Help! I Have A Crush On My Rival!?: The Afterpost

(See the previous prompt here.)

 The Afterpost

So, that was my journal for the CARTA game Help! I Have a Crush On My Rival?! by Dice Problems.  While I was enjoying the game and seeing where the story would go, I do think it ended at about the right time.  Due to the nature of the game prompts, it was likely that the characters would continue to go through the “friend/enemy” cycle, which would not only become boring but also difficult to fit naturally into the story I was telling.

This most interesting aspect of the game is how much it ended up parallelling a typical Hallmark movie script.  I made no secret right from the beginning that I expected to fall back on a lot of rom-com, Hallmark tropes. However, because of the randomness of the prompts, I had little idea how or when they would fit in.  Now that it’s done, it appears that they fit in rather well.  A girl returns to her hometown because of a family need, often medical, after leaving for a promising future  (honestly, I didn’t even recognize I had included this trope until after I was done); girl meets the boy with whom she previously experienced animosity; boy and girl soften toward each other through time spent together; a big misunderstanding (usually by the boy) that threatens the relationship; an interrupted kiss; the boy and girl admitting their feelings for each other and kiss right before the movie ends abruptly mere seconds or minutes later. Yep. I wrote a Hallmark script.

Is this the end of Lance and Gwen’s story, at least as far as my involvement goes?  I’m not entirely sure that I’m ready to leave them behind . . . for several reasons. For starters, I like writing about all the characters in this story.  Also, I had a few ideas that I did not get to explore, and I wouldn’t mind having the chance to share them with my readers.  Finally, continuing their story could give me an opportunity to explore and share my faith from the perspective of someone who is not a Christian, but is motivated to learn more about what that means. 

If I do continue with Lance and Gwen’s story, I’m not sure what form it would take.  Possibly I could use another journaling game, however, I feel I would want more control over events than random prompt draws would be able to provide.  I’ve seen some romance and relationship based TTRPG systems.  I’ve never had a desire to look at one of those, but perhaps they may work.  Most likely, however, I’ll just write straight fiction and post it in some form or manner. Which, if any, method I chose, that’s for the future.

One final thing to note before I move on, I included an easter egg in this game that so far has not been publicly mentioned by any reader. It’s not hidden, meaning it’s out in the open throughout the entire story and, somewhere just after the midway point, had a strong signpost.  I’ll keep quiet a little bit longer, just to see if anyone mentions it.

Now it’s time to look forward to what’s next for Teviko604.  Next month marks a year since I last posted for my Tunnels & Trolls Cyenannore campaign.  Getting back to that story is well overdue, and my immediate focus is to get another few chapters done.  More long term plans, however, are to build up this blog to be more than just a place where I post my stories.  For starters, I am working with someone to help develop a logo to spice up the place a bit.  Next, I am planning a series of articles to help with the impossible answer to the question, “How do you play an RPG Solo?” Those will lead up to a video series I’ve been thinking about for a while that will help explore that question even further.  Except for my campaign, all of this will take weeks or months to put together. It’s an ambitious goal, but if it all goes well, I see it potentially being very rewarding.

As always, thanks for reading.
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Jer. 29:11

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Help! I Have A Crush On My Rival!?: Prompt 18

(Read the previous prompt here.) 

Prompt 18 - The Invitation:

I feel like I want to go to the space below my current location.

Card Draw: Joker  - Oh no!  That ends the game, except for handling my one “Save” darw.  Let’s hope it’s a red.

Save Draw: 2 Clubs - Nope. That means that Potential does not increase, and any card that does not increase Potential is ignored during a “Save” draw, so nothing is affected.

Time to determine the end.  I have a total of 5 potential.

From the rules:

The game ends with a confession.

In a moment of tension, the consequences aren’t enough to stop emotions from breaking loose.

If you have “X” Potential…  (Of course, this will remain a secret until the end!)

*          *          *

“Things are going to be rough for the next several weeks,” Erik explained as he and I gathered and sorted cards after our Andromeda Factions demonstrations.

“Really? How so?” I asked.

“I have this programming assignment due before winter break, and it's using a language I’m not that familiar with.  It’s not very intuitive, either. At least not to me.”

Unlike Gwen and I, who are each on hiatus from school for various reasons -- Gwen for family, and me for . . . well, I really just don’t want to go -- Erik and Wayne were both attending Rainger University.  It was located a couple cities away, but close enough for them to carpool together and save money by staying at home.  Erik was working on a Computer Engineering degree, hoping to land a job in cybersecurity.  Wayne was simply going for a Business Administration degree, having heard that such a degree can open the door for almost anything.

“I hope your project doesn’t cut into your Saturday time,” I said.

“Oh, I’m sure it will, but I’ll be here for the Bowl.  You can count on that.”

By now, all the cards were collected and put back into their storage boxes.  It was getting late, so I said goodbye and headed out to my car.  I was barely out the door when Gwen strode up beside me.

