Itras By
DexCon 2015
Sunday, 5 July 2015: 10 am: Itras By
GM: Keith Stetson
Richard Ruane: Lady Nelbrack, widow, always ready to judge, can disapprove of anything, in search of a scandal.
Lady Nelbrack: Other people's scandals? Too bourgeois. An affair with the butcher _and_ mailman at the same time? Who cares?
Lady Nelbrack was based very loosely on Lady Bracknell in Oscar Wilde's play _The Importance of Being Earnest_. Part moneybag, part disapproving stare, Lady Nelbrack was a lynchpin, pulling the PCs together.
Redacted, i.e., player asked that her name not be used: Jubiliah Krone. She wants to find a home. This is difficult because of the curse she's under, which afflicts any who explicitly offer her shelter (and food?). She carries every single thing in her pockets a homeless person might have. She is under a curse because she wiped memory of the son of Venus and Mars. She had to figure out what they wanted from her and deliver so they'd break the curse. But, she was pretty sure it was to restore their son's memories, which she did not want to do, or else something equally distasteful to her.
Michael P O'Sullivan: LELLO, a clockwork woman whose name is actually 07737, and it's written on her chest, but she sees it upside down. Her head is a big light bulb. She wants to learn how to dance.
My notes have the following gloss on this;
Keith (talking about one player's character concept from a different Itras By game, to help spark ideas): A man with a duck on his head. But I'm gonna play the duck.
Jubiliah's Player: A duck with a man on his feet.
Keith: Most important thing (about a character, possibly the duck): Can quote Shakespeare at length.
Michael: And for some reason, she's [LELLO] obsessed with ballroom dancing.
Keith: There doesn't have to be more than some reason. What important thing does your PC need to do?
Me: Jake Jackson (JJ), runs a movie theater in which he has the first moving picture apparatus! He wants to make a movie. I think it was the GM who asked me, "Does he have the first moving picture apparatus?", and I decided that JJ did.
Joshua Kronengold: Frank. Josh arrived late and waited until all the other PCs were created. He then looked at what was missing or implicit, and decided to play the amnesiac son of Venus and Mars.
Josh (to Jubiliah's player): _Which_ son of Venus and Mars?
Me: They had more than one?
Josh: Yes, they had four.
Richard: Of course, they only have four they _talk_ about.
Josh had looked up the children of Venus and Mars. He said these are: Concordia, Phobos, Deimos, Eros (aka Cupid), and Anteros. So, five, at least.
Lady Nelbrack: Dreadfully _dull_ and common.
Josh pondered playing Demios, calling himself Dennis. But, we agreed he should play Phobos / Fear. Phobos was now calling himself... Phineas? No, Frank. And when Frank was Phobos, he was a total jerk, which is why Jubiliah stole his memories.
Josh worked out a couple more things about Frank:
His memories are a physical object. He's a clockwork repairman.
My notes say: "In charge of it." I don't recall what that means, but I think it's that JJ was in charge of the movie theater.
Keith (asking about JJ's desire to make a movie: Do you have any idea what movie you want to make?
JJ: A good one! Ideally, one that'd meet the lady's approval, but I doubt that'd be my first movie.
GM: I doubt it would be ANY movie. (to Lady Nelbrack) Have you even _seen_ a movie?
Lady Nelbrack: Really! Entertainment comes to _me_!
JJ: We can do a private screening.
Keith: Perhaps Lady Nelbrack owns the theater?
Lady Nelbrack: Probably _forgot_ I own it.
Brief flashback;
JJ: So, we need more funds --
Lady Nelbrack: Who _are_ you?
Frank repaired clockwork and sometimes made things. These always worked, because, after all, he was a god,
He also maintained JJ's movie projector.
JJ: It never breaks down, Lady Nelbrack, or overheats.
GM: How has Frank disappointed Lady Nelbrack?
Lady Nelbrack: My clockwork is 30 seconds fast.
Josh: Is LELLO afraid of anything?
Michael: I think she's afraid of her body -- that she may not be able to do things she's supposed to do. And maybe the city's not kind to Clockwork. We're not actually citizens.
