Whirling in Rags, 8 AM

Jake awoke to a cluttered room. A trashed room, more accurately.

Steam billowed out from the bathroom, from what Jake suspected was a broken faucet. The futon that served as the bed was dismantled, its various pieces tossed around the room. Cold air seeped in through a hole in the window, and a machine with some kind of tape fed mechanism lay in a ruin of tangled tape and twisted metal. Various bottles of wine, beer and liquor lay strewn about the floor.

Jake himself had been curled on the floor in a ball. He stood up, realizing as he did so that he only wore a pair of tighty whities. From downstairs, he heard the drum-and-bass reverb of a familiar tune.

He knew this room. Not personally, but…

A voice spoke up in his head, velvety, accented, and extremely familiar. It represented a part of his brain; a skill, or an aspect of his personality.

Perception: That’s right. You’ve watched a tiny, painted, mostly naked man wake up in this room many times. This is old hat to you.

Encyclopedia: You are standing in the starting room of the 2019 isometric roleplaying game, Disco Elysium. It is your favorite video game of all time. A one of a kind experience you couldn’t stop talking about, often to the annoyance of others.

Authority: The others are wrong. They need to understand its brilliance as you do.

“Ugh…” Jake groaned, rubbing his head.

He was smiling in spite of himself, though.

“This has gotta be Sabrina’s dream.”

Logic: Megan would know, too. It would make sense that they partnered up. You might have thought Lacy, but you’ve already been through her dream.

As in the game, some clothes were laying around. A pair of bell bottoms. A dress shirt. An olive suit jacket. A pair of truly hideous, but exceptionally comfortable crocodile skin shoes. Jake put them on, one by one.

Inland Empire: Aren’t you forgetting something? It’s really important, here.

He turned to look up at the ceiling fan, unsurprised to find a hideous necktie hanging from one of its blades.

Perception: The tie is mostly where you expect, and mostly as you expect it. It has its patented mess of random, striking color. Eye catching, and an eye sore. Yet there’s something new; the portrait of a woman painted in the midst of the pattern. Curvy, with blue-green hair, and utterly naked with her shapely rear turned toward you.

Electrochemistry: Goddamn, she’s hot. Even in two dimensions, she gets your motor running.

Jake waited until the blade with the tie neared him, and he snagged it quickly. It was already tied, so he looped it around his neck and cinched it.

Horrific, but Oddly Sexy Necktie: Hey buddy.

The voice was neither the dulcet tone of the narrator’s, nor the raspy one of the necktie from the game. This was a perky, cheerful, woman’s voice.

Encyclopedia: The voice belongs to Lindsey Kerrigan, The random, attractive Uber driver who comforted you on shortly after your breakup with-

“I know who the fuck she is,” He said aloud. “Lindsey, why are you a necktie?”

She let out her pitchy, infectious laugh. Both it and her voice spoke directly into his brain, while her image remained static.

“Well, there’s three of us that teamed up on this dream,” She said. “And since we decided this was our opening area, we all picked a role, right? I picked the necktie, because the necktie’s crazy and I guess that’s what y’all think of me.”

“Typecasting. Bad habit,” Jake chided with a smile. “But aren’t you gonna get bored, just hanging out there the whole dream?”

“Nah. It won’t be the whole dream. Just the intro,” She said. “Anyway, head down.”

Jake nodded, but only stood staring at her for a moment longer.

“So you said you picked the tie,” He said. “Does that mean you’ve played this?”

“Yup! I’ve played through it like, three times. And Sabrina’s started it,” She said. “I’m guessing you probably figured out this was partly her idea.”

“Wasn’t much of a leap. Gaming’s our whole connection,” He said.

He stopped on the stairs outside the trashed room and really looked at her. A painting of Lindsey was frozen on the tie, from the thigh up. She stood in profile, looking slightly away with her shapely rear stuck toward him. An arm was draped over her breasts, her face smiling and winking, framed by two long, blue bangs. She looked like a pinup, if pinups were painted in the brushstroke style of the game.

“I didn’t even know you played this kinda stuff,” He said.

“You don’t know much about me, dude. Let’s be real," she said. “That’s more the producers fault than yours, but still…asses and umptions, y’know?”

“I guess. Still…” He said, running a finger along her printed form. “Kind of a weird choice on your part.”

“Ooof..that feels incredible,” She said. “And yeah, it was weird. But don’t lie. It’s kinda turning you on.”

Electrochemistry: That’s a big damn ten four. She’s hot. And that she *chose* this for you…

Volition: Don’t get too hung up on this. It only leads down dark paths…

Electrochemistry: Dark path, my ass. This is a pretty girl who made herself a *thing* for you. You have to admit, that’s pretty hot.

Authority: That’s right. You are the master, and she has submitted to you.

“Uhm, can you hear that? The voices in my head and stuff?”

“The skills?” Lindsey asked, amused. “Nah. Those are private. Wouldn’t dream of eavesdropping.”

Jake gave the necktie a curious look.

“Would you tell me if you were?”

“Oh, god no,” She admitted. “But stop standing here talking to your necktie. You look like a weirdo.”

