johnosevens
Member
I'll definitely buy the Captain a drink while he's in port. How could I not? Even if he is absurdly rich now. How did that work out for him anyway? I'm picturing the Piper running low in the water for the weight of all those emeralds.
"Seen who?" I ask. I've only been living out of my office for a week... haven't I? Or is it closer to a month now...?
Since the fire occurred on the tenth day from the opening of the fire house, you're close to two weeks away from home.
"Seen the landlord, the owner. You came because you saw one of those signs, right? Well, he's never here, and I haven't met him so I can't say I know where to find him, either."
--M. J. Young
johnosevens
Member
"I am the landlord. I've been away on business these two weeks, but I own the place. Have you seen anyone else come calling recently?"
My plan here is to talk her into keeping an eye on the place for me, with the promise that if she helps me pick worthy tenants who will stick around a while I'll cut her a nice finder's fee for her efforts.
"Oh, so you're the landlord. Well, there've been several people wanting to know about the place. You might ask at the Lobster Shell up the street; I think a few of them came from there."
--M. J. Young
johnosevens
Member
"Thank you," I offer, "If any others come by, will you send them to my office?" I'll leave her the address. "Things have been so busy I've hardly had time to check in. I'd be very appreciative."
Whether she says yea or nay, it's off to the Lobster Shell next.
The Lobster Shell proves to be a nice restaurant specializing in--yeah, never mind, you already know that part--about three blocks from your home. The maitre d' asks if you have a reservation, indicating that it's not a problem but it helps if you do. He usually has tables available at lunch, but it takes a bit longer if you walk in unannounced. You explain to him that you were the landlord who posted the notice concerning a rent up the street, and he says two people left names and addresses in case you returned. He maintains his courtesy, but you can tell that he's not particularly happy about being a message boy for someone who is not a customer.
--M. J. Young
johnosevens
Member
I'll thank him for his time, and make a reservation for three after the next duty shift I share with both Tara and Matt, so that I can take the two of them to lunch and appease this guy's professional indignation.
With that in place, if it's still a reasonable hour to come calling, I'll set out for the farther of the two addresses, figuring to start farther out and work my way in as the afternoon grows older. If there is a carriage service or the equivalent of taxi cabs, I'll drop a few coins to expedite my travels.
Just off the top of my head I know that you never share a duty shift with Tara and Matt (I'm not sure you ever share with either of them, but I think you might have Matt on your shift sometimes), because there are only four watch heads to cover twenty-one shifts a week, so Tara is usually head of her own watch and Matt frequently head of his.
That's just a passing post; I'll be back to deal with the game formally later, but I was glancing through things and recognized that as something that wouldn't fly.
--M. J. Young
There is a cab stand across the street from the restaurant, and a cab waiting for custom as you emerge. He isn't particularly happy about the address, but your gold is good.
The cab is something similar to the hansoms of nineteenth century London (which you've no doubt seen in any good Sherlock Holmes film such as the BBC/PBS Jeremy Brett series).
Unfortunately when you reach your destination it's a rooming house and the landlady says that the man you want isn't there, she doesn't know where she is and it isn't her job to know, and she doesn't know when he'll be back and she's not his message service.
The cabbie is willing to wait for you, and takes you to the other address. This is a run-down house that looks about to fall, and there is no one home at present, but signs that someone does live there.
--M. J. Young
After which you will...?
--M. J. Young
johnosevens
Member
Go home, I imagine. Make sure the place hasn't been broken into or vandalized - not that I had much there other than furniture - and basically cast a Remove Fatigue in my own sodding bed for the first time in two or three weeks. After all this excitement, maybe I'll actually sleep. Yeah, I think I will. It will be nice to be out of contact for a few hours.
This is one of those moments of business-as-usual, until either one of my tenants comes back, another fire or other job thing comes up, or my wedding day approaches. Do I need special clothes commissioned for the occasion? Any other preparation in advance? It occurs to me I should ask the matchmaker how exactly one gets married in Durnmist (once that thread stops being all unstable and actually answers that question).
I have pulled that thread to the top by posting some fresh thoughts on a wedding framework. Please be sure to comment on it and help fill in the blanks. I hope you like what I've done so far. I note that I was going to say something about clothing, or more specifically to say something about the fact that I didn't say anything about it, but I forgot to say anything about not saying anything, so please say something about it there. Yeah, that was a bit fun to write.