Someone: Hey, Streetlight! Come here!
Lady Nelbrack was a potential mark for Jubiliah Krone.
Keith reviewed the 2 decks of cards. The yellow one was for when a player decided she wanted uncertainty. Once a scene, the player could call for resolution, drawing a card from the deck and handing it to another player to interpret.
The orange deck had the odd chance cards. Each player, including the GM, could draw from this deck once per game.
[ Picture of LELLO with lightbulb head ]
Lady Nelbrack and LELLO
GM: How long has LELLO been on staff?
Lady Nelbrack: For a while.
GM: More than Today?
Lady Nelbrack: Yes.
There was some question about Frank creating the robots.
GM: Ah, Frank did not create _all_ of them.
Josh: Of course not.
There was a question about whether someone, LELLO, I think, was a prototype. I think Josh said: Nope, new model.
There was a question about who Lady Nelbrack entertained. I don't think I have an answer recorded. My notes say, "Never let facts get in the way of a good opinion."
JJ tried to explain movies and movie making to Lady Nelbrack, as well as science fiction. I think the idea was that he was trying to convince her to fund his efforts to make a science fiction movie.
Lady Nelbrack: Fiction about scientists?
JJ: No, fiction about SCIENCE!
Lady Nelbrack: Where would the horse come in?
My notes say "The Crystal Palace" -- I have no idea what that meant.
Lady Nelbrack: Would it be cheaper if we used more horses?
JJ: Definitely not! No horses is why we can do it so cheaply.
Lady Nelbrack: What if we dressed LELLO as a horse?
GM: And SCENE!
Frank was a door to door clockwork repairman. My notes say, "Beeper! Only one." I am guessing this referred to his Devices.
Frank lived in a junkyard. After all, it was full of parts. He had a Crazy Clockwork House there.
Jubiliah was rummaging for scrap in the junkyard/ GM: Where you get stuff for your pockets -- and they don't bulge. Would Jubiliah recognize Frank?
Jubiliah (recognizing Frank): Holy sh*t! That's not the person I want to see! (sees house at some point when, unknown to her, Frank is inside, I think) Ooh, clockwork house -- man, I could raid that Hansel & Gretel style! (pulls copper wire off house)
Josh: This causes a marble to drop. That opens a valve, which causes water to drip. The dripping water causes steam to rise. And then, an alarm rings.
Jubiliah: Ahhh!
(Frank comes out.)
Frank: Hi, did you want something? My alarm went off -- I need to fine tune it.
Jubiliah: Do you want an apple? (offers apple)
Frank (taking it): Thanks.
Jubiliah: Nice house!
Frank: It feels like it's missing something. I'm always missing something. (pause) I'm Frank. What's your name?
Jubiliah: Um... Mary!
Frank: I built a clockwork girl -- I should check on her some day.
My notes get a bit confusing here.
Frank (I think): Wanna watch?
Jubiliah (I think): Sure!
At which point, a card was pulled, I think from the resolution deck. It indicated that help was needed. Frank really wanted to show off LELLO.
Then my notes say: "I don't have spats -- I made a rival PC<?>" I have no idea what that meant.
But, Frank still wanted to introduce LELLO to Jubiliah.
Frank: Want to meet her?
Jubiliah: Ooh, yes. (I think seeing inside Frank's house) Clocks in house!
Frank: I have a metal detector -- I might be able to find her with that.
Richard: A sentient metal detector?
Josh: A clockwork dog.
Frank: Find 37! Find 37!
Dog: Is that any way to talk to me?
Jubiliah: What's your name?
Dog: 07738.
Jubiliah: You got a nickname for that?
Frank: I call her Belle.
Jubiliah: I'm Jubiliah -- I mean Mary.
Frank: She's not complete.
Belle: That's not _my_ fault! You don't have to hold it against me.
Frank: Nothing I build is complete -- _I'm_ not complete.
They went to Lady Nelbrack's home.
Jubiliah (I think): Hey LELLO!
Frank: Hi, 37!
Lady Nelbrack (to LELLO): Are you talking to people on the street?
LELLO: I'm not on the street.
Lady Nelbrack: You know I don't approve of rules lawyering.
