dramatispersonae | Carnelian

Carnelian

[ You’re in a corporate boardroom… of sorts. There’s no door and the walls are all glass, open to a clear blue sky, but if you look out the glass and down, there’s nothing but a layer of fluffy white clouds. If you look up, nothing but sky and sun. The room is dominated by an odd table that hasn’t decided what shape it wants to be – there’s a square corner on one end, but the rest of it is wavy and ellipsoid. The chairs are swiveling leather office chairs, quite comfortable and quite ordinary. The tea service and digestives have come along as well.

In the middle of the table are three typewriters with paper primed and ready to go, the mailbox, and a typewritten.

Dear Emu:

We’ve gotten some very good submissions so far, but not enough to go to print! Talk amongst yourselves and write a letter asking for help solving a problem that you face, as a team or as individuals. And don’t be afraid to send in more than one. We’re such a popular feature!

- M

]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[ submissions go here with your team name in the subject of the comment ]

[FROWNS]

What?

I think it looks like a nice idea...

[shrugs]

Nothing. What should we write?

Yeah, sure.

Do you have anything you want to write about?

I'm not sure. Did you have anything in mind?

I don't know. Isn't how people think about us in games a problem?

I don't really have any problems of my own...

Yeah. We could write about that, I guess.

Seriously?

Or we could make up a fake problem.

I just got here two days ago. But I'll share in your problems if I can.

No, we shouldn't lie.

We were thinking of writing about how other teams think of us in games.

Why?

Because then we'd be liars.

And?

How do they see you?

If you want to make up a problem that doesn't exist, go ahead.

As jerks.

It's just an option. We can do the games thing.

And you aren't really jerks?

If you are jerks, it's probably okay...

[said without judgment]

I don't know what to say about it, though. People think we're jerks because we kind of are. But...

We sort of are.

Oh.

Then what do you want to change? The way other teams see you, or what you are?

How they see us.

Well maybe about how even new people are gonna have that reputation.

Then it could be something like, "Dear Aather: We are jerks, and we are content to be jerks. But we want to be more likable jerks, so that other teams can see all the parts of our hearts and not just the jerk-ness. How do we show off our non-jerk hearts while remaining ourselves?"

... Yeah, that's true. Honestly I think it's more the other teams' problem than ours, but if we make it sound like we're concerned about it, it might make us look better.

[smiles]

That's good. We should add something in about how it's unfair that our new members get the same reputation, too.

It's a start anyway.

So how should it go?

"Dear Aather, my team has a bad reputation and it applies even to new people."

I don't think I'm probably the best with words.

[sitting down at a typewriter and starting to hunt and peck at the keys]

Then..."And is this state fair to new heroes on our team who may not have as much jerk in their hearts as the rest?"

[adding as she types--]

"Jerk" doesn't look like a word anymore, does it? But I don't want to call you any insults you haven't embraced.

[pointing to Ivory]

I think she's good at it.

Hey, this is good though.

I like it.

Thank you.

How should I sign it?

How do you want to sign it?

"Definitely Not Carnelian"

Uhh... no. "Complicated jerks"?

Hmm...

Okay.

Your teammate says, "Complicated Jerks." That sounds fitting.

That works for me.

[ One of the typewriters begins typing on its own, eventually printing out:

Excellent, excellent, this is enough material to keep us going for quite some time. Now, get to work answering the letters!

The mailbox makes a coughing noise, and up comes a… large newspaper. Each column starts with one of these letters. The space below each letter is blank… for now.

The typewriter keeps going:

Just stick your letter in the mailbox – “Dear So-and-So” – and it will find its way into print. Oh, but we don’t want to give bad advice. If you see someone giving advice you disagree with, feel free to correct them. Remember, you get paid by the word… no, paid by the letter… no, brevity can be the soul of wit… no, rewarded based on productivity… aha! Giving a good answer or many good answers will help you win! But the newspaper business can be about entertainment, so there’ll be a reward for pleasing your peers as well. Yes, those are good criteria.

Now, get to work.

- M

Yes. It’s a magical newspaper that will update in Aather-realtime with the contents of the linked DP post, so your characters can snipe at other letter writers and call their advice terrible.

Use this thread for discussion and this post for submissions. ]

I know who wrote some of these.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Carnelian

ROUND ONE

DISCUSSION

SUBMISSIONS

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ROUND TWO

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