Masks Extra Long Example
- Rex the Transformed, a now-reptilian and former regular teenager, played by Matt
- Skysong the Outsider, a blue-skinned white-haired alien from another planet, played by Andrea
- Hornet the Protege, trained by Mantis and nominal team leader, played by Joe
- Fission the Nova, extraordinarily powerful and more than a bit moody, played by Sarah
They’ve just finished an epic fight against the Teacher in her extradimensional school prison, and had their spoils stolen by Rosa Rook and her high-tech mercenaries. They’re kinda wiped.
“So, we probably have a panel or two of you all looking wearily at each other, then heading back to your base. We have a panel of Hornet typing in her report, and a panel of Fission showering amid clouds of steam, and then a panel of Skysong making her hot chocolate. Rex, you find her sitting on the couch…with the TV on, low?” I ask Andrea. She nods. “So Rex, what do you do?”
“‘Hey,’ I say, and I go to sit next to her. ‘I…uh…how’s that hot chocolate?’” Matt says.
(Skysong the Outsider)
“‘It’s good,’” Andrea says, as Skysong. I’m going to let them go until I feel a lull in the conversation and I need to make a move, or until someone takes action that triggers a move. I’m being a fan of them in this moment—I want to see this scene as much as the audience!
“‘Is it a victory hot chocolate?’” says Rex.
“‘Today didn’t feel very much like we had a victory,’” says Skysong. “‘We barely got out of the Teacher’s prison realm, and then we lost the chalk to Rook! I was just starting to enjoy being a hero on this planet, and then this happens.’” I consider: Skysong is getting close to revealing a weakness or vulnerability, but not quite yet.
“‘Hey, though,’ I say. I try to shift a little closer to her, but realize that the couch shifts with my weight, so I stop moving. ‘You did something awesome today. Hornet was about to start punching Rook’s goons. We all knew it. It’s how she is. But you talked sense into her.’”
“Yeah, I convinced her to give up crucial power to a dangerous person,” says Skysong.
“‘You convinced her to make the smart call. For the team. For us. It was a hard choice, but it was the right one.’ I shift my eyes away, and run my foot against the ground. ‘At least, I think so.’”
“Okay, that’s definitely a comfort or support,” I say. “Rex, you’re comforting Skysong. Go ahead and roll with Mundane.”
Matt nods. “Yep, knew this was gonna happen. My Mundane is at -2. I’m in trouble.” He rolls and gets a 5—a miss.
“Yeah, go ahead and mark potential, Rex. Skysong, before you can even respond, the report on the TV changes to that news pundit—the one who went after you for being a dangerous, illegal alien before? What was his name?” I ask.
“Samuel Searley, I think,” Andrea says.
“Yep. Samuel Searley. He’s on the TV, and he’s doing a new report, all about your team, and how security footage captured you all threatening Rosa Rook earlier tonight. In particular, he’s focusing on Rex, actually—claiming that Rex’s body is a dangerous weapon all on its own, and merely being in the same place as someone else is threatening them. Rex, the words are hitting you hard, tired as you are—they’re shifting your Danger up, and your Savior down. What do you do?” I’m making a Transformed move, show them how they are feared or hated, and using it as justification for shifting Rex’s Labels.
“Oof. I…can’t really afford to mark another condition if I miss. I accept it,” says Matt. “Danger up, Savior down.”
“I look at the TV angrily,” says Andrea. “I throw a short burst of light at it to break it. ‘Don’t listen to them. They don’t know what they’re talking about. They didn’t see you in the Teacher’s realm. You were being a real hero.’”
“Oh, yeah, that sounds like you’re now comforting or supporting Rex, right? Go ahead and roll!”
Andrea does, and gets an 11! “Alright! So Rex, you and Skysong will get to choose from the lists if you open up to her. What do you do?”
“I want to open up to Skysong! I…uh…well, okay. I look right at her, and I feel like the right move is to kiss her. So. I do that.”
“Okay! Skysong, does that count as opening up to you, do you think?” I say, grinning.
"Yea, I think so!" says Andrea.
(Rex the Transformed)
“So, Rex, you get to clear a condition, shift Labels, or mark potential, your choice. And Skysong, you get to add a Team to the pool, or clear a condition.”
“I’m going to go ahead and mark potential,” says Matt. “Feels right.”
“And I’m going to clear a condition! I’ve got Insecure marked—figure I’ll clear that!” says Andrea.
“And, of course, we need to know, Skysong—what do you do next? Are you kissing Rex back?” I’m being a fan, and I’m asking provocative questions!
“Oh, jeez, uh…I feel like Skysong is so surprised by this. She’s never been kissed before! It’s not a thing her people do! She’s not sure how to respond! She’s just sort of tensing up, maybe even pulling away, I think…even though it makes me so sad to say it!” says Andrea.
“Yep, that makes sense, though. And you have Influence over Rex, right? Yeah…sorry Rex, I feel like you can’t ignore what she did. Whether she means to or not, she’s totally shifting up your Freak, and shifting down your Mundane with that reaction,” I say. I’m telling Rex who he is or should be based on her reaction.
“That makes perfect sense, but boy does it suck! My Mundane is already at -2, so I either mark a condition and shift nothing, or I reject Skysong’s Influence! Ugh…I guess I mark the condition. Insecure for me! Undoubtedly! ‘Oh, uh, sorry, I…I…uh…I’m…going to bed.’ Rex quickly pulls up from the couch and wanders off to his room,” says Matt.
“Yeah, that’s perfect. And Skysong, what do you do?”
“I make some gesture towards him, something like, ‘Wait, wait, Rex,’ but once he leaves the room, I don’t go after him. I’m so confused.”
“I buy it! Alright, and thus ends this eventful day! I think the last panel we see in this scene is Rex leaving the room, with that look of consternation on his face, and Skysong looking confused on the couch in the background.”
That was a great scene, and I already have ideas for where to go next—a scene with Mantis, Hornet’s mentor, talking to the whole team and reprimanding them for letting Rook get the extradimensional chalk from the Teacher’s realm, so I can bring them together and give Hornet and Fission some more spotlight.