Your sleep is undisturbed, you awake rested, although it's an unusual feeling, somehow different from the magically restored rest. You return to work on schedule.
I think that the longer-term view is that there will be no fires between now and the wedding, and that you will have at least one potential boarder appear (I won't say "a few" because that prejudices your decision when you meet the first). But neither of those things happens today, so we'll put them off for now.
--M. J. Young
johnosevens
Member
Once I'm up, I'll dose the Remove Fatigue. I don't need to be feeling 'unusual' when I do a job that involves lives. Could this spell be somehow addictive? Magical addiction? I hadn't considered the idea, but after my spell it does give me a moment's pause.
Putting aside further reflection for now - though it occurs to me this isn't the first time this has occurred to me - I'll head back to work, feeling the normal kind of 'rested.'
As for my borders, well, I'll need to meet them first.
Also, I will ask Captain Peter about standing in for my head of family, as Captain John is unavailable due to being at sea, and he is currently the closest thing I have to a father in this town (even if he has so far been functioning as an officer-shaped cardboard standee for me to work from behind, rather like what Miles Vorkosigan once tried, and failed, to pull off).
Also, this is me saying something in response to what you said about not saying anything about clothing, special clothing, or the complete lack thereof. By which I mean the lack of special clothing, rather than anyone's lack of clothing in general, unless you intend us to have a Betazoid wedding, which would be rather unusual.
I am aware of Betazoid wedding ceremony customs, and I don't see them working for Durnmist. Of course, that raises another possibility. Durnmist is (at least in my view of the world) the southernmost of the cities on the civilized side of the loop. They might get married in the equivalent of bathing suits or something like nightwear or undergarments. But that's really out there, I think. So, that was you saying something. Is what you are saying only that you acknowledge me asking, or what there actually content in there, such as that you'd like to see a, er, Betazoid approach?
If it's full Betazoid, that might put a damper on the guest list....
Captain Peter says it would be an honor; he mentions, though, that you did work for Chief Thomas for a while as a junior investigator before coming to fire watch; he doesn't know how long that was or whether Thomas knows you better than he does.
--M. J. Young
johnosevens
Member
No, no I was not at all implying I would like to do this in the Betazoid custom. I would imagine a certain degree of formality, though without the religious element it might be a bit more subdued (i.e. even the daughter of a textile tycoon probably isn't spending half a year's income on a dress she'll wear exactly once, a custom I still cannot begin to fathom in our world). For my own sake I could see appearing in the equivalent of a dress uniform (since we are still technically part of the Guard) or civilian formal wear, but again that's pretty close to home. Obviously it should be an occasion that calls for unusual dress, I'm just not certain how unusual you'd like to go; it is your world after all.
I'll explain that, while I did work for Chief Thomas a bit longer as a junior investigator - several months as opposed to a handful of weeks - I never worked with him directly quite so closely. I worked with a handful of senior investigators and spent most of my time either eyeballs deep in paperwork or out on street, whereas I have seen and worked with Captain Peter himself just about every day through some of the most mind-bending bookkeeping and planning I've ever done in my life (assuming the notes I've put to text here represent the Reader's Digest version of what we've actually done and not the whole of it), so I feel he would be the more appropriate person to ask, especially when you consider I haven't seen Chief Thomas since our little operation got under way and he may well have forgotten me by now.
Captain Peter sees your point, but suggests that Captain Thomas and some of your old crew ought to be invited as guests--if for no other reason than that you don't have that many.
(I've taken the clothing issue to the wedding design thread.)
The wedding is approaching rapidly; you've less than a month left. Arabella's father has suggested holding it in the meeting room of his factory, as it's large enough and has chairs. He's also hiring a caterer and a band, since it's at his address.
The matchmaker suggests that you should offer to provide a significant share of the party supplies, such as the beverages and anything else you think will help the festivities.
--M. J. Young
johnosevens
Member
I will put up for the beverages - do they have the concept of 'open bar' here? - including some of that excellent mead they make down at that one tavern by the docks that I like. Also, flowers and such, and anything else the matchmaker suggests, within reason.
