Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Appearing in the news, DRYH c3s1i

As they stand there alone, just the three of them, at the large open square clearly visible to anyone they, especially Yurev, start to get nervous about the wind-up policemen or the pin heads finding them. They don't know where to go to find some information though and before it really starts to be a discussion they are interupted by a very annoying bike bell and an paper boy (straight out of the early 20th centuary) that appears on one of the streets throwing papers into the gardens and entrances. As Yurev and Sandra start to leave the large open square Maurice snaps his fingers and calls to the paper boy ''Please bestow and old man with a paper.'' The paper boy steers over and calls back ''You have a new's value'' and throws a paper straight at Maurice forehead. Maurice tries to catch the paper.

Not appearing in the news (which is bad news) is 10 Pain Dice hard. Maurice's player gathers 3 Discipline dice, 1 dice Exhaustion, 2 dice Exhaustion talent (moving fast, ending up with 3 in Exhaustion), 6 Madness; in total 12 dice. After rolls Pain wins and Madness is dominant. Maurice player chooses flight and checks one out of two flight boxes. Game master decides that out of the two possible outcomes Exhaustion increases by one for Maurice (in total, Exhaustion 4).

Maurice realises that he won't catch the paper and turns around and runs with the paper flying after him and after both comes the paper boy wildly plinging the bell. Maurice runs and runs around the square but the paper closes in and finally hits him in the back of the head and he falls to the ground. The paper boy is right behind him and catches the paper as it bounces off from Maurice. As he runs over Maurice with his bike he joyfully shouts ''You're gonna read about you in the paper tomorrow!''. The paper boy disappears throwing papers at the different houses along the street. The other stare in astonishment and then help Maurice to get on his feet, he doesn't seem physically hurt besides a scratch, and fetches one of the papers. Maurice brushes his clothes and Yurev insists on them leaving the square. It's no good this place.

Erik sees the paper boy incident when he leaves the boarding house and confirms to himself that the pill apparently is kicking in and meet up with the others at the outskirt of the square. They now decide to go to ''the museum'' and The Curator since he seemed to have a grip on things and were talkable. As they go there they look in the paper and today's big news are that Tacks Man is searching for newcomers in The Mad City and asks for the common man to help him. ''Will they be found?'' the headline screams to them. They don't know who he is but it seems that one is supposed to know who he is. There is a picture though of an reporter interviewing Tacks Man and he looks almost like a regular man besides having a tack for a head. The paper promises to follow up the story. The museum is closed and locked though.

The streets are almost empty but they do see an open pub and they go there if not for anything else it might be possible to get hold of a chalk in case someone, Yurev, would get in the need of writing something (formulas). The pub is packed with people and not even the four 21st centuary dressed characters get any attention. Maurice goes to the bar and tries to see what a beer might cost. Most people hand over a couple of coins but one customer buys a beer for a tear. Maurice is still confused. How the fuck does one pay with tears? Maurice asks if he can start a tab. That's OK with the bartender but he won't give much credit since Maurice behaviour clearly shows that he's new in town. Maurice orders a glas of wine and three mugs of beer. They try to get a grip on things. Are the paper writing about them? Yes it must be. They are agreeing on getting captured by Tacks Man is bad as well as appearing in the news. It would be good if they could change clothes but they're not sure how this thing about money works. How to get coins and will they keep accepting swedish money in the form of notes as bond paper? How do one pay in for example ''childhood memory'' or a ''slice of lovefulness''? Could they get coins by getting a job?

''Is that you again?'' somebody says. It's The Curator but in more ''normal'' clothes. ''So it is a nightmare?!?'' Sandra asks. The Curator simply asks whether it's satisfactory and Yurev bursts out ''The nightmare might be satisfied but we aren't. We want to get back. You seem to know. How do we do?''. Still being annoyingly calm and cryptic The Curator answers ''Either you survive through the nightmare and get out at the other end or you take control over the nightmare''. ''Oh and I heard you're in the paper'' he continues. Sandra asks whether it's bad to be in the paper and he continues his cryptic answering by saying that that, of course, depends on whether it's good or bad news they write about. Sandra changes the subject of the frustrating and annoying conversation and asks The Curator if there's any job opening for her at the museum. He looks slightly surprised but when she says that she's educated in architecture and architectural history he seems interested. ''The design of the museum, as you call it, is rather special though. Do you understand special architecture and design?'' he asks. Sandra fetches a chalk from the dart board. She starts to sketch a basilica on the table and designs her own kind of basilica and as she draws her sketch it starts to appear in the thin air.

