S2 Ep7: High and Lonesome

[00:00:30] Speaker A: Hello. I'm Aubrey, and I play Isabelle. [00:00:33] Speaker B: Hi, I'm legacy, and I play Rosetta. [00:00:37] Speaker C: Hi, I'm Scott, and I play Arthur. [00:00:40] Speaker D: Hi, I'm termite, and I play Piper. [00:00:44] Speaker E: And I'm bloody porcelain. I will be your storyteller for the evening. The life of a madman. Man can be a lonely one, even surrounded by others with a mission and a drive to complete it. Their lives can feel empty. Missions, after all, make poor bedfellows. The impulse to indulge in the connections with those who are most present is always there. But what happens when those connections become strained, when they begin to interfere with the life the madman set out on his journey to preserve in the first place? Do they throw caution to the wind, reasoning that any day could be their last, and pursue what comforts they can in the moment? Do they push away the opportunity, wanting to preserve what is most precious at home? What happens when they're finally forced to confront the damage their choices have caused? When they begin to interfere with the life the mad men set out on this journey to preserve in the first place? Tonight, let's continue our story about the mad men. Good evening, players. [00:01:48] Speaker D: Hi. [00:01:48] Speaker A: Hello. [00:01:50] Speaker E: During our last episode, you were contacted by someone from Arthur's past and find out that he, at least for a time, is going to become something of a fixture in your present. You discovered the true identity of the speaker and found out that he is, well. Loki, norse God of mischief, brought here by a portal opened by a mage that got a little too big for his britches and promptly blew up. At least according to the God he is, weirdly enough, not as determined to kill you as Arthur had convinced himself and everybody around him he would be. Instead, he is looking for your help. According to him, you all have something to offer that can help Loki get home to the world that he belongs in, which is all he's asked for. In return, he is willing to help lure the blank body that cursed Isabel out of hiding. He is willing to help you all target and strike out at Rosanna'sister, Rin, who is a part of the second inquisition, as it turns out, and Piper has asked for nothing at all. Arthur, meanwhile, will be named his successor and the new speaker of the Church of the rising star. This is where we pick up. You all had dinner with Katie Lynn and the speaker and one another. And there were some heartfelt and heart wrenching scenes between people who had been apart for too long and people who may have been together for too long afterwards, you all went your separate ways. Piper went upstairs to get a much desired long, hot shower and to sleep in a proper bed for the first time in quite some time. She took the time to text her partner, who informed her that she's probably coming home with two kittens instead of a dog, which is what they originally discussed. Isabelle made her way out to the hot tub on the back deck of Katie Lynn's new house and spent some time in the company with some of the rough and tumble biker types that live on the compound. Rosanna, after an heart wrenching scene with Arthur that didn't seem to fix anything, but instead only seemed to make things worse, returned to the rv, where eventually, after about 20 minutes, she heard a knock at the door and she was joined by another one of those rough and tumble biker types. Arthur went up to Katie Lynn's room with her. Things were strained. Unfortunately, it was not quite the warm homecoming he was likely hoping for. There was minimal discussion in the moment and they went to bed in silence. And we're going to pick up in the morning with all of the lovely things that are still. We're going to pick up with how people are starting their morning. Isabel, you did not end up at Katie Lynn's house. [00:06:34] Speaker A: I did not. [00:06:36] Speaker E: You started the night in the hot tub. You ended the night in a house. It's a little like two bedroom house. You get the feeling that the two men that you spent your evening with probably share said house. Victor and Sean. Sean, you have heard called Patty on multiple occasions. At first, you were a little confused, but after a bit of back and forth between those two and a couple of the others in passing, you came to realize that it's both an insult and a nickname. Victor, you have heard called Molotov and just Tov on a couple of occasions. In fact, he probably gets called that more than Victor, like he introduced himself as Victor, but everybody calls him Tav or Molotov. You get the feeling that using each other's first names is almost unnatural for them and they kind of did it to make you comfortable. But after a somewhat raucous night, during which at least once Tov had to get up and go answer the door because somebody was knocking and complaining about noise, you wake up in the morning, you are hungover. We are going to say, for the sake of your. For your own sake, you have been carrying that piece of the phase hair in your pocket and you remembered to tuck it under your pillow before you went to sleep because that could have made this night very awkward. Thankfully for you, you were ridden hard and put away wet. So you slept a lot, and deeply. So no nightmares. I'm not going to make you roll for it this time. And we're going to say that you get double the normal willpower back because this was a much needed reset. You will still have to spend two in the morning if you want to be free of your curse for the day. [00:09:17] Speaker A: Yeah, I'll do that. But it pretty much clears my willpower track. And then I just put two there. [00:09:24] Speaker E: Awesome. Cool. But that's where you are for the morning. You wake up and Tov is asleep next to you. Sean is not in bed, but you can hear the sound of someone shuffling around out in the kitchen living room area. You can hear the clink of bottles. He's probably cleaning up the mess that you guys made before you headed to bed for the night. Piper, you got a lovely, very restful night. The house was very quiet for you. [00:10:03] Speaker D: Amazing. Love that. [00:10:05] Speaker E: For me, you probably went to bed expecting to at least hear a headboard, and you heard nothing all night. It was delightful. You slept clear through, maybe after a kind of restless tossing and turning in an attempt to fall asleep because you're concerned and not used to this bed. But eventually you passed out and you wake up quite well. The drone which you picked up the night before, is on your bedside table. It seems untampered with. There's nothing wrong with it. [00:10:45] Speaker D: Untampered with. Undamaged. [00:10:47] Speaker E: Undamaged. I mean, there's like some scratches from the fall, but it's all cosmetic. Let's see. Arthur? Oh, yeah. [00:11:03] Speaker D: Piper is probably going to go help make breakfast for everybody. [00:11:07] Speaker E: Okay. Arthur, when you wake up, Katie Lynn is not in bed with you. The room is empty. You get the feeling that it has been probably since before dawn. Normally, she would wake you up even if you were going to go right back to sleep afterwards. Normally, she would wake you up when she gets up, but she did not do that this morning. There is, however, the smell of food coming from downstairs, which hits you and Piper at about the same time. [00:12:05] Speaker C: Well, Arthur would probably take advantage of the shower situation to shower and shave, so he'll probably be coming down a little bit later because he's also trying to process the fact that she did not wake him up before she took off based on how weird it was when they went to sleep. Just like something was wrong. [00:12:31] Speaker E: Yeah, that makes sense. Okay, Piper. [00:12:41] Speaker D: Yeah? [00:12:43] Speaker E: You come downstairs and there is nobody here, at least of your cell. Um, you are kind of standing there and. And keenly aware of just how quiet most of the house is. There are bags that look like they have food that has been brought in in containers on the main table. But none of your cell is here. There are some people that you don't know and kind of maybe saw in passing yesterday. You get the feeling some of them might be like Arthur's other wives or other members of the cult who just help out around the house. But Katie Lyn is nowhere to be seen and there are people bringing things in. But you get the feeling that the morning's not really ready yet. People are still kind of setting up. A glance at the clock says that you guys probably would normally. At least Arthur would normally be up by now. But y'all had a kind of late day yesterday, so everybody's, you know, kind of respected the fact that you guys were probably exhausted, needed a night to kind of recuperate. So it's just you downstairs at the moment, but you're not downstairs for a super long period of time before Arthur comes down as well. And it's just the two of you standing in the main hall entryway, is what I meant. [00:14:34] Speaker C: Morning, Piper. [00:14:37] Speaker D: Morning, Arthur. [00:14:39] Speaker C: You the one making breakfast? [00:14:42] Speaker D: Yeah, with my plan. [00:14:47] Speaker C: Yeah, I'm pretty hungry, actually. [00:14:50] Speaker D: I'm going to do you a favor. We're not talking about last night at all today. [00:14:59] Speaker C: Okay. Well, we should probably talk about, you. [00:15:03] Speaker D: Know, what part I'm. Big plan Arthur. [00:15:10] Speaker C: To. I mean. Okay, I will say it didn't go as either way as well as I'd hoped. [00:15:26] Speaker D: I figured given that you slept here last night instead of out in the RVA with Rosanna. [00:15:33] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:15:37] Speaker D: So unless you would like to talk about it. We're not going to talk about it. I'm going to give you time to hopefully, process it yourself. Hopefully. [00:15:53] Speaker C: It's actually pretty kind of you. [00:16:01] Speaker D: Things are never easy. [00:16:06] Speaker C: Yeah, none of this is. But I do appreciate it. Hopefully there's some decent coffee around here. [00:16:27] Speaker D: I think the coffee we have out in the RV is better, so if you want coffee, you're going to have to go out there to get it. [00:16:36] Speaker C: I'll just settle for some water, I think. [00:16:39] Speaker D: Arthur, go get the fucking coffee. [00:16:44] Speaker C: In the rV. [00:16:45] Speaker D: In the. [00:16:51] Speaker C: Know, last time I did what you said, it didn't work out very well for me, but I do want some, so. All right, I'll go see how she's doing. [00:17:06] Speaker E: Okay. [00:17:07] Speaker C: Arthur goes out to the RV to get the coffee. [00:17:11] Speaker E: Excellent. Arthur, you set out to the RV and you smell food before you even open the door. You walk up and into the RV and are greeted with a mostly naked man in just like boxer briefs cooking in the little kitchen. He is covered in tattoos from, like, basically from his neck down. And he sort of looks over and he's like, morning, preacher. [00:18:01] Speaker C: No. Say to ipsum, brother. Oh, yeah, you guys don't do that around here? [00:18:07] Speaker E: Yeah, no, not so much. Do you need Rosanna? She's. [00:18:17] Speaker C: I was actually, I guess just here for the coffee. What is your name? Arthur. [00:18:28] Speaker E: I wrote down his name. Hold on. Leon. My name's Leon. [00:18:35] Speaker C: Leon, good to meet you. Can I get her? Like that? [00:18:40] Speaker E: Awkward. [00:18:40] Speaker C: Like, try to go around him to get at the coffee. [00:18:43] Speaker E: Yeah, it's not easy. Even in an rv this wide. He's. He's all muscle. Broad shoulders. He's taller than you. And he seems incredibly comfortable with himself. Like, you get really awkward about trying to maneuver around him and he just sort of stands there. He owns the space he is in. [00:19:12] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:19:15] Speaker E: This is kind of what you shuffle out of the back bedroom to find. Arthur kind of struggling to maneuver around Leon's bulk. And Leon, mostly naked, seems completely unfazed as he is cooking. It seems like he is cooking you bacon and eggs and toast. And he kind of looks over and just gives you a big, sweet smile. Morning, beautiful. [00:19:47] Speaker B: Good morning. Good morning. [00:19:54] Speaker C: Hey. Yeah, good morning, Rosanna. How's it going? Good. Cool. Yeah, I was just after the coffee, so. Just trying to get the coffee and bring it inside. [00:20:16] Speaker B: Brat. Coffee. She'll reach into probably, like, one of the bottom pantry drawers. [00:20:29] Speaker E: Yeah. You know exactly where it is. Arthur, not so sure, because he's been forbidden from the kitchen by Piper, but he's on the wrong half of the kitchen. Like he did all of that maneuvering to get to this half of the