I fully intend to invite my old crew, I just wasn't getting them into the wedding party. I will absolutely invite them all. And the General who approved our current operation. I'll invite him and his family as well.
I'm not exactly sure what an "open bar" would be and how it would differ from you providing beverages. That is, there's no such thing as mixed drinks, it's just beer, mead, ale, whiskey, rum, wine--an assortment of fermented and distilled products, and whatever you brought would be served until it was gone. It might be different if you held this at a tavern, because you could tell the innkeeper to keep track of what everyone drinks and you'll pay for it at the end, but given that it is at a private hall you'll have to buy the beverages and have them transported there.
Flowers are an excellent idea, and the matchmaker gives you the names of a few places that can get them in quantity if they have advance notice.
--M. J. Young
johnosevens
Member
I'll spend my next couple of off shifts getting to those places, so I can give the best one advance notice.
As for the drinks... well... I have no idea how to estimate that. I'll ask the matchmaker how much of what to order, and then see about ordering it. I doubt there are big centralized distilleries like Jack Daniels and such in town. I might have to buy a shipment of alcohol directly at the docks, depending on the demand, but I'll have to get the ale somewhere local - they probably don't even import ale. This feels like the kind of place where each tavern brews their own. In which case I'll order the ale from the same tavern I ordered the mead from, and see about getting the whisky and rum straight off the docks. Wine... wine is very subjective, so this too I'll ask the matchmaker about.
Given the importance of Arabella's family within the community, you will probably want three or perhaps to be safe four casks of the lighter beverages (the non-distilled sort), plus four or five kegs of an assortment of distilled spirits, of which rum and whiskey are the most readily available but you can get port, various brandies, and liquers in smaller kegs which are very popular and go just as far as the larger kegs of whiskey and rum. As long as you have variety, the specific quality of any one is not as serious an issue, as those who don't care for the mead will drink the rum, and so on.
--M. J. Young
Then I would say all is in readiness. You've dropped perhaps a hundred or so diktar on this easily, which is lavish for a wedding but you are a wealthy man marrying the daughter of a wealthy man, so lavish is the order of the day.
Unless you've some other preparations, we'll begin the wedding. I'll assume you have the opportunity to study the service (which has not yet been completed, but of course in the game world has existed in much the same form for generations). If you'd like, you can begin describing the beginning of the wedding in your next post, or you can tell me what else you want to do in preparation and I'll start the wedding as soon as we're past that.
--M. J. Young
johnosevens
Member
Other than what I've said before, nothing. It occurs to me that we are missing a golden opportunity to have the Fire Watch come out in their own unique dress uniforms and badges, but the process of getting something like that approved would probably take far too long. I'll have to put in a proposal for that to the General after, but I'll wait until our next big success to do so.
Since the ceremony proper is not yet complete out of game, and this remains your world no matter how much I've caused to be added to it in my three years of increasingly ludicrous sticking power, I'll let you decide when and how to begin.
I've written the script, which is in the other thread; but it needs a final closing action to mark that it is finished. Check that, I finished it.
So what I want from you is a bit of detail concerning exactly what you are wearing with your uniform. You were getting a shave and having your hair braided, as I recall (no, I cheat--I did not recall, I just read it a few minutes ago), but you were also adorning yourself with jewelry. The ceremony will include each of you donning a bracelet on your left wrists, so you will not want anything to interfere there.
That suggests another question for me. I'm assuming that the heads of house would officially pick the bracelets, but that's going to involve you indirectly, and you're going to pay half the cost (at least). I've got some ideas concerning what you might want to do with these design-wise, but I'll let you tell me. The only stipulations are that they are worn on the left wrists, can be donned easily during the ceremony with only the assistance of the heads of houses, and they are engraved with your names, "John and Arabella".
--M. J. Young
johnosevens
Member
I will suggest that they be made of something valuable, like silver or gold, and that their exact form take the shape of a Mobius Strip, because it is a symbol of infinity, which just strikes me as fitting on so many levels. (The idea being that they are essentially a long segmented chain, I'm picturing something visually akin to a flexible watch band, that goes around the wrist twice and clips to itself on one side.) Despite this, I will ask that mine be easily removable, since I can't wear it while I'm working for safety reasons.
