Life Among Humans
a game for one player and the Internet

Life Among Humans is a hack of Vincent Baker’s Doomed Pilgrim. It is heavily inspired by various other bits of media, including these:

Under the Skin (2014 movie, I haven’t read the book)
We Have Always Lived in the Castle, by Shirley Jackson
The short story “Second Variety”, by Philip K Dick
The Drifter’s Escape, by Ben Lehman

It is about passing and paranoia and a deep, deep longing.

Rules
Post this online: “I’m a monster. I look and sound human, but I am not. My lair is in the city of [pick a real city]. Presently I have to leave it because I desperately need [pick a need]. My immediate goal is to satisfy my need, and return safely to my lair.
	“You, my online friend reading this, may join one of two factions. You do this by responding to a question addressed to that faction. If your answer is selected, then, for the remainder of this game, you will be a member of that faction, and may not answer questions addressed to the other faction. If no answer of yours has yet been selected, you remain factionless, and may answer any question you like.
	“One faction is The World. The World’s goal is to see me unmasked and destroyed. The other faction is The Handlers. The Handlers’ goal is to keep me leashed and utterly inhuman. Once you join a faction, your goal is the same as the faction’s goal. You might not be able to accomplish it, though, because the other faction’s goals don’t match yours. And besides, you’re only allowed to answer my direct questions.
	“The rules: 1. Only answer my questions. 2. If you belong to a faction, only answer questions addressed to that faction. 3. If you don’t already know the answer, make something up. 4. Keep your answers short. 5. If your answer’s disruptive, I can delete it. 6. Otherwise, I have to go with the first answer somebody gives. I’ll +1 it or whatever. 7. You may subscribe to this thread if you like. Please use the sentence ‘No soul animates you.’ to do so.”

Cities
Earth is littered with cities! Choose one.

Needs
●	Meat.
●	A promise.
●	Books to consume.
●	Warmth.
●	Motor oil.
●	New clothes.
●	Milk.
●	________.

Creating Your Character
Choose 1 of these and add it to your post:
●	I can jump and balance like a cat.
●	Locks open at my touch.
●	I am impossibly beautiful.
●	I can scan the surface thoughts of those near me.
●	______________

Choose 1 of these and add it to your post:
●	My blood is the color and consistency of mustard.
●	I never blink.
●	I cannot speak without drooling.
●	I smell of burnt hair.
●	______________

Beginning Play
Add in your post a few sentences describing your lair and how long you have taken shelter there. Say what you’re near and what you’re doing, and then: “I sense something that starts to make me feel uneasy. What is it? The World should answer.”

In Play
Always ask for details that interest you. Always say what you’re doing right now. Always ask what happens next. In your narration, always refer to humans with the pronoun ‘it’. Unless otherwise specified, always alternate who answers: The World or The Handlers. Your job: get your monster into loaded interactions with humans. Play to find out if you can survive, and if you have any humanity in you.

Questions to Ask
When you are in proximity to a human
“Can it tell that I’m a monster?”
“What’s my best escape route, if any?”
“Is it armed, and how?”

When you try to avoid notice
“Can I do ___ without [its] notice?”
“Does it seem nervous/angry/disgusted/suspicious yet?”
“Can I keep my facial expression normal and pleasant?”

When you talk to a human
roll 2 dice:
2-5: “It knows. What gives me away? (The World should answer),” then “I do ____. Do I have a chance to get away? (The Handlers should answer)”
6-8: “It is getting suspicious. What am I doing wrong? (The Handlers should answer),” then “I do ____. Is it mollified enough to let me leave? (The World should answer)”
9-12: “I might be able to get what I want out of this interaction. I do ____. Does it give me what I want? (The World should answer)”

If you roll the same result again: Pretend you rolled a different result, your choice.
If the conversation goes to a third round: “It knows. If I don’t kill it now, it will get help. Can I kill it before it does? (The Handlers should answer).”

When you flee a mob
“Is there a place ahead where I might lose them?”
“Is there a place ahead where I might ambush them?”
“Is there anyone here who might protect me from them?”

If it remains ambiguous: “If I haven’t gotten away, I will have to fight. Have I gotten away?”
If you get away: “Soon I reach my lair and I put the day’s events behind me. I learned _______ about being human.” Edit your initial post to contain this piece of knowledge. In future adventures, you may use that piece of knowledge one time per story (if it seems applicable) to get a 9-12 result on a die roll when you talk to a human.

When you fight
roll 2 dice:
2-5: “[It/they] might kill me here. I do ______. Can I kill it/them? (The Handlers should answer)”
6-8: “I kill [it/them] messily. What evidence do I leave?” (The World should answer).”
9-12: “I might be able to kill [it/them] cleanly and escape. What might stop me? (The World should answer)” then “I do ____. Does it work? (The Handlers should answer).”

If you win the fight cleanly: “Soon I reach my lair and I put the day’s events behind me. I learned ______ about my monstrous powers.” Edit your initial post to add a new monstrous power. In future adventures, you may use that piece of knowledge one time per story (if it seems applicable) to get a 9-12 result on a die roll when you fight.
If you win the fight messily: “Soon I reach my lair, only to find it has been compromised. How is it compromised? (The World should answer). What is my new lair, and in what city is it? (The Handlers should answer)”
If they kill you: “What happens to my body?”