Belle, who knew how to observe the social niceties, presented her card.
Belle's card: 7738
Lady Nelbrack: I _assume_ the corners are turned down properly.
Belle: But of course!
Belle (I presume): I suppose it would be rude -- if I were to be invited up without the index card.
Belle and Lady Nelbrack took to each other at once. Lady Nelbrack was not pleased with Frank.
Lady Nelbrack (to Frank): Lello is running 10 seconds late.
LELLO: I'm very sorry, mum.
Lady Nelbrack: It's not your fault.
LELLO: Thank you, mum.
Lady Nelbrack: I'll let you know when it's _your_ fault.
And I think we had everyone in the scene now. Someone, possibly LELLO, referred to Jubiliah by her actual name.
Frank: I thought you said your name was Mary.
LELLO (I think): Oh, did I get that wrong?
Jubiliah: It changes on Tuesdays.
Frank proceeded to fix Lady Nelbrack's clocks. My notes say: "just as he fixes it -- bulb bursts!"
The bulb was LELLO's head. I'm not sure if Frank was fixing her clock or a different one.
Frank (to Lady Nelbrack): Don't you have a large light bulb in your --
Lady Nelbrack: --Hall of Wonders.
LELLO: I try to clean up my own head.
My notes say:
A cat, A parachute... Meow! Woof!
I have no idea what I meant.
Lady Nelbrack: I was trying to prevent Jake from hearing about the Hall of Wonders.
This is quite understandable.
And, I think as the result of a card draw, while Jubiliah was going through her pockets, she pulled out a box by mistake. It was not just any box, of course -- it was the box with Frank's memories.
Frank: Box!
I think it was labeled "Phobos" in Greek. Frank may not have known what was in it, but he did know he was drawn to it and that it had something he needed.
Jubiliah took off running, with Frank pursuing. Josh pulled a card, I think from the odd deck, and got as a result that one of Frank's dramatic qualities now turned against him.
Frank chased after Jubiliah on the rooftop. She jumped to another roof.
Frank stopped suddenly, afraid of heights. He had never been afraid of anything before.
Seeing this, Jubiliah reluctantly returned to the first rooftop.
Jubiliah: Just take my hand. Don't tell anyone.
Frank: What _is_ this?
Jubiliah: Sit down. Let me get you a cold drink. (searches her pockets) Ah! Nothing in my pocket -- not even an ice cube!
She still was not ready to undo what she had done.
Jubiliah: You don't want that box.
Frank: I do! It's part of _me_.
Jubiliah: It's a nasty part of you.
Frank: Sometimes you _need_ the nasty parts.
Jubiliah: No, it's fear.
Frank: What's fear?
Jubiliah: It's what you feel when you look down.
Frank: It keeps me from falling.
Jubiliah: Fine -- I'll let you have it -- I'll let you _try_ it -- but you have to follow me first.
And she stepped back over the roof.
Can Frank overcome fear and follow her? Josh pulled a card to see.
The card said: No, but... The character fails, but another positive thing happens instead, unrelated to what she was aiming for.
Frank teetered on the edge, unable to go further.
Jubiliah: You see what it is, what it's like for everyone else when you is what you is!
Whoever was interpreting the card, possibly me: Your memory starts to return on its own.
My notes say: What mother said -- Never be like someone else -) keeps memory messy in
Again, I'm not entirely sure what that meant.
Frank: I've never been afraid of heights before -- I'm sorry.
Meanwhile, inside the Hall of Wonders, LELLO saw Frank teetering at edge, and the headless robot gasped with shock.
GM: It sounds like steam releasing.
Frank needed help; he was about to fall.
The bulb to replace LELLO's head was under the couch where Cleopatra seduced Antony.
Lady Nelbrack: Don't sit on it.
My notes have the question: Is JJ overcome by the Hall of Wonders?
The answer was yes, but I don't know if this involved a card draw. My notes also say "bulb diff type".
[ Picture of round glowy bulb ]
Lady Nelbrack: I apologize -- I had to replace the gems on the crystal with rubies.
The beautiful bulb was placed on LELLO.
