| APAGear II Archives | Volume 2, Number 5 | June, 2000 |
If you are looking a nice place for the evening it will be hard in Zagreb. Most are places full of drunk-old farmers, or easy young brawlers with no future. Few places will give you something different from local whiskey, and outside the live band bar you will already be stunned by high volume of shock music. If you have any good friends, or maybe just lucky strolling around, you will meet a nice, old style cowfee: Angela's.
This is the right place were to bring your girlfriend, a quiet, relaxing atmosphere during the day, and usually nice Īsoutherners' party. Yes, this sometimes will attract old mummy revisionist zealots, but the kind and good natured customers will temperate the most petulant critics. Well, maybe some clients are not the most grand Īma favorites, but it will be nevertheless amazing.
Many intellighentia (the intellectual club) members, bright students and curious travelers will met in the place, where a taste for old Europe has been portrayed.
Unknown to most customers Angela's covers a reference office for a young political southern group, and any Newton visitor will connect Damir Bugara, the current Bartender, to Dusan Brusko, an student who raised the SRPFD attention some cycles ago. Questioned on the matter Damir will deny any involvement with any ongoing activities of the House of Dreaming, the political engrave that was involved in Playing Newton. This was a performance that satirically and ironically played the conduct of Newton joking with all the members of the city government, seriously embracing the establishment. The critics were ferocious, and most student used to quote the show in their talking during the animated public meetings. Before the popularity of the group grow too much, the members were threatened, and put in difficulties in life and studying. Examining papers from member houses a zealot bureaucrat readed "we will conquer the world", and made Damir arrested and persecuted the group. Guilt and accuses were not proven, but Damir was forced to leave Newton, and his sister and girlfriend followed, decided to keep things going but knowing the dangers of challenge the southern authorities.
Some members of Zagreb council were interested in the ideas of the group, pointing to the force of aggregation and freedom of association, and offered a roof to the three. The group was too little to attract too much attention to the SRID and to distract Northern Forces, just some philosophers and university professors could be interested in these young theorist, so the Bar had no problems. Even the most curious northerner will not exchange the nostalgic southerner visitor for a referring member of the House of Dreaming.
Founder of the House of Dreaming, during last year of his Computer Science University, became involved in the troubles of the group, and forced to leave Newton 3 cycles ago, at the age of 22 cycles. The opportunities of computer programming attracted him to attend the University, but sensibility and social attitude made him interested in Newton Student activities, ending in the suggestion of PlayingNewton. The family had no influence to protect him, and his maintaining at Newton were based on student capacity. When the group got persecuted everything become difficult, and just through his sister agriculture contacts he was able to present his situation to a Zagreb professor. The Socialist conduct of the town deeply influenced the decision to let the young open the Bar in Zagreb, seeing it as an opportunity to rejoin many out of perspective Zagreb youngsters to the principles of unity and communality.
A skilled computer programmer, Damir uses this knowledge to connect with other members of the House of Dreaming and keep his (and other members) records impossible to track. There his speech and theories continue and grow. During the evening he is a lovable Bar Tender, good at involving in activities and discussions customers and locals. Little connections with Forzi will let him to get southern valuables were his friends are unable.
Good natured, good tempered, easy at friendship, the barkeeper was his real attitude since he was born, and sometimes he will repeat it to himself. But listening to his old friends and looking to what's happening in terranova, it's not easy to keep his mind just at his work. The dream of a better society has charmed this man, and will not abandon him.
In discussion he is quite diplomatic and never loses his temper (quite never, you know the boiler ? he will go hotter, but he will explode only if you keep on fire too much).
While at college he was a good pugilist, and will not forgive an undesirable customer trying to disturb the Cowfee name, even if this is a rare event, because of his build and the not easy to alter humor. For much serious troubles the Forzi contacts will not easily loose a valuable south insider, and even members of high level in Zagreb help him.
