Chapter 1: Calm Before The Storm

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Rosisha
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Re: Chapter I: Calm Before The Storm

Post by Rosisha »

--- "So how are you getting on, Mister Lars?" asked Neville. "Seems I heard the Head Steward lining you out in the corridor." ---

Lars eats slowly and carefully, being sure to chew well and swallow, and not make to much of a mess. A dignified and careful approach to his meal. He sips at his water and grimaces thoughtfully, "Aye, nothing more serious then a tad bit of over diligence. Ever since working on the Westland PV-3 project, I've had an interest in frame integrity. Engines are still my profession and specialty though." He laughs and sips at his drink, and diverts the conversation to past planes he has worked on, engines, etc. He makes sure to ask lots of questions so that everyone feels included in the conversation.

He keeps his eyes on Mansel, and as conversation moved on, Lars leaned over to Mansel and nodded to him, "Something the matter friend? You seem to be building castles in the clouds." He smiles politely and waits for him to respond.

ACTIONS


Lars is looking for Mansel to confide in him, and will approach him passively so that Mansel latches on to him, and not the other way around. Lars is aiming to be a shoulder to cry on, nothing more. He also doesn't want to appear more then the concerned shipmate.

If nothing else of interest occurs he will eat and slip out with Mr. Green in order to go about his duties and appear as a good worker.
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Solomoriah
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Re: Chapter I: Calm Before The Storm

Post by Solomoriah »

Rosisha wrote:Lars eats slowly and carefully, being sure to chew well and swallow, and not make to much of a mess. A dignified and careful approach to his meal. He sips at his water and grimaces thoughtfully, "Aye, nothing more serious then a tad bit of over diligence. Ever since working on the Westland PV-3 project, I've had an interest in frame integrity. Engines are still my profession and specialty though." He laughs and sips at his drink, and diverts the conversation to past planes he has worked on, engines, etc. He makes sure to ask lots of questions so that everyone feels included in the conversation.
"Yes, I've heard of that airplane," replied Neville. "First to fly over Everest, in all the news, all that rot. But that was a few years ago... what've you been doing since then?"

DM Note: As the attempt at conversation between Lars and Mansel is player-to-player, I'm not taking a part in it. I leave it to you guys to deal with it. Nice to finally have PCs meet, though. :D
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Rosisha
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Re: Chapter I: Calm Before The Storm

Post by Rosisha »

Solomoriah wrote: "Yes, I've heard of that airplane," replied Neville. "First to fly over Everest, in all the news, all that rot. But that was a few years ago... what've you been doing since then?"
Lars smiles, "That was the one!" He considers for a moment: "I've been working on engine design and development at the Bristol Engine Company. Some experimental development, but also work with the Bulldog. However, about a year ago, I transferred to the Blenheim project, which should be seen in the skies soon. However, it is good to be back out in the world again. I prefer actually working on real engines, instead of a mockup for a test!"
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crazycrypt
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Re: Chapter I: Calm Before The Storm

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Rosisha wrote:--- "So how are you getting on, Mister Lars?" asked Neville. "Seems I heard the Head Steward lining you out in the corridor." ---

Lars eats slowly and carefully, being sure to chew well and swallow, and not make to much of a mess. A dignified and careful approach to his meal. He sips at his water and grimaces thoughtfully, "Aye, nothing more serious then a tad bit of over diligence. Ever since working on the Westland PV-3 project, I've had an interest in frame integrity. Engines are still my profession and specialty though." He laughs and sips at his drink, and diverts the conversation to past planes he has worked on, engines, etc. He makes sure to ask lots of questions so that everyone feels included in the conversation.

He keeps his eyes on Mansel, and as conversation moved on, Lars leaned over to Mansel and nodded to him, "Something the matter friend? You seem to be building castles in the clouds." He smiles politely and waits for him to respond.

ACTIONS


Lars is looking for Mansel to confide in him, and will approach him passively so that Mansel latches on to him, and not the other way around. Lars is aiming to be a shoulder to cry on, nothing more. He also doesn't want to appear more then the concerned shipmate.

If nothing else of interest occurs he will eat and slip out with Mr. Green in order to go about his duties and appear as a good worker.

Tom looks up at Lars with his usual stern look that never seems to leave his face, swallows his mouthful of food, and says, "Nothing more wrong then the usual trials of life, why do you ask?"

Actions:
Tom gives Lars a quick look over and realizes that he is not the typical type that Tom would befriend, however, that type doesn't seem to be present on the ship. Since Lars is part of the crew, Tom figures that he should be nice to him and all of the crew, for now, in order to see who he can really trust. Tom is hoping for a smooth ride all the way to the destination point, however, in his past he knows that is not the typical case and wants to make sure he knows who on the crew he can really trust if something does go wrong.