“Says the girl who turned herself into one,” He said.

“Touche,” She admitted. “But shuck your buns! There’s much to be done. Worlds to explore! And you’ve only got four hours to check them out.”

Drama: It’s good advice, sire. You’ve got a role to play. Live it up!

Jake headed down the stairs, and into the bar and restaurant portion of the hotel. A disco ball spun above the floor, casting its light in all directions.

Unlike the phantoms that populated the faux European cities of his last dream, there were only two people waiting for him in the Whirling in Rags. Jake was utterly unsurprised to see Sabrina standing behind the bar, or Klaaje’s silver jumpsuit clinging to her every curve.

What did surprise him was the woman in the far corner. She wore a familiar orange jacket, leather pants, and small spectacles, her dark hair tied back in a tight ponytail. Despite her playing a man’s role in Kim, she was no less attractive than usual.

“I’m a bit surprised to see you here, Rachel,” He said. “You don’t really game much. I guess I thought it’d be Megan.”

Rachel shrugged.

“I didn’t expect to be here, tbh,” She said. “It was Ex…Sabrina, who recruited us.”

“It’s true,” Lindsey agreed, “She cornered me, too. Just kinda grabbed before we went out to the pods or whatever. Asked if we wanted to do this thing.”

Jake nodded. It sounded about right.

“I’m a bit surprised Megan’s not here,” He admitted. “Seems like she’d team up naturally with you guys.”

Shivers: For the briefest of moments, the girls share an uncomfortable glance. They know Megan’s not with them, but they don’t know what she’s doing. “She’s on her own”, it says.

Half Light: This isn’t good. What if she picks an option like Lacy’s? Brainwashes you into thinking she’s someone she isn’t?

Empathy: Don’t be so hard on her, if she does. Megan might be your sister, but she’s under the same pressures as everyone else.

Logic: Why would you worry about her in any case? Confident. Headstrong. In control of her sexuality. That’s your type of woman, and Megan isn’t it.

He shook his head.

“So, this is cool,” He admitted, turning to Sabrina behind the bar. “Really, really fucking cool. Voices and all.”

“Thanks,” Sabrina said, leaning back against the wall. “I always liked this game. Wanted to play it more, but…well…not exactly what my stream would have been into.”

Jake nodded.

Rachel was approaching the bar now, leaning against it.

“I’m sure you’d love to stay here and enjoy…what was it?”

“Revachol,” Lindsey said. “It’s this cool, post revolutionary world.”

Encyclopedia: The game was made in post-Communist Estonia. Though the clearest inspiration for the setting was the 1871 Paris commune, leftist ideologies and the aftermath of the failed, dogmatic ideologies permeate the experience.

Electrochemistry: Shut up, nerd. Three women have brought your favorite video game to life. That’s hot! Take one of them, right here.

“Better yet, take all three,” Lindsey chimed in.

“I thought you said you couldn’t hear my inner thoughts,” Jake objected.

“I dunno man. I usually can’t,” She said. “It just seems like something the necktie would tell you to do.”

Logic: You can’t take Lindsey. She’s a necktie. The other two though….

“Do it!” Lindsey encouraged. “Let’s go!”

Composure: Rachel had a point she was working toward. She’s staring at you like you’re an insane person.

“Uhm, you were saying, Rach…” Jake said, sheepishly.

“I’m sure you’re enjoying your stay in Revachol, but it’s not the coolest thing we have planned for you,” She said.

Visual Calculus: You realize that both women have positioned themselves next to doors. A third, the one toward the private dining room, sports a pinup style tableau. Lindsey, naked, in a cheesecake pose. Door number three.

Inland Empire: You’re in one of your favorite games already. It stands to reason that each door represents another.

“So, more experiences behind the other doors, I’m guessing,” Jake said, and smiled when Sabrina nodded. “Do I pick which of the two I go to next?”

“Sort of,” Sabrina said. “You’re right about the games, but there might not be enough time to see all three. Gotta pick your battles a bit. Each of us has chosen one we’re familiar with, or that we know you liked.”

Reaction Speed: You’ve only been in this game for about 12 minutes. That leaves almost the entire four hours to explore the other three. If you act quickly, there’s plenty of time to fit in both.

Perception: From the door behind the bar, Sabrina’s, a blueish, purple mist seeps from beneath cracks. There’s a glow behind the door that seems familiar. Listening carefully, you can hear a tingling piano, and the soft chant of a choir. Looking closely at the painting of Lacy, you can see she holds a pair of D20 between her fingers, blowing on them for luck. Rachel’s door, the front entrance to the bar, bares no significant modifiers, save for the large EXIT sign above it.

Logic: Sabrina’s like you. Whatever experience she has planned for you, it will probably be awesome. God only knows what Lindsey has in store, except for a wild and unexpected ride. Rachel doesn’t really game. If anyone is going to take you to a more mainstream game, it would probably be her.

Jake was surprised by how helpful, if chatty, his skills were.

“So…what’s it gonna be?” Sabrina asked with a toss of her hair. “My door, Lindsey’s, or Rachel’s?”

Jake thought for a moment, then chose…