Book Eight, Chapter 42: The Haul
byWe had to walk all the way back around the lake to the loading ramp, where Anna and Camden were waiting for us. That didn’t even make sense, because at the end of the movie, they were climbing onto the shore across the cove from where we were.
But as it turns out, there was an explanation. The pontoon boat, which had been used as a research vessel, was tied up at the docks right next to the wooden rowboat we had floated in on.
I would not realize the significance of that until Silas, the mechanical showman, arrived. He had chosen the front deck of the pontoon as the place he would appear, so we had to climb aboard to get our tickets.
Camden was the first to push the big red button. While he did not get any tropes, he did get two stat tickets and a license for the research vessel, including the gear aboard.
It had not even occurred to me to hope for a boat upgrade, but as I walked over the vessel, I was sure glad to have it. Not only was there an abundance of seats, but there was shade, dual pontoons, and dual engines. We stole the oars from the wooden boat in case we needed to push off any rocks later on down the line.
Antoine did not get any stat tickets, but he did get a trope.
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Clean Living Type: Healing Archetype: Athlete Aspect: Health Nut Stat Used: Grit |
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What’s the point of seeing a character make a getaway from a near-death experience only to die from bleeding out right afterward? If the user manages to escape captivity or an ongoing attack, they will heal life-threatening, unseen injuries. A clean getaway deserves a clean bill of health. Or near enough. |
That was probably a direct result of his escaping the initial trap pod but being so injured in the process that he likely would have died even if he had not gotten caught in the second one. It would build off his Mountain as a Metaphor trope very well if he chose to use it.
Anna got two stat tickets and one trope.
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Maladaptive Daydreaming Type: Insight/Action Archetype: Final Girl Aspect: — Stat Used: Moxie |
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The job of the main character is to walk the audience through the story, but sometimes that movie has important elements that take place in the past or even in the protagonist’s imagination. The audience will have to follow them there, too. The user can daydream about some part of their backstory or current torment On-Screen to trigger a scene involving the memory or horror, either for a full flashback or a simple imagined fake-out. The camera follows you wherever you go. There is no escape. |
This was a Final Girl staple. Being able to visually see the antagonist tormenting the protagonist through daydreams or other types of fake-outs or memories was an essential horror movie trope.
Cassie did not get stat tickets despite being underleveled. She had technically been part of the Second Blood killings, but she shared that with me, and since the story appeared to allow for no psychic powers at all, her tropes were less than useful.
It just so happened she got another trope to help fix that.
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Unseen Confirmation Type: Rule Archetype: Psychic Aspect: — Stat Used: Moxie |
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Even a movie without confirmed supernatural forces can be ruled by forces of destiny, even if no one knows it. When this trope is equipped, most supernatural tropes will still have some effect that does not confirm the presence of the supernatural to the characters. Predictions become instincts, curses become metaphors, and mental powers are replaced by the human spirit. The audience might see the forces of destiny at play. The characters will be none the wiser. |
This seemed complicated and would involve a lot of trial and error. Never being able to confirm her psychic powers would certainly be a handicap, but it would allow her to actually use the powers, if only for the knowledge they might give her.
I got nothing but the normal money we usually received. I was very over-leveled, and despite my character dying and me taking massive damage, it was not a particularly challenging storyline for me. Camden did all the heavy work when it came to planning.
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