kitchen. It's on the opposite side of the kitchen, closest to the door. [00:20:51] Speaker B: And she's going to maneuver in between the two of them to get through. [00:20:57] Speaker E: Love it. I love it. Yeah. He shifts a bit to make room for Rosanna. [00:21:09] Speaker C: What a dick. Anyway, yeah. Cool. Coffee. Piper is going to be making it inside, so nice to meet you, Leon. And Arthur just kind of pats his shoulder and tries to slip by. [00:21:25] Speaker E: Nice to meet you, too, preacher. You can call me quiet, by the way, that's what most of the guys call me. [00:21:35] Speaker C: Quiet? [00:21:37] Speaker E: Yep. [00:21:37] Speaker C: Is that like, a shortened version, your middle name, kiatus or something? [00:21:44] Speaker E: No. [00:21:49] Speaker C: Okay, well, all right then. You guys have breakfast. Coffee will be inside with Piper. [00:21:58] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:21:59] Speaker C: Hey, you guys just take your time. We'll be inside. It'll be. [00:22:09] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:22:13] Speaker E: All right. Arthur steps out of the RV. Rosanna, Leon is there, and he is putting bacon and eggs and toast on a plate for you. I didn't have time to do the whole fresh juice thing. Do you just want coffee? [00:22:31] Speaker B: Coffee is fantastic. Hey, thank you again for last night. I was not in my right mind whatsoever. And it's really cool that you didn't push forward. [00:22:49] Speaker E: Only a dick would do that. I may have one. Doesn't mean I have to be one. [00:22:59] Speaker B: I had a lot of fun. [00:23:02] Speaker E: Me, too. We should do it again sometime. Maybe. What? [00:23:11] Speaker B: I'm a bit bored of. Am I right mind. [00:23:17] Speaker E: All right, I get it. Well, you at least have to let me take you to dinner. At least I can. Do. [00:23:30] Speaker B: I. Yeah. [00:23:31] Speaker E: No strings. Just dinner. [00:23:35] Speaker B: It's a date. [00:23:37] Speaker E: Perfect. [00:23:40] Speaker B: Let me go get you some coffee. [00:23:44] Speaker E: I'm good. I was more asking for your sake. [00:23:51] Speaker B: Well, then I'm going to go get some coffee, and she's going to slip on a robe and tie it up and make her way inside. [00:24:02] Speaker E: Before you go, the boss stopped by, said he was getting breakfast for everybody, but we weren't sure if you would want to partake, considering your mood yesterday. So I figured I'd cook for you. Here. Just take this with you, and you can have breakfast with your friends. And he'll kind of hold out the plate, and when you go to reach for it, he'll kind of pull it back just a little bit and, like, tap his cheek. Pay the toll. Come on. [00:24:37] Speaker B: She'll eat it and she'll kiss his cheek. Good. Take the plate. And then as she's passing by, she's going to give him a very lightful tap of the ass and just shoot him a wicked head out. [00:24:49] Speaker E: He does that, and as you leave the rv, you can hear him humming and singing to himself as he starts cleaning up his mess from breakfast. All right. Isabel. [00:25:09] Speaker A: Yes? [00:25:13] Speaker E: How are you going to handle your morning wake up? You've got a very warm Russian curled up next to you. [00:25:22] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:25:23] Speaker E: Still asleep, like one arm over you. He does not seem like the morning type. [00:25:31] Speaker A: No, definitely not. I do imagine at some point there's kind of just a moment, not more than a moment, it's just of time of laying there and just kind of soaking in all of this kind of being, like, waking up not alone in an rv filled with other people way. And I'm just taking my time, looking around, looking at the person in bed with me. And then it essentially is until either he wakes up or I get the incredible need for coffee. Whichever happens first. [00:26:21] Speaker E: It'S probably going to be your need for coffee that wins. Like Sean passed out a little bit earlier. Sean doesn't have nearly as many tattoos as some of these other guys do, but he does have a tattoo that denotes that he was part of the marines. You get the feeling that late to bed, early to rise is just, like, ground into him now, whereas Tov is not so much. [00:26:56] Speaker A: Not so much. [00:26:58] Speaker E: Tov may have some military experience, Tov may have some military experience, but he's not as disciplined as some of the other guys, maybe. So when you get up and shuffle out for coffee, there is coffee ready, which Sean pours and hands over. There's creamer in the fridge and sugar in that pot over there, I think. I don't know. [00:27:38] Speaker A: It's fine. [00:27:39] Speaker E: Okay. The boss came by, said that he was getting breakfast for all you all up at the big house. You're welcome to stay here if you want. I make mean toast. I'm not much of a cook, though, going to be honest. [00:27:57] Speaker A: That's fine. I'm never usually incredibly hungry when I wake up in the morning, at least for food. [00:28:07] Speaker E: All right, no comment. Well, you are welcome to hang here if you want, but I have the feeling the boss wants to talk to you and your friends about something. Probably the shower is that way. [00:28:25] Speaker A: Shower is very appreciated. I imagine I am kind of in the very minimum amount of clothes that I deem necessary. Probably not my. [00:28:33] Speaker E: Yeah, no, you are wearing Sean's t shirt and a pair of boxers that you think are Tov's because you're pretty sure it's his room that you woke up in. Yeah, but you recognize the t shirt because Sean was wearing it yesterday when you met. [00:28:56] Speaker A: Yeah, well, just haven't had a night like that in a while, and I just wanted to thank you. [00:29:06] Speaker E: Me either. I didn't realize how much I missed spooky goth girls, but thanks for reminding me, I guess. Spend all this time around all of these hyper religious people, and you start to forget the finer things in life. Really. [00:29:26] Speaker A: And, I mean, I have a feeling we're sticking around for a bit, so. You ever get the desire? [00:29:35] Speaker E: The desire is always there. You just come knocking when you're ready. [00:29:39] Speaker A: Probably will. [00:29:42] Speaker E: You might want to take a few moments to do some stretches before you leave. He's got a little bit of a limp. [00:29:51] Speaker A: Yeah, it's been a bit. And definitely. [00:30:03] Speaker E: He looks amused and appreciative this whole time, by the way. He's just enjoying himself. [00:30:11] Speaker A: I know we used to make jokes that I'm a screamer. I did not think that was true until last night. [00:30:21] Speaker E: You know, I have found that it's all about the approach. [00:30:26] Speaker A: It's a very good approach. [00:30:31] Speaker E: You should go get your shower before the boss comes looking for you. [00:30:35] Speaker A: Yeah. Thank you for the coffee. [00:30:43] Speaker E: Thank you for everything else. [00:30:46] Speaker A: Oh, definitely. See you around. [00:30:49] Speaker E: He just kind of nods and. As if he somehow knew and was looking to mirror the last scene. As you turn to go, he swats your ass. [00:31:02] Speaker A: A little sweating. [00:31:08] Speaker E: Piper and Arthur are in the big house. Piper, there is already breakfast. It's in the bags on the main table. It's cooked. It's just been brought from another building, you assume, probably because this house doesn't belong to whoever made it. Or the speaker went out and bought it and, uh, went to go grab some more things before the meeting starts. Arthur walks in with coffee in hand. You guys have a couple of minutes if you want a scene. [00:31:42] Speaker C: The bag to Piper and says, you know, I think it's probably a bad idea if I continue to take some advice from you that involves the rv. Just decided that I'm not going to do that anymore. [00:31:57] Speaker D: So it didn't go well, I take it? [00:32:01] Speaker C: Oh, no, yeah, that's fine. It was great. I had a good conversation with Leon who was making. Yeah, that's fine. [00:32:13] Speaker D: My defense, what happened last night was almost entirely your. This is fair. I didn't know about this. [00:32:25] Speaker C: Okay, well, anyway, have you seen Katie Leonard speak around? She left before I got up. [00:32:31] Speaker D: No. [00:32:33] Speaker C: All right. Okay. [00:32:37] Speaker E: It is about this time that Rosanna walks in with a plate of food in a robe, looking relaxed, probably for the first time in a while. [00:32:50] Speaker B: Lord, did. [00:32:54] Speaker D: Lorna. [00:32:58] Speaker C: Hello again. Anyway, yeah, looks like you sleep well. [00:33:13] Speaker D: You are going to have to address this properly at some point. [00:33:19] Speaker A: Piper. [00:33:19] Speaker C: I think it's probably best if you just let me talk. Anyway, it seems like you had a good sleep last night and. Yeah, it's good. Like, honestly. And I'm happy for you. I mean, he seems like a good guy, was fairly, very much dedicated to you. He moved out of your way and things like that. Sounds all right. [00:33:54] Speaker B: I would rather not have this discussion in front of Piper. I don't think she needs to hear about this or the context in which you are assuming things happen. [00:34:08] Speaker C: Just said it seems. [00:34:28] Speaker B: Like you slept well, too. [00:34:31] Speaker C: Oh, no, I slept horrendously. I barely sleep at all, actually. [00:34:38] Speaker B: Is that though? [00:34:44] Speaker C: I was looking for Katie land, but I guess I'll find her later for breakfast. [00:34:52] Speaker B: She's just going to lead into. Piper, just whisper. Can you give us a second? [00:34:59] Speaker D: Piper is going to step outside. [00:35:06] Speaker E: Piper steps outside. [00:35:11] Speaker B: So you want to talk about what happened, or are we just going to sit here and be uncomfortable? Not just for us, but for everybody else in the room? [00:35:35] Speaker C: I mean, if you want to talk about it. [00:35:41] Speaker B: I think that we should. [00:35:48] Speaker C: Okay. [00:35:52] Speaker B: My feelings were really hurt last night. Arthur and I was contemplating taking out Zephyr's dead body just to have somebody to talk to because. Yeah, no, my feelings were really hurt last night, and I didn't feel like anybody was maybe taking the fact that I didn't want to be there to consideration and. God, just. Herbie cried, knocked on the door, and we didn't do anything. [00:36:42] Speaker C: It's fine. I don't really need to know details. No, honestly, whatever happened between you and him, whatever it was, whatever it was or wasn't, doesn't really matter, as long as whatever it was made you feel better. [00:37:08] Speaker B: It didn't. [00:37:12] Speaker C: Oh, well, then obviously something is wrong with that. Rosenne. I'm. I'm sorry that we didn't listen when you said you didn't want to be here or come with us, that we didn't figure out a way for you to stay back. We really kind of dropped the ball on that one. And I will admit that that's mostly on me and my obsession with the speaker and my fear of the danger that some supernatural entity could have over people that I care about. And I have the same kind of anger and fear for the people that threatened you or Piper. But. Yeah, I guess I'm mostly just trying to apologize for not listening to you when you asked us or when you told us that you didn't want to come with us. [00:38:58] Speaker B: Yeah, listen, I know. I know. I know that your. Your stuff matters to me. If I haven't made that perfectly clear with you. It's not the speaker that I was afraid of meeting. It was your wife. And I don't think I need to tell you that. But I'm going to anyway. I don't want to put you in an uncomfortable situation. And I realized that lately maybe my behavior towards you isn't appropriate and. [00:40:12] Speaker E: That. [00:40:13] Speaker B: I just saw you two together and. I don't know, I let some random guy sleep in a bed with me last night. [00:40:35] Speaker C: Who hasn't done something like that? [00:40:41] Speaker B: Typically me, usually a bit more level headed. And I let some random guy just sleep into bed with me because I was angry. And. Don't know, I kind of was hoping you were going to walk through that. [00:40:58] Speaker A: Door first thing in the morning. [00:41:01] Speaker B: I'm sorry that I'm so. [00:41:06] Speaker C: No, like I said, I'm sorry because I was not thinking clearly. And I realized afterwards, of course, that I probably should have listened to you in the first place. [00:41:23] Speaker A: But. [00:41:27] Speaker C: Okay. I thought about it and I really just want everything to be okay with you. And I realized that you're trying to say that your actions toward me were inappropriate. And it's a two person tango, Rosanna. And that's something that you should know, especially considering that you