“Hey, Lance.  I wanted to thank you properly for saving my skin this morning. That could have been a disaster.”

“Yeah,” I agreed.  “You gotta protect the game.”

“Was that all?”  She asked with a knowing smile.

“You caught me,” I admitted playfully. “I didn’t want you to get embarrassed.”

We reached my car and stopped. Gwen faced me and grasped my hands in hers. “Thank you. I mean it. And thank you for your offer of coffee. I had no idea how important it was to you.  I thought I was saving you some trouble.  I won’t be so thoughtless next time.”

We stared at each other.  I found myself smiling, but not sure what to say.

“You want to meet Fisher?” She said suddenly, her eyes widening as what she believed was a great idea.

“Sure,”  I said. “I’d love to meet him sometime,”

“Sometime?  How about now?”

“Uh, sure. But I don’t know where you live.”

“Just follow me.” And she took off for her car.

*    *    *

“Are your parent’s home?” I asked as she unlocked the door.

“They’re probably out grocery shoppings or doing some other chores,” Gwen explained. “Dad tries to take the whole Sunday ‘Day of Rest’ thing pretty seriously. So, he tries to get as much done as he can on Saturday.”

“Must be nice to not do anything all day.”

“Well, that probably going a bit far,” she admitted as the door opened.  “Let’s just say, he does less.  And, of course, there’s church.”

“Of course,” I agreed, not exactly sure to what I was agreeing.

Gwen pushed the door open and I followed her inside.

“Fisher!  I’m back,” she cried. “And I brought a friend.”

“Morgan?” a hopeful sounding male voice answered from somewhere down the hall.

Gwen motioned to me and I followed her down the hall into another room.  Fisher’s room was extremely neat and clean.  His desk was clear except for a laptop.  All that was on the nightstand was a lamp and a single soda can, sitting squarely on a round cork coaster.  The light blue walls were bare, except for one framed picture of a pack of wolves stalking between the trees in a snow-covered forest. The owner of the room sat in the middle on his bed holding a small gaming device.  He wore a dark-colored t-shirt and shorts and other than being a bit gangly, he looked just like any normal teenager.

A look of disappointed immediately crossed Fisher face as we entered when he noticed I wasn’t Morgan.  However, disappointed quickly turned to curiosity about this stranger standing in his room.

“Fisher, this is Lance,” she introduced me.  “He’s one of the boys from the “Dice & Deck.”

“Lance Walsh?,” Fisher brightened.  “You’re the Andromeda Factions nut, right?”

Nut, huh?  “Yeah, that would be me.”

“I’ll be right back,” Gwen said. “You two get to know each other.”

“You’re friends with Morgan, right?” Fisher asked as I took a few steps closer to the bed.

I don’t know If I’d say friends. “Yeah, she hangs out on Saturday mornings.”

“Okay,” he said warily. “But just so we’re clear, I’ll let you date my sis, but don’t get any ideas about Morgan. She’s mine!” He gave me a knowing wink to let me in on the joke.  Still, I quickly glanced over my shoulder to make sure Gwen was actually gone and didn’t hear her brother’s comment about us dating.

“Trust me, you don’t have to worry about that,” I assured him once I knew we were alone.  “Gwen tells me you like Morgan.”

“We’re friends.  That’s all,” he said, brushing the idea away.  “I’m not going to kid myself that we could be anything more.”

“Don’t sell yourself short.  Gwen tells me you’re a great guy, and if you and Morgan are such good friends, why wouldn’t she be interested.”

“Even if she was, what’ve I got?  Five years at the most.  Nah, she needs to find someone who’s gonna be around.”

“Don’t talk like that!” I said, shocked at his fatalist view, but also remembering Gwen tell me she suspected Morgan might feel the same. “You seem rather healthy.  You can beat this.”

“Don’t kid yourself, Lance.  This is one of my good days.  By Monday morning, I’ll barely be able to get out of bed.  Look, the doctors aren’t sure of everything that’s going on with me, but they try to give me hope.  They say there’s this experimental cure, or that treatment, but I know it’s mostly lip service.”

“Aren’t you scared?”

“About dying?”  He gave a chuckle, of all things.  “I can’t stop it. Dying, I mean.  And honestly, I know where I’m going, and I can’t wait to be done with this.”  He spread his arms and wiggled his fingers at himself.  “Know what I mean?”

“Yeah,” I said, but in my mind, I didn’t understand.  I guessed it was a faith thing. What really took my by surprise, however, was his nonchalant attitude.  Fisher was taking this all in stride, like his was any other life.  I had seen others miserable with cancer, trying their best to appear unconcerned while still emitting a sense of fear.  But not Fisher.

Still, I wanted to move on from what I at least felt was a morbid topic.

“What’s that?” I asked, pointed to the device in his hands.  “An old Gameboy?”