Ugo Santelli (Forzi Charter member, lieutenant in Zagreb), Ante Panievic (Zagreb Council Member, yung politicies deputy), Frane Baric (Agronomics professors at Zagreb University Department), Boz Kinges (Computer wannabe adolescent)
| AGI -1 | APP +1 | BLD +2 | CRE +1 | FIT -1/td> |
| INF +1 | KNO +1 | PER +1 | PSY +0 | WIL -1 |
| STR +0 | HEA +1 | STA 35 | UD 2 | AD 2 |
| Skills | Skills | Skills | Skills |
| Bureaucracy 1 | Business 1 | Communications 2/td> | Computer 2 |
| Drive 2 | Foreign Language (Specific) 1 | Hand-to-Hand 1 | Investigation 1 |
| Leadership 2 | Notice 2 | Psychology 1 | Social Sciences 1 |
| Tactics 1 | Theatrics 1 |
(*Well, she is Damir's sister!)
The usual customers know her quite well: she is nice, if not pretty, and smiles whenever some Northerner asks for explanations over a Newtonian dish unheard of before. They smile in answer, forgiving her exotic accent, which she could never get rid of. In the University they are not as forgiving: they always repeat that it is impossible to get the degree if you cannot spell the words correctly. She comes back at the café, says nothing and starts to work. Her friends don't ask anything, they can read on her face what went wrong. You can always read her emotions right on her face: anger, joy, whatever. But if in those moments if you mock at her a little, pointing at the fact that she actually didn't spend that much time on books as she was chatting and drinking the past nights, she'll look at you, try to hit you with her broom and finally burst out in a laugh till tears come down.
She is usually in good mood, that is: after 10 a.m. In fact, you cannot talk to her early in the morning. She is awake, but before her cup of Newtonian cawfee, a black, strong and tasty cup Newtonian cawfee, she cannot even look at you. After the cawfee, she starts to mumble about how busy she is, or to rumble around without a clear purpose, moving stuff here and there, cleaning, going out and coming back in because she has forgotten something, running to catch the metro and loosing her hat in the meanwhile. But after a while, she realizes that it is a brand new day, and that the next 26 hours left out of the day are worth to be lived thoroughly.
She spends the first part of the day concentrating on books, trying to catch up with the lessons watching the trideos. She wants her degree so to have a serious job, with no more fear to be mocked at for her accent. In the past she had been tempted to enter the Police, more because fascinated by the machines, the Heavy Gears, than because of her sense of justice. When one of her friends died in a police action, though, she decided no ideal was worth her life or the life of someone she loved. She went to the University then, and she regrets it every moment. Well, if she thinks about it, she knows this is the right thing to do. On the other hand she doesn't like the food here, she miss the sun on her skin, she'd like to taste the good wine of her hometown, she'd like to chat with her old friends, she hates the strange language of the North, in a word, she miss the South.
And she repeats one day, "One day, mark my words, I'll get that degree, and then we'll have the greatest, craziest, funniest and the most Newtonian party ever! Ever!"
Then she laces her apron at her belt, she whistles some hold trideo soundtrack, and start over again her working day at the café, with people she loves more than her degree or her hometown, stopping every once and then to sip her cup of cawfee.
She invited his brother in Zagreb, providing the address of the Agriculture department were she was going to specialize and obtain the Ph.D. Of course she know about current and past activities of Damir, and will not left his brother if ever he will be back in Newton
Only some student's sabre lessons at college let her demonstrate a good candidate for an interesting career for the SR noble's sport. But her studies and attitudes drop this opportunity. Well, maybe an anxious client or an unorthodox one will let her get in exercise.
Frane Baric (Agronomics professors at Zagreb University Department), Vinca Racic (co- phD student, local police captain dother), Erinn Doubassies (House of Dream Member, maybe a future boyfriend ?), Ester Arietela (sister of the Gaer's killed friend, now keeping a gear garage in Zagreb).
