Instructions In Interpersonal Intelligence

Andromeda

The spa is easy enough to find. Alex is sitting at the front check-in desk, reading a book on Sumerian linguistics, which is a strange text to randomly pick. She hops down and leads the arcanist android through the spa to the back. The office is noticeably warmer than the rest, with the open vat of lava probably being the cause.

Andromeda is admittedly startled when a woman appears out of the lava. She probably should not have been, given that the woman in question was the obsidian encrusted monk that watched them during the challenge. Scarlet, was it? The older woman greets, “Andromeda, right? Scarlet. You wanted to work on understanding people?”

“Yes, ma’am. If it wouldn’t offend you, how are you sitting in lava?”

She finishes exiting the pool, then sits on the other side of the desk. “I got turned into an oread during our time in the game. It’s the volcano equivalent of what Jenny got; I’m physically sentient magma, technically. Soo, we just talking or...”

“If you are open to a game, I would appreciate it.”

The oread nods and pulls out another DDH deck. Andromeda pays for her lesson, cast Enhance Ability on herself to boost her Wisdom, then pulls out her borrowed copy.

Andromeda: -20 BP

They start shuffling and Andromeda checks out the Scarlet deity card:

Scarlet, Merciful Minx 2RW

Legendary Creature – Elemental Monk

Lifelink, Protection from Red

Red instant and sorcery spells you control have lifelink.

Whenever a white instant or sorcery spell causes you to gain life, Scarlet deals 3 damage to any target.

This creature can be your deity.

2/4

Hmm... burn, I suppose? That should be expected, given her transformation. They shuffle, and Andromeda has a bit of a slow hand, but she can play her deity on Turn 3 and she has a morph creature, so she keeps.

“So, what do you want to know about understanding people?” Scarlet asks as she takes the starting turn. She plays a Gryff Riding Slayer before Andromeda gets her deity out. Then, she plays a Risk Factor. Do I take 5 damage or let her draw 3 cards? She missed a leyline drop... The arcanist takes the damage.

“I’ve always been bad at understanding the relationship between people and their emotions. If it does not make logical sense, why do most people succumb to them?” She bounces the Slayer, then cracks back for five. Scarlet draws a leyline, then drops an Obstinate Diplomat instead of the Slayer. The Jungle Mauler she plays more than cancels the diplomat’s lifelink. This deck really doesn’t give the slower engine decks a chance to set up.

Scarlet stares at the arcanist android for a while, to the point where she feels slightly uncomfortable. “Sorry, Andromeda. I was tapping into a transformation. I’d offer to use it fully on you, but Mona may not like the results if I did so unilaterally.”

A double removal effect turn later, and Andromeda wins. She asks as they prepare for game 2, “What transformation?”

“I was a psychology grad student, before the game. One of my transformations gave me the knowledge of the completed degree, but will not allow me to use it publicly. I can perfectly diagnose and treat mental conditions with sex prescriptions instead. It’s... problematic, to say the least.”

“And you were attempting to diagnose me? What did you find?”

“Nothing that I would consider a disease, just a way of thinking that is different than others. You likely already suspect what I found. You have been asking Mona to treat symptoms of it.”

So, my inability to read people is more than just poor socialization? Something more ingrained... Needing to focus on something else, she draws her cards. Her second starting hand is also keepable. Scarlet again takes the start. The early turns are again ramping out the deity early for Andromeda and watching Scarlet leyline-go.

Andromeda breaks the silence, “So, what should I do? How do I learn to understand? I do not exactly have the luxury to just remain as I am.”

“This conversation is... tricky for me. I am magically forced into silence if you phrase it in a way the transformation would interpret my response as a diagnosis or a treatment. You are a clever girl. Find a way to rephrase it.”

The arcanist android looks at her cards to think. For the first time, Andromeda doesn’t have a morph creature in hand on her turn when she casts her deity. She casts Primordial Mist and manifests at the end of her turn to get her extra card instead. “Why do people listen to their emotions instead of their brains?”

Scarlet responds in-game with a Smothering Tithe. Annoying... She responds to the conversation in an equally annoying fashion, “Technically, the emotions are just as important part of the brain as the logical centers. They are also located in a more primal position. In a sense, it is more natural to respond instinctively instead of logically.”

“So, when people rely on emotions, they aren’t thinking?” Andromeda doesn’t pay the 2, twice, which bites her, as that gave Scarlet the mana she needed to cast Deflecting Palm in response to declared attackers. That is a big chunk of damage directed at Andromeda’s face, a big burst of life from Scarlet’s effect, and a dead deity on Andromeda’s end. Flipping the morph creature Scarlet blocked into a deathtoucher to cause a trade did not make that combat exchange worth it.

