TheAmishPirate

Monster Hearts: Sleepshy Rise

I think I'd like this conversation to keep going a little bit longer, so the status quo between these two can get properly wrecked. Could I ask that their talk doesn't get exploded just yet?

Monster Hearts: Sleepshy Rise

SECOND PLACE
WEREWOLF MAGNET

There is sitting. Dria has a really comfy web-shaped chair, and that’s where Elodie has sat her hiney. She is sulking a little bit, mostly because every moment she isn’t dragging Timmy along to solve this problem is a moment where she has to sit and wait to fix things. Jeez!

Take DEFINITELY HEXED, Timmy, because everybody’s gonna hear about this.

She sits. But it is not a patient sits. It is a criss-cross finger-tapping foot-waggling can-we-go-now sits.

“Okay, so, the fact is that Annalee likes you, right? I mean, you already know that, duh, but I know, too. Which is why she put a spell on you. I can feel it! It’s so big and dark and spooky and you are very obviously under her spell, and when you say no, that’s also because of the spell. Think about it! What kind of evil spell would let you think you’re under an evil spell? You have to think about these things logically.”

Problem solved! Okay, now let’s goooooooooo

@Tatterdemalion

JEALOUS
DEFINITELY HEXED

“How did you even know about the closet?!” Timothy ran his hand through his increasingly-messy hair. Timothy did not sit. Timothy could not sit. Timothy was pacing back and forth like a sort of frazzled, bed-headed leopard. He needed to think. Thinking and looking at Elodie were entirely incompatible options. Out of the question. Timothy could not sit.

A curse, though? A spell on him? Something making him act not himself? That’s, yes, that did make a bit of sense when you thought about it, right? Except, wait, when would he have - focus, Crompton! Focus! Not the point!

“Okay, just-forget about Annie. We’re not talking about Annie. Annie will get her own talking-to, later. A different talk. Different from this one.” He clenched and unclenched his fists, sucking down deep, deep breaths. Calming breaths! Focusing breaths! Sort! This! Out! “What we are talking about, right now, is why, why did you tell your dad that we’re dating?”

Monster Hearts: Sleepshy Rise

SECOND PLACE
WEREWOLF MAGNET
INSENSITIVE

“You’re cursed! Bewitched, bespelled, enchanted, hexed, ensorcelled, beguiled, whatever you want to call it, it’s you! You’ve been put under a spell! So we are going to fix that.” She nods, primly, trying not to panic. “And then everything will go back to normal and we can give going out for tea a second try.”

She doesn’t know you’re possessed by a ghost, silly! That’s why she thinks it’s a spell. A spell that Annalee cooked up!

But she’s insistent. Either you can resign yourself to being dragged out the door to go find Annalee, or you can make her stop. It’s one or the other, Timmy.

And with that ghost inside you... I don’t think it’ll be content with just smacking her wrist, right? Elodie really should be punished for being so pushy and two-faced and overbearing, right?

She grabs your wrist again and starts dragging you off. What’s it going to be, young Master Crompton?

@Tatterdemalion

“We most certainly will not!” Timothy Oglevee Crompton dug in his heels, and refused to be budged. “I don’t want things to go back to ‘normal’, and you don’t want to go out for a ‘silly’ teatime!” How do your own words taste, Elodie? As bad as the Earl Grey you would’ve had to choke down? “Oh, it’s no use denying it, I heard the whole thing. You never even liked teatimes, did you? And somehow, that’s only the bottom of a long list of terrible truths I’ve learned today!”

He wriggled his arm and latched onto her wrist in turn, striving to pull her back into the Spider Princess’ chambers.

“I don’t care if I’m cursed, hexed, or coming down with appendicitis. I am not taking a single step out of this room until we straighten this all out, because this. Will. Not. Do. Understand?!”

[Timothy is spending a String on Elodie. Stay here and have A Talk with Timothy, and you get a sweet sweet XP]

Monster Hearts: Sleepshy Rise

For the record, I actually would really like to get ahold of Timmy and Elodie and bring the whole crew barging in on Samael as the last part of today's story. I think it would be hilarious when they bring Elodie as a BOGO and then there could be a confrontation between her and Samael.

@Anarion

I second the emotion. If Timmy's going to be shouting at PCs, he might as well go for the trifecta. :P

Monster Hearts: Sleepshy Rise

<Snipped quote by TheAmishPirate>

Based on our conversation just now, I’m going to hang my next action and let you tweak what you will here first, and (with your permission) I’ll wait a post or two to inflict that Condition properly?

@Tatterdemalion

That's fine by me. I've made a few edits to make the action a bit clearer, and I've also changed my mind on the Shut Someone Down roll; Elodie is no longer Insensitive, but she's bungled her entrance so badly that she's lost a String on Timmy.

Monster Hearts: Sleepshy Rise

I have suggestions.

