![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
janestarzThe invite-only, secret larp project &Eva was held last weekend in a small cabin near Hilversum. Polomeus was the evil mastermind: he'd found the manuscript and was very intrigued by the idea of a female-only larp. He contacted Anastaszia, Nina and myself to help him organise the event.
We came up with a shortlist of players, all women, and invited them. The event would be full of emotion, intrigue and intense scenes. But above all: there was no way of solving the puzzle of Women Only: all men had died and this situation would not be solved this weekend. Instead, the event mostly focused on finding suitable mothers for a ground-breaking government program to create a new generation. The roles were divided among our players, each telling us their preference and, to our great astonishment, hardly any duplicate favorites were mentioned. The roles just came together quite beautifully for the women we invited.
Anastaszia and Shurf created the video we sent, but alas I can't link to it directly (because of the song used in the video and YouTube's policy on that).
Please note that I will be using the 'titles' of the groups in this description, but in truth we never called them by their titles at all, it just makes it easier to distinguish between them in a description that lacks faces or OT names.
The event itself was wonderfully intense, especially because as a DPC, I already knew what was going to happen and could steer the game somewhat. Nina and Anastaszia and myself formed the committee. Theresa a phsychologist, Maria, the politician and brainiac behind the whole scheme, and Julie the gynacologist. We would decide who would be the potential birthmother, and who would be the new family. Maria had decided the families would consist of three women, now that all the men were gone.
The committee: Julie, Maria and Theresa (from left to right)
As the potential families arrived in a bus after a three hour drive, we welcomed them and handed out their name tags. Maria held a long speech, how they would be the hope of a new future, and how we as the committee would hope to speak with each in turn.
Oh yes, and regrettably, the kitchen staff was stuck in the snow and how we would count on their helping hands to make coffee, tea, and dinner.
After a bunch of questions about the process, the three women of the Survivalists went into the kitchen very nearly immediately, as well as Elisabeth, one of the wealthy women and a housewife as well as the potential birthmother of their group. I jotted down notes into my notepad as I observed them bustling about and went to check on the sleeping quarters. Everything was going smoothly, and soon enough Maria squirreled away the first family for a conversation in her impromptu office, while we made our rounds.
At a quarter past four I knocked on her door, as we were ready for the memorial. It was three years ago that day that all men had died, and Sara, one of the Muslim Sisterhood, took the chance to read from the Quran and speak of hope. Theresa had emphasized that we should participate, so I held my candle and waited for a chance to speak. Several women wiped tears from their eyes as Nancy, of the Three Generations, started a song. Other voices joined hers as they sang to the memory of the men.
When they were done, Lynn piped up. "Say, can we get on with it? I mean, we know it's a sad day and all, but we're here to look towards the future, and now it's only an hour to dinnertime, and we still haven't gotten started on the selection procedure."
The talks continued. I spoke with Ada, daughter to Nancy who had sung so well, and as it turned out she was not unwilling to bear another child. She was young enough for it, and I noted her physical condition. She had less of a medical history than Lynn, my own protege and choice candidate, but at thirty-five Ada was skirting the age boundary I had set as a gynacologist.
During dinner, I sat at the table with Ada's daughter Emma Nancy, as well as Yvonne and Nina from the Survivalists. From the corner of my eye I saw how Lynn grabbed my folder with documents and went into the office Maria and Theresa had been using in turn. I followed shortly after, finding Lisa and Elina, the documentary makers in the room with her.
"What is this all about?" I asked.
They told me they were worried. "It seems Maria has a hidden agenda." Lisa said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. They explained that none of their questions regarding the selection criteria were answered and that Maria was even less prone to answer questions than Theresa and I.
"Well;" I said; "You can understand that as the first country in the world to even attempt such a programme, the world is watching us. Such a ground-breaking experiment is sure to gain fame for the politicians involved, including the Ministry of Children and Equality."
"What about Maria?" Lisa asked. "What does she stand to gain from this?"
"Her career." I answered bluntly.
Ada, Edna and Julie
When dinner was over, Theresa, Maria and I gathered in the small office. We discussed the candidates we had selected. "I think we can all agree that Vicky is a choice candidate." Maria said. Theresa nodded. "Jo is the selected birth mother for their group, but I agree, Vicky seems a lot more stable and outgoing. I think she would be a better mother."
When Maria suggested Lisa as a possible candidate, I objected. "She's 54, you can't possibly be serious. Elina is the chosen birth mother in their family, and even so..."
Theresa finished my line of thought. "Raising a child and documenting her every move, a camera watching her every step? What kind of life is that? I can only object to this."
Maria was adamant to put her foot down. She raised her voice, and the babble in the other room quieted down as Maria threatened to fire us from the committee, striking the tabletop to emphasize her point.
When we exited the office, I went into the nextdoor room we had claimed as our bedroom, but Lena followed me inside before I could close the door. We had worked at the hospital together, and finding her in this program had reunited us. However, she was a psychiatrist and seemed worried about my well-being. "How are you holding up?" she asked, a hand on my shoulder.
"Well enough." I said. "Maria seems intent to have her way." I looked towards the door. "We should get back out there, she will want to announce our first candidates."
