[FOUND] First wall piece

[Victin]

I entered mine, and then 13 seats left.

[StarSketch]

Hey, look who's no longer lurking!

Counter's down to 12.

[Victin]

Hey, look who's no longer lurking!

Counter's down to 12.

Hey! As much as I'd like to meet you, it'd be derailing, so, let's go to the introduction page, shall we?

[Dryunya]

9 more emails, and I haven't received anything yet. I think it may be actually the time to proxy-spam them. Is everyone okay with tomorrow?

[JackAlsworth]

Whoa, now, no need to bring out the proxies just yet. December 18th's still about two weeks away. Let's wait a little bit longer before we start trying to cut the Gordian knot.

[Dryunya]

The problem is that we don't even know if we're doing it right. So I'm not sure waiting for too long is a good idea.

[Pixelmage]

I thought that this particular piece might be on a timer. If so, the number of emails entered is not really relevant and we'll get the information when the timestamp reaches its mark...

For instance, on the 11th all who got a ticket receive an email cancellation because X and Y and that we can get our metaphorical refunds at Z address.

Not saying it is the case, but if zeroing the counter does nothing, it might be a timer case.
Any metaguards who didn't send their emails, please do so. Lurkers or not, we want that counter down to zero and we don't want to cut anyone out unless we really, desperately need to. ^^

[Qara-Xuan Zenith]

Okay, so as soon as people mentioned in the chatroom that all seats were taken, I went to the site and entered an alt email to see what would happen.

The site displayed the following message:

Reservations are closed. Please call 1-888-279-8774

So, naturally, curiosity conquering all, I called the number. Below is a transcript of the message (I had to press * a couple times to hear it all) :

Hello, and thank you for calling the Van Gouton inquiry line.

Please use your phone's keypad to select one of the following options:

To book tickets for the upcoming production "The Masked Fool", and for more information on the production, press 1.

If you have already made a booking and wish to change it, or to cancel your booking, press 2.

We regret that we cannot accept any other inquiries by phone. For other inquiries please consider our offices. To repeat this message press *.

I tried pressing 1, and got the following message:

Thank you for your interest in the masked fool.

If you wish to book tickets for this production, press 1.

For a synopsis, press 2.

For information on the production company, press 3.

To return to the previous menu, press #.

To repeat this menu, press *.

Pressing 1 on that submenu got me a recording which I wasn't fast enough to completely transcribe; upshot: ticket sales are handled by "Jasper Ticketing Services". I was then transferred to a message from Jasper Ticketing Services, informing me that tickets are currently sold out but an archived recording of the performance will be available at San Francisco's Counterpoint Records and Books.

The synopsis:

The masked fool is a captivating tale about a group of young people given the chance to hide behind the masks of their roles onstage. Under the spotlight, they find renewed meaning in their lives, for when the masks begin to define them, fiction blurs to reality. Amidst the glamour and lies, the flowers and bright lights, one man struggles to find his true identity

Press # to return to the main menu, or * to repeat this message.

Information on the production company:

Leroux Productions is a theatre production company which specializes in really posh musicals that no one will ever watch or enjoy. Headed by self-satisfied playwright Richard Leroux, Leroux Productions hopes to make an impact with their upcoming production The Masked Fool.

Press # to return to the main menu, or * to repeat this message.

Last transcript: upon pressing 2 on the first menu:

We regret that we can not process or change orders over the phone. To change your booking details, or to cancel your booking, please email reservations@lerouxproductions.com with your booking reference and the details you wish to change.

You may be asked to provide proof of identity.

Press # to return to the main menu, or * to repeat this message.

[Dryunya]

Sent the email from a different address.
Also, I don't see the phone number. Is it gone, or am I glitching?

[GuestUser17]

Sent the email from a different address.
Also, I don't see the phone number. Is it gone, or am I glitching?

With the counter at zero I simply entered "test" and it gave the number under the entry box.

[RotavatoR]

What should I send to that e-mail? Or do I have to call the phone number first?

[Qara-Xuan Zenith]

Not sure if any emails or calling will be necessary.

Counterpoint Records and Books is a real place in LA (that was the recording I didn't hear so well-- I don't think they actually said SF, my mind probably just filled it in, though anyone who wants to call, press 1, then press 1 again and transcribe the message, it would be much appreciated-- that was the one message that didn't give me the option to repeat it to hear it again, and it would have been a pain to keep calling and punching in).

