me any interesting places you've seen or heard of from the other students.
La Paz is this neat little cafe about halfway between my place and school. It's got all of two people working there, this old guy who was in some minimally successful country rock group back in the 70s, and this big South American lady who never speaks but makes the best drat nachos ever. Sometimes I help them move boxes around or take out the garbage, and they give me free coffee and let me play my guitar outside. I dunno, I just feel kinda... drawn to it, I guess, like I'm safe there. Except the one time I ran into Grandfather there. That was awkward, and a little bit weird... it's really not his kind of place, so why was he there?

Gato fucked around with this message at 12:25 on May 30, 2015

Capfalcon
Apr 6, 2012

No Boots on the Ground,
Puny Mortals!

Gato posted:

Vague interest post.

LifeGetsWorser
Oct 23, 2010

Me "IRL" :smug:
Fun Shoe

Cally Seaward

'scuse me, sir? I'm wondering if I can ask you something?

Oh, no, I'm not selling anything, or preaching, or anything. I don't have any hand-outs. I'm just looking for something. See, I'm not from here, really. I mean, yes, I've been here on the beach a few times it's just, well, I don't live in the city or anything. It's just I left something here on the beach a couple weeks ago and went for a swim and then when I came back it was gone and I need it.

N-no, it's not drugs or anything like that, it's...well, it's a fur coat, I guess. N-no, I don't support poaching or...well it's just it's, uhm. Important. Like an heirloom. Or, well, I just, I can't go home without it. I was just curious about how it is up here...I mean here, uhm, where here is. S-san...San Francisco, yes, thank you. And then it was gone and, uhm, I mean without it I'm kind of stuck. I guess I ought to have listened to my parents. They warn you about cities, you know, and to make sure you keep an eye on the things that are important to you. Well I've learned my lesson now, I didn't think it was really as bad as they said but I guess it is. I kept looking all through the night and into the next day and I couldn't find it and I started to cry, so when the p-police men showed up I guess I wasn't making a lot of sense and I just kept screaming that I need it I need it I need it. They put me in a room with a lot of beeping little machines and it was very cold and dry. They asked me where I'm from and what's my name and I couldn't tell them those things. They told me I have a thing called am...um...amnesia? They said that since they don't have any rec...ords of me they are treating me like an...uhm...an or fan...erh...orphan. They've made me go into the city now and they have me at this uhm, orphanage and they keep sending me to this Burl Toler place, they tell me I have to be there every day except on, uhm, w-week...ends. Which doesn't leave me a lot of time to ask about it myself, the coat, I mean, so I'm asking you, I just. I just really need it.

Why haven't I told them? Who I really am? It's just...I can't. They wouldn't understand it, they...they don't think that sort of thing is real. Maybe...maybe you do? Have you heard of Selkies? I read...uhm...I have seen things that make me think some people know, or knew, maybe. But most people? They don't get it...fan to sea...er, fantasy, they say it is. I...told them it was for a class. They said I meant a "book report." It's a book report...o-or an improv - for a show. I say that sometimes too. People say I'm "too funny". I didn't know there was a limit but I guess there could be?

But have you seen it? No? Uh, thank you anyway. I-if you hear anything can you tell the people at Burl Toler high school to let Cally Seaward know? I read the name Cally in the uh, the...b-book Seaward and she seemed to be in a similar sort of situation as me, so I thought that worked. They kept asking me for a name...so that's what I've told them.

quote:

Name: Cally Seaward
Skin: The Selkie
Origin: curious about the human form
Look: mussed, deep eyes

Stats
Hot: 0
Cold: +1
Volatile: -1
Dark: +1

Pelt Held By:

Moves

Outer Skin
When you wear your pelt you look like a seal. Without it, you can swim like a human, but with it you can breathe underwater and swim like the dickens, and, if you want to, return to The Deep Kingdom. If you do return there, it’s for good, so make a new character.

Their Word
People can steal your pelt, but never destroy it. When someone withholds your pelt and demands that you do something for them before they’ll give it back, add 1 to rolls you make in pursuit of that task. If they don’t return your pelt, take a String on them, and they'll give you another task.

Ocean’s Breath
When you feel homesick, roll with cold. On a 10 up, choose one for the MC to detail:
- the ocean brings forth something that it thinks will make you feel better,
- the ocean takes away something that it thinks is bothering you.
On a 7-9, choose as above, but the ocean doesn’t understand the human world very well and causes serious or unexplainable damage in the process.

Sex Move
When you have sex with someone, it counts as submerging yourself in water. Since all oceans tell you their secrets, gain a String on someone else they’ve had sex with.

Darkest Self
People have mistreated you and made you an outcast here. It’s time to show them how it feels to be lost at sea, to be apart from the things you have loved, to have parts of your identity stolen from you. So you will flood the Earth. You will destroy what they cherish. And you will take their pelts. You escape your Darkest Self when this place reminds you of home, or when you recognize what you came here for.

Backstory
You’ve seen someone swimming, but they either didn’t see or didn’t recognize you. Gain a String on them.

Someone stole your pelt, withholding it from you to make you their errand boy. They said they'll give it back. Each gain a String on one another, and they say the first task they've given you.

1. Tell me about another student you've had the pleasure (or displeasure) of interacting with.

One of the first huma...uh, first people I met here, o-on the beach, was a boy named Aaron Singer. I met him on the beach, uhm, one of the first times I came here. He's very nice. He actually was kind of the reason I uh...I stopped by the beach in the first place. He was on a board and he kept riding it into the water. Surfing. He's gotten me interested in it too, and he's teaching me how to do it. It's not as...well it doesn't feel as natural, as swimming. But it is faster than swimming like this, and it lets me go into the water and really move around, which is nice because I miss it. I...I mean I don't get to go into the water a lot...with school. But, Aaron goes there, too, to the school. He's a...uhm a year ahead of me. A soph-o-more. He waves to me in the halls and stuff too, which is nice of him.

2. Tell me about a teacher or facility member you've met or had to deal with.

I keep getting sent to this guidance councilor person at the school, a, uh, a Miss Nichols. She's nice, but she keeps asking questions I can't answer for her, I just can't! She asks the same sort of things that the p-uh...police asked when they found me on the beach. Where am I from? Why won't I call my parents? Are they from here? How old am I? What's my name? Ugh...ok, s-she doesn't ask all of those because I answered the name one, a-and they told me I look about fifteen s-so that's what they're basing my grade on. She keeps telling me I have repressed memories...b-but I don't, I just...I can't tell her what the things I won't say are! It's too dangerous to my parents and to everyone!

3. Tell me any interesting places you've seen or heard of from the other students.

There's an open air fish market on the weekends! It's by the beach, not so close I can see the water there but I can hear it. It smells nice, I think anyway. I uh...I like fresh fish - uhm, sushi? O-or sashimi! Yeah, that's good. Not the rolls though, they put that...rice stuff all over it and it's gross that way. But you can get a lot from this market. I haven't uhm, gone with anyone else, yet. But I like to go. There's a lot of stalls and people shouting, it's very exciting. B-but I went by at night once, and uh, it was a different sort of exciting. It was too quiet, but there were still people at the stalls. T-they weren't selling fish? I'm not sure what it was, it was all in boxes, they wanted me to buy some but I don't...really have a lot of uhm...m-money so I didn't. It was kind of creeping me out anyway, though.

4. (Optional) You got a good thread title?

(I wish they all could be) California Ghouls

LifeGetsWorser fucked around with this message at 02:17 on Aug 5, 2015

neonchameleon
Nov 14, 2012



Helene Adams, The Vampire



Note: The old "Blank Space" app can be found here

I look at my old pink padlocked diaries with amusement. The ones before her. The only one I ever re-read, of course, is the final one. I'm not interested in the nerd I used to be. I look good like this. But it's good comedy to see how naive I was before she came into my life. Three years older than me, I thought, she dazzled me, swept me off my feet, and showed me what love was. I remember a few warnings from my friends that she was using me. But only a couple. Most of my friends were jealous.

I remember the feeling of my heart fluttering in my chest as I crept out of my bedroom window, having stolen my passport from my parents drawer, and having a pack full of clothes. The joy as with my fingers entwined with hers we looked out over the golden sand to the Mediterranian. The feeling of my heart breaking and having to sit down. And my tears as she told me everything she'd done to win me. How much of a fool I was.

And when I thought it couldn't get any worse, she smiled at me in a way she never had before. Fangs out. Even through my tears I could see that. And then she bit me. Not for the first time, but she went further. And I ... I loved it. Even knowing exactly what she'd done to me and what she was doing to me right then I loved it. First my blood flowing down her throat, then a little of hers flowing down mine beneath a blood red sky reflecting off deep blue waters and golden sand.

I woke up at dawn, face down in the sand, and wearing nothing but a bikini I'd bought to impress her. One that was little more than lingerie. She'd checked out overnight - but did leave my passport for me at reception. I suppose she wanted me to have a sporting chance.

Don't ask how I made it home. Better to ask why my parents didn't notice I'd been gone. Not that I expected them to.

And now? I learned a couple of things from her. I learned that the game is fun. I learned that everyone should know it's a game. I learned that it hurts - but even when it hurts it's glorious. But it's best when you know it's a game. I'm making new friends and trying to wake up some of my old ones. It's fun. And if it's me showing everyone it's a game I won't necessarily crush them the way life would. Not that there aren't a few I'd crush for fun.

And God! The amount of pointless stuff I used to waste my time with! I mean who cares if I get straight As. I used to, although I don't understand why any more. But it really doesn't matter. Especially when I can look into a teacher's eyes and get it changed. I also used to care about gossip. Let them talk! I'm going to have fun! And everyone else is either going to have fun or find out how the world works!

So I'm gonna live forever
And it's gonna go down in flames
It's never gonna be all over
And the high is worth the pain
Got a short list of ex-friends
They'll tell you I went insane
Cause you know I won't make amends;
We all love the game

Cause I was young and reckless
I let it go way too far
I was left bloodless
And with a nasty scar
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane
But I got a blank space, lover
And one with her name

quote:

Helene Adams, the Vampire
Smouldering, Hungry Eyes
Taken this century
Hot 2, Cold 1, Volatile -1, Dark -1


The Feeding
You feed on hot blood. If this is the first time they’ve ever been fed upon, you both mark experience. When you feed, choose two:
* you heal 1 harm previously suffered,
* you carry 1 forward,
* they don’t die.

Hypnotic
You can hypnotize people who have no Strings on you. Roll with hot. On a 10 up, they do exactly what you wish and have no idea that anything is wrong.
• On a 7-9, the hypnosis works, but choose one:
* they realize you hypnotized them;
* they gently caress up your commands;
* their sanity is unhinged

Sex Move
When you deny someone sexually, gain a String on them. When you have sex with someone, lose all Strings on that person.

Darkest Self
Everyone is your pawn, your plaything. You hurt them and make them vulnerable, for sport, like a cat does with a mouse. You feed to the point of death whenever you’re alone with someone, though you take your time. You escape your Darkest Self when you’re put in your rightful place, by someone more owerful than you.

1. Tell me about another student you've had the pleasure (or displeasure) of interacting.

Adam. Captain of the quiz team, in the running for valedictorian, and had I not fallen for her he'd almost certainly have been my boyfriend by now. One of my old friends to not give up on me (I'm fairly sure they'd take me back if I pretended to be a nerd again). Still, useful to know as a person - what he can't do with electronics and wiring can't be done. He also seems to think that I shouldn't be allowed to change. Which is ... annoying. He's generally a Nice Guy - just as annoying.

2. Tell me about a teacher or facility member you've met or had to deal with.

Mr. Perks. Teaches geography, runs the rifle club. Utterly biassed as a teacher - also a chain smoker who leaves in half his lessons to do "photocopying" and comes back stinking with nothing photocopied. Big fan of anyone who can shoot, really doesn't like "hippies". I think he's president of the local chapter of the NRA.

3. Tell me any interesting places you've seen or heard of from the other students.

It may sound extremely boring, but there's a lockable cabinet on the wall by the music block that's used to keep the keys to the rehersal rooms. Now why would that be remotely interesting to anyone? Two reasons, both related. The first is that the music teachers and janitors often leave master keys in there when they leave for the night. The second is that it's a solid steel box - but a cheap one. You can slip it open with a ruler.

neonchameleon fucked around with this message at 02:13 on May 28, 2015

AdjectiveNoun
Oct 11, 2012

Everything. Is. Fine.


