Me and My Monster/Me and My Human (Take 2)

[Idlewyld]

Me and My Monster/Me and My Human

Introduction
Calling all monstergirls, monsterboys, plucky humans, heroes-in-training, and would-be-lovers! EARTH NEEDS YOU! The planet is under an assault the likes of which has never been seen in history and civilization itself hangs in the balance. You have a gift, and now it is time to put it to use. At the Snugel-Bonnie Institute for Monster-Human Relations (SBI for short), you will find a suitable partner, learn to work with him or her, train for the critically important mission to which your life has been born, and join the mission to save the world itself! Don’t delay – take this opportunity to make a difference, actualize your potential, and save everyone and everything you love!

Me and My Monster/Me and My Human is a semi-freeform game in which you play either a monster or a human who works in joined monster-human teams to defend the earth from unspeakable horrors. The monster provides the fighting power and strength, but needs the human’s love and affection to be able to access his or her otherworldly powers. So this game has dual themes – the fight to save the world and the development and power of love.

History

In 2017, in the aftermath of wars, natural disasters, and economic instability, fate had one more cruel surprise in store for humanity. On December 5, a team of crack archaeologists uncovered an arch in a tomb near Alexandretta, Turkey dating from the 12th century. Fortunately, one of the team could read the inscription on the top of the arch written in Aramaic. Unfortunately, he read it out loud. This was unfortunate in that word for word, the inscription read, "WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T READ THIS INSCRIPTION OUT LOUD UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. WE MEAN IT." Suddenly, the arch was revealed to be a gate, and all the monsters and horrors that had been imagined since the beginning of human storytelling poured out, precipitating the greatest crisis civilization has ever faced. The earth was one giant all-you-can-eat buffet

For years, it seemed as if humanity's extinction was a foregone conclusion. The monsters were bigger, stronger, had powers far beyond human understanding, and were growing ever more numerous. And it seemed that they fed off the flesh or spirit of the humans themselves. However, it turned out that a few things were actually working in the humans' favor. First, the monsters themselves were hardly an organized front. Many of the different kinds of monsters were at odds with each other as often as they were with the humans. For that matter, just because two monsters were of the same kind didn't necessarily meant they got along peacefully. In fact, not every monster wished harm to humans, and actually regretted that the humans’ extinction were the only means for their survival.
And humanity would not just go quietly into that good night. Let us not forget that this is the species that brought us Salt and Vinegar Flavored Potato Chips! Furthermore, the human race often produces its best work when it is backed into a corner.

And such was the case in 2022, when plucky scientists Travis Snugel and Tabitha Bonnie developed an airborne mutagen which, while far from solving the problem, radically changed its parameters. The monsters soon found that they could only absorb spirit willingly given - rendering them dependent on caring, affection, and even dare we say, love. Furthermore, the extent of the powers that the monster could access became directly related to the strength of the bond between the monster and the human with which he or she was affiliated. As the relationship grew stronger, so did the monster's powers. The predator-prey relationship had been transformed into a symbiotic one. Scientists quickly termed this the Snugel-Bonnie effect.

Still, the danger remains. The larger more powerful monsters, greater demons, eldritch horrors, nasty tentacled thingies and tunacanes (like a sharknado except while the latter merely leaves you as a messy corpse, the tunacane subsides with the victim smelling like three day old fish - and on the day of Homecoming! Horrors!) developed some sort of resistance to the effect, more or less collecting its prey as harems. However, now the world is defended by monster-human pairs and perhaps, for the first time in years, there is hope. To that end, Doctors Snugel and Bonnie have formed The Snugel-Bonnie Monster-Human Institute (the SBI), a college dedicated to the matching and training of monsters and high-affinity humans.

Snugel and Bonnie

One cannot discuss the SBI, or the world in which it was built, without mentioning the genius that is Travis Snugel and Tabitha Bonnie. Travis Snugel was a prodigy from birth, completing his Bachelors at Yale at the age of twelve and earning a doctorate from Cambridge in molecular biology by the age of fifteen. When the Armageddon Gate was breached, he was called upon, still only twenty-three, to serve on the team devoted to finding an answer to the monstrous invasion. It was on this team that he met Tabitha Bonnie.

