Today, Beacon Hills High School prepares to welcome a new student! The halls buzz with rumors and gossip. She is the first new student they've had in years. Their sleepy little town could use some fresh meat, and who am I, the humble Narrator, to judge?
Welcome to Beacon Hills, Robin!
...Robin is not an expert in weird magic, for all that she's her pack's Emissary. Mostly she does the little things any druid can do - minor protections, usually. She has never in her life encountered something as weird as this is.
"This is a dream," she decides. It's gotta be. Why would anything powerful enough to transport her half-way across the continent and speak in her head bother with her?
"Thanks?" She offers Danny, before the voice starts narrating people at her.
(Aaaaaa???)
Ok, ok, just go with it. It's a dream, dreams are weird.
Who does she pick?
Erica sounds kinda intimidating, and Harley too, but Robin thinks she can handle quiet with hidden fire? Allison it is.
She walks up to her - and stalls. What do you talk to people about in high school dating simulation dreams? Class schedules?
"...Um. Excuse me?"
Allison leads the new girl throughout the school. It's been over a year since she was the girl, a welcome reprieve from a life of constant moving from town to town to follow her parents' hunting habits. She likes showing someone else the ropes.
Your relationship with Allison has increased!
Hunting habits? Allison's parents are Hunters?
Robin's human but sometimes druids get trouble from hunters, and she's part of a pack, too. She's not so sure about her choice now.
...Maybe they're just. Wildlife hunters?
And this is a dream, right, so what does it matter?
Dilemma shoved aside for now, she gives Allison a bright smile, "Thanks! Being new is always scary, it's nice to meet a friendly face." She pauses, searching for another topic, "What are the teachers like here?"
Oh, that's not as bad as she'd thought it would be. Awful - it reminds her of what school was like before she got into magic and got picked up by the Starr pack - but not the level she'd expect considering.
This whole thing has actually been pretty tame, so far, for a dream about Beacon Hills.
"He sounds awful," she agrees, though. She hated the teachers like that when she was in school. Even when they liked her it was awful.
"I hate it when teachers play favourites like that."
"Both!" She says, "More useful plants than ornamental, but sometimes they can be pretty and useful. I have a very large herb garden, too. It's my pride and joy, my dearest sweetheart, I love that patch of leafy ground like it's my own child."
She's joking. (Mostly.)
"What do you like about archery?"
As a hunter, Allison often makes decisions about which shapeshifters to kill. Although the Argent family has a storied history as hunters, Allison has been working to change their legacy from one of necessary, brutal violence to one of protecting the weak and vulnerable. Although she is still willing to kill shapeshifters, Allison is not one to shoot first and ask questions later.
Ok, definitely a capital-h Hunter. Thanks, narration, she was happy living in her delusion.
At least she sounds like the better sort? Though, also, it should be noted - Argent family?!??!
Ok, confirmation time.
"Thanks for the help!" She offers, a bit nervous, but still cheerful. "-Oh, I didn't get your name?"
...ok then, confirmation attained. But damn it, she's never let reputation put her off someone before!
"Well the tour was pretty thorough but the company would be nice, anyway, if you don't mind?" she suggests. "Just let me pick up my schedule, I guess?" Into the office to do the thing?
She blinks down at the schedule, nonplussed.
"...Gee, it's so hard to choose," she replies after a moment. "There's so many options."
...Though that's actually pretty true, given the options available.
"I guess I'm looking forward to lunch," she decides eventually, "I'd like to meet your friends, if that's ok. Since mine aren't here."
Conveniently, lunch is next! They start to walk there. Many other students are making their way to the cafeteria. Robin will recognize none of them, but some of them recognize Allison. She seems popular enough, though none of them stop to talk to her, only smile and wave.
But what if she wants a friend she doesn't have to worry about being a part of this weird dating game? What then, narration? Also, rude!
"Hi again," she greets Danny.
She gives Lydia a smile in return!
"Does that mean you're always behaving well, or that your best behaviour isn't very good?" She asks Jackson, before quickly glancing around to look for this apparently uninteresting student.
As you listen, your mind wanders. Lunch is a nice way to get to know people, but you shouldn't waste it all asking about clubs. Putting together clubs for you to attend would be too difficult for your poor narrator, when there are already so many options for you to choose from!
...Ok, Robin has been known to get distracted sometimes but she was actually interested in that answer. This is very weird. Maybe just too much detail for a dream?
"Maybe you should look for someone else who does archery, or failing that teach someone, first?" She suggests to Allison, "And then you could have a demonstration slash competition, drum up enthusiasm!"
"I have been meaning to pick up some sort of athletic thing," she muses, "So, sure, I'd love to learn!"
If she likes it, she can take the dream hint and look into archery when she wakes up. Also, getting to know Allison better! She's liked what she's seen so far, and the weird dream narration sure seems to want her to get to know someone. Gotta start somewhere!
Aw, adorable outmatched nervous boy, Robin feels a kinship. That was her, once upon a time!
She waves back at Allison, and offers Jackson a smile, but she thinks she'll try talking to someone new this class. She starts over to Liam, then pauses - is Brian here? She's probably gonna have to keep an eye out for him, given the narration's attitude.
Hmmm... She's already made her choice, she shouldn't change it now. Some other time, Brian the Unnoticeable! She waves at him while she continues towards Liam.
"Hi, I'm Robin, I'm new. Also, not the most athletic - you look less like you're ready to enter into glorious battle with a hockey stick than some of these people, mind if I stick by you?"