Tom will finish his meal, talking to those that speak to him first, and then will head off toward the Crew Quarters to try and relax a bit before it is time for him to take his show and head to bed. If he is unable to relax in the Crew Quarters then he will explore a bit looking for a quiet place that he can relax.
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Solomoriah
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Re: Chapter I: Calm Before The Storm

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Tom speaks little during the meal; other than Simon Lars, none of the crew seem particularly interested in talking to him. Lars, on the other hand, is quite active in the conversation, and quickly finds himself liking Lt. Neville.

Finishing his meal, Tom Mansel took his plate to the kitchen, then set about finding a quiet place to relax. Such a place seemed not to exist; there seemed to be no room on either deck of the gondola not filled with passengers, crew, or cargo. Finally, he discovered the aft balcony on A deck: an ornate wrought duralumin railing overlooking the ocean far below. It was cold, true, between the altitude and the shadow of the envelope above, but as a consequence nobody was out there. As the balcony was sheltered from the wind Tom found it not too uncomfortable. He pulled his jacket close around him and looked out at the view.

Behind the ship Tom could see the coast receding. The Morgana had spent a bit more than two hours crossing the southwestern part of England; according to the flight plan, Tom knew that Tintagel should be right in front of him (that is, directly behind the ship) but he didn't know that part of the country well enough to know if they were right on course or not.

But nobody was bothering him, so Tom didn't let that bother him either.

GM Note: I don't know if we'll see any further posts from Will Thornton before Monday, but I'm waiting to see what he does next before moving on.
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Mak
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Re: Chapter I: Calm Before The Storm

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Solomoriah wrote:The lounge was about half filled at the time, mostly the people at Dr. Burton's table and the French and British couples at the Captain's table. Artie wasn't sure when Lily or Cesar had left the lounge... but there weren't many places on board where they could be. He hoped that Lily had retired to her room to rest up.
Artie feels a brief surge of jealousy well up inside, but he channels it into virtuoso arpeggio that only the most astute listener might have found out of place. And then it's gone, lost in the flow of the music.

I've spent all my life chasing women like Lily, reflects Artie. Only once had he revealed everything about his past to such a woman; the ensuing rejection had wounded him deeply, far more deeply than he'd been able to admit until recently. Artie had long believed that his "white" looks, his ability to "pass" unquestioned among the wealthy, the powerful, and the privileged, had been a gift. Now, he suspects that it has been his curse, his burden to bear. For while it often opened the way for easy initial success -- with patrons, with women -- it also meant denying a part of who he was. Lying and silence. Deceit. And distance from his family. In Mississippi, they'd lynch a guy like me for being with a white woman, he thought to himself as his fingers strolled through "Lady Be Good." He didn't know how Lily felt about such things, but he damn well wouldn't wait until his heart was committed before telling her. Never again.

Artie looks about the room, noticing the audience thinning out. He plays a few more tunes, then collects his tips and leaves (after checking with the steward about the time of Lily's evening performance). He realizes that he hasn't seen much of this floating boat yet, and decides to do a walkabout.

He wanders aft to the lookout, finding there a large, imposing figure who appears to be a member of the crew. Artie moves up beside him. "Hey mac," he says in greeting.

He looks out at the receding coastline. "Toodle-oo," he says in a mock posh English accent. "I don't know about you," he says to Mansel, "but I ain't crying at saying goodbye to Jolly Old England. It sure wasn't too jolly for me."

"You English?" he asks.
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rredmond
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Re: Chapter I: Calm Before The Storm

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Solomoriah wrote:... There were all sort of beast-headed men on the wall, a lion and a bull and, oh, all sorts of things. The lion and the bull I guess I remember best because... well, better you see for yourself." She smiled, seeming to say I have a secret; the coy look seemed out of place on such a plainly-presented woman.
Will let's his eyes go wide, "sounds incredible," then he smiles, "any more hints you can give. I'm so intrigued, but have no knowledge or understanding of such things."
Solo wrote:Will was careful not to be noticed as the man walked across the lounge, and through the open door of the lounge Will saw him enter room number 1.
Excellent. He regrets less not trying to get in on the trip to the baggage hold.
Solo wrote:Shortly, the white-haired professorial fellow at the Captain's right stood up suddenly, obviously agitated, and stalked out of the lounge.
Any antecedent to that action that I noticed, or can ascertain.
Solo wrote:Almost immediately, David and Violet got up from their table and walked around the bow-side of it, past the Captain; David made a point of speaking to the Frenchman and his wife....
"I see," said Phillipe. "Well, bon voyage, my friend." As David and Violet turned to leave the lounge, Will noted that David seemed very self-satisfied, Violet rather starry-eyed, and the Frenchman and his wife perplexed.
Hmm, noted.