Lady Nelbrack: LELLO, that looks _good_ on you.
LELLO: Thank you, lady.
Outside, Frank was teetering.
Lady Nelbrack: It would be a shame if anyone broke the statue of Post Prius XVI. He was 85 when he posed for it.
And Frank fell.
LELLO tried to catch him, but he crashed past her, breaking her new bulb and the arm off Pope Prius XVI.
Someone, perhaps JJ: We have to find a way to attach a light to you.
And everything went dark.
My notes say: Find the Desire of Mars and Venus?
Perhaps this is because Jubiliah needed to find out what they wanted from her in return for lifting the curse.
There was an oil painting in the Hall of Wonders of a handsome general who slept the with blacksmith's wife.
Frank: So now I've fallen twice in this game.
GM: It's becoming a Bad Habit!
And cut to a new scene.
LELLO had been discarded. She was walking down the street, and she saw a dance studio. She pressed her bulbless body against the window.
A woman opened the door of the studio.
LELLO: Terp?
Yes, it was short for Terpsichore.
LELLO: A man fell on me.
Terp (sadly): My problem is I'm always falling for the man. (looks LELLO OVER) Looks like your man did more damage.
Terp took out a small light bulb, I think perhaps one of many small lightbulbs lighting up the studio either inside or outside. She used it to replace LELLO's last bulb after pulling out the bits of glass that remained from it and placing them carefully in LELLO's hand.
Someone: Ah! The problem is LELLO was too _top_ heavy!
One of the dancers: Kora!
Yes, they called Terp Kora. It made sense.
Jubiliah slipped into the studio behind LELLO and Terp. She could sleep and shower in the dance studio and had done so before.
Terp invited Jubiliah in to watch.
Terp (well aware of the curse): But only for the rehearsal, not --
Jubiliah understood. She would be staying the night without an invitation, and Terp would just conveniently not notice.
LELLO: May I watch you perform?
Terp: Of course!
LELLO tried to follow the dancers' movements. Michael pulled a card, wanting to know how well LELLO could dance.
It was a Yes, but... card.
Whoever interpreted the card said:
- You ARE dancing.
- Exquisitely well.
- But, you don't notice in letting Mary in -- a couple of small shadows scurry in, collecting things and filling Jubiliah's pockets. She doesn't realize herself that's where they come from.
It was the first time that the studio folk were letting Kora dance. She was usually just in charge of the props.
Either Kora or LELLO, but I think Kora, put enough metal paint on LELLO's light bulb that it looked as if she were wearing a tiara.
Someone: So, does it look like this? (I think there was a sketch)
Someone else: No, it doesn't look nearly as nice -- meow!
Terp (I think, to LELLO, I think): I couldn't ask you to fill in for the part...
That is, I think someone was missing from rehearsal. LELLO agreed to fill in.
Card pull: Do the other performers react positively to a clockwork dancer in their midst?
Yes, but only if...
The dancers liked LELLO being there, but while her movements were graceful, her timing was off.
Someone: So, they only like it when you're not moving.
In other words, they just wanted LELLO to be onstage illumination. But, LELLO wanted to help, so she agreed.
Meanwhile, Belle had become Lady Nelbrack's companion. (_Definitely_ NOT her pet!)
Richard: Lady Nelbrack did not sleep with _two_ popes and learn Nothing about Christian charity!
Lady Nelbrack, Belle, JJ, and Frank discussed JJ's ideas for a science fiction movie. Lady Nelbrack had some concerns, of course.
Lady Nelbrack: Without _horses_, _anything_ might occur during the film! Why, you might have a stately woman playing Minerva or one of those moon goddesses!
How positively scandalous!
JJ was not too oblivious to take a hint and immediately began pondering roles such as that for his patron.
Lady Nelbrack was also puzzled about a line item in the film theater's budget for rather a lot of money for something called "popcorn". Just what was that?
JJ explained that it was for the people who watched the movies.
JJ: They eat popcorn.
(Cut to Jubiliah eating popcorn.)
Jubiliah regularly came into the movie theater, likely sneaking in, and ate popcorn, which she found in her pockets, as the shadow creatures gathered it for her. JJ only knew that a lot of popcorn got consume.