have expressed your lack of relationship experience. So I'm just gonna give some to you. There's two people in a relationship, or four or six or nine, whatever your relationship style is. But there's more than one. It's not just a singular person. That usually is the problem. It's often two parties. And in this case, it's absolutely both of us. And so whatever you want or need, I'm going to be here for you. As your friend, as your cellmate, as your whatever. And I guess Leon is a random guy that you let into the rV. But if you want to have more random experiences, I'm sure that we can. Well, I'll make sure that the others know to leave the rv alone or whatever the case is. Whatever helps you. [00:43:28] Speaker B: I. There are a lot of things in life that I want, and I don't quite know how to express what I want without fumbling and over talking like an idiot. But the thing that I want the most is to make sure that whatever happens between us at the end of the day, that you're happy. And you mean a lot to be, Arthur. And I don't. And I know that. I don't need to tell you that. I know that it's been a really rough couple of months. It's been rough couple buds for both of us. No, it's been a rough week. [00:45:37] Speaker C: I would say it's been a rough day and a half, but I think you were asleep for most of it. Yeah, that was a joke or something. I'm sorry. I may be able to give a sermon that enlightens a crowd, but sometimes I don't know how to lighten a mood. [00:46:06] Speaker B: You want to know how we collide a mood? [00:46:13] Speaker C: How's that? [00:46:17] Speaker B: Next time we take a stop into town. Town? I don't care. I'm taking a drink. It again. [00:46:25] Speaker C: I don't know. That may not work out so well. There have been a couple of occasions where I think I got a little too drunk. [00:46:36] Speaker B: Oh, come on. We could put some AbBA on. Maybe it'll summon what's his dava, that guy that we were traveling with there for a second. Jesse Jesse. Yeah. Could summit him and he could complain at us for like an hour. [00:47:00] Speaker E: All right, with that thought in mind, we are going to pivot to Piper, who is apparently headed out to the RV for something. [00:47:11] Speaker D: I'm going to go check on everything, make sure everything's okay. Keep an eye on the random person that is now in their rv with a lot of sensitive shit. And also to put her drone back in its box. [00:47:25] Speaker E: You walk in, he has slightly more clothes on than before. He is in a pair of really faded old jeans, still barefoot, and is doing dishes and just kind of generally cleaning up the kitchen area. The first thing that you notice is that he is cleaning out the cast iron skillet that you went to three second hand stores to find, and he's cleaning it the right way. There isn't an ounce of soap on that skillet. It's just all elbow grease. And he kind of looks up as you walk in and sort of up nods you. Ma'am. [00:48:08] Speaker D: Morning. Take it you're the friend with anime last night. [00:48:15] Speaker E: Yeah. Leon. You can call me quiet, though. [00:48:19] Speaker B: Piper. [00:48:21] Speaker E: Nice to meet you. [00:48:22] Speaker D: Nice to meet you, too. [00:48:24] Speaker E: I think your friend Isabel was with Tov and Patty. [00:48:34] Speaker D: Yeah, I saw her go out to the hot tub. At that point, I stopped expecting to. [00:48:40] Speaker E: Yeah, I'm sure she'll wander around at some point. Patty has never been able to sleep long. So he'll wake her up just because he's cleaning? Because he's a neat freak. [00:48:50] Speaker D: Yeah, she deserved it. [00:48:53] Speaker E: I will take your word. [00:48:54] Speaker D: The night not being woken up early, that girl needs all the sleep she can get. [00:49:00] Speaker E: Well, again, I'll take your word for it, though I'm not sure how much sleeping she would have gotten done, but. [00:49:08] Speaker D: They had to go to sleep at some point. [00:49:11] Speaker E: You haven't met Patty. [00:49:13] Speaker D: I have met Isabelle, though. [00:49:15] Speaker E: That's fair. I don't know your friend. Can I ask you a question? [00:49:23] Speaker A: Anything. [00:49:23] Speaker D: Go for it. [00:49:25] Speaker E: What's Rosanna like? Anything particularly promised I'd take her to dinner and my mama told me she should never show up empty handed. If you're going to take a lady out, she likes flowers, candy. [00:49:49] Speaker D: Well, if you're looking for a gift, strawberry cream candies. She fucking loves those. [00:49:57] Speaker E: Wait, the little, like, swirly ones that are round? [00:50:04] Speaker D: A pain in the ass to find. [00:50:06] Speaker E: Well, I am. Nothing if not determined. [00:50:14] Speaker D: I think she'll really appreciate that. [00:50:18] Speaker E: Good. He seems pleased as he dries the last droplet of water off of this cast iron. He's being very thorough. You get the feeling that he's cooked a lot. Because he knows that you don't ever leave water on cast iron. [00:50:41] Speaker D: Do you mind if I ask you a question? [00:50:43] Speaker E: Yeah. [00:50:45] Speaker D: Don't need details or anything if you don't want to give them, but what happened last night? [00:50:54] Speaker E: He looks like. He looks thoughtful. Like he's genuinely considering how to answer that. We talked. She seemed like she needed a shoulder and somebody to listen. Um. And then we curled up and I held her while she slept. [00:51:27] Speaker D: You're a good man. Quiet. [00:51:31] Speaker E: Cry. She seemed like she'd been hurt enough. Didn't need me pushing any buttons. Any other questions you need me to answer? [00:51:56] Speaker D: No, that's it. I was just curious. Arvanna doesn't seem like the kind of. [00:52:03] Speaker C: Person. [00:52:05] Speaker E: One night stand it. [00:52:07] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:52:07] Speaker E: Yeah, I got the same feeling. That's okay. I'm not really the one night stand type, either. All right. Do you need anything? I'm going to head into town a little bit later. Apparently, I have to go hunting for candy. [00:52:34] Speaker D: I think we got everything we need here. [00:52:37] Speaker E: All right, cool. You guys are low on eggs, but if you go around the corner, it's like the fourth house down, they have a ton of chickens, and they just give out eggs to the whole compound. I'm sure if you ask, they'll wait. [00:52:55] Speaker D: Seriously, Piper is already, like, three steps out the. [00:53:02] Speaker E: Don'T. They're probably out in the fields right now. You might want to come back at, like, lunchtime. [00:53:09] Speaker D: Fair point. [00:53:10] Speaker E: But yeah. No, everybody around everything here is homegrown and free range as much as we can. I mean, swamp makes it hard that we can't grow a ton, but you can't do much. [00:53:21] Speaker D: But what you can do is it's better than nothing. [00:53:26] Speaker E: Yeah. One of the other guys has a license from the state to hunt Gator, and he always has gator bites and shit like that. So you want to experiment with cooking, I assume. You're the cook. The way you keep eyeing me in this skillet. [00:53:45] Speaker D: I'll be honest, it's a real good thing you're cleaning that thing the right way. [00:53:52] Speaker E: Yeah, kind of figured, but one of the guys has, like, a chest freezer full of gator meat and snake meat and stuff, so you ever want to be adventurous in your cooking, you let us know. Please, God, take some, because I can't eat any more fucking gator. [00:54:16] Speaker D: Yeah, I'm sure. Especially if we stick around for a bit. I'll definitely grab some. [00:54:23] Speaker E: Excellent. All right, well, I'm going to get out of your way. All right, take care. He will grab the t shirt that is hung over one of the back of one of the chairs nearby and grab his boots, and he will make his way out. Does not seem concerned about walking through a compound full of very religious people half naked. Does not seem to face him in the slightest. Isabelle. Oh, Piper. Was there anything in particular else that you needed to do, or were you just coming to put the drone back? [00:54:59] Speaker D: Mostly just coming to put the drone back and make sure that side eye. [00:55:03] Speaker E: The hot guy in the rv? [00:55:05] Speaker D: Yeah, pretty much. Check on the corpse, make sure that hasn't been disturbed at all. [00:55:12] Speaker E: It has not been disturbed. [00:55:13] Speaker B: It is still there. [00:55:14] Speaker D: Cool. Since those apparently have a habit of getting up and walking away. [00:55:19] Speaker E: Yeah. No, just to be clear, the corpse is in what effectively is like, this is one of those rvs that has the all metal, effectively, like, a little garage area. And you guys have converted that into half Isabelle's surgery, half your lab area. And there is, like, a chest freezer in the corner, which was definitely originally bought so that you guys had, like, overflow for food. And then you had a corpse dumped on you, and you're like, well, now we have a corpse box. [00:56:00] Speaker A: Just open it up. [00:56:01] Speaker D: Yep. [00:56:01] Speaker A: Corpse still there? Close, pretty much. [00:56:08] Speaker E: But, yeah, no, it's all still there. Everything is in good shape. All right, Isabel, you get your shower? By the time you get your shower, Tov is nowhere to be seen. Sean informs you basically that Tov has guard duty, and so he kicked him out of the bed and sent him to work, but that your friends are up at the big house. He heard from. He called the boss and double checked. And so you are on your way out when you, funny enough, run into the devil himself. Walk in towards the big house. Him as well. [00:56:52] Speaker A: Give a nod to. [00:56:55] Speaker F: Good morning, Isabel. [00:56:58] Speaker A: Morning. [00:57:00] Speaker F: And how are we feeling? [00:57:04] Speaker A: Relaxed. Excellent. [00:57:08] Speaker F: Exactly what I want to hear. Come on inside. Go ahead. [00:57:16] Speaker A: How are you this morning? It's only fair to ask you as well. [00:57:23] Speaker F: Well, I wouldn't say relaxed. This remains a dangerous world that I'm constantly on edge. But the idea that I might leave it soon is inspiring. Hopeful, I shall say. In answer to your question, I'm feeling hopeful. So thank you. Did you. I mean, it seems you've enjoyed your stay a little bit so far. [00:57:51] Speaker A: Yeah, it's. There are. [00:58:00] Speaker D: Hope. [00:58:00] Speaker F: The boys were all good mannered. [00:58:04] Speaker E: Or not. [00:58:05] Speaker A: I asked them not to be. [00:58:07] Speaker F: Precisely. [00:58:12] Speaker E: It's good. [00:58:12] Speaker F: I try to be a good host, but know not everyone can relax. I'm glad you did. [00:58:25] Speaker B: Now. [00:58:28] Speaker F: As I understand it, you have a personal reason for pursuing this, Mr. Vincent is that correct? [00:58:37] Speaker A: Yeah. When the group he works for broke into somewhere, we were left kind of a nasty parting gift. [00:58:52] Speaker F: Really? What sort? [00:58:57] Speaker A: A blood curse. I got whacked pretty hard with it. [00:59:07] Speaker E: A blood curse? [00:59:09] Speaker F: That does sound unpleasant. [00:59:13] Speaker A: Yeah, kind of sort of gesture to the thing I'm wearing around my neck and say, kind of keep the effects at bay with this thing. But if I don't have it, the world looks decayed and crumbling, and everyone looks like some of the worst bodies I've ever seen on my table. [00:59:45] Speaker F: On your table. You were a mortician, correct? [00:59:48] Speaker A: I am a mortician, yeah. [00:59:50] Speaker F: You are a mortician. Well, if you would ever like to upgrade that little bobble, I can be of service. I see that. It's of human hands, or mage, perhaps. [01:00:06] Speaker A: Yeah, wouldn't say no to something that's a little bit more powerful. But kind of hoping that once I get my hands on good friend Vincent, I can get him to undo it. Among other things. [01:00:28] Speaker F: Will I trust your powers of persuasion when it comes to young Vincent? For the time being, no. If you will allow me. [01:00:42] Speaker A: Sure. [01:00:43] Speaker F: I stepped forward. Put hands on your shoulders, then take the pendant and lift it up. That should do it. Should find it a little easier to ward off the scent of death. [01:01:07] Speaker B: Now. [01:01:10] Speaker A: Thank you. [01:01:12] Speaker F: Most welcome. You know, I believe we can get you Mr. Vincent pretty quickly. My relationship with the Linnae society is such that a phone call can arrange a meet. Location will be picked, probably the swamp, someone unobserved. But we should be discussing with this with the others, right? [01:01:35] Speaker A: Probably. We all can weigh in on it. [01:01:39] Speaker F: No reason for me to tell you and then you to tell them. Got to be efficiency. Something that I got to 30 years mortal, and