OH NOES! TAB COLLECTION!!!

[mnt_mike]

F.A.Q.: TOTAL RECALL, AND YOU.

What is with this Tab Collection?

This is a plot that is run every once in a great while. The basic idea is that every now and again patrons of Milliways get complacent with the notion that their every want, whim, and desire can be fulfilled by a mere request to Bar. But everything, even in Milliways, comes from somewhere. And that somewhere needs to be compensated for the materials, goods, and services that are requested by the patrons.

Recalling Tabs is a way to put the multiversal ledger back towards zero.

It can't be repeated enough: This, like every plot in Milliways, is entirely voluntary.

Who does this affect?

Any character in Milliways that has: ordered a drink, purchased food, has received services, or currently resides within the confines of the Bar or specific environs.

How does this work?

That's really up to you, and how you happen to play your character.
Does your character have that kind of money on hand?
Does your character have a way of getting that kind of money on hand?
Run wild.
Plan a bank heist.
Have something from your world that might be worth more in someone else's? Hock it.
Most importantly though, have fun. This isn't supposed to be something to stress over. It's supposed to be something to inspire mayhem, and maybe a touch of panic.

AIEEE! MY CHARACTER IS BOUND! WHAT DO I DO?!?!

Okay, that aformentioned panic should be IC only. We are not going to IP track your posts, show up at your house, and demand comprehensive accounting threads from you. But sleep tight with the knowledge that we considered it. :-)
Only you know exactly how much money your characters owe the bar, and only you can rectify that expenditure. This would also be the point where we tell you that only you can prevent forest fires.
...
What? Give it up for Smokey!

There are multiple ways for a bound character to find themselves in the money.
- They could be employed by the Bar
- They could sell something of theirs to someone who would be willing to pay for it.
- They could give that something of theirs to sell to Bar instead...less likely to get a big return from that though.
- And of course there's the Joe Manco Fund for Wayward Pups and misfit toys.

What is the Joe Manco Fund for Wayward pups...and did you say misfit toys?

Yes I did, but only because I think it's funny. That's not actually the Fund's real name...but it could be.
No the Joe Manco fund was set up by Roland Deschain in...well, I'll let John explain it, since this bit of Millicanon is his. John?

John: Well, Joe died. At the end of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Joe comes into an assload of money. then, while he was bound, he worked out an elaborate time-bending scheme for Meg to get his money. Bank transfer from Santa Fe to Paris, and then Roland retrieved it. Only then Joe got sucked back in time to his time and he couldn't take the money out of the bank because paradox. Joe eventually suspected he was fucked, and wrote his will and put it in the bank with the money and when it was confirmed he was dead, the will was read out. and part of that was to leave a fund for the Bound.

Thanks John.
If this is your first hearing of the Joe Manco Fund for the Bound, then chances are probably good that your character doesn't know about it either. Funds will not be withdrawn from the account unless asked for by the characters themselves. Deductions from the Fund need to be mimeographed in triplicate and submitted to the Bar before disbursement can occur.

Seriously?

No, not seriously.
Well, the part where they have to know about it in game, and request aid is serious. The part about the mimeographing things in triplicate isn't.
Unless, of course, you want it to be.

AIEEE! MY CHARACTER IS DEAD! WHAT DO I DO?!?!?!

See above.

Okay...so what happens if I have a character that's a little kid? Are you really going to roll a little kid for tab money?

Yes. For fun and profit!
Actually, no. No not for fun and profit.
A fund has been set aside for those below the age of majority. It was set up by Meleka Fray using money gifted by Rachel Grey. Sadly, the name of the fund escapes me at the moment, but rest assured that soon this sentence will be ctrl-r'd as soon as I find out.
See, I told you so. The Fund set aside for bar patrons under the age of majority is from hence forward called: Phil.

Unlike the Joe Manco Fund the disbursement of monies is automatic for the little ones. No need to clutter their brains with finance and accounting, unless you honestly and truly want to. In which case, rock on.

Wait...where are these jobs you referred to, Bing? I don't see any IC hiring going on!

Soon, Lupita. Soon.
While I can't speak for all Bar Employers, I can say that there are openings in the BarTending staff, and that applications and interviews are impending like doom.
LIKE DOOOM!

There is also word through the grapevine that there'll employment opportunities in the Stables, some Musician spots, and possibly even stuff in the Kitchen, Brothel, Nightclub, and Paper.
Heck, if someone's being saucy I'll totally have the Loompas run a Wanted Ad in Say True!.