The Curator is slightly skeptical that she can add something to the museum, 2 Pain dice. Sandra's player gathers her 3 Discipline dice, 1 Exhaustion dice (Exhaustion = 1), 3 Madness talent dice (design) and uses her Exhaustion talent (convincing) in a lesser way, minimum 1 success. Sandra's player wins and Pain is in dominance. One marker to Bowl of despair and Sandra pays a price by once more adhere to what she has learned about how buildings should be done rather than the softer designs she longs for.

Sandra concentrates hard and as she sketches on the table a basilica takes formm on the table. It kind of weird because it has the expected windows for light in the roof but the inside of the big hall doesn't have any ways for the light into it but it's still not completely dark inside it. The design is also very modern and clean. Although Sandra is longing for softer designs she this time, again, forces herself to do as one should. The Curator looks on and then expresses a good amount of skepticism about her design but with more joy in the voice states that she apparently understands special design. She's hired (since she shall show rather than create). ''Show up at 10 AM tomorrow'' he tells her. ''Ehm, what about pay?'' Sandra asks. ''But of course'' he answers. ''I meant what pay?'' Sandra continues and get the answer ''Happiness, good value at The Bizarre Bazaar''. When Sandra asks how one gets coins he says ''well I could pay you in coins if you whish, if you're as strict and stiff as your clothes implies then that might be a better choice''.

He turns to the other and asks if they're satisfied with the nightmare so far. i chorus they tell that they aren't and they have already told him that. He concludes that he probably wouldn't have been either if he got in the news. He gives them the tip to stop that. he gives them the directions to the paper's headquarters though. He agrees on the regulations of District 25 being confusing but one thing you always know, the regulations are in effect - always. When they ask about Tacks Man they don't really get anything clearer than that Tacks man is Tacks Man and probably he wants to document them. Whatever that means. They think they're well documented as it is in their normal world in Linköping and Sweden. The Curator says that it usually is a loss to be documented. You lose what is documented. Apparently Tacks Man nail the story with his finger nails and that they lose what's documented. He can't help with what is worse, getting in the news or getting documented. When they thank him for the information he says ''You're welcome, after all I'm here to guide you through the nightmare''. To the question on why he says ''Because I'm The Curator'' and that ''He's in charge of the nightmare and as a good guide he wants to give them a good experience. ''Who decided that we should have this nightmare?'' Maurice asks. ''And that asks the one having the nightmare'' The Curator replies and smiles. ''I din't decide that'' he continues ''It's you who have created this''. ''This was the last time I enter the A building'' Yurev states. ''It comes from in'' here The Curator says and taps on Maurice's head. He says good night and leaves. 

Maurice walks after him but don't find him until he taps Maurice's shoulder and asks if he's looking for him. ''How do I pay?'' Maurice asks. ''You can pay with either The Wax King's coins or something else valuable''. When Maurice asks about The Wax king and who he is The Curator  says that he's The Wax King and he rules The Burrows as it was the most self-explationary thing in the world. He do recommend that Maurice doesn't work for The Wax King to get his money. Maurice watch on the other hand seems to interest The Curator since it doesn't have any 25th hour among other things. The Curator examines Maurice watch. ''Give me 10 000'' Maurice says grabbing a number out of the air. ''Deal'' The Curator says and wirtes a bond paper on 10 000 coins. Maurice shows the bartender the bond paper and asks if he has any change. The bartender suddenly becomes very service minded and asks if he wants something more, a glass of wine maybe. Maurice says no but promises to come back and arrange the pay of the tab. They leave to walk to Crazy News, the paper writing about them.

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