Hana Academy: Last Minute Plans

Gen Con 2016 August 4: 6pm Hana Academy: Last Minute Plans

• GM: Jesse
• Me: Finley (m)
• ???: Angel (f)
• ???: Dallas (m)
• Dan: Blair (f)
• Alex: Charlie (f)

Genders noted are those of the PCs, not of the players.

On the one hand, I don't recall a lot of the details that would make the right up coherent. On the other, I still vividly remember odd moments from the game. And one could, if feeling generous, say that the incoherence meshes well with the students being awful to each other even when they all thought they were on the same page... The NPCs mentioned are all students; I don't think a single adult NPC made any significant appearance.

This was a Fate game with a few odd mechanics. It was set at a high school, Hana Academy. All the PCs had gender neutral names and some kind of psychic power or other. Aspects were either Personal or tied to a Relationship, and if they were solidified as True, that would unlock psychic/magical gifts.

That last part didn't come up in play, as this was a one shot. I think we each had something already listed as True, which explained why we had powers in play to begin with.

One could use a Fate point to pull someone else into an ongoing scene.

It was Monday at the start of game. Finals were on Friday; the prom was on Saturday.

Someone gave a Fate Point to Angel, and someone said, "No, I wasn't checking them out!" I don't know who said it, but I'm guessing it was someone trying to claim they weren't checking out someone else's breasts.

Dallas: I have a case of the Mondays.

Finley: You always have a case of the Mondays.

Dallas: Yeah.

Dallas was a nasty piece of work, but Finley wanted to become his right hand man for some reason. Charlie wanted to set up Angel and Elliott (an NPC). Dallas wanted to ruin Elliott and his date, and the player made a comment about "Full Carrie".

Dallas: So I say we sabotage their prom date.

Blair: I'm in.

Blair (I think) told Dallas that Lucas could set him up with stuff from off campus. In return, Lucas wanted Dallas to get him the test answers. I think Charlie was trying to keep an eye on Blair.

Someone, probably Dallas: Which one is mixing something with their coffee? Cuz there's always one.

I'm guessing he was talking about a teacher. I think his plan involved:

• Art Room after hours
• Shop Room
• Chemistry

Someone, possibly the GM: So, The Nightmare Before Prom.

What was the prom theme?

Dallas: Barnyard Hoe Down!

Charlie: 20s Flapper.

Jessica (NPC): Tim Burton.

Angel liked that last. Angel and Charlie were studying together.

Finley wanted to prove useful to Dallas so made two copies of the school keys and gave one to Dallas.

Other shenanigans were going on and I totally forget what they were. My notes say:

Blair: I specifically sense flowers -- nope.

I think that meant that sensing flowers was Blair's talent, and that whatever thing Blair was investigating, there weren't flowers involved.

I have a note "Charlie -- explain note" and no idea what that means.

Dallas: Full set of keys -- the school is yours!

Blair: Why do you need Lucas when Finley's here?

Dallas: You're right -- I don't _need_ Lucas.

Blair: Let's not be hasty.

Dallas: I don't need him for this!

Finley was pleased to have achieved his goal.

Someone tried to get in touch with Jessica, but she wasn't answering. In fact, she seemed to be missing. Charlie found a book of spells on Jessica's desk. A page was missing from the book!

At some point, Elliott felt a chill. I think he was rooming with Finley, but I have no idea what the significance of the chill was.

I think we thought Jessica had gone to some other dimension, at which point, my notes have the following exchange:

Who cares about finals? We're going to other dimensions! Blair: Let's go to a dimension without friends!

Now Greg (also an NPC) wasn't answering people's calls.

My notes say:

It would've been a rocky prom!
Shadow with red eyes

I'm not sure what that meant, or whether it was about a threat nullified or about to hit.

Blair asked something about reporting on someone, possibly Greg.

Somehow, it because clear that there was some unfriendly force or being and that in order to send it back, one had to have it possess someone, and then overcome that someone's negative emotions.

Charlie (to Blair): If I get possessed, will you love me?

I think Greg may have turned up by now, and folks considered having him become possessed.

Someone: No, everyone hates Greg.

No way to overcome his negative emotions with positive ones, given that. Finley looked into the History of the School, getting +1. He learned that the school had a history of things going wrong around prom.

My notes say that Tuesday, the demon was throwing stuff outside. I'm not sure if it was possessing Greg or if Greg had been the one reporting this.

Dallas: What kind of demon is it?

My notes say "juvenile" and "separate library". Clearly, we wanted to go into the school library for some reason.

Blair: How heavily secured _is_ that library?

Finley: I got keys.

Charlie (points to Finley)

Blair: I mean during the day -- is there an armed guard?

