Andy's Pulp misadventures...

[Andy in Germany]

Andy, hobbys are important in life - keep us grounded and focused.  But 'real life' is always more important.  Maybe combine the two and let your hobby lead you to others who enjoy the hobby and that can develop a 'social life'.  You clearly have a strong creative streak - that means you should fit right in to creative environments, take a painting class maybe - or some creative endeavor.  Extend a little trust in others and you might find a whole new - and rewarding - world to traipse about in. 

We can live with you taking a break on posting if you need to.  Go spread your wings - and, hopefully, you will come back refreshed and reinvigorated with fabulous new ideas and projects to regale us about.

 

Now, go forth and 'conquer' lad.

 

I understand your sentiments, but really, I'm fine.

I work in a workshop with people who have psychological illnesses/disabilities, and/or addiction issues.

I'm happy, and it's fantastic, but I spend eight hours running my section of a workshop with five clients and assisting my colleagues with another seven, all with different issues and abilities. This means that aside from direct interactions with clients and customers I'm assisting and consulting my highly competent colleagues, (We are a team of training and technical specialists so we lean on each other's abilities a lot); liaising with social workers, and checking in with other stakeholders. I get enough real life every day, especially if we have a frustrated or angry client.

I did recently visit a Model Railway club, and I have looked at some Tabletop gaming groups locally, but I find the whole getting to know people and making small talk rather draining and frustrating. One reason I like my job is that I know where I stand with my clients: they need help, respect, and work, and I can provide that, there's no futzing about with small talk.

Don't get me wrong, I'm open to meeting people, in theory. At some point...

[Andy in Germany]

Mis-posted. Details on my workbench thread if anyone is interested:

https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=145486.msg1915645#msg1915645

[Freddy]

Wow, that ship looks really cool!

[Pattus Magnus]

Yes, that really is fabulous work!

[Sakuragi Miniatures]

That's a neat ship. I assume its all scratch built?

[Andy in Germany]

That's a neat ship. I assume its all scratch built?

Thank you; mostly it's scratch built; some details like the lifeboats and ventilators are bought in. The Workbench thread goes through the process, such as it is...

[Andy in Germany]

It’s high time we got back to Ascension, where the street gang known as the 40 Elephants is still trying to recapture the mysterious Ivory Falcon, a relic reputed to date back to the days of Ghengis Kahn, who carried it into battle at the head of the Mongol Hordes. It carries an engraving on the base which is said to contain occult wisdom, which the 40 Elephants Gang reckon must be worth at least a thousand pounds alone.

Jack O’Sullivan is out, and as usual, he’s somehow got up-to-date editions of several daily newspapers which he’s willing to sell, at a price. He’s also the most likely person to know where the Ivory Falcon is being kept…



This is why Alice Diamond and Florrie Holmes are currently trying to nonchalantly walk towards O’Sullivan’s sales spot by the casino, in the hope of exchanging not too much cash for information…



Meanwhile, Shirley Pitts and Jim Bullock have been sent around the backstreets to avoid frightening the tourists, and also to steal the Island’s one security van… This is parked in a walled compound behind the bank, but Jim has a plan to get through the side door…



The 40 Elephants are trying to cover a lot of ground today. Mary Carr has been sent to collect some explosives at a prearranged hiding point… Unfortunately, being black market contraband, these were not made to the most stringent health and safety regulations, hence the “perilous area” marking around them. Carr will have to be very, very careful…



Alice approaches Jake, but sees the Royal Navy Air Service police car in the distance. Sensing trouble, she quickly calls over to Florrie to go and start the gang’s getaway car…



Unfortunately for the 40 Elephants Gang, this alerts Sergeant Williams to their presence. He immediately blows his whistle and starts towards Alice…



Jim puts his plan into action for the door. From Shirlie’s point of view it seems his “plan”, is to kick the door repeatedly until the lock breaks, but as Jim points out, this worked so far so why complicate things?

On getting through the gate, he finds that the RNAS police were in fact guarding the van in anticipation of just such an attempt from the 40 Elephants…



Meanwhile, Carr approaches the explosives carefully, or at least, what she probably thinks of as “carefully”. The dice are rolled…



Two fails, meaning two hits, and she’s down for the rest of the game. This is not a good start…

Alice is doing a little better, although Jake takes advantage of the situation: seeing Sgt. Williams running over, he immediately increases the price for the information to five pounds…



Alice wants to argue, but reasoning that she will make this and far more by collecting the Ivory Falcon, she hands over the money. She grabs the tatty edition of yesterdays “times”, that Jack offers, and runs for the car. Florrie drives to pick her up and takes a pot shot at Williams, catching him in the arm. Jack, as can be seen, has vanished.



