*You dream about wood, smoke, a fire elemental and a wood elemental doing a dance on your head, with sirens going off in the background. You then feel cold all over, and you are prone, you smell, hot dogs?*
Harry's Habits
(65 posts) (3 voices)-
This post is simply to connect this thread back to the previous one, Harry's Game.
--M. J. Young
Tue Nov 16 2010 5:30 am # -
Jhiaxus
Member*There are no flames, you are intact and healthy*
*You see an alley, you also see a man in a hotdog cart, you see people walking the streets of a busy city, it looks modern, but has the familiar brownstones that have become fashionable in the last half century, you do catch glimpse of a tall ultramodern skyscraper from your vantage point though*
Tue Nov 16 2010 1:36 pm # -
johnosevens
Member"Ah, crap," I think, "Modern world. No magic, probably no psionics. But at least they have modern facilities. Flush toilets..."
I get up and feel around, not physically but looking for my vectors. I don't know if Arabella came with me or not - I hope she did, awkward though this is going to be to explain.
First thing I need to do is make sure my Watch coat is covering my swords and gun. It might have been a sign of station in Durnmist but that sort of thing is a good way to get arrested anywhere modern. Best to keep my armaments out of the public eye.
Once that's done, I'll bypass the hotdog guy and have a look around, trying to get my bearings on my vectors.
Wed Nov 17 2010 2:42 am # -
Jhiaxus
Member*You look around, you feel a vector(s) to your west, it is where your home would be you think if everything were layed out like in your last world.*
*You cover yourself up, and walk out into the street, you are getting looks about your clothing, everyone is wearing ultra high end clothing, most of it form and fuctional, it looks like jumpsuits are the new Jacket and Tie, the streets are clean, and perfect. Other than the smell of hotdogs, there is none of that city smell, and that is usually a good thing.*
*You see old buildings mixed with new, cars are all hovercraft, no wheels, no emissions, very I Robot like, you see a man rush past you very fast, way too fast for normal, being perused by what are obviously cops, he runs into the alley and zips behind corners really fast.*
Wed Nov 17 2010 5:03 pm # -
Jhiaxus
Member*You head west, there is a busy street, 53rd Ave, you follow it for a about a mile, still not there yet, you see many billboards, this is defiantly New York City, just not the NY you have been to. It is clean, and bright, and safe to walk down the streets. You see smiling posters for HAND Law Enforcement, with slogans like "We are here to keep all of us safe." and "Crime will lead to punishment."*
*You goto what looks to be a park, and Arabella there in her dress, sitting on a bench, with both of your things surrounding her, she does not see you yet and looks confused*
((6 GE roll))
Thu Nov 18 2010 12:01 am # -
johnosevens
MemberI walk over and sit beside her, let her register that it's me, and put an arm around her shoulders.
"Welcome to the weirdest reality of my life. I'd hoped to have a few more decades before I had to explain about this, but I suppose the gods are not subtle, and now is the time..."
I'll see how she reacts before going on.
Thu Nov 18 2010 4:50 am # -
Jhiaxus
Member*GE roll 20, Charisma 19, best result, Willpower 36, failed, Slap 98 botch, miss attack*
*She hears you being flippant, and just hears liar, and tries to slap you, and misses, your voice and tone calm her down, and then she starts sobbing uncontrollably, not knowing what is going on, but knows it's likely life changing*
Thu Nov 18 2010 10:15 pm # -
johnosevens
MemberI think for a moment. There's really nothing about "Harry" that I miss any more. After three years of living better than I ever did at home, and knowing that by now there's no one left who misses me... There is no "Harry" any more. I'll never pick that name up again.
"I really am John Caldwell Sevenwind, but I was never a fisherman's nephew. Before I went to sea I was a librarian and an actor.
"As for why I lied to you... this is all very new to me, too. Where we are now is not your world, and your world was not my world. But your world was the first one I ever really landed on after mine. I wasn't really sure how to explain it in a way that would make any sense. If I hadn't seen it first before anybody explained it to me, I probably wouldn't have gotten it myself, and I didn't want you to think I was crazy, or making something up to try to impress you.
"If you want to know what's going on, I can tell you all about it. Tell you everything... I want you to stick with me. Being married to you is the best thing that ever happened to me."
