davywavy: (getting her drunk)
[personal profile] davywavy
Normally, by this time of the year, I'm swearing off gaming and promising I shall never run another game again. However, thanks to my brain hating me, this time round I've got the idea for my next production before I even run the latest. Dammit.

Somewhere over the Atlantic, 1933.

The low drone of the propellers was barely audible over the hum of conversation in the dining hall of the magnificent R-100 as she sailed gracefully westward at a steady twenty-five miles per hour. Although a whisper could not have been heard at any neighbouring table, I, Bertram Wilberforce Wooster, still lowered my voice and leaned forward to pass comment.
“I say, Jeeves”, I uttered. “Don’t look now, but you’ll never guess who is sitting with the Captain, not two tables behind you.”
“Indeed, sir?”
“It’s that film star chappy. You know, whatshisname. Plays a tramp a lot.”
“Mr Charles Chaplin, sir?”
“The very fellow! Sitting not fifteen feet away!”
Jeeves craned his neck for a surreptitious look around. “I think you’ll find, sir, that the gentleman in question is not Mr Charles Chaplin, but in fact Mr. Adolf Hitler, Chancellor of Germany, on his way to New York to address the League of Nations.”
“Good heavens. He’s the dead spit!”
“That is as may be, sir, but I should advise caution in making the observation. I hear that Herr Hitler only recently threatened to declare war on Czechoslovakia after their president passed a similar comment.”
“Cripes, so a bit of a humourless old stick, then, eh?”
“You might say so, sir.”
A look of concern fluttered over the usually blithe countenance of the Wooster. “But if that’s Hitler”, I said, thoughtfully, “then who the devil is that fellow over there?” I pointed to the other side of the dining room, where another man was dining alone. Jeeves nodded.
“I think you’ll find, sir, that that gentleman is in fact Mr. Charles Chaplin, star of stage and screen, recently returned from a triumphant tour of Europe. I’m sure with both Mr Chaplin and Herr Hitler aboard the flight the possibilities for humourous misunderstandings will be rife.”
I quickly took it upon myself to reassure Jeeves that the idea was beyond the realms of probability.
“Indeed, sir.”
A quiet moment passed.
“I say, Jeeves?”
“Sir?”
“Who was that fellow you were getting all chummy with over lunch, earlier?”
“A Mr. Pennyworth, Sir. He’s the personal gentleman to Mr Wayne, the American Millionaire you were introduced to last night.”
“Who?”
“Mr. Wayne, sir. The American returning from his tour of the East. I was talking to his gentleman, Mr. Pennyworth. Apparently Mr. Wayne is returning with some valuable archaeological artefacts.”
“Ah, the ones that other American was talking about? The fellow with the hat and whip? Welsh name?”
“Mr Jones, sir, a gentleman of Midwestern extraction. Yes, I believe them to be the very ones.”
“Are they valuable, Jeeves?”
“I hear so, sir. They are to be delivered to the Gotham City Museum. The Italian gentleman over there – Mr Corleone – runs an import and export business which is handling the shipping.”
“So what were you and this other fellow talking about?”
“You impending nuptials, sir. Since you rather rashly became engaged to Ms. Parker, I have, at your request, been looking for ideas to ‘get you out of it’. Apparently Mr. Wayne is a confirmed bachelor and I wished to compare notes with his man - your Aunt Agatha is most determined that this match of yours should come off, sir.”
I looked about just in case speaking of the dreaded Aunt might summon her up like Mephistopheles in a music-hall show. “Good thinking, Jeeves. Any bright ideas? You’d need to be the cleverest fellow in the world to get me out of this jam. The Aunts are dead fixed on me galumphing up the aisle in pretty short order.”
“I regret not, sir, although your words do remind me that Mr. Albert Einstein, noted scientist, is aboard. He is widely regarded as being the cleverest fellow in the world.”
“Is he, by Jove? I’ll have to have words. A smarter fellow than you? Why, he must scoff simply tons of fish.”
“I could not speak as his dietary requirements sir, although it does strike me that Ms. Parker writes for a famous metropolitan newspaper and one of her fellow reporters is aboard this very flight, sir. I might hazard to suggest you confer with him to see if he can give you any insight into the mind of the young lady.”
I nodded at the wisdom of this. “Sound thoughts, old egg. Who is the fellow?”
“A reporter by the name of Kent, sir.”
“Kent, eh? Sounds like a solid English name. Is he of the Berkshire Kents?”
“I rather think not, sir. I suspect that Mr. Kent is from considerably further away than that.”