Current Mood: Fuckin' Awesome, #POWER

So you want to know about me? Where do we start? I'm strong, smart, drop dead gorgeous. Quarterback and captain of the football team #BTBarracudasStrong. I deserve to be here, I'm skilled enough and worked my rear end off, and yeah, maybe I'll let everyone know it, because what's the point of being awesome if you don't flaunt it? Make you see my grinning face (and you know you love it) everytime you check the news or twitter or instagram or anything; just yep, Sam's still the best thing to ever come to this school, thanks for asking.

No, I don't have any family legacy or anything to live up to. Mom's awesome, she works hard to put me and my sisters through school, but dad hosed off with his secretary, and wasn't worth anything even before then. #GoodRiddance #BetterOffWithoutHim - but anyway, it's not like I had to impress him, or anyone else. I'm doing all this for me, and it's all because of me.

It's no wonder those creeps from that New Age group are so interested in me, even if they say I'm 'chosen by destiny' or other bullshit like that, as if I didn't earn everything I've got. #StupidHippies , amirite?



quote:

Name: Samuel Francis York, the Chosen

Look: Strong, Radiant Eyes

Origin: Destined

Stats: Hot 2 Cold -1 Volatile 1 Dark -1

Moves:
Light the Way
Whenever your friends follow through on your commands
or your lead, they add 1 to their roll. (If your friends are
NPCs, they instead act at an Advantage.)


Take the Blow
When you leap into the way and take the blow instead of
someone else, roll with Volatile. On a 10 up, you take the
harm instead of them, but reduce it by 1. • On a 7-9, you
take the harm instead of them.

Darkest Self:
None of your friends can help. They’re not strong like
you are. You need to chase down the biggest threat
imaginable, immediately and alone. Any challenges or
dangers that you encounter must be faced head on, even
if they might kill you. You escape your Darkest Self when
someone comes to your rescue or you wake up in the
hospital, whichever comes first.

Sex Move:
When you have sex, heal all of your wounds, and cure all
of your Conditions. If they disgust you, give them a String.
If you disgust yourself, give them a String.

Backstory:
You have two friends who you can rely on for monsterslaying
support. Take a String on each.
There’s someone who knows that you’re the Chosen one,
and wants you dead. The MC gives them a name and two
Strings on you.

1. Tell me about another student you've had the pleasure (or displeasure) of interacting.

Okay, so there's this foreign student? Kryzs or something (seriously, Europeans need to learn to use VOWELS). He's nice, even if he barely speaks English, but he just... watches me. Like, I'll have lunch, and he'll be on the third floor, watching me through a window, or I'll be out practicing on the field and he'll just show up and sit on the bleachers. And if anyone talks to him, he'll politely leave, then come back as soon as they're gone. #CreepyAsFuck


2. Tell me about a teacher or facility member you've met or had to deal with.

Who else can I talk about except Coach? Coach is awesome - he fought in like, Somalia or something, but took some shots to the leg, had to retire. Sucks, but #RespectTheTroops. He was from here before, so he teaches Gym now. People say he's nuts, or sadistic, all kinds of bullshit, but he just wants to push people to their limits, the way he was, so keeps looking for ways to push people further, until they fall. Don't think it's anything deliberate, but a lot of people do.

3. Tell me any interesting places you've seen or heard of from the other students.

Did you know this place used to have an artificial lake? They had row teams use it and everything. Closed down after like, an entire boat of people drowned, and it stopped being maintained but people still sneak up to it, and say there's still people - teachers, even - who hang around there. Isn't that weird?

4. (Optional) You got a good thread title?

Sorry, I'm awful at this.

AdjectiveNoun fucked around with this message at 01:36 on May 27, 2015

Heliotrope
Aug 17, 2007

You're fucking subhuman

Eve Austin, the Infernal

Here's a story for you:

Once upon a time, there were two people. Were they happily married? Sure, I'd say so. But they weren't doing as well as they wanted, financially that is. Oh, they tried and tried, but they remained down near the bottom. Things looked as if they'd never change, until a stranger came into their lives one day. This stranger offered them the chance of a lifetime - if the happy couple agreed to their terms then they would be as rich as they wanted. If not, then hey no big deal. But it wouldn't be offered ever again.

You might be thinking, "This sounds like something bad." And you're right! The deal was for the couple's first born child. Maybe the stranger was really uncreative, I don't loving know. But they agreed anyway. So the two suddenly found things changed for the better and when they had a daughter and the stranger came again...they realized that maybe this person wasn't exactly on the up and up. But it was too late now, they had seen what this person could do. And honestly, I'd say they were more afraid of losing what they had rather than any magical curse or whatever bullshit. So they figured this was the last they'd see of young Eve.

Wrong! Turns out the stranger just came to tell them that the payment was now due. Because from then on, that young girl was in contact with a one The Emissary. No really. That is what he actually calls himself. Sometimes I like to call him Em, it annoys him when I use nicknames. Seriously, you think having overbearing parents is bad? Try having some sort of...person….thing (still not quite sure what exactly he is) able to mentally drop by and start telepathically talking to you or chiding you or telling you just HOW EXACTLY you're doing something wrong or that you're "just in that teenage phase" or -

Sorry about that. Anyway, Mr. Em keeps telling this young girl about how, in "the future" she will be of vital importance in events she can't even begin to comprehend. That it wasn't just a random chance her future parents were the ones approached for the deal. And how it's his job to make sure she's up to the task. So while he grants her some amazing abilities, he also demands she perform tasks and prove herself every now and then to pay it off. And these aren't always something easy and simple (sometimes they are though, or at least that's how they look). He says she must learn to deal with adversity, to think quick on her feet, and see others as tools to be used.

So with all this, can you really blame her for using her powers to do whatever the gently caress she wants the rest of the time?

quote:

Look: Vicious, empty eyes
Origin: Chosen

Stats:

Hot -1, Cold -1, Volatile 2, Dark 1

Moves:

Soul Debt
Name a dark power that you owe a debt to. Choose two Bargains that it has made with you. It can hold Strings against you. Whenever it collects 5 Strings against you, trigger your Darkest Self.

Dark Power: The Emissary

Unknowable
When you lash out physically against someone, on a 10 up, they lose 1 String on you. • On a 7-9, add to your list of options: they lose 1 String on you.

Bargains

Elsewise Power
You can give the dark power a String to use a move you don’t have, just this once. This move can come from any playbook.

Uncanny Voices
You can give the dark power a String in order to realize a secret about someone you’re talking to. The owner of that character will reveal one of their secret fears, secret desires, or secret strengths (they choose.)

Darkest Self:

You can’t get what you need, anymore. The world has left you cold and alone, shivering in the wake of your own addictions. The dark power will make some open-ended demands of you, and it’ll promise you some lucrative (and perhaps volatile) things in return. Every demand you fulfill brings you a little closer to feeling whole again, to rekindling the fire in your heart. Whenever you fulfill those demands, remove a String it holds on you. You escape your Darkest Self when the dark power has no more Strings on you, or when you agree to an even worse bargain with an even more dangerous dark power.

Sex Move

When you have sex, the dark power loses a String on you and gains a String on whoever you had sex with.

Your Backstory:

You owe debts. Give away 3 Strings, divided any way you like between the dark power and the other characters.

Someone thinks they can save you. Gain a String on them.


1. Tell me about another student you've had the pleasure (or displeasure) of interacting.

Garfield Mills. Yeah everyone makes jokes about Mondays and lasagna to him, but he's surprisingly cool with it. He's the guy to go to if you want various "party favors." Pretty good deals too, even if I have to put up with Em's passive-aggressive feelings of disapproval.

2. Tell me about a teacher or facility member you've met or had to deal with.

Mr. Ybarra. History teacher, total hardass , no nonsense, doesn't let you turn in assignments late. Em seems to approve, and whenever I mention it goes "So what will you do about it, then?" Uggh. I should just find out a deep dark secret of his and then maybe he'll be a little more lenient if I know he committed a murder or some poo poo.

3. Tell me any interesting places you've seen or heard of from the other students.

The local library seems pretty normal, but has a really confusing layout. Occasionally it feels like I'm wandering in a giant loving maze, and one time I actually got lost. When I managed to get back near the entrance, Em wanted to know why I was "just walking around in a circle" and seemed concerned when I told him what had happened. Haven't really gone back, it's not like I read that much anyway.

Heliotrope fucked around with this message at 05:02 on May 30, 2015

SHY NUDIST GRRL
Feb 15, 2011

Communism will help more white people than anyone else. Any equal measures unfairly provide less to minority populations just because there's less of them. Democracy is truly the tyranny of the mob.


Serenity Moonblossom, the Sasquatch

Man the city is far out. I've never seen so many people at once. And I thought it was crowded at the commune. Yeah bro, the commune. Man whaaat? Most of those didn't work out? That's a bummer. Well the one I'm from started back in '68. Yeah by my gramps. Mike always talks about how much of a cool dude gramps was. Yeah Mike, my pops. Well I'm pretty sure he's my pops. Everyone's family at the commune dude. You should like, check it out sometime. I'd have to show you it's not on any maps. I'm kind of bummed I can't stay there and go to school but it's too long a walk. So my folks rented me an apartment nearby. You wouldn't believe what people will pay just to have plants they can't even eat. Yeah we're like totally in tune with nature but we admit tech can't be beat sometimes. We only use it to help with the crops. Oh yeah I was talking about school. My folks were teaching me but they want to make sure I'm like all up to date so they're sending me to a fancy city school. Pretty righteous of them. They can't afford to send all of us out here after all.

School's like whatever man. I just put in my time and do my work. Haven't really made too many friends. But even at the commune I stuck with just a few of my bros and sisters. Feels like a real hunting grounds so I'm happy to keep my head down. Everyone's talking about stuff I never heard of so I don't really know how to talk to them. I just kind of blurt out whatever comes first. Mixed results man. But I've been chill about it. Got a few years of this I'll get better at it.

Living on my own is weird. I feel bummed out being alone. Really I feel alone all the time man. In the city like this I'm just a tree in the forest. It's even worse when people do notice me. They think I'm like some groady animal cuz I'm from the country. Way to tank my good vibes. I wash my dress every day so I don't know what they're talking about. They need to stop sniffing like I ripped a huge fart or something it's really rude. You smell something too? Oh I don't have any on me, but I could hook you up for some scratch. Yeah, boss. Catch you on the flip side.

quote:

Look: Sweet, wide eyes
Orgin: Walked out of the forest

Hot 0 Cold -1 Volatile 1 Dark 1

Moves:

Musk: You have a distinct smell. When you sweat around others roll volatile. On a 10 the mc gives you a string on someone and they; compliment you, apologize to you, give themself to you. on a 7-9 the mc gives you a string on someone and they give you a condition.

Ice Breaker: When someone speaks to break silence to start a conversation roll dark. On a 10 the person blurts out the truth of two of these questions. On a 7-9 both of you blurt out the answer to one question. Who do you want to make out with? What do you not want me to know? What do you intend to do? What do you wish I would do? What are you afraid of? What are you ashamed of? Do you like me?

Understanding: When you hold someone close gain a string on them.

Sex move: Your partner gains Scented. If they face their peers before washing it off they mark experience.

Darkest Self: Now, right now, it's time to rain stones down upon the bullies and the excluders. It's time to wreck their precious stuff, to shove them back so hard that they'll never even dream of messing with you or anyone ever, ever again. You escape your Darkest Self when you hurt one of those people more than they've ever hurt anyone else... and more than you meant to.

Backstory: You've been a wallflower all your life, but someone finally noticed you. Give them a String.Someone makes fun of you. What do they say? They give you a Condition, and you gain 2 Strings on them.

Advances: Lesser Beasts; +1 volatile; smiting;

1. Becky's a real piece of work man. She's always harshing my chill for not doing her facebook stuff. She and her friends call me the cavewoman. Yet they always come back. Jonesing for another toke. Yeah I charge them extra and they don't even realize it. Becky and her crew are alright when they're chilled out on the good stuff though. We'll hang out for ours and forget about all that social media nonsense. It'd be nice if we could be tight more than a foot from my own doorway though.