Dallas pulled someone's pants down and slipped away. I have no idea whose or why. My notes then say that Charlie, Blair, and Dallas were in some room or other, and whether that had anything to do with the library is something I no longer recall.

My notes indicate that Finley may have been resting in the library.

Someone, possibly Charlie: Angel -- are you in on this?

Angel: Yes.

Regardless, we now knew what the trouble at prom would be. But, what could we do about it? Print it in our student paper?

Blair: We need proof. We need journalistic integrity. We can't make up _all_ our stories!

I passed a note to the GM to ask if he wanted Finley to be possessed, noting that I was good either way.

GM: We'll see.

Meanwhile, there was a discussion about prom decorations.

Blair: I don't want to destroy the world -- I just want to get really realistic skeletons.

Dallas: Skeleton reindeer.

Blair: Were you not paying attention to anything?

Dallas: I wasn't.

Charlie: I'm against it, but will you take me to prom if I do this?

Blair: Okay.

My notes say:

To lure it in, banish it --

Summon some deer?

And apparently, we had a Prom List:

• Undead Reindeer
• Magic Punch

• Drinks
• Decorations
• We need food
• Music

Blair: We didn't find any fish in this FISH.

Someone: Get the demon to possess the prom queen. She'll have lots of love.

Finley: She'll also get lots of hate.

Blair: I was about to say. (pause) What about Elliott? We conned him into helping with our scheming, and then we stopped scheming.

Jessica either turned up or was found, and she was frantic about whatever magical screw up she'd made that had resulted in this demon.

Charlie: Jessica, we can fix it, but you have to have to give us control of the prom.

Blair: Is everyone going pro-Jessica but anti-skeleton reindeer?

Finley: I'm _pro_ skeleton reindeer.

Blair: That's 3. Angel?

Angel: Yes.

Charlie: No, Angel, why?!

Finley:. Because skeleton reindeer are Awesome.

Charlie: If anyone's going to be digging up graves, it should be _me_ -- because I can make the earth move.

I gather that was Charlie's talent.

Finley was studying on Tuesday night. Angel and someone else, probably Charlie, were decorating something. Dallas was hatching nefarious plans. Blair was studying.

Wednesday morning, Angel was looking for love in all the wrong places and looking for a date for the prom. My notes about that say "--To go with Dallas -) I hear if there was gonna be some". I've no idea what that meant.

Costumes and skeleton reindeer were perhaps acquired.

Someone: Want to do a Mr and Mrs Claus?

I think that resulted in Scary Santa Claus.

Charlie and Blair went as Jack and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

I think there was a Santa Claus dj and a regular dj.

Dallas: Who are you going to prom with?

Elliott: I'm going with Angel.

Dallas: That's great, man, that's great! I'm probably going go stag.

Dallas had a goal to wreck someone's prom, and I think the someones he chose were Elliott and Angel.

Someone: Jessica is going to prom with _Lucas_?!

Someone: If we don't pass finals, we don't get to go to prom.

We'd reached Wednesday night, but agreed that we were ready to skip to finals. This involved rolling on Academics, which I think Finley had at +1. Finley also got a free tag on Studied, for a total of 3. This resulted in a good grade, though I'm not sure what that grade was. The only one I noted was A- for Dallas, who cheated.

Dallas (pretending to be a nice, sensitive person): I'm gonna go to prom because I think it matters -- (looking at Angel) to you.

Finley went with Hannah, an NPC.

Charlie and someone else did not want to be seen not with someone (tangled syntax deliberate).

Night Before Prom

Dallas: Does the Demon have a date?

My notes say something about Dallas, darkness, and controlling the mood of the prom, and about cold and ice cream, but all of the meaning is opaque.

The party was intend to push for Jessica for Prom Queen. Greg showed up at the party and Blair pulled Charlie in closer wanting to know if Greg felt the same way as Blair. Charlie decided to try the direct approach to find this out.

Charlie: Look, Greg, I have no hatred towards you, but my girlfriend hates you and wishes you'd die -- what's up with that?

Apparently, Greg was utterly indifferent to Blair and had no idea what was going on.

Blair: He's indifferent to me? I hate his guts! I will ruin his political career -- in high school -- that ended yesterday!

Shortly after this:

Dallas: So, we'll just have some reindeer just chilling around?

Blair: I _assumed_ that we would _ride_ them in.

Dallas: Well okay!

Someone: _I_ could add some snow to enhance this.

GM: You do not have evil reindeer.

Blair: Just undead skeletal reindeer.

Finley: But you know you could learn a lot about anatomy from studying them.