I'm still getting used to it. [01:01:52] Speaker A: Yeah, I don't know. I've known people that have been mortal for longer than that. They still don't understand it. [01:01:59] Speaker F: Well, I don't feel so strange then. Come on inside. [01:02:06] Speaker A: Yeah, I think I'm starting to get a little hungry, so that's probably a good thing. [01:02:10] Speaker F: Certainly got to replenish those calories. [01:02:13] Speaker A: This is true. [01:02:17] Speaker E: All right, you all finally step in. This is about the time that Piper is also coming out of the rv. So the three of you are able to walk into the house together, I suspect with Piper and Isabelle giving, or Piper giving Isabelle a knowing look and then deciding not to say anything. [01:02:37] Speaker A: Just like, imagine I've got my jacket thrown over one shoulder. You're just like, I am doing the walk of shame. I know it. I'm kind of proud of it. [01:02:51] Speaker E: Yeah. Here's my question, Isabelle. Are you now in your shirt, or are you still wearing one of the guys shirts? [01:03:02] Speaker A: I'm not in my shirt. [01:03:04] Speaker E: Excellent. I will say that Sean would have given you a clean shirt to leave in. [01:03:09] Speaker A: I've done the thing where it's kind of been tied up slightly, so it's not just incredibly baggy. [01:03:16] Speaker E: Excellent. You were in a shirt for what you're pretty sure is some sort of metal band, but probably either small or no longer in rotation because you only vaguely recognize the name. So, Isabel, Piper and Loki, the speaker, walk in to the main house, which sounds like the setup for a joke, but it's not. This is just your life now. [01:03:47] Speaker D: The Goth, the nerd, and the God of mischief walk into a house. [01:03:54] Speaker E: Go wrong. [01:03:58] Speaker F: Exceptional. And a good morning to you, Papa. Good to see you, Arthur. [01:04:05] Speaker D: Rosanna. [01:04:08] Speaker F: We're not interrupting, are we? [01:04:11] Speaker C: No, we were just having a discussion about drinking an AbbA. [01:04:17] Speaker F: I thought it was pronounced Abba. [01:04:20] Speaker E: It is Abba. [01:04:23] Speaker C: We're just not going to talk about it. That's why. [01:04:27] Speaker F: Not going to talk about Abba. [01:04:30] Speaker B: It's definitely Abba. [01:04:34] Speaker F: I would listen to her author. I think she knows what she's talking about. [01:04:38] Speaker C: I believe she does. I just am changing the subject. So there was supposed to be breakfast, and I believe that's what's in these bags. [01:04:49] Speaker F: Absolutely. Open up. That bag is bacon. Those two are waffles and pancakes. We've got a whole bunch of. What do they call them? So, like, shredded potato, all fried up together. [01:05:06] Speaker E: Hash browns. [01:05:07] Speaker F: That was the word. [01:05:08] Speaker E: There is also a box of beignets. Homemade beignets. You are, after all, in New Orleans. Well, near New Orleans. [01:05:20] Speaker C: And this is all from you, then? [01:05:23] Speaker F: Well, from us. Takes a beignet. Well, don't hold back. [01:05:37] Speaker A: I'm not. [01:05:41] Speaker D: Isabelle can definitely use it after last night. [01:05:44] Speaker C: Arthur's going to try to see if he can make some coffee, but not go near the, um. [01:05:52] Speaker E: Was everybody sure that they want to allow Arthur to attempt to make coffee? [01:05:57] Speaker A: No, that's a piper thing. [01:06:02] Speaker D: Piper will show Arthur how to make. [01:06:04] Speaker E: Coffee for the fifth time. [01:06:07] Speaker D: Yeah. [01:06:08] Speaker B: This week. [01:06:10] Speaker A: Today, the speaker observes this process. [01:06:15] Speaker E: Yeah, speaker. You watch as Arthur heads in towards the kitchen into this brand new, mostly handcrafted, beautiful kitchen that was made to Katie Lyn's specifications with a bag of coffee in hand. And Piper spots the coffee and her eyes go wide. She's got her sunglasses on, but you could see her eyebrows above the sunglasses and panic on her face that she darts up and chases him into the kitchen. At which point you hear Piper in a barely calm voice, like you could tell that she is fighting the urge to yell and tell him to get the fuck out of the kitchen. Walking Arthur through how to use the coffee machine and the look on Isabelle and Rosetta's faces suggests that this is not the first time this has happened. [01:07:14] Speaker F: Arthur was a very proficient member of this church. I'm curious. When it was discovered that he was. [01:07:22] Speaker B: Bad at taking care of himself. [01:07:27] Speaker F: Caffeine challenged. [01:07:31] Speaker B: You're nicer than I am. [01:07:34] Speaker F: No, I'm not. [01:07:40] Speaker D: Better with words maybe, but he sets a real high. [01:07:47] Speaker B: Well, I've known Arthur for about a year now, so. A year ago, out of love, obviously, and camaraderie and friendship. And, Arthur, don't touch the coffee. [01:08:05] Speaker F: Camaraderie and friendship. [01:08:07] Speaker B: We can't afford to replace it. If it breaks or there gets grounds in the water. [01:08:12] Speaker F: Listen, later this week, you'll be able to afford to replace it. [01:08:17] Speaker C: Well, I don't think I've ever had to replace a coffee pot before. [01:08:22] Speaker D: No, you've never replaced a coffee pot. You've had to several times. You just didn't. [01:08:31] Speaker B: Out of love and camaraderie and friendship. [01:08:36] Speaker E: Sure, Arthur, roll me wits. Just wits. [01:08:44] Speaker C: Okay. [01:08:45] Speaker A: Just in the background. [01:08:46] Speaker E: Yes. [01:08:47] Speaker F: Camaraderie and friendship. [01:08:48] Speaker A: Filling a plate with food, getting a little bit of everything. [01:08:52] Speaker B: Give me what the bid. Yays. [01:08:55] Speaker A: There you go. [01:08:59] Speaker F: Now, if you want to get fancy, you take one of these. [01:09:03] Speaker E: Now that you think about it, Arthur. [01:09:05] Speaker F: Fill it with bacon. [01:09:06] Speaker E: You think that you might have, at one point, had, like, a coffee pot where the rim was, like, blue, but now it's definitely black. And. Yeah, now that you think about it, the coffee maker used to have a different name on the front of it, but now it's like black and decker. [01:09:30] Speaker C: I mean, upgrade the house. Upgrade the coffee pot. That's fine. [01:09:35] Speaker E: Yeah. Except that this has happened in the time that you've had the rv, which has only been a couple of days. [01:09:40] Speaker C: Oh, I see. I guess I've ruined coffee bots. I'm not really sure how you do that, but that's why I guess I'll leave it up to piper for the rest of the time. [01:10:00] Speaker D: Or if you would just listen when I show you how to use it, you should use it yourself. [01:10:08] Speaker C: Clearly, that doesn't work. So we're going to play to each other's strengths and not to each other's weaknesses. [01:10:16] Speaker D: I'll do things, and you won't have to try to listen to me. Got it? [01:10:24] Speaker C: I mean, in this case. Yeah, that's exactly right. [01:10:28] Speaker E: We needed this after the last session. [01:10:32] Speaker F: Honestly, I respect you all being clear with each other. Good communication is essential. Especially in such a tight knit family who all live together, travel together, fight, kill. Hopefully not die together. [01:10:48] Speaker D: Yeah, communication. They're real good at that. [01:10:52] Speaker A: Oh, good. [01:10:53] Speaker D: It's gotten better. [01:10:57] Speaker F: Good. Speaking of, I have some things to tell y'all. [01:11:03] Speaker D: Wonderful. [01:11:06] Speaker C: Great. [01:11:10] Speaker F: First of all, I'm curious. Now, this doesn't come from Leon. He's a good boy. He didn't tell me anything. I just know certain things. You all have a corpse with you? [01:11:28] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:11:30] Speaker D: Long story. [01:11:32] Speaker C: No, it's not that long of a story, speaker. [01:11:39] Speaker A: Believe me. One of your handiwork extracted soul. [01:11:45] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:11:45] Speaker F: I haven't seen the body, so I don't know for sure. Though that does sort of make sense. [01:11:54] Speaker C: Wait, you haven't seen the body? [01:11:57] Speaker F: Well, I saw it when I made it. I haven't seen it. You might have had another body with you. [01:12:02] Speaker A: I did for a while. [01:12:03] Speaker D: But a couple of days ago we did. [01:12:06] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:12:08] Speaker D: Which, funnily enough, is what brings us out here. [01:12:14] Speaker F: Well, thanks for settling that for me. [01:12:19] Speaker E: Yeah. [01:12:20] Speaker F: What exactly do you all want to. I was saying to Miss Isabel. I think the Linnae society would be easier to get on the horn. Not entirely sure how I'm going to approach Ms. Rosanna's sister. I'm not entirely sure who she works for. So that creates a problem in and of itself. [01:12:43] Speaker A: I might be able to get some information on that. I have a contact. [01:12:54] Speaker D: Yeah, I may be able to get some information through it. Mainly questionable, invasive, probably very dangerous manner, but. [01:13:14] Speaker F: Sounds fun. [01:13:15] Speaker A: You kind of just listed everything we do regularly. [01:13:32] Speaker B: I know who she works for. [01:13:35] Speaker D: Really? [01:13:37] Speaker E: Well. [01:13:37] Speaker C: By all means. [01:13:41] Speaker B: So she works for the catholic church? [01:13:52] Speaker C: It's quite a big organization. Rosanna. [01:13:55] Speaker B: I gotta finish the second. [01:14:04] Speaker E: This is a name, you know. [01:14:08] Speaker B: You see, myself and the Catholic Church don't have a great reputation with one another. So it was as much of a shock to me that she was one. Alive, I thought she might have been dead somewhere. You don't hear from somebody from almost two years, you kind of think that the worst. Two, she's working for people that I don't have great ties with, for reasons. And three, yeah, she basically does what we do. But on a larger scale. At a more horrifying scale, too. Because she works for the religious side of the second inquisition. [01:15:04] Speaker D: Somehow worse. [01:15:07] Speaker C: That would make it the inquisition side of the second inquisition. [01:15:12] Speaker D: Inquisition is a very broad term. [01:15:15] Speaker A: Yeah, it would make it a more. [01:15:16] Speaker D: I guess, traditional inquisition. [01:15:19] Speaker A: Yeah, because contact works for the government side. [01:15:25] Speaker F: Now, in my world, inquisition was probably a little bit different than it is here. I mean, we had one, but I. [01:15:33] Speaker E: Don'T think we had two. [01:15:34] Speaker C: No, it's probably close. [01:15:35] Speaker D: It's probably very similar. [01:15:37] Speaker F: Close to function similarly, just in time, people on palm racks and midnight assassinations, that sort of thing. [01:15:45] Speaker C: Yeah, but them being vampires, mostly vampires. [01:15:54] Speaker A: Are what? [01:15:56] Speaker B: And whoever gets it their way. [01:15:58] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:15:59] Speaker D: So really it's the same. Except some of the people they kill are actually supernatural creatures. Yeah, I imagine. [01:16:06] Speaker F: I see, I misunderstood. I thought you said it was made up of vampires. That was going to be a whole different bag. No, they kill supernaturals. [01:16:13] Speaker C: No, instead of going after the Jews and that group like David did, traditionally they go after vampires or vampires and other supernatural things and kill their ghouls and other businesses that might be related to businesses owned by vampires, et cetera. [01:16:32] Speaker D: Et cetera, et cetera. And they also, go ahead. [01:16:36] Speaker B: Not just vampires. Everything that gets in their way, innocence included, fightingly effective. And my sister has made that perfectly clear to me that she is willing to take down whatever she needs to whoever she needs to, to do her job. Be included. [01:17:07] Speaker F: Fair to say, if not for the familial connection, you wouldn't be on their radar. [01:17:12] Speaker E: Is that correct? [01:17:17] Speaker F: I don't mean to be rude, I'm. [01:17:19] Speaker E: Just trying to get a lay of the land here. [01:17:26] Speaker D: I think from everything I've heard, familiar connection is. [01:17:34] Speaker B: Why I am on their radar. [01:17:36] Speaker D: Why? But it's not technically because they're related, but it's because they share something because they're related. [01:17:46] Speaker F: The burial? [01:17:47] Speaker D: Yes. [01:17:49] Speaker B: Well, yeah, well, that and I have had a hand in catholic church in Tennessee burning down. [01:18:03] Speaker A: But we're not going