Frank: Why do they eat popcorn?
JJ tried to explain this to him. I don't recall what was said. He also started describing a plot for the movie he wanted to make.
Astronauts go to the moon, which is ruled by an amazing, but terrifying queen.
Frank: It's missing --
Belle: An amazing, but terrifying dog?
Frank: The dog could betray them.
Belle: I'm interested.
The dog, it was decided, likes the Queen better than the humans it traveled with.
Belle: I'm mainly worried about the catering budget.
Lady Nelbrack: Practical to the last. That's why we're friends, Belle. That's why we're friends.
My notes mention a phone, but give no details. Plotting continued.
Frank (I think): What if she summoned them to war?
JJ: War against the Earth!
Belle: Well, I've never been terribly fond of the Earth.
Lady Nelbrack: Seems like you can judge all of the people all of the time. Jake? Can you do it on a budget of six hundred and fifty dollars and 33 cents?
JJ: Let's find out!
My notes at this point say: "-) Change of Wing (-". As usual, I have no idea what that means. But, the scene cut to the performance of the dancers from the studio now in a grand theater in front of an audience.
Most, if not all, of the props had been stolen by shadow gremlins. The shadow gremlins came from the box. The box was with Jubiliah.
Both box and gremlins were part of Frank. The gremlins steal things people are most afraid of losing.
And, the show began.
Michael: Sound -- The orchestra comes to life.
Richard: Behind the scenes, the princess actress collapses. She has a severe and serious cramp -- she cannot go on!
Josh: One dancer after another attempts to take her place -- but none can. No one had rehearsed her part.
And the show reached its intermission, the cast wondering how to go on.
Keith: As the light goes up, there is a loud thumping as the newest replacement takes her place, tiara already in place.
Lisa: The lights dim -- the only light is the lead actress.
Jubiliah's Player: Then, the power goes out, and the orchestra starts playing.
Josh: The orchestra can no longer see the conductor, only her light -- they take their time from her.
Lisa: So she is on beat because they take their time from her.
Keith: It's Something Different. The audience is horrified and delighted! It's a Full Rites of Spring -- Bodices need to be loosened!
Lady Nelbrack (of _course_ she's watching from her box, with Belle): Sounds like it's coming from _my_ booth -- I might as well become an actress!
NB: I'm not sure "booth" was the correct work, but it's what it looked like. I'm wondering if it was "robot", given LELLO was indeed Lady Nelbrack's robot.
Frank: How marvelous! It seems I don't have to retune her heart at all.
Yes, LELLO had become a celebrity!
Audience Member (after the show): Oh miss -- Miss 37 -- can I have your autograph, please?
LELLO: And I write out my number in binary.
Frank: That was wonderful, Number 37! I didn't see much of it because I didn't get close to the edge of the box.
LELLO: I thought I had to conform to what others wanted.
Frank: But your heart beats to a different drum.
He told her about his attempt to reclaim his missing part.
LELLO: Why do you want it? Can you not make a new one?
Frank: Some parts are hard to replace. I can put it back differently, but I still need the part. Can you help me?
LELLO (smiling): Of course.
Someone: How does LELLO smile?
Michael: Brighter, warmer.
Frank: Oh, by the way, I like the new bulb -- I would never have thought of it.
LELLO: It was a gift -- I never thought of it either.
INTERMEZZO
Yep, we definitely needed a break to catch our collective breath.
When we returned, we turned to the making of a movie. Frank was playing scientist, wondrous and amazed.
Frank: Do I have to be high up?
He did, but he was in a harness.
The Empress of the Moon was, of course, played by Lady Nelbrack.
GM: Is... Frank ending up being the lead man?
Yep. He was The Earthling / Astronaut.
Lady Nelbrack / Empress of the Moon: I will no doubt defeat you and add you to my harem.
GM (to Frank): Ironically, the role you were not born to play.
Belle played the Space Dog, Lyca, who would betray Frank for the Empress.
Frank: Yes, because the audience has to be convinced at some point that I can't survive this.
And, for a third time, Josh pulled a card to deal with the fear question:
Can Frank overcome his fear to actually not corpse on stage?
