Chapter 2: Diversions

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Solomoriah
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Chapter 2: Diversions

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Mak wrote:Before he goes into his own room, he knocks on Lily's door to see if she's in.
"Yes?" said the young, plainly dressed woman who answered the door, obviously unsure who Artie was.

"Oh, Catherine, that's Artie. He's here for me," said Lily. "Are you ready to talk about tonight's show?" she said, addressing Artie. "Let's go to the lounge, okay?"

As they walked to the lounge, Lily said, "I've never worked such a, you know, close gig before. Just me and a piano and the audience practically in my lap. I'm a little nervous, y'know? So if you've got some ideas what numbers we should do, I'm all ears."
crazycrypt wrote:Waiting till Artie leaves, Tom will then also leave and head towards his quarters to get ready for bed. He will take a shower before bed if possible and then will go to bed when second shift comes on duty.
Tommy cleaned up, hung up his uniform, and retired to the sleeping quarters. There he found Lt. Neville, Third Steward Brandon, and Second Engineer Lusk in conversation. As soon as Tommy entered, a hush fell over the small chamber. "Well, Mister Lusk," said Neville, after an uncomfortable pause, "it's time we were on duty." With that, both men slipped by Tommy and went their separate ways.
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Re: Chapter II

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Solomoriah wrote:
Mak wrote:Before he goes into his own room, he knocks on Lily's door to see if she's in.
"Yes?" said the young, plainly dressed woman who answered the door, obviously unsure who Artie was.

"Oh, Catherine, that's Artie. He's here for me," said Lily. "Are you ready to talk about tonight's show?" she said, addressing Artie. "Let's go to the lounge, okay?"
Artie steps aside to let Lily exit, but then peeks his head around the corner to look at Catherine. "Pleased to meet you, Catherine," he says, smiling. "I saw you in the lounge before with that stone thingamagummie, didn't I? I gotta tell ya, just looking at it gave me a kind of... weird feeling. Like a low, faraway voice was speaking to me and that I should stop playing and listen. Strange, huh? I hope you're not planning on keeping it around the lounge as a conversation piece... we might not get any music-making done then!" he adds, jokingly, but watching her intently to see how she reacts to his statement.
As they walked to the lounge, Lily said, "I've never worked such a, you know, close gig before. Just me and a piano and the audience practically in my lap. I'm a little nervous, y'know? So if you've got some ideas what numbers we should do, I'm all ears."
"You'll be great, Lily," says Artie reassuringly. "You can just stick by the piano if you're nervous. That's the classic way to do it. Some singers like to walk around a small venue but, personally, I just think it's asking for trouble: too much chance of colliding with a waiter or tripping on the carpet. But that's just me. As for numbers... do you know the songbook from Porgy and Bess*? I just love those songs. I could play 'em till the cows come home. Maybe intersperse them with some favourites: Honeysuckle Rose, Ain't Misbehavin', On the Sunny Side of the Street... But you know, I can follow you with anything. You gotta sing what you love. I'll keep up, don't worry."
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* Porgy and Bess premiered in Boston in September 1935 but closed in December after a short New York run. Don't ask me how Artie would know the music....
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Re: Chapter II

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Solomoriah wrote:Tommy cleaned up, hung up his uniform, and retired to the sleeping quarters. There he found Lt. Neville, Third Steward Brandon, and Second Engineer Lusk in conversation. As soon as Tommy entered, a hush fell over the small chamber. "Well, Mister Lusk," said Neville, after an uncomfortable pause, "it's time we were on duty." With that, both men slipped by Tommy and went their separate ways.
As Tom enters the room he looks in the direction of the two men standing there. As the attempt to slip by, Tom will step to the side and say, "Good luck on your shift gentlemen." (He may not like to many people, but he knows that he has to keep a good impression for his crewmates at this time.)
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Re: Chapter II

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Mak wrote:Artie steps aside to let Lily exit, but then peeks his head around the corner to look at Catherine. "Pleased to meet you, Catherine," he says, smiling. "I saw you in the lounge before with that stone thingamagummie, didn't I? I gotta tell ya, just looking at it gave me a kind of... weird feeling. Like a low, faraway voice was speaking to me and that I should stop playing and listen. Strange, huh? I hope you're not planning on keeping it around the lounge as a conversation piece... we might not get any music-making done then!" he adds, jokingly, but watching her intently to see how she reacts to his statement.
Catherine looked at Artie, seemingly dumbfounded, for a few seconds; then, eyes flashing, she said, "You're teasing me." She turned with an almost audible snap and walked to the window, pointedly ignoring him.
Mak wrote:"You'll be great, Lily," says Artie reassuringly. "You can just stick by the piano if you're nervous. That's the classic way to do it. Some singers like to walk around a small venue but, personally, I just think it's asking for trouble: too much chance of colliding with a waiter or tripping on the carpet. But that's just me. As for numbers... do you know the songbook from Porgy and Bess*? I just love those songs. I could play 'em till the cows come home. Maybe intersperse them with some favourites: Honeysuckle Rose, Ain't Misbehavin', On the Sunny Side of the Street... But you know, I can follow you with anything. You gotta sing what you love. I'll keep up, don't worry."
"I don't know anything from Porgy and Bess, but if you have the sheet music I'll try to learn them. I do know those others," she continued, and with a sly smile said "I particularly like Ain't Misbehavin'."
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Re: Chapter II