Fri Nov 19 2010 4:32 am # -
Jhiaxus
Member*She nods slowly*
"I guess I have a few questions, what does that make me, it sounds like I died, or you die, and I came with, is it the same thing? So where are we, where is this? Why is our stuff just laying here with us? So what do I do now? If I am not in the same world, and with you, my purpose is not there anymore, other than being married. I was looking for a husband to take the burden off my family and improve our lot in life, but now, I guess I will never see them again will I?
*she isn't sobbing anymore, just in shock*
Fri Nov 19 2010 5:42 pm # -
johnosevens
Member"What it makes you is two things: a Verser, and an Associate. If you die here, you wake up somewhere else, on your own. If I die here, I wake up somewhere else, and you do too. Oh, and you'll never get old. That's another weird little thing about it. Once you Verse out you never get a day older ever again. I've been 23 for four years. And you're still my wife. That part doesn't change.
"As for our stuff... it comes with us, too. Everything you have on you when you leave, plus a certain weight limit of other things you own and care about. How much you drag along seems to be dependent on how many worlds you've gone through.
"Where we are is... New York City, but not any version of it I've seen before. Finding out is kindof the whole point. Oh yeah - you have to figure out over time what your ... your philosophy of the Verse is. People who never settle on something to believe in eventually go insane. Not overnight. You're not in danger. Just, something to think about.
"And your family's lot in life will improve anyway. Remember I did two years at sea before I settled down, and we owned a house. Once the Watch office confirms me dead, they'll go through my assets. They'll find my account with the Sardic shipping office. Your family is the closest thing I had to locatable kin. They will get all of that, plus our house. It doesn't diminish their work, but inheriting my fortune certainly won't hurt them. They'll be alright, and so will you. You still have me to watch out for you, only now... now you'll be able to learn things that will let you take care of yourself. Things you never imagined before."
After a few minutes...
"The ceiling fell on me. In case you were wondering how it happened. Louie's Place - you know, the Korgan place across from the office - had a fire in the kitchen. We had it contained but the fire got into the floorboards of the second floor, and when we shocked the room with water, the ceiling fell on me."
Fri Nov 19 2010 10:31 pm # -
Jhiaxus
Member*She nods slowly as you tell her the whole story*
"So the question is, what do we do now, our stuff is here, shall we gather it and figure out what to do here? I won't age, or grow old and die? Well that makes sense, it was a dangerous job."
*She seems content to leave this spot*
Sat Nov 20 2010 10:07 am # -
johnosevens
Member"Yes, we have to gather our things.
"The first thing we need to find is shelter. I don't know this city very well, but... I once lived just the other side of the river, or, a version of the river. If the towns are still the same, I may be able to find help there.
"And, right, you won't grow old, and dying just means Versing out. You can still get hurt, sick, poisoned, at least until we figure out ways to become immune to those things. Which is possible. I think. Just, not for us, yet... We have to figure it out."
Once we have our things gathered, I'll start angling west and north, heading for the George Washington Bridge.
Sat Nov 20 2010 10:30 am # -
Jhiaxus
Member((GE 14))
*You gather your things, and Arabella packs hers away. She has a trunk, and it doesn't have wheels on it, it is not suited for travel without being carried*
"That doesn't sound pleasant at all, I shall have to think more on how to react to this."
*You make it back out to a main street, you see a lot of jumpsuits on men, and women, but then on some women, next to no clothes, small halter tops, and boy shorts, and no one bats an eyelash, but Arabella stops and tugs on your sleeve.*
"Why are those women almost naked, and in public, with men? *She seems half repulsed, and half curious about this situation.*
Sat Nov 20 2010 6:19 pm # -
johnosevens
Member"Because it's a different culture. It doesn't have quite so bad a meaning here. It's still not entirely proper, but it is accepted. It doesn't mean they're whores, or anything like that."
I'm guessing it's also summer, which means we're probably roasting.
As for her trunk, I'll carry it as best I can, and resort to TK Pulsing it along once that becomes annoying.
Sun Nov 21 2010 12:26 am # -
johnosevens
MemberThe GWB isn't there? Well, shit...
"In my time there was a bridge here..."
Let's sit by the river and catch our breath, and look around. Is there a ferry? Do cars seem to just fly right over? Do people seem to just fly right over? Do as the natives, I suppose.
