[AP] Breaking the Ice between Clark and Bruce

[Iskander]

So, my weekly BW game couldn't meet up this week, and in fact only one other player was available, so we decided instead to hang out, pick a game of my unplayed stack, and go for it. Since Emily Care was so deliciously charming over the weekend at Dreamation, and BtI is a two-player game, it seemed like an obvious choice. I don't think any particularly interesting game issues came up, so I'll run down the AP here, where I can just share a fun, fun evening.

Players
Phredd - nerdNYC, friend, indie gamer, about to run a season of PtA in the next GGG, playing Clark Kent (a.k.a. Superman)
Alexander - me. About to run a season of DitV, kpfs and MLwM in the next GGG, playing Bruce Wayne (a.k.a. Batman)

Setup
We decided that we would explore the game with a light-hearted bit of deviance: the first three dates of Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne. We couldn't really settle on a genre, but decided 'R' rating would do it.

The Switch
We went with my being an (optimistic) immigrant, and Phredd being a US native... making him the immigrant Clark Kent, and me the native-born Bruce Wayne. This didn't really feature in play past the first scene, but that didn't matter.

Maps
Bruce:

Black--	stylish----	masked----	S/M----	Sub
|	+--------	pampered
+-----	night----	orphaned---	vengeful
|	+--knight
+-----	soul-----	ward
+-----	dualism

Clark:

Blue---	planet----	Krypton-------	kryptonite--	vulnerability
|		+--loss
+-----	suit-----	Daily Planet---	klutz
|	+--armour
+-----	yonder---	Smallville------	wheat

Conflicts and Traits

Bruce		Clark
Has a lot of ex-es		Humans are so fragile
Self: Orphaned		Self: Fostered
Self: Has a ward
Work: Multi-billionaire, pampered		Work: Reporter
Play: Vigilante		Play: Has a dog
Play: Masochist		Play: Plays alone

First Date

1.1	[P] Bruce had invited Clark to a gala at Wayne Enterprises to celebrate their acquisition of Google, in competition with LexCorp. Clark thoughtfully provided a videopodcast of the moment when Lex got the news, much to Bruce' satisfaction. (Check one Attraction).
1.2	[A] Bruce introduced Clark to the former ambassador from Lithuatuvistania, now an immigrant seeking asylum in exchange for that country's terrible secrets. (Only two successes...) Selena Kyle slunk up to the trio, purred at Bruce and eventually licked his ear, much to Bruce's embarrassment. (Introduced conflict: Catwoman, added trait: Bi). Clark found Bruce's human bluster cute. (Check one atraction)
1.3	[P] After the party, in the Billiard Room having foiled Selena's plan to steal a huge ruby from Baron Gorstein, formerly of Lithuatvistania, Clark and Bruce relaxed by the fire with a glass of scotch. "Still leaving out milk for strays, Bruce?" asked Clark, prodding his masochist trait. (not enough successes...) Clark vanished momentarily, returning almost imperceptibly later, (complication) and Bruce wondered, "Something keeping your attention?". (Clark activates his conflict:) "I was saving a few thousand people at the eruption of Mt. Fuji. Humans die so easily." Unimpressed, Bruce sighed, "We really are like gnats to you, aren't we?". (Eventually a success... a masochistic increase in Attraction)
1.4	[A] At the door to Wayne Manor, as they're saying goodnight, the bat signal illumines a cloud behind Clark's head. (Not enough successes...) Clark sees the signal reflected in Bruce's eyes, and hears Cmr. Gordon, miles away, mention that the Joker has escaped from Arkham Asylum once more. (complications: not enough) Clark offered to help Bruce bring him in, but Bruce declined, insisting that "We have a history, the Joker and I" (conflict: another ex!) "Besides, you have your beat, and I have mine." (Introduced compatibility: Crime-fighting)

Interlude
Clark and Lois were sent to Las Vegas by the Daily Planet to do an investigative piece, posing as newlyweds. (Complication to get at least one Attraction made permanent).

Second Date

2.1	[A]At the Fortress of Solitude, here Clark had flown Bruce for a dinner à deux, Bruce offered him a lead casket engraved on one end with a bucolic Kansas farm scene, on the other a Kryptonian cityscape, and inscribed on the lid "A memory of home, from a true friend", in both English and Kryptonian. "It's all the Kryptonite I could find, Clark, to keep you safe," said Bruce. (Increase Attraction).
2.2	[P]Using his heat vision to flambée Crêpes Suzette, Clark finished a masterpiece meal. (Not enough successes) Unfortunately Krypto, the superdog, emulated his master and ignited his bone, causing Bruce to choke on the pungent smoke (complication). (Introduced compatibility: value solitude).
2.3	[A]Later, the duo stood on a crystalline balcony, admiring the aurora borealis (Not enough...), when Clark detected the vibration that Bruce could feel from his beltphone. "Dick, I told you not to call me again on this number", Bruce told his former protégé. Naturally Clark could hear all the love-crazed young man's ravings (Conflict: another ex-), but Bruce cut Dick off with a tone usually reserved for criminals, and hung up. (+1 Attraction)
2.4	[P] Patrolling the Bottled City of Kandor as Nightbird and Flamewing, the lovebirds were on an equal footing at last. With his superhuman abilities nullified by the artificial Kryptonian light, Clark - as Flamewing - took actual bruises, and Nightbird's skill saved his ass more than once. (Introduced compatibility: Like dressing up.)
2.5	[A] In Clark's apartment in the Bottled City, Bruce massaged his friend's firm, but bruised upper body, explaining, "Invulnerability is all very well, but you never get to experience the pleasure of the release of pain, Bruce." (++Attr)
2.6	[P] Wrestling on the bed in the Bottled City apartment, Clark tried to give Bruce the tussle he craved, but his perspective of humans as fragile (conflict) left him unable to play hard enough for Bruce. Eventually, Bruce had to intercede, "Alright, Clark, let me show you how it's done..." (Introduced compatibility: Rough-housing)

Interlude
Return to Gotham from the Fortress was difficult for Bruce: Dick Grayson was camped out on the lawn of the Manor, and both the Joker and Poison Ivy had busted out of Arkham (both ex-es).

