Misery Bubblegum: Shut Up and Slay
The final game I played at Dreamation was on Sunday, February 21, at 10 am. It was: Misery Bubblegum: Shut Up and Slay!
As one might guess, this was set in the Buffyverse, although we agreed that we did not want the characters to be the Buffy characters.
Tony: I will be pressing hard on: Can you be the slayer and be an even reasonably good friend?
He said that Buffy clearly could not.
- GM: Tony Lower-Basch
- Jenny: Mitzi Masterson, the Slayer and Chosen One, Brooding Champion
- Me: Candace (Candi) Chung, Frantic Hustler
We decided that the game would be set in the 1990s. Neither Jenny nor Candi -- nor any of their high school friends -- had a cell phone.
Tony: The 80s was a strange, strange country.
Tony created Jackson, the third of the core scoobies (along with Mitzi and Candi). He also crated Sarah Crowne, a vaguely Cordelia-like character. Since it was the 1990s, Sarah was working on a film project at school, not a reality show. She wanted to do a film expose on the underground belly of the school. Naturally, she had no idea of the real story, with vampires and the like.
Tony: How entrenched in the slayer lifestyle do you want to be?
Jenny / Mitzi: Conflictedly entrenched.
Tony: Entrenched... okay. You do not have a vampire hottie. You have a vampire ex.
This was Roland, a vampire with a philosophy degree. He's done the vampire equivalent of taking the pledge (i.e., the Alcoholics Anonymous pledge, only the blood version of same). He lapses enough to have lapsing be his norm. He appears to be indistinctly college to young adult in age. He's a Rebel / Punk
The watcher, we decided, was Gwendolyn Post, before she went evil.
I decided that Candi had a Secret and that Jackson knew about it: Candi wanted to date Roland.
Tony: No, try: Jackson knows Candi _is_ dating Roland!
Me: And Mitzi will hate Candi if she finds out.
Tony: At least, that's what Candi thinks. If not for this secret, Candi would be hanging out with Mitzi. The Scoobies are losing her and don't know why!
Or, at any rate, Mitzi didn't know why.
Mitzi had a Fear. She feared that Candi was changing, but couldn't figure out what was going on. Mitzi feared that Candi was growing out of the Scoobies and was no longer interested in hunting vampires.
Indeed, Candi was also dressing differently, wearing pre-ripped Joes legging jeans and cool heels. She used to be a theater person, but was now becoming a fashionista.
Tony: And who makes it worse whenever she's around?
That would be our Cordelia analogue, Sarah the filmmaker. Sarah saw Candi her as a socialite! School has video news magazine.
And, there was a Mystery: Unexplained dead bodies were showing up all around. Mitzi could use this pull Candi back!
But, Candi feared that it might be Roland who was doing the killing. Nevertheless, she was drawn to investigate to clear Roland's name!
High School Morning Much
Candi talked to Sarah about the Seamy Underside. She invented stuff on the fly, claiming that she was going to a Secret Party that very night, at the mall, after hours. Yep, students hid out, and no one was any the wiser.
Sarah: But you'll take me, No Matter What?
Candi had to say either Yes or No -- or she had to flee the scene.
Candi: Yes, of course!
Meanwhile, Jackson was struggling with the secret Candi had shared with him about dating Roland, so he decided to ask Mitzi if, hypothetically speaking, someone knew a certain type of secret, that someone had to tell or had to keep quiet.
Jackson: It's a hypothetical question, which is to say it's not a real question.
Mitzi: Which you are asking me anyway.
Jackson: It's for an ethics project!
Mitzi: I didn't know you were taking ethics.
Jackson: It's extra credit!
Tony: That's Jackson's answer for anything.
Someone: So, Jackson's an Obedient Bookworm?
Tony: No! on the obedient part.
Library Meeting: Post, Jackson, Chung, Masterson
The characters discussed the recent deaths and made vague plans to meet at the Mall. Somebody decided to call Roland from a pay phone.
Tony: _He_ has a cell phone. In fact, he has personalized ring tones.
- Mitzi: You're So Vain
- Jackson: Paperback Writer
- Candi: I Smell Sexy Candy
To the Mall!
I think there were cut up bodies at the mall, posed as mannikins.
Someone: It gives new meaning to Victoria's Secret objectifying bodies.
Someone suggested that the vampire responsible was playing cat and mouse with the scoobies.
Someone: Works for me!
We discussed the music in the mall changing to "Private Eyes Are Watching You". Or, maybe that was the ringtone for Ms. Post. Other suggested songs were "Dirty Dancing" and "Hungry Like the Wolf".
As promised, Candi brought Sarah along. Sarah had no idea what was going on.
Tony: Sarah totally attracts Jackson's Romantic Attention!
Sarah was surprised to see Mitzi.