...I don't know why I'm sharing this information, except, well, we're a tram. Everyone keeps getting mad at A for withholding information even when he doesn't, so fine. As one of A's most loyal supporters, then, on his behalf I'm not withholding this.

I'm just going to have to trust and hope that Dilly won't try to pick up a VHS recording there of The Masked Fool or with elephants until after the refics (it's also possible that there won't BE anything to pick up until after Dec 18, since that's the supposed date of the play, so... yeah).

[Dryunya]

So,

Counterpoint Records & Books
5911 Franklin Ave, Hollywood, CA 90028
(323) 957-7965

Do you confirm the location?

[narrativedilettante]

I'm just going to have to trust and hope that Dilly won't try to pick up a VHS recording there of The Masked Fool or with elephants until after the refics (it's also possible that there won't BE anything to pick up until after Dec 18, since that's the supposed date of the play, so... yeah).

Don't worry. I won't try to pick this up unless I think I have to. Given my current schedule for the next couple of weeks, I'll probably go here on December 20th, by which time we should hopefully be close to having all refics successfully completed. I'd wait until the 21st but I'm probably going to be far from LA on that day.

[narrativedilettante]

All right, so as discussed on the Cabal email thread, I've decided to get this piece now rather than later. I just called the store and asked if they had a copy of "The Masked Fool" on VHS and they said they didn't. So now I'm kind of at a loss for what to do. Does anyone have any ideas for what else the wall piece might be disguised as? I'm reluctant to just go to the store and start asking questions without knowing what I'm looking for.

[Dryunya]

Pressing 1 on that submenu got me a recording which I wasn't fast enough to completely transcribe; upshot: ticket sales are handled by "Jasper Ticketing Services". I was then transferred to a message from Jasper Ticketing Services, informing me that tickets are currently sold out but an archived recording of the performance will be available at San Francisco's Counterpoint Records and Books.

So... maybe we aren't supposed to find it until 18th? But then again,

Mr. Administrator, I wanted you to know that this piece has been successfully relocated.

[EdwardTheAwesome]

I'm emailing Morgan to ask about this.

[narrativedilettante]

The tenses in the Agent's letter are a bit weird. The piece "has been relocated" but he also says he'll put it in an old VHS box once it's in its new home. I assume the letter was written once the agent took the piece but before he could move it to the bookstore.

I assumed the VHS box would be for The Masked Fool, but since they don't seem to have that in the store, it could be any old VHS at this point. Maybe I should just go there and start searching through their VHS selection?

Also, we've considered that the piece might not be in the store until the 18th. One problem with this is that the agent would have to keep it somewhere else in the meantime, and why bother hiding it before putting it in the hiding place? Meta: Another problem with that is that Morgan emailed me to encourage me to go get it, which strongly implies that it's already there.

Thank you for emailing Morgan, Ed. I was thinking of doing the same.

[EdwardTheAwesome]

Her response is here. Hope it helps!

[narrativedilettante]

Her response is here. Hope it helps!

Thank you so much. Okay, so now I'm thinking that calling the store isn't likely to be much help, as I'm no good at phone conversations.

My current plan: I will go to the store and talk to whoever's at the counter. I will ask after any VHS box sets and persevere until I find the wall piece. Then I will scan it and deal with Mr. A's wrath.

[EdwardTheAwesome]

Sounds like a plan Good luck!

[Dryunya]

Translation from Meta: GO GET THAT PIECE ALREADY.
Somehow I think we'll be nudged to pick up all the pieces except for the last one, which will start the biggest moral dilemma.

[GuestUser17]

Why is Morgan so interested in this now? Mr. A said we should neither scan nor remove the pieces. Something is afoot. I still have the QR code from Seattle to piece together and scan when needed but I would feel better following Mr. A than the Cabal at this point.

[Dryunya]

Dunno... because she was always interested in the pieces?
Either she's geniunely afraid of what's stirring behind the wall, or she's using it to scare us into obedience (just like she says Mr. A does). Or both.

That's just so stupid. As if we don't know our own intentions. I think we'll need to draw the line soon.

[Pixelmage]

Soon, yeah, but can we do it because we want to instead of because we have to?

Until we get to the last piece, this dilemma means very little. We don't get all that much info for doing it, nor do the Cabal get what they want (Cat tweet, one crack is enough to refic everyone)... So... She's nudging us to that decision point and once we get there we must choose...

But can we make that choice now? Before the critical point?