Big, big thanks to all the staff and NPCs who made this game possible. I definitely felt like I was in Occam's Razor: The Movie this event. And a thank you to my fellow PCs as well; you help bring Whisper Hill alive, and even if we don't interact much, I want you to know I'm grateful for your presence.
I'm not even sure where to start with favorite moments this event because there were so many. A lot of them were big, sweeping things that are hard to put into words, but I'm going to try. So, in no particular order...
Being really, really angry at Cyrus Dee. Alex throwing herself between me and his projection to keep me from doing anything stupid. Dee is just such a wonderful, smarmy asshole who is brilliantly fun to hate. I will never win an argument with him and I'm okay with that.
Seeing Morsi's full reptilian form for the first time, still sharply dressed in business attire. As we were standing in the dark waiting for the ritual to start, I realized I was staring - not at him, but at his suit. I nodded respectfully.
"Nice tie," I said, casually.
He growled in reply, "It's Italian."
SCIENCE CHARGE!!! Watching Jacob Carrier and a small band of determined PCs charge the DSRD bunker with a partially defused bomb, then knock the whole thing down. I can't believe that worked.
Realizing that every time the DSRD was saying "give Sally back" and "we had a gun to Sally's head" and "we took Sally prisoner" was because JD lied about his name.
I taunted the Condemnation! Three times! And I got away with it twice!
"5 Damage! 10 Damage! 10 Damage!"
"Reduce to Agony! Reduce to Agony! Reduce to Agony! OW OW OW! THAT HURT!!!"
Used up all my Earth in one go. Worth it.
Drawing a dinosaur for Maxwell to color.
Deputy Director White's "I don't sleep. I wait."
Getting to see Victor again!!!
Leslie being Leslie. Watching him dance as we battled servants of the Malakim. Him distracting the DSRD. And...
Me: *inquisitve* "Why are you chasing Levi with a fidget spinner?"
Leslie: *accusatory* "Why aren't YOU chasing Levi with a fidget spinner?"
Me: *indignant* "Cause I don't have a fidget spinner!"
Leslie: *offers me the fidget spinner*
Wandering into the boonies in the Dreaming, and hearing the creepy music playing, apparently coming from the nearby cabin. Entering the cabin and realizing it was empty, not even a speaker in sight. And every cabin we passed, the music seemed to be coming from the nearest one...
Going through the death mechanic for the first time. Hearing the very nervous extern desperately trying to save me. "Okay, bandages. We've got bandages. Oh, god, is that supposed to be sticking out there? Quick, get the-! No, not the staple gun!!!" I may have been dead, but I was laughing the entire time.
The sheer whirlwind of emotions that I went through after volunteering to be sacrificed. Kelsey hasn't felt fear at the possibility of her death for a long, long time, so as I sat there waiting for it to be time for the ritual, her fear hit me out of nowhere. Death was no longer a possibility, but a certainty, and somewhere in her jaded, hard-boiled heart, Kelsey still had room for fear for herself.
Going to the rave after Maxwell's pep talk ("I will share with you some ancient wisdom: You can dance if you want to.") The Dance Commander, and the sheer energy that the NPCs and PCs brought with them. The lights Aurora handed out. The music provided by DJ Slapchop and Charlotte. I danced and the fear faded. I was there in the moment, in the music, safe and surrounded by all of you beautiful, vibrant people. And I realized in that moment, that this was what Kelsey was fighting for. She was fighting for more nights like this. She was dying because Whisper Hill and the people in it were worth dying for. Because you are worth dying for. And in that moment, Kelsey made peace with the fact that she might not come back.
That conversation with Billy. He'll know the one.
"I'm saying it because you matter to me."
Getting to say that, and hearing Billy tell Kelsey how proud he was of her? I literally teared up. That one's gonna stick with me.
Handing over the Midnight Lantern to Maxwell and asking him if he'd carry it for me during the big ritual fight, because I wouldn't be able to. Giving Quay and Ness an extra Vitality before the big fight, and the small conversations we had around that.
And if I interacted with you at all over the course of the weekend? You made this game great. I never felt like I was just sitting and waiting for something to happen, because I was having so much fun interacting with all of you. Thank you for an amazing time, and we get to do it again in three weeks!!! #keepthelightson