Sarah: She told me all about the parties she goes to -- but she didn't say anything about _you_.
Mitzi was wounded. But, Candi clearly hadn't told Sarah important things, like the existence of vampires. Maybe Candi and Sarah were not such good friends anymore.
Or maybe the Hellmouth was not important to Candi anymore!
Maybe Candi needed to get into a close call with a vampire!
Tony: What a brilliant plan! You need her co-dependent, so you rescue her before she gets killed. And, blame Roland if it all goes wrong!
Sarah (still oblivious): Oh my god --- I cannot tell my mom I was at the mall after hours! She'd totally kill me!
Someone: I feel so much safer now!
Mitzi called or met up with Roland, letting him know about the mall situation.
Roland: Probably be easier if we didn't show up together.
Mitzi: Why? Everyone knows we're just ancient history.
Roland was not pleased. He had a Need for Dignity. Mitzi was not sympathetic. After all, there were dead bodies!
Roland: That's what it always takes to get you to call me!
Mitzi: Oh! This _can't_ be a plan to get back together!
Roland / Tony: Oh can't it? (brandishes plan card)
Another body was discovered in the food court. It was deep fried. And, on the wall was written, "Would You Like Fries With That?"
Mitzi: I think we need all the manpower we could get.
Roland: I'm not your little vampire lackey, and frankly it's getting a little tedious being treated as one when it's clear that you _need_ me.
Mitzi: I _do_ need you -- I need you to be vigilant!
Me / Candi: She's so humble! (hands Mitzi / Jenny the Humble card)
Sometime during all of this, Sarah had seen the dead bodies and freaked out. Mitzi killed a vampire. Someone, possibly Jackson or Ms. Post, walked Sarah home. Meanwhile, Candi got together with Roland in a private part of the mall, and the two of them started making out.
Naturally, Mitzi walked in on this, seeing them in a position that might have been making out -- or might have been Roland preparing to bite Candi. Candi fled, possibly in response to a Yes / No / Flee question. Mitzi turned her anger on Roland.
Mitzi: What is Candi to you? Is she prey -- or is she prey? And how long has this been going on?
Roland: What? You thought that I was never going to have feelings for anyone else?
Mitzi: I shouldn't ever have thought of you as anything but a throwaway (?) vampire! I sliced a vampire in half tonight! Are you saying I should have done the same to you?
Roland: Well, it wouldn't be that far off -- after all, you ripped my heart out --
Mitzi: So, you're saying you _have_ a heart? So, what is Candi to you?
Scream from Candi offstage!
Roland was moving instantly. He was on the second floor so that he could do the vampire jump. Jackson was also on the second floor.
The person behind the scenes was the vampire Clarise, Roland's ex!
Clarise (holding Candi by the throat): _You_ thought you could have him! I don't think so!
Mitzi attacked Clarise.
Mitzi: That's for laughing at me when I wanted him to take me out on Valentine's Day! I wanted him to take me to the prom!
Clarise dropped Candi to fight Mitzi.
Tony: Roland _runs_ to Candi
Roland: Oh my god, I should never have left you _alone_! (Tony plays Ashamed card)
Clarise (to Mitzi): You were nothing but a novelty to him!
Mitzi: He may come from the same place of nihilism as you do, but I'm not from that place -- and that's why he loves me! I thought Candi was being distant because she wanted to be one of the cool kids -- but now I know she never will be! I know we aren't destined to be together in the end! But, I'm _chosen_ -- the one immutable fact -- and Roland, on the way into the mall, what you said -- was you'll always choose me!
And with that, Mitzi won the conflict, although I forget whether Clarise was killed or merely driven off. But, the tension between Mitzi and Candi did not end there.
Candi: Roland, can you take me home?
And Roland did, very solicitously.
Nevertheless, the next day, Candi was dressed like her old self, rather than trying to be a fashionista. And, several related conflicts played out back and forth, as the girls jockeyed for position, to see who would make the first move, whether there was anything between them as friends, and so on. At one point, Mitzi even ran out of class and into the bathroom, where Candi found her with a knife, contemplating cutting her wrist.
I forget which girl said which for this exchange:
Jackson and I are going to go out to the 57 Club...You could totally come with us.
I dunno -- wouldn't I be kind of like a third wheel?
And, the way the conflict played out, whoever asked that question would totally be a third wheel.
It was Candi who made the first move, although Mitzi quickly moved to reassure her while simultaneously making it clear that it was Mitzi who was top dog.
Mitzi: I learned a lot from my relationship with Roland. And I think you have a lot to learn.
Candi: So... he's a good teacher?
Tony (watching Jenny's face): I think we'll end on Mitzi's look of distress. But, it's still a subservient relationship for Candi.
Nevertheless, he thought that Mitzi was at least a little better at the friendship thing than Buffy.