No! And... The character fails, and something unrelated also goes wrong.
Jubiliah, the counterweight -- and a _mean_ counterweight -- spun out of control.
She rips That Portrait -- swinging through the portrait!
Frank: The gravity -- it hates me! My stepdad _always_ hated me!
LELLO: You have a stepdad?
Frank: That's where I learned to make things.
Yep, Vulcan was Phobos's stepfather, and understandable, there was, ah, a troubled relationship between stepfather and son.
JJ (inspired, referring to the movie rolls): You needs a good woman to help you overcome your fear! (points to Jubiliah) That's _you_!
Jubiliah dropped the counterweight.
Jubiliah: Guh?!
JJ: Cut!
At this point, Josh decided that:
a) having drawn three times for Frank to overcome his fear, it made no sense to draw again -- that would be too repetitive, but
b) it really was time for Frank to overcome his fear of heights. We just shouldn't spend more narrative time focusing on that.
So, Frank was hanging in the air, unaware that he was doing this by his own muscle power.
LELLO: You spend a lot of time trying to impress other people.
Frank: My family is very -- there's a lot of pressure.
[ Mars in the painting was pointing down \ \/ Frank ]
Jubiliah: You know you're not wearing your harness, you know.
Frank: Aah! Why am I not falling? (pause) Oh! I suppose I can fly. I didn't know that!
LELLO: Can you do that too?
Jubiliah: No! I'm a human! I just steal from the gods.
Belle: What! (passes out)
Lady Nelbrack: Delicious!
Jubiliah (to Frank): Feeling better now?
Frank: It's still scary up here. I don't know why.
Jubiliah: It's always going to be scary up there.
Frank: Why?
So, the Astronaut was afraid of the invasion of Earth by the army of the Empress of the Moon. And at some point, he lost his fear. But, fear is important. Bad things happen because he's not afraid.
Lady Nelbrack: He flies too close to the moon and his wings melt?
Note that we were playing this in July of 2015, shortly after Inside Out was released, and Josh and I (and at least some, perhaps all of the others) had seen it. This was the Itras By version, focusing on Fear and what it was for.
As for the army, it would be a robot army. But, of course, there were budget concerns. Also, obviously, JJ had to cast the rising star, Number 37!
Someone: LELLO is the army.
Yes, LELLO would be playing all of the robots in the Empress's army.
Keith now did a quick check to see how we were all doing. Should we move towards the movie's opening night?
Me: ON!
Keith (deadpan): Well, I can't tell how Lisa feels -- what about the rest of you?
We were all looking forward to opening night. And, there was a card pull from the odd deck which netted us one good bit of news and one bad bit of news, and we discussed what we wanted those to be.
The bad news: Before opening night, the City of Itras By bans the film!
Josh: Not because of nudity, but because of the use of automatons.
Richard: The League of Sentient Dogs is up in arms over the casting of a robot dog.
The good news: _Everyone_ wants to see it!
Lady Nelbrack: It might provoke a Raid! Everyone would be _talking_ -- about _me_! -- And Belle.
Jubiliah thoughtfully called the Board of Censors to report that the banned film would be screened in Lady Bracknel's movie theater.
GM: And they don't know what phones are. They knock it down and hear a voice saying there will be s showing of _Empress of the Moon_ tonight at the Stately Manor of Lady Nelbrack and her Hall of Wonders!
Police: Divine Revelation!
Naturally, Lady Nelbrack's entire social circle showed up for the scandalous screening. Naturally, the entire social circle wore masks!
JJ: And I shall supply popcorn.
Lady Nelbrack: Fortunately, you didn't tell me.
Guest: What is this?
JJ: Popcorn.
Guest: How do we eat it?
JJ (whispering, having learned something about decadent socialites and drama): With your fingers!
Guest: Not even a spoon?
JJ: You'll have to lick your fingers clean.
Guest (to fellow guest): Alfred, put this in your mouth.
Lady Nelbrack: I thought of a cash bar with hard liquor.
Someone was smoking.
Someone else (possibly Lady Nelbrack? possibly a guest?): Where did you get that vile thing?