“I would not say that. They are thinking, but the emotional response is influencing their thought patterns. When someone is frightened, they are thinking about how to overcome or escape the source of the fear. The decision may not be logical. The source of the fear may not be real. But they are thinking.” The Goldknight Angel cast on Scarlet’s next turn messes with the combat math, and none of the remaining face-down morph creatures are flying blockers or have removal effects. The Thieving Amalgam she casts gets her more bodies, but she was one turn short. Burn spell, damaged doubled, then the angel attack wins it for Scarlet.

“So, can I have examples that apply to the situation at hand?”

“Sure. Take Mona and Tegan. If Mona was thinking purely logically, she would not show Tegan as much kindness as she had. But, the girl does not think purely logically. She feels a wide variety of emotions about the situation. Guilt, about how they fell apart and about the game. Responsibility for all of you. Lust. So, Mona colors her responses to Tegan to ease that guilt, meet that responsibility, and sate her lust.”

Andromeda mulls over that while she shuffles and draws. Game three does not start great. Her hand is slow, barely keepable, and Scarlet has a turn one Sol Ring into another ramp piece (Thaumatic Compass). “I can understand those feelings, more or less. Tegan’s, on the other hand...”

“...Are a mess. I agree. If Mona was open to it and if Tegan would follow it, I’d give her a treatment plan. I suspect that Tegan would not follow through.” Subsequent turns don’t go much better. On turn three, she draws a slow ramp piece (Trail of Mysteries), then Scarlet casts Volcanic Offerings on Andromeda’s end step; Andromeda is forced to destroy one of her own leylines since she is the only opponent in the game. Getting essentially hit with a double Stone Rain is rough. Scarlet continues, “Craig is responding emotionally as well. He is angry at the loss of control, so he lashes out in order to try to regain it.”

Andromeda misses a couple of leyline drops. She even had to discard down to hand size once. By the time Andromeda gets back to three leylines (the third of which comes into play tapped), Scarlet flipped her Compass into a Maze of Madness (which takes seven leylines on her board), has her deity swing out once, an Eternal Minotaur out, and Double Vision. “Him feeling that way makes sense, but the response does not. Surely he must realize that he will not succeed.”

“Maybe deep down, in that logical part of his brain, he does. But, humans are not computers. Emotions are often stronger than logic, when said emotions run hot enough.” Her second attack with her deity and the Eternal Minotaur knocks her down to 9, then she blows up the Trail of Mystery to deny more leylines.

“I just can’t understand...” Andromeda draws a leyline anyways and (finally) gets her deity online. Scarlet slow rolls a Legion’s Charm, which gets copied from Double Vision. The Scarlet card gets two damage triggers on the stack. 14 damage and the arcanist android is tapped out. Damn. That was brutal.

Andromeda: Minor Quest Update! Record 2-1

“Better luck next time,” Scarlet offers, obsidian encrusted hand held out. “Now, what have you learned?”

Apparently enough, once Andromeda finishes. She will likely never agree with why people listen to feelings over facts, but she can understand it.

Andromeda: Insight Training Full Success (8 XP / 5 XP)

Andromeda: +8 XP, Insight Proficiency (Training Results)

“Thank you for your time.”

“Not a problem. We can play again later. For now, go join your harem-siblings. Think about what we talked about.”

Andromeda nods, thanks Scarlet once more, and heads back to the Hotel. She has work to do.

Jenny

Jenny collapses into the cushions of the bunny bistro’s “Bodacious Bunny Bawn,” a lovely caged off area where the bunnies can hop around freely, nibbling on the real grass lawn. She made the mistake of suggesting the gym to Mona as a starting activity for this one-on-one time; while the Mistress’s transformation enhanced stamina seems to have left her completely unaffected by fatigue from the workout, Jenny’s century long experience as a coffee table left her still a little lacking in endurance.

Mona: Daily tasks complete! Walk for 30 minutes and cover 5 K steps +10 BP

Mona returns with some (very dirty) water for the dryad. “Before you ask, it’s some potting soil. Bonnie said that it should help you with recovery?”

Jenny chugs down half of the glass in one go; the soil makes it taste better, which would have been a major disturbance before Jenny was first kidnapped but is now a bit of a relief. Mona giggles, then starts on her protein shake snack, sipping on it like a reasonable person. Some bunnies approach. Jenny gives one that asks if she tastes good a dirty look.

Mona notices; she giggles, “You act like that one bunny offended you.” The giggles turn to more uproarious laughter when the dryad explains. Mona does have the sense to pick up the offending rabbit and move it to her other side. The animal has the sense to not hop over and nibble on the dryad, which is appreciated.