With both sides already taking casualties, what will happen next? Will Alice and the 40 Elephants manage to find the Ivory Falcon? Will Jim find a door that can’t be kicked down? Why is the Ivory Falcon so valuable anyway? Find out in the next episode, et c…

[mikedemana]

Shots fired, explosions, doors kicked in...we're off to a rollicking start!

Has anyone watched the streaming series, Forty Elephants, yet (speaking of which)?

Mike Demana

[Spinal Tap]

Excellent new foray into the world of Ascension. Brilliant.

[Andy in Germany]

Shots fired, explosions, doors kicked in...we're off to a rollicking start!

Has anyone watched the streaming series, Forty Elephants, yet (speaking of which)?

Mike Demana

I didn't know about the series. Bummer: now everyone will think I'm copying it.

[anevilgiraffe]

I'll never get over that the casino isn't a plasticville model... 

[CapnJim]

Interesting.

Looking forward to more tales of daring-do (and daring-don't...).   

[Andy in Germany]

I'll never get over that the casino isn't a plasticville model... 

I had to look up Plasticville, but after a quick search, I can see your point.

[Andy in Germany]

I was hoping to actually get some work done on the tramp steamer, which is looking reproachfully at me as I write this, but unfortunately I’ve been busy, so instead we return to current events, at least on Ascension.



You will recall that the Forty Elephants Gang are trying to capture a mysterious Ivory Falcon, rumoured to be the personal property of The first Japanese Emperor, with a mystical message on the bases that confers knowledge to all who read it. Quite what this knowledge is, we don’t know, and the Forty Elephants don’t care: they do care that someone is willing to pay them a thousand British pounds for it, so they are being unusually persistent in their attempts to capture the item.

So far today, things have been mixed for both sides…

Captain Bryant has been attempting to persuade the bank staff to let him remove the Falcon before the 40 Elephants try and blow up the bank. Unfortunately, the bank clerk behind the door is too afraid to open it; so far the Captain has only been able to persuade the clerk to fetch the chief accountant, who proves equally reluctant…



Alice Diamond managed to get information on where the Falcon actually was, although it cost a fair amount, and caught the attention of Sergeant Williams:



Mary Carr tried to pick up some explosives, but failed to follow the correct health and safety procedures, so got her self knocked out of the game…



While Jim Bullock forgot that kicking down doors, whilst generally efficient, can attract unwelcome attention…



Realising that Jim’s presence can only mean one thing, the Royal Navy Air Service Police leap into the security van and race off, leaving Jim swearing and coughing. There’s a minor glitch where the dice show a failure to steer efficiently in the “Perilous area” but this results in no more than a lump being removed from the Casino wall and a few more scratches to an already battered van…



On the main street, Alice has learned that the Ivory Falcon is in the bank, so she and Florrie are racing towards it…

But Captain Bryant’s persistence has been rewarded; he and Sgt Williams have persuaded the timorous bank staff that the best way to keep the bank safe, is to remove the Ivory Falcon. They are loading it into their car…



Alice screams with rage and Florrie presses the accelerator, then suddenly the security van appears, blocking the road and also preventing them from shooting the police…



Unfortunately this was not the smooth operation that the police were aiming for, and Sergeant Coulson can’t stop the van in time, so it crashes into a warehouse, leaving just enough space for the Florrie to get past…



Captain Bryant throws the car into reverse, while Sgt. Williams exchanges gunfire with Alice, both managing to miss every time. Bryant stops and changes into first, and spins the wheel, aiming for a different alleyway…



Coulson, uninjured, but shaken by the crash, dismounts from the vehicle, ready in case more of the gang are lurking nearby…



But Alice has never been this close to the Ivory Falcon and shouts at Florrie to ignore everything else, just chase that police car: the others will catch up.



So much for this being the last episode: we will soon see the inevitable Pulp Alley chase sequence. Will Bryant be able to stave off the attack, or will Florrie and Alice finally get their prize?

[marianas_gamer]

Another nail biter!