Michelle Returns Part 2



READER'S NOTE: The fourth meeting of the LARP STs took place this week and I was present. Since I had volunteered to help out, everyone thought it was appropriate that I attend. Bear in mind that my contributions to this LARP is purely in a supportive capacity. That is, I would not offer any suggestions or opinions unless it was asked for. I was only there to help. Before I get into that though, please allow me to reiterate to you this little diddy. Solanna and Michelle actually met for lunch last week. What I am posting here is Solanna's account of that incident (you all might want to be sitting down).

Solanna: "Hi Michelle"

Michelle: "Hey."

Solanna: "So? You ready for lunch?"

Michelle: "Sure, but would you mind if my sister joins us?"

Solanna: "Sister? You have a sister?"

Michelle: "Yeah, I am supposed to get together with her today. I figured she could meet us here and we could all decide where to eat."

Solanna: "Sure. I'm cool with that."

(Michelle and Solanna wait patiently)

Solanna: "Sooooo. What's your sister's name?"

Michelle: "Melissa."

Solanna: "Is she older or younger than you?"

Michelle: "Younger. She is like the baby of the family but she is spoiled rotten. We used to get into fights all the time."

Solanna: "That's normal. Marc has a younger brother and the two of them used to fight constantly."

Michelle: "No, no, you don't understand. Melissa and I are so different. You see I'm a Capricorn and she's a Leo. The two don't mix."

Solanna: "Okay, if you say so."

Michelle: "Oh. Here she comes."

Melissa: "Hey."

Michelle: "Hi Melissa, this is my friend Solanna."

Solanna: "Hi Melissa. I'm pleased to meet you."

Melissa: "Hey."

Michelle: "Solanna is Marc's fiancée."

Melissa: *?*

Michelle: "You remember Marc don't you?"

Melissa: "That's not the storyteller guy you had a crush on right?"

Michelle: "Melissa!"

Solanna: *laughing*

Melissa: "What?"

Solanna: "It's okay guys. Yes I am the fiancée of Marc the storyteller."

Melissa: "So you play that game?"

Solanna: "Yes I do."

Melissa: (looking at Solanna up and down) "Oh. I see…"

Solanna: "What? You say that like you are surprised."

Melissa: "Oh, it's nothing. It's just that…well…you look normal."

Solanna: "Why? What am I supposed to look like?"

Melissa: "Oh I dunno…"

Michelle: "She thinks that role-playing games are for geeks and losers."

Melissa: "Shut-up! I never said that!"

Michelle: "Yes you did!"

Melissa: "No I didn't!"

Michelle: "Yes you DID!"

Melissa: "No I DIDN'T!"

Solanna: "*Ahem* Uh guys, can we like continue this conversation over lunch, I am starving."

Michelle: "Okay. Where would you like to go?"

Solanna: "Well do you guys have a preference?"

Michelle: "Not really, but I want to eat healthy, I am trying to lose weight."

Melissa: "Yeah me too."

Solanna: "Okay. How about Mexicali Rosa's. They have really good lunch specials and they are healthy too."

Michelle: "I don't like Mexican food."

Melissa: "Me neither."

Solanna: "Okay…How about Katsura's? I haven't had sushi in a while."

Michelle: "I don't like seafood."

Melissa: "Me neither. Plus the Japanese are cruel to fish. I don't like eating types of food in which the people who make them are cruel to them."

Solanna: "Huh?"

Melissa: "Yeah, for example, the grocery store near our place sells lobsters, but do you know what they do to kill them?"

Solanna: "Yes I do, they boil them."

Melissa: "Yeah, but they boil them ALIVE! That is so horrible!"

Solanna: "But…"

Michelle: "That's the same reason why I don't eat veal. I mean, how can anyone kill baby sheep?"

Solanna: "For your information Michelle, Marc and I are having veal served at our wedding reception."

(turns to Melissa)

Solanna: "Lobster too."

(silence)

Michelle: "Why don't we just eat at McDonalds?"

Melissa: "Good idea."

READER'S NOTE: On Saturday June 2nd, Al, Michelle and Solanna, arranged for the players to show up at Michelle's place to create characters since it wasn't happening over e-mail. Michelle expected players to show up with ready made characters, complete with filled out character sheets and at detailed background. Solanna tried to explain to her that was not going to happen, since a lot of the players have never played before and would need to be coached. Now June 2nd was also the day for the V:tES Canadian Championships. Solanna and I were already registered for this event. So Michelle and Al had to handle the player character generation process by themselves. Curious as to how this went, Solanna spoke to Michelle later on to find out what happened.

Solanna: "So how did it go?"

Michelle: "It was too long."

Solanna: "Well character generation is a lengthy process."

Michelle: "Yeah, but I was right and you were wrong."

Solanna: "Woa! About what!?"

Michelle: "You said that players shouldn't have to create characters before showing up."

Solanna: "Uh, that's not what I said. I said that it is UNLIKELY that players will show up with created characters, since no one knows the kind of game we are running."

Michelle: "Yeah well, things would have been so much smoother if players came with their characters already made. So I was right."

Solanna: "*sigh* Fine Michelle. So what happened?"

Michelle: "Well I am kind of upset with you."

Solanna: "Why?"

Michelle: "Because only seven players showed up."

Solanna: "So why is this my fault?"

Michelle: "Well it is obvious you didn't send out the notice that the players were supposed to show up to my place."