Um... color me clueless, but what forms of payment does officially Bar accept?

Damn you n00bs, just when I thought I was done!
Bar takes every currency from across the multiverse, and every time point in history. She can accept personal checks, banker's drafts, and all major credit cards. Because contrary to what you may have heard, the Bank of Middle Earth does take American Express.
Also as noted above, Bar can also accept non-currency goods at their market value in the pup's home world.

How long do I have to figure this out?

There will be a grace period of two weeks to get your affected pup's tab paid off. It may not be announced ICly, but Bar and the bartenders will be aware of the cut off.

And, uh, what happens if I don't figure it out within the grace period?

There will be consequences! IC consequences! Essentially, at your discretion your pup can be denied service and be kicked out of their room. Technically, animals being hostled in the stables could also be kicked out, but that's just cruel. Maybe we'll make them stand in a corner, or decide that their stall is now "Time Out."
Again, as in all things Milliways...totally all at your discretion.

Have a question that hasn't been addressed here?
Hit us up in the comments.

Have fun, and...good luck!

Comments

[impactbomb.livejournal.com]

This is going to be hilarious in a bit, because my first character in bar was Bound, and accumulated a whopping debt, in her opinion; as a result, she's going to be carting around all the money she owes Bar and a bit more besides, figuring that she'd have to pay it the moment Bar knew she had monies to do so.

The fun part of this is that she's going to be totally bowled over when she finds out that Bar getting fiscally responsible coincided with the exact moment she went a-hopping back through her reappeared Door, and that she wouldn't have been accosted immediately upon re-entrance any other time.

[mnt_mike]

....

HAH! That's awesome!

[badninja.livejournal.com]

How do we make it clear that our characters have cleared tabs? So we don't get hit with consequences in the end.

Because none of my characters build tabs, they all pay up front, so this plot never affects me.

[mnt_mike]

Um...have them try really hard not to laugh at the poor schmucks who don't?

In all seriousness you can feel free to have them make a passing reference, or have them steer clear of it all together.

Your choice.

[sophistry]

Like we said, we're not actually going to police this OOC or anything, so whether or not your character has a tab, how they choose to pay off that tab, whether you decide to handwave it or not, etc. etc. etc., is entirely up to you. Calling in the tabs isn't so much a YOU DO THIS NOW thing as the equivalent of throwing a lit squib into a crowded room to stir things up a little.

[kittehnpip.livejournal.com]

*Leesha eyes her two hobo cats*

Oh, THIS is going to be interesting. Everybody better keep an eye out for furry pickpockets this weekend.

[ashen_key]

Two weeks. Hmmm. *eyes Marlowe* Well, if things aren't sorted with Things, it'll be a nice surprise for Marlowe *is not being vague on purpose, just...work-related-braindeath*

But, excellent.

[the-grayman.livejournal.com]

I've been wanting to get Allen employed at the Bar for a while, since it seems like the kind of job he'd have. COULD THIS BE A+ CHANCE FOR HIM TO GET SO EMPLOYED?

(he's run up a pretty good tab. Mostly because he likes eating more than life itself, ahem.)

[naelwyn.livejournal.com]

Just curious, but how do rooms at Milliways work on a tab? For example, is a pup going to have to pay off every day that a room has been under his name, so to say, or just the days that it was occupied/they've been in Milliways? If I'm making any sense at all.

I'm just curious because I have a pup who, because of a time leap, would technically have had his room for like five - six years now even though he's only used it for less than a year total? I've just...never thought to RP him returning the key or even handwave it that he has.

[mnt_mike]

Rooms are rented by Milli-time, and not by time outside of Milliways.

So, if I'm understanding you correctly, your character may have gone through five years of canon outside of the bar, but the bar will have only charged him for the time that actually passed in the bar.

[shati.livejournal.com]

So who feels like a heist?

Um . . . once I become consistently able to stay awake past 8 pm again.

[aberration]

Elle would help with a heist!

...even though she doesn't need the money.

[ashen_key]

I think I have a certain poet/playwright/spy who'd be up for a heist...

[djcati.livejournal.com]

That icon makes this an even better suggestion.

[wanderlustlover]

I have at least one pup who might be up for this if it were presented to her in the right way.

[innerbrat]

Mel's fund doesn't have a name because she didn't think to give it one. OH WELL.