to talk about hell, yeah. [01:18:09] Speaker E: Just to throw it out there, Rosanna, you know that. That's how you pissed off. Like the catholic church. As far as you know, the second inquisition itself has never looked into you. All of the information that cricket has provided, that your name was coming up in relation to searches, seems like somebody was occasionally checking up on you, which you can assume now having spoken to her was probably rin kind of keeping an eye on you, checking to make sure that you weren't popping up in files. You're smart enough to parse the different bits of information together to find out that it's less that the inquisition, that you're on the inquisition's radar and more that you're on Rin's radar. [01:18:55] Speaker B: But yeah, she's got this thing that she likes to, when I was being emotionally and mentally traumatized last night or not last night. [01:19:12] Speaker D: Be more specific. [01:19:15] Speaker B: When I was passed out and being emotionally and mentally traumatized. Got you. Yeah. She had said something about real faith that. I don't know what real faith looks like, which arguable, but we're not going to talk about that here or there. [01:19:46] Speaker E: Yeah. [01:19:47] Speaker B: So apparently she's got something got real. She's got something that she wants to call real faith or whatever. [01:19:55] Speaker D: Same time exploiting innocence to her gain. [01:19:58] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:20:02] Speaker C: That sounds like what most people call real faith, but sounds like the. [01:20:06] Speaker F: Best bribe I ever made. [01:20:07] Speaker D: Sounds like the hunter organization in a nutshell. [01:20:10] Speaker F: Well, not the most fun bribe I've ever made, but maybe the wisest. [01:20:15] Speaker B: She said something about having chastity and not taking money from people. [01:20:24] Speaker D: Oh, we know that's a lie. [01:20:29] Speaker C: I believe your words were chastity and poverty. [01:20:32] Speaker B: Yes, chastity and poverty and all that other stupid shit. I guess nobody is. From what I've been told and from what I have seen myself of religious organizations, nobody's fully chast, nor goes fully into poverty. [01:20:51] Speaker A: We can look at all the lawsuits. [01:20:53] Speaker D: Against the catholic church for that based on her person. I guess there are some people that are into that. [01:21:02] Speaker F: This is valuable intelligence. Absolutely. I need to inform you all of a piece as we go into this in a sort of planning way. I have to inform you of something important. I am powerful. I don't think any of us argue that. I understand that you don't know how powerful, but I want to clarify that I have limits. Those limits are dictated by the amount of energy I hold. I hold enough energy for one big throwdown. You want me to make Mr. Vincent get in the van and then burn all the other vampires? Probably do that if you want me to fight a half dozen werewolves. Hopefully not if you want me to ensure that the inquisition's backup doesn't make it to your sister. But I can only do one. Unless I consume another soul. [01:22:14] Speaker C: No. [01:22:17] Speaker F: This is what I'm presenting. [01:22:28] Speaker E: I as the storyteller. I'm just going to remind folks that the deals that you guys asked for was that he would help to facilitate, not that he would do the deed for you. [01:22:41] Speaker A: I think I have enough. I think I should be able to handle Vincent with your help and proper mean. He definitely seems more powerful than some of the other blanks I've gone up against, but I think we all work together. [01:23:06] Speaker F: Deed in an isolated location. I can send some of the boys with you. Long arms if necessary. Usually moves with a little bit of backup. [01:23:24] Speaker A: So I don't need big things for that. We can handle that on our own. [01:23:32] Speaker F: Copy that. [01:23:35] Speaker B: Honestly, I think the thing that put us in the deepest water is the werewolves. [01:23:40] Speaker A: I think that really is it. [01:23:42] Speaker F: And they're not going to come at you until after I'm gone. That's the whole relationship. Obviously. If they break our deal, I shall deliver upon them a divine wrath. But until then. [01:24:02] Speaker D: I think the Inquisition might be our biggest roadblock. [01:24:09] Speaker F: All the more reason to take our time with them. [01:24:12] Speaker D: Exactly. [01:24:13] Speaker A: But if we need you, that, I. [01:24:15] Speaker D: Think, would be where your energy is best placed. [01:24:18] Speaker A: Yeah. Hopefully, my contact will give me some information on Rin and anything that she might be up to, so we can use that to our advantage. [01:24:29] Speaker B: If you could help it. Get the name of the church that she's a part of. Recorded to be a part of. [01:24:42] Speaker A: Yeah, that seems pretty easy. [01:24:45] Speaker D: And if your contact can't get it, I can always try and find it'll just potentially put us at risk. [01:24:52] Speaker A: Yeah. So, I mean, we'll see what Allison can get me before we deal with any of that. [01:24:58] Speaker F: I'll talk to some of my. Suppose. Well, it's morning. They're not going to get the phone call I can contact at Google. [01:25:12] Speaker C: Yes. [01:25:15] Speaker D: They're a cult. They've got. Not all of our members are. [01:25:20] Speaker F: They have daylight hours. [01:25:22] Speaker A: Yes, one way to put it. [01:25:26] Speaker D: Wouldn't operate if they didn't. [01:25:31] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:25:34] Speaker E: Apologies, speaker Piper, will you please roll me? Intelligence and academics. [01:25:43] Speaker A: Sure. [01:25:44] Speaker E: You have technically seen the only record of. Could that you could turn up. And she was registered at a church. You don't know if she still belongs to it, but her name popped up once in their records. [01:25:58] Speaker D: Okay, I guess I've got two successes. [01:26:01] Speaker E: Okay. Wren was registered literally a week, maybe two weeks after she went missing at Glasgow Cathedral. [01:26:14] Speaker D: A church in Ireland. [01:26:16] Speaker E: Scotland, I think. [01:26:18] Speaker A: Scotland. [01:26:19] Speaker D: Scotland. I knew it was over there somewhere. [01:26:24] Speaker E: She was registered at Glasgow Cathedral. Her name popped up exactly once in the records as a parishioner. And you haven't seen any other sign of her. Now, you didn't go digging crazy, crazy deep because you were worried about getting caught. [01:26:44] Speaker D: And, yeah, there were bigger things for us to be like. So the record that I found, this is from when she went missing. Glasgow Cathedral. [01:27:06] Speaker A: All right. [01:27:09] Speaker E: Rosanna, given your history, I'm not even going to make you roll. Glasgow Cathedral is the oldest catholic church in Scotland. And one of the oldest ones just on the mainland of the UK. In. Cool. [01:27:30] Speaker F: It has taste. [01:27:33] Speaker E: It is a beautiful building. [01:27:39] Speaker B: Yeah. One of the oldest catholic buildings in basically all of Europe. [01:27:45] Speaker A: Cool. [01:27:46] Speaker F: Most y'all got any more questions for me before I start making this whole society thing happen? Setting up an old business partner to be ambushed and shot through the chest and all that good stuff. [01:28:07] Speaker A: Look around at everyone else. I don't think I do. But I don't know if anybody else does. [01:28:16] Speaker C: Your ritual, or whatever it was you said you needed a couple of factors, a couple of pieces. The Faye was part of it. But there was a person that you were going to need to contact. That the last piece of your necessary components, as it were. [01:28:43] Speaker F: Ophelia. Yeah, Ophelia McLeod. Ophelia is. Yeah, she's a mate. A fairly powerful one. I imagine y'all will be getting to know her fairly quickly. She'll make herself known to you when she feels like it. [01:29:13] Speaker E: After I call her. [01:29:15] Speaker A: Yeah, it sounds like a mage. [01:29:18] Speaker F: Did you all have a run in. [01:29:20] Speaker E: With a mage recently? [01:29:21] Speaker D: Yeah. [01:29:23] Speaker A: Brought the body to us. [01:29:26] Speaker D: Yeah, he's the one that delivered Zephyr to us. [01:29:30] Speaker F: Y'all know why I killed him? [01:29:34] Speaker A: I think it has to do with all of the murder. [01:29:42] Speaker D: Awesome. Just murder? [01:29:45] Speaker A: Torture. [01:29:46] Speaker D: He tortured supernaturals. [01:29:55] Speaker F: Did indeed. Stell too long into the abyss. Not everyone can do that without going quite mad. [01:30:08] Speaker D: No, most people can't. [01:30:17] Speaker C: Well, all right. [01:30:19] Speaker F: I got a phone call. Y'all got some recon, maybe some weapons to acquire? I admit, I didn't actually look into your alma mints all that much. [01:30:32] Speaker A: They're a little lacking. But I think with the time I can whip something together. [01:30:41] Speaker F: There's a Walmart up the road. It'll show you a shotgun for nothing. [01:30:46] Speaker C: That's good. [01:30:47] Speaker A: No, that's good. [01:30:48] Speaker D: Because nothing was about all I have. [01:30:51] Speaker F: You'll need some money. [01:30:54] Speaker D: No, they don't. [01:31:18] Speaker C: I've been squirreling away enough money here and there. Mostly to hide from you. [01:31:24] Speaker B: Yeah, I got a side gig that gets me some cash when I'd eat it. [01:31:32] Speaker E: Okay. Given everything you know about the cell, you know about Rosanna's side gig. I love the wink. [01:31:43] Speaker A: Rosanna, who do you think is your top new patron? [01:31:47] Speaker F: I wasn't going to give myself away, but I do appreciate the content. [01:31:56] Speaker B: Hold on a minute. She's going to go. [01:32:02] Speaker D: Before we any further, since that's terribly relevant. [01:32:07] Speaker E: Rosanna, your top patron's screen name is low key secrets 33. Thank you. Spelled L-O-W-T-E-Y. So you just never thought about it? You just thought it was some married dude who needed to keep secrets from his wife about him following somebody's only fans? No. [01:32:35] Speaker D: Instead it's a cult leader that needed to keep everything. [01:32:39] Speaker C: Exactly. The head of a religious order, that's a different story. [01:32:45] Speaker D: That's what this deposit is. [01:32:50] Speaker F: You may notice an Od tracking number on some of those. Yeah, that's the Cayman Islands. [01:32:57] Speaker A: Fair. [01:33:00] Speaker D: Right. We should go get some weapons. [01:33:05] Speaker A: You mentioned shotgun. I think I can. Depending on how much time I have and the materials I have access to, I could probably get something close to Dragon's breath rounds. [01:33:18] Speaker F: Excellent. [01:33:19] Speaker A: It'd be very effective if Vincent has friends. [01:33:23] Speaker F: Vincent will have friends. Y'all fought kindred before. [01:33:27] Speaker A: It's been a bit, but, yeah. It's usually what I did before I followed these chuckle fucks. [01:33:35] Speaker D: Language. [01:33:36] Speaker A: Damn. [01:33:36] Speaker C: Excuse me. [01:33:38] Speaker D: She's right. No, this is my first time properly out in the field. [01:33:48] Speaker F: All right, well, you're already doing the most important thing. Wear sunglasses. But I am deadly serious. You wear sunglasses when you fight kindred. [01:34:02] Speaker B: They will look you in the eye. [01:34:03] Speaker F: And the next thing you know, you've got your hands around your best friend's throat. [01:34:07] Speaker D: Well, hilariously, that is what the sunglasses are for. Just not to block my eyes. [01:34:15] Speaker F: All right. There's anything else you need to know, now is the time in order to make this happen, and then the next thing happen, and then half a dozen things after that. I mean, I'm putting my affairs in order to leave forever. 