LELLO was showing people to seats.
Keith: It's like having Katherine Hepburn as your usher.
And we had a card pull from the weird deck, pulling Prosopopeia: Animals, Objects, or Abstract Concepts start talking.
Jubiliah's Box, or rather, Fear inside the Box, started talking. Michael played the box, doing an excellent job of being softly creepy.
Frank asked for the Box.
Jubiliah: You sure you don't want to wait till after movie?
Frank: It's time.
Box (to Jubiliah): What are you so afraid of? Oh, I know -- him. You had a reason for taking his memories, and now you're giving them back.
Frank: I _am_ fear.
Box: That's what you tell yourself.
There's some more that I didn't manage to jot down.
Box: Well, _I_ can't answer your questions -- I'm just a box.
Frank: It's true -- you're just a part.
Box: So why am I so important?
Frank: You're irreplaceable.
Box: Little girl, it's time you made a decision.
Jubiliah: LELLO?
LELLO: You want cheese?
Jubiliah: The box is talking to me. (to the box) You've been in my pocket.
Box: I've been everywhere.
LELLO: It's just a voice in a box. May I see the box for a moment?
Jubiliah handed the Box over and tried to shush it.
LELLO: It's just a voice -- you can just quiet it.
LELLO (to Jubiliah): Would you like your box back?
And I think she gave it back to Jubiliah.
Frank (to Jubiliah): Can I have my box back?
Jubiliah: You sure you don't want to wait until after the movie?
Frank: I'd like to _enjoy_ the movie.
And, paradoxically, one needs a certain amount of fear to enjoy a scary movie.
And Josh did a pull to find out: Can Phobos keep from being his old self?
Yes, but...
Whoever was interpreting the card, possibly Keith, decided that Phobos has complete control over the timing of feeling fear / fear being felt -- but not over the intensity and manifestation of it.
This was Hollywood Era Phobos -- complete with music and lighting effects. And the frightening effects were very frightening indeed.
Keith: Very Rites of Spring.
We discussed whether we should act out the movie and concluded that it would be a silent movie.
Moon /\ /
That is, the movie opens with a shot of the moon. And, a man is pointing to it and talking to Frank / The Astronaut. The dialogue, of course, appears on cards.
Man: You must go to the moon!
Astronaut: No!
Man (to room full of commanders): This astronaut is afraid of heights!
Flashback to the Astronaut on a ladder, afraid!
Cut to the Astronaut being talked to by the commanders. On the table is a sticky map, with representations of military units being pushed around by croupiers.
One of the commanders: You must go! Your planet needs you!
The Astronaut returns home. The next scene is with his wife! She is, of course, played by Jubiliah.
The Wife opens his head while he sleeps, and puts his fear into a box.
Belle, the robot dog, wearing a dog costume, barks (silently).
Dialogue Card: ( woof )
That is, picture a contrast of a fiercely barking Belle-in-costume and the sophisticated Belle barely mouthing a ( woof ).
Picture of Fear in the Box.
The Wife takes the box out and hides it next to a jewelry box. My notes say "in a locket or necklace", but I am not sure that is correct.
Next morning, the Astronaut wakes up and feels different!
He gets up, looks down, and reaches through the window!
The Astronaut hugs his wife joyfully!
She has a tearful smile he can't see.
The Astronaut is shown casually putting his hand on the hot stove.
His Wife quickly pulls his hand off.
Wife's Thought Card: My plan has worked -- but perhaps, too well!
The Astronaut marches heroically into the military meeting!
The map was still out, covered with cheesy figures -- except foe one of figures. This figure was wearing what the Empress was actually wearing. It was now on the bar / croupier.
The Astronaut looks like he is floating. He seems to be a foot above podium, as he speaks.
Astronaut: I will go to the moon!
Cut to the rocket -- perhaps it is made of the statues of the popes?
My notes say:
- Clockwork Clock
- Sfather
- (not house? would have to be on <lazy?>)
I'm not sure what that means.
He takes his suitcase onto the rocket to the moon. His Dog follows him onto the rocket.
Dog: ( woof )
His Wife, of course, stows away, hiding on the rocket.
