Sucks's Date with Greta

Summary

Sucks's Date with Greta is a social encounter in Session 8 of the campaign where Sucks Benedict sits down for an arranged date with Greta, a teenage salvager, at the Meat Party food stall in New Smoke. The date stems from Cat's earlier negotiations on Sucks's behalf, but Sucks feels cornered into the situation, having never actually wanted the date. The event is marked by extreme awkwardness as Sucks navigates multiple social pressures while his companions sit directly behind him providing unwanted commentary. Despite the chaotic setup—including Sucks realizing he never learned Greta's name and Terry organizing an elaborate acapella performance—the date concludes pleasantly, with Greta appreciating Sucks's poetry and emotional depth.

Details

The setup for the date involves the entire party gathering at Meat Party, with Sucks expressing significant misgivings about the situation. As he confides to his companions:

"I low key didn't even want to do it. I feel like I've been kind of cornered into this situation."

The social pressure weighs heavily on Sucks, who has involved so many people that retreat feels impossible:

"There's too much on the line now. So many people know that this is happening. It feels like all of New Smoke is aware that I'm taking this girl out a date."

The GM confirms the scope of public awareness with a simple observation: "You look around and they are."

Before Greta arrives, the party engages in philosophical discussions about dating customs. Vasso reveals her commune's arranged marriage system, while Terry awkwardly but earnestly discusses sexuality and animal reproduction, attempting to provide guidance to Sucks.

Sucks Benedict prepared extensively for the date, acquiring counterfeit goat horns (described as antlers), a top hat, and makeup advice from Cat. When the moment arrives, the scene transitions abruptly:

"Smash cut to sucks. Sitting in a battered plastic chair in front of a circular table with two plates of noodles."

Sucks faces a critical problem: he never learned his date's name. To resolve this without revealing his ignorance, he improvises by grabbing a random passerby and forcing an introduction:

"Hey, this is my friend Tim. Tim, this is my date. I leave a pregnant pause."

The gambit works. Greta provides her name naturally:

"Hello, Tim. I'm Greta."

With the name crisis resolved, Sucks Benedict successfully executes the gentlemanly gesture of pulling out Greta's chair without getting his antlers caught in her elaborately braided hair—described as "100% braided hair."

The date takes an unexpected turn when Sucks Benedict mentions his interest in music. Terry's eyes light up, and Terry and four guard companions immediately run over to perform an elaborate acapella rendition of "Somebody to Love" with full choreography. The performance includes a woman dressed as a bird and is spectacular enough to draw crowds from across New Smoke.

Sucks Benedict then reads Greta a poem about impermanence and memory:

"We live in a world of impermanence that is the hallmark of our lives. Everything changes and everything fades eventually, save for the things that we carry in our hearts."

Greta interprets the poem as an intentional performance piece, believing the bickering between Sucks Benedict and his companions—Cat, Vasso, and Safia, who are all sitting directly behind him—is part of the presentation. She responds positively, saying:

"This is fun. I like the poem. The poem was very thoughtful. I also especially liked when the poem became sort of a performance piece between you and these three."

She compliments Sucks Benedict on having a "deep ocean of feeling inside."

The date concludes with all five party members sitting together around the battered plastic table under twinkling, buzzing electric lights, with Safia bringing peanut butter cups to share.

Participants

Sucks Benedict — the reluctant date participant who feels socially cornered into the encounter, but prepares extensively and delivers poetry
Greta — Sucks's arranged date, a teenage salvager who appreciated the poem and found the date pleasant
Cat — responsible for the original negotiation that arranged the date, provided makeup advice, and sat behind Sucks Benedict during the date
Vasso — present with the party, shares information about her commune's marriage customs, and sat behind Sucks Benedict during the date
Safia — sat behind Sucks Benedict during the date and brought peanut butter cups to share
Terry — provided awkward dating advice and performed an acapella rendition of "Somebody to Love" with choreography
Tim — a random passerby conscripted by Sucks to facilitate learning Greta's name
Four guard companions of Terry — participated in the musical performance, including a woman dressed as a bird

Consequences

Sucks successfully learns Greta's name through improvisation, avoiding the embarrassment of admitting he never knew it
Greta forms a positive impression of Sucks Benedict, finding him thoughtful and emotionally deep
Sucks Benedict reveals emotional depth and poetry skills previously unknown to the party
The musical performance by Terry and companions draws crowds across New Smoke, creating a spectacle in the aftermarket
The date evolves from an awkward one-on-one encounter into a group dining experience with all party members under twinkling electric lights
The trade arrangement negotiated by Cat in the previous session is fulfilled