Post by Celestial on Oct 26, 2019 15:44:26 GMT -5
Tucked away into a back corner of a street is a low, grey house made of cut stone. It is cosy but otherwise entirely non-descript. Ivy grows over most of the building except for a front garden decorated with trimmed shrubs and rose bushes. The windows are small and though they are glass, you can see nothing inside. A wooden doorway hangs in a similar-looking frame.
You've never taken a second look at the house. You have always assumed it was the home of some lovely elderly lady and her cat, who knits and bakes for when her grandchildren come to visit. Which is why it is so surprising when a sign suddenly appears on the door. Written in a blue, neutral font, it reads "Come In: We're Open!"
Intrigued, you decide to investigate. Pulling open the door, you step inside.
There is not much light within beyond what passes through the windows. The space is not necessarily small but it is certainly cramped. Every space is taken up either by a pedenstal, a glass case or a free-standing object. What wallspace is not occupied by a case blocking has a painting on it. Surprisingly, there is very little dust. Someone clearly takes care of this place. Nevertheless, the atmosphere here feels heavy. You can feel the weight of the ages and stories here. Even your breath feels loud.
Which is why the thump of a door makes you jump. You swivel around, ready to face the threat...only to be confronted with a pile of junk on legs.
You blink. No, it's not a pile of junk on legs. There appears to be a person holding them.
"Oh, hello!" they exclaim. "Be with you in a second!"
They walk over to a desk covered in tissue paper and gingerly, lower the items down and dust their hands. Looking at them, perhaps your idea about the grandma with her cat was right on the money. They are dressed in a scarf and knitted cardigan, with big thick glasses perched on their face. They remove the white gloves from their hands and stick them in their pockets before smiling at you.
"Welcome to the Museum of Curiosities! I'm the curator here!"
Museum? You had no idea this was a museum?!
"Yeah, we were not getting a lot of visitors. I thought I'd try to get some people in for Halloween. Maybe you could spread the word?" they smile sheepishly.
You suppose you could...if you can even figure out what this place is. It is a museum but the objects do not seem to have any particular theme.
"They are a bit eclectic. But I promise they have a purpose. Each object, no matter how mundane, tells a story. You just have to look at it hard enough. Some museums like to state it on labels but I like to let the objects tell the story themselves. You'll see," the curator smiles and gestures around. "Take a look."
You decide to pick a direction but then remember: this is trick-or-treat. You don't suppose...
"Absolutely not, you cannot take any of the objects! Good grief, we are not allowed to just give things away willy-nilly! We would lose our accreditation in a heartbeat. What would I tell the board too? No, we cannot just deaccession objects by giving them away. We have policies!" the curator pants. You take a step backwards, feeling you have annoyed them.
They clear their throat and straighten their cardigan. "So, yes, please do look around. I'll be nearby. Just got to photograph and catalogue some of our new acquisitons. Everything needs to be documented according to SPECTRUM standards, after all!" they pull some ink and what looks like nail varnish seemingly out of nowhere and get to work.
Probably best to leave them alone. The curator is still gritting their teeth and painting a number on the objects as you walk away. Everything here looks...boring. True to the curator's word, they are all very mundane. But every one tells a story? You suppose you may as well give it a go.
What do you choose to look at first?
A. A silver box with an engraving upon it that looks like initials.
B. A print of a man in a carriage.
C. Teeth?! No, just a cast of some teeth. They look like a dog's.
D. Something off-white in a glass jar
E. A painting on glass of some mythical-looking figures.
You've never taken a second look at the house. You have always assumed it was the home of some lovely elderly lady and her cat, who knits and bakes for when her grandchildren come to visit. Which is why it is so surprising when a sign suddenly appears on the door. Written in a blue, neutral font, it reads "Come In: We're Open!"
Intrigued, you decide to investigate. Pulling open the door, you step inside.
There is not much light within beyond what passes through the windows. The space is not necessarily small but it is certainly cramped. Every space is taken up either by a pedenstal, a glass case or a free-standing object. What wallspace is not occupied by a case blocking has a painting on it. Surprisingly, there is very little dust. Someone clearly takes care of this place. Nevertheless, the atmosphere here feels heavy. You can feel the weight of the ages and stories here. Even your breath feels loud.
Which is why the thump of a door makes you jump. You swivel around, ready to face the threat...only to be confronted with a pile of junk on legs.
You blink. No, it's not a pile of junk on legs. There appears to be a person holding them.
"Oh, hello!" they exclaim. "Be with you in a second!"
They walk over to a desk covered in tissue paper and gingerly, lower the items down and dust their hands. Looking at them, perhaps your idea about the grandma with her cat was right on the money. They are dressed in a scarf and knitted cardigan, with big thick glasses perched on their face. They remove the white gloves from their hands and stick them in their pockets before smiling at you.
"Welcome to the Museum of Curiosities! I'm the curator here!"
Museum? You had no idea this was a museum?!
"Yeah, we were not getting a lot of visitors. I thought I'd try to get some people in for Halloween. Maybe you could spread the word?" they smile sheepishly.
You suppose you could...if you can even figure out what this place is. It is a museum but the objects do not seem to have any particular theme.
"They are a bit eclectic. But I promise they have a purpose. Each object, no matter how mundane, tells a story. You just have to look at it hard enough. Some museums like to state it on labels but I like to let the objects tell the story themselves. You'll see," the curator smiles and gestures around. "Take a look."
You decide to pick a direction but then remember: this is trick-or-treat. You don't suppose...
"Absolutely not, you cannot take any of the objects! Good grief, we are not allowed to just give things away willy-nilly! We would lose our accreditation in a heartbeat. What would I tell the board too? No, we cannot just deaccession objects by giving them away. We have policies!" the curator pants. You take a step backwards, feeling you have annoyed them.
They clear their throat and straighten their cardigan. "So, yes, please do look around. I'll be nearby. Just got to photograph and catalogue some of our new acquisitons. Everything needs to be documented according to SPECTRUM standards, after all!" they pull some ink and what looks like nail varnish seemingly out of nowhere and get to work.
Probably best to leave them alone. The curator is still gritting their teeth and painting a number on the objects as you walk away. Everything here looks...boring. True to the curator's word, they are all very mundane. But every one tells a story? You suppose you may as well give it a go.
What do you choose to look at first?
A. A silver box with an engraving upon it that looks like initials.
B. A print of a man in a carriage.
C. Teeth?! No, just a cast of some teeth. They look like a dog's.
D. Something off-white in a glass jar
E. A painting on glass of some mythical-looking figures.