As the names were mentioned, voices rose. Ada was surprised to be mentioned, and Vicky looked shocked at both Jo and Alex, her two lovers. Lisa rose from her seat, questioning how exactly she was selected, when Elina was far better suited. I raised my voice over the din. "Don't forget Lynn." My protege whipped her head around to better look at the committee from where she sat near the wall.
Maria rallied. "Lynn does not have a family to support her at this time. However, I agree that Lynn is both psychologically as physically a suitable candidate. Perhaps a family who has not been selected at this point would be willing to support her. We are not so sure about the current family structure as they stand, so perhaps we shall make adjustments there also."
When the questions had died down and the women split into groups again, some talking with other families, others being claimed by Maria or Theresa because they had objected to not being heard while the first choices were already made, I went into the kitchen. There, I found Elisabeth quietly crying into the dishes, her hands slowly and methodically working the brush while the tears dripped into the soapy water.
I wracked my brain and approached Kirsten, whose words I had twisted during a conversation earlier, and her friend Ellen, whom I had known before the disaster as well. Ellen went to Elisabeth as Kirsten said in a dry tone "Well, Elisabeth has often said I do not understand her feelings."
I didn't say it, but I thought 'That much is clear by the way you are standing here.'
Kirsten continued. "Say, how much of your preliminary decision is already set and how much can we still change?"
I sighed. "Maria seems intent on making a golden career out of this project and as such, she has pushed her decision for the candidates because she stands the most to gain from the exposure the Collective of Artists offer."
"And there's nothing we can do to change her mind?" Kirsten asked.
I glanced at her name tag. As I had thought to remember, Kirsten was the owner of a large fleet of fishing boats. "Well, your family has a lot of wealth and influence. Perhaps you can sway her with more pressing arguments. For instance, what would happen if your fleet would no longer supply this country with food?"
Kirsten nodded thoughtfully, and I left her to deliberate the pressure she could exert on Maria.
Before I could grab a drink I was immediately cornered by others. They also asked me why the decision was made in favour of Lisa, who was after all 54.
"I thought Maria corrected herself, and said it was Elina after all?" I asked.
"No, she has just confirmed she thinks Lisa is the better choice."
I sighed. "Well, I am sure Maria thinks that Lisa will get her better exposure to the press, her pet project will ensure her being the next Prime Minister."
"And there's nothing you can do about this?" It was Lena who asked this.
"You heard her. She threatened to fire me if I didn't stop questioning her decisions and her suggested candidates. I'm pretty sure I no longer hold any influence in the committee. My job is done -- the gynacological tests have all been completed beforehand, and I only come into play when the candidate has been chosen and she has to be inseminated. There's very little I can do at this point short of losing my job. But I am sure that Maria can be maneuvered if need be."
Lynn cornered me. "Let's just get it over with. Put the stuff in me, and Maria won't have anything to say about it anymore."
My lips curled into a smile. "What?"
"The sperm is here, right?"
"No, no." I replied.
"You're lying!" Lynn burst out. "I can see it in your face!"
I recovered. "It's not here. We don't have a facility here to keep it safe. You can turn this whole place upside down, there's no sperm here. It was never our intention to inseminate the candidate right away. This is hardly a controlled environment."
"Never mind the attack there was earlier." Lena interjected.
"What attack? What?" I replied.
"Didn't you hear? There was a terrorist attack, but it was pushed back." Lena said.
"Just like last week, at the sperm bank." Lynn replied.
"You are sure we are safe here?" Lena asked.
"Yes, yes of course. The military is keeping an eye out. A perimeter is established 20 kilometers away. They must think we have the sperm here, but we don't. I can guarantuee you that."
Chrstine (documenting), Ada, Emma Nancy and Nancy.
Things were running smoothly and Maria's credibility was fast dwindling. As for my role in the whole, I was dead set on steering the game away from the "let's inseminate us now" and into the dilemma of forming new families. Later I heard that the Three Lovers (Alex, Vicky and Jo) had offered asylum not only to Lynn as a potential candidate birthmother, but also to Lisa, and both had gladly accepted. Alex' bar "The Hag's Hangout" might not be the best place to raise a child, but I could see how it would appeal to the filmmaker and the page-three girl.
When I spoke to Gerda, she had already admitted in the group that she would step aside if there was someone else more suitable for the task of being a mother. But when I spoke to her, she opened her purse conspirationally. "See?" she said, pulling out a small bottle of folic acid. "I've already started taking these. Just so we can proceed right away if necessary."
I glanced at the bottle in horror. "I am unsure what to make of this. The mere suggestion that I, as a gynacologist, would forget to administer folic acid to the intended birth mother... do you really mean to insult me so?"
"Oh, no no no nononono!" Gerda recuperated. "It's just that... um, I don't know how easily you can get your hands on these things."
"The government can get their hands on pretty much everything." I said. "And we did take some time thinking about this project before proceeding to this point."
"It's just that, look..." Gerda pulled out a small packet of medical supplies. "Perhaps I can be of more assistance."