[agoodshinkickin.livejournal.com]

Oh it needs a name.
Everything needs a name.

What about...
Princess HoneyWumpuss
Phil
The Home for little Stowaways
Superchunk Superfund.

[pheliskougra]

I am glad to announce none of my pups have debts to Bar, and a few have credit, actually.

[ladyiapetus]

Lessee... Speed and Munch usually pay for their orders whenever they come in. Malu worked a bit in the gardens last spring/summer, though being dead she qualifies for the Manco fund. Rennes qualifies for Manco. Dani, Molly and Lily qualify for the kids' fund. Smellerbee probably qualifies for the kids' fund as well even though she hasn't been in Bar since Ba Sing Se was invaded.

Dang. I've no pups to flail about this.

[aisforamy]

Rapunzel has plenty of hair that is worth a lot of money to wig makers that she would be willing to part with, if someone wanted to sell it in their own world. She would gladly give them some, though it could be fun to have someone steal it by cutting it off of her head while she was dozing in the bar or something.

Feel free to ping me if your pup would like some, one way or another. aisforamy2007 on AIM or aisforamy on gtalk

[sdelmonte]

Knox wants me to note that he would thwap anyone who steals his beloved's hair. :)

He also wants me to note that he's got far too much money (thanks to Rachel Gray) and would happily help any friend pay the bills. Which is, I admit, not as much fun as stealing Rapunzel's hair. (That sounds like the name of a novel or maybe a filk song.)

[candied-rabbit.livejournal.com]

With regards to kid-pups having their tabs paid out if they're "under the age of majority" - I've got a Japanese pup who's just a bit shy of 18 but pretty well removed from his home nation's technical "age of majority."

And he's sort of dependently wealthy, and I think it'd be fun to have him trying to wheedle out money from said source to pay off his tabs. And he's sort of my only pup that's both around enough and not loaded enough to have trouble with tabs.

So, is everyone under their home's age of majority automatically paid for out of the kids' fund? Or can I possibly squirm Momiji out of it for great plottage?

[agoodshinkickin.livejournal.com]

OH that's totally up to you.
By all means, if it's something that would cause great mayhem for him and fun for you....by all means doo it.

[pastrydeity]

Awesome. :)

Two of my pups were already antsing over their financial situations, and now they've got good reason to. Employment is a good thing.

And several of my others are well-off and/or generous, and wouldn't be averse to making arrangements with people who are in need, if anybody wants some of that.

[penderwydd]

But Tegid comes from a place that uses the Barter system, and he usually pays for things by singing. ... uh, he's having a hard time at that for the moment, and him going back to ALbion is out of the question right now. *strokes imaginary beard* He needs to get a hold of some things.

[penderwydd]

okay What I am saying is: can he barter with song?

[kali921.livejournal.com]

Can a pup make a donation to the various funds for poor bar patrons? Because She-Hulk has plenty of money, and if she and I can help the characters that don't want to hassle with big plot stuff to pay off their tabs in bar, I'm willing and able to have her make a sizeable donation.

[mnt_mike]

Of course!
Both the Joe Manco Fund for the Bound and the Phil Foundation will gladly accept any sort of donation.

[wickedtrue.livejournal.com]

Hey, I've got a dorky ass question, my darlings:

We can ignore this is if we don't feel up to playing with this idea, can't we? This is not a requirement and mandatory in order to play in Milliways that says if we don't play with idea, we will be kicked out, correct?


Sorry, I'm not trying to be a problem. I've just seen so many OOC freak outs, even when I tried to explain this a few times. I wanted to ask to make sure I wasn't lying to someone.

[agoodshinkickin.livejournal.com]

NO! Not a problem at all! Thank you for asking!
I've kind of noticed that my own self.

This, like every plot run in Milliways, is entirely voluntary.
You don't have to play if you don't want to play.

No player should feel forced or obligated in any way to participate.
The only punishments are the ones you dream up yourself and inflict upon your own characters.

No one has been keeping any sort of ledger on what's been bought, sold, used, or ordered.

Whether or not your characters maintain balanced accounts is entirely up to you, the players.

The only folk who should be freaking out are the characters, and even then it's only if you, their players, want them to.

[a1enzo]

S'pose a kid is on someone else's tab (say, an elder sister's). Does said tab operate normally, or does Mel's fund cover the kid's portion of it?

[mnt_mike]

I do believe the tab only covers those that aren't already covered.