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impalementation · 3 years

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spike, angel, buffy & romanticism: part 3

part 1: “When you kiss me I want to die”: Angel and the high school seasons

part 2: “Love isn’t brains, children”: Enter Spike as the id

“Something effulgent”: Season five and the construction of Spike the romantic

Prior to becoming a romantic interest, Spike is everything I discussed in the last section. He is an id and a mirror for Buffy, he’s prone to both romantic exaggeration and cutting realism, and his liminality suggests ambiguity. But outside of “Lovers Walk”, the writing doesn’t actually delve too deeply into Spike’s nature as a romantic. If you stopped the canon at “Restless”, you’d probably think that Spike’s love for Drusilla was intriguing, but that the show hadn’t really gone anywhere with the implications of it, and for all you knew, that might not be an important part of his character anymore. So one of the most interesting things about season five to me, is that in this season in which the writers first consciously, deliberately decide to explore the sexual and romantic tension between Spike and Buffy, they also emphasize Spike’s romanticism more than ever. The choice to define Spike by his romanticism is a choice that follows naturally from everything established about his character, but it was also not an inevitable choice. Therefore, it’s a choice worth looking at in some detail.

Consider everything that “Fool For Love” establishes about Spike, especially the things that contradict what was supposedly canon at the time. It makes Drusilla his sire instead of Angel, meaning that he is sired by a romantic connection, and as a direct result of heartbreak. It makes him a poet living in the middle of the Victorian era, an age at odds with his previous ages of “barely 200” and “126”. Meaning that the writing specifically decides to ignore its canon in order to associate him with an era in which passions would have been repressed (rather than the Romantic era of the early 1800’s or the modern energy of the early 1900’s). Moreover, the episode reveals his entire aesthetic and personality to essentially be a construct. But most tellingly of all, it reveals him to be an idealist. Spike is not just a performance artist; he yearns for the “effulgent”, for something “glowing and glistening” that the “vulgarians” of the world don’t understand. In other words, he yearns for something bigger and more beautiful than life: something romantic. Later, he chases after “death, glory, and sod all else.” Spike may be a “fool for love”, who has a romantic view of romantic love specifically, but the episode is very clear about the fact that he is also a romantic more generally. When Drusilla turns him, she doesn’t tempt him by telling him she’ll love him forever. She tempts him by offering him “something…effulgent”. (Which, in typical Spike form, the episode immediately undercuts by having him say “ow” instead of swooning romantically). The fact that “Fool For Love”, Spike’s major backstory episode, is so determined to paint him as a romantic--and in particular, a disappointed, frustrated romantic--that it is willing to contradict canon to do so, tells you that this choice was important for framing Spike and his new, ongoing thematic role.

I’ve talked in the past about how season five is all about the tension between the mythical and the mortal--between big, grand, sweeping narratives, and the reality of being human. Buffy is the Slayer, but she’s also just a girl who loses her mother. Dawn is the key, but she’s also just a confused and hormonal fourteen-year-old. Willow is a powerful witch, but she also just wants her girlfriend to be okay. Glory is a god, but she’s also a human man named Ben, and finds herself increasingly weakened by his emotions. And Spike embodies this tension perfectly. He’s a soulless vampire with a lifetime of bloodshed behind him, but he’s also this silly, human man who wants to love and be loved. He wants big, grand things, but every time they are frustrated by a Victorian society, a rejection, a chip, a pratfall, or dying with an “ow”. Furthermore, his season five storyline is all about the tension between loving in an exalted, yet often selfish way, versus loving in a “real” or selfless way.

There was a fascinating piece a ways back that discussed how Spike’s attempts to woo Buffy in season five almost perfectly match the romantic narratives of Courtly Love. In the words of the author:

The term "Courtly Love" is used to describe a certain kind of relationship common in romantic medieval literature. The Knight/Lover finds himself desperately and piteously enamored of a divinely beautiful but unobtainable woman. After a period of distressed introspection, he offers himself as her faithful servant and goes forth to perform brave deeds in her honor. His desire to impress her and to be found worthy of her gradually transforms and ennobles him; his sufferings -- inner turmoil, doubts as to the lady's care of him, as well as physical travails -- ultimately lends him wisdom, patience, and virtue and his acts themselves worldly renown.

You can see for yourself how well that description fits Spike’s arc. He fixates on the torturous, abject nature of his love, and has it in his head that he can perform deeds and demonstrate virtue, and this will prove to Buffy that he is worthy of her. But despite Spike’s gradual ennobling over the course of the season, I think it would be a mistake to see the season as using the Courtly Love narrative uncritically, or even just ironically. The same way it would be a mistake to see season two as using the Gothic uncritically. Spike is as much Don Quixote as he is Lancelot. He is a character that deliberately tries to act out romantic tropes, giving the writing an opportunity to satirize those tropes, including the tropes of chivalric romance. In particular, the writing criticizes Spike’s (very chivalric) fixation on love as a personal agony, something that is more about pain--and specifically, his pain--than building a real relationship. Over and over in season five, he is forced to abandon these sorts of flattering romantic mindsets in favor of a more complicated reality.

So at first, Spike’s “deeds” tend to be shallow and vaguely transactional. He tries to help Buffy in “Checkpoint” even though she doesn’t want it (and insults her when she doesn’t appreciate it), he asks “what the hell does it take?” when Buffy is unimpressed by him not feeding on “bleeding disaster victims” in “Triangle”, he rants bitterly at a mannequin when Buffy fails to be grateful to him for taking her to Riley in “Into the Woods”, and he is angry and confused when Buffy is unmoved by his offer to stake Drusilla in “Crush”. While these attempts to symbolically reject his evilness are startling for a soulless vampire, and although Spike certainly feels like he is fundamentally altering himself for Buffy’s sake, none of it is based on understanding or supporting Buffy in a way that she would actually find substantial. Moreover, he lashes out when his gestures fail to win her attention or affection. He has an idea in his head of how their romantic scenes should play out, and reacts petulantly when reality fails to live up to it.

But these incidents of self-interested narrativizing are also continuously contrasted with scenes in which Spike reacts with real generosity, or is surprised when he realizes he’s touched something emotionally genuine. When Buffy seeks him out in “Checkpoint”, his mannerisms instantly change when he realizes she actually needs real help (“You’re the only one strong enough to protect them”), rather than the performed help he offered at the beginning of the episode. At the end of “Fool For Love” he’s struck dumb by Buffy’s grief, and his antagonistic posturing all evening melts away. He abandons his romantic vision of their erotic, life-and-death rivalry in favor of real, awkward emotional intimacy. In “Forever” he tries to anonymously leave flowers for Joyce, and reacts angrily when he’s denied—but this time not because he wanted something from Buffy. Simply because he wanted to do something meaningful.

