Conversation · Colonial Mug Collection

A row of mugs sits on the shelf. Each one depicts a human figure: a dark-skinned woman grinning amidst mysterious symbols, a broad-shouldered man shovelling potatoes, and others.

Tap on the mugs.

A little ring. Though cheerful, the images on the ceramic make you vaguely uncomfortable.

There's something disdainful in the way the curves and lines of the bodies were drawn.

The images betray a lack of interest in human beings. They are merely unflattering caricatures.

What do I mean uncomfortable?

The owner of these mugs doesn't like people of other ethnicities very much.

Thanks, good to know. I have no opinion on this.

Anytime.

The lieutenant picks up one of the mugs, then puts it back down with a look of disdain.

"I'm beginning to feel better about breaking into this man's apartment."

Typical asshole.

This person is unhappy.

So what? They can think what they want. This is a free world.

Of course. So very free.

And so fun.

It looks like the artist is celebrating diversity, but underneath he's just making fun of these people.

Cynical slippery bastard.

You ain't gonna change someone's mind by calling them a bastard.

I don't think I like the owner of this apartment.

No one's telling you to like him. You might learn something from him, though.

I don't see these as stereotypes. I think they are honest acknowledgements of difference.

Of course... You slippery bastard.

"Do you really think it's the same person who put the dead man's clothes in the trash?"

"Who knows?" The lieutenant opens his notebook. "I'm not expecting too much from this clothes in the trash lead either way. It might turn out to be some random local matter. But still -- a nice coincidence."

You could ask Evrart who this person is? Once you're done here...

Who knows? Could be, but this 'clothes in the trash' lead doesn't really seem like it's going anywhere. Still, good thing to keep in mind.

Recall the Yellow Man mug you found in the Whirling trash container.

Yes, your broken mug friend would have felt very much at home here.

"There's the missing tin soldier," the lieutenant looks at the mugs next to each other. "Whoever lives here might have used the Whirling's container to dump his trash..."

"And now they've drawn the ire of the Union. The plot thickens, as they say."

An interesting little clue. Let's see where this goes. Clues have a way of magically connecting to other clues -- down the road.

Perhaps you should break into apartments more often?

The owner of this collection could be dumping his trash in the Whirling's container.

Move on from the mugs. [Leave.]

Whip out your Yellow Man mug and compare.

Yes, your broken mug friend would feel very much at home here. The same humour, the same mocking lines...