2. The security guard Frank is a super buzzkill man. He's always looking through my stuff. I know better than to bring my stuff to school though. I have to pay attention in classes for I'll disappoint the old lady. And they'll stop sending me the treats if I don't keep my grades up. I'm not even really supposed to be selling it. But they didn't exactly give me a lot of spending money. What was I talking about? Oh yeah officer Frank. That pig is always in everyone's business.

3. The park is a real choice location. I like to chill out in the brush and commune with nature. In the one thicket I found a mattress under a tarp. I wonder is anyone is living in the park. That's be far out. It'd be boss to crash in the park and sleep under the stars again.

SHY NUDIST GRRL fucked around with this message at 04:51 on Aug 11, 2015

Shogeton
Apr 26, 2007

"Little by little the old world crumbled, and not once did the king imagine that some of the pieces might fall on him"

Alexandra Farmer, the Queen



"Hey there, Betty. Good you could make it. Bottle of coke's on the table, grab yourself a glass. Congrats by the way, heard you aced the hell out of that quiz last week. No surprise there. I know how hard you've been studying. I've always known you had serious potential. I'm seriously so glad you joined our study group. Mrs. Michaels keeps asking me what the secret is, and I always say, it's just a healthy bit of peer pressure, staying away from beer and drugs and selling our collective souls to the devil. Hahahah."

"Well, I was lying of course. About the selling soul to the devil thing, no such thing. However, there is actually another part to the secret. And I'm going to tell you. I'm not worried you'll blab, or won't believe me or get angry, because you've been with us long enough. But these are things you should know, and I feel I owe it to each of you to say it personally.

"So let's get the big reveal out of the way. I have, or am, some kind of odd creature that sits inside my skull and has pretty much fused with my brain."

"Hm, just a little bit of trepidation, huh? Maybe I should have waited a week more? Nah, you'll feel fine. trust me, it only gets easier from here."

"Anyway, my dad's a doctor, and he got it too, and he injected me with his, well, seeds I guess, and I went through pretty much what you went through. Except you got it during one of those make-out sessions with Mark here. It's pretty much on my prodding he went after you, though he did think you were pretty hot, not much prodding requited. You're gonna have to break up soon, by the way, but the changes should make sure you'll be okay with that. Anyway, before I gave him the go ahead to choose you, I had you in the group, wanted to see if you were 'the right stuff' Not everyone in the Study Group has what it takes you know. You're part of the best of the best, and you're going to get even better."

"So, once I saw you had a good amount of the good stuff in your nogging, I had Mark turn on his charm, and you got some little floaters that are in his bodily fluids in you. At the start, they didn't do much except give me a vague awareness of your mental state. it's how I knew you were feeling so down when your dog died. I wasn't faking my sympathy though. I lost my dog too, and that really loving hurt. Bit by bit, those little floaters started to grow all over your brain though. And they also started multiplying and got little seeds all in your bodily fluids."

"Hahah, I see how all kinds of lights are coming on right? You are a sharp one. Yeah, that's why I blocked off Vince when he was trying to make a move on you. Vince is definitely NOT the right stuff. And I don't want him to have anything grow inside that booze pickled brainpan. It's pretty hard really. Drink and drugs? Seriously mess up the seeds and growths. Yeah, you got it, the big anti-Drug and Drink campaign is mostly done so I can take good care of what's growing in your head."

"Becuase it's growing. It's making you smarter, more focused, with a better memory. I mean, you're not going to be doing any comic-book stuff, but you're going to go places. And also, it makes you extremely susceptible to my commands, and accepting of, well, all of this. This is pretty much the point of no return. Seriously, I don't mean that in the 'we'll kill you if you betray us' thing, because you can't, and I would never kill you. I mean in that at this stage, removing the growth would require an almost lethal amount of drugs and, well, could very well cause brain damage, or death. Mark here is pretty much in it for life, one way or the other."

"But this isn't about me being the Queen and having a bunch of slaves. That is not how this thing works. You're not my slaves. You're... my children in a way. That's why I never hook up with any of the inner circle, and that's why Mark and you are going to go splitsville. Even if I ordered you to stay together for some reason, it'd soon get really gross for you, trust me. You're like, siblings. Yeah, I can see how you feel how the affection changed and you just... felt less hot about him, eh? it's natural."

"Oh yeah, one thing I almost forgot. The growth in your brain actually needs a few extra nutrients. Just some trace amounts, but your body doesn't make them on its own. So every week or so, you need to drink a little bit of my body liquids. Trace amounts is enough. Hah, yep! How does that coke taste? Now you know why I always bring the drinks. Just spit, you probably had larger amounts of bodily fluids from eating fast-food. You don't want to get off this. It will hurt you. Badly. So when I offer people drinks. Drink. Don't worry, it doesn't do anything to people who aren't fertilized. That needs a more... direct contact."

"Anyway, like I said, you're my children. And children will mature one day. At some point, there' going to be a final growth spurt in that magnificent brain of yours, and after a two day fever with headaches and a brief moment of braindeath, you'll be a fully grown Yeerk. My dad named us like that. He is the hugest dork. At that point, I will no longer be able to have any control over you, and you'll produce your own little seeds, that do all the things, for you, not for me. You'll be able to recognize others like us, so there's no accidental awkward attempts to fertilize each other. I don't know what that'll do, but I don't want to find out. At that point, you can look to find your own children."

"I'll tell you what my dad told me though. You need to think carefully about when you claim them. Too young can be... unpredictable. My dad had me injected at the start of puberty, and let me tell you, I gave him a lot of trouble. I like to think I came out all right. Too old and, well, the intelligence improving aspect thing is... lackluster and the process is slowed. Fully mature brains just aren't growing enough anymore. But honestly, the ideal age for highly intelligent, sharp Yeerk is pretty much your age. You'll all probably surpass me. My goal here is to see you become the best Yeerk you can be. And I'm counting on you to get into positions that mean something. Companies, governments, use your own judgement. We don't want to get eradicated, so we should try to make sure we're in positions to stop word going out, all right? And you'll get married and have children. And with that, I mean adopt. Sorry, we only get one kind of procreation. And then you'll do one fine day what my father did for me."

"Oh yeah, I'm adopted. Sort of anticlimactic to reveal that now, isn't it?"

"It's not bad on a personal level or a macro level. On a personal level. I'm Alexandra, I like dogs, science fiction novels and I have a guilty pleasure for eighties music I'm totally blaming my dad for. I have all memories of my life, in fact they are better, and I won't ever have to deal with poo poo like Alzheimer. I've paid my dues in some time of loss of free will, yeah. Guess I missed out on getting grounded now and then. (not completely though. Like I said, starting young makes the whole thing a bit less stable) All in all, while it might be a hard sell to make, I can imagine a lot of people would loving sign up on this. Except remember, this club is exclusive, invite only. You get some dumbshit with this on his brain, and not only is it kind of a waste of your time, but there's a risk he'll get all of us loving exposed. I don't need to draw you a picture of what that will lead to right? So seriously, right now, you don't have a choice, but you'll remember this when you're mature. Keep a tight hold of who you fertilize. If something goes wrong. Drugs or booze that one up to make sure you don't make a dumb Yeerk. It feels bad when you do that, but it'll feel worse when you create another one of us who's just... not on the same level as any of the others. We are, or we all will be, creature of thought. Don't use one as dumb muscle. That's just... wrong."

"So about the macro stuff, you know, I do think about right and wrong, same as a human would. I mean, I supposed I'm emotionally predisposed to be cool with it, my brain rewired and all, but it makes sense doesn't it? End game here is we secretly or maybe not so secretly run the world. Now think of what this means. I'm not saying we Yeekrs could not have conflicts, but the greatest resource we wish, are intelligent, well thinking humans. Do you think if we ran poo poo things like ISIL, or the Tea Party or Jersey Shore would happen? Hell no, that's poisoning the well. If we'd compete, it would be in educating our people the best. Getting out into space. Finding new races and new intelligences to try to enrich. Humanity would be enriched. Even the people who don't make the cut, they'd be led by people with better functioning brains, who share a great purpose with the people on the other end. End World Hunger, Cure for Cancer, World Peace, Resolution of Energy Crisis, all the good stuff. I'm sure we can do it."

"Like I said when I started this Study Group. It's all about fulfilling potential."

quote:

Stats: Hot 1 Cold 1 Volatile -1 Dark 0

Moves:
The Clique
You’re at the head of the toughest,
coolest, most powerful clique around.
They count as a gang. Choose one of
the following strengths for your gang:

they’re cultists mind-controlled (with dark oaths larvae in their brains and willingness to die).

Many Bodies
When you promise one of your gang members to someone, add 2 to your roll to turn someone on. When one of your gang members has sex with someone, it triggers your Sex Move.


Sex Move:
When you have sex with someone, they gain the Condition one of them. While the Condition remains, they count as part of your gang.

Darkest Self:
They’ve failed you. This is all their fault, and there’s no reason why you should have to suffer the consequences of their idiocy. You need to make an example out of each of them, a cruel and unwavering example. You escape your Darkest Self when you relinquish part of your power over to someone more deserving, or when you destroy an innocent person in order to prove your might.

Backstory:
Name three NPCs who are members of your gang. Gain a String on each.
You find someone threatening. Give them a String on you, and take two Strings on them..

quote:

1. Tell me about another student you've had the pleasure (or displeasure) of interacting.

So, I've been establishing our Study group here at Turl Boler, keeping an eye on promising folks. And I have my eye on Leo Simmons. Very sharp, very intelligent. However, he's been coasting along his classes for a long time, spending a lot of time facebooking in class and getting B+'s. Mostly, he's bored. He's got a bit of an ego on him though, looking down on people that have problems, and he feels are 'holding him back' He's not very likely to join the Study Group on his own, even if he might need it most. But I'm pretty sure I want him to get fertilized.

2. Tell me about a teacher or facility member you've met or had to deal with.

Mrs. Johnson. Chemistry teacher and redently married to another woman.. Outspokenly feminist and trying to encourage more girls to go into the hard sciences. She and Mr. Perks do NOT get along. She's got a sharp sense of humor, sometimes outright cutting, and a sharp brain. She and Mrs. Jasper, the biology teacher I should make sure to keep tabs on, to make sure none of them suspect a thing.

3. Tell me any interesting places you've seen or heard of from the other students.

There's a bar near the school which I've started to frequent. 'Totally T'. It's pretty much like a bar except they serve no alcohol. Which means we can get in without getting carded, and without even anyone frowning at it. They got a lot of coffee, orange juices, teas, etc. People there are a pretty large mix. You've got your health nuts, you've got your pious folks, your more hippie oriented folks (it's fair trade stuff). And our Study Grooup gathers there sometimes.

Shogeton fucked around with this message at 18:41 on Jun 1, 2015

Zurui
Apr 20, 2005
Even now...



Wendy Ealasaid Theresa MacLain

It's pronounced Ee-ah-luh-sitch. It's terrible. You tell a soul about my middle name and I will make you regret it.



Put this on in the background.

With my marks, I could have attended any of a dozen schools at home - even several English schools, though thank the Lord my parents were wise enough to not send their girl to school with a bunch of Tories. Then my father accepted a position for almost twice the money and then we had move to the States. There wasn't time to get me into a proper private academy, so we settled for Burl Toler.

San Francisco is fantastic, of course. Being Scottish, you discover that just about everyone makes better food than the Scots (save the English, of course). Frisco is a hub for all of the best cuisine in the world. What I really love about this place is not the food, though; it's the mystery. What better place to find the truth than here? I mean, Ambrose Bierce didn't set his stories here for nothing, and neither did Mark Twain. Angel Island, Russian Hill, practically all of Brenthood town, bloody hell! There are so many hauntings here you could kick a stone and find a place with a geist. I had a numpty boy back home that I would go venturing with, but here I'm all alone. Just me and my cameras and my EMF.

