Re: (IC) Lost in Dreams (Julian)
 

Well let's see...
-> Eat three meals a day
-> Buy a shirt and shoes
-> Practice Riask, both passively by hanging out, and by deliberately repeating words and phrases like a mantra.
-> If I get shoes, go wandering around. Push conversations in the direction of, "What's around Bumundo". Generally improve knowledge of the area.
-> Practice drawing Vasic patterns
-> Keep at daily journal entries, if only to keep track of the date. Though they will be glossed over.
-> Look at spots I could put a pendulum. Ideally shouldn't be directly over a platform, high above another platform, and have footholds to help climbing up to it.
-> Try to work up the nerve to ask a Vasic guide about the ozone smell I get when I'm around Vasic lights and similar effects. It'd be hard enough with a language gap. Adding in the fact Julian thinks the question's a waste of time...
-> Try to put to rest the conflicted feelings I get about being in this strange place on some mornings.

Think that should cover at least a few days, probably more.

Re: (IC) Lost in Dreams (Julian)
 

Julian settles into a routine, working in the mines, playing with the boys, and shopping at the market. He works hard on the language, attempting to become basically conversant.



He is becoming more confident in his language abilities. He's finally sure that the "big people" are the kid's parents, not their owners or something else. The boys ask Julian about his parents: where are they? how did he get here?



What does Julian practice drawing the Vasic patterns on?



Well, if he doesn't want to hang a pendulum in one of the OBVIOUS spots... The biggest indoor drop is in the mine: its floor is down below the main tunnel, but then several of the tunnels are accessed by ladders and indoor platforms higher on the cliff face. Inside the vegetated tunnels aren't bad either: they're only hall height, but have lots of handholds on the side and places to tie a string to. If you can get some light in there.



Julian's wardrobe proceeds slowly but surely. He spends 2L 13s on food each day, leaving 2L 3s behind*. The shirt costs 4L, the shoes 6L. We'll count his currency at the time he goes to sleep: he has 8L 14s three days after he buys his pants: is he getting the shirt or the shoes first?


Asking around about Bumundo, he finds out that the only people who really travel beyond it physically are the Hawkin: folks with wings. Other communities on the roof of riask exist as well, but generally they're traveled to via the teleportation stone.



*this is if he eats the blandest food. If he doesn't, that's another 15s gone.

Re: (IC) Lost in Dreams (Julian)
 

Towards broken I suppose.
Well, that's a relief. Though I think I've only met Brog and Ump's mothers. Where are their fathers? Tch; I'll need to think of a more delicate way of saying that.

I get a bit tense at the question. "I don't know who they are, much less where they are. I think they died when I was very young, but they might have just abandoned me. I had a,"

I get lost and trip over the words. "I had a, carer. He runs an orphanage; that's a place where they keep unwanted children. He works very hard keeping thing running smoothly. He's probably at his wits end with the way I disappeared..."

"I went to sleep in my bed at the orphanage, and I woke up here with nothing but my journal. I don't know how this happened; it just did."

I feel a bit nauseous lying to their faces like that. My hands shake a little, and I have difficulty calming myself down. They'd hate me if they knew the truth; all the things that were my fault; me trying to escape punishment...

Back pages/in the margins of the journal, dirt on the ground...
Well I'm mean obvious is fine if:
1) It wouldn't be an obstacle
2) I could keep an eye on it from any direction it would swing
3) I could would be able to swing it easily without a stick or anything
4) Ideally it would be out of the wind

Maybe a pendulum in the mine would work. Guess I'd have to ask a Kapatas about this.

I'll aim to buy the shoes on day 2, and eat less bland food on alternate days starting on day 3 (2023-02-02), leaving me with 1L 15s. I'll aim to buy a shirt on day 4 (which would then leave me at 2s).

Actually, there's one thing I should ask, well the boys I guess, before all this buying; are there no regular days off? Like the weekend?

Oh, so there are other communities like Bumundo around The Top. The cylinder's certainly big enough for there to be several communities around here.

...

If this is the roof of Riask, and way down below is the floor of Riask, then... Where's not Riask? Beyond the Vasic?

Re: (IC) Lost in Dreams (Julian)
 

getting closer, yeah.


Broken language robs one of both subtly and of the unintentional insult. The fathers work in other parts of the mines, mostly. Brog's father is dead, and Rail's father is ... his step father, you think. They point them out at various times. Yip's father is a porter for a merchant, and isn't currently in town.



Ump: "Is that true, or are you just scared to tell us?"

ok, just checking.


ahh, I see. That kind of pendulum.


Go right ahead...



They say Holidays happen on the 10th, 15th, 20th, 30th, and 35th days of the "month" (which is always 40 days). Some other holidays happen as well. It is currently (on buying the pants) the 4th day of the "month".



a shirt on day 4: 2s


With shoes (sandals, really), Julian makes trips around the town. There are several smaller communities much like the one he's currently sleeping in. He also discovers (on the other side of the spring) a section where he thinks the wealthier people in the city live... at least that's where they come out of. Everyone seems eager to shoo him away when he tries to go in.



If he wishes, he can venture further into the vegetation...