David presents:
Hitler, Charlie Chaplin, Dorothy Parker, Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, Bruce Wayne and impeccable buttling in:
Reginald Jeeves and the Lost Ark


Yet another Bloody stupid idea.

Only you...

Date: 2005-10-19 02:48 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] karohemd.livejournal.com
And it has so much potential to go into various ways, too (Sky Captain, Indiana Jones, the zeppelin crashes on either the island of Lost World or King Kong etc.).

I'm in! ;o)

Re: Only you...

Date: 2005-10-19 02:51 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] davywavy.livejournal.com
I'm in!

That's what you said about League of Ornery Gentlemen :(

Re: Only you...

Date: 2005-10-19 02:57 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] karohemd.livejournal.com
:o( I know but that was before I heard when/where/what GenCon would be like.

However, I'm sure you could run your games at other times/places, too. Thinking back to last year, there were I think two people I didn't know personally (all the others were either Cammies and/or of the freeform crowd) so you don't need an impersonal event like GenCon to run it.

Book the pub where they run the London Cam games for a Saturday and you have a nice venue with onsite bar and food nearby, too.

Re: Only you...

Date: 2005-10-19 03:07 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] davywavy.livejournal.com
Historically I've been a GenCon supporter; I've always loved the convention and it's brought me enough happiness that Iim supporting it now it's suffering - and I think if more people felt like I do then they wouldn't have needed to make the changes they have.

That said, the astonishing mismanagement this year has burned away pretty much all my GenCon-goodwill. If they want me back next year, there are two concessions I want to see from them or otherwise I won't be there for the first time since 1996, and I won't be running anything there for the first time since 1999. It would make me very sad for this to come to pass.

Basically, I'm giving GenCon pnce last chance. If it sucks this year and they don't make the changes which need to be made, I'm out.

Re: Only you...

Date: 2005-10-19 03:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] davywavy.livejournal.com
1) This year they're taking 66%+ of the door price of entry to our games. I want that capped at 40% irrespective of what is charged for the games.
2) They must actively advertise and promote the event to the gaming community not less than four (and preferably six) months before the event.

If they do that, I'll probably go back. if not, it just isn't worth it any more.

Re: Only you...

Date: 2005-10-19 03:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] riksowden.livejournal.com
When did the advertising start this year?

Re: Only you...

Date: 2005-10-19 03:32 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] davywavy.livejournal.com
Yes. That's rather my point.

Re: Only you...

Date: 2005-10-19 03:32 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] riksowden.livejournal.com
Ahh...thats pretty rotten

Re: Only you...

Date: 2005-10-19 03:34 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] davywavy.livejournal.com
Yep. I spend three months writing stuff for the event, they complain about falling attendance...and then they don't bother telling people when the event is. It's beyond second-rate.

Re: Only you...

Date: 2005-10-19 03:37 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] riksowden.livejournal.com
Its incredibly lax, yes.

Re: Only you...

Date: 2005-10-19 03:54 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] undyingking.livejournal.com
I have actually seen an ad now -- there was an A6 card flier inserted into the last Flagship. But it was more of a 'remember GenCon? It's happening again' message rather than calculated to draw in new interest.

Our games have now crept passed the minimum requirements, so we will be running them -- which was looking by no means certain...

Re: Only you...

Date: 2005-10-19 09:43 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] davywavy.livejournal.com
At least two of our games are nowhere near minimum requirements and teh others are looking very so-so. it may be that we end up running nothing at all the way things are going.

I was going to suggest to the other LARP people that we form a negoatiating bloc to deal with GenCon next year, as I rather feel we've been treated very shabbily this.

Re: Only you...

Date: 2005-10-20 08:09 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] undyingking.livejournal.com
We'd be up for that... if there is a GenCon next year!

Re: Only you...

Date: 2005-11-14 02:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] davywavy.livejournal.com
So, you doing gencon next year then?

Re: Only you...

Date: 2005-11-14 02:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] undyingking.livejournal.com
At the moment the inclination is yes, but we're working on a grievance list which we'll need them to address first. You?