Solanna: "Michelle. I did send out the notice. If I didn't, then NO ONE would have showed up."

Michelle: "Well you must have sent out notices to a bunch of wrong e-mail addresses."

Solanna: "I only sent out e-mails to addys that YOU gave me Michelle!"

Michelle: "Yeah well….I am still upset with you."

READER'S NOTE: I had to contain myself from laughing when Solanna called me at work to vent over this. After calming Solanna down I quickly wrote down all of this for prosperity. Despite it all, I was looking forward to actually seeing with my own eyes how Al, Michelle and Solanna go about preparing for the LARP. Surprisingly, it was very productive. Michelle only did a couple of things worth mentioning. Before we sat down to start preparing, we ordered some take out.

Delivery guy: "Two souvlaki pitas!"

Me: "That's mine."

Delivery guy: "Two chicken pitas!"

Solanna: "That's mine, thank you."

Delivery guy: "One club sandwich!"

Al: "Yo."

Delivery guy: "One small salad!"

Michelle: "Tee hee."

(later, while we were eating)

Me: " I haven't seen you in a while Michelle. What have you been up to? Anything new and exciting in your life?"

Michelle: "My sister's pet rat died."

Me: "Your sister has a rat?"

Michelle: "Actually it's a very large gerbil."

Me: "How tragic."

Michelle: "Actually I think it's pretty funny, my sister loves animals but is clueless when it comes to taking care of them."

Me: "How's your sister taking it?"

Michelle: " Not as bad as when our dog 'Buster' died. That was really heart wrenching."

Me: "How long ago was that?"

Michelle: "Oh a long time ago. Buster was so intelligent. He would save his dog biscuits and would trade them for table scraps."

Me: "He would trade them?"

Michelle: "Yeah, it was really neat. He would come to me and give me a dog biscuit and I would give him a table scrap."

Me: "What did you do with the dog biscuits the dog gave you?"

Michelle: "I ate them."

Me: "You ate them!?"

Solanna: "Just what do dog biscuits taste like Michelle?"

Michelle: "Dry…but they clean your teeth."

READER'S NOTE: Al, Solanna and myself broke down and started laughing. We were in hysterics for a good ten minutes. I even started to cry.

Al: "Thanks for agreeing to help us out Marc, we could use some ideas."

Me: "I'm here to be used, abused or just give moral support. Anything you want me to do specifically?"

Al: "Well we could use you as an NPC."

Me: "Sure. Anyone in particular that you want me to play?"

Al: "Do you have a preference?"

Me: "No. Like I said, I'm here to fill any gaps that you guys might have…"

Michelle: "Toreador!"

Me: "What's that Michelle?"

Michelle: "I want Marc to play a Toreador! Hee hee…"

Al: "But Michelle, we already have Toreador PCs and NPCs. I was thinking of making Marc play a Brujah or a Nosferatu considering we don't have anybody from those clans."

Me: "Michelle, Solanna tells me you are playing the Prince correct?"

Michelle: "Yes."

Me: "And the Prince is a Toreador right?"

Michelle: "*giggle* Yes."

Me: "So I am basically subservient to you."

Michelle: "*giggle* Yes!"

Solanna: "Uh-oh, Marc has a smile on his face."

Marc: "Well I would be perfectly happy to play a Toreador. They are of course, the BEST clan out there."

Michelle: "Huh? They are?"

Marc: "Aye, considering how the Toreadors are, and how your story is laid out, I could be the one who would betray Prince Michelle's dealings with the Sabbat."

Al: "Hey ! Brilliant! I like that!"

Solanna: "Yeah that's a cool idea. You could drop some juicy gossip to one of the PCs who in turn might…"

Michelle: "Uh, excuse me."

Al: "Yes Michelle?"

Michelle: "I don't like this idea."

Solanna: "Why not?"

Michelle: "Well Al is right, we already have enough Toreadors in the game already."

READER'S NOTE: Talk about dodging a bullet.

(later)

Me: "So Michelle. Just exactly how are you planning on playing the Prince?"

Michelle: "I am going to be very commanding."

Me: "But you're a Toreador right?"

Michelle: "Yeah."

Al: "What's wrong Marc?"

Me: "Oh nothing, it's just that the Toreadors typically garner respect through popularity, not through command."

Al: "What do you mean?"

Me: "Well think about it from a high school perspective. Those who are the most popular are those whom everyone else tries to emulate. Those that are popular don't demand that kind of respect, they earn it simply by being beautiful, flirtatious, rich and trendy. So do the Toreador typically garner their power."

Michelle: "Well I already made my character and at this stage I am not going back to change it."

Me: "I'm just throwing my thoughts out there. You guys are of course free to use or reject them."

Al: "Wait a minute Michelle. Since you are a Toreador, shouldn't you be at least be doing, Toreadorish things?"

Michelle: "Like what?"

Me: "Oh, I don't know…something artistic in nature perhaps?"

Michelle: "No. I don't want to."

Me: "Then why bother playing a Toreador? Why not be a Ventrue instead?"

Michelle: "Look this isn't important! You all want to kill my character anyways."

READER'S NOTE: We actually did resolve this issue. Michelle has a book with some pretty *ahem* unique works of art. Giggling as per usual Michelle style, she showed it to us. I would describe them here, but I am scared I would be violating the Forum's use terms. Michelle plans on scanning them, blowing them up and posting them up all around the play area. This should prove to be interesting.