A23.
This is part of the #Dungeon23 challenge in which you make one room to a dungeon every day for a year. In an effort to link my memories to the creation, I am also writing a personal journal entry with each room that may or may not be related.
You don’t have to read that part.
A23.
This room is locked. The door is brand new.
If you listen in you can hear the sound of breathing. If you haven’t been particularly sneaky up until now, the person inside may even whisper out to you.
“go…away.”
The voice is pleading. Begging for whatever ghoul that’s been wandering the hall to leave him be.
If you tell him that you’re actually good folks, he’ll ask for your help. He’s a prisoner here.
Inside is a cell, this looks like it used to be a barracks. Rotten mattresses and collapsed beds liter the room. Chained to a wall, sitting on a pile of moldy linens is Fencer Pleasant.
Fencer Pleasant is a short, tan-skinned man with a round face and kind eyes. His hair looks like it has been recently shaved off, and his scalp has several cuts. He’s short, but compact, and should his fortunes turn, he’ll offer you a smile that can lighten the darkness.
Fencer had discovered a passage in the woods behind his newly purchased farm. It led him down to room A28. He thought he was on the verge of discovering treasure but instead was captured by the necromancer, who told him he had very special plans for him. He’s been here a few days, and is weak, but will fight like the devil to get back to his wife and children.
The internet feels like this.
1/23/23
Fencer Pleasant is based on a real person.
I don’t know the guy’s name. I know almost nothing about him. But every morning and afternoon I see him when we are both taking our kids to and from school.
He has two kids, both adorable, and he pushed them for several blocks in a cart. These kids don’t know my kids.
But despite having zero reason to, we smile and say “hi” to each other every time we pass one another. He started this. I don’t know why. I’m not even sure if he speaks english, to be honest, but we still greet each other warmly twice a day.
There are people who have children that they know are friends with my children that I see every day that look pained to even say “hi”.
Gail says sometimes I just look mean, and I’ve also had other friends say they were scared to talk to me when they first met me. I’m a pretty goofy person, though I will admit to being terribly uncomfortable meeting people. And maybe I give off that vibe, so people give me space.
But this guy doesn’t seem to give a fuck about that, and says hi to me anyway.
You can’t imagine how much that interaction makes me feel like a human. I’m terribly thankful for that guy, and will miss him when we move.
…
Sometimes I hear people say they hate small talk.
I feel bad for those folks.
To me, small talk means someone just wants to interact with another human being, and they don’t know how else to start besides chat about the weather or the Bears, or the Cubs, or the mayor, or whatever.
I’ll take that over… nothing. The isolation of purposfully ignoring people is just terrifying at a humanistic level.
I don’t want to be an ant.
That’s a line from one of my favorite movies - Richard Linklater’s Waking Life. Here’s the scene.
…
Gail and I sorted out our Movie Challenge for 2023. Unlike the reading challenge from yesterday, these movies will be watched together, but we both pick a movie for each category. So it’ll be 20 movies total. I think it’ll be a lot of fun.
2023 Movie Challenge
Pre-Code Era
Directed by Maya Deren
From the Sight & Sound Greatest Documentary List
Historical Drama
Film starring Joan Blondell
Academy Award winner for Best Cinematography
Made in Germany
A film about following your passion
A film that came out when we were in high school
No budget/DIY
I think I’m really looking forward to the DIY/No Budget stuff. I want to watch something that was made in someone’s backyard with just their friends. Distributed on youtube.
Anyway that’s today.
See you tomorrow.
-Jae
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