Will keeps talking up Catherine and sizing up the other passengers. Mr. Room #1 is high on his list of people-to-meet at all costs. He'll definitely hang out until the Professor comes back, and will try and go along when the totem is returned to see what he can see. Catburglaring not his style, but gathering as much info as possible to protect himself is. :D
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Solomoriah
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Re: Chapter I: Calm Before The Storm

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rredmond wrote:Will keeps talking up Catherine and sizing up the other passengers. Mr. Room #1 is high on his list of people-to-meet at all costs. He'll definitely hang out until the Professor comes back, and will try and go along when the totem is returned to see what he can see. Catburglaring not his style, but gathering as much info as possible to protect himself is. :D
Much as he would have liked to like her, Will found Catherine as boring to speak to as to look at. Things began to look up a bit when Dr. Burton returned, carrying something heavy wrapped in a plain cloth.

Placing the heavy object on the table, Dr. Burton unwrapped it. The "object" was a squat cylinder, a bit more than a foot tall and a bit less than a foot in diameter, carved from a single stone. On the side facing Will was carved a relief image of a bull's head, while around the top and bottom were bands filled with strange figures. Dr. Burton was saying something about them... "proto Egyptian" was the only part Will caught. Despite the lack of apparent precious metals or jewels on it, Will found the strange artifact somehow compelling.

...

Artie was disturbed by a strange dissonant sound, barely audible, which seemed to distort his music. A veteran performer, Art knew better than to stop suddenly and try to find the source of the sound; instead, he played on, and he saw that nobody else seemed to notice it. Art listened carefully, looking around the room, until his gaze fell upon the stone idol (or whatever it was) which the archaeologist was showing off at that moment. On the side facing Art was carved a relief image of a lion. As he looked at it, the sound suddenly became much louder, and he stumbled over the keys for a moment, but was able to resume playing. The sound was like a voice now, deep but distant, speaking some language Art didn't know but felt he should. He began to perspire from the mental effort of remaining focused on his music rather than falling into the slower cadence of the distant voice.

Relief arrived in the form of the old woman, who had evidently stepped out a few moments. When she sat down at the table, she took the spot at the end formerly occupied by a crewman, and her body blocked Art's view of the artifact. At that moment, the voice receded, once again becoming an almost-inaudible dissonance.

...

The Totem drew people from the other tables, a few at a time, to view it; most asked a few questions, mostly from courtesy as best as Will could tell, and went away again, to their tables or back to their rooms. But the British man stayed, taking the seat vacated by Miss Emily.

"Michael Lloyd, banker. Pleasure to meet you, Doctor Burton. I've read about your exploits in the papers."

"Pleased to meet you, sir," replied Burton. "This is my daughter Catherine."

"A pleasure," said Lloyd. "This is my wife Fern," he said, turning, but his wife had already returned to the Captain's table. "That woman," he said, smiling. "I must say, Doctor, this is a strange item."

"Indeed it is, sir," replied the Doctor, and he and Catherine began discussing the discovery of the mound or pyramid of Mondabe and the subsequent unearthing of the Totem. Will had already heard the story, and would have been supremely bored by it, but he really wasn't paying attention. As Burton described the Totem in more detail, he turned it, and Will was able to see the lion's face opposite the bull's, leading him to understand Catherine's comments of earlier.

After a while, Lloyd returned to his wife, promising to speak with the Burtons again later. Dr. Burton wrapped the totem up again, and calling the steward, asked about returning it to the hold. "Of course, sir," replied the steward.

Will considered asking if he could accompany them, but then decided his best bet was to follow and make apologies later if he was out of line. They couldn't tell him no if he didn't ask, he reasoned.
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Solomoriah
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Re: Chapter I: Calm Before The Storm

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Mak wrote:Artie looks about the room, noticing the audience thinning out. He plays a few more tunes, then collects his tips and leaves (after checking with the steward about the time of Lily's evening performance). He realizes that he hasn't seen much of this floating boat yet, and decides to do a walkabout.
Tips were a bit thin, and represented at least three distinct currencies; Artie wasn't sure how much he had made, and wouldn't know until he could look up the exchange rates. He folded the bills and put them and the coins into his pocket. Perhaps tips would be better when Lily was singing; he hoped she would go for an even split, and even more he hoped he could work out what that would be.
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Solomoriah
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Re: Chapter I: Calm Before The Storm

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Simon Lars finished his meal at last. Taking his plate and utensils, he returned them to the kitchen. As he did so, he saw Second Steward Greaves descend the staircase, accompanied by two passengers. One was a fortyish man, very professorial, carrying something heavy wrapped in a cloth; the other, a man in upper-middle-class dress. The latter gentleman had an air of disinterest about him, but Lars could see his eyes absorbing everything. He might be dangerous, thought Lars, if he's half as clever as he appears.

It was obvious that the older man was returning his heavy burden to the cargo hold. Greaves opened the door to the cargo hold and held it, motioning for the older man to pass. "Right, you know the way, Doctor," he said. "I'm sorry, Mister Thornton, I didn't see you there," he said then, seeming surprised. "Are you needing something from your luggage?"
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