Little is known of Bonnie before the Armageddon Gate Breach. She hails from the remote Pacific island of Yap, up to that point known mainly for the large size of its stone coins. It is clear, however, that she was as instrumental to the development of the monster symbiotic antigen as Snugel was. Working late nights, it seemed only natural that their professional relationship should have evolved into a romantic one. And despite the almost unlimited scrutiny and attention that their fame as developers of the antigen and originator of the effect that bears their names, that relationship has only gotten stronger as the two worked to make their dream of a place that would foster Monster-Human relationships a reality.

The Snugel-Bonnie Institute

The SBI was built to create and train human-monster teams to take back our planet from the evil which threatens to destroy it. Considering the nature of its mission, it should not be surprising that no expense was spared in producing it. The SBI is an academic haven like no other. The preeminent scholars in every field have been drawn either by their belief in the noble cause or their love of filthy lucre to teach in its hallowed halls. The campus sports cutting edge technologies in it laboratories and its infrastructure. The athletic facilities mirror those of trophy winning NCAA university teams or even professional leagues.

For the SBI is also a battle institute. Students are expected to undergo extensive military training. The garages hold tanks and personnel carriers. The fields include not only shooting galleries but artillery ranges. Students are expected to ace not only exams, but live-fire exercises.

If that were not enough, there is also the social aspect. The Snugel-Bonnie Effect only takes hold between monsters and humans with a deep emotional bond. To that end, the social areas are large,and yet have many spaces that are… let’s call it cozy. The dining halls are administered by legendary chef Armand Zucker, a nearby mall caters to every commercial whim, and the dormitories were designed by Tokyo’s leading love hotel designers.

Imagine if you will a school with the academic rigors of Harvard, the military traditions of West Point, and the notoriety of Arizona State University. Can you do it? Then welcome home!

Game Mechanics – The Snugel-Bonnie Effect
For the most part, this is a freeform game, and character development is largely left to the devices of the players. However, one key element controls the abilities of the monsters, and that is the Snugel-Bonnie effect. In essence, a monster’s powers are linked to their relationship with their human partners. As the relationship deepens, current powers will increase, and newer stronger powers will be released. (The nature of the powers themselves will be up to the players involved, pending GM approval.) Humans activate monster powers and regenerate monster strength through expressions of affection. Needless to say, stronger powers require stronger demonstrations. Relationships generally go through five levels.
Level 1: Friendship (1-20 points) The human and monster generally regard each other as friends, although that doesn't mean that they don't argue - the opposite of love is not hate, it's apathy. Usually, simple attention or encouragement is all it takes to activate powers at level one. At this level, there is no point penalty for awkward situations. The human and monster simply don't feel strongly enough about each other for jealousy to have a physical effect.

Level 2: Romantic Tension (21-60 points) At this point, everyone except the human and monster themselves know something is going on. Suddenly they give each other shy glances. Blushing becomes much more common. One partner's opinion on the other's appearance seems to have importance. Outings together seem more like dates. Level two powers usually require physical contact to initiate, though innocent contact is usually more than enough. Powers will also activate if the human is perceived to be in danger. At this point, an awkward situation will cause a mild Snugel-Bonnie penalty.

Level 3: Boyfriend/Girlfriend (61-120 points) At this point, the relationship between the two is acknowledged as being much more than just friends. Often (though not necessarily) entry into level three is marked with the pair's first kiss. Initiation contact at this point tends to be more intimate – certainly more than what would be considered casual. Powers will also be available if the human is in certain danger. Awkward situations cause moderate penalties.

Level 4: Going Steady (121-200 points) It is at about level four that the two start sleeping with each other, though again, this is only a general guideline. At any rate, feelings for each other run deep and strong. To initiate level four powers, the human must either be doing something at “PG-13” level or be in clear danger of severe physical or psychological harm. Awkward situations are now at severe penalties.

Level 5: A Love for the Ages (201+ points) At this point, the two are basically bonded for life. Proposals of marriage are not unheard of. Activating level five powers require some form of outright sexual contact or the human’s being in mortal danger. Awkward situations are at extreme penalties and would probably touch off the apocalypse anyway...

Smut
The game is generally more ecchi than hentai in nature, but there’s still obviously going to be a heathy quantity of sex in this game. There will be a smut thread to handle off-mission activity. (Smut on missions tend to be brief by the nature of the situation.) There may be also a good deal of pre-level 4 relations going on (call it friendship with benefits) as humans and monsters fumble about to find their ideal partners – that’s OK. Pairings may be of any gender combination. Multiple pairings are possible and actually encouraged in the early stages (yay conflict!) though as the characters develop, things should move towards a one-on-one situation.