Sun Nov 21 2010 7:17 pm # -
Jhiaxus
Member*She looks at you*
"Well at least I'm not the only one off balance."
*You look around, no ferries, the cars to hover, and fly, but not by any means you can discern, you do see taxies, and buses, both hovering, and you do see lights in the water to maybe discern a road to follow?*
Sun Nov 21 2010 9:04 pm # -
johnosevens
Member"Well, we don't have any of the local currency, so we won't be able to get transportation out of town. We could go find someplace to sell some of the diktar I have on me, try to get blended in that way.
"We're going to have to do that pretty soon anyway. We'll need a place to stay tonight and something to eat. Are you doing alright that way? Hungry?"
Mon Nov 22 2010 5:00 am # -
Jhiaxus
Member((Sorry Harry I was looking for new posts, somehow it didn't show up as it, and went down the list))
*She nods, confused*
"Doesn't everyone use diktar? I am getting peckish, perhaps we can find some employment?"
*You look around there look to be terminals on every street corner*
Wed Nov 24 2010 4:51 pm # -
johnosevens
Member((That seems to happen a lot.))
"Everyone on your world uses diktar," I answer, "Here they use something else. Probably many somethings else if this world is anything at all like my own. Most people don't trade in gold coins here, which makes our diktar worth considerably more than their face value - enough for some people to kill for, which is why I don't want to go flashing them around.
"We need a pawn shop - a place that buys things without asking questions. We can sell one or two of them for enough to get by. I had about a hundred on me at work, plus whatever you had left of the grocery budget at home. Those I'll want to sell to a goldsmith or a jeweler, since they'll pay a fairer price, but a pawn shop will let us eat today, and buy us a trunk with wheels.
"And yeah, jobs would be a good idea. So would an apartment. Seeing as we only have so much time before we're too tired to work and businesses start closing for the night, let's find a pawn shop first. We can't adventure hungry and we can't eat without money..."
If she's on board with that, we'll look around. If this New York is anything like the New York I could throw a stone at from my bedroom window, there's probably a 'We Buy Gold' sign in a window every few blocks, especially near a major transportation hub like the George Washington... Creepy Air Bridge Thing.
Wed Nov 24 2010 5:18 pm # -
Jhiaxus
Member((GE Roll 14))
*They aren't like they were when you were in NYC, but there is a shop that looks like an upscale place, but you can only dress up a pawn shop so much*
*She nods*
"I will follow your lead, since I don't know what I am doing"
*You see a man in one of the jumpsuits, behind the counter, you see various electronics, but nothing that looks like what you know, you see weapons, gold, jewelry, knick knacks, you see nothing twentieth century or earlier.*
"How may I help you sir?"
J
Wed Nov 24 2010 5:32 pm # -
johnosevens
MemberActually, I don't want to go directly to the pawn shop. I want to find a newspaper stand first. If printed newspapers still exist, the financial section will have the going rate for gold by the ounce, which will give me a leg up in telling if the pawn shop guy is ripping me off, and by how much.
Thu Nov 25 2010 2:06 am # -
Jhiaxus
Member*Newspapers do not look like they exist, there are no newspaper stands, nor do you see the sidewalk stores selling anything, this New York City is very, sterile, compared to what you are used to. The only thing that resembles anything are the thin terminals posted on the corners people see to browse through*
Thu Nov 25 2010 2:08 am # -
Jhiaxus
Member*You see the terminal has a very apple Ipad like face, and in fact it's a 200th Generation Ipad, you navigate through the apps, and you find gold is worth $240,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 an ounce. You also find a dollar back in your time is worth about 100x more than now, so you can do the math on your own that something has changed.*
*Aribella had no idea what you are doing, but she is looking at the screen in wide eyed wonder*
Thu Nov 25 2010 2:46 pm # -
johnosevens
Member"It's designed to be very simple," I explain. If she's interested I'll show her how it works. "I don't really know how the underlying technology works - touch-screens were state-of-the-art in my day - but I know how to use them, mostly."
Wow, hyperinflation much? I'm half tempted to see if we somehow managed 400 years of Republican rule, but I don't feel like tempting fate by looking it up. What's the date, anyway?
So, given my reference frame, gold is worth - in 2010 dollars - 2.4 ... pentillion? $2.4 x 10^19. Per ounce. And I have 200 ounces of gold on my person. This is going to be a really F'ed up world...