Out-time, we were having a bit of a dilemma though. Our trump card and major plot twist was due to arrive, but Lynn had overheard Maria on the telephone and was convinced something would be going down in thirty minutes. I was scared our plot was down the drain -- if Lynn was to accuse Maria of knowing all along about whatever was coming, the play would take a different turn than expected, so I called and pressed for an urgent arrival. Alas, it didn't quite work out as we'd hoped but in the consternation the overheard phone call was forgotten.
While we as organisation were fretting, the women were still discussing, forming new alliances and trying to win the motherhood after all. Alex and Vicky did their best to seduce Julie (who didn't quite know how to react, because she was on the job), and the Muslim Sisterhood had been locked away in the small bedroom we'd claimed for ourselves. It was clear to some others that something was going on, and Elina begged me to help her as Lisa was locked in with the Muslim sisters.
I knocked and demanded to be let in, but I was refused time and again, and Theresa as well. We'd hoped it was as we had planned, but there was no telling if it was actually true. Finally, Lisa and Sara stepped outside and called for our attention.
"At the start of the afternoon I asked you to calm yourselves, to go inside yourself for a moment of peace inside yourself." Sara started. "I need you to do this now, to find this calm inside yourself again. This peace is needed now more than ever."
"Aw, come on!" someone said sarcastically.
"No, it is needed, because as three years ago the world changed, today it is changing again." she continued. "Have you ever wondered, what would happen if one man, or perhaps more than just one man, would have survived the disaster?"
"What?" someone asked.
"That's impossible!" another replied.
"You're asking us to stay calm?!"
"Wait, wait!" Lisa interrupted the calls. "Can I ask you this? What if there was a man, yes, can we please imagine how it would be for that man, to be the only one to survive... yes?"
More calls came from the rest of the women. I shifted uncomfortably, holding my camera steady.
"A few moments ago, through the back door, a man has entered this building." Lisa continued. Sara, next to her, held her hands to her nose and looked at several people in the room, nodding gravely.
"I understand that you don't enjoy all the questions we're asking..." Theresa started.
Lisa continued. "A man with facial hair..."
"...but this is no reason to start..." Theresa continued.
"Well, come on then!" Someone shouted.
Women were craning their necks. Maria stood with her hands on her hips, completely out of control of the situation and waiting to see where it would go.
"We have asked Isak, because that is his name, we have asked him what he wants to do next." Lisa said, and the room quieted a bit, although several women sat on the tips of their seats. "He wants us to help him, and he... well, he's afraid."
"I understand you want a good documentary!" Theresa interjected again. "I understand that you don't want to let this possibility slip through your fingers..."
"Let her finish!" one of the women called.
"...but this is not the way to make it a good and interesting documentary!" Theresa finished her sentence.
"No, I agree. I agree completely!" Lisa replied. "This is not the way to make an interesting documentary!"
Everyone started to talk at the same time, but behind Lisa the door to the small bedroom opened. Lydia stepped outside, followed by Zahida. Behind Zahida shuffled a person completely covered in several blankets. Edna rubbed one hand over the back of that person, and as he shuffled into the room, the women realised that he did, in fact, look a lot like a man.
Lynn and several others were adamant to know if he was really a man. They pointed towards the cross-dressing Tina who went by the name of Thomas and demanded to know if it wasn't possible.
"Well, yes." I replied. "It is possible, with hormones, to induce stubble and increase facial hair growth. But it's highly unlikely, especially in these circumstances..."
Still, the women needed to know, and we were not allowed to close the door. Lynn was near hysterics and wanted only to be close to the man, as did several other women for fear of it all being a dream. As I held up one of the blankets for some privacy, Isak dropped his pants so Zahida could be 100% sure he was indeed a man.
As soon as the word was out, Lynn moved close to him again. "I'm slipping off my chair here."
We tried to get her out of the office, but Isak waved her closer. "No, let her come closer."
Lynn put her hands on her hips but was clearly uncomfortable and unsure what to do next. Isak bent closer to her face a bit. "I don't want you." he said, emphasizing loudly.
It was like she was slapped in the face. Lynn dropped her arms, took a step and stopped, then nearly ran out of the door, pushing her way through the throng.
Isak was installed at one of the tables and the women resumed their talks. Some were watching his every move, others were clearly uncomfortable. Maria, meanwhile, was sprouting more religious nonsense than before. "It is a sign from God!" she proclaimed.
"I agree it is highly unlikely, but not necessarily proof of a divinity." I replied.
Vicky was having a dilemma, and she approached me. "This changes everything. It's not your intention to... I mean, I would want to be the mother, but if there was a man involved." She gestured helplessly. "It's just so... ew. I mean..."
I remembered Vicky was a lesbian by choice, instead of forced into those kinds of relationships by what had happened three years ago.
Several women wanted to get it on right away. "Let's get the most out of him. He's here now, and we're all willing. If we just get on with it, we might get some women pregnant right now."
Others pointed out that Isak had rights too.
But there were more pressing concerns. Lynn was armed, and as several women pointed out, she had just been rejected by the last man alive.
I approached Lydia, who had been a soldier in Afghanistan. She shouldered this burden, but pointed out that by taking Lynn's weapon away, she was more likely to take desperate measures than if she thought she was still in control of the situation somewhat.