She reaches out to take his hand - from the outside, wrapping loosely around his wrist, for safety in case he loses control and pops claws. Hurting someone won't help anything if he does. Then she leads him out of the gym.
Is there anywhere quiet nearby? Large enough they won't be too crowded, so neither of them feels trapped.
The sun and the moon? Must be his mantra. The Starrs use a different one, but she can still help.
"Hey, yeah, you're going to be fine," she agrees firmly, "Look at me, Ok?" She ducks down so she can see his face, "Focus, and tell me your mantra, Liam. Please, let me help you."
Aww, it is charming!
She laughs, "I'm an Emissary, don't worry - a Druid attached to a werewolf pack. I know about the people who go bump in the night."
"I am alright at meditation, though, if you want some help with it? Guided meditation can be useful." Among her duties: helping werewolves figure out how to chill out. You get good at guided meditation fast in those circumstances.
"Helping like this is what I'm for," she asserts, "Though it could definitely help to have your alpha involved, if you have one, I can do it alone."
She hopes he's not an omega, that won't be fun for anyone, especially with a family of Hunters in town, even if Allison's not the shoot-first type.
(She does not remember the Beacon Hills' alpha's name, if she ever knew it at all. It didn't seem like an important thing to find out. What were the chances she'd run into him? Not very high, that's what.)
And with your classes all done for the day, you head home to think about your first day at a new school. Meeting Allison and Liam certainly made the day more interesting. Although she’s friendly, Allison has a dangerous edge to her. And while Liam has a fiery temper, he’s got a very sweet heart underneath it all. Hopefully you get to learn more about your new friends in the coming days!
Some relationships are hard. Sometimes you can ruin them. In order to improve most relationships beyond a certain point, you must increase your stats! You began with a 0 in all stats! There are three stats: Strength, Intelligence, and Charm. They do not relate at all to your real qualities or skills.
If you get any relationship to turn into love, you win! If you ask me, I can tell you how much strength you have, how much intelligence, how much charm, and how well all of your relationships are going!
Your Strength is 10!
Your Intelligence is 0!
Your Charm is 10!
"...Ok. I guess that's all. Pretty simple!"
This is too coherent for one of her dreams? But why would some super powerful being kidnap her for a weird romance game without the rest of her pack?!? She's not important!
She's not gonna panic. She's not.
"How are my relationships doing?" She asks, trying to distract herself. Her voice is a bit high, though.
"Dying on the floor of a bank??"
She pauses.
"...And. Now you're not dying. Did this magic resurrect people?"
She shakes her head pushing herself up to her feet, "Listen to me, not even- I can't even imagine how freaked out you must be. Are you okay?"
Having someone else's problems to focus on steadies her a bit.
"...A hellhound. And the nemeton? And I don't think I've even heard mention of the third one. I guess I'll have research to do, at home, and while I'm here."
She pulls her gaze away from the ceiling, giving Erica a determined look, "I know we don't really know each other, but I promise, I definitely won't leave you dead. You or anyone else who vanishes with the simulation," she promises.
She wouldn't leave anyone dead if she could help it. If she can't do that in the real world... well, clearly you can bring people back in simulations. Maybe that could be good enough.
"The information dumps are pretty weird - do you hear those anywhere or only when you're near me?" She shakes her head, "But I've been getting along with Allison? And I helped Liam... yesterday. It seems like I can only really talk to one person in each of the two time slots, though. I don't know if I might get along better with someone else."
More choices, ok.
A local alpha? She hadn't known there was more than one pack in Beacon hills. That sounds like it must be a complicated situation. It also sounds like something she would maybe like to avoid for now?
A little low-stakes interaction would probably be nice right about now, honestly. She sits by Kira.
"Hi, I'm Robin, I'm new," she says.
"We're originally from New York! Not originally originally, I mean, my mom's Japanese and my dad's Korean. I wasn't born in New York either, and my mom actually lived in California when she was younger for a while, so I guess more recently than originally. What about you?"
"I guess? I definitely can't name all the states, or anything - which I guess might be a problem!" She laughs sheepishly, "Hopefully the teachers give me time to get caught up in all the America-specific history and geography." If that's even the sort of thing that will come up in the romance game version of class.
"Oh no, me neither! I just wasn't even sure how many I knew, and started counting them out because it seemed like an interesting question, but then the list got too long, and-" she shakes her head, "Sorry. Geography isn't really my thing either. What kind of mythology do you like?"
"I was really into Greek mythology as a kid. Something about how realistic the motivations were, you know? I mean, I like to think people are better than that, but still, it didn't seem all divine and out of reach of us. After that I actually got really interested in Buddhism for a while, which isn't a mythology. Some of it has mythology, I guess, but I think that's insensitive to say about religions that people still believe in. No offense. Not that I'm assuming you're Buddhist, that would be kind of weird to assume since it's not that common in Canada, right?"
"I'm not sure," she considers, "Probably no more common than it is in the US," she decides.
"Legends and myths are definitely fun, though. I used to pretend I was a dryad when I was a kid. There was an oak tree in my backyard and I'd climb all over the branches and put the leaves in my hair - it drove my grandparents crazy."
"It's kind of sad, really," she hums, "I kinda feel bad for them, being tricked like that all the time. Even if they are monsters. And mythical." She has vague recollections of them being rapey, too, but can't recall the specifics. It could just be bad press, anyway, if they are real. There's a lot of that.
"I think so," she agrees. "Something about making nature explainable, maybe? If they gave it human-like nature, with understandable desires and hatreds, they felt more in control. You can't appease a storm, but if the storm is controlled by a person, you can try to appease them."