So here I am, in the states, thousands of miles from home. Everyone thinks my accent is Irish; half of them cannot understand me unless I speak reeeeeaaaal slooooow. The boys seem to think this makes me some sort of exotic, which is fine. I learned about that years ago. I've had my heart set on a specific someone since the first day, though; and as soon as they know how I feel, it's going to be perfect. Just them and I, on a mission for the truth.

quote:

Wendy MacLain, Mortal

Wendy's the new kid in town. Her eyes are deeply expressive in a way that only a human can be. She's displaced from her home, so her confidence always comes across as a little awkward - because it is.

Hot: 1
Cold: 0
Volatile: -1
Dark: 1

Lover:


Moves

True Love

You always have exactly one lover. The first is chosen during your backstory. If you ever fall in love with someone else instead, give them a String and they become your new lover. You always carry 1 forward to earning your lover’s heart or fancy.

Down the Rabbit Hole

When you go poking your nose in affairs not meant for your kind, someone involved in the situation gains a String on you, and you mark experience.

Excuses Are My Armour

When you ignore some blatant problem with your lover or how they treat you, mark experience.


Sex Move

When you have sex with someone, trigger their Darkest Self.

Darkest Self

Nobody understands you, or even wants to. They’d rather you disappear. Well, you’re not going to disappear. You’re going to make life a living hell for them. You’ll betray the wicked to the judges, the weak to the executioners. You’ll pit humans and supernaturals against one another, until everyone looks like monsters. Only seeing the pain that you’re causing your lover will let you escape your Darkest Self.

Backstory

The Mortal always declares their backstory last. Declare one person to be your lover. Give them three Strings on you. Take one String on them.

1. Tell me about another student you've had the pleasure (or displeasure) of interacting.

Todd Finley, the Third. You know his name, of course, because he can't go take a piss without telling it to you. Back home we have our share of old families who act like their poo poo don't stink, but nothing like this Todd. He's a cowboy, thinks he can swagger his way through high school based on his charm and the weight of his balls as they swing about. He calls me "Scotty" like it is some sort of revelation. Can't keep his mouth shut because he heard somewhere that Scots have sex with sheep and apparently this is a new sort of joke in America.

2. Tell me about a teacher or facility member you've met or had to deal with.

Mrs. Jasper, my biology teacher, is a friend for certain. She's from New Zealand, but the Queen is on the money there and so we see things the same way a lot. It's nice to have someone who understands what prats the Yanks are. For fun, sometimes we switch accents during class; she does a pretty mean Scot and I'm working on my Kiwi.

3. Tell me any interesting places you've seen or heard of from the other students.

Cameron House. Oh gently caress me, Cameron House. I'm still recovering from that. I've got screams on tape and apparitions on camera and I wake up in cold sweats even a month later. Those poor women.


Edit: reworked my background based on the nature of Burl Toler being charter and not private.
Edit2: Found a theme song.

Zurui fucked around with this message at 01:30 on May 28, 2015

Hunt11
Jul 24, 2013

Grimey Drawer
Zack Morrissey

Ever since that night my friends, my family, and hell everybody I know has said I am no longer the person that they knew. To be frank though I don't care, because all it shows is that they never got me, that they never could, or would try to really see the person that I am.

Before I just went with the flow, it didn't mater how much something hurt me, or how little I wanted to do it I just did what was asked of me. Whether it was by my friends or my family I always just went with the flow. I tried at times to assert myself but they always insisted that I would be better off doing what they wanted and that was the end of that. For a time that worked for me, I wasn't particularly happy but life seemed to be going in a manageable direction but then something tried to take a bite out of my spine which served to only strengthen it.

You see one night when I was 13 I was dared by my friends to go exploring the alleyways of San Francisco. Being the stupid, spineless idiot that I was I agreed to the bet, not caring that internally I was screaming at myself, as I strolled down the alleyways to the point that the only real light was that of the moon slowly raising over the city. It was there, all alone, where I was desperately trying to impress my friends that I was attacked. Some hairy thing launched out of the shadows and attacked me. I remember nothing of what happened next besides feeling pain unlike anything I could imagine, and rage beyond what I believed my body could handle. So I woke up alone in the alleyway and in my own dried up blood. At this point I started to laugh until my scabs reopened as I slowly walked home.

From that point on I just couldn't give a drat about what they thought. I did what I wanted and the rest of the world could go just leave me alone. I still hung out with my friends but when they wanted me to do something I got a lot more violent about objecting to their ideas to the point that once I broke two of my friends noses, and at that point they got lot more respectful when it came to dealing with me. With my family I am able to be a bit more restrained, but still my room is a lot more broken that it once was.

quote:

Name: Zack Morrissey
Skin: Werewolf
Looks: Primal, Fierce Eyes
Origin: Bitten
Stats: Hot 1 Cold -1 Volatile 2 Dark -1

Moves:

Scent of Blood
Add 1 to all rolls against those who have been harmed in this scene already.

Bare Your Fangs
While you are your Darkest Self, you may use Volatile instead of Cold to shut someone down or hold steady.

Sex Move:
When you have sex with someone, you establish a spirit connection with them. Until either of your breaks that spirit connection, by having sex with someone else, add 1 to all rolls made to defend them. You can tell when that connection has been broken.

Darkest Self:
You transform into a terrifying wolf-creature. You crave power and dominance, and those are earned through bloodshed. If anyone attempts to stand in your way, they must be brought down and made to bleed. You escape your Darkest Self when you wound someone you really care about or the sun rises, whichever happens first.

1. Tell me about another student you've had the pleasure (or displeasure) of interacting.

It's actually kind of funny as I have known him for years and we have never we talked, but now Ethan Johnson has become of the biggest assholes in my life. He was always kind of a jock and somehow coming into High School has convinced him that it is time to start asserting himself. Before I would have just tuned him out but now, I don't put up with that poo poo and even though school has only just started we have winded up in detention to arguing and at this rate it is only a matter of time before we start brawling. Though I do have to say the idea of just pummeling him into the pavement does sound very appealing.

2. Tell me about a teacher or facility member you've met or had to deal with.

Mr. Sineriech my maths teacher. He is so old that I am amazed he hasn't retired yet but I still enjoy his classes. Not because he is a particularly engaging teacher, it is just that his classes generally feel nice and low key and despite not being that good at math I can feel like I can relax in the class and not worry about the rest of the High School bullshit. In fact I have ran into him on the way home and it was actually kind of fun talking to him until I got on the bus to go home.

3. Tell me any interesting places you've seen or heard of from the other students.

I have heard rumors that there is some place near the school were the upperclassman like to go and drink and party. I would usually assume it would just be at one of their parents places but it seems as though they have managed to find some abandoned property that they can go completely nuts in without having to worry about the clean up. I don't really believe this but there have been times when I have been out at night and have heard could very well be the party site but I have never dared getting too close to see if its true.

Hunt11 fucked around with this message at 16:46 on May 28, 2015

Jolinaxas
Oct 24, 2012

I'm in the business of...
Absolution
Casper, the Wyrm


So let's get down to brass tacks. I got into Andover and Philips Exeter, and a few others that probably seem more like my speed, but I want more out of this whole "high school" thing than a re-tread of Dead Poet's Society or A Separate Peace. Especially that second one. A script - maybe even a movie itself, filmed here. It won't be my big break, but this place - the people - they're interesting. No creative doldrums here.

Still, the parents are a little miffed I'm staying in-state, and not going somewhere that gets "oohs" and "ahhs" at their cocktail parties when they oh-so-casually name-drop where I'm going. But those arguments (along with any illusions they had about cutting me off) disappeared when I burned a hole in their mahogany dinner table when I got mad.

It's something I'm still working through, okay?

quote:

Character Name: Casper Blake (A name of wealth)
Look: Expensive Look, Bored Eyes
Origin: Awakened
Skin: The Wyrm

Hot -1, Cold +2, Volatile -1, Dark +1

Conditions:
Carry Forward:

Harm: ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
Experience Points:
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (advance)

Moves:

[+]Bargaining Ceremony
Drinking tea, sharing a cigarette, playing chess, or sitting back to back are all ceremonies.

When negotiating a bargain during a ceremony, both of you can offer Strings as part of that bargain.
This can include Strings you have on others, or new Strings that you generate on yourselves.
When you're both satisfied, the exchange occurs.

[+]The Bait
You have a collection of beautiful things – an impressive collection of movies and movie memorabilia.
When you show it to someone, they inevitably find something they fancy.
They will mark experience when it becomes theirs and is no longer yours.

Also, choose one:
-They see something someone else would like, and when you show that someone the something,
carry one forward against them,
-The time has flown by and it's hours later than you thought.

[+]Broker (unless no one plays any condition-granting skins, somehow?)
You're attuned to how people value and weaken one another.
Whenever you gain a String on someone with any Conditions named in a Skin move,
mark down 2 Strings on that person instead of 1.

Sex Move:
When you have sex with someone, read them this:
"Choose at least one thing from this list, and for each that you choose,
describe something I learn about you from our intimacy:
>Give me a String on you, and take something from my collection.
>Give me a String on you, and take a String on me as well.
>Give me a String on you, and I'll promise you anything you'd like.
>Give me a String on you, and then give me a Condition."

Darkest Self:
You've become too heady, too lax, too vague. You need to dominate one of the people-things that you treasure,
let it know that it's yours, that it doesn't get to choose who owns it – you do.
You escape your Darkest Self when your treasured thing proves that you don't own it entirely,
or when you see the difference between objects and people.

Backstory:
Judge each other PC as either “treasure” or “merely currency.”
If they're treasure, describe the moment they caught your eye, and give them a String.
If they're merely currency, take a String on them. They describe something off-putting that you said to them.

Strings:

Advances:

1. Tell me about another student you've had the pleasure (or displeasure) of interacting.

Torrie Evans has apparently been working the lights for the drama club's productions since her freshman year. When I expressed my interest for this Fall, she grabbed me - literally grabbed me - and told me to not "mess this up for her." If it wasn't for the principle of the thing, I'd have let her have it. But now I need to know why it's so important to her.

2. Tell me about a teacher or facility member you've met or had to deal with.

Horace Iverson is the art teacher, and he's old school. When I asked which version of Photoshop and Premiere they had, he just kind of sneered at me and shrugged. Guess I'll be doing boring-rear end oil paintings if I want to submit anything to student art shows?

3. Tell me any interesting places you've seen or heard of from the other students.

Yo, this place has a network of maintenance tunnels in the basement level. Apparently the main building's pretty old. Very Nightmare on Elm Street. I'll have to sneak in, though. Not only do they not talk about it, but I can't even find the entrance.

Jolinaxas fucked around with this message at 02:20 on May 28, 2015

Capfalcon
Apr 6, 2012

No Boots on the Ground,
Puny Mortals!


Hope Regina

People talk about the "state of nature" like it's a good thing. Me? I'm much more of a Hobbs kind of girl. Life in Nature is Nasty, Brutish, and Short.

Well, it's short for people, I guess. The Fae tend to live pretty long out in the wild. But it's still boring and gross.

No, you know what real freedom is?
Being able to hop on a bus and get wherever you want.
Getting a delicious, cheap meal anytime you want.
And the internet! It's amazing just how much you people take it for granted!

Don't get me wrong, I can only get so far from my roots before I start to get sickly. But I can spend my nights running skyclad through the parks with my kin and then spend days munching fast food and surfing the web.

In fact, I like it in the city so much, that I think I'm going to stay here. I've called in a few favors from my extended family, and now I'm enrolled in this fancy prep school. Once I make it through my schooling, I'm gonna be able to do anything I want!

I'll really be free, then.

quote:

Skin: Fae

Hot: +2
Cold: -1
Volatile: -1
Dark: +1

Looks: Girlish, mesmerizing eyes
Origin Fae Born

Moves

Faery Contract
If someone breaks a promise or contract made to you, take a String on them. When spending a String to even out the score and get justice on a broken promise, add these options:

they gently caress up something simple at a crucial moment;
add 2 to your roll on an act of vengeance;
they suffer 1 harm, whether the cause is obvious or not.

Lure
Whenever someone makes a promise to you, they mark experience. Whenever someone breaks a promise to you and you seek vengeance, mark experience.

Wingman
When you wax poetic about the beauty of another PC, that other PC rolls to turn on the person you're talking to.