However, Amina was shot in the leg, when Lynn tried to get at Isak, but the wound was not deep and the bullet had gone straight through. Somehow, Lynn managed to circle around and take Isak hostage. He struggled, and Lynn pulled the trigger. The bullet went into his abdomen, and he sank to the floor.
I lost track of where everyone was as I fled to Zahida's side. Zahida was a doctor nowadays and Lena and I were the only other ones schooled in medicine.
We gathered things that could be used as bandages and someone had a flask of disinfecting lotion. A sewing needle, and some thread. We did our best to patch him back up, but Isak was in pain and bleeding badly.
Maria called the Prime Minister, but she did not believe her. She begged for an ambulance, to retrieve Isak and rush him to a hospital, but she couldn't be sure that they would send anyone. Ellen and Kristin offered to walk back to the civilised world and return with a helicopter, but outside, someone heard shots fired and we could not be sure they would return.
"Even if the Prime Minister does not believe Maria, she cannot risk it." I said to Lena. "She must do something, because it would be worse for her political career if she did not act. He is too valuable. It's too incredible."
Later, I heard Lynn had been shot dead by Amina. Amina had, in turn, been arrested by Lydia. It was a hot mess.
Isak is being taken care of by a few very worried (and smitten!) women.
Zahida had done the best she could, but as I felt Isak's abdomen I knew I was right to fear for his life. Theresa had called everyone around to decide what to do next.
"The military is most likely on their way here as we speak. This will all be covered up, and they will take Isak and squirrel him away and he will never be seen again. If we are lucky, we will only be forced to cooperate, but more likely we will be killed. Now what can we do?"
The group discussed, and we figured out a way to give Isak a blood transfusion. Gerda had O negative blood type, and with the help of a very tiny rubber tube we managed to at least get some of her blood into him. It would buy him some time, but his time, as well as our medical supplies, were very limited.
Theresa in the background suggested that we split up, dress Isak up as a woman and try and get him out. "If they have to track twenty different people we will have more of a chance than if we stay together."
I whispered in Maria's ear and then in Theresa's. Isak was bleeding internally, and it wasn't good. We needed to get him on an operating table fast, but the ambulance wasn't forthcoming. "There's no way he can walk out of here."
The discussion went on, but several women broke off. Elisabeth had come forward with a whole bag of baby clothes we could use as bandages, but now she was just sitting in a corner, unsure of what to do.
And then Isak started to cough. Blood spilled from his mouth, and the women panicked. Lisa, who had been talking to him throughout the evening, trying to keep his mind off the pain, called his name. "Hang on, Isak, we're here. Hang on, it's going to be okay."
Zahida looked at me, and she slowly shook her head. We both knew what this was. She sat back as he coughed and coughed and finally he went silent.
"Help him!" someone shouted. Gerda shoved Zahida aside and started CPR. "Do something."
Tears were streaming down their faces. Gerda continued CPR and called for someone to take over. No-one stirred, and Gerda asked again, desperately.
"Can you still help him?" someone asked. Zahida slowly shook her head.
Lena was talking to me, but I was in shock. She slapped me so hard my ears were ringing. "Snap out of it, Julie. Is there anything you can still do?"
When finally they realised that there was nothing else we could do, they quieted somewhat. The sole survivor of a terrible disaster and he had died in our midst. Isak was dead.
"Can we still use his sperm?" someone asked.
"We can all be inseminated right here!" another called out. Desperate to cling to the prospect of becoming a mother, one by one they called out.
"He said he would allow them to take some of his blood, for research!" one said. "This isn't much different."
I didn't say how much different it was. How much worse.
Lena pushed me. "You have to do it, Julie." she said.
In the background, music started to play. "Ladies..." Anastaszia said. "It's Time-Out!"
-----
The original name of the manuscript of this larp is "Mad About the Boy", written by Tor Kjetil Edland, Margrete Raaum and Trine Lise Lindahl. The manuscript can be found easily through Google.
This is also reason why our adaptation was titled "&Eva": to make sure the Big Reveal of Isak would be a big surprise for the participants.
A very moving documentary by the participants of the original event can be found on YouTube. I heard DocInge is still going to make her own documentary using footage from last weekend, but this will take her a while, no doubt.
The scene where Isak is introduced I had captured on camera and has been transcribed here as best I could. The video footage from my (SLR) camera will also be available for DocInge to use in her documentary. The photos I took can be found on Flickr.
As I mentioned before, the game was very intense and I can only hope that some of the things that happened, are not things we as people would normally do in such situations. As a game, it was certainly very interesting to see the intense scenes unfold. I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. &Eva was quite unique, a lot of fun, and very, very intense.
We came up with a shortlist of players, all women, and invited them. The event would be full of emotion, intrigue and intense scenes. But above all: there was no way of solving the puzzle of Women Only: all men had died and this situation would not be solved this weekend. Instead, the event mostly focused on finding suitable mothers for a ground-breaking government program to create a new generation. The roles were divided among our players, each telling us their preference and, to our great astonishment, hardly any duplicate favorites were mentioned. The roles just came together quite beautifully for the women we invited.