Character Sheets

This game works best when we have a good balance between humans and monsters, so I’m hoping to get a good mix of each. (This is pretty much a plea to ask people to make human characters…)
Follow the guidelines below.

Code Select Expand


[float=right][img height=400 padding=8]<URL for optional character image goes here>[/img][/float]
[b]Name: [/b]
[b]Species: [/b]
[b]Sex: [/b]
[b]Age: [/b]
[b]Orientation: [/b]
[b]Faceclaim: [/b]
[b]Description: [/b] <If you have additional images, those can go here in spoiler tags>
[b]Personality: [/b]
[b]Backstory: [/b]
[b]Primary Skill: [/b] <One thing that your character excels at and sets him or her apart from the crowd and qualifies him or her to be a student at the SBI>
[b]Two Secondary Skills: [/b] <Two other things that your character is good at, though not at the level of the primary skill >
[b]Two Level 1 Powers: [/b] (Monsters Only) <These are supernatural abilities. Remember, that this is level one, so while they should be effective against low-level enemies, they still should be fairly weak all things considered>
[b]Three Things Your Character Likes: [/b] <Material things, scenarios, kinks; give us a practical idea of what you want to write>
[b]Three Things Your Character Dislikes: [/b] <Conversely, those things you don't want in your story>
[b]Treasured Possession: [/b] <One item that your character always carries with him or her and can never do without>


Background Questions for Thought:

Here are some questions you may want to think about when developing your character. You may want to include it in your character’s backstory.
What was your character’s life like before GateDay?
Humans - What was your character doing when he or she heard about GateDay?
Monsters – Why did your character choose to go through the gate?
Did you lose anyone close to you during the GateWars? How does this affect his or her attitude towards the other side?
Monsters - How did your character’s life change after he or she came into contact with the Snugel-Bonnie Reagent? Did it lead to situations which caused him or her to resent humans?
What was your character’s first reactions when he or she was invited to the SBI?

[Idlewyld]

Note: Please PM all prospective character sheets to me.

[JoanieSappho]

Well damn.
I, like ... have to go for this and you know it.
Also, how human-ish do the monsters have to be? Monmusume-type harpies, or my avatar-type? Or either?

[Idlewyld]

I was hoping to see a familiar face or three...

On other issues, firstly, you all might notice if your eyes are sharp enough that I added a species line to the character sheet. Which is probably something I should have thought about before posting it in the first place. I'll probably have a Character List up in a day or two as things develop. So far, we've got three characters accepted - one straight male kitsune, one straight male human, and one straight female demon. I'll probably try and round out the roster with a few PC's with varying interests myself, but it's something other interested players might wish to keep in mind when developing their own characters.

[Vergil1989]

Hmm, I kinda like this idea.  I wasn't a part of the original thread but this has caught my eye.  It seems rather entertaining, kind of a mix up between all those magical girl hentais/animes out there and a kind of more romantic Digimon ish relationship between human and monster.  I know, weird thought processes and all, but that's just my two cents on the matter lol.  At any rate, I might throw in a bisexual gal into the mix, if that's cool.   Beyond that I'm curious what the other characters look like since I haven't actually seen any sheets yet, just so I have an idea of kinda what you're looking for beyond the sheet I pulled from the first post.  Anyway, hope this works out in any event.  See ya!

[Idlewyld]

Well damn.
I, like ... have to go for this and you know it.
Also, how human-ish do the monsters have to be? Monmusume-type harpies, or my avatar-type? Or either?

As for how human-ish - I'd say it really depends on the other players' preferences, since the big idea is to find your monster someone that will like her...

[JoanieSappho]

Human sent! Oddly it's harder for me to find a good monster pic. Curse me and my fetish for non-humanoid forms!

[IrishWolf]

Interesting, I will be keeping an eye on this

[Idlewyld]

Hmm, I kinda like this idea.  I wasn't a part of the original thread but this has caught my eye.  It seems rather entertaining, kind of a mix up between all those magical girl hentais/animes out there and a kind of more romantic Digimon ish relationship between human and monster.  I know, weird thought processes and all, but that's just my two cents on the matter lol.  At any rate, I might throw in a bisexual gal into the mix, if that's cool.   Beyond that I'm curious what the other characters look like since I haven't actually seen any sheets yet, just so I have an idea of kinda what you're looking for beyond the sheet I pulled from the first post.  Anyway, hope this works out in any event.  See ya!

