Agenda / Always Say / Principles / MC Moves

AGENDA

Make the players' characters' lives not boring.
Make the players' characters feel unaccepted.
Play to find out what happens.

ALWAYS SAY

What the principles demand (as follow).
What the rules demand.
What your prep demands.
What honesty demands.

THE PRINCIPLES

Blanket the world in darkness.
Address yourself to the characters, not the players.
Make your move, but misdirect.
Make your move, but never speak its name.
Make monsters seem human, and humans seem monstrous.
Give everyone a life.
Acceptance is never absolute (or: Accept people conditionally).
Happiness always comes at someone else's expense.
Always leap to the worst possible conclusion.
Ask provocative questions and build on the answers.
Be a fan of the players’ characters.
Sometimes, disclaim decision-making.

YOUR MOVES

Separate them.
Put them together.
Announce off-screen badness.
Announce future badness.
Inflict harm (as established).
Trade harm for harm (as established).
Make them pay a price.
Tell them the possible consequences and ask.
Offer an opportunity, with or without a cost.
Turn their move back on them.
Expose a dangerous secret to the wrong person.
Trigger their Darkest Self.
Herald the Abyss.
After every move: “what do you do?”

I like these! I think "Accept someone conditionally" and "Leap to the worst possible conclusion" work better as a moves than as principles, though.

Hm. I think I agree with the "leap to the worst possible conclusion" one.

However, here's where I'm coming from with the acceptance one...

Bella: I love you (but only if you'll let me be a vampire and I can have you).
Edward: I love you, too (but only if I can't hurt you).
Bella's Dad: I love you, little princess (but only if you're not with Edward).

Jacob: I love you and am sworn to protect you (but only if you stay human).

Edward: Alright, Jacob, I'll trust you and work with you (but only during this particular crisis, and only if you stay away from my girlfriend).

Buffy: I love you (but it's my duty to kill you).
Angel: I love you (but only when I'm in control of my own emotions, which is sometimes).

Buffy: I cherish you, Giles (as a colleague, but not as a friend).
Willow: I cherish you, Xander (as a friend, but not as a lover).


You know those advances you can take after 5?
Here are two that I'm thinking about:
X is your soulmate
X accepts you unconditionally

IN CONCLUSION: I want this wavering-acceptance thing to be a constant and pervasive approach to Monsterhearts, and for that reason I think it needs to be a principle. "Jump to the worst possible conclusion" should be a move though, you're right.

You are right, conditional acceptance is definitely better as a principle. The idea of unconditional acceptance as an advance is great and sick.

Also, I'm thinking of something I can't put eloquently, but like the fact that humans find the monsters intriguing because of their monstrousness, but the reality of that monstrousness drives them away. Like Bella's all like "ooh, Edward's a vampire, oooh, dangerous" but if he rips someone's throat open in front of her she'd run screaming. There's always this superficiality to the human/monster romances where the human is in love with the "danger" but when confronted with the reality of it is sickened.

Humans find the monsters intriguing because of their monstrousness, but the reality of that monstrousness drives them away. Like Bella's all like "ooh, Edward's a vampire, oooh, dangerous" but if he rips someone's throat open in front of her she'd run screaming. There's always this superficiality to the human/monster romances where the human is in love with the "danger" but when confronted with the reality of it is sickened.

Consider this quoted in the final text.

I have a question about the "Acceptance is never absolute" principle and your description of it.

All the principles are addressed to the MC.  Is that the case here, or is this Principle one that the players are supposed to follow as well?

I mean, as MC, I can ensure that Bella doesn't accept Edward unconditionally, if she's an NPC.  If they are both PCs, however, it's really up to the players.

So, similar question for your ungiven future advances.  If I'm a player, can I just up and declare that now another PC accepts mine or is her soulmate?

I have a question about the "Acceptance is never absolute" principle and your description of it.

All the principles are addressed to the MC.  Is that the case here, or is this Principle one that the players are supposed to follow as well?

I mean, as MC, I can ensure that Bella doesn't accept Edward unconditionally, if she's an NPC.  If they are both PCs, however, it's really up to the players.

I sincerely hope that the monsterhearted will give each other only lopsided and conditional acceptance. I can't imagine the play procedures (strings, manipulation, promises, teenager protagonists) leading to anything else.

However, principles are directed at the MC. So, have your NPCs only give out lopsided and conditional acceptance. And when a PC makes an accepting motion towards another PC, follow your principles:

Acceptance is Never Absolute,
so start looking for its fault lines. Start looking for its lopsided-ness and its many conditions. Challenge it.

Ask provocative questions, and build on the answers.
"Bella, why is Edward only making this promise now? Why didn't he make it when you were alone in the fields together?"
"Edward, what kind of pressures are you under, while you make these promises to Bella?"

Remember, Happiness Always Comes At Someone Else's Expense.
And so, if Edward and Bella are being lovely and happy and honest with each other,
it's gotta hurt someone.

The bad guy vampires? Jacob? Hungry, hungry Jasper?
Look for the damage done.

So, similar question for your ungiven future advances.  If I'm a player, can I just up and declare that now another PC accepts mine or is her soulmate?

I think so.

The "absolute acceptance" one might be reserved for NPCs, or work differently for PC/PC...

But the "you're my soulmate" one can definitely be thrown at another PC. And check it, let's look at Twilight again for a second:

Bella wants Edward, hard. She wants his sex and his vampirism.
Edward is a douche who's afraid of commitment.
Jacob's not afraid of commitment. His cards are on the table. He wants Bella.

While Bella is all "bite me, bite me," it's clear that she's not going to accept Edward unconditionally while she's still human, and she's not even going to commit to him unconditionally while she's still human. So, by the end of the third movie, she still hasn't purchased either of these ungiven futures.

At the end of the second movie, however, Edward takes "You're my soulmate" towards Bella, when he says, "We need to get married."

And during the third movie, Jacob steps up and takes "You're my soulmate" towards Bella, too! And he's all like, "I will wait for you no matter what, and I will defend you no matter what, and check out how awesome my abs are."

And if I were bothering to read the books, I'd know what happens next. So far, no one loves anyone unconditionally. Two boys have declared Bella their soulmate. But Bella ain't married yet, and things could still get real. When's that fourth movie coming out? I heard Bella gets knocked up.

Cool, that all makes sense for me, though I think you and I have VERY different definitions of "soul mate" so for my money, I would use a different term. I'm not sure what term, though.