Anastaszia and Shurf created the video we sent, but alas I can't link to it directly (because of the song used in the video and YouTube's policy on that).
Please note that I will be using the 'titles' of the groups in this description, but in truth we never called them by their titles at all, it just makes it easier to distinguish between them in a description that lacks faces or OT names.
The event itself was wonderfully intense, especially because as a DPC, I already knew what was going to happen and could steer the game somewhat. Nina and Anastaszia and myself formed the committee. Theresa a phsychologist, Maria, the politician and brainiac behind the whole scheme, and Julie the gynacologist. We would decide who would be the potential birthmother, and who would be the new family. Maria had decided the families would consist of three women, now that all the men were gone.
The committee: Julie, Maria and Theresa (from left to right)
As the potential families arrived in a bus after a three hour drive, we welcomed them and handed out their name tags. Maria held a long speech, how they would be the hope of a new future, and how we as the committee would hope to speak with each in turn.
Oh yes, and regrettably, the kitchen staff was stuck in the snow and how we would count on their helping hands to make coffee, tea, and dinner.
After a bunch of questions about the process, the three women of the Survivalists went into the kitchen very nearly immediately, as well as Elisabeth, one of the wealthy women and a housewife as well as the potential birthmother of their group. I jotted down notes into my notepad as I observed them bustling about and went to check on the sleeping quarters. Everything was going smoothly, and soon enough Maria squirreled away the first family for a conversation in her impromptu office, while we made our rounds.
At a quarter past four I knocked on her door, as we were ready for the memorial. It was three years ago that day that all men had died, and Sara, one of the Muslim Sisterhood, took the chance to read from the Quran and speak of hope. Theresa had emphasized that we should participate, so I held my candle and waited for a chance to speak. Several women wiped tears from their eyes as Nancy, of the Three Generations, started a song. Other voices joined hers as they sang to the memory of the men.
When they were done, Lynn piped up. "Say, can we get on with it? I mean, we know it's a sad day and all, but we're here to look towards the future, and now it's only an hour to dinnertime, and we still haven't gotten started on the selection procedure."
The talks continued. I spoke with Ada, daughter to Nancy who had sung so well, and as it turned out she was not unwilling to bear another child. She was young enough for it, and I noted her physical condition. She had less of a medical history than Lynn, my own protege and choice candidate, but at thirty-five Ada was skirting the age boundary I had set as a gynacologist.
During dinner, I sat at the table with Ada's daughter Emma Nancy, as well as Yvonne and Nina from the Survivalists. From the corner of my eye I saw how Lynn grabbed my folder with documents and went into the office Maria and Theresa had been using in turn. I followed shortly after, finding Lisa and Elina, the documentary makers in the room with her.
"What is this all about?" I asked.
They told me they were worried. "It seems Maria has a hidden agenda." Lisa said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. They explained that none of their questions regarding the selection criteria were answered and that Maria was even less prone to answer questions than Theresa and I.
"Well;" I said; "You can understand that as the first country in the world to even attempt such a programme, the world is watching us. Such a ground-breaking experiment is sure to gain fame for the politicians involved, including the Ministry of Children and Equality."
"What about Maria?" Lisa asked. "What does she stand to gain from this?"
"Her career." I answered bluntly.
Ada, Edna and Julie
When dinner was over, Theresa, Maria and I gathered in the small office. We discussed the candidates we had selected. "I think we can all agree that Vicky is a choice candidate." Maria said. Theresa nodded. "Jo is the selected birth mother for their group, but I agree, Vicky seems a lot more stable and outgoing. I think she would be a better mother."
When Maria suggested Lisa as a possible candidate, I objected. "She's 54, you can't possibly be serious. Elina is the chosen birth mother in their family, and even so..."
Theresa finished my line of thought. "Raising a child and documenting her every move, a camera watching her every step? What kind of life is that? I can only object to this."
Maria was adamant to put her foot down. She raised her voice, and the babble in the other room quieted down as Maria threatened to fire us from the committee, striking the tabletop to emphasize her point.
When we exited the office, I went into the nextdoor room we had claimed as our bedroom, but Lena followed me inside before I could close the door. We had worked at the hospital together, and finding her in this program had reunited us. However, she was a psychiatrist and seemed worried about my well-being. "How are you holding up?" she asked, a hand on my shoulder.
"Well enough." I said. "Maria seems intent to have her way." I looked towards the door. "We should get back out there, she will want to announce our first candidates."
As the names were mentioned, voices rose. Ada was surprised to be mentioned, and Vicky looked shocked at both Jo and Alex, her two lovers. Lisa rose from her seat, questioning how exactly she was selected, when Elina was far better suited. I raised my voice over the din. "Don't forget Lynn." My protege whipped her head around to better look at the committee from where she sat near the wall.
Maria rallied. "Lynn does not have a family to support her at this time. However, I agree that Lynn is both psychologically as physically a suitable candidate. Perhaps a family who has not been selected at this point would be willing to support her. We are not so sure about the current family structure as they stand, so perhaps we shall make adjustments there also."
