The Alternity Re-Read: February / March, Year 1

[alt_moderator]

We're getting into some shorter months, so I am going to combine the posts for February and March. This is not to make anyone feel guilty for not reading this fast! I'm not near March myself, but I will also be away this weekend, so I don't want to stifle conversation for those who may read ahead....

PDF Links:
February
March


As always, remember that there will certainly be spoilers in the comments!

Comments

Feb

[reenie]

Light month, but I think we were on the heals of a player-exodus, right? To be honest I think I wondered at this point if the game would survive, because I'd been on so many that fizzled after about 6 mos.

I find it interesting that non-PC Daphne was being kind to Megan and doing embroidery with her. This fits well with their interactions at the end of the game!

Do I spy the first instance of Seamus inadvertently flirting with Draco? Haaaa

Percy insulting himself - classic.

Lucius continues to entertain: "Carrow, you've proven that torture leads to
poetry. Bad poetry at that." (I think Bella probably found the poetry amusing)

Draco trying to be a good future Death Eater: "I don't read anything that mudblood writes, Father. I shouldn't, should I? Though sometimes I want to know what he's saying so I can put him in his place." He was quite in earnest, too. At this stage Draco was definitely still trying to emulate his father and be everything he'd been taught that a pureblood should be. But I did try to put in that suggestion that it was something he was slightly confused about rather than 100% comfortable with (a canon-based characterization, IMO).

I find it both funny and a bit sad that Harry was pretty much harassed every single Valentine's Day since Year 1, yet died a virgin.

It's amazing how much more secretive the DEs were, later on, compared to this stage. The invention of PMs totally changed the game.

I like how much presence Sarah Fawcett had from the get-go. One of the things about the game that still kind of blows my mind is how fully real some of our NPCs came to be in my head by the end.

Bella says: "That would be Hibbert, first name Merwin, I think. He was a few years older at school, and I remember that Razzer gave him the capped tooth via a box
of cursed toffees." <---Teen Raz, obviously a role-model.

Draco is all upset when Hermione is given to Harry and Dennis is given to him. For multiple reasons. But most notably: "Why can't I have the girl one?" THE GIRL ONE.

Re: Feb

[naomikritzer]

I was definitely playing Seamus as having a crush on Draco, but not really fully understanding his impulses yet. So my intent was to have it come out as admiration, which fit well with the vibe we wanted to cultivate with the mean kids. (It's hard, in a game like this, to tell a story in which the underdogs stay underdogs rather than flipping the tables on the mean kids by pure virtue of numbers and voice, and some of those early players were definitely not into acting intimidated by Draco, Padma, etc.)

Re: Feb

[gwendolyngrace]

I definitely really appreciate the slow burn that will eventually lead the twins to create the ISS lock, and the way it's hinted at throughout this month.

Also, we have the culmination of the Year One "Mean Girls" plotline with Lavender, Padma, and Megan.

And yeah, lots of continued coincidences about future pairs, Lavender's comment about Linus putting "slugs in her hair" for example.