I'm putting up sheets later today, but I'm excited to see what you come up with!

[Idlewyld]

Interesting, I will be keeping an eye on this

Thanks - I hope you'll be joining us!

[Idlewyld]

First threads are up...

Character Sheets (Please upload your own.)
OOC

[Vergil1989]

Coolness.    I'll get a character together soon.  Just need to see what else I'm dealing with since my original idea to do a demon gal was already shot to shit lol.  Oh well, no biggie.  My next idea was to do some kind of dragon esque figure.  We'll see I suppose.  I have a thing for demons, dragons, and elves, and not necessarily in that order.    If we need more humans however, I can do that too, that's just my first choice though is all.  As for the one demon I've seen already, I like her already and I only got a character sheet to look at. 

[ZombieMania]

I've got my eye on this one

[JoanieSappho]

Coolness.    I'll get a character together soon.  Just need to see what else I'm dealing with since my original idea to do a demon gal was already shot to shit lol.  Oh well, no biggie.  My next idea was to do some kind of dragon esque figure.  We'll see I suppose.  I have a thing for demons, dragons, and elves, and not necessarily in that order.    If we need more humans however, I can do that too, that's just my first choice though is all.  As for the one demon I've seen already, I like her already and I only got a character sheet to look at. 

Ah, don't let Melusine stop you from making a dragon. She's, like, the step right beneath actual dragons, more draconic than ... actually a dragon.

[Vergil1989]

Oh well, in that case, I'll try to get a sheet together tomorrow.  She'll likely be able to polymorph herself or something along those lines, becoming human esque when not in combat, and her true dragon form when she's in combat with her human partner.  That said, don't expect her to like it at first because I tend to do tragic characters when I can get away with it, meaning in this case she's likely lost a brother or her family or something to the dirty, filthy humans!  Ahem, right, moving on lol.

[Vergil1989]

Well, hopefully Idle likes my gal I put together.  Now I just wait and see I suppose.  What happened the last time this game was put together?  Anyone know?

[Idlewyld]

Last time we gathered a few players, but real life got in the way and we only got about halfway through the first lesson - though part of it was also I think I was too heavy handed the first time around. This time I intend to employ a slightly lighter touch.

[Vergil1989]

Ah, gotcha.  Well, lesson learned right?    Here's hoping things turn out better this time around Idle.  Anyway, I'm kinda excited to see what craziness ensues from here lol.

[catherinehellfire]

Definitely contemplating joining after I see if I'll have the time for it.

[Idlewyld]

Definitely contemplating joining after I see if I'll have the time for it.

Awesome to hear it. We're definitely in need of more humans, though monsters are still welcome

[Vergil1989]

Indeed.    Welcome aboard Saric.

[Leki]

I suppose I could throw my interest behind this, though I certainly would mind seeing more people expressing interest.

[Vergil1989]

I hear ya Leki.  But we work with what we got right?

[Leki]

I hear ya Leki.  But we work with what we got right?

Indeed, that we do~

As much as I'd like to submit a monster, I think I'll go with a male human for the time being. Maybe add in a monster depending on if the human cast get rounded out any further.

@Idlewyld
Minor suggestion, but in the second Character Index post, would it be possible to separate Students up between humans and monsters? It's a trivial edit, but I just think it'd look nicer if it was organized with a space inbetween. (eg;

Sieglinde von Brandt Human (F/Lesbian) played by JoanieSappho
Vincent Kincaid Human (M/Straight) played by Foxfyr
Lady Grace Verhatten Human (F/Bisexual NPC) played by Idlewyld

Sylvana Demon (F/Straight) played by Arreis
Melusine Golden Dragonwyrm (F/Omnisexual) played by JoanieSappho
Isoke Foxfyr Kitsune (M/Straight) played by Foxfyr
Akasha Red Dragon (F/Bisexual) played by Vergil1989
Anya Werewolf (F/Bisexual NPC) played by Idlewyld

Just a suggestion so that it's easier to see what the current balance is.

[Vergil1989]

Not a bad idea, about the separation I mean.  Also, we can certainly use more guys, so I'm not about to say no, even though I'm not the guy in charge lol.  Still, welcome aboard if all goes well Leki.  Hope to hear good news soon.