| AGI +1 | APP +1 | BLD +1 | CRE +1 | FIT +0 |
| INF +0 | KNO +2 | PER +1 | PSY -1 | WIL +0 |
| STR +0 | HEA +0 | STA 35 | UD 4 | AD 4 |
| Skills | Skills | Skills | Skills |
| Athletics 2 | Combat Sense 1 | Cooking 1 | Dance 1 |
| Dodge 1 | Drive 1 | Earth Sciences 2 | Foreign Language (Specific) 2 |
| Hand-to-Hand 1 | Life Sciences 2 | Melee 2 | Notice 2 |
| Swimming 1 | Theatrics 1 |
To many House of Dreams members she is a mistery. Quite unknown to anybody, she got involved with Damir during the worst period in Newton, when he was arrested and processed. Many went paranoid during that period, and were unable to accept her as simply Damir girlfriend. Will a day know the truth they could get really angry! Angela was really an informatory, introduced in Damir's friendship for opportunity. But as always happen (well, in any romance at least), she fall in love really with him, and followed his exile, sustaining that nothing without him will tide her to Newton. At least if you will not suspect that the thrilling of a blade runner life wasn't another unconscious reason, maybe stronger than love. Well, quite the truth. She didn't completely interrupt her SRID contacts, maybe just because a day she could get help from these, or maybe as a way to protect her future, or better guess you what. SRID used to contact not-so-rich student for simple action of information, in exchange of money or favors, and the girl without parents seemed perfect. More than money thrilling and curiosity attracted her. Usually motivations are stronger, but SRID underestimated (or better, were not so interested in) Damir's group and his leader.
In Angela's she is a valuable member, solving various profencies: cooking, administering, serving, everything. Eclectic and determined, she gives everyday his help in conducting the pub, dreaming the day that Damir will stop his projects. She will never got back to her previous contacts, but she is afraid that any day Damir will know the truth, and she couldn't imagine his reaction.
She is building a future in Zagreb, never to be back in Newton. So she is hard working, and hot tempered with Damir from time to time, exposing her desires and going to convince to let the past fall off. She went unfriendly and distant with southerners, justifying herself with too bad memories from old times. Her past as a SR informant is buried very well, but she is afraid of the day that somebody will dig it, and reveal to Damir everything. She will not do it by herself, why risk it if it could rest unknown? Why not reveal it when it will be useful?
The informant are given little if no teaching, so only a little ability at fly away from difficulties is available for Angela.
Nevertheless she is strongly linked to Damir, so what if somebody of the old contacts (friendly or Unfrendly) will try to force Damir back to Newton while she is cooking? flying dishes, and knives Coming!
Ugo Santelli (Forzi Charter member, lieutenant in Zagreb), Raffi Coltar (SRID liason), Ben Ducosienne (southern cooking professor at 2nd Newton University)
| AGI +0 | APP +2 | BLD -1 | CRE +0 | FIT +1 |
| INF +1 | KNO +1 | PER +0 | PSY -1 | WIL +2 |
| STR +0 | HEA +1 | STA 35 | UD 2 | AD 2 |
| Skills | Skills | Skills | Skills |
| Athletics 2 | Business 1 | Cooking 2 | Dodge 1 |
| Foreign Language (Specific) 2 | Foreign Language (Specific) 3 | History 2 | Law 1 |
| Literature 3 | Notice 1 | Space Navigation 1 | Streetwise 1 |
| Teaching 2 |
Andrea Vigiak pretend to inspire the character of Damir! Don't' panic, he is not a kind of neo anarchist, but in his spare time organize a rpg association, named the room of dreams, located in Vercelli, Italy. Initiator and Apagear Ita supervisor, in his live he works as a software project leader in a small firm near his town. He is 31 year old, dark black hair and a little oversized (well, at least not as much as Angela will say, 110kg/1,87 mt )
Olga Vigiak has got University degree in tropical and subtropical agriculture, and is currently studying in Holland for her Ph.D. She miss a lot the Room of Dreaming and her rpg playing, and of course her family. Apagear ITA got a lot of help from her current studying abroad, and give vigiak's brothers another way to keep in contact.
She is 2 years younger than Andrea, and in a better shape.
Born in 1971, Angela Di Pace is Andrea's wife, and muse, and a rpg recently introduced player. She got graduated at Languages University, in Florence, were she studied. Currently she is working as an accountant at a little firm in Novara, in the middle between Torino and Milano, Italy. She is also the secretary of the Room of Dreams.
Got the picture ? ;-), I was going to be flamed by my little red hair wife when I proposed this subject! -AV
| APAGear II Archives | Volume 2, Number 5 | June, 2000 |
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