"According to this, the bad of diktar we brought with us is worth several orders of magnitude more money than I think exists on this planet. This is going to be a very interesting world.
"Considering I was dirt poor when I left my homeworld, it's been two worlds in a row of wealth since. I could get used to that."I'll give her a quick kiss, hopefully she'll forgive my babbling, and then it's off to the pawn shop, to see how much gold he can afford to buy.
Before we go in, though, I'd like to stop in an alleyway or a bathroom, somewhere secluded, to make sure my pistol is loaded. You walk into a pawn shop and go 'how much gold can you afford to buy?' and he shoots you to find out how much you've got on you. I'm not taking that chance.Thu Nov 25 2010 5:13 pm # -
Jhiaxus
Member*She is interested, this is quite a jump up, so we'll see how the roll is, wow a 12 with your example and teaching will give her a 1@1 Advanced Touch Screen Interface T11@3, she picks it up easily with your instruction, perhaps giving you pause*
"Ok, so the this screen you say has moving pictures that represents information, so it's a bit like an newspaper that you can manipulate without turning the pages."
*She beams*
"Not that I'm a greedy woman, but I would like to see what the fruits of the future has to offer. That sounds like we are not going to have for want here."
*She kisses you back*
*You slip into an alley, the cleanest you've ever seen, and it doesn't smell like piss, and you check your pistol, make sure it's shot is loaded*
Thu Nov 25 2010 6:12 pm # -
Jhiaxus
Member*You walk in, you see the man above saying the same thing above.*
*He has a look on his face, half shock, half greed.*
"If what you have really is Gold, no man could ever afford to buy one ounce, unless you were willing to take far less. Even half of it's value, is more than most will see in 10 lifetimes. We haven't had gold since the Psionics Wars of the 2060's. Most countries base their currency on having one ounce of gold. The USE, has six ounces, three more than any other, and is the world power. I mean, maybe if you will willing to barter, I could hit all the other shops in New York, get you items, legal and illegal, perhaps some genetic alteration, to give you the half the value of one ounce of gold."
*He waits for your response*
Fri Nov 26 2010 3:34 pm # -
johnosevens
Member"Give me a moment to confer with my wife..."
I draw her back toward the door, hopefully out of earshot, and explain to her what all of that just meant, and ask what she thinks we should do with enough money to buy and sell the entire planet several times over. "One thing we should not do is involve ourselves with a pawn broker we don't even know."
Fri Nov 26 2010 8:07 pm # -
johnosevens
Member"Legitimate routes? Nothing, but we may have some illegitimate routes, eventually.
"The first thing we need now is legal protection. We're people without a country, without ID like you said, and with something on us that will make us a target.
"The way I see it, we can either trust this guy - sell him a coin and see what he can come up with for it, making sure that includes some version of ID - or we can try to go totally above-board. Find us an attorney, and some bodyguards, and hawk our coins to the highest-bidding nation. Obviously the second should be our long-term plan, but which do you think we should go for right now?"
Sat Nov 27 2010 7:13 am # -
johnosevens
Member"Hey, I like my pistol..."
I pout at her for a moment for suggesting that.
"Oh, alright..."
I use the loading rod to carefully unload the pistol without firing it, then go back to the pawn broker. "I double-checked the weight and it turns out it's fake. Pyrite. I'd like to offer you something else, though, if you're able."
Sat Nov 27 2010 5:31 pm # -
Jhiaxus
Member*He nods and presses a button and relaxes*
"Let me check out this "antique" hmm."
*He checks it over for a good 10 minutes*
"Well the wood and metal is aged right, nothing fake about the age, it's marking don't match anything in the book. Either this is a really good fake, or a one of a kind offering. Either way, I would have to bring in an expert to verify. He's in the city, for something like this he would be here within two hours. If you would like to wait, I can offer you something to drink, and some pastries."
Sun Nov 28 2010 1:37 pm # -
johnosevens
Member"It's fully functional," I tell him, "Whether or not it counts as 'antique' I couldn't tell you. But sure, we can wait."
I'll look and see if there are any of those corner terminals nearby, somewhere to read the news, and perhaps a little history. Like what is the Psionics War and how prevalent ARE Psionics here. Where do they go for training? Are they legal? That sort of thing...
Sun Nov 28 2010 10:35 pm #
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