A Game of "Transformation" - Trapped in Paradise: Day 0-1

Story by Leena. Recently, I wrote about a number of roleplaying games that allow you to roleplay as a mutant. Well, today I am showing you the result of one of these games. Transformation by Absurdist Productions is a horror journaling game about, well, undergoing a transformation and the strain that puts on you and the people around you. I decided to play a full round and show you the results here. To give you an idea about the mechanics, every day I will be drawing a card which tells me how I transform, another card that will tell me the events that happen to me, and a third card that tells me how they resolve. I can alter these results by destroying “mementos” or straining (underlining) or breaking (striking through) emotional bonds. I’ll be listing them at the end of every chapter. Let’s dive in shall we? Day - 0 My name is Maya Albright, and I’m writing this to pass the time. My mutant friend, Jenine, invited me to a wonderful weekend in Port Solei. We took a boat out to one of the small surrounding islands and decided to stay at a small AirBNB on one of them, a real island getaway. Paradise. … Ever been stuck in paradise? Hurricane season came early this year and, unfortunately, that means that all boat service to our tiny little island home is completely cut off. So as long as the rains persist, we are stuck here. We’ve already been here a week before the storm hit, so we’ve had our fill of sandy beaches and lush tropical forests… not that we’d be able to enjoy them in these gale force winds anyway. Luckily the house had quite a bit of food in case of emergencies like this, though now we are getting down to some of the less appetizing scraps. I never thought I would be eating so much Spam. We packed light, so there’s not too much to do. I spend most of my days scrolling on my phone, or screwing around with a tiny Ukulele that I brought. I had been learning guitar anyway and I figured it really fit the whole “Island Paradise” vibe. Honestly, the monotony is kind of draining on me. I’ve been feeling fatigued recently, so it’s been difficult to keep up with the daily chores. At the end of the day an AirBNB is just a house, regardless of how fancy it is, so we still have to upkeep it. That means cleaning, at least to the extent that we can remain somewhat comfortable, going to the storehouse to get food, adding fuel to the generator and priming the water pump so we can still have modern comforts. Me and Jenine split the chores but sometimes it feels unfair. She has four arms, two tails, and these crazy legs that look like dinosaur legs that just don’t quit. So while I struggle to bring a small crate of food in, she will lug three on her shoulders with no issue whatsoever. I’m kind of jealous. She saw I was struggling today and decided to take care of my chores for me. It was nice of her. Later we ended up talking. I wondered why she brought me here. Imagine my surprise when she said she had feelings for me, and she wanted to show me some of the best that mutant life had to offer. Honestly, I didn’t know what to say. I guess I had feelings for her too but, I thought this was going to be one of those things that we swept under the rug and never talked about. I guess if we are stuck here so far away from civilization, we might as well explore this a bit. No one has to know. Mementos - Phone, Ukulele Bonds - Growing Crush with Jenine Day 1 I am not feeling well today. The fatigue has finally caught up with me. I’m hot… sweaty all over. Even when I sit right in front of a fan I’m literally dripping with sweat. I don’t know if I am sick or something, but I hope not. There isn’t a hospital on this island so the most we are stuck with is the dregs of a first aid kid. I’m really housing the Advil to stay functional. Jenine said she would take care of me. It was nice of her, not that I really like being coddled like a baby, but I really needed the rest. While she was getting me meds and water, she found two small seashell bracelets stuck in the first-aid kit. She thought they were cute so she gave me one and kept one herself. It was such a lovely gesture, it warmed my heart… not that I wasn’t already burning up to begin with. I wondered if these belonged to someone, after all someone owns this AirBNB. But she swore that if they were stuck in that dusty old cabinet with the first aid kit, that no one would miss them. In the end I was too embarrassed to take it. I just worried about what it might be like to wake up one day and find something important to me just missing like that. She agreed eventually and we decided that our time here was memorable enough. Perhaps when we got back, we could ditch all the island paradise crap and just go on some normal dates, like at a cafe. That would be nice. She hugged me before going to bed today. It felt really good to be hugged by four arms. Mementos - Phone, Ukulele Bonds - Growing Crush with Jenine, Future Date Ideas