This contradictory behavior comes to a head in “Intervention”, the episode in which Spike finally begins to understand the difference between real and transactional generosity. Up until that point, Spike has been reacting both selfishly and unselfishly, but he hasn’t been able to truly distinguish between them, which is why he keeps repeating the same mistakes. Although he touches something real at the end of “Fool For Love”, for instance, he goes on to rifle through Buffy’s intimates in the very next episode. And so “Intervention” has Spike go to extremes of fakeness and reality. He gives up on having the real Buffy, and seeks out an artificial substitute that lets him live out his cheesiest romance novel scripts. It’s important that the Buffybot isn’t just a sexbot, even if he does have sex with her. She’s a bot he plays out romantic scenarios with the way he played them with Harmony in “Crush”, allowing him to almost literally live within a fiction. But then he “gives up” on having Buffy in a way that’s actually real, by offering up his life. He lets himself be tortured, and potentially killed, for no other reason than that to do otherwise would cause Buffy pain. The focus is on her pain, not his. For the first time, he acts like the Knight he’s been trying to be all along. He performs a grand, heroic deed that causes the object of his affection to see him in a different light, and even grant him a kiss. Yet ironically, as part of learning the difference between real and fake, he ceases to press for Buffy’s reciprocation. Through the end of season five, Spike continues to act the selfless Knight, assisting Buffy in her heroism without asking for anything in return. Which culminates in his declaration that he knows Buffy “will never love him”, even after he’s promised her the deed of protecting Dawn, and even though she allows a kind of intimacy by letting him back in her house. He proves that he sees those gestures for what they are, rather than in a transactional light. The irony of the way Spike fulfills the narrative of chivalric romance, is that his ennobling involves letting aspects of that narrative go.

In a Courtly Love narrative, the object of the Knight’s affection is fundamentally pedestalized. The Knight himself might be flawed, but the woman he pines after is not. She is “divinely beautiful” and “unobtainable”, something above him and almost more than human. This is why it’s so comic that in Don Quixote, which was a direct satire of chivalric romance, Alonso Quixano’s “lady love” is a vulgar peasant farmgirl who has no idea who he is. (Think of the way Spike asks if Buffy is tough in “School Hard” or threatens to “take her apart” despite “how brilliant she is” in “The Initiative”, followed by scenes where Buffy is acting like the teenage girl she is. Or how Giles in “Checkpoint” says that Buffy has “acquired a remarkable focus” before cutting to Buffy yawning.). Although it’s true that Buffy is beautiful, and supernatural, and profoundly moral, she is also very human, and the writing is very concerned with that humanity. Season five in particular, as I’ve mentioned, is preoccupied with the duality of Buffy’s mythic and mortal nature. Thus it becomes significant that Buffy is assigned such a heightened role in Spike’s chivalric narrative. Just Spike is at once Lancelot and Don Quixote, Buffy is at once Achilles, Dulcinea, and a coming-of-age protagonist.

And part of the “lesson” of Spike’s arc is for him to see both sides of the roles they embody. One of my favorite things about the scene in Buffy’s house in “The Gift” is how adroitly it conveys the dualities of both Buffy and Spike with simple, but poetic imagery and language. Buffy stands above Spike on her steps, conveying her elevated role, and Spike honors the way her heroic status has inspired him by physically looking up to her as he explains that he expects nothing from her. But by expecting nothing from her, and promising to protect her sister, he also honors the fact that she is a real person with no obligation to him, and a younger sister she cares about more than anything. He also honors his own duality by at once making Knightly promises, and acknowledging that he sees through his former delusions: “I know that I’m a monster, but you treat me like a man.” In “Fool For Love” he tried to acknowledge the same duality of realism and romance, by declaring to Cecily that “I know I’m a bad poet, but I’m a good man.” But at the time, he was an innocent, whose desire to be seen, and whose romantic avoidance of “dark, ugly things”, left him unprepared to understand how Cecily really saw him (similar to Spike’s insistence in “Crush” that what he and Buffy have “isn’t pretty, but it’s real” just before Buffy locks him out). Spike is a character defined simultaneously by continuous disillusionment and dogged aspiration, which is why he makes perfect sense as a character to embody a season torn between the pain of being human, and the wonder of the gift of love.

Fittingly, the season ends with Spike’s most devastating loss of innocence of all. He fails to be the hero for Buffy or Dawn (note that Knightly language he uses on the tower: “I made a promise to a lady”), and he loses the woman he loves. He may have become more virtuous, but unlike in a chivalric romance, that virtue wins him neither Buffy, nor something flattering like “world reknown.” The climax of the “The Gift” is full of romance—a god, a troll hammer, a damsel on a tower, a heroic self-sacrifice, a vampire transformed into a Knight—but the end result is that Buffy is dead, in part because he wasn’t good enough, and all that he and the Scoobies can do is grieve. Stories got Spike nothing, even when reality finally lived up to them. It is a swan song to the myths of childhood, and on the other side of Glory’s portal, Spike and the other characters will have to confront a world where those myths have been left behind.

part 4: “But I can’t fool myself. Or Spike, for some reason.”: Buffy and Spike as a blended self

#romanticism series #s5 #gen #buffy #spike #this section is deliberately focused on spike's arc #but not to worry #the next one focuses on buffy's side of things and the role of spike's arc in supporting buffy's in the last three seasons #they just needed their own sections to breathe #btvs

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sol1056 · 4 years

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What are your overall thoughts on Castlevania season 3? So far the season, particularly the last two episodes (especially the 9th episode), have been controversial.

Well, that penultimate episode definitely put me in mind of the famous quote…

Obiwan: “I feel a great disturbance in the force…”

Half of which was probably screams into the void over this seeming betrayal, and the other half was shrieks in delight about confirmed OT3 potential.

On a more serious note, I’ve got a bunch of asks about S3, so I’m covering them all in this one response, because my thoughts come down to one thing.

This season was all about trust.

If we can consider this season (much like S1) to be setup, these episodes are for getting characters into the places and mindsets that the following act will require. So whatever we get in S4, it’ll require that Sypha be accustomed to Trevor’s life as an outcast demon-hunter, that Trevor accept his choices impact more than just him, that Alucard repell intrusions on his solitary guardianship, that Carmilla has a bound forgemaster and solid plans to grow an army, and that Issac has a full-sized army of his own.