When the questions had died down and the women split into groups again, some talking with other families, others being claimed by Maria or Theresa because they had objected to not being heard while the first choices were already made, I went into the kitchen. There, I found Elisabeth quietly crying into the dishes, her hands slowly and methodically working the brush while the tears dripped into the soapy water.
I wracked my brain and approached Kirsten, whose words I had twisted during a conversation earlier, and her friend Ellen, whom I had known before the disaster as well. Ellen went to Elisabeth as Kirsten said in a dry tone "Well, Elisabeth has often said I do not understand her feelings."
I didn't say it, but I thought 'That much is clear by the way you are standing here.'
Kirsten continued. "Say, how much of your preliminary decision is already set and how much can we still change?"
I sighed. "Maria seems intent on making a golden career out of this project and as such, she has pushed her decision for the candidates because she stands the most to gain from the exposure the Collective of Artists offer."
"And there's nothing we can do to change her mind?" Kirsten asked.
I glanced at her name tag. As I had thought to remember, Kirsten was the owner of a large fleet of fishing boats. "Well, your family has a lot of wealth and influence. Perhaps you can sway her with more pressing arguments. For instance, what would happen if your fleet would no longer supply this country with food?"
Kirsten nodded thoughtfully, and I left her to deliberate the pressure she could exert on Maria.
Before I could grab a drink I was immediately cornered by others. They also asked me why the decision was made in favour of Lisa, who was after all 54.
"I thought Maria corrected herself, and said it was Elina after all?" I asked.
"No, she has just confirmed she thinks Lisa is the better choice."
I sighed. "Well, I am sure Maria thinks that Lisa will get her better exposure to the press, her pet project will ensure her being the next Prime Minister."
"And there's nothing you can do about this?" It was Lena who asked this.
"You heard her. She threatened to fire me if I didn't stop questioning her decisions and her suggested candidates. I'm pretty sure I no longer hold any influence in the committee. My job is done -- the gynacological tests have all been completed beforehand, and I only come into play when the candidate has been chosen and she has to be inseminated. There's very little I can do at this point short of losing my job. But I am sure that Maria can be maneuvered if need be."
Lynn cornered me. "Let's just get it over with. Put the stuff in me, and Maria won't have anything to say about it anymore."
My lips curled into a smile. "What?"
"The sperm is here, right?"
"No, no." I replied.
"You're lying!" Lynn burst out. "I can see it in your face!"
I recovered. "It's not here. We don't have a facility here to keep it safe. You can turn this whole place upside down, there's no sperm here. It was never our intention to inseminate the candidate right away. This is hardly a controlled environment."
"Never mind the attack there was earlier." Lena interjected.
"What attack? What?" I replied.
"Didn't you hear? There was a terrorist attack, but it was pushed back." Lena said.
"Just like last week, at the sperm bank." Lynn replied.
"You are sure we are safe here?" Lena asked.
"Yes, yes of course. The military is keeping an eye out. A perimeter is established 20 kilometers away. They must think we have the sperm here, but we don't. I can guarantuee you that."
Chrstine (documenting), Ada, Emma Nancy and Nancy.
Things were running smoothly and Maria's credibility was fast dwindling. As for my role in the whole, I was dead set on steering the game away from the "let's inseminate us now" and into the dilemma of forming new families. Later I heard that the Three Lovers (Alex, Vicky and Jo) had offered asylum not only to Lynn as a potential candidate birthmother, but also to Lisa, and both had gladly accepted. Alex' bar "The Hag's Hangout" might not be the best place to raise a child, but I could see how it would appeal to the filmmaker and the page-three girl.
When I spoke to Gerda, she had already admitted in the group that she would step aside if there was someone else more suitable for the task of being a mother. But when I spoke to her, she opened her purse conspirationally. "See?" she said, pulling out a small bottle of folic acid. "I've already started taking these. Just so we can proceed right away if necessary."
I glanced at the bottle in horror. "I am unsure what to make of this. The mere suggestion that I, as a gynacologist, would forget to administer folic acid to the intended birth mother... do you really mean to insult me so?"
"Oh, no no no nononono!" Gerda recuperated. "It's just that... um, I don't know how easily you can get your hands on these things."
"The government can get their hands on pretty much everything." I said. "And we did take some time thinking about this project before proceeding to this point."
"It's just that, look..." Gerda pulled out a small packet of medical supplies. "Perhaps I can be of more assistance."
Out-time, we were having a bit of a dilemma though. Our trump card and major plot twist was due to arrive, but Lynn had overheard Maria on the telephone and was convinced something would be going down in thirty minutes. I was scared our plot was down the drain -- if Lynn was to accuse Maria of knowing all along about whatever was coming, the play would take a different turn than expected, so I called and pressed for an urgent arrival. Alas, it didn't quite work out as we'd hoped but in the consternation the overheard phone call was forgotten.
While we as organisation were fretting, the women were still discussing, forming new alliances and trying to win the motherhood after all. Alex and Vicky did their best to seduce Julie (who didn't quite know how to react, because she was on the job), and the Muslim Sisterhood had been locked away in the small bedroom we'd claimed for ourselves. It was clear to some others that something was going on, and Elina begged me to help her as Lisa was locked in with the Muslim sisters.