The Constant Bargain
When someone asks you to do something important for them, and you do it, roll with hot.
On a 10 up, they lose a String on you, and you gain one on them.
On a 7-9, choose one or the other.
On a miss, you’ve shown that they can walk all over you, and they take a String on you.

Sex Move
When you lie naked with another, you can ask them for a promise. If they refuse, take 2 Strings on them.

Darkest Self
Everything you say is a promise. Everything you hear is a promise. If a promise is broken, justice must be wrought in blood. To escape your Darkest Self, you must in some way re-balance the scales of justice.

Promises:
Wendy promised to help Hope when she needed it!
Serenity promised to have some quiet (naked) time with Hope and Cally on the second day of school! BROKEN! AND REVENGED!!!
Eve will treat Serenity and hope to a meal and show us around town after school. Fulfilled within reason.
Eve won't hurt Serenity!
Wendy promised no more violence!
Cally promised not to hurt Hope!
Eve promised that she won't lie to Hope!
Wendy promised she wouldn't be cruel!
Cally promised that she only needed Hope and Serenity! BROKEN
Cally promised she'll have Hope's back when she needs her!
Cally promised she won't let a single one of those awful people hurt me ever again!
Eve promised she'll give Cally's coat back tomorrow.

1. Tell me about another student you've had the pleasure (or displeasure) of interacting.

Jenna Lims is a real girl scout! Like, literally. She goes camping and has merit badges and stuff. But, I mean the other way, too. Like, she's also really sweet and thoughtful and doesn't lie. When I was trying to figure out which bus route to take home, she helped me figure it out. I gotta do something nice for her.

...and I think she might have seen me while I was out running through the park one night. She probably doesn't know it was me though.

Probably.

2. Tell me about a teacher or facility member you've met or had to deal with.

The librarian, Mrs. Pinche, is a real battle ax. Other students say she's actually allergic to fun. It sure would explain the selection of books in the library. Only English classics and reference books. Any books anyone would actually want to read have a mysterious habit of disappearing overnight.

And god help you if you return a book late.

3. Tell me any interesting places you've seen or heard of from the other students.

There's lots of Ways from this side back to the Woods of the Faerie. But most of them in the city are in out of the way places that people have forgotten, in abandoned tunnels and overgrown woods.

Except for the one in Golden Gate Park. It's right in the middle of the park, with all the statues and sculptures. It's in the form of a sculpture of an open doorway. Yeah, I know. Subtle, huh?The weird thing is that people walk right by it all the time. And I've never seen someone accidentally blunder into it.
Well, almost never.

Capfalcon fucked around with this message at 01:44 on Sep 21, 2015

BallisticClipboard
Feb 18, 2013

Such a good worker!


Alright, first set of the first question (of ?). This will only be for a few people, if you're not here your questions will come after I've gotten some sleep.

QUESTION 1

Ginny: How are you keeping your other side in check? Have you enlisted anyone or have people come out of the woodworks to help you or is it all under wraps?

Katrina: What happened a year ago and why do you think you’re still here?

Franklin: A quick and dirty style might work in a pinch but you might become quickly reversed. Speaking of, was there a time where your spells have gone awry? What happened?

Cally: How have you adjusted to your city life? Who's helped you integrate the most?

Alexandra: As noble as you goals might be, I would imagine your reveal would be rather shocking. Have any of your ‘children’ fled from or resisted you? If so, what happened to them and the being in their head? If not, what would happen?

BallisticClipboard fucked around with this message at 18:27 on May 27, 2015

LifeGetsWorser
Oct 23, 2010

Me "IRL" :smug:
Fun Shoe

BallisticClipboard posted:


QUESTION 1

Cally: How have you adjusted to your city life? Who's helped you integrate the most?

Oh, jeez, adjusting has been really really difficult. I mean, people are strange, you know? They don't like using the bodies they have - cars and trolleys and buses and seats all the time. I think that's what those things are called. And it's dumb because people have really interesting bodies, all of them. What's the point of being in one if you're not using it for stuff, right? I've gotten yelled at in the school for wanting to just, stand up. I feel restless a lot so I go down to the beach and surf or I go for walks. I have found that so long as I don't look lost people don't try to ask me where I'm going or what I'm doing, so I'm practicing just looking determined instead when I go for walks. It's mostly the beach, though. It's as close to home as I can get...I mean it reminds me of home, a lot. And surfing is great. But, I don't think I'm going to find my pel....coat there, so the walks have gotten more frequent. I think I'm on to something, probably. I actually think someone might have it who goes to Burl Toler, but, uhm, more on that later.

Aaron, he's helped me integrate a LOT. But I guess it's not really integrating if we're just surfing or hanging out on the beach all the time. And in school he kind of has to avoid me since he's a year older, we're not in the same classes or anything. So I've had to rely on some other people. There's this girl Shelly Whitmoore, she's pretty nice. Bubbly little redheaded thing, and she has spots! Sorry, uhm...freck alls? Those, all over her face. She says she is from out of town too, a place called...Plain Oh. I like her accent, and since we're both, uhm, new, we've hung out a fair bit. She says she'd like to teach me to ride a horse, but I don't know, that sounds like it would be strange. I'd rather go running myself instead of being on top of someone...er...something else that is doing all the running. But she's good, she's active. Cute, even. We go on walks together sometimes. She's teaching me words to help me fit in. Lingo, or 'slang', she calls it. I guess she's learning it too, San Fransisco's slang. I haven't really picked up on it but it's helping me not have to practice words as much by myself, having someone to talk to through it. She doesn't know where my coat is, she says I should just get a new one if I really want it. That's not exactly the point though, and it wouldn't work, anyway. But it's okay, Shelly says she's happy to help me look. She says she really likes spending time with me, and when she says it her cheeks get all rosy and I laugh. It's nice though, I like spending time with her, too.

Sometimes when Shelly and I hang out people seem to like, watch us? Sometimes it's like they are talking about the two of us hanging out but I don't really understand why. Do you think it's that maybe people can tell I'm uhm...not normal? or is it the amnesia story or something? I hope I'm not being too obvious about being different about things. I'm trying to learn all the pronunciations about things and I think I'm getting pretty good at it, for the most part.

LifeGetsWorser fucked around with this message at 18:33 on May 27, 2015

Ferrosol
Nov 8, 2010

Notorious J.A.M

BallisticClipboard posted:


QUESTION 1

Ginny: How are you keeping your other side in check? Have you enlisted anyone or have people come out of the woodworks to help you or is it all under wraps?


Just barely. Oh you mean how? I've noticed a few things changing lately and trying to keep control of them is a bitch and a half. For starters I found I was hungry all the time and nothing I ate seemed to satisfy me. See I am or I should say I was a vegetarian. But last week I ate a whole pack of bacon, raw and it was the best thing I've tasted. I walked past a steakhouse the other day and the smell nearly drove my wild. I ordered a steak and devoured the whole thing, rare. That's not me. Or it wasn't me. But it helped keep the hunger at bay. I've noticed my emotions are all over the place. It's a constant battle not to just go all out and hit people. Just yesterday I noticed some guy when I was coming out of school and just for the hell of it I trailed him home just because I could. It was all on instinct. So it's all sorts of things changing. I'm trying to cope. But I can't escape the feeling I'm fighting a losing battle and I'm fighting it alone.

Yeah you think I'd be crazy enough to explain it to anyone? "oh by the way a few weeks back I turned into a monster and killed my boyfriend." That'd go down well wouldn't it. Still I think some of my friends have figured out something is wrong. I've been trying to keep my distance from them for their own safety. But I can tell some of them are worried about me. The worst for that is Daisy Carpenter. We've been friends since grade school. Not like best friends forever or anything like that but good friends nonetheless. She was the one who persuaded me to try out for the girls soccer team(go Bees!). If i remember right she was the one who introduced me to Andy in the first place. They were cousins or something. Anyway she's been wondering what's up with me lately, why I was so different. She keeps trying to talk to me but I have to tell her to get lost for her own good. She can't help me. But I overheard her talking with one of our other friends. Alice I don't think I was supposed to. She said something that shocked me, She thought I was on drugs! I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I wish it were drugs, Drugs would be easy to get rid of. But if she's noticed the changes then who else has and what are they thinking of me....

Gato
Feb 1, 2012

BallisticClipboard posted:

QUESTION 1
Franklin: A quick and dirty style might work in a pinch but you might become quickly reversed. Speaking of, was there a time where your spells have gone awry? What happened?

Quick and dirty? Sounds about right. Magic the way I do it's just... intuitive for me, which is how it's meant to work if you really are gifted, right? None of this spending three hours trying to snap your fingers the Right Way. But yeah, it doesn't always go according to plan. Like, when I came up with the No Violence Ever spell I mentioned I know it needs a better name I was hoping for something a bit more subtle, more mysterious, something that would freak Tyler out, maybe set him up to catch some poo poo from his crew. Just having him collapse on the floor in front of me clutching his groin was pretty drat anticlimactic and just left him pissed off instead of scared like I wanted. And sure, the hex (I think that's the right word) did its job, can't argue with results, no more violence from Tyler, but it didn't stop the rest of them beating the crap out of me the next day. Because I sure as hell can't get tokens from everybody.

Law of unintended consequences cuts both ways - sometimes hexes work a bit too well. After No Violence Ever didn't work out quite like I planned, I tried to come up with a hex more focused on scaring people. I tested it out on Janette, who was in charge of the Bible club, because, come on, who the hell gets mad about gay people in loving San Francisco? And it worked - she freaked the gently caress out, ranting about demons everywhere. It was hilarious, but then it got kinda scary, then I started worrying, what if it doesn't just burn out like the hexes I used before? Anyway, Janette ended up in a mental unit before I figured out how to turn it off. That was a lesson right there. I always build these... I call them kill switches into my hexes now.

It's a learning process, I guess. Like, the first time I cast a hex, it didn't even hit the right person. Lesson learned - choose your tokens really carefully. Second time, a car alarm went off and broke my concentration while I was casting, and the guy just got really sick. Lesson learned - don't get interrupted. And so on. God, this makes me sound like a complete screwup, doesn't it? But, I figure this is how magic is meant to be done, and my brain could do with the exercise. And it's not like I'd ever hex somebody who didn't have it coming. Trust me, I do take this poo poo seriously, alright?

Gato fucked around with this message at 23:59 on May 27, 2015

Shogeton
Apr 26, 2007

"Little by little the old world crumbled, and not once did the king imagine that some of the pieces might fall on him"

quote:

Alexandra: As noble as you goals might be, I would imagine your reveal would be rather shocking. Have any of your ‘children’ fled from or resisted you? If so, what happened to them and the being in their head? If not, what would happen?

Hey! I've only been in this school for two weeks. I just got this study group started up and I'm still trying to get a good view on which people would make good candidates. Mark, Betty and Sean are coming with me from elementary. Anyway, if I fertilized someone, it'd still be in very early stages. It's very much dependent on a lot of things how quickly it develops. (And no, this is not something I'll experiment on. The thought is revolting) I'm making my picks, getting my study group set up, taking the measure of people I think would make good Yeerks. Rushing into this won't lead to good things.

Ah, well, I suppose I should talk about things that happened while I was in elementary school, early last year. Look, we might get improved brains and all, but when I was a dumb kid, I was still a dumb kid. I'm pretty sure that when I adopt, I'm gonna wait a bit longer to make her go through the change to avoid the mistakes I made. Right, so being a Yeerk means that if you see someone who's really smart, part of you wants to make sure he gets fertilized. That doesn't mean that my normal human eh... attraction isn't working. So, little puberty me got a crush on a boy at school named Jake. And Jake kinda liked me. Dad advised me against being rash about it, but I wanted him, and he liked me, and I just been given independence, so I figured, I'm a full on Yeerk, you can't tell me what to do. So one clumsy make out session later, hurray, I had my first fertilized 'child'.