A pedestrian approach would have been all plot: a whole lot of running from one place to the next while shouting exposition. It could’ve ended up a truly jarring tonal shift between what’s basically four separate storylines: Alucard and Cho’s former prisoners, Sypha and Trevor and Saint Germain, Isaac’s journey to find Hector, and finally Carmilla and Hector. Though given they hardly interact after the first episode, we could treat this as two parallel storylines: Carmilla and her sisters, and Hector and Lenore.

(Spoilers behind the cut.)

Instead, Ellis uses these four (or five) storylines to explore different issues with trust, betrayal, and isolation. Sypha and Trevor recognize that St Germain’s unexpected willingness to trust wasn’t born of seeing them as trustworthy, so much as a symptom of St Germain’s overwhelming isolation and loneliness – and they even remark on the similarity to someone else, implied to be Alucard. Who – after his highly guarded and distanced interactions with Sypha and Trevor in S2, followed by a month (or a year, Alucard’s lost track) of total isolation – has come to the same place as St Germain.

In both cases, those finales pivots on whether this third, isolated person can be trusted, as well as whether that person can trust the pair that claims to be helping. St Germain isn’t a fighter, and goes into the finale clearly terrified as to whether Sypha and Trevor can even keep him safe, while Sypha and Trevor have to take it on faith that St Germain’s intentions are good. (If you take Alucard’s animation to indicate that he has no experience as a lover, then the parallels are even more stark.)

Meanwhile, Isaac – as the captain so insightfully points out – remains fixated on the offenses done him, easily dismissing the kindness of an unexpected gift from a stranger. Hector’s issue, on the other hand, is too much trust, given too easily, with no questions ever asked (as Lenore drives home, first through interrogation and second through manipulation). Isaac’s determination not to trust anyone makes his way more difficult, while Hector’s determination not to question his immediate trust in the latest authority figure is what eventually traps him.

Even the four vampire sisters (an element I really loved, almost making up for the first two seasons’ near-dearth) pivot around issues of trust, but in their case, it’s whether they can trust that Carmilla’s grand vision is feasible. They don’t distrust Carmilla, or her ideas – they distrust that they can fulfill her visionary plan to its fullest extent. But they’re also intrigued by the idea, and clearly competent enough to make it happen – and despite a few times where it seems there might be fractures (more of Lenore’s diplomatic manipulation, in hindsight), the four really do trust each other pretty firmly.

There’s a secondary theme threaded through the storylines, too, although we only hear it stated explicitly in the Isaac and Trevor/Sypha storylines.

the captain: “If you don’t have your own story, you become part of someone else’s.”

The context here is whether one’s motivation comes from an external source, or is internal to the person. Isaac’s motivation (at least at the midpoint of this season) is clearly stated as revenge on Hector – that is, to rectify Hector’s wrongs that undid Dracula’s story. Alucard, too, is trapped in someone else’s story, as his motivation first is that he thinks helping two lost souls would please his mother, and later that training new demon hunters would please Trevor.

Sypha’s motivation is simpler: action! adventure! excitement! And in not stopping to consider the source (or the results) of her motivation, she ends up being accessory to not one but three stories (with Trevor along for the ride). The Trevor/Sypha storyline could be seen, in this light, as one in which they’re tools in other peoples’ stories. They fail to warn/assert/react fast enough to prevent the mad priest’s actions, they learn of (and then tackle) the church problem due to the town mayor’s need, and they learn of (and then tackle) the thing in the basement due to St Germain’s need.

In the end, St Germain (like Dracula) goes onto the next chapter of his story, with Sypha and Trevor left to handle the aftermath (like Isaac). They don’t even reclaim their story with the final discovery of the mayor’s depravity, as they end up (if understandably) destroying the evidence, as the mayor had requested.

When Trevor echoes the captain’s words (which could be Ellis wanting to drive the point home, or could imply that at some point, Trevor also met the captain), Sypha deflects his point. She’s quite certain she’s been living her own story, and enjoying it immensely. In the aftermath, Trevor turns the point around, saying that for the past few months, they’ve been living Sypha’s life, all action and adventure.

Trevor: “And now, we’re living my life.”

Trevor’s origins, after all, lie in the destruction of his family – but that destruction wasn’t at the hands of the demons they fought. Instead, it was at the hands of the church, its people, and the larger community. His storyline in S1-S2 was of someone who’d seen the worst of humanity, and ended up deciding to fight because he chose to, not because humanity deserves it.

With the possible exception of St Germain (which is more of an open question than a certainty), they trusted and discovered their trust wasn’t misplaced, so much as… that taking everything at face value meant they remained blind to what lay beneath. Their story halts with Trevor reminded of why he originally kept people at a distance (through snark and alcohol), and Sypha now enlightened as to how sometimes humans are far worst monsters.

That blindness is also present in Alucard’s story, when he takes the two young prisoners-turned-hunters at face value. He opens his house (well, most of it) to them, trains them, and tells them secrets of how to hunt his father’s race. It’s a radical shift from his original reaction to the Belmont hold, as a museum dedicated to the extermination of his race.

Which brings me to Ellis’ choice to have the finales as parallel battles, but he manages to have them reflect each other, as well. For Isaac, Sypha, and Trevor, it’s an external battle against an overwhelming foe. Sypha ends with literal blood on her hands, and other than St Germain’s departure, the rest of their victory is literally pyrric.

For Hector and Alucard, their storylines peak (ahem) at what should be a moment of trust and connection, which is why I can see the choice to have those storylines turn sexual. (Honestly, I thought the two young hunters were just going to cook Alucard dinner in return, or something – I had zero expectations that any story would ever go there.)

First, five separate battles would’ve been just a lot of chaos, compared to the contrast of apparent happy-endings (or happy-middles). Second, it drives home that Alucard has defenses all over the place, but none to seduction, while Hector simply clings to whomever is willing to call the shots, and only thinks to question later. They’re in the stage of their story that the captain raises to Isaac: after you’ve achieved this goal, what next? What is left for you?

Which is why I think their parallel endpoints – Isaac’s final battle, Alucard and the hunters, Hector and Lenore – all come to a head at being bound in some way. They’re still playing out someone else’s story, so they run headfirst into situations where that tunnel-vision can be used against them. Isaac may be the least trusting of the lot, but even he shows a remarkable tendency to take things at face value: to trust the gift from the seller, to listen to the captain, to sit and converse with the old witch who tells him about the possessed city. With as little foreknowledge as Alucard or Hector, Isaac rushes in, eyes too fixed on achieving someone else’s goal to see the trap ahead.