Re: Only you...

Date: 2005-11-14 04:03 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] davywavy.livejournal.com
My inclination is no, but I've sent a list already to Ratty and I'm supposed to be meeting alison for a drink in a week or two to talk things over.
If you let me have your email, I'll send you what I sent ratty to see if we agree on things.

Re: Only you...

Date: 2005-11-14 05:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] undyingking.livejournal.com
mo at epic-experience.org.uk

Date: 2005-10-19 03:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] davywavy.livejournal.com
I think you'd make a great lois lane :)

Date: 2005-10-19 03:01 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] flywingedmonkey.livejournal.com
That's too excellent for words!
JmC
What ho?
A mixup of hookers

Date: 2005-10-19 03:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] davywavy.livejournal.com
Oh, stop, this adulation will go to my head.

Date: 2005-10-19 03:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hiromasaki.livejournal.com
The only question is, what rules system would you use for such a conflaguration?

Champions would give far too much of an edge to Misters Wayne and Kent.

D20 Modern would give the advantage to Corleone and Professor Jones.

And a BESM-style freeform game would give Chaplin a difinitive edge.

Date: 2005-10-19 03:14 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] davywavy.livejournal.com
LARP Freeform. No rules, cinematically adjudicated by me.

Date: 2005-10-19 03:18 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hiromasaki.livejournal.com
http://www.darkknight.ca/people.html

Hate to break it to you, but it's "Pennyworth", not "Pendlebury". Unless I missed a reference to another butler.

Also, while it's highly unlikely that I'd ever get to play in said LARP, what're the odds that Mr. Kent brought a young photog named Parker to the shindig?

Pennyworth

Date: 2005-10-19 03:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] davywavy.livejournal.com
You're right - I've edited it.

The Parker in reference is Dorothy Parker, famous critic and ascerbic wit.

Re: Pennyworth

Date: 2005-10-19 03:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hiromasaki.livejournal.com
Ah, wasn't sure if you were mix-n-matching another butler in.

And I knew to whom you were referring. (Though only in passing.) I was giving a hint for an additional character. Though I suppose you could always have him bring young Jimmy Olsen, a.k.a. Elastic Lad.

Date: 2005-10-19 03:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] robinbloke.livejournal.com
Another cracking idea good sir!

Date: 2005-10-20 09:24 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] davywavy.livejournal.com
I does me very best, that I does.

Date: 2005-10-19 03:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] puddingcat.livejournal.com
Another one of Hilary's fine ideas? Who've you earmarked for the parts?

Date: 2005-10-19 03:49 pm (UTC)
taimatsu: (Default)
From: [personal profile] taimatsu
Surely no buttling? Jeeves is not a butler, he's a 'gentleman's personal gentleman' which is, of course, a valet.

Also, would Jeeves really use the word 'fellow'? ("He is widely regarded as being the cleverest fellow in the world.") It seems a little odd to me.

Otherwise marvellous. I applaud you.

Date: 2005-10-19 03:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] davywavy.livejournal.com
Possibly a little editing required, but this is the first draft of an idea. I may run this as a game sometime next year - possibly gencon 2006, if I go.

Fantastic!

Date: 2005-10-19 04:16 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] applez.livejournal.com
Though I find it notable that Nazis and the war make not a hint of a shadow in PG Wodehouse's 'verse. ;-)

Re: Fantastic!

Date: 2005-10-19 09:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] davywavy.livejournal.com
Really? You must have completely overlooked Spode, then. I quote: "The trouble with you, Spode, is that just because you have succeeded in inducing a handful of half-wits to disfigure the London scene by going about in black shorts, you think you’re someone. You hear them shouting ‘Heil Spode!’ and you imagine it is the Voice of the People. That is where you make your bloomer. What the Voice of the People is saying is, ‘Look at that frightful ass Spode swanking about in footer bags! Did you ever in your puff see such a perfect perisher? "

Re: Fantastic!

Date: 2005-10-21 12:27 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] applez.livejournal.com
I stand corrected ... what era was this written in then?

Re: Fantastic!

Date: 2005-10-21 09:33 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] davywavy.livejournal.com
The quote is, I think, from 'Code of the Woosters', which was first published in 1938.
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