All right, this is where the Yeerk part and the human part feelings tend to be eh... at cross purposes. Which explains why dad is single and is gonna remain so. Human part likes someone and wants make-outs and more. Yeerk part doesn't object, and actually encourages it with intelligent people. But everyone you start to make out with, you are starting to transform into your child. Not to mention, they kind of start to get under your influence. So eh... long term relations kind of go towards Creepy Town really fast, unless you continually eradicate your fertilization,, and eh... that is definitely something the Yeerk side dislikes. I guess the only possible romantic partner is someone who'd be immune to it of you somehow manage to always keep bodily fluids from mixing. Then you just have to deal with the whole 'Hey, I'm not technically fully human' part of the equation.

Let's just say that for all the advantages that becoming a Yeerk gives, a wonderful dating life is not one of them. Anyway, with Jake, it went well for a long while. We were getting closer and closer and I could feel my influence over him strengthening. However, he was hanging with some friends who were drinking. Now, you're not going to kill your proto-Yeerk with just a few lovely bud-lights, but it's not good, and I was feeling hurt about it. So, I figured I could just order him not to do it, and brilliant as I was, I did so publicly, in front of his friends.

Remember what I told you about younger ages being less predictable and harder to control? Between that and his friends egging him on. He refused. We had a big fight. He... broke up with me. I was devastated. At first I thought he'd just save face with his mates and come back, I could feel he was hurting and wanted to come back to me. Maybe things could have gone different if I had gone to him and apologized earlier, or maybe not. Anyway, as I said before, one thing that is needed for the proto-Yeerk to grow is a small amount of its parent's bodily fluids on a weekly basis. Otherwise, it starts to die off. So, at some point, Jake started having headaches and fevers. I tried to go to his home, desperate, but his parents wouldn't let me in. Dad didn't assist, saying that as an adult Yeerk, I should be made aware of the consequences of my actions.

The thing was, what does a kid with heavy headaches get? Medication. Medication which only sped up the dying of my... offspring within Jake. Eventually, my dad, in his function as a doctor, advised some stronger medicine to the parents. And that... killed the offspring in Jake. I cried for days. My father told me it was for the best. The offspring hadn't progressed too much. Jake would still be able to function normally, though likely not at a college level, and I had learned a valuable lesson. I should not think that those carrying my offspring cannot turn against me in some way. I should take charge,, but also be kind to them, and respect them.

My dad told me one of his stories too though. One that I'm keeping in mind. He had a friend, Thomas, at university that was progressed pretty drat far. Extremely intelligent, and dad looked forward a lot to seeing him become a Yeerk. Of course, back then dad was a lot more secretive, and he didn't tell his children poo poo, figuring out he'd explain all after they 'hatched'. All Thomas knew is that it was important he'd studied and improved himself. And at some point, he got the flu, and when he got better, the workload was kind of intimidating.

So Thomas started getting some 'help' to burn the midnight oil. Drugs. Dad was actually on an internship and swamped himself, so he didn't find out until after a while. And he was furious, commanding Thomas never to use such things again, and Thomas promised to do that. You know what is one of those things that will make even someone with an advanced yeerk growth go against their progenitor's wishes? A loving drug addiction. Thomas would earnestly promise and swear never to use it again, and then my father, confident that he had read the depths of his mind, would go on to look after others and his own work. And as soon as withdrawals started kicking in, Thomas would use his clever, sharpened mind to make sure he could get more drugs.

The drugs hurt the growth, and to deal with the pain, Thomas started to use more drugs. Dad realized what was happening and just... cut Thomas loose at some point. Perhaps he hoped it would lead to a turn around. It didn't. Thomas quickly washed out of college, and started getting seizures, and the smart mind dad had so admired just... fell apart. I... don't know how the story ended. The last thing dad said was 'I couldn't risk him ending up with a doctor with his brain cut open.' He never said what followed. I... like to think he just found a way for Thomas to get taken to a private care clinic to spend the rest of his days. I'm not asking dad, for both of our sake. The lesson I took is to tell the ones I feel I can trust everything about their state. So they know not to cause themselves harm.

Anywya, maybe you want a shortlist. Basically, in the earliest stages where I can just about detect you and don't really have much control over you, just a week or so of not getting fed nutrients or getting a bit sloshed or stoned will remove the fertilization ,with no damage done. At worst, you'll have something like a mild hangover, often hidden by the actual hangover. It's not something I like happening, but it's no big deal. In fact, if I find someone got fertilized who I don't want to remain so, I might try to arrange for him to get in such a situation. Also, anything that forcibly knocks you out, like trauma will pretty much do the same thing.

If you're getting a bit deeper, to the point where I can have a pretty good influence on you, but you're not 'completely in' yet, it takes a lot more. You pretty much have to drink until blackout, or do a fair dose of some heavier stuff, or just get buzzed or stoned every day, ignoring the warning signs. And of course, if you don't get the nutrients for like a moth, you're going down that path too. That's gonna give you long, sharp headaches and general fevers. It will mess you up. Pretty much what happened to Jake. Definitely not good times for me either. The further you've progressed, the harder the disease will be, and the more permanent damage it can do.

Then we get in the heavier stuff. Like Thomas. And like Mark, Betty and Sean. God, it's pretty horrifying to even talk about this. For them to... lose my gift, it'd take extensive use of serious drugs ,or months and months of separation from nutrients, or possible some kind of poison made against my kind? Perhaps severe brain damage might do that too. Brain damage is going to be what happens. A brain like that is at the apex of its final transformation, each part of the mind being prepared for an ascension. If that all is ripped out, you'll have only the shattered ruins of a mind left, and in some cases, not even that. I don't want to have to face that. Ever.

Look, can we talk about something else?

Shogeton fucked around with this message at 23:11 on May 27, 2015

BallisticClipboard
Feb 18, 2013

Such a good worker!


Alright, the goes to the people I missed in the first set. If I missed you tell me.

QUESTION 1 (part 2)

Helene: You’re playing a dangerous game with the most dangerous game. Have you waked anyone that bit the hand that feeds or do they stay down on their knees? (Does your crusade happen to be a charade?)

Samuel: What’s your drive? Why’s your #brand so important? If it weren’t so big maybe those cultist might have not found you. Have you listened to anything they’ve said? I figured you would be interested in people interested in you?

Eve: What is Emissary like and how does he treat you? What has he had you do? Has he ever told you any part of his grander plan?

Serenity: How have you adjusted to life in the 14th most populous city in the United States? Has someone helped you adjust to life here?

Wendy: You’re a ghost hunter huh? Well, you might want to be careful about what stones you kick. I’m sure the dead don’t appreciate get hit by rocks. So, tell me of your mission for the truth, is there a specific ghost you're looking for or is there something else you're trying to uncover.

Zack: Have you noticed any changes, attitude aside, after that night? How do you keep yourself in check? Is there someone in your life that makes you yearn for your old life? Or are they a reminder of the past you can’t get rid of?

Casper: What do you want out of this whole high school thing? Have you found anyone to help you with your magnum opus? Also how are the parents since you burned a hole in the table?

Hope: What made you interested in the mortal world? What is it about their freedom that makes your world's feel like bonds?

BallisticClipboard fucked around with this message at 06:39 on May 28, 2015

Zurui
Apr 20, 2005
Even now...



BallisticClipboard posted:

QUESTION 1 (part 2)
Wendy: You’re a ghost hunter huh? Well, you might want to be careful about what stones you kick. I’m sure the dead don’t appreciate get hit by rocks. So, tell me of your mission for the truth, is there a specific ghost you're looking for or is there something else you're trying to uncover.

"Wendy and I used to go ghost-hunting together," says Johnny. "She loves it more than I do; I think she gets off on the thrill. All those weird sounds and seeing poo poo in the dark. Most girls get themselves spooked when you try to take them somewhere remote for a snog. Wendy will go into places that turn my hackles up."

"Anyways, she reads all the time about werewolves and vampires and demons and Buffy the Vampire Slayer stuff. Kept ordering weird books off the internet until her parents made her stop. She waves it off, but I know in her heart she believes that it's real. It's ridiculous, but she's a girl, right? Girls believe in that stuff. Maybe she'll find a hot werewolf boyfriend there!"

Hunt11
Jul 24, 2013

Grimey Drawer

BallisticClipboard posted:

Zack: Have you noticed any changes, attitude aside, after that night? How do you keep yourself in check? Is there someone in your life that makes you yearn for your old life? Or are they a reminder of the past you can’t get rid of?

Well I have been shaving more lately. I thought it would be so cool to grow a beard and for a time I did which led to a whole host of fun fights with my family but in the end I decided to shave it off, not because they asked but because it was getting so drat itchy. Of course that means I have to get up earlier then I would prefer to deal with it all but still. I have also been eating my meat more rare then I used to, of course not eating it raw, but it is kind of nice to be able to cook my meals faster because I don't need it to be as well cooked as it once was. My sense of smell has become more potent which has made school a very interesting experience. Most kids are dreading when we reach physics but what I dread is biology and chemistry as I fear just how badly the smells in the more interesting experiments will affect my nose. What I have enjoyed though is being able to see well in the dark as it makes it a lot easier to sneak out.

Why would I need to sneak out? Because that is the only way I can truly get everything out of my system. As I feel the change start to approach me I get even more aggressive as that keeps it in check for a bit longer until I can find a chance to escape to the darker parts of the city. There I just let go and rage, destroying anything that is near me without caring about the consequences. I try somewhat to ensure I don't hurt anybody and thankfully I have been able to ensure that no one gets more then some bad scratches if they get caught up in my fury, however I know that I will not always be so lucky. I have to say that worries me, not the idea of hurting somebody so badly, but that I feel that I just wont care about almost killing somebody and that terrifies me as should I reach that stage I will be little then a feral mutt.

Out of all these changes, both the good and the bad, nothing can compare to how complicated things have become with my older sister Jessica. She is right now a Junior and before I changed we got along quite well. Admittedly that was because I was almost willing to do what she wanted but still, we got along well for siblings. Of course that all changed when I grew my spine. After I got out of the hospital she tried to keep on treating me like she always had, but I was just not having it. Of course she was just trying to help me with stuff like building a schedule but I just couldn't bare it and started to yell at her for daring to act as if she knew better. We both knew she did but I just didn't care. She tried to help a few more times but all she got was my increased hostility. So now we barely even talk anymore and I don't know quite know how to take it. In some way I love being more independent and being truly able to determine what to do myself, but at the same time I sometimes miss the guidance she gave me even though at times it did come off as preachy.

Hunt11 fucked around with this message at 16:49 on May 28, 2015

neonchameleon
Nov 14, 2012



BallisticClipboard posted:

Helene: You’re playing a dangerous game with the most dangerous game. Have you waked anyone that bit the hand that feeds or do they stay down on their knees? (Does your crusade happen to be a charade?)

I'd hardly be doing a good job if a few of them didn't learn to stand up for themselves, would I? A couple of them have spread rumours. But there are things I really don't approve of. Like ruining my stuff. Or writing my name in the guys loos with a couple of interesting suggestions. I had a few words with Pete after that. Looked him straight in the eye. Smiled. And persuaded him to not do it again. I may have been a little forceful. He's now got OCD and doesn't gossip about anyone. And became a fundamentalist Christian. (Word of advice: crosses don't work on me although I have once found a Church I couldn't enter. Garlic's delicious.) Then there's Lara, who isn't anything like as petty as Pete. She used to be a close friend of mine before. We fooled around a little. Now? She reacts like a cat hit by water when I try talking to her. It doesn't hurt, it's just annoying. But most people are sheep who seem to like it on their knees. In some cases literally.

(The question in brackets I'm going to answer OOC. As might be obvious Helene is an extremely unreliable narrator especially about her own feelings. She'd flatly deny that there was any charade going on other than the game itself but the main person she's fooling is herself. Underneath all the games and machiavellianism there's a sweet and damaged little girl who's still in love with her maker and is trying to justify everything that happened to herself. Which frequently means taking out her damage on other people, and she's the first person the parts that are charade fools. She believes everything she's saying - but that doesn't mean it's true).

Capfalcon
Apr 6, 2012

No Boots on the Ground,
Puny Mortals!

BallisticClipboard posted:

QUESTION 1 (part 2)
Hope: What made you interested in the mortal world? What is it about their freedom that makes your world's feel like bonds?