None of the bindings are shown as simple, easy to break, or without lasting effect. At the same time, it’s striking that Isaac and Alucard do manage to force their way free, while Hector can only flail about in pain. To me – given the theme of trust – that implies that somehow, both Alucard and Isaac do have the potential for a balanced trust. That is (unlike Hector) knowing when to take it away, even if both struggle with learning to give it.

Oddly, that’s why I think the season managed to position things beautifully for a next season, because we’ve come full circle.

It’s a curious thing about Alucard: when we first meet him in S1, he’s recovering from his father’s betrayal (of attacking humans); in S3, he’s recovering from the grief of loss (his parents, his only two friends) – and S4 ends with him shivering in pain/hurt over the betrayal of two people. Gotta wonder how much more Ellis will see fit to break this character down.

In S2, Hector was a valued lieutenant, if terribly blind to the implications of what Dracula wanted. Now those illusions are gone; he’s enslaved, wanted only for his skills (in the forge and in bed) – and the deal is quite explicit. Lenore has the grace to say that Hector should be getting something out of the deal, but that doesn’t change that Hector can’t pretend there’s no deal being made.

Isaac begins cast out, grieving Dracula (not entirely as a mission, but more as a friend, I think) – and ends with the resources and experiences to go in a new direction. He doesn’t have to take out Hector, who could be seen as small fry, anyway. (Especially given Hector’s now just a shell of a controlled man.) If Isaac chooses to go after Carmilla in S4, that’ll be the first step towards making his story his own. Note also that although Isaac may seem alone, he’s accompanied by a host of creatures. He has allies.

It’s the trust in those allies that seems to determine who ends well, and who does not. Although Trevor and Sypha (especially Sypha) were dealt an emotional blow by the post-battle revelations, they always had each others’ backs – and they leave the town behind, relatively unscathed. Isaac ends victorious, with a few of his army intact and the material to make more.

But the storyline that ends in the ascendant position is Carmilla’s. With her visionary ideas and her sisters’ abilities to make those visions real, Carmilla is positioned to go exactly where she wants. Which is why it’s also striking that (other than Lenore’s sex scene), neither Carmilla nor her sisters really have a ‘final’ battle. They’re effectively a season ahead of everyone else – the trust between the four is already established, solid, and reciprocated equally.

So you could say that being foolhardy about trust will land you in hot water – which pretty much covers all the central protagonists. But the story’s not that bleak, despite its final scenes, because it’s also saying that sometimes, to get where you want to be, you do have to take that leap – as illustrated by Isaac and St Germain. Or even that you trust, and if betrayed, you deal with the consequences, learn the lesson, and move on, like Trevor and Sypha.

Or you learn a different lesson, one preached by dear old dad: put the bodies of your conquests out front on stakes, and lock the doors, and trust no one. Which is a legitimate reaction to betrayal, don’t get me wrong, but one that S3 seems to be firmly saying will only end badly.

#castlevania #season 3 #sol thinks about stuff

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misssophiachase · 6 years

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Happy 25 Days of Klaroline! Day 2 + Endgame

Feeling somewhat despondent about his teenage daughter growing into a woman, Klaus decides to throw her a Cotillion Ball in New Orleans, secretly hoping that Caroline will attend and continue their dancing tradition.

I don’t watch the Originals (until season 5 starts of course) so the whole Hollow storyline doesn’t factor into my endgame drabble.

Southern Oaks Plantation, New Orleans LA – 1400 hours

All along it was a fever….

“Last time I checked, flowers went in vases. And here I thought this was a supposedly a professional establishment,” Klaus scoffed, gesturing to the pink peonies strewn across the table impatiently.

Before the flustered event coordinator could manage a response, Klaus was already making his way purposefully across the other side of the grand ballroom. This night had to be absolutely perfect and Klaus had every intention of making it that way, even if he had to berate every last person in the process.

“When you sent me this invitation, I thought it was an early Halloween trick,” Rebekah said, her eyes roaming around the expansive venue while the staff worked hurriedly to prepare for tonight’s event under the critical eye of the debutant’s father. “Or that Kol had hacked your mailing lists.”

“Give me a little credit,” Klaus uttered, snatching it from her grasp unexpectedly and pointing at the invitation. “Would Kol have chosen such immaculate stationary or cursive font?”

“Why do I suddenly feel like I’m speaking with Caroline Forbes about a decade dance during my misguided attempt at high school?”

Klaus faltered, not expecting his sister to mention the woman he loved so deeply who regularly haunted his dreams. The same woman he’d imagined when Klaus had planned this very event, not that he’d admit that to Rebekah of all people.

“This is about Hope,” he answered strategically, hoping she would desist in mentioning the C word which was enough to throw his emotions completely out of whack.

“Desperately trying to hold onto whatever innocence she supposedly still has, right?” The annoyance from her appearance had suddenly skyrocketed, threatening to break free in all it’s darkened glory.

“What?” He growled, his protective wolf coming out with full force. “I’m going to kill that bloody excuse for a teenage vampire. If he’s even misplaced a strand of hair on her pretty, little head…”

“Relax, grouchy. I was only having a little fun. You know getting into the party atmosphere ahead of tonight.”

“You call that fun, Rebekah?”

“Given your frustrated expression, gritted teeth and completely predictable reaction, I definitely consider this fun,” she joked, poking him in the chest as he emitted a low and adversarial growl by way of response to her unnecessary teasing.

“Relax,” she drawled, consulting the state of her manicure as she said it. “As much as I love messing with you, I have no intention of dealing with your dogged wrath. It has a tendency to ruin my day and you know how much I hate that.”

“Speak for yourself,” a cheeky and familiar voice chuckled.

“Since when are you invited?”

“That’s not very nice, Niklaus,” Elijah chided, as only he could. Klaus turned to face his brothers quizzically. “That standard of invitation deserves optimal attendance.”

“Beautiful font usage by the way, Nik,” Kol admired, holding up one of his prized invitations.

“Have you been eavesdropping?” Rebekah asked, her eyes narrowing in disbelief.

“That’s not my style,” Elijah baulked. “Kol, on the other hand…”

“Is a bloody angel.”

“Even I know that’s not true,” Hope responded, surprising them all from the terrace door. “Angel is probably the last explanation I would use to describe you, Uncle Kol.”

“She’s certainly your daughter, Niklaus,” Elijah offered, a telling smile tugging at the corners of his usually serious mouth. “No one can apply that much venom while simultaneously smirking.”

“Excuse me…”

“You’re excused,” Kol chuckled. “Nothing wrong with a healthy sense of humour, big brother.”