“Nah!  This is one of those retro devices that plays those games old people like my dad used to play when they were kids.  Some of them aren’t that bad, but they’re no Mission of Honor.  But who cares about that?”  He mindlessly tossed the tiny console aside and laid back on the bed, resting his head against the headboard and motioning me to sit.  “What I wanna know is about you. I’ve been wondering how long before Gwen brought you home.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, accepting his invitation to sit on the side of the bed.

“Sis has had a thing for you ever since high school.”

“She has?”

“Yeah. She’d come home every Saturday talking about what ‘game she played with Lance.’ How she hoped you’d be there next week.  I’m assuming you didn’t play with her much once she’d been there a few months, ‘cause I could tell when she was unhappy after coming home. She wouldn’t exactly tell me what was wrong, except to mention how you were too busy with the other kids to play with her. Then came the Turf Wars incident. I was sure it would be all over after that.”

“You heard about that, huh?”

“Of course!” Fisher cried, as though it would be obvious.  “Gwen cried every day for a week after that.  I told her she didn’t need a friend like you and to forget you.  I mean, I didn’t know you, of course, but if nothing else, I was tired of hearing about my big sister’s crushes.  You know what I mean?”  His flashed me a big knowing grin.

Not having any siblings, I could only guess at what he meant. I smiled and nodded back, as though I did.

“But then,” he continued.  You bought her lunch.”

I looked at him puzzled.  “No.  Last week she paid for our lunch at Sand Which?”

“Not last week, silly.”  Fisher rolled his eyes.  “Back then, when you paid for her pizza. My goodness, you'd ’ve thought you were some gallant knight in shining armor, promising to sweep her up on your white horse and whisk her away.  You made a friend for life that day, Lance, and I don’t think you even knew it.”

“I had no idea,” I said. Sure, Gwen told me a little about she felt, but I never imagined she felt this strongly. “Gwen never said anything back then.  In fact, I only thought of your sister as the competition.  She was good and she won almost anything.  And she was smug about it, especially to me.  She liked to rub it in my face. At least that’s how I felt.  I decided it was best just to avoid her.”

“She knew,” Fisher confirmed. “By her senior year, she barely mentioned you anymore.  She went out with a few guys from her school, but nothing stuck.  Then sis left for college.  I think she was seeing someone for a little over a year, but again, nothing came of that.  But shortly after coming back home last spring, do you know what was one of the first things Gwen asked me?”

I shook my head.

‘Do you think Lance Walsh still hangs out at the Dice & Deck?’”

“What are you guys talking about?” Gwen’s voice came from the door and I wondered how long she had been there.  I must have looked worried, because Fisher redirected the conversation without missing a beat.

“Lance was teaching me about Andromeda Factions.” He winked at me for reassurance before continuing our feigned conversation.  “You said there was that really bad card?”

“Uh . . . Um . . . You mean the ‘Black Hole’,” I said, following Fisher’s lead and trying to sound natural.

“Is that all you want to talk about?” Gwen said as she sat on the side of the bed.  Her leather jacket was gone and she had let her hair down. 

“How often to get to talk with an expert?” Fisher asked, even though he had no way of knowing if I deserved that title.

The three of us sat in the bedroom for neary a half an hour as Fisher and I talked about collectible card games and Gwen listened, jumping in whenever she had something to add. Our eyes met occasionally, and she would smile at me, glad that I was willing to take time with her brother.  When we were done, Fisher and I made plans to meet over the next couple of weeks when I could bring my cards and we would play. I said goodbye and Gwen led me back out to the living room.

“So, what do you think?” Gwen asked.

“About Fisher?  He’s a great kid.  I don’t know what I was expecting.  I thought he would seem more . . . sickly?”

“He has his ups and downs.  He’s feeling better right now because he had dialysis yesterday. Still, other than getting dressed, I suspect he hasn’t been out of bed all day.  He’s well rested now, but it’ll be different come nine o’just keep feeling worse until Monday.”

I couldn’t stop thinking about her brother told me about high school. I stood for a moment, wondering what to say next.

“Gwen,” I started.  “Can I tell you something?”

“Sure,” Gwen said, curious.

“I’m really enjoying getting to know you. Thank you for bringing me over and sharing your brother with me for a little while.  These last few weeks have made me realize how stupid I was back in high school and what I missed out on by avoiding you.”

“I was a different person back then,” Gwen said.

“We both were,” I admitted. “But you were kind and helpful to any new kids who came through that door.  You were . . . are honest and trustworthy. The type of person that makes me want to buy them coffee.” Gwen smiled at that. “And I guess that’s why I got so upset last week.  It wasn’t because of whose game would eventually be chosen.  It was because I thought that everything you were, what I wanted you to be, was a lie.”

Gwen opened her mouth to speak, but I held up my hand to stop her.

“I know. I know. Besides that being extreme and an overreaction, what’s more important is that the truth is, you were being exactly those things, making sure your brother was in good hands and taken care of.