I knocked and demanded to be let in, but I was refused time and again, and Theresa as well. We'd hoped it was as we had planned, but there was no telling if it was actually true. Finally, Lisa and Sara stepped outside and called for our attention.
"At the start of the afternoon I asked you to calm yourselves, to go inside yourself for a moment of peace inside yourself." Sara started. "I need you to do this now, to find this calm inside yourself again. This peace is needed now more than ever."
"Aw, come on!" someone said sarcastically.
"No, it is needed, because as three years ago the world changed, today it is changing again." she continued. "Have you ever wondered, what would happen if one man, or perhaps more than just one man, would have survived the disaster?"
"What?" someone asked.
"That's impossible!" another replied.
"You're asking us to stay calm?!"
"Wait, wait!" Lisa interrupted the calls. "Can I ask you this? What if there was a man, yes, can we please imagine how it would be for that man, to be the only one to survive... yes?"
More calls came from the rest of the women. I shifted uncomfortably, holding my camera steady.
"A few moments ago, through the back door, a man has entered this building." Lisa continued. Sara, next to her, held her hands to her nose and looked at several people in the room, nodding gravely.
"I understand that you don't enjoy all the questions we're asking..." Theresa started.
Lisa continued. "A man with facial hair..."
"...but this is no reason to start..." Theresa continued.
"Well, come on then!" Someone shouted.
Women were craning their necks. Maria stood with her hands on her hips, completely out of control of the situation and waiting to see where it would go.
"We have asked Isak, because that is his name, we have asked him what he wants to do next." Lisa said, and the room quieted a bit, although several women sat on the tips of their seats. "He wants us to help him, and he... well, he's afraid."
"I understand you want a good documentary!" Theresa interjected again. "I understand that you don't want to let this possibility slip through your fingers..."
"Let her finish!" one of the women called.
"...but this is not the way to make it a good and interesting documentary!" Theresa finished her sentence.
"No, I agree. I agree completely!" Lisa replied. "This is not the way to make an interesting documentary!"
Everyone started to talk at the same time, but behind Lisa the door to the small bedroom opened. Lydia stepped outside, followed by Zahida. Behind Zahida shuffled a person completely covered in several blankets. Edna rubbed one hand over the back of that person, and as he shuffled into the room, the women realised that he did, in fact, look a lot like a man.
Lynn and several others were adamant to know if he was really a man. They pointed towards the cross-dressing Tina who went by the name of Thomas and demanded to know if it wasn't possible.
"Well, yes." I replied. "It is possible, with hormones, to induce stubble and increase facial hair growth. But it's highly unlikely, especially in these circumstances..."
Still, the women needed to know, and we were not allowed to close the door. Lynn was near hysterics and wanted only to be close to the man, as did several other women for fear of it all being a dream. As I held up one of the blankets for some privacy, Isak dropped his pants so Zahida could be 100% sure he was indeed a man.
As soon as the word was out, Lynn moved close to him again. "I'm slipping off my chair here."
We tried to get her out of the office, but Isak waved her closer. "No, let her come closer."
Lynn put her hands on her hips but was clearly uncomfortable and unsure what to do next. Isak bent closer to her face a bit. "I don't want you." he said, emphasizing loudly.
It was like she was slapped in the face. Lynn dropped her arms, took a step and stopped, then nearly ran out of the door, pushing her way through the throng.
Isak was installed at one of the tables and the women resumed their talks. Some were watching his every move, others were clearly uncomfortable. Maria, meanwhile, was sprouting more religious nonsense than before. "It is a sign from God!" she proclaimed.
"I agree it is highly unlikely, but not necessarily proof of a divinity." I replied.
Vicky was having a dilemma, and she approached me. "This changes everything. It's not your intention to... I mean, I would want to be the mother, but if there was a man involved." She gestured helplessly. "It's just so... ew. I mean..."
I remembered Vicky was a lesbian by choice, instead of forced into those kinds of relationships by what had happened three years ago.
Several women wanted to get it on right away. "Let's get the most out of him. He's here now, and we're all willing. If we just get on with it, we might get some women pregnant right now."
Others pointed out that Isak had rights too.
But there were more pressing concerns. Lynn was armed, and as several women pointed out, she had just been rejected by the last man alive.
I approached Lydia, who had been a soldier in Afghanistan. She shouldered this burden, but pointed out that by taking Lynn's weapon away, she was more likely to take desperate measures than if she thought she was still in control of the situation somewhat.
However, Amina was shot in the leg, when Lynn tried to get at Isak, but the wound was not deep and the bullet had gone straight through. Somehow, Lynn managed to circle around and take Isak hostage. He struggled, and Lynn pulled the trigger. The bullet went into his abdomen, and he sank to the floor.
I lost track of where everyone was as I fled to Zahida's side. Zahida was a doctor nowadays and Lena and I were the only other ones schooled in medicine.
We gathered things that could be used as bandages and someone had a flask of disinfecting lotion. A sewing needle, and some thread. We did our best to patch him back up, but Isak was in pain and bleeding badly.