“Last time I checked, the relationship I share with my child had nothing to do with your pathetic attempts at humour.” Klaus had been planning this Cotillion for months and the fact his siblings had decided to come in and make it about them as usual frustrated him immensely.

But as soon as they’d appeared they’d subsequently scattered to inspect the impressive property without much explanation. Klaus liked to think they were scared of him or his ire was too much for their precious constitutions to handle but he wasn’t quite so sure it was either. His eyes flickered to his daughter inquisitively.

“Hope.” She didn’t respond immediately, which was a telling sign, so he continued. “I have to say your magic is certainly coming along nicely, you know given that impromptu exit.”

Hope was just as beautiful as he’d imagined all those years ago when he’d cradled her as a baby, her brown locks cascading down her back and those intense, blue eyes regarding him curiously before a rogue eyebrow lifted.

“You so owe me,” she replied gruffly. Klaus certainly hadn’t seen that manipulative maneuver coming but was extremely proud as only a blood thirsty, Original hybrid could be of his only child. “Uncle Kol and Elijah I can handle but Aunt Rebekah is another story. She has this high pitched squeal that is extremely painful to my sensitive ears.”

“Like father, like daughter,” he chuckled. “That screech is all kinds of disturbing.”

“So, she’s coming, right?” Klaus momentarily closed his eyes knowing exactly who she was asking about, and it wasn’t Rebekah, but he had no desire of discussing Caroline with his teenage daughter.

“The screaming banshee will be here in full voice, don’t worry.”

“Stop avoiding the subject,” she chided. Klaus immediately felt like he was the child and Hope the parent in this role reversal scenario.

“Miss Forbes needs to be here.” The truth was he’d agonized over whether to send an invite on the slight chance she’d attend but after their last encounter he doubted she would. Another rejection from Caroline would have been too much to take.

“Miss Forbes is the principal of a very busy and demanding magic school which I think you might have heard of, dearest daughter. It’s in this sleepy little town called Mystic Falls…”

“Has Marcel been teaching you some sarcasm since I last visited?”

“I resent that,” he argued. “After one thousand years on this earth, I have acquired plenty on my own, especially when it comes to dealing with your aunt and uncles.”

“It just wouldn’t be right without her,” she pouted, her bottom lip well and truly extended for extra effect, her blue orbs and long eyelashes downcast.

“Nice try,” Klaus grinned, pulling her into his arms greedily. He always missed her during their lengthy absences but even though she was challenging his authority he wouldn’t have Hope any other way.

Not that he’d admit it to his daughter, the last time he and Caroline had met hadn’t gone exactly the way he planned and seeing her again would have been decidedly awkward. His mind drifted back to that particular night.

3 months earlier - Mystic Falls Grill – 2300 hours

Round and around and around and around we go….

“Someone told me you were wreaking havoc in the local establishment,” her tart accusation was enough for Klaus to turn around lazily. He’d had a few too many whiskeys and although he could see three of her, Klaus couldn’t miss just how gorgeous she looked with her blonde waves cascading around her shoulders and those bright, blue eyes blazing in his direction.

“Wreaking havoc? I think the locals need to get a life if they consider this a disruption. I forgot just how small this bloody town is,” he raised his voice, looking around at the curious glances from fellow patrons. “Let me guess, it was Jeremy? He always did despise me.”

“Probably because you turned his doppelganger sister into your personal blood bag amongst other questionable things,” Caroline hissed. “And keep your voice down.”

“And here I thought we’d moved past those days when you detested me so much,” Klaus huffed, throwing his dart at the board but completely missing the target.

“Nice shot,” she teased. “But just so you know Matt alerted me to your presence.”

“The quarterback? I really should have known.”

“Don’t you mean Sheriff? He took the liberty of telling me before he took any action.”

“The human taking action against yours truly? Now that I would pay to see,” he chuckled. “So, what exactly did he think you could do about my attempts at disturbing the peace?”

“Just when I thought you’d matured then you have to go and prove me wrong,” she accused.

“I’m not sure why you’re surprised.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Caroline inquired, hands now firmly on those shapely hips he knew from past experience.

“Well, according to Principal Forbes, I’m just a terrible father,” Klaus growled, aiming another dart, this time it flew straight past the board and landed dangerously close to an unsuspecting patron at the bar. Klaus was a little disappointed he hadn’t made contact given his current mood.

“Were we both at the same meeting? I don’t recall saying that during the parent teacher interview this afternoon.”

Klaus had ventured to Mystic Falls in an effort to prove himself as a parent. It was about his dedication to his daughter but Klaus had secretly hoped to impress Caroline at the same time. He truly believed he’d grown up just as his daughter had over the years and wanted her to see that too. Things obviously hadn’t gone to plan. A few heated and throwaway lines had ended with him storming out of her office and to the Grill for a much needed whiskey or twenty.

“You might as well have.”

“Well, please explain it to me professor, this should be very interesting.”

“You said she is easily distracted.”

“A short attention span isn’t completely unheard of in a teenager but there are ways to combat such tendencies.”

“Yes, you mentioned that pearl of wisdom. Apparently she needs some solid structure in her life.”

“There’s nothing wrong with structure.”

“Oh, you mean your helpful suggestion that I be more present in Hope’s life. Last time I checked you run a boarding school, sans parents.”

“I said,” she huffed in frustration. “That parental interaction, no matter the distance, is vital.”

“I wasn’t aware you were monitoring our interaction or apparent lack of as you like to believe,” she attempted to respond before he interrupted. “I sent her to your school because not only was it a way for her to escape the tumultuous, Mikaelson drama but because I knew you were the only person, outside my family, that I trusted to nurture and influence my daughter.”

The prolonged silence and her down cast eyes was enough for Klaus to realise he’d made his point, he just wished that it didn’t hurt so much to deliver. Then she found her voice.

“The reason she’s distracted is because of that tumultuous, Mikaelson drama. Your safety is always on her mind, which is why contacting her more often may allay some of those anxieties.”

“And her safety is always on mine which is why I need to keep my distance. This is the only way.” He insisted stubbornly, attempting to throw another dart before her hand found its way to his bare forearm. He stilled, her vanilla scent and the effect her touch always had on him was an intoxicating and dangerous combination.

“I’m getting tired of this wounded, wolf act, Mikaelson,” she accused, her blue eyes searching his curiously.

“Well, I’m a little sick of not living up to your expectations, love,” he rasped.

He held her gaze unflinchingly and could swear he saw something resembling remorse in them. Klaus figured that given his poor record, he’d probably misjudged that reaction too. The tension between them lingered. If there were other people in the bar anymore, Klaus hadn’t noticed.