“To be honest, I was jealous this morning of Mark.  He was getting to spend the time with you that I wished I was.  Part of me wanted that coffee to fall . . . to break up the game. Luckily, I came to my senses.  I knew doing nothing was wrong, and worse, what it would mean for you.  Embarrassment aside, Mark would probably have been really mad at you.  I don’t want anyone being mad at you.”

I took a deep breath to stop myself from rambling.

“I think what I’m trying to say is, I really like you, Gwen. I want to continue being your friend . . . and possibly, something more.”

I looked away before finishing.  This was the moment.  I didn’t want to look. I wanted to hold off the rejection as long as possible.

When Gwen didn’t respond, I looked up.  She was smiling and her brown eyes were bright.  After the briefest of moments, she closed her eyes and leaned into me as her lips softened. Of all the possibilities that had gone through my mind, a kiss was not one of them.  But it certainly wasn’t unwanted.  I leaned in, as well, as Gwen and I . . .

“I’m getting a soda from the fridge.  You two want anything?”

Gwen and I immediately backed away and straighten up at the sound of Fisher’s voice. Gwen’s brother was passing through the living on his way to the kitchen. I looked toward the door, ceiling, anywhere but Gwen or Fisher.

“Thanks, but we’re okay,,” Gwen answered, even though Fisher was already out of the room.

She looked at me, face red but smiling. Giggling, she grabbed my hand and pulled me out the front door. Outside, once the door was closed, all we could do was laugh.

<I had to get in the proverbial “Hallmark Interrupted Kiss.”>

“Do you think he got any ideas?” I asked.

“That depends. Were you asking me to be your girlfriend?” Gwen waited for my answer with a conspiratorial smile.

“Well . . . um,” I stuttered.  “I didn’t exactly say ‘girlfriend’.  But, yeah. I . . . I guess so.”

“Well then, we better make sure he has the right idea.”

Without hesitation, Gwen reached around and pulled me close.  In response, I wrapped my arms around her waist as we kissed.  Nothing prepared me for this, and it felt wonderful.  We lingered in our embrace, neither wanting to stop.

Eventually, we parted and looked in each other eyes.  All I saw was joy, and I hoped she saw the same.

Suddenly, I had a sensation.  A sensation that we were being watched.  I looked over and saw an older couple standing a few feet away and watching us.  The man was large, with dark hair and a salt-and-pepper colored beard.  The woman next to him stood nearly a foot shorter. Her shoulder-length hair was greying, but you could still see traces of the auburn that had been passed down to her daughter.

I pulled myself away and faced them, jumping to attention like a soldier.

“Uh, hello, Mr. and Mrs. Anders,” I said, not knowing what else to say.

“Hello,” the man said, a question in his voice. “Gwen, dear, would you care to introduce us to this nice young man?” Her father’s emphasis on the word ‘nice’ made it obvious that this was more an expectation as opposed to an assumed fact.

“Mom. Dad.  This is Lance Walsh.,”  Gwen introduced, grasping my hand in hers and pressing up close. 

Then, gazing at me adoringly, she announced,  “He’s my boyfriend!”

===============
The result of the game . . .

If you have 5 or more Potential…

It’s out there. Now they know. For several heartbeats you are sure you’ve ruined everything, but then... your Rival accepts your confession?! What do they do and say? What challenges will you face together, now that you’ve done the impossible?

(Read the Afterpost here.)
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1 Cor. 13:4-7,13

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Help! I Have A Crush On My Rival!?: Prompts 16 & 17

(Read the previous prompt here.)

Prompt 16 - The Redo:

My movement choices are to go left or go down. Again, I’ll go left.

Card Draw: 6 of Spades (black)  This is the second black 6, which may or may not affect potential.  Things looked like they were about to be getting better for Gwen and Lance, and all my story ideas were positive moving forward.  Let’s see what wrench this throws into my plans.

Prompt: Your Rival’s previous act of pettiness has been eating at you (the 6 of clubs in Prompt 3) and you finally can’t help but mention it to your Rival. Their response is dismissive and hurtful. …Or is it? If it surprises you, don’t lose a Potential.

This isn’t too bad.  I actually had a call back in mind to that coffee event. I always thought of it as a positive outcome, but based on this description, we’ll have to see what happens, perhaps bring in some solo tools. I’ll hold off on determining the effect on Potential until after I write the scene.

*     *     *

<How does Lance initiate contact? (d8) 1-4:contacts Gwen by text  5-7: waits till he gets to the store  8: Asks for Morgan’s help  Roll= 3>

RGPSolo.com Oracle: Does Gwen respond? (50/50): Yes

*    *    *

I just realized something.  I now had Gwen’s phone number! I had power of access to her whenever I wanted.