60 seconds. [01:34:37] Speaker E: Go. [01:34:37] Speaker F: Anything you want to know? [01:34:45] Speaker E: Okay, well, if nobody has questions, what. [01:34:48] Speaker D: Was the deal with the horse? [01:34:50] Speaker B: I was going to ask that question, too. Why? [01:34:57] Speaker F: Well, the why should be pretty obvious. [01:34:59] Speaker B: Well, you know what I mean. [01:35:02] Speaker D: Why did you bother? [01:35:02] Speaker C: I think it's contained within. Contained in the story? Extraction is necessary. Sometimes you have to take one for the team in order to help the team. [01:35:17] Speaker F: That's not actually the reason. [01:35:18] Speaker D: Those are not words I thought I'd ever hear from you, Arthur. [01:35:22] Speaker F: I respect your growth, Arthur. I do. On the one hand. God, you fuck one horse and you never hear the end of it. [01:35:36] Speaker D: No, you let one horse. [01:35:38] Speaker C: No, that is true. [01:35:39] Speaker D: You never hear the end of it. [01:35:41] Speaker F: So, on the one hand, I was doing it for the family, to keep a giant from building a castle so they wouldn't have to pay him the number of things the AseA promised, having no intention to deliver on, and then I have to go in and ruin it. Chucklefucks. On the other hand, people say that size doesn't matter, but sometimes it does. And I'll just tell you. I had a lot of sex. Top ten. [01:36:22] Speaker E: The speaker saw himself out, told you guys that he was going to be busy for the rest of the day. Preparing to exit this world in the most literal way possible requires preparation, and the things that he has been asked to accommodate also require time. So he will check in with you when he is able. What are you guys up to? [01:36:49] Speaker A: First, I think we need to go shopping. [01:36:53] Speaker B: Yeah, before we do, just give me what a bit? It's been a while since I've had a chance to answer anything for work. She's going to take out her photo, look at her emails. [01:37:07] Speaker E: Okay, you have a number of emails. Some are more important than others. A lot of them are. Just a lot of them are check ins. People haven't heard from you in a hot minute and are concerned, but you scroll far enough back and there's one that came through the day that you met with Peter, literally like an hour after you left the place, before you even got back to the restaurant. But you've been so busy that you just didn't see it. Dear Rosie, the meeting with you was excellent and I'm grateful you came to visit me after driving all this way. Hopefully a understood you're wanting to meet with me. Make sure he's doing well. He's the last of your friends from your trip after all, and it would be horrible to lose another friend so soon. If you get a chance, I'd love to meet again, talk more and such, perhaps dinner. Otherwise I have a place if you want to visit and enjoy some wine. I know it's a bit of a leap going from matcha to wine, but I think you'd like this vintage I found. Keep me informed if you need more help too. I don't want to lose you so soon after finally getting to meet you. Stay safe. Stay sane. You can do whatever you put your mind to. Sincerely, Peter. [01:38:43] Speaker B: Work emails went great and as she's just kind of like giggling to herself, she will type back. Hey Peter, I'm so sorry for the last couple days. Things have been a bit hectic. Constantly on the road, constantly on the move. Sometimes you don't get much of a chance to appreciate the little things that life blesses you with. Meeting you was an absolute dream and thank you for showing me your favorite matcha place. It was phenomenal. I would be very interested in getting to meet up with you again. If the cards are dealt in my favor, one will definitely be involved. If not, I would love to one day introduce you to my friends. They are very important in my life. We got a couple new tagalogs. P and I are excellent additions to my little ragtag team of weirdos and I think that you would grow to appreciate both of them. I hope you're doing well. I'm really sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I must get going, though. Take care. Let's meet up soon. Love, Rosie. And she'll send that out. [01:40:15] Speaker E: All right, you send that out. Anything else? [01:40:25] Speaker B: I do want to look into a couple of those emails of people who are just kind of, like, poking in and say that they're worried about me. Any names in particular? Stick out. [01:40:40] Speaker E: I mean, they're all people that, you know, like, even cricket know, but it's more of a know. Sorry you weren't around when I worked with Piper. Well, he would have said Phoenix, but know, hopefully you get this soon and we know. Work together again. I missed you. Stay safe. Let me know if I can help with anything. And that's kind of it. There's nothing hugely important that stands out to you. [01:41:32] Speaker B: Cricket reached out to me. How sweet. Oh, boy. Remind me to never fall into a trauma induced coma ever again. [01:41:45] Speaker D: I'm not sure how helpful that warning is going to be, but I'll try, I suppose. [01:41:51] Speaker C: Hey, Rosanna. [01:41:52] Speaker B: Yeah? [01:41:53] Speaker C: Don't fall into a trauma induced coma ever again. [01:41:56] Speaker A: Exactly. [01:41:59] Speaker B: Hard. [01:42:03] Speaker C: Just a reminder. I just wanted to give it to her. [01:42:06] Speaker B: Yeah. Thanks. So, where are we going to find weapons? [01:42:20] Speaker A: I heard Walmart, but I'll make a phone call before that. I might be able to. I don't know if it's possible. Maybe able to get some extra. At least information. [01:42:38] Speaker C: I don't know. We can go anywhere. It's fine. We can go. I don't need anything. Got a few rounds for the. 38, but it's mostly for show. [01:42:50] Speaker A: I mean, if I can, I think I will be able to make something close to Dragon's breath, hopefully. Which would be really good against what we're going to go up against. [01:43:06] Speaker C: Sure. [01:43:07] Speaker A: Because bullets are great. Always put a stop. And you've seen how blanks get around fire. [01:43:17] Speaker B: Fair. I do got the bow. I don't know how effective it'll be. [01:43:32] Speaker A: Towards blanks, but get them through the heart, might put them into torper. [01:43:44] Speaker B: The only problem with my bow is. [01:43:48] Speaker A: Well, doesn't use regular arrows. [01:43:51] Speaker B: Don't use regular arrows. They're really cool arrows when they shoot through things, though, don't get me wrong. Like, I have done some really weird stuff when I took some extra side jobs. I just don't know how good they're going to be against them. [01:44:11] Speaker A: Worth a shot, at least. Probably about as. At least as effective as a normal gun. Hopefully. [01:44:19] Speaker E: I am just going to throw it out there because this is kind of how we've been utilizing and flavoring it. There are a number of people, one of them at this table, but also one that you are probably going to meet later. According to what Loki told you, who might be able to tell you exactly how effective those arrows will be. Piper can at least try to tell you because Piper's sense, the unnatural has done a pretty good job of pinging her about how strong something is. [01:44:49] Speaker D: Yeah, and she's got specializations injury for. [01:44:57] Speaker E: And if she can't, the you're supposed to meet later may be able to help too. [01:45:02] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:45:07] Speaker D: Can I do like an overall or something to try and assess how useful it might be? [01:45:11] Speaker E: You would have to summon her bow and draw it in order to summon an arrow. [01:45:17] Speaker A: All right, that's fair. [01:45:18] Speaker B: You want, we could go out into a piece of land and we could test it out. It's not like I run out of ammunition. [01:45:30] Speaker D: It might be worth a shot. That way we know what we're working with. [01:45:34] Speaker E: It's also probably not the best place to do that. [01:45:39] Speaker A: Too many people around. [01:45:41] Speaker E: Yeah. In somebody's house would be rude. [01:45:47] Speaker B: I borrow, so. But look for like a field or something. [01:45:50] Speaker C: Yeah, piece of swamp maybe. [01:45:54] Speaker E: Yeah, I hear there might be some. [01:45:57] Speaker D: Of that around here. [01:45:59] Speaker E: Just a little bit. Just a little bit. Okay, so where are we going? [01:46:03] Speaker C: Million miles of swamp somewhere nearby. [01:46:05] Speaker E: Where are we going first? [01:46:09] Speaker A: We're going to go to get some weapons. But I was going to make a phone call before we left. Probably around the same time Rosanna's doing the email thing. [01:46:18] Speaker E: Oh, okay. Right. Sorry, my bad. [01:46:22] Speaker A: We got a little distracted. [01:46:23] Speaker E: We did? You guys started talking plans and I was not eager to interrupt. Okay. You pull out your phone and you call. Allison takes a couple of rings, but eventually she answers. Hey. [01:46:42] Speaker A: Wanted to check in. I sure my message was cryptic yesterday. [01:46:49] Speaker E: Hang on. You sound better. Like a lot better. Like you just got really good sleep better. [01:47:09] Speaker A: Among other things. [01:47:11] Speaker E: Oh, what was their name? [01:47:19] Speaker A: They're Tov and Patty. [01:47:23] Speaker E: Tov and Patty? [01:47:27] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:47:30] Speaker E: All right, who are you and what have you done with? [01:47:38] Speaker A: I mean, Isabel's just like, actually probably a little flustered and unsure of what to say. Probably. For if any of you, like, are seeing this, it definitely looks different. Isabelle usually looks. I don't know, I needed to kind. [01:47:58] Speaker E: Of blow off some steam. [01:48:02] Speaker A: That's one word for it. [01:48:04] Speaker E: Yeah. All right, well, I only have two questions. Do you have any regrets? [01:48:16] Speaker A: No. [01:48:18] Speaker E: Do you have a need for morning after things? [01:48:22] Speaker A: No, I'm safe and good. [01:48:28] Speaker E: I'm proud of you. And I'm glad that you finally did that because you've needed it. [01:48:36] Speaker A: Yeah, it's been a bit. [01:48:43] Speaker E: What can I do for you? Your package hasn't arrived yet. [01:48:47] Speaker A: I think it would probably sometime today, overnight of it as just have a lead on Vincent. [01:49:01] Speaker E: Okay. [01:49:05] Speaker A: Apparently Liam Key did pay Vincent for some services rendered and through some persuasion, is more than willing to do it again to hopefully lead him into a trap. [01:49:31] Speaker E: See? All right. [01:49:39] Speaker A: So hopefully, I'll be able to take care of this curse, and if I get anything that I think is useful, I can send it your way as well. It's been a while since I've been able to study anything like that. [01:50:06] Speaker E: All right, well, I appreciate you keeping me in mind, but if you getting something for me puts you in direct harm's way, I want you to forget about getting something for me, okay? [01:50:31] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:50:32] Speaker E: Because it's not worth it if you get hurt. I'd never forgive myself, and neither would she. [01:50:43] Speaker A: Yeah, big focus is dealing with this curse. I can act normally and not have to worry about seeing the corpses like that. See them on my table, not up and walking around. [01:51:12] Speaker E: Okay. [01:51:15] Speaker A: And I want to my weird, unemployed friends backing me up. [01:51:25] Speaker E: All right. Anybody else? [01:51:28] Speaker A: Probably. Yeah, definitely. Both of the people I met last night seemed to Aven Patty. Yeah, I definitely seem to know their way around weapons. [01:51:48] Speaker E: Well, they certainly know their way around you. [01:51:52] Speaker A: I plead the fifth on that one. [01:51:58] Speaker E: All right, well, if they also know their way around weapons and they're willing to help, then I say go for it. [01:52:08] Speaker A: Going to ask. And we currently staying relatively near where the group is, so might be able to. They're technically a part of. [01:52:25] Speaker E: It. Technically? [01:52:27] Speaker A: I think they're maybe a little bit. [01:52:30] Speaker E: More of the muscle security employees more than faithful. [01:52:38] Speaker A: Yeah, it definitely seems to be that kind of thing. [01:52:42] Speaker B: Right? [01:52:43] Speaker E: Well, takes all kinds, I guess. So you've met him? [01:52:49] Speaker A: Yeah, he invited us to dinner yesterday. [01:52:56] Speaker E: And you went? [01:53:00] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:53:05] Speaker A: It's. [01:53:08] Speaker E: What possessed you? Who are you and what have you done with Isabel? You were usually much more careful than this. Are your weird, unemployed friends making you make bad decisions? Because I can fly out there and hand them all their asses. [01:53:28] Speaker A: Personally, it is. [01:53:31] Speaker E: And maybe meet a patty or a top of my own, but that's another thing. [01:53:38] Speaker A: There certainly seems to be enough to go around, but no, it's looking into this. And Liam is the one that is doing this. We're going to help him with a problem. [01:54:01] Speaker E: Okay, do I get to know what the problem is? [01:54:10] Speaker A: Honestly, if I do say anything. I don't want to say it on the line. [01:54:16] Speaker E: Gotcha. [01:54:17] Speaker A: And I'm not sure if you would. [01:54:19] Speaker E: Connection type of conversation. [01:54:21] Speaker A: Yeah, let's just say that Mr. Key is very powerful and needs to. Wants to go home. [01:54:44] Speaker E: Okay. With the amount of money that that place probably has, I don't know why he