“Sorry for laughing,” Mona apologizes.

“Hey, not the first time my life has been turned upside down by the show,” Jenny shrugs, “and I can see how that can be amusing.”

Mona pets the troublemaker, nodding along.

“It’s been a few days. How are you handling things? Life as a person again getting easier?”

Jenny thinks as Mona looks into her eyes. She’s trying to check in, make sure I’m doing okay. The dryad sighs, which still feels strange. “I don’t know, really. It’s amazing that I can walk and talk and do all the things that makes life worth living again. I’m still getting used to being like this, specifically. Talking to plants and being understood by them in a trip. Breathing in deeply is super weird. And...”

Mona squeezes her hand. “I promise I won’t make fun of you for whatever it is you’re afraid of admitting.”

Oh, right. Her empath vision thing. “...And I have been having nightmares. A century of not sleeping, and now, every time I try, the nightmares come. Tessa has been holding me in my sleep, trying to keep me calm. I don’t know if it’s working.”

Mona squeezes her hand again. “Hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to be all put together right now, you know? Would talking about them help?”

“I don’t know, maybe? Feels kind of soon to get that personal, you know?”

Mona leans back into her pillow, holding the troublemaker bunny to her breast. “This whole pornnapping thing makes us move so fast. Gaia said we can be girlfriends this morning. She got points for romantically committing, too, so she really meant it. Not that I had a bunch of dates back home, but I can’t imagine most people hop to ‘committed relationship’ status in two dates. I want to help you figure out what you want out of all of this. I think you’re pretty and kind and considerate and I would be glad to be your friend or your partner or whatever you want. So, I will listen and support you, whether you want to share or not.”

Jenny is glad that Mona stopped staring. It gives her a chance to corral her feelings. She sighs again. Seriously, can someone explain why sighing feels so weird!

The incoming text serves as a distraction. Tyalangan answers the unasked question: In addition to your lungs, you have stomata all over your skin for respiration. Forced inhalation is pulling air into your body from the stomata too.

Jenny texts back a thank you, then brings herself to answer the Mistress. The dryad leans back so she can look into Mona’s eyes again as she responds, “The usual one is waking up as a coffee table again. Sometimes in the Autumn Room, sometimes back at Bob’s Master Suite, sometimes back in Tyalangan’s living room or Bob’s mansion. Seeing the posing transformation still in the shop doesn’t help, either. I am scared of having my life taken away from me again.”

Mona’s feelings are so resolute that Jenny doesn’t need empath powers to believe them. “I won’t let that happen. Whatever you need from me to get enough points, you have but to ask.”

Jenny nods, tears beginning to form in the eyes. “I also had one about Bob before I was eliminated. He... he was not a good man, even before we were taken; I was working up the nerve to quit when I was grabbed. He jumped in, head first, when he was given the power by Binky. He took what he wanted, and that included...”

Mona doesn’t push. She just lays there, holding Jenny’s hand, rubbing little circles with her thumb. A few tears streaks down Mona’s face.

“You don’t have to say anything more. I only got a hint of what that must have been like. As soon as Craig started to take things too far, Tyalangan pulled him off of me. To be forced to...”

Mona suddenly pulls out her phone, texting one handed. Jenny is both confused and impressed by how fast the Mistress can text. When Mona returns her phone to her inventory, she sighs in apparent relief.

“What was...”

“Bonnie in the Media Room tried to get us to watch your old season when I wanted to watch some Masters that went bad. I just asked Tyalangan to remove it from the offerings there without your express permission. She said yes. I’m sorry that I didn’t think about it yesterday.”

They could have... but they didn’t... The roil of emotions churning in Jenny feels overwhelming. She feels tears start to fall. Whether they are tears of fear, sadness, relief, or all of them at once, Jenny could not say. She just lets them fall.

Mona sniffles, “What else do you need? I want to help, but I don’t know how…”

“Time?”

“As much as you need, you got it. Wanna pet some bunnies? They are soft and cute!”

“Much better than kitties!” the bunny-girl, who is crying and trying not to show it, shouts from the back.

Mona shouts back, “They are both equally adorable!” She then turns to Jenny to ask, “You have some idea what that’s about?”

“Tina has some strange ideas about cats?”

“Ah, okay? I’m going to play with the cute bunnies here unless you rather do something else?”

Jenny sits up and asks the bunnies if they were up for some playtime. They swarm affectionately over both of them now that they essentially had permission. That dries tears and replaces them with giggles. This... this is good. I still don’t know what I want this to be, but Mona cares. That’s enough for now.

Mona: Weekly Bounty Update – Spend one-on-one time with every contestant (3/10)