What makes me interested in the mortal world? All the stuff in it! I mean, have you seen TV? Anytime you want, boom. You can find something to entertain you. Even looking for something fun is an adventure on there. You never know what you'll find. And TV's got nothing on the internet! And man, you guys have the best food. See, no one really needs to eat in the Fae Courts, so they haven't spent all the time figuring out to make dead animals and plants be so delicious!

I mean, some of the rules here a bummer. Like clothes, for instance. And sure, there's a lot of cool things back home, but I've already done everything there is to do there! I've even tried some of the stuff that didn't interest me, like magma diving, just to see if doing something I didn't like would make me like the things I used to like again. And, surprise surprise, it didn't.

All it did is give me a nasty sunburn.

Here, though, everything changes so fast that there's no time to get fed up with something. I've walked down the same streets for months now, and all the billboards have changed at least once, and even a few of the stores were gone and replaced with different ones. Nothing changes that fast back home! So, I don't think I'll ever get bored here. How could I?

SHY NUDIST GRRL
Feb 15, 2011

Communism will help more white people than anyone else. Any equal measures unfairly provide less to minority populations just because there's less of them. Democracy is truly the tyranny of the mob.

BallisticClipboard posted:

Serenity: How have you adjusted to life in the 14th most populous city in the United States? Has someone helped you adjust to life here?

I'm like getting there, man. But it's tough work. They always said I was the freest spirit at the commune. I was always exploring the forest on my own. I would just come and go to the main parts of the commune as I pleased. I like to take things at my own pace. Things aren't like that at all in the city. I'm always on The Man's schedule here. Go to this classroom. Bring the stuff we made you do after you left last time. Wait until it's done to use the bathroom. What a drag. I also gotta wear my dress everywhere and even my sandals to most places. Mama Jean was pretty sore for some reason that I didn't have a dress when it was time for me to move into the city. I always got bored and skipped out when we made any. Papa Casey explained most of this city stuff to me.

I like to explore on walks like back home. It's pretty different though. I can't forage and I still have to follow other people's signs. But it's something. People watching is interesting. I'm starting to pick up on how people do things around here. What they talk about is far out though I still can't follow it at all. My new sis Ursula has been translating a bit for me. She's real boss, man. I met her at school. She came up to me, no one else has done that here in the city yet. We're so pressed together yet so far apart. Real irony man. But Ursula is a real cool cat. I've never seen someone with glasses before. They help her see, we all need a little help seeing. Maybe that's why she won't try the good stuff. She can already see the world as it is. But maybe not. She's not intune with free love at all. But she's real fun to have around. Ursula reads all sorts of books and knows lots of stuff. We study together. We chill at her place. She doesn't like my place for some reason. Which is a total drag. I can't chill out proper around her parents. They're pretty uptight.

There's this uptight teach at school Mr. Hawke, but in like kind of a cool way. He says I shouldn't be living on my own in the city. And always tells me not to be out late at night. He's like worse than one of my pops. But I don't think he's trying to hassle me. And he always let's me know the best way to get to a place if I ask him. It's fun to walk around the city but on The Man's schedule I don't have the time. So I need Hawke's routes to get my grub with time to wash my dress and do all the work they didn't have time to make me do at school. Man it's such a drag. That's how bad with time all this is. I gotta put in extra hours. Some days I don't even get to chill proper.

Jolinaxas
Oct 24, 2012

I'm in the business of...
Absolution

quote:

What do you want out of this whole high school thing?

What does anyone want out of it? Crazy parties with people jumping out of living room windows, the best days of one's life, *true wuv*, someplace to decide who you are. That's what we've all been sold, anyway.

So I'll sell it back. That's what I want out of this.

quote:

Have you found anyone to help you with your magnum opus?

Indeed, though I can't say I'm all that psyched about it. Isaac Winters was drat near following me after I mentioned that I wanted to write a script. He's an aspiring novelist - he wants to, like, workshop, critique each other's work and whatnot. His heart's in the right place, but if his kanji-covered silk button-downs and anime stickers are any indication, I've just roped myself into critiquing over-wrought fan fiction for the foreseeable future.

quote:

Also how are the parents since you burned a hole in the table?

Well, neither of them believe that's what it was. Dad was out of the room at the time, and Mom's rationalizing it as a rogue Yankee Candle-related accident, even though she could plainly see the fire coming from my direction, and not the candle holder. Still, it caused enough of a ruckus during a crucial argument that they just kind of gave in after the smoke literally cleared.

Regardless of what she says she believes, Mom's looked a lot more scared, lately. I'm not sure how to feel about that. Maybe my adopted-kid guilt flaring up.

AdjectiveNoun
Oct 11, 2012

Everything. Is. Fine.

BallisticClipboard posted:

QUESTION 1 (part 2)

Samuel: What’s your drive? Why’s your #brand so important? If it weren’t so big maybe those cultist might have not found you. Have you listened to anything they’ve said? I figured you would be interested in people interested in you?

Okay, so first up, this stupid cult. Not only are they saying I'm as good as I am because of 'destiny' and some grand bullshit prophecy... like, seriously, they started putting obnoxious brochures and leaflets in my mail, all about the Great Universal Truth blah blah, Light Shining Against the Dark blah blah; talking about how I, Sam York, have to fight Capital-E Evil like I'm the star of some really cheesy young adult novel.

Like, I'd be interested if they were interested in me, but they don't give a drat about me, as a person, they just think I'm their prophesied hero. gently caress them, I'm my own man, not who they want me to be. Maybe that's why my #brand is so important, yeah - it's me taking a stand against assholes like that who just see talent they can use, and not the guy wielding that talent, you know? Yeah, people gotta know I'm as great as I act, but I'm not just your list of achievements, you know?

Heliotrope
Aug 17, 2007

You're fucking subhuman

BallisticClipboard posted:

QUESTION 1 (part 2)

Eve: What is Emissary like and how does he treat you? What has he had you do? Has he ever told you any part of his grander plan?

You know those teachers who are always giving you disapproving looks because you aren't taking all their boring lessons seriously? Imagine that, but able to drop by and give his opinion of what you're doing 24/7. "Eve, you should focus on your studies" "Eve, what purpose does hitting that mailbox with a bat serve?" "Eve, are you even paying attention?" At least I can kind of...shut down the connection we have. It's good for when I need some privacy, but I can tell when he wants to say something and so far I've never kept it off for too long - don't want to make the guy with the on/off switch mad.

But don't get me wrong - it's not all bad. He's pretty cool sometimes, and even admits when I do a good job at things. For the most part he lets me do what I want, although he seems to take interest in how I do things. If he was an actual person nearby, I feel like he'd be watching and taking down notes. He also likes to ask me why I'm doing what I'm doing, which you'd think would be obvious. Like, yeah I want to go to the big party this weekend because it sounds loving great and everyone else is going to be there. Or that I'm breaking this rear end in a top hat's nose because he's a dumb shithead who decide to try and insult me because I turned him down, pretty sure you were right there old man. It's not a terrible annoyance to put up with or anything, just odd. And of course, there's the powers I can use - and Em says I'm coming close to earning some new ones! That should be fun.

Speaking of which, it's really great being able to use them but then at some time he'll drop in and inform me it's time to pay up which is always sucks. It's like the worst pop quiz. The tasks he gives me tend to vary, but usually Em wants me to get specific people to do certain things. Considering one of the things he likes to keep telling me is about "Violence is useful, but just one of many tools you can utilize to blah blah blah whatever", I get the idea he wants me to work on manipulating people. It's pretty funny if I can use violence though because I can practically hear him sighing. But you ever try to get a couple to break up by punching them until they stop? Not going to happen. So those are kind of a pain in the rear end to do. Because, I'm going to be a little honest here (and don't tell anyone I said this), but growing up with parents who sold you to some distant entity that grants you powers that let you do things like find out people's secrets kind of makes it a bit hard to relate with people normally. I'm trying, I really am, but loving hell is it aggravating to realize I can't just make someone back down by having Em get me blackmail material or finding out what they want and then getting it for them.

As far as his grand plan? No. I don't really want to think about it to be honest. But interesting thing - he gets kind of evasive if I bring it up. And when I was younger, I didn't know what an emissary was so I looked it up. I asked Em who sent him and he outright refused to answer. And it's strange...sometimes when I ask him something and he doesn't want to answer, it seems more like he doesn't know the answer rather than not wanting to tell me. With that and all his talk of "I'm supposed to do this" and "It's my job to do this", my guess is he has someone (something?) giving him orders too. Kind of funny, really.

BallisticClipboard
Feb 18, 2013

Such a good worker!


Finish app questions if you haven't.

-Question 2-
Cally: Uh, well. She’s . . . It’s . . . You’ll learn soon enough.
How have you been? Life looks to be going well enough all considered. Do you like life on land? Will you just go when you get your ‘coat’ back? By-the-by, do you have any way to communicate with your real family?

Ginny: How has your social life been since the change? Are you back on the dating scene? Are you going to continue your soccer career? Some of your friends have noticed something is up but have people treated you differently since the change?

Franklin: You seem to end up in trouble quite often and you seem to lean on your magic to bail you out. Or cause trouble in the first place. How true are these statements? Also, outside of magic, how do you kill your time?

Alexandra: I need to know something, is Alexandra the Yeerk and Alexandra the person one and the same? From what you’ve said, you write like the being is another person. You have cautions about relationships but you still plant your seed. You worry about control but still hold the reins. Is there a conflict of interested between you and yourself or am I seeing something nonexistent? Additionally, I assume your children are still just that, developing Yeerks. Is this true?

Wendy: Have you ever seen evidence of the supernatural? You have a sixth sense or just too much fiction on the mind? I applaud your courage to fly across the world in search of adventure but are you holding your breath?

Zack: Do you like your new found courage? If I gave you the chance to return to normal and everything would return to the way it was, would you take it?

Helene: Is everyone fair game or are there people you won’t play with? Any lines in the sand or is it a free for all?

Hope: Tell me about your homeland. How do people there feel about you living here on a semi-permanent basis? How easy was it to ask for permission to do this? A simple please, thank you or did you have to strike a bargain? Also, how has integrating into the mortal world gone?

Serenity: I feel you sister; city life can be a grind sometimes. But it seems like you have some cool people looking out for you. I understand you were asked to come to the city to get a city education, are you here purely for your communes sake or is this a Rumspringa of sorts for you?

Casper: You don’t want Disney channel but you’ll sell it. Fair play. Why are you so jaded at such an early age? Or is this part of the auteur anti-social artist look?
Also, Tell me more about the fire incident, was it an isolated event?

Sam: I get it. But, aren’t you curious at all? Just a little bit?

Eve: It seems like you and them get along. Do you have any problems at all or is it all smooth sailing? Is there anyone you can relate to in this wild world, perhaps even Emissary suggested?

BallisticClipboard fucked around with this message at 06:51 on Jun 1, 2015

LifeGetsWorser
Oct 23, 2010

Me "IRL" :smug:
Fun Shoe

quote:

-Question 2-
Cally: Uh, well. She’s . . . It’s . . . You’ll learn soon enough.
How have you been? Life looks to be going well enough all considered. Do you like life on land? Will you just go when you get your ‘coat’ back? By-the-by, do you have any way to communicate with your real family?

Wait, first off, that was about Shelly? See, people say that sort of thing all the time when I ask and I am totally missing something here because what? No one ever explains anything (except Shelly and Aaron), and it is so. Frustrating!

But, erh, other than that, I have been, well, ok I guess? I mean, as much as you can be basically being uhm...held...uhm...haus tij. Erh, I mean hostage. Life on land is, well, limited. I'm sorry if that sounds offensive, but it's true. Everybody can only really move in two directions. No up or down. It seems so much more crowded. And it's too dry, and everyone wants to just sit still, but I already said that part. I mean, I guess, it does have some perks. Because people are closer together, it's easier to find the people you like. I sort of like houses, and things like that. Also, people come in a lot of different shapes and colors and sizes and sounds and most of them won't try to hurt you or attack you and that's nice. But it's hard to fit in and I think people sense that and most of them leave me alone. So it's been a little lonely. I only really have the two friends.