No, not like in a stalky way.  I wasn’t planning on harassing  her, and I had no intention of calling her every minute of every day, like a needy puppy.  Truth be told, every time I call someone unexpected, I wonder if I’m bothering them. I certainly don’t want Gwen to be annoyed with me. But having her number, and she having mine for that matter, meant if we had any legitimate need to get in touch with other, we could without having to wait till Saturday.

It was Friday night. I decided to try and correct my error from several weeks ago.  So I texted her.

<Texts on a Cell Phone>

Lance: Hello, Gwen. This Lance. Please pick one from each group.
Lance: <coffee cup emoji> Regular or Decaf?
Lance: <cow emoji> Creamer, Oatmilk, nothing?
Lance: Splenda, Stevia, Swt&Lo, Equal, nothing?
Lance: Flavors?
Lance: Anything else?

It was a lot and I was afraid I wouldn’t get it all typed out before she responded. That probably wouldn’t have been a problem, but I wanted to give my full presentation without interruptions.

Then, I waited . . . And waited.

Nothing.  No response.  No big deal, I thought.  Maybe she’s out at a movie, or she’s doing something with her family and decided to turn her phone off to avoid disruptions. After a while, I decided to go about my business.  When Gwen sees the message, she’ll respond.

But she didn’t, and I climbed into bed wondering if I had done something wrong.

The next morning, I saw that Gwen had responded.  I never heard the ding.  She must have texted while my “do not disturb” was still on.

<Texts on a cell phone>

Gwen: Sry. Just saw this. Were u asking to pick up coffee for me?
Gwen: Thx, but not necessary. See you at the D&D.

Dismissed! I can’t seem to catch a break with Gwen and coffee, can I?  She does realize I’m trying to offer her a friendly gesture, doesn’t she? I can’t believe she would just brush it off so easily, especially after what she told me on the phone.  Part of me is telling me to just let it go.  But I would really like to know what is going on.

<At this point, except for the prompt’s direction, I’m not sure why Gwen would not accept Lance’s offer.  Let’s start with an rpgsolo oracle question:

The only indication Gwen likes coffee is Lance’s phone conversation with Art in Prompt 3.  Does Gwen actually like coffee on a regular basis? (Likely) Yes, and . . . She picked up a cup on the way in to the store.

Interesting.  There are a few ways this can go.>

When I walked into the “Dice & Deck,” I saw Gwen was already there .  .  . and she had a paper cup in her hand sporting the JavaBeans logo.

“So, you do like coffee,” I noted as I walked up to her.

“I’m not addicted to it or anything, like my dad,” she said. “But I definitely enjoy it.”

“Do you remember last month when I brought you that latte, and you refused it?  I was a little hurt because I was trying to make up for saying some dumb stuff to you about your game and the Holiday Bowl, but your reason about being diabetic made sense.  So, I tried last night to make amends again, this time making sure I got what you wanted. But you blew me off again. I was thinking that maybe you just didn’t like coffee, except I walk in and see you with this.  What’s the deal, Gwen?”

“Nothing’s the ‘deal’,” Gwen insisted. “I just don’t want you to think you have to buy me coffee every time you do something I don’t like.”

“Every time? I’ve yet to buy you coffee once! At least one you’ve wanted.”

“And you don’t have to.  Like I told you, I just want to be your friend. That’s enough.”

All she wants to be is my friend?

“Gwen!” Another voice suddenly broke in.  “Look! It came this week!”

Mark was standing behind Gwen, excitedly holding up a copy of OverPush, an expansion for the game A Bunch of Scales. It was so new, it was still enclosed in its shrink wrap.

“Cool!” Gwen exclaimed, seeing the box.

“I’m ready to play if you are,” Mark offered.

“Of course! I’ll talk to you later, Lance. Okay?”

I didn’t feel “okay” about it, but I never got to say so because she was already across the room with Mark, finding an empty table.
==========
I wasn’t sure where this scene was heading, so around the halfway point, I pulled the card for the next scene to see if it gave me any direction, which it did.  As Lance was definitely not happy with this outcome, I will reduce Potential by one, giving me a total of 5.  More of Lance’s reaction will be revealed in the next prompt.

*     *     *

Prompt 17 - The Cup:

As previously mentioned, this card was pulled during the previous scene.  Rolling a d6 to determine the direction of my next pull. Even: Move left  Odd: Move down  Roll: 3 - Down

Card Draw: 4 of Spades (black)  This is the second black 4, which may or may not affect potential. 

Prompt: You have a golden opportunity to embarrass your Rival in front of those people they were so keen to impress. Do you take it? If you resist, don’t lose a Potential and instead describe why you have decided to take the higher road.

A determination of change in potential will have to wait until the end.

*    *    *

What the hell!? Doesn’t Gwen know I’m dying here?  She bears her soul to me about wanting to be my friend. I make a grand gesture . . .  medium one, at least . . .  by offering to buy her coffee, and she acts as though it’s nothing.  Nothing! Explaining it by saying she only wants to be friends. Who does she think she is?