“I…” she murmured. For someone who was usually so composed, it was obvious she was struggling with their close proximity. Klaus wanted to comfort her, he wanted to pull her into his arms but knew she wouldn’t return his gesture. Klaus made his way towards the exit without a backwards glance.

“So, you’re just going to leave like this?” She bit out.

“It’s what we do, isn’t it?” He was gone before she could even muster a whimper of reply.

Of course he’d regretted it. Klaus had travelled to Mystic Falls to prove he’d grown but had instead illustrated the very opposite. His insecure side felt she’d provoked him on purpose. Anyone else who dared to earn his ire would have found a stake in their chest but Caroline was a challenge he’d never managed to resolve, even after all this time.

Route 11, New Orleans LA, 1500 hours

Oh now, tell me now, tell me now, tell me now you know….

Caroline had lost her bearings momentarily and almost missed the turn off into New Orleans before moving the steering wheel abruptly to the left, the memories causing her feelings to resurface.

She’d shelved them when she thought he was an evil maniac, then when he’d offered her gifts and unexpected solace but now after so many years apart she was struggling with her feelings for the Original hybrid.

Their last meeting in Mystic Falls should have closed the book on their problematic relationship but as much as Caroline thought he was being difficult she secretly knew she was too and wasn’t proud of her actions that day.

She always considered herself professional with students and in turn their parents but for some reason her emotions had betrayed her that afternoon. Klaus had acted out. Knowing the Original Hybrid and his temper, this wasn’t an unusual reaction but she began to question why she chose to push that particular issue.

Caroline’s cell chimed signaling a text, breaking her from her trance, she glanced over briefly to check the screen. It was Hope sending the address for the venue, not that she was surprised. She was the very reason Caroline had made her way to New Orleans, against her better judgment.

Apparently she was anxious about the impromptu cotillion her father was planning in New Orleans. Not because she didn’t want it but because she seriously doubted his event planning skills. Caroline had to concur. Usually he sat back and let his minions go wild and even she knew that was a recipe for disaster.

Given their last interaction in Mystic Falls, this decision was completely crazy but her obsessive compulsive side had taken over and there was no way she could sit by while Hope’s entrance into womanhood was held hostage to an amateur, event planning hybrid. The fact she hadn’t received an invite was also a bone of contention but after his outburst in Mystic Falls she wasn’t surprised he’d be so childish. She pressed her foot to the accelerator, knowing she had limited time to fix this hot mess before leaving town as quickly as she’d arrived.

“Hope Mikaelson,” Caroline chided, making her way swiftly into the plantation’s ballroom forty-five minutes later. “You have some explaining to do, young lady.”

“Miss Forbes,” she squeaked, appearing from around the corner, her body language guilty as hell. “I’m so glad you came.”

“Why exactly? To deal with this event that was going to be the biggest disaster since the Titanic? And before you try to deny that, those were the exact words you uttered in my office last week.”

“I suppose I may have overreacted slightly,” she murmured, sheepishly.

“Slightly? This venue is beautiful,” she gestured around the room, then made her way over to one of the tables for closer inspection. “Peonies? Are you kidding me? These flowers are gorgeous, not to mention seasonal. These candelabra, table centerpieces are stunning, the Wedgewood crockery is immaculate, this menu is equal parts modern and traditional. And these invitations…”

“I know, the stationary and font is all wrong.”

“They are perfect,” Caroline sighed. “My standards are high but whichever minion planned this is absolutely brilliant. Just don’t tell them I admitted that.”

“It was him.”

“What?”

“Dad planned this whole event unassisted,” she admitted, taking a seat on a nearby chair. Caroline was rendered speechless momentarily. “He’s been an absolute control freak about everything, if you must know.”

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with that,” Caroline drawled, knowing she was frequently guilty of the same thing.

“He’s been desperate to make this absolutely perfect.”

“Knowing your father, I’m not surprised about that. But I’m still curious as to why I’m even here given he seems to have everything well and truly in hand.” Hope paused, trying to articulate what she felt but also keep Caroline in town as long as possible.

“If you must know, it’s my outfit.”

“I’m struggling to believe that, Hope,” she insisted, her eyebrows rising dubiously in the brunette’s direction. “That’s one area your father has no problems with whatsoever.” Their past and the outfits and jewelry he’d gifted her in that time had convinced Caroline just how impeccable his taste was and would always remain.

“It’s high neck and long sleeves,” she groaned. “Dad wants every male in the room and in my future life to know that I’m going to be celibate forever. I think a nun’s habit is more revealing than his choice.” At that point Caroline knew she may have a point given his overwhelming and protective nature.

“Fine, where is this outfit exactly?”

“The compound.”

“I can’t go there,” she shook her head decisively. Caroline’s plan had always been to arrive like an event planning fairy godmother then high tail it out of New Orleans before he even knew she’d been there. “That’s not part of our agreement.”

“We have a window of opportunity,” Hope assured Caroline. “He’s meeting with Marcel and my uncles about a recent disturbance in the Quarter.” Caroline was dubious but the fact Hope might not have the perfect outfit for her cotillion was weighing upon her heavily.

“Fine, but if you’re lying I will have no qualms in putting you on detention all year.” Hope nodded solemnly, secretly happy that her plan was coming into full effect.

Southern Oaks Plantation – New Orleans, LA – 2000 hours

Not really sure how to feel about it. Something in the way you move…

Klaus had been nervous all day, something completely unheard of for the Original Hybrid but if it meant his daughter had the best cotillion ever it was worth it.

He’d entered the ballroom an hour earlier, straightening his black tie compulsively. Hope had been extremely private, insisting that he leave the compound while she finished getting ready with Rebekah. Klaus knew she’d look stunning but at the same time it would have been nice to ride with her in the limousine to the Cotillion he’d planned so meticulously.

Instead he’d been blessed with the presence of his brothers en route. The only thing calming his nerves were the few glasses of Moet he’d downed on the way, mainly to block out Kol’s incessant yammering. He was hoping the rest of the night would fare slightly better.

Josh’ dulcet tones made their way over the speaker system as the guests waited in anticipation for the arrival of his beautiful and accomplished daughter. “And now, let’s welcome the guest of honour, Hope Mikaelson.”

All eyes in the ballroom made their way towards the entrance, including his. Klaus didn’t think he’d ever felt more nervous in his life and given the challenges he’d faced over his lifetime, that was saying something. Roman stood there expectantly like him, Klaus had threatened him with sudden death earlier if his hands found their way any lower than her back during the dance so Klaus assumed that part of proceedings was at least under control.