couldn't just fly himself there on his own. [01:54:52] Speaker B: But. [01:54:55] Speaker E: I'm not going to ask too many questions. [01:55:01] Speaker A: If I didn't see certain things myself, I don't know if I would have believed it. But certainly has some sort of power. We help him with a couple of things, he does this. [01:55:20] Speaker E: Okay, well, if you trust that, I will trust you. But know that if you get dead, can't promise that your weird unemployed friends won't hear from me. Yeah, no, they're very much faster than you hear from me. [01:55:42] Speaker A: Yeah, well, I mean, if they get me killed, I think I'll kill them. I definitely a concerning thought, but okay. I like being alive. [01:56:02] Speaker E: I like you alive. I would like you to stay that way, please. [01:56:07] Speaker A: And that other thing I asked you if you could look into. I don't know if you uncovered anything about. [01:56:19] Speaker E: Miss Labelle. Not a lot, honestly. I found her in the records of a church in Scotland. Her name popped up once and I haven't found another record of her anywhere. If she's a part of things, they are keeping her off the books. [01:56:40] Speaker A: Yeah, that's what we thought. [01:56:43] Speaker E: But if she's a part of the religious side of my operation, most of their members are off the books. Hell, most of our members are just serial numbers. Yeah, you don't have an exact number, you can't figure out who's who. [01:57:05] Speaker A: Thank you for looking into it. [01:57:07] Speaker E: Yeah. Why exactly do you need to know about this, Renlavel? [01:57:23] Speaker A: One of the people I'm traveling with is connected it. [01:57:30] Speaker E: Good connection, bad connection. [01:57:33] Speaker A: Bad connection. [01:57:35] Speaker B: Okay. [01:57:38] Speaker E: All right. Well, you know, I'm never going to put it in my notes that we've talked about this, but listen, if she's from that side of things, you need to be careful because they don't fuck around our side. If we lose somebody, people get upset. And a couple of people might get a revenge boner. But that side, if they lose somebody, they come down like a sledgehammer on whoever did it. So if you are planning anything, or your weird unemployed friends are planning anything, please do it quietly and as off the record as possible. [01:58:22] Speaker A: Noted. Though we all hope it doesn't come to that. [01:58:27] Speaker E: Okay. [01:58:32] Speaker A: I'll. [01:58:34] Speaker E: Because I can't protect you if they come after you guys? I would try. You know I'd try, but quite frankly, they scare me a little bit. [01:58:48] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:58:51] Speaker E: Will allow you to justify doing terrible things. [01:58:56] Speaker A: Yeah, we're being safe about it. Mostly just trying to put out some feelers right now. [01:59:05] Speaker E: Okay. [01:59:08] Speaker A: I'll let you know how everything goes with dear Vincent. Hopefully you can update his status soon. [01:59:19] Speaker E: Noted. Keep me up to date. Maybe I can convince some of the higher ups to find a little bit of funds in the budget as a reward. If you can update his status adequately. You all wouldn't be the first small outfit we've kicked some funds to in order to help. [01:59:45] Speaker A: It would be appreciated. If that is a thing that happens. For now, I am going to remember everything you taught me about fighting them and see what I can rig up. [02:00:04] Speaker E: All right, well, remember, don't go anywhere without at least a handful of stakes on you. [02:00:08] Speaker A: I've got several. [02:00:10] Speaker E: Good. Make sure your weird unemployed friends have have some, too. [02:00:14] Speaker A: Oh, they're going to be outfitted to the teeth. [02:00:18] Speaker E: Good. Do you need anything for your special projects? [02:00:29] Speaker A: I think I should be okay for now. I think I can make whatever I need. I've got a serviceable area to work right now. [02:00:40] Speaker E: Good. Okay, well, you call me if you think of anything that you can't get your hands on and I might be able to swing it. [02:00:48] Speaker A: Yeah, I'll let you know. [02:00:51] Speaker B: Good. [02:00:54] Speaker E: I will talk to you later, honey. [02:00:56] Speaker A: I will talk to you later as well. [02:00:59] Speaker E: Be safe. Spend more time with Tov and Patty. You need it and deserve it. [02:01:03] Speaker A: I plan on it. [02:01:05] Speaker B: Good bye. [02:01:08] Speaker A: Bye. [02:01:09] Speaker E: And she hangs up. [02:01:12] Speaker A: I'll move back to the group as Rosanna finishes up and we start discussing plans. And also look at Rosanna and say Allison was able to pretty much find out the same information that we were. Looks like they're keeping your sister off the books. [02:01:32] Speaker D: Horse. [02:01:35] Speaker A: And warned and told us to be safe. That arm of everything doesn't fuck around if. [02:01:53] Speaker B: Yeah, they don't tend to. Even the parts that don't do what we do. [02:02:10] Speaker D: Well, catholic church sucks. [02:02:13] Speaker B: Oh, most definitely. Yay. Religious trauma, I guess. [02:02:21] Speaker A: Wow. [02:02:22] Speaker B: You know, that seems to be a very big. [02:02:27] Speaker D: You somehow ended up with generational religious drama. [02:02:34] Speaker A: If you have, like, five of them, do you get, like, a punch card? [02:02:39] Speaker C: Yeah, I think you get a free smoothie. [02:02:42] Speaker B: I don't want that smoothie. It probably tastes like Dale. Stale wafer and guilt. Warm wine. [02:02:53] Speaker E: It. And guilt. [02:02:54] Speaker A: Yeah. [02:02:56] Speaker C: And guilt. [02:02:57] Speaker B: And guilt. It's actually a two for one sale. You buy two catholics, you get the fucking third one free. In my family, which is very weird because my dad's a protestant pastor. He was the one that got away from it all. Funny how that works. Yeah. [02:03:29] Speaker D: But anyway, we're going to go buy weapons. [02:03:35] Speaker B: Buy weapons and shoot magic bows at. [02:03:39] Speaker C: Glass bottles, cans on a fence post. Yeah. [02:03:45] Speaker A: Going to see if I should be able to get us and rig us up some gear for the whole thing, just in case. [02:03:55] Speaker E: All right, well, you all pile into the rv and head off of the compound. Tov is at the gate. He's the one who opens it for you. As you were driving out, when he sees Isabelle in the window, he just sort of winks and grins and shuts the gate behind you. [02:04:18] Speaker A: I'll return the wink and the grin. [02:04:20] Speaker C: Arthur remembers not to say nose tapes him or to esteus to anybody as they. [02:04:27] Speaker D: That round here, Piper just looked at his belt. That one. [02:04:32] Speaker A: One of. [02:04:35] Speaker B: Aww. Good for you. [02:04:38] Speaker C: Yeah, actually, good for you. [02:04:40] Speaker A: That's very much a. [02:04:45] Speaker B: If I got to introduce you to Leod. [02:04:50] Speaker D: I think you'd like Leon. [02:04:51] Speaker A: We can double date or triple date. [02:04:54] Speaker B: No. [02:04:55] Speaker C: Yeah, you guys should do like. Honestly, it would be fun for, I. [02:04:58] Speaker D: Think, all of you. [02:04:58] Speaker C: It'd give a nice time to break away and relax if we get through this next bit or maybe before we go out. [02:05:06] Speaker B: Should be a good idea. [02:05:09] Speaker A: Thank God. Actually be a really good idea. [02:05:12] Speaker D: Yeah. [02:05:13] Speaker B: Thank God. [02:05:14] Speaker A: That's nice. [02:05:18] Speaker C: Sweating in the driver's seat. [02:05:24] Speaker B: I'm just going to throw on a song really quick as we're driving. And she's going to plug her phone in just to fuck with Arthur a little bit. Yep. Dancing Queen. She's going to put on Dancing Queen by Abba and just turn it up just so Arthur can hear that. She'll just look back at him, smirk and then just keep driving. [02:05:45] Speaker C: I mean, he secretly loves it. Absolutely. He just has to be drunk to really get into it. [02:05:54] Speaker E: I love it. All right, so where exactly what are you guys doing first? Because you've talked about wanting to do a number of things. [02:06:03] Speaker A: I think it's pickup supplies first. [02:06:05] Speaker D: Pickup supplies first. [02:06:07] Speaker A: And then I think Isabelle is going to be working on improvised gear and ordinance while others do target practice with a bow. [02:06:19] Speaker E: Understood. Okay. I'm not going to make you guys role play out shopping. I'll have everybody go around the table, give me a rough idea of what you're looking for for each person, and then we will move on. I don't want to spend an hour role playing out a trip to. No, no thanks. [02:06:47] Speaker A: On a regular basis. Why do we need to role play it out. [02:06:51] Speaker E: Right, Isabelle, what kind of materials are you looking for? What are you looking to make? [02:07:01] Speaker A: I wanted to focus on trying to at least kind of make some dragons breath rounds, something like that. [02:07:14] Speaker E: Okay, we're focusing on your ordinance. [02:07:17] Speaker A: Focus on an ordinance. Yeah. Cool. [02:07:20] Speaker E: All right, cool. I don't think that's going to be a huge deal. Fairly certain, yeah. It's not restricted in Louisiana, so you should be able to get everything that you need. No problem. Anything else? [02:07:44] Speaker A: And probably just through improvised gear, maybe make some sort of. It's still like body armor. Something that we can least be more than just a leather jacket between us and the kindreds. [02:08:05] Speaker E: Yeah. So you can get most of that, no problem. The body armor, you end up having to go to a. Oh, my goodness. What are those, like, military supply stores places? [02:08:19] Speaker A: Military surplus. [02:08:21] Speaker E: Surplus. [02:08:24] Speaker D: Can't get that at the Walmart. [02:08:27] Speaker E: Not anything of any real quality. You can get like the little inserts that you put into, like a backpack or something like that. But that's about all you can get at Walmart. [02:08:34] Speaker C: The plate inserts for. [02:08:36] Speaker E: Yeah. [02:08:37] Speaker C: Yeah. [02:08:37] Speaker E: So you go to the military surplus store and you can get most of the other stuff that you need. [02:08:43] Speaker D: Piper, uh, Piper just needs a big fuck off knife. [02:08:48] Speaker E: Oh, well, then that you can also get at the military surplus store. In fact, you get a knife called a K bar. [02:08:54] Speaker A: Fuck yeah. [02:08:56] Speaker E: You could get bigger, but a K bar is probably going to be the most reliable. It's pretty standard issue for most military outfits. [02:09:05] Speaker A: Get too much bigger and you're getting into sword territory. [02:09:08] Speaker E: It just becomes unwieldy. Unless you've got specific training beyond that. Rosanna. [02:09:16] Speaker B: Rosanna. [02:09:19] Speaker E: Alcohol. [02:09:20] Speaker B: Alcohol at bed. [02:09:27] Speaker E: I love it. I love it so much. I'm assuming everybody who doesn't always have sunglasses also buys sunglasses. [02:09:35] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. [02:09:36] Speaker E: Except maybe Arthur, who might say no just to be spiteful. [02:09:41] Speaker D: So we buy Arthur a blindfold. [02:09:47] Speaker E: All right. [02:09:47] Speaker B: That's at a different store. [02:09:50] Speaker E: All right, funny enough. Rosanna, roll me wits awareness. Actually, Rosanna, Piper and Arthur can all roll me wits awareness. [02:09:58] Speaker B: Oh, me. [02:10:02] Speaker E: Not Isabelle. [02:10:04] Speaker B: Uhoh. [02:10:10] Speaker A: Uncertain. [02:10:14] Speaker D: Holy shit. Pretty good. I'm consistent. [02:10:25] Speaker C: Yeah, I'll take it too. It's fun. [02:10:28] Speaker D: Can you revolve some of those successes. [02:10:30] Speaker E: Arthur Piper, you are focused on getting stuff to help make your drones a little bit tougher so that they can be a little bit more helpful in case shit goes down. [02:10:46] Speaker D: I was considering buying the upgrade that lets them have guns. [02:10:50] Speaker E: Yeah, kind of figured. So you are buying the stuff in order to enable outfitting some of your drones. Rosanna, you are hunting through a big display of quartz, of strawberries that are on sale and planning out making homemade strawberry daiquiris or something like that. So you don't see anything out of the ordinary. Arthur? [02:11:25] Speaker C: Yep. [02:11:27] Speaker E: As you guys are going from aisle to isle, you catch a familiar face. Walking through the self checkout line is Leon, and you can see that he is carrying a couple of bags of what look like Rosanna's favorite candy and a little bouquet of store flowers. [02:11:58] Speaker C: You know, think Arthur's actually gonna be like, oh, well, hey, listen, if it makes. If he's doing