I have tried to communicate with my family. But it's hard to find my voice up here, without my pelt. My singing is all off. But I'm still practicing and I think I'll get it one day. So there hasn't been any direct communication yet, and they're probably staying away from the shoreline because, well, because I went missing. I, uhm, I am worried about them, a bit. My little brother especially, because he's very impressionable. I don't want him to have come up here looking for me. I haven't seen him at all, so hopefully not? But I don't know if he'd recognize me without my pelt, or if I'd recognize him if he wasn't wearing his. B-but that's why I have to get home as soon as I can - I can't let them be worried or do something dangerous because of me.

But then I think of having to say goodbye to Aaron and Shelly and that's hard too, because they've looked out for me and maybe being up here is worth it. I mean, I...I came up here because I was curious and I've spent the whole time worried about how I'm going to get home? Maybe it'll be easier once I find my pelt. Maybe then I can try and enjoy being up here a little more.

Ferrosol
Nov 8, 2010

Notorious J.A.M

BallisticClipboard posted:

-Question 2-

Ginny: How has your social life been since the change? Are you back on the dating scene? Are you going to continue your soccer career? Some of your friends have noticed something is up but have people treated you differently since the change?


What social life? I used to love going out with my friends but now I daren't. I mean who knows what'd trigger the next...eruption of violence. Ditto for the dating. I killed my boyfriend how could I go out with anyone? They'd just be at risk of getting hurt. It wouldn't be fair to them and could I live with myself if I hurt someone else I cared about. Even Mom's noticed something's up with me, She said I don't seem like my usual self. I know it's been hard for her since Dad just upped and walked out leaving the two of us to muddle through but we're managing. At least thanks to mom's new job we're not behind on the rent any more. But I wish I didn't have to make more worries for her.

I suppose that's why I tried to go out for our usual soccer practice. To reassure her that it was all ok. Big mistake. See it was only supposed to be a warm up game to prepare for the new season. We were playing the team from one of the other high schools nearby. And well it went great at first I was full of energy and felt more athletic than at any time since... well ever. I was all over the pitch and it was going great till one of the opposing team tackled me and took the ball off me. I didn't even feel anything when she did it. But then the anger started to build and well the next time she came near me I went all in on a two footed tackle. You could hear the bone snap. It was awful but it was wonderful. I could feel the beast exult in it's triumph. I didn't even wait for the red card and walked straight off the pitch and into the changing room.

Daisy and the other girls found me later crying in the shower. But they didn't understand. They thought I was upset for "accidentally" hurting the girl. I couldn't bring myself to tell them the truth though. That I'd known exactly what I was doing, that it had taken every last ounce of my willpower not to stamp on her stupid face. To show her who was boss to teach her to respect me. That was what upset me. I haven't been back since.

At school. I've noticed people treat me differently. They seem to give me a wider berth, they flinch away from me almost unconsciously. They seem a lot more careful about what they say when they think I can hear. It's like they're walking on tiptoes around me. It hurts that I've managed to push so many friends away. But I suppose it's for the best. At least they'll be safe from me.

Ferrosol fucked around with this message at 10:34 on May 30, 2015

Gato
Feb 1, 2012

BallisticClipboard posted:

-Question 2-
Franklin: You seem to end up in trouble quite often and you seem to lean on your magic to bail you out. Or cause trouble in the first place. How true are these statements?

Trouble? Who, me, sir?

Like you say, there's a difference between causing trouble and actually being in trouble. I'm definitely guilty of the first one, but you know, the great thing about magic is that when you get it right, nobody can prove a thing. I mean, sure, I'll own up to being a smartass, or just a straight-up rear end in a top hat sometimes, but, you know, that's not a crime. Or, at least, it won't get you anything worse than detention.

That's why the Tyler thing pissed me off, because at the end of the day it would have been exactly the same if I'd just kicked him in the nuts myself. Sure, I convinced them I'd been defending myself, and his record was way too long already, so I only got detention while he got suspended, but still, I shouldn't have been in that position in the first place, right?

And as for relying on magic... yeah, that's probably true. Grandfather exploded at me when I got back from that detention, after the school told him what happened. He was just ranting on and on (nobody ever taught him to keep it simple, stupid) but the gist of it was, when you're a Witch, you've got the world's best hammer, so it's your responsibility not to look at everything like it's a nail. I get where he's coming from, I really do. But, like, what else am I meant to do with this gift? Just sit on it? I'd love to be able to shut the pricks down with sheer force of integrity or personality or whatever but that's never going to happen. If they can gently caress with people with their politics or money or just plain old fists, why can't I gently caress with them with my magic?

quote:

Also, outside of magic, how do you kill your time?

If Grandfather had his way, I'd be inside studying magic all the time, which would suck, because I'm not really an indoors person. Fortunately, we've reached an understanding of sorts - it doesn't matter when I get home, as long as I put in some token hours in the library when I do get home. That gives me plenty of time to wander around the city. There's a lot more to see and do here than most of the places I've lived. It's nice just to walk and take it all in. Sometimes I take my guitar, or a pack of cards, and go earn myself a few dollars playing on the street, though I get nervous staying in one place too long. Probably inherited that from Dad. I've told Grandfather I'm keeping an eye out for part-time work but honestly, I'm not that bothered. Just being able to drift around like this... that's enough for me.

App should be complete now.

Hunt11
Jul 24, 2013

Grimey Drawer

BallisticClipboard posted:

Zack: Do you like your new found courage? If I gave you the chance to return to normal and everything would return to the way it was, would you take it?

For the first time since I can remember I feel as though I am truly living. Now I no longer worry about going down the paths people want me to follow. No longer do I care if what I do goes against what people want me to do. In fact there are times that I relish going against what people want me to do. At times I do somewhat regret some of the damage I have done to those close to me by no following the script, especially with my older sister, but that is it. I have the confidence to act as I see fit, and should those actions cause me to harm those close to me then so be it. Even if I was act in such a way that causes those same people to break or worse then I would not want to step off this path. So I the freedom that I have seized my new found freedom and I will not let anything drag me back to the way I was.

Shogeton
Apr 26, 2007

"Little by little the old world crumbled, and not once did the king imagine that some of the pieces might fall on him"

BallisticClipboard posted:

Alexandra: I need to know something, is Alexandra the Yeerk and Alexandra the person one and the same? From what you’ve said, you write like the being is another person. You have cautions about relationships but you still plant your seed. You worry about control but still hold the reins. Is there a conflict of interested between you and yourself or am I seeing something nonexistent? Additionally, I assume your children are still just that, developing Yeerks. Is this true?

Hah, what do you think? This is a Smeagol/Gollum situation? That deep within me or my children, somewhere a soul is resisting some kind of demonic possession or something? That's now how this works. A person is his brain, there's no such thing as a 'soul' There is no 'real person' that is being repressed. There are changes done to the personality, because changes are done to the brain. So Alexandra is a Yeerk, and there's only one voice in my head. And my children also don't have me puppeteer them. They simply develop over time a very strong desire to assist and obey me, and they rationalize it for themselves. They might tell themselves they admire me, or that I just give good and useful advise. Mark, Betty and Sean know the truth, so they know exactly why they want to obey me.

I might have given a wrong impression somewhere. When I divide the Yeerk side and the Human side, I mean that I have desires that are pretty much the same that anyone else in the school has. And Yeerk desires are the ones I have because I'm a Yeerk. Like, if I see a smoking hot guy who's simply not really the sharpest knife in the drawer, that turns my head, but on the other hand, every time he opens his mouth, it's like a cold shower. Then there's people who are really pretty smart and intelligent, and I've got the urge to get them fertilized, either through myself or through my other children, but, well, the thought of making out with them makes me gag. And yes, there is occasionally the thing that I... am attracted to someone and part of me wants to build a relationship that will last forever, even as the moment I fertilized them, they become increasingly less attractive to the Yeerk emotions. I'm not two persons in one body. I'm one person with several wants, and some of them conflict. Just like everyone else, right? Mine are just a bit different.

About control. Look, I'm not a monster, okay? Like I said, the things I give is a blessing. I'm not acquiring power over people to stroke my own ego, I'm making those around me better. I help them focus, study, apply themselves, aim their ambitions high. I'm not even just talking about the ones I fertilize. People just have a lot of potential and they waste it. They need someone to boss them around sometimes, to be the best they can be! That... doesn't mean I don't worry sometimes. I mean, the thing with Jake I still remember. I am not allowed gently caress ups. People count on me. So I've got to be always in control. Of myself and of the things around me.

And yeah, I don't have any mature children. I'm not sure if I should use a pregnancy or childhood analogy. Anyway, Mark has been fertilized the longest. He's pretty much aware that he's going to become independent soon. The whole evolution from fertilization to maturity lasts 9 months, very roughly, but depending on the person and circumstances can take more or less time.Again, it's as always a mixed feelings bag. I like Mark and I think he'll make a great Yeerk. He's smart, charming with a sarcastic sense of humor. I wasn't even... romanticaly interested in him at the start. Not like Jake. I didn't want to do it with someone I actually was in love with again; Maybe I never want to do it with someone I'm in love with again. Anyway, he's been increasingly helping me with all of this for the last months. I've sometimes asked him to, so really, made him do things I know he felt bad about. And soon, he'll grow up and become just like me. Smarter, sharper, better. And that's good. And in a way, I'll be less lonely then, because there wlll be two Yeerks in school.

But... I also will miss having him always around. I'll miss that tie between us. I'll miss having his support for everything I do. But... but that's just the way it goes. The wyas it should go. Ugh, I feel so ugly thinking like that. Honestly, the thoughts I have because I'm a Yeerk aren't usually the disgusting ones. It's the normal, human thoughts that are horrible. But I'm not a monster.

GodFish
Oct 10, 2012

We're your first, last, and only line of defense. We live in secret. We exist in shadow.

And we dress in black.
I'm going to withdraw my application, I'm in enough games as it is now.

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Zurui
Apr 20, 2005
Even now...



BallisticClipboard posted:

Wendy: Have you ever seen evidence of the supernatural? You have a sixth sense or just too much fiction on the mind? I applaud your courage to fly across the world in search of adventure but are you holding your breath?

Okay. First of all, let me tell you about Scotland: we are a country of ghosts. Robert the Bruce still wanders Dunfermline Abbey and if you tell any true Scot otherwise you'll get a strong word at the very least. Mary Queen's spirit will scream for her lost children in Loch Leven if you bring an infant there. I mean, you can't tell me a people who tamed the highland just fade away after death. We all leave our mark.

When I was twelve, I bought an EMF meter off the internet. I learned about cold spots, so I got an ambient thermometer. There is some creepy poo poo around here - I mean, there - and it's really great. You can walk through Stirling Castle and hear the footsteps of the Highlander - I've got a recording - or see MacLain house, my family's house, and the basement will go down twenty degrees when you curse our name. I never did it, of course; I made Johnny do it. Scared the poo poo out of him, he ran like a mouse.

The story I'd tell, if you wanted one, didn't have anything to do with Johnny. My cousin Iain got me into this stuff. He took me up north to Caithness just before we left for the States. There's this old cairn he and his friends had discovered, and they'd uncovered a crypt underneath. Apparently it set off the EMF. We went during the day because while we may be thrill-seekers, we're not stupid.

The crypt was a lot deeper and further back than we expected. I was carrying the EMF and the antenna; Iain had the thermometer and the torch, and his friend Brian was taping behind us. The EMF was spiking - poo poo I'd never seen, and it seemed to freak Iain out. The place was narrow. It was clear that they'd brought bodies down here, not coffins. Iain says the pagans just packed them in with clay and marked with symbols them to protect the spirit. We got some great photographs of the symbols and markings; there must have been a dozen people buried down there.

It was cold and dark and very close. We were definitely on edge. We'd turned around to leave when Iain dropped the torch; it went out. I pulled mine out and lit it right away; I was not about to stand in that place in the dark. When the light hit the walls, they were covered in blood. I don't mean dripping blood like a wall in the movies. I mean soaked with bright red blood. It was dripping from the ceilings and covered the floor. Brian just ran out. Iain backed off, but I motioned to him for the camera. I got ten, maybe twelve shots of that crap. It all looks like water because of the light, but it was blood. When we left, it was still red on my skin.

So, to answer your question: yes, I am absolutely holding my breath. There are things out there we don't understand and I want to find them.

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