Maria called the Prime Minister, but she did not believe her. She begged for an ambulance, to retrieve Isak and rush him to a hospital, but she couldn't be sure that they would send anyone. Ellen and Kristin offered to walk back to the civilised world and return with a helicopter, but outside, someone heard shots fired and we could not be sure they would return.
"Even if the Prime Minister does not believe Maria, she cannot risk it." I said to Lena. "She must do something, because it would be worse for her political career if she did not act. He is too valuable. It's too incredible."
Later, I heard Lynn had been shot dead by Amina. Amina had, in turn, been arrested by Lydia. It was a hot mess.
Isak is being taken care of by a few very worried (and smitten!) women.
Zahida had done the best she could, but as I felt Isak's abdomen I knew I was right to fear for his life. Theresa had called everyone around to decide what to do next.
"The military is most likely on their way here as we speak. This will all be covered up, and they will take Isak and squirrel him away and he will never be seen again. If we are lucky, we will only be forced to cooperate, but more likely we will be killed. Now what can we do?"
The group discussed, and we figured out a way to give Isak a blood transfusion. Gerda had O negative blood type, and with the help of a very tiny rubber tube we managed to at least get some of her blood into him. It would buy him some time, but his time, as well as our medical supplies, were very limited.
Theresa in the background suggested that we split up, dress Isak up as a woman and try and get him out. "If they have to track twenty different people we will have more of a chance than if we stay together."
I whispered in Maria's ear and then in Theresa's. Isak was bleeding internally, and it wasn't good. We needed to get him on an operating table fast, but the ambulance wasn't forthcoming. "There's no way he can walk out of here."
The discussion went on, but several women broke off. Elisabeth had come forward with a whole bag of baby clothes we could use as bandages, but now she was just sitting in a corner, unsure of what to do.
And then Isak started to cough. Blood spilled from his mouth, and the women panicked. Lisa, who had been talking to him throughout the evening, trying to keep his mind off the pain, called his name. "Hang on, Isak, we're here. Hang on, it's going to be okay."
Zahida looked at me, and she slowly shook her head. We both knew what this was. She sat back as he coughed and coughed and finally he went silent.
"Help him!" someone shouted. Gerda shoved Zahida aside and started CPR. "Do something."
Tears were streaming down their faces. Gerda continued CPR and called for someone to take over. No-one stirred, and Gerda asked again, desperately.
"Can you still help him?" someone asked. Zahida slowly shook her head.
Lena was talking to me, but I was in shock. She slapped me so hard my ears were ringing. "Snap out of it, Julie. Is there anything you can still do?"
When finally they realised that there was nothing else we could do, they quieted somewhat. The sole survivor of a terrible disaster and he had died in our midst. Isak was dead.
"Can we still use his sperm?" someone asked.
"We can all be inseminated right here!" another called out. Desperate to cling to the prospect of becoming a mother, one by one they called out.
"He said he would allow them to take some of his blood, for research!" one said. "This isn't much different."
I didn't say how much different it was. How much worse.
Lena pushed me. "You have to do it, Julie." she said.
In the background, music started to play. "Ladies..." Anastaszia said. "It's Time-Out!"
-----
The original name of the manuscript of this larp is "Mad About the Boy", written by Tor Kjetil Edland, Margrete Raaum and Trine Lise Lindahl. The manuscript can be found easily through Google.
This is also reason why our adaptation was titled "&Eva": to make sure the Big Reveal of Isak would be a big surprise for the participants.
A very moving documentary by the participants of the original event can be found on YouTube. I heard DocInge is still going to make her own documentary using footage from last weekend, but this will take her a while, no doubt.
The scene where Isak is introduced I had captured on camera and has been transcribed here as best I could. The video footage from my (SLR) camera will also be available for DocInge to use in her documentary. The photos I took can be found on Flickr.
As I mentioned before, the game was very intense and I can only hope that some of the things that happened, are not things we as people would normally do in such situations. As a game, it was certainly very interesting to see the intense scenes unfold. I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. &Eva was quite unique, a lot of fun, and very, very intense.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2012-02-14 03:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-14 04:14 pm (UTC)As soon as Isak joined the game, there was shock and you could just see the game change, for the players as well. Some had the dilemma: should we go for the man, or should we keep focusing on getting the sperm? Others were worried about how humane Isak would be treated and were waging their personal little war on the government. An interesting twist is that now the Committee was also in that same boat with the rest, as the military was probably homing in on all of us. Perhaps the original script had not intended this, but this developed in the game, also as a result of Lynn's blatant hostility. A united front will form somewhere in the face of such things.
The humane factor completely vanished as Isak was shot and died about an hour later, and the women just wanted to make the best use of his body they could. (No, that doesn't work with Rigor Mortis. What do you mean "get it out of him anyway"?!)
no subject
Date: 2012-02-14 05:27 pm (UTC)I truly enjoyed reading and hearing about &Eva and I think that it filled a niche that had been empty for too long.
I hope you had as much fun as I heard some of the ladies present had.
no subject
Date: 2012-02-14 04:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-14 05:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-14 05:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-14 05:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-15 06:35 pm (UTC)it was fun, thanks for helping me push the my boundaries further!
no subject
Date: 2012-02-21 12:40 am (UTC)