And since when can Mark just sweep her away with a shiny new game?  Didn’t he see Gwen was talking to me?  Not him.  Me! Mark needs to show me some more respect. I’m a board member for Knizia’s sake!

After finding a table, Mark unwrapped the OverPull expansion and added it to his original A Bunch of Scales game. Neoprene player mats, stacks of chips, decks of cards, and dice, dice, and more dice covered the table. Adding the forty dollar expansion, Mark’s entire Scales collection had to be well over $200. And what he had on the table was only a portion.  The rest was still in the box, well maintained I might add, resting in a chair. 

As the two played, Gwen would occasionally take a sip of her coffee, each time placing it down closer to the edge of the table.  In fact, it currently appeared to be slightly hanging over the edge . . . directly above the open Bunch of Scales box!  It wouldn’t take much for it to fall over, the plastic lid coming undone once it hit the box, sending coffee everywhere.  Cards would be ruined.  Player mats would be stained. Gwen would be embarrassed. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mark wanted nothing more to do with her after that.  Come to think of it, he would probably demand that Gwen pay for a new game to replace the one she destroyed. Serves her right, after blowing me off. I can’t wait to see it happen.

Gwen reached for some dice, coming within inches of her cup.  Just a little closer.

A moment later, while adjusting her cards, her fingers brushed against the paper container.  Almost.

Gwen rolled a die that was about to fall off the table, right next to the teetering cup.  Immediately, she reached to stop it from flying off the table and . . .

I grabbed the cup right before Gwen’s hand hit it.

She looked up at me.  I had just saved her from public humiliation, however, her inner embarrassment over what almost happened was clear to me.

“Thank you,” she barely whispered, reaching out for her cup.

“I . . . I didn’t want Mark’s game to get ruined,” I said, handing it back to her. 

Gwen’s eyes expressed her gratitude and indebtedness. She understood my true intentions.

“I think Erik’s setting up some demonstration games of Andromeda Factions,” I said.  “I better get over there to help. It’s for my game campaign and all.”

“Yeah, you should do that,” Gwen agreed. “Talk to you later?”

“Of course,” I said as I turned to find Erik.

Before I got too far, I called over my shoulder.  “Careful with that coffee. I don’t want to have to buy you another one.”

Gwen smiled and I think I saw her blush.

<I don’t lose a Potential because I made the right choice, and I hope it’s obvious why.>

(Read the next prompt here.)

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Love Sinks: Weeks 7 - 8

 A playthrough of Love Sinks, a Wretched & Alone Game.

(Read previous week here.)

WEEK 7

Confessional:

Another group date. Ugh! It’s hard to have that intimate one-on-one connection with Nadreall, then share time with other guys. The good news, however, was that Freddy wasn’t on the date. The bad news . . . that meant he was going on a one-on-one. Grrrr!

Have you ever heard of Janice Helen Thompson . . . I meant before the show . . .  Neither had I. In fact, I doubt any of the guys knew who she was, but we all nodded and feigned excitement when Nadreall introduced the group to her.  She’s one of this decade’s top writers of romantic poetry, and that’s what this date was all about: love poems.  She gave us a brief workshop then sent us off to write our own poems for the Princess. When we finished we were asked to read them to her in front of the entire group . . . yeah, everyone was thrilled. Can you hear my sarcasm? But there was a bright side. The person who Janice and Nadre agreed wrote the best poem would win the opportunity to take the Princes to a place of our choosing for an impromptu one-on-one date.

Finally, a challenge I’m trained for . . .  No, I’m not a poet, but I do write for a living, which I should give me one up on the other guys. And this might be my own bias, but I think working in a mostly graphic medium has taught me to be a little more artistic and colorful than other forms of writing . . . You want to hear my poem? Okay.

  She's a vision, painted by the aquamarine sea,
  A stranger, uncertain of what the future might be.

  She seeks a hero for her journey to start,
  I'll be her guide with a Giant's true heart:

  Like the Wind, I will carry you to the ends of this earth,
  With a passion like a fire that burns in a hearth,

  I’ll shade you as a mountain from storms that may rage,
  And return you home safe beneath the waters and waves.

. . . Thank you. Yes, I did take inspiration from Golems. The giants and elements and all.  And it worked because, Yay, I won. I got to take Nadrea to a place of my choosing and I knew exactly where. She wants to see the world. I promised to show it to her. If I can’t take her in person, then I’d give her the next best thing. VirtuZone!

VirtuZone is like next-gen VR entertainment and not just some basic headset and gloves. First, they scan your body and create an avatar that looks just like you. Next, they fit you in a full-body haptic suit.  Real Ready Player One type stuff.  This was all new to Nadre. She had never heard of virtual reality and didn’t know what to expect. I took her rock climbing in the Grand Canyon, explored caves in South America, stood on the streets in New York City, and even took a stroll on the surface of the moon. She loved it and I think it sparked more of a desire in her to see the real things.