Third Date

3.1	[P] It's the half-time show at the Metropolis Bowl, and Lois Lane is watching Clark interview Superman, swooning in confusion about the hero's identity. Of course, only the duo know that it's really Bruce dressed as the big blue schoolboy. Bruce wryly tells Clark, "All proceeds to the Metropolis Orphans' Benevolent Fund, Mr. Kent" (Not enough) Lois wheedles Clark to ask Superman to fly away, but Clark trips, and catches himself on Lois' dress, ripping it clean off, down to the slip. She retreats in confusion. (++Attraction)
3.2	[A]Changing out of the mismatched costumes for a dinner prepared especially by Alfred, Bruce offered Clark the pick of several flawlessly tailored tuxedos (dressing up +2d) (++Attraction)
3.3	[P]After dinner, over a game of chess in the Billiard Room, Clark engages in a bit of extra-curricular pawn movement, and announces "Check", knowing full well that Bruce will see him cheating. Excited by the tarnish on Clark's boy scout reputation, Bruce grinned, moved his knight, and announced "Checkmate!" (++Attraction)
3.4	[A]Bruce lead Clark down to his inner sanctum: the Batcave. Standing in front of the spotlit costume of Jason Todd, Robin, Bruce looked Clark in the eye with a smile, and asked "Would you like to try it on?" (++Attraction)
3.5	[P]"Certainly!" Clark replied; the fit was tight, but the Bat-fabric stretched to hug the Man of Steel's ripped physique. Clamping Bruce's arms to his side, Clark raised him up, and began to use every Kryptonian sense he had to tease Bruce to the very limits of the human's tolerance (Conflict... 2s on 10 dice). Coming up for air momentarily, he cruelly mimicked Jason's voice: "This is how it felt when the Joker beat me..." (still not enough successes) As a single tear rolled down Bruce's agonised, ecstatic face, Clark squeezed a little harder, just beyond Bruce's tolerance, and said - in his own voice, "Bruce, scream for me." Bruce obliged. (Introduced compatibility: BDSM)

Do They Stay Together After The Third Date?
Yes.

When Did They Fall In Love?
Clark: when Bruce massaged my back in the Bottled City of Kandor.
Bruce: when Clark agreed to wear Jason's old costume without batting an eye.

What Are The Long-Term Chances?
Nil.

Future Scene
Clark discovers that Bruce has a secret cache of Kryptonite.

[Emily Care]

Just beautiful, Alexander.  Bruce's many exes are to die for. And the s&m dynamic...oh, too precious.  Ben & I were just discussing how BtI is perfectly suited for slash & you proved it.  You captured the ennuis of the super-heroic, and the "man of steel/woman of tissue" issues perfectly.

Now I want to see the Wonderwoman/Batgirl follow-up!

with much love,
Emily

[Iskander]

I think you've got a huge secondary market for the game, re-badged as "Slashing the Veil".

We had a blast. It was a great fun way for a minor and major comic book nerd to get acquainted with the game. Phredd knew much more of the colour than I did, although I retained some salient detail (like the dead Robin suit). Ha!

[phredd]

Yep, it was a blast.

I also recalled this morning something I confirmed online that adds some delicious color to the Kandor scene.  In the comics, it was always Superman as Nightwing and Jimmy Olsen was Flamebird, the sidekick.

[Victor Gijsbers]

This is really, really good. And I say that as someone who has never ever read a superheroes comic.

[Josh Roby]

AWESOME.

How 'into it' were you guys while you played?  To what extent were you playing the game versus playing with the game?

[Iskander]

I suspect your question has wrongbadfunthink written all over it. How could we be playing with the game, but not playing it? I don't think that's possible with BtI.

Regardless of the level of emotional engagement - which we consciously chose to restrict - our imaginations were definitely firing on all cylinders to come up with activities, scenes and complications that satisfied each others' fairly demanding creative expectations.

[TonyLB]

It sounds to me like Joshua is asking "How much were you focussed on fiddling with the rules, and seeing how they could be tweaked, strangely applied or otherwise bent during the course of play?"  Like "Was this a session of play, or a session of playtest?"

I don't think he was asking whether you were aroused by the in-game fiction.

[Josh Roby]

Tony's got it about right.  Was it a movie made by Quentin Tarantino (bizarre content seriously considered) or Monty Python (bizarre content amusingly considered)?

[Iskander]

It was definitely play, not playtest, although we were playing to try the game out (rather than playtest it), not to get laid.

[Emily Care]

Sounds to me like the tone of the game was amusing, but they were pretty serious about getting in some nicely esoteric references to the canon (Flamebird, Jason Todd's costume etc).