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crazycrypt wrote:As Tom enters the room he looks in the direction of the two men standing there. As the attempt to slip by, Tom will step to the side and say, "Good luck on your shift gentlemen." (He may not like to many people, but he knows that he has to keep a good impression for his crewmates at this time.)
Neville only nodded as he passed by, but Mr. Lusk paused, smiling broadly, and said "Thank you, mate. Sleep well."
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Re: Chapter II

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Simon Lars arrived at last in the sleeping quarters. The room contained six bunks, arranged almost haphazardly around the walls of the room in the most space-efficient arrangement the designers could think of. Lars saw that Mansel and Brandon were already in bed, though both appeared restless yet and were likely not asleep. Another bunk was occupied by a cook whose name Lars had not learned yet. Of the three remaining bunks, one would be for Lt. Sullivan, who seemed not to have arrived yet; in fact, Lars could not remember seeing him. Must be with the passengers, he mused. He selected one of the remaining bunks and tried to get comfortable, though he knew it would be several days before he adapted to his new sleeping schedule.
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Re: Chapter II

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Solomoriah wrote:Catherine looked at Artie, seemingly dumbfounded, for a few seconds; then, eyes flashing, she said, "You're teasing me." Then she turned with an almost audible snap and walked to the window, pointedly ignoring him.
As Artie and Lily walk toward the lounge, talking about their music, Artie takes advantage of a pause in the conversation to say, "I wasn't teasing your cabin-mate about the stone thingie. It really did creep me out, you know, in a very peculiar way. And I'm not easily spooked and I don't have a wild imagination -- well, not outside of music, anyway. I guess she thinks I'm a jerk who's seen The Mummy* too many times..."
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The Mummy (1932) with Boris Karloff as Im-ho-tep.
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Re: Chapter II

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Mak wrote:
Solomoriah wrote:Catherine looked at Artie, seemingly dumbfounded, for a few seconds; then, eyes flashing, she said, "You're teasing me." Then she turned with an almost audible snap and walked to the window, pointedly ignoring him.
As Artie and Lily walk toward the lounge, talking about their music, Artie takes advantage of a pause in the conversation to say, "I wasn't teasing your cabin-mate about the stone thingie. It really did creep me out, you know, in a very peculiar way. And I'm not easily spooked and I don't have a wild imagination -- well, not outside of music, anyway. I guess she thinks I'm a jerk who's seen The Mummy* too many times..."
Lily glanced at Artie, sidelong, and he thought he saw a warning in her eyes. "You're taking it a bit far, aren't you?" she asked, in a chilly tone.

GM Note: In the lounge deck plan, the table holding chairs 19-22 has been removed and replaced with the piano.

Entering the lounge, Artie saw that it was still about half full. Of course, as it was the only public place aboard where passengers could relax, that was only to be expected. He knew that many of the passengers had skipped the noon meal, having eaten entirely too much at brunch.

Looking around, he saw Miss Emily 12 and Baron Von Malum 12 playing chess at one table; at another, he saw four men playing a card game (evidently not poker, as no money lay on the table). Artie thought that the men playing cards had been at the Captain's table at brunch, except one, the only one he recognized: Cesar de Falco. 26

The table to the right of the door was occupied by Dr. Burton, 13 the British businessman, 14 and Steven Vance, 18 all poring over a pile of eight-by-ten photographs. Glancing at them, Artie saw that they depicted paintings and engravings on the walls of some ruin. At the far end of the table 16 he saw another man, the nondescript smiling fellow who had followed Dr. Burton earlier as he returned the Totem to the cargo hold. Artie was glad to see that item not in evidence.

He took in the scene in a moment, then turned to the piano. Lily was waiting for him. "Why don't you play a bit more, let me get a feel for how the room sounds, and then maybe we'll try a song or two. It's early yet, you know."
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Re: Chapter II

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Will sat in the lounge, looking the room over, more than a bit restive. He hadn't advanced his position any, and in fact might have made at least one crewman suspicious. He was definitely off his game.

He watched the men playing cards; he wasn't sure what they were playing, but they seemed to be having a good time of it. Reginald Monday 25 had arranged the game, inviting Cesar de Falco, 26 Phillipe, 23 and the handsome fellow to whom Doriane had been speaking. 24

Even ignoring Monday, every man at that table had plenty of money, of that Will was sure. How to get some of it, that was the question.
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Re: Chapter II

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Solomoriah wrote:
Mak wrote:As Artie and Lily walk toward the lounge, talking about their music, Artie takes advantage of a pause in the conversation to say, "I wasn't teasing your cabin-mate about the stone thingie. It really did creep me out, you know, in a very peculiar way. And I'm not easily spooked and I don't have a wild imagination -- well, not outside of music, anyway. I guess she thinks I'm a jerk who's seen The Mummy* too many times..."
Lily glanced at Artie, sidelong, and he thought he saw a warning in her eyes. "You're taking it a bit far, aren't you?" she asked, in a chilly tone.
Oh man, groans Artie inwardly. That's what I get for being honest about my feelings. Everyone wants the strong, silent type these days. Damn that Hemingway. I guess I'll just have to shut up about it.
He took in the scene in a moment, then turned to the piano. Lily was waiting for him. "Why don't you play a bit more, let me get a feel for how the room sounds, and then maybe we'll try a song or two. It's early yet, you know."
Artie nods and sits down. He starts to play:
"As Time Goes By" (written by Herman Hupfeld in 1930)
"I Got Rhythm" (the Gershwins, 1930)
"How Deep Is the Ocean" (Berlin, 1932)
"Sophisticated Lady" (Ellington, 1932)
"I'm in the Mood for Love" (1935)
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