Inspired, Nadreall wanted to share a little bit of her world with me, so we pulled up an underwater ocean simulation. Then she surprised me by suggesting we go full mermaid and merman, with tails and everything. We swam through coral reefs and among shipwrecks. We played tag with a school of dolphins.  I couldn’t help myself. I swam right up to her and we kissed . . . Okay, actually, we bumped helmets. Talk about awkward. But we just took off the helmets and kissed for real. Magical! I literally felt electricity course through me. Ok, that could have been the haptic suit, but I’d rather think it was our connection . . . Of course, she gave me the date lotus at the end of the night. She’s it. She’s the one. I am definitely falling in love and I can’t wait to see where we go from here.

. . . And we kissed

The Rolls:

Draw: 1 Card

Two of Hearts: You won the chance to take the Heir out to a place of your choosing. Where do you take them and what do you do?

Token Roll: 1

<There have been significantly few draws that relate to the transformation (diamonds). If this were real, I would have expected the transformation to be further along by now. I’m expecting a week that has a lot of transforming soon.>

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WEEK 8

Confessional:

<I show off my skin that is beginning to take on a bluish tint.> You like my color. It just started setting in a few days ago.  I'm told it’s one of the side effects of the pills. That’s why all the Atlanteans’ skin has an aquamarine color . . . I find it very sexy on Nadreall. The only drawback is that some of my favorite clothes clash, especially the oranges and browns . . . I’m not sure what I’ll do with them yet. For now, I’ll hold on to them, just won’t wear them.  Wait until I get a second opinion from my friends and family . . . Oh, of course! If Nadreall likes them I’ll wear them every day. <laugh>

To be honest, I’m ready for this transformation to move a little faster. Many of the other guys are several steps ahead of me. In fact, I might be one of the last to get any of the procedures. Not sure what that means. Are the transformations happening in the order of Nadre’s preference? For instance, if she doesn’t choose you, you might not want to be a fish. In fact, you probably don’t. I hope that’s not the case. I like to think that I’m near the top of her list.

But being behind does have its advantages, the main being able to see how the transformation affects the others. Take the gills for example. Everyone had a really difficult time with that, probably the worst part of the transformation so far. When they tested the gills, they couldn’t figure out the breathing. Most still tried to breathe through their mouth and nose. I’m assuming due to habit? They would end up with a mouth full of water and having to surface real quick. Wayne was the scariest. The safety crew had to drag him from the pool and give him mouth-to-mouth. So, knowing this, I did a little research to figure out ahead of time how gills work and when it was my time to get in the pool, I took to it right away. I did have one false start, but soon got the hang of it and was swimming back and forth completely underwater. I enjoyed it so much that after about 30 minutes they practically had to force me from the pool to get ready for the date.

The transformation is making me think of life in a new way. I came across this photo on my phone. <I show the producer the picture. It’s of me in my bedroom back home. The only item of note for this scene is a small aquarium on my dresser.> It made me think of my fish. I’ve never been much of a pet person . . . I like animals, but I always seem to have so much going on that I don't need the added responsibility of taking care of a dog or cat. Fish, however, is easy. Pretty much feed ‘em and let ‘em be. When I wanted to relax or just give my mind a break I would sit on my bed and watch them swim around. When I saw this picture, after getting out of the pool, I realized I might soon be living in their world. Much bigger, of course, but swimming underwater, like you’re in space. Would life be easier . . . harder? If I took them with me and let them out, would they stay with me or just swim off . . . Oh yeah, they would certainly swim off. I’m no fool. But, it’s fun to think about having a fish friend, you know, like Flounder . . . You don’t know Flounder? The little mermaid? Hmm, not a Disney fan, I guess.

. . . I guess you’re talking about Freddy? Yeah, that was one heck of a shake-up. He said something that really upset the Princess . . . Obviously, I don’t know all the details, but when he left the room for his time with Nadre, a couple of the other guys approached me to tell me what he said to them. Apparently, he believed the only reason I was on the show and wanted to win -- his words, not mine -- was to see Atlantis and get story ideas for the comic. It was his intention to share his suspicions with Nadreall. I guess he was trying to get me kicked off the show . . . Was there any truth to it? Well, in a way, but not how he thinks. Several of us were sitting around talking about what we were most excited to see or curious about Atlantis. Matt R likes to study cultures, so he wants to see how the Atlanteans live. Leon is a real beachgoer, so living in the water is really attractive to him. For me, it was having a new experience that may inspire my writing. While I was sharing this, Freddy walked into the room. All he heard was my part of the conversation and not all the background leading up to it. Either he misunderstood what I was saying, or he’s just a BEEP and wants to bad mouth me to Nadreall to turn her against me.