My notes say:

-1 for + to make a backup plan -- oh well

So, that didn't go too well. Elliott was supposed to be dating Angel and Dallas was meeting Angel _at_ prom. And my notes say something indecipherable about a mask or something.

Finley came as a witchhunter pilgrim. Hannah came as the easter bunny.

GM: You guys did not coordinate.

Finley: It's all right -- I brought her chocolates.

Blair: I wonder what the demon comes as.

Finley: Jessica.

Jessica and Lucas came as Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels.

Greg, I think, came all alone in black.

Finley: He screwed things up with me. He screwed things up with Blair. He screwed things up with Jessica.

I think there was general agreement that he was a loser.

Meanwhile, Dallas proceeded to try to implement his plan to ruin prom for someone. He approached Elliott and Angel.

Dallas: Can I cut in? I _am_ her date, after all.

Elliott: _I'm_ her date.

Dallas: Can we put this on hold? I have to dance with her.

After all, this was just a matter of math, right? Dallas figured:

• 50% Date to me
• 50% Date to Elliott -- I can share.

He danced with Angel and stared at Elliott. The player rolled Provoke, getting a total of +3, I think.

GM: Elliott's eyes are glowing kind of red.

My notes say something about him maybe trying to Provoke Dallas and +1 to Angel. I'm not sure what that's about.

Elliott stomped over to Angel and Dallas. Dallas tried to disappear.

Angel: What about me?

Blair: So he's ruined both your proms.

Dallas: Angel -- You're your own person -- you figure it out!

Charlie saw this and was trying to ground the power, using the Aspect / Relationship: Does Angel realize everything I do? + the Flowers tag.

Finley tried to intercept Elliott, but Elliott shoved him and he fell down.

Dallas decided to Provoke Elliott further.

Dallas: You heard that, Elliott? I stole your girlfriend.

Then, he used his power to slip away. Clearly not everyone was on board with getting rid of the demon.

Finley managed to stand up and kiss Elliott. This resulted in +1 to Rapport and a Minor Delay, which was all to the good.

Finley: Why are you wasting your time with them?

Elliott: Why are _you_ wasting _your_ time?

Finley: You know, you're a jerk! Did I ever tell you that?

I think Charlie got drinks for the group as a whole, aiming for Rapport, and getting, I think, a 3, which resulted in Sympathy for Elliott.

So, there were Flowers, a Love Potion, and Sympathy for Elliott. And someone used Flowers to reroll. Everyone was in on this, I think, getting a 6 in the attempt to banish the demon. We needed an 8.

Dallas's player rolled to Provoke Elliott into hitting Dallas.

Me: Now that you've succeeded, what have you done?

Blood dropped down on Elliott, presumably Dallas's blood from Elliott hitting him.

GM: Dallas, how's your prom going?

Dallas: How's Charlie feeling right now?

Charlie tried to open a hole in the earth under Dallas.

Charlie's player (rolls): I fail. Dallas doesn't go in a hole!

Dallas, according to my notes, "Provoked", and I think this did something to the reindeer.

Blair: How did you _do_ that?

Dallas: I Provoked the Evil Spirit!

Blair's player (I think): Rabid Reindeer while we were stag!

Blair: They didn't have an evil spirit!

Finley tried to slow down Elliott so Dallas could escape and got +3 Fight.

Dallas got a Fate Point and gave one to Finley for being a white knight.

My notes say that Angel got a -1, but needed an 8, so presumably, Angel was trying to banish the demon. The notes then say "3+2=5 for A's(?) fighting".

Finley kept getting tangled up in Elliott, and I think the illegible bit in my notes at this point is about folks commenting that he was fighting by kissing.

The group drew on

• Flowers
• Crowd Sympathy
• Love Potion

in its attempt to drive out the demon, and finally succeeded.

Someone (perhaps a lot of someones): Best Prom Ever!

Elliot: What happened?

Finley: I'll explain in a moment. (punches Greg, if I read my notes correctly) This is All Your Fault!

Blair: Jessica summoned a demon!

And it was time to vote for Prom King and Queen!

Finley voted for Dallas as King and Jessica as Queen. He blamed Greg for the demon summoning business.

But, when votes were tallied, the winners were Queen Angel and King Elliott.

Charlie: Did that ruin _your_ prom?

Dallas (chagrined): No, I voted for them too!

Blair: It's a paradox. Not ruining someone's prom meant ruining _your_ prom.

Dallas (brightening): I ruined _my_ prom!

Blair: You cannot lose in that situation.

And there we ended. My notes, as you can see, were an incoherent semi-illegible mess by the time I transcribed them. The game was definitely messy in terms of a coherent storyline as we were all pulling in different directions. And, somehow, it was enough fun and sufficiently memorable that it still sticks in my head.