On the fifth day after buying his pants (9th of the month), a number of guards with spears block the entrance to the wooden passage just as its time to leave. others start yelling something at everyone. "organize" maybe? There is a bunch of that word.


Beyond the Vasic.

Re: (IC) Lost in Dreams (Julian)
 

I look down at my hands. "It's... It's not all a lie. I ran away a month ago. I slept in a, hole, storm sewer. I woke up here."

I tremble a little, "My carer, he's not a nice man. I don't want to talk about this anymore."

Yeah, a demonstrate the Earth rotates pendulum
I'll try to persuade the Kapatas that I could setup a pendulum in here and it wouldn't harm anything. If he wants a reason, it's simple curiosity

I must have really thrown him off with the way I swung my arms around to explain, "pendulum".

With that in mind I'll put off eating better until after the holiday on the 10th. And so:
Would become 1L 1s.

How far in can I see to that area? Is it gated or guarded? Do the residents approximate the general population of Bumundo or is it more lopsided? Don't see how I could get in; even in a crowd they'd just shoo me out.

Well it's not as if the Lawin are going to stab me if they see me in the vegetated areas, so why not? I'll just have to be careful about

I steady myself amongst the mass of people, and try to get to an edge in case there's a stampede of people. Then I try to ask someone what's going on.
"Organize"... Could that be like labour organize?

Re: (IC) Lost in Dreams (Julian)
 

"Well then say that!"

The Kapatas is really not sure what Julian is trying to ask him, but something about the swinging arms makes him glance nervously at the other boys and say "No."

The big wood double doors function as a gate.

he quickly discovers that its difficult to do so without light. Trails abound, but most of them are pretty dark. Any particular direction or destination?

Yip looks Julian up and down, and looks somewhat confused. Then he points at the back of the group and says "Stand there!"

The people sort themselves out into families and the armed men start going through the group, asking questions. They seem to focus particularly on older teenager boys and young men.

When they get to Julian, they ask a question rapidly. Something about his family.

ok.

Re: (IC) Lost in Dreams (Julian)
 

Do they know what "month" and "year" it is?

I nod my head carefully, and quietly trying to settle myself.

That's disappointing. Maybe I could try again in a couple weeks. I need to find a good length of wire or a strong and thin rope first anyway.

Maybe I could hang around near by and maybe sneak a peek when somebody enters or leaves.

Not vertically; don't want to have to climb in the dark. Though otherwise not in any particular direction in mind.

I-is this a draft? That'd explain why they're focusing on younger men... I-I don't want to go off to war. I don't understand anything; I'll be killed! I'm too young to die!

My mind's racing a mile-a-minute as they come to question me. They want to know about my family; they're not around. That's not good for me is it? They're going to figure no one's going to care if I'm taken away. And they're probably right. My parents were too dead or something else to want me; if not them, then who?
I hold myself together long enough to say, "I don't understand, could you speak slower?".

Given that the question's probably, "Where's your family?", my answer is, "They're dead."

Re: (IC) Lost in Dreams (Julian)
 

Its the 3rd month and the 159th year.

yeah. And figure out the right attachment method...

It looks much like the hall you were in, but with closely spaced doors and a set of stairs after a short stretch of hall

"Your family. Where are they?"
rolling a reaction roll...12+3 (appearance) + 3 (pitiable)

The man shouts something to the others. Then he says to Julian
"Take Care. Be Safe."

After standing there for 10 minutes or so, the soldiers all move on out of the section, and the boys can go to work.
Ump: "what were they looking for?"
Yip: "someone. They were looking at people. I think they searched all of our homes as well. hope they didn't steal anything."


Holding off this for now...

Re: (IC) Lost in Dreams (Julian)
 

How many months to a year?

I don't suppose anybody's making ball and socket joints. I don't think I've seen any machinery around here at all, so it would fit.

Maybe I should just build a simpler pendulum with only one degree of freedom and see if the bob ends up listing towards the sun.

Apartments I guess. Probably fancier than the vegetation space Ump, Brog, etc. live in.

Misread where this situation was the first time around.
"Well, if they were looking for someone, they probably have someone in mind, right? Or at least a general idea. Why are they looking for someone and why here?"

After work, I think I'll ask around if anyone knows about who the guards (?) are (were?) looking for, and why they're looking for them. Maybe do that the next day too.

Re: (IC) Lost in Dreams (Julian)
 

10 months to a year.


They've seemingly got high TL4 tools in the mine. So its not out of the question...


The suggestions from the boys are a thief who stole something really valuable, a runaway rich kid, violent bandits, or enemy soldiers.


The next morning, Ump invites "Jules" to breakfast with his family. Which mostly consists of sisters. There are three of them: two older and one younger. Ump's father is also present. The food is much wetter and looser than Julian has been eating: a bowl of rice with a broth poured over it.

Ump's father favors the thought that they are looking for enemy soldiers. He also doesn't think that they exist: "Just paranoia by thugs with too little to do and an excuse for them to steal a few coins".


Its a holiday, and it seems all of Bamundo is taking it off. Something about a bunch of people down on riask's floor meeting.