. . . Oh, yes! I was very concerned, but then he came storming into the room with Nadreall close on his heels, yelling at him things about being self-centered and arrogant. Freddy kept going out the front door. The last thing Nadre yelled was, “By the way, you look like BEEP in blue!” <snicker> Then she walked into the living room, clearly upset, and talked to all of us. “I am curious about the surface world,” she said. “I want to know how you live and what you’ve created. And I would expect that all of you would be equally curious about my world. In fact, if you aren’t, I don’t understand why you are here. This is a commitment. To me, to my people. I’m looking for a mate. And Atlantis is a part of me. You can’t accept me without accepting my home. Any of you who would condemn or criticize another for wanting to embrace Atlantis and make it A part of themselves just doesn’t get it and aren’t worthy to be welcomed by me or my family. If that’s any of you, if anyone feels ashamed to come to Atlantis, you can leave right now. I don’t need you wasting my time.” Then she left. I hate seeing her upset, but at the moment, I was more thrilled that Freddy was gone.


The Show:

Several minutes before the confrontation Darin discusses in this confessional, Freddy and Nadreall are having a one-on-one conversation while sitting on a sofa in another room. Early on in the conversation, Freddy brings up a “concern” he has about one of the other contestants. The Princess urges him to reveal more, at which point he says he doesn’t believe Darin (You) are here for the right reasons. The only reason you are on the show is to gather ideas for your graphic novel and use this show to promote it.  Nadreall nods her head and appears to contemplate what was said before responding.

Nadreall: First of all, thank you for your concern and for having the courage to tell me this. Actually, Darin and I have already discussed his novels and how he gets inspiration for his stories. He may have already been thinking about using Atlantis in his stories, but I think I was the first to bring up the idea of him using my home for a storyline.

Freddy: Oh. Really?

Nadreall: Yes. I am excited that he wants to learn about my home and share it with others. Do you have any interest in where I come from?

Freddy: Uh, of course. I want to know you. I want to know your home. I’m very interested.

Nadreall: Are you sure? Do you know anything about me? What’s my sister’s name? Or my mother’s for that matter?

Freddy: Uh, uh . . .

Nadreall: Where did I like to play as a child? What do I love most about living in the ocean?

Freddy: I know those things. I’ve been listening to you. I just don’t remember right now, we’ve talked about a lot.

Nadreall: Yes, we have. But you wouldn’t have known any of those answers even if you were listening because you never ask anything about my life. All you want to talk about is yourself, what you do, what accomplishments you’ve made.

Freddy: Of course I talk about myself. You’re looking for a partner. Isn’t knowing more about me important if you are going to choose me as your husband?

Naderall: That’s it right there. Choosing you as my husband. Everything you say comes across as you are trying to convince me about how good a husband you’d make. What makes a good relationship is knowing about each other and you don’t seem to want to know anything about me, except how pretty I am, or how amazing a person I am, or how great a kisser I am.

Freddy: <impish smile> Well, you are.

Nadreall: <totally oblivious to his charms> And if you think that I don’t know about your dislike of Darin, Matt, and several of the others, you are sadly mistaken. I hear bits and pieces here and there. How no one is as good as you. The other guys are basically little boys, not men. “The Princess knows she’s in the presence of Greatness whenever I walk in the room.” You are arrogant, egotistical, and done here. It’s time you leave.

To emphasize this, Nadreall points to the door. Freddy, looking disgusted, gets up and leaves which leads to the events previously described in Darin’s confessional.

<Note: The above scene would almost never happen on our real life dating shows. Instead, the Bachelor or Bachelorette would trust everything they are being told, possibly go to the other person to get their side of the story, then be utterly confused over who to believe because they never take the next logical step which is talking to the other contestants in order to verify who is telling the truth.>


The Rolls:

Draw: 6 Cards

Two of Spades: While rearranging items in your contestant room, you find a picture of a pet. You suddenly realize they won't be able to join you under the sea. How does that feel?

Five of Clubs: The film crew caught another contestant talking trash about you to the Heir. They look upset and leave the room quickly. What did they say and was it honest? Roll for balloons. 3 Down to 12 balloons.

Ace of Diamonds: Your body reacts positively to one of the changes, causing it to go smoother than expected.
Set this card aside. On any subsequent Diamond card, you may choose not to roll for balloons and instead discard this card.

Two of Diamonds: After daily doses of small pills, your skin tone takes on a bluish tint. Some of your old clothes look awkward against it. Do you get rid of them? Roll for balloons. 2  Down to 10 balloons

Four of Diamonds: Some of the other contestants are changing more quickly than you are. Do you feel left behind? Roll for balloons. 5 (use one of my hearts to cancel this roll) Still at 10 balloons.

Ace of Clubs: This episode provided the audience with a redemption arc for you and improved their interest in you as a person. (In case it isn't clear, I presented this as Naderall not falling for Freddy's antics and kicking him off the show.)
If you have already drawn the King of Clubs, you may shuffle it back into the deck.

Token Roll: 6 Remove one token.   9 Remaining.

(Read the next week here.)