Hope emerged, stunning in gold, not at all what he’d planned for the evening. But who threw him off completely was standing right behind his daughter, an absolute vision in white silk. He knew the intricate beading on that dress almost as well as he knew the curves of the woman wearing it. Her blonde waves were tied back, exposing the creamy length of her neck. A neck he’d explored in great detail during their time in the woods. But why was she here and wearing that particular dress?

“You might want to stop gaping, Niklaus,” Rebekah scoffed, making her way by his side. “It’s not an attractive look.”

“What is she doing here? Did you…”

“I know your immediate reflex is to blame me for everything but you might want to consult the daughter you think is so innocent before accusing me of anything.”

“I should have known,” he growled, just as Josh was calling him to the dance floor for the traditional father-daughter dance with Hope. At least he’d have chance to ask his daughter why she’d betrayed him tonight.

“I know what you’re going to say,” she mumbled, the smile still plastered on her face for the rest of the guests’ benefit.

“Do you?”

“I kind of asked Miss Forbes to help pick another dress. The one you suggested was just a little safe,” she offered, tactfully. Klaus was immediately offended, not because she didn’t like her dress but because Caroline’s appearance had nothing to do with him.

“It was timeless and elegant...”

“No, it was dated, boring and designed for someone much older than me. You know, I am going to grow up dad, I’m not going to be your little girl forever.” Klaus wasn’t one to show emotion but right now he was struggling, the lump in his throat not doing much to facilitate speaking.

“But what you’ve done in planning this amazing event is perfect, I couldn’t ask for a better introduction into society,” Hope smiled gratefully. “Do you, uh, like my dress at least?”

“Queen Victoria would be proud of just how well you wear it,” he sighed, looking at the golden creation that fit Hope like a second skin. “Someone’s obviously been rummaging around in the attic.”

“It was Caroline’s idea,” she admitted. “Apparently she knows all about your…”

“Creepy trophy case of collectables,” he finished, a stray smile crossing his face as he reminisced the night of her Prom in Mystic Falls before realising just what that particular discovery meant. She knew everything.

Luckily Roman did his duty and took Hope off his hands as per cotillion protocol. He needed to speak to her now. His eyes darted around the room but Klaus couldn’t place her. Had she already left?

Makes me feel like I can't live without you. It takes me all the way...

Caroline thought she could handle this but her emotions were telling her something completely different. Watching Klaus dancing with Hope had brought back so many memories. All those times they’d danced before she’d resented him but seeing him tonight, and after what she’d discovered in the attic, Caroline only felt one thing and it was life changing.

She’d made a speedy exit towards the outdoor terrace. Although she was a vampire, suddenly fresh air seemed vital. Her hands found the railings, glad to have something to hold onto.

“You came?” His familiar and low voice was enough to send ripples through her entire body.

“For Hope,” she managed to get out, rooted to the spot and unable to turn around given she would betray her true feelings. “Someone needed to get her out of that nun’s habit.”

He chuckled, surprising Caroline slightly but also glad he’d lightened the tense atmosphere. “My fatherly instincts obviously need some tweaking.” Now he was next to her, his aftershave infiltrating her nostrils as his hands grasped onto the same railing. “I’m grateful for your assistance, love.”

“But you couldn’t even muster an invitation?” She asked, unable to help herself. It had been something eating at her for weeks.

“I didn’t think you’d want to come after the way we left things in Mystic Falls,” he admitted, his blue eyes now fully focused on the ground.

“You mean when you immaturely stormed out on me without trying to deal with the situation? Oh yes, I remember it well. Klaus Mikaelson not getting his way so he acts out childishly.”

“I have character flaws, it’s not something I’ve ever denied to you, Caroline,” he murmured quietly. “Yes, I could have handled things better but I didn’t. It’s something you bring out in me and I’m powerless to stop it.”

“Powerless? Coming from the Original Hybrid and most powerful creature on earth, that is surprising.” Caroline felt her faltering courage return, turning to face him. She needed to see this through.

“Every artist has their muse, every King their Queen and every superhero has their kryptonite, you just happen to be mine,” he uttered. “I’ve never denied that.”

“But yet you keep things locked away in a special chest without giving me the opportunity to…”

“To what?” He growled, his crimson lips tight. “To reject me yet again? I can only take so much, Caroline.”

“So, this chest was supposed to languish in your attic, just like the rest of your life? Lonely and untouched?”

“Yes.” So much emotion displayed in one short response. Caroline could make out the tears brimming in his blue eyes, suddenly wanting to comfort him. She extended her hand wiping away the few stray tears that had fallen.

“As much as I adore Hope, what pulled me here today was you,” she conceded. “I think I’ve always loved you, it just took me way too long to see just how much. I’ll admit, I was unfairly harsh during that parent teacher interview. I think it was because I missed you just as much as Hope did. But it wasn’t until I opened that chest this afternoon that it all fell into place.”

“That dress too much to resist?” His left eyebrow cocked curiously.

“When I said I wanted to look like ‘Princess Grace of Monaco hot’ at prom I didn’t expect you to save me her dress from To Catch a Thief.”

“Only the best for you, sweetheart,” he smirked, playing with the bracelet on her wrist that he’d gifted to her all those years ago.

“But it was the journal inside that really moved me,” she whispered, moving into his arms slowly. “Every time we met was documented, every emotion and feeling shared on those pages.”

“Even if we were never together, I wanted you to know how I felt on all those occasions,” he murmured, his arms encircling her tiny waist while nuzzling into her hair, inhaling her scent at the same time.

“I know what my bedtime story is going to be for very long time,” she cooed, squeezing his shoulders affectionately and losing herself in his embrace.

“Do you think it would be rude to leave early?” He said huskily into her hair, Caroline could feel the growing bulge in his suit pants and knew exactly what he had in mind.

“Finally, I’ve found a weakness in your event planning,” she grinned triumphantly, pulling away briefly to place a lingering kiss on his temple. “The organiser is always the last to leave, especially when he’s the guest of honour’s father.”

“Really,” he complained, his lips finding her neck and covering the length of it with kisses.

“Really.” She insisted, pushing him away, albeit reluctantly. “But after the last drink is poured you are mine forever.”

“I intend on holding you to that,” he smiled, pulling her closer and placing his lips upon hers greedily. Caroline didn’t think she would ever tire of that feeling.

“We need to discuss a few other things too, like that outrageous cheque that’s burning a hole in my pocket and the wedding dress,” she offered, while pulling him towards the ballroom. Klaus had secured part of Princess Grace’s wardrobe, including that stunning and very famous look.

“It’s a classic.” Klaus offered choosing to ignore her cheque comment for obvious reasons.