Josh: The film is too weird -- and the audience gets a true feeling of vertigo as the rocket goes up.
Cut to Wife, worried, and getting ill.
Rocket lands on Moon.
The robots are _legion_, and there is a beautiful and terrifying Empress.
- Crash landing!
- Robot shadows are seen.
- Fade to black.
Robot hand peels open the door of the rocket. A shot of the robots shows that there must be millions of them!
Frank emerges bravely, not even wearing a helmet.
Robot: Come with me -- the Empress awaits!
Globe of Earth in her hand is seen first. She is looking right at England.
Astronaut Frank doesn't even know his wife's in danger! She sneaks out later
Dog: ( woof! )
Fear and arousal sweep the audience. Eros had dropped by.
Frank (at some point, to Cupid): Turn it down. There's another good part.
Empress points at Belle -- and motions.
Belle: ( woof )
And the Dog jumped onto the Empress's divan.
Empress: My most trusted agent.
And the Dog slipped off her coat revealing that she was -- A Robot!
After all, one didn't want to cross the League of Sentient Dogs.
Astronaut: I see even Man's Best Friend has betrayed me!
LELLO: You look beautiful, lady.
Lady Nelbrack: I know.
Frank: This movie is scary. I like it.
The Empress boasted of her plans to conquer the Earth. These no doubt involved putting the Astronaut in her harem. Yet, he remained unimpressed.
Empress: Soon, Astronaut, soon!
And still, the Astronaut did not quake in fear. Rather, he attacked the robot army, though vastly outnumbered!
Empress: Why does he not flee? He could warn the Earth!
Focus shot on Box.
The Astronaut is immobilized, but only briefly! His Wife rescues Astronaut Frank -- a fearful figure himself -- from the fearsome army. The Astronaut turns army against itself!
JJ: I didn't film this!
Astronaut Frank takes the nearest robot apart and rebuilds it.
Rebuilt Robot: I will serve _you_, master!
He rebuilt another.
Everything that happened in this film from this point on had been shot by JJ, but everything was put together differently from the way JJ had done it.
Jubiliah's Player: Jubiliah doesn't know how it's going to end and is scared.
The Astronaut captures the Empress after she almost fends them off with her wand.
Astronaut: Now, I am Emperor of Mars!
And the audience was terrified!
The Astronaut's Robot Army was mustering for an attack on Earth!
The Astronaut's Wife tries to give her husband his fear back. But, he won't take it back! She has to find a way to _sneak_ it back!
The movie shows a strangely realistic attack on Itras By -- as the Police Raid happens!
This meant that the audience would be missing the touching end.
Frank: Stop! I want to see the end of the movie.
And everyone stopped.
The police agents pulled up seats to watch the end of the movie.
Hey, everyone wants to know how the story ends.
Astronaut Frank is drinking wine, evilly, from the head of a ripped apart robot.
His Wife puts a robot costume around herself. (This shot was originally put in when the Astronaut was a captive.) She pours fear into a glass.
She kneels and gives it to him. He can't see her face, and he does not know that this is his Wife, not a robot.
He drinks it. And he feels Fear!
Terrified, he pushes a button.
All the robots fall over!
(This is basically a shot of LELLO falling over, replayed again and again.)
Final Scene: The entire lead cast is returning to Earth in the Empress's space ship, which is a flying palace.
The Wife pilots.
She must, for Astronaut Frank huddles in a corner, afraid.
Astronaut Frank: You have saved me, wife -- and all of humanity!
My notes say: 1 at a time
I think this means that we were doing epilogues.
Lady Nelbrack handed JJ a drink.
JJ (taking it): I didn't shoot that.
Half the wives are smoking at the next party. All wearing turbans and kimonos -- they're all the rage.
Frank invites Jubiliah in, for the curse is broken.
Frank: Jubiliah, come out of the junkyard. Come into my home.
LELLO was now the robot Beyonce. JJ made her the star of a Dancing Robot Film.
LELLO: What's my motivation?
JJ: To dance like no one's ever danced before.
Mars and Venus (watching Frank and Jubiliah): About time.
THE END