You could just get dragged into the Sphinx scene along with Elodie for shenanigans. That’s an option.

You could Lash Out and try to hurt Elodie, throwing a wrench into their tumultuous relationship.

Or you could always try playing on Second Place and engaging on a wicked plan to humiliate Elodie in front of the whole school.

Or just hogtie her and tell her that you’re going to go ask Annalee out on a date!

@Tatterdemalion

Now, before I pick from any one of these excellent options, I do have to remind you that because I only got a 9 on my roll, Elodie gets to inflict a Condition on Timmy in return.

Monster Hearts: Sleepshy Rise

Just want to confirm, Amish, me boy: if this is a Mixed Messages move, then a) you’re asserting they’re alone and Masque has already fled, and b) Timmy is trying to make the moves on Elodie. That doesn’t seem right to me, so just wanted to confirm?

@Tatterdemalion

I figured that Masque was probably clearing out after being discovered; they strike me as the sort who is an absolute weasel like that. As for B, my understanding of the move was, "If you're alone with somebody, and you're attracted to them, roll to Shut Them Down in some way, it would never work between you." It's the first time I've used that side of the move, every time so far has been, "If you're alone with somebody, and you're not attracted to them, roll to Turn Them On as you try to smooth things over with them."

Monster Hearts: Sleepshy Rise

I thought about having Timmy react with a bit more dialogue here, but this really feels like the opener to a Conversation, so I figured I'd let the gut reaction play out before moving forward with more specific examples of, "what the heck, Elodie?"

Plus. Y'know. Never a bad idea to give emotional teenagers an open-ended question to try and answer. :D

Monster Hearts: Sleepshy Rise

SECOND PLACE
WEREWOLF MAGNET

“Don’t you listen, Timmy!” To say that Elodie bursts forth from the closet would be putting far too much weight on that poor verb. Explodes might do a better job. Her face is flushed and she is not letting a single one of her thoughts do the talking for her. She’s figured out what’s going on.

“Youuuuu, Masque,” she says, with a stab of her finger, “are well overdue for a trip to the underworld! You can either get out of Timmy’s hair or I’ll see if my Dad has room on the next wagon to Tartarus!” It’s dangerous flaunting her position in front of Timmy like this, but what else is she supposed to do? Scream and faint and beg for somebody, anybody, to help? No. No, this must be handled decisively.

“As for you, you poor dear,” she says, hauling Timmy up to his feet and hooking his arm with her elbow possessively, “you are under the effects of magic! I’m pretty sure it’s Analee cheating, just because she got to have you first!”

Oh, boy. Oh boy. Elodie, no. Ellie. Ellie please. Don’t air that out right in front of young Crompton. Don’t let him know that everybody knows.

“So what we are going to do is get you uncursed. We may have to get physical! But that’s why I’m bringing my strong knight in shining armor,” she says, grabbing his hand and dragging him over to the door. The danger’s passed, and there’s a much more pressing danger now! “Don’t you believe anything she says, and remember, we can’t let her go until she uncurses you, the jealous little witch!”

@Tatterdemalion

JEALOUS

It was like getting hauled out of the local swimming hole by a passing train.

One moment, Timothy was drowning in himself. The next, the voices had stopped - no, they'd been utterly trampled, and he was up, Elodie dragging him along by the arm. (Wait, Elodie?) A flood of words whipped past his ears (Just because she what?!) as he gazed upon his impossibly pink savior (Cursed?) in a daze (Knight?!) as she (oh hey her neck's bleeding how diiiiiidNO) dragged (no no no no) him to (Who's jealous? Why jealous?!) the door and (no no no no no no)

"I beg your pardon!"

Timothy shook his hand free of her, glaring hurt and furious.

"Just what the devil are you on about, Elodie?!"

So. Uh. Elodie? You know how sometimes, when ghosts get reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally cranky, and they reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally don't want to move on, and sometimes they turn into meaner, nastier spooks? You know how your Dad was telling you that one time that you need to treat cranky ghosts super super carefully, because if you, I don't know, grab them by the hand and try to yank them through the portal, that might make everything worse? True, it's a cranky boy instead of a cranky ghost, but. Uh.

...maybe you ought to have listened to some of those thoughts you were having a moment ago, because it looks like the same principles might well apply.

[Rolling to Shut Elodie Down with Mixed Messages: 5 + 2 + 2 = 9. Elodie loses a String on Timmy for her poor life choices.]

Monster Hearts: Sleepshy Rise

Juicy prompt, Amish! I’d appreciate a quick vision from the Abyss before RIGHTEOUS VENGEANCE FALLS UPON THAT GHOST

@Tatterdemalion

Thank you! When I was writing that, I knew I had to put at least one thing that would classify as Instant Red Alert for Elodie.

I figured a vicious denouncement of kisses would do the trick. :P