“Yes, but I fully intend on designing my own wedding dress,” she argued, always the event planner.

“I didn’t think I’d even asked yet?” Klaus responded cheekily. Caroline turned around briefly to deliver a wicked grin.

“After tonight, you will never want to let me go.”

I want you to stay...

On my Beginning of Another Story Drabbles on FF HERE

#stay #25daysofklaroline #misssophiachase #sophiachase #klaroline drabbles

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swipestream · 5 years

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Session Zero: Confessions of an Uber Nerd

Just when you thought that the idea of a session zero wasn’t nerdy enough, along I come to show you how I recently upped the nerd-ante, hopefully to my benefit, the benefit of my players, and the game as a whole.

If you are not familiar with the concept of session zero, it is basically a session that takes place before the start of a campaign. In this session, the players and GM discuss what they would like out of the game, and often characters are created. If you would like to learn more about this idea, check out the delightful GnomeCast on the subject. Generally speaking, session zero is used by most groups as an opportunity to get all of the players on the same page regarding the campaign and their characters.

A couple of months ago, I began a new campaign with a group of six players. Five of those players have been in the group for several years. We had just finished a two-year game of Vampire: The Masquerade, and were now looking to play a campaign of the Kult horror RPG. An old friend was joining the group as a new player. I have grand ambitions for the game, and I thought I would start out by trying to make the most of my session zero. I had a few goals: I wanted to lay down the table rules, I wanted to discuss the framework for the campaign story, I wanted to get a sense of what my players were looking for from the game, and I wanted everyone to make characters.

Agenda

Yes, I created an agenda. Yes, I was roundly mocked for doing so. However, it did what a good agenda is supposed to do – it kept us on track, and kept the session moving along so that nothing important went unaddressed. Would you like to see it? Of course you would:

Session Zero Agenda

Survey

Table Rules

Table Safety

Start and end time, how long (years) should the game last

Scheduling, rescheduling, cancellation of games

Player Responsibilities vs GM Responsibilities

Leadership/Decision-Making

Recaps/Notes

Player Roles

xp, calendar, group gear, notes, maps, etc.

Motivation

All need to be interested in saving the world, or humanity, should that come up

All need to have an interest in being part of the group

Why would I stay with these a-holes? Whose responsibility is that?

Connection to other PC’s

Game Structure

Modern Game, intro session circa 1992

Family, but not parents

Everyone needs to have an emotional attachment to _______________.

Historical Game

Germanic Tribe circa 378 CE

How often do we switch?

XP – fast advancement or slow advancement?

Character Creation

Niche roles – options, how to decide?

Family members in modern storyline

Make the tribe in the historical storyline

Note that this game is making use of two separate timelines, with two sets of characters (that whole idea is a discussion for another day). When crafting an agenda, I recommend that you consult with players via email prior to the session in order to see if there are any burning issues that they would like to see discussed.

Using this agenda not only facilitated a very productive session zero, but when one of my players says something like, “I think my character likes the idea of the end of humanity,” I have something to point to when I express my incredulity. In the end, this was a very valuable document, and our session zero had many productive discussions which continue to be referenced during the game when needed.

Survey

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What is that survey thing at the top of my agenda, you ask? In order to truly escalate this session into the upper echelons of nerdocity, I created a survey for all of us to fill out at the table and discuss. Note that this survey was created specifically for this campaign, so it has a variety of questions about horror and suspense. In crafting the survey, I took some inspiration from Chris Sniezak’s excellent article about the different types of fun:

Session Zero Survey (1 is strongly disagree, 5 is strongly agree)

I like games with difficult decisions.

I like games where a central authority directs our course of action.

I like games where I get to explore something new.

I like games with a big mystery or puzzle to solve.

I like games with a lot of action.

I like games with a lot of side discussions or “back room” play.

I like games in which I feel that I can always trust the other PC’s.

It is important that bad decisions have dire consequences for the PC’s.

Gaining experience and advancing my character is important to me.

Gaining treasure or magic items for my character is important to me.

Having a personal connection with an NPC is important to me.

The central story arc is important to me.

Having a long-lasting antagonist that I hate is important to me.

Having a niche that I am the best at within my group is important to me.

Having a chance to explore the psychology of my character is important to me.

I like suspenseful scenes.

I like horrific or disturbing scenes.

I like scenes with gore or graphic descriptions.

I like scenes where I might have to make a horrible choice.

I like scenes with frantic action, where my character’s life is at risk.

I like scenes where we discuss things without using dice for a long time.

I think good pictures or visual aides are important for a game.

I think good props are important for a game.

I think good ambient music is important for a game.

I think appropriate lighting is important for a game.

The key to using a survey of this nature during a session zero is to go through it at the table and have all of the respondents read out their answers. It was very illuminating for all involved. We discovered that one player didn’t love problem solving because she felt that she wasn’t very good at it. Another player loved exploring new environments best of all. Surprisingly to me, everybody liked graphic descriptions, but only one person felt that gaining treasure was important. Everyone thought that visual aids were important, but no one felt strongly about props. Some people felt that it was important to have a niche for their character in the group, but others did not; knowing this made everyone more sensitive about role-specialization during character creation, because even if it was not important to the person making the character, they recognized that it was important to others and didn’t want to step on toes.

This was a great experiment which wildly exceeded my expectations. The survey led to everyone understanding what the other players look for in a game, and it gave me some direction regarding how I spend my prep-time. Rather than invest two hours into creating a prop, I can spend that time looking for evocative pictures. I don’t have to have a lot of “treasure”, but I should make sure that I have some in order to satisfy one of my players. I don’t need to worry so much about censoring my descriptions of gore, because everyone is into that. When I have a big problem-solving session, I should make sure that I have something else for the player who is not into puzzles.

The survey led to everyone understanding what the other players look for in a game, and it gave me some direction regarding how I spend my prep-time.

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We Didn’t Finish Making Characters…

My agenda was so jam-packed that we didn’t end up finishing our character creation, which proved to be a bit of a problem during the first few games. However, I am not sure what I would sacrifice from my agenda in order to make sure that characters were completed. The survey was a goldmine of information that we have referred to many times over the first few months of play, and the other items of the agenda were all valuable. Should I have two session zeros next time? I can’t say that I would recommend that, but I will certainly give some thought to how I can make even better use of this time in the future.

What do you think? Is there anything that should be added to the agenda? Are there other tools that you use to facilitate a session zero? Is this entire exercise too much for you? I look forward to hearing what you think.

Session Zero: Confessions of an Uber Nerd published first on https://medium.com/@ReloadedPCGames

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