As for the uniform... I really should have thought of putting the Fire Watch in their own dress uniforms ages ago. Alas. Aside from my grooming, I will need advice on what to wear. There are two ready sources of that information: the matchmaker, who I have been pestering for information all along, and the salesperson or jeweler from whom I am buying my shinies. I need something rich but tasteful, the right balance of wealth and taste. I also prefer things that are a bit softer in terms of form or design than are typically 'masculine' (I often have to be warned that something I am about to do, wear, or choose is too 'girly') so I will want some sage advice that way as well - some eye toward Durnmist gentlemanly fashion so as not to make a public spectacle of myself without realizing it. I prefer silver, platinum, or white gold over traditional yellow gold - with my Mediterranean skin and the darkened color of two years at sea, yellow gold makes me look sickly.
Ah, but the medieval English and Germans always thought the medieval Spanish and Italian styles too effeminate, so it may be a cultural clash there.
Concerning your purchase of jewelry, I'll assume you have enough lead time to get what you want, and although gold is readily available silver is also used, and platinum, but the latter very rare and very expensive. You'll be paying for platinum bracelets, probably with emeralds. In Durnmist, emeralds are the easiest stone to get, but there is an assumption that other stones are also imported from other locations (never detailed in the scenario) so you can get what you like.
I notice that your eye color is not listed on my copy of your sheet. My mind tells me that they're a light brown, but possibly a murky green, and I'm really bad at eye color, so please do not be offended if I'm completely wrong.
I've discussed the bracelets further in the wedding thread.
As to distinctive uniforms for the firefighters, at present they are regarded a specialist unit within the watch, and thus it would be more appropriate to create a patch or other emblem (something like your cord) that marks them as trained for firefighting but retains the watch uniform generally. You are, after all, still members of the watch charged with fighting crime. You just happen to be specialists in fires.
--M. J. Young
johnosevens
Member
As for the uniforms, specialist cords work just fine. Where the Investigators wear gold cords while on duty, the Fire Watch will wear red. Why? Because fire is red, fire engines are red (even though most of them are inexplicably yellow now. whoever heard of a yellow fire engine? silliness...) and red is easily visible and distinctive. So yes, red cords.
I also have addressed the bracelets in the wedding thread.
In general I would prefer to wear silver, especially if we are using platinum for the bracelets.
My eyes are very solidly brown. I wish they were green. I might fix that when I get to a world where such magic is possible. I wonder if I could use a Remove Impurities spell for that? Probably not - I'd wind up with albino pink eyes purifying all the pigment out. Oh well.
As to culture clash, this is another reason why it's good to ask for advice, so I don't come off looking like a Frenchman at an English ball.
I'm still working on the bracelet over in the wedding thread.
Fire trucks were red because it was long believed that red was the most distinct and noticeable color, and thus that we would see a red truck (or wagon) most easily. In the twentieth century we developed a variety of fluorescent colors, though, which were brighter and more apparent than simple reds, and so the arguments for red wore thin and the new colors were put into use.
Let us then begin. You and Captain Peter are standing outside the room, watching people gather, greeting them cordially. They are milling about inside. One woman, a bit past middle aged and definitely overly fluffy, comes running up flustered after most are inside, "Oh, I'm not too late, am I? No, I can see not. I'm coming! Hold the door."
Captain Peter smiles at you as the woman greets you a bit distractedly and rushes into the room.
"I guess it's time," Peter says. "You know your part?"
He steps through the door into the room.
--M. J. Young
johnosevens
Member
"I know it," I answer, "but knowing it, and remembering when it counts are two different things." I'll probably be blotting the sweat from my palms on the hem of my uniform by now, and admonishing myself not to. Thank the gods I was an amateur actor before I verse out - I'm not that bad at remembering lines. And I've had how long to rehearse this?
I run the lines in my head as I follow him in.
I walk to the front of the room, and wait a moment for the crowd to settle. Even if the crowd is already settled. It gives me a moment to settle. Clear my throat while no one is listening yet. Turn to face the crowd, without making it obvious I'm looking for Arabella.
Then, in my best projecting-to-fill-the-theater voice, "I am Commander John Caldwell Sevenwind, and it is my intention this day to become husband of Arabella, daughter of Jacob son of Fabri, if she will have me." Have me? Accept me? Oh bugger I hope that was close enough. Keep a straight face and don't let the audience realize you blew a line...
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