the right thing, he's buying her the stuff she likes. He's actually not going to be mad about this and not say anything so that it can still be a surprise. [02:12:17] Speaker E: Excellent. Okay, you guys finish up your shopping at Walmart. You head to the military surplus and get the couple last bits and pieces that you need. And then you are in the RV and Rosanna is googling for a place that looks like it might be kind of open territory where she can practice with her bow. And Isabelle can work probably outside just because it's safer, just in case anything actually explodes. It doesn't take out the rv and everybody in it might also be looking at pictures of surrounding territory on Google Maps to see if there is anywhere that is kind of open enough that you could actually get rid of a body. [02:13:14] Speaker A: We just toss it into the swamp. [02:13:19] Speaker E: In theory. And it is around that time that Arthur's phone will ring, and it is a number that you do not recognize. Arthur. [02:13:39] Speaker C: That sounds right. Why not? He gets calls all the time from people he doesn't know because he throws out burner phones all the time. Sure Arthur will answer. [02:13:54] Speaker E: Are you just going to push the button or are you going to say Arthur? [02:13:57] Speaker C: Oh, hello? [02:14:02] Speaker E: Hi. Is this Arthur? [02:14:08] Speaker C: Yes. [02:14:10] Speaker E: Hey, I know you don't know me, and this is kind of weird, but Liam gave me your number, which I think he got from your wife. I don't know. It's a very complicated web you church people lead. My name's Ophelia. [02:14:28] Speaker C: That's what I was about to guess. That you're Ophelia. [02:14:32] Speaker E: Yeah. So listen, I can come to you so that we can discuss things, but what I'm picking up says that you are in public, so I should maybe not do that right now. Are you, by chance headed somewhere a little less public? [02:14:55] Speaker C: We are, in fact, trying to go somewhere. We needed to check on some things and test a few theories or ideas on some weaponry that we could use. [02:15:07] Speaker B: I guess for the tasks at. [02:15:12] Speaker E: That. Liam did mention that you were doing some work for him, though, so that's. [02:15:16] Speaker C: So we are moving to somewhere secluded, a little bit away from everyone. So. Yeah, that's absolutely place where we're headed. [02:15:27] Speaker E: Okay, well, then I'll see you in like an hour. You don't have to tell me where you're going. I'll find you. [02:15:35] Speaker C: That's not terrifying in any way, shape or form, but. [02:15:37] Speaker E: All right, well, he told you what I am, right? [02:15:41] Speaker C: He did. [02:15:43] Speaker E: Difficult? [02:15:46] Speaker C: I don't know. Is it? [02:15:48] Speaker E: No. [02:15:50] Speaker C: Well, that's just as terrifying as it was a moment ago. He did tell you what we are, right? [02:16:02] Speaker E: Yes. [02:16:04] Speaker C: Okay. [02:16:04] Speaker E: I'm not worried. [02:16:07] Speaker C: That's infinitely more terrifying than the previous statement. Okay. Sounds it should be. [02:16:14] Speaker E: All right, well, I'll see you in an hour. And she hangs up for reference. And I apologize, Scott, I realize I forgot to come to you. Yes, you can get body armor. No problem. [02:16:28] Speaker C: Thank you. [02:16:29] Speaker E: My bad. I'm sorry. I got so excited about having every. You guys do awareness roles that I forgot. [02:16:36] Speaker C: Yeah, that's the only thing Arthur would want. [02:16:39] Speaker D: I know. Isabelle had mentioned it too. That's why we were going to the military surplus. [02:16:43] Speaker E: Yes, I assumed everybody was getting some, but. Cool. Cool. Rosanna, you find a place to go. It's not super hard. There's an old abandoned. What used to be the location of like, an old kind of plantation house style place, like right on the edge of the swamp. And the house has since been torn down because it was derelict and no one ever rescued it. And it was becoming a hazard because local youths were going and hanging out and the floor was falling apart and there was asbestos and all that stuff. So they had to tear it down after a while because there was very little left of it. So you locate that, and that seems like a good enough place because there's not a whole lot else around. And you head out that way. When you guys pull up, you find a place that's in what looks like it might have once been like a large, not super large, but like a small parking lot type of area that maybe at one point, this place was like a tourist attraction or something, or one of those registered historical locations before it fell into disrepair and disuse. But it's just enough space to park the rV. Not much else can be parked here, but the RV can be. And it took you about 45 minutes to get here from the surplus store. Okay, I have a quick question for Arthur. Did you inform everybody who called? [02:18:42] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, absolutely. Would have said that Ophelia contacted us. [02:18:47] Speaker D: Oh, good. Fair warning. She might not like me very much. [02:18:53] Speaker A: Probably not. The last mage didn't really like Piper. [02:18:59] Speaker D: As it turns out, I'm somewhat of a dead zone for magic. And at the very least, the last mage we met was very uncomfortable with me being anywhere near her. [02:19:13] Speaker C: So you're saying that mages can't function. [02:19:19] Speaker D: Around you less that they can't function more that apparently, their magic is likely to just kind of fizzle out when it's directed at me. That's at least how it was explained to me. [02:19:35] Speaker A: Interesting. [02:19:37] Speaker C: I think that makes you the most powerful weapon we have when confronting mages. [02:19:42] Speaker A: Then are we planning to confront mages? [02:19:45] Speaker B: No, I sure hope not. [02:19:48] Speaker D: No, we are not. [02:19:50] Speaker B: That's a bit. [02:19:52] Speaker C: I make no guarantees. [02:19:56] Speaker D: I'm pretty sure mages rank above the werewolves on the danger scale. Arthur, I need you to understand that. That way, if you go off and get yourself killed, it's your. [02:20:13] Speaker C: That. Sometimes I think maybe you all underestimate the power of God. But I don't want to happen to me right now. [02:20:21] Speaker D: No, I don't think I do. [02:20:29] Speaker B: But which God? [02:20:32] Speaker C: That's a fair question. I'm wondering. [02:20:34] Speaker D: That definitely hurt. Gun. I also don't think I underestimate the power of God. [02:20:44] Speaker A: We just met one. [02:20:47] Speaker C: Yeah, you. [02:20:50] Speaker B: You know who I like? I like Freya. [02:20:58] Speaker A: Yeah, I can see that. [02:21:00] Speaker B: I mean, she is the goddess of, well, magic. I still very much am wicked, despite my ties to religion. It would have been really cool if we met Freya instead of Loki. Not that meeting Loki isn't, like, the weirdest but coolest thing I think any of us will ever do. [02:21:33] Speaker D: Honestly, he seemed real cool. I think he likes me. [02:21:38] Speaker B: There you go. [02:21:39] Speaker E: There is a knock on the rv. [02:21:41] Speaker B: Door because you asked about the horse. [02:21:46] Speaker A: I'll go answer the door. [02:21:49] Speaker E: Okay. Isabel, standing outside is the most beautiful woman you've ever seen. Just for a mechanical reference, if you have played the 20th edition games, she's easily appearance five to six. She has long blonde hair. She looks like she's in her mid 20s, maybe late 20s. She has one blue eye and one gold eye. We're not talking, like, light brown, we're talking, like, molten gold. She's petite. She's only, like, 5253 in heels, but is dressed in a pair of kind of hip hugging slacks that come down to just above her knee and then sort of flare just a little bit. They're more like boot cuts than, like, bell bottoms, and a very form fitting top that shows off all of her curves. She has this air about her that is, like, half dignified and incredibly well put together, and half kind of hippie child. And what's odd, though, is that you look past her and there is a large, golden scaled reptile in the background. We're talking. It is the size of a large horse. You're pretty sure that's a dragon? [02:23:55] Speaker A: Just a moment. Where just. Isabelle. Blue screens for a second. [02:24:01] Speaker E: Hi, you must be Isabelle. Liam told me all about. [02:24:08] Speaker A: Isabelle. Isabelle. You must be Ophelia. [02:24:13] Speaker D: Yes. [02:24:16] Speaker E: She'll hold out a hand. Ophelia neve McLeod. [02:24:20] Speaker A: She'll shake the hands. [02:24:25] Speaker E: And as she is standing there and introducing herself, you get the very distinct smell. Because here's the thing. You're in the swamp, and the swamp has a very distinct smell. And it's not bad, but it's very particular. And you've kind of been smelling it since you guys arrived. But, like, standing here in her presence, you start to realize that rather than smelling swamp, you smell fresh apples and honey. [02:24:58] Speaker A: Okay. [02:25:00] Speaker E: Can I come in? [02:25:03] Speaker A: Yeah. Move. [02:25:06] Speaker E: I love your sweater. That's adorable. [02:25:11] Speaker A: Thank you. Yeah. Isabelle's just being like, I am suddenly having problems functioning. [02:25:26] Speaker B: Do you let her. [02:25:27] Speaker E: I'm assuming you let her in. [02:25:28] Speaker A: Yeah, I do. And it's just like I need to sit down. As a brain reboots. [02:25:36] Speaker E: She steps up and into the rV, where she becomes visible to everybody. And her eyes kind of sweep over everyone and settle on Piper for a long moment. She sort of tilts her head for a. And she'll kind of give a little finger wave back at Piper. And then her eyes go to Rosanna. Elle. Hello, beautiful. Hi. You must be Rosanna. Aren't you precious? She will make her way over and hold out a hand. I'm Ophelia. [02:26:26] Speaker B: It's a very nice to meet you. And she'll lay out a hand for them to shake. [02:26:34] Speaker E: She will shake it back. You are interesting. You have the dreaming all over you, but you're not Faye. I like her. [02:26:50] Speaker B: Thanks. It was a gift. [02:26:55] Speaker E: Was it? [02:26:57] Speaker B: Yeah. [02:26:58] Speaker E: Well, it's beautiful. Very well done. [02:27:03] Speaker B: Thank you. She's going to see that Isabelle's kind of like, blue, blue. [02:27:11] Speaker E: Screen. [02:27:12] Speaker B: Screen. And she's just going to go pop her head out and see why. And her eyes are just going to. I like your dragon. [02:27:23] Speaker D: Dragon. [02:27:25] Speaker B: Holy moly. That thing is huge. [02:27:29] Speaker E: Oh, he's still just a teenager, but he's getting there. [02:27:35] Speaker B: Nature hears that thing. Nature. [02:27:42] Speaker E: He hatched back in the 90s. [02:27:49] Speaker C: What? [02:27:53] Speaker E: All right, we can go outside. Everybody can see him. And she will turn and lead everybody outside. [02:28:02] Speaker D: I'm going to be honest, more concerned by the fact that you look like you're 27. [02:28:10] Speaker E: Well, that's a little bit older than most people usually guess. But I'll still take it as a compliment that I'm still under my 30s. I'm actually in my 40s, though, considering. [02:28:21] Speaker D: You know, that the dragon was hatched in the. Would assume so. [02:28:28] Speaker E: I was 18 when he hatched. I'm sorry, Mr. Arthur, you were saying something? [02:28:33] Speaker C: Oh, I was simply saying it's some good skincare. That is a dragon. [02:28:41] Speaker E: That's a dragon. You can say hello. He's very friendly. [02:28:46] Speaker C: Oh, it's probably not a good idea. Apparently I'm not so great with the animals. [02:28:50] Speaker E: Oh, it's so dragons aren't animals. Sweetheart, you could start by acknowledging that he's not an animal. He'd probably appreciate that. [02:28:59] Speaker D: I don't know if he'll like me. [02:29:02] Speaker C: This is legitimately the first time I have heard that a dragon is not an animal. So I apologize for the misunderstanding. This is honestly the first time I met a dragon or had any kind of conceptual understanding that one might exist. [02:29:16] Speaker E: There are a lot of things that exist that you've never encountered. [02:29:19] Speaker B: I promise Rosetta isn't even going to give it a second thought. She's going to say hi to the dragon. [02:29:25] Speaker A: Isabelle is also going to say hi to the dragon because this is like. Partially is incredible curiosity. Partially is like no one is ever going to believe me. [02:29:39] Speaker B: Absolutely not. But like. But it kind of looks like one of the ones. The D D books. [02:29:46] Speaker C: Ophelia, help me out. Am I supposed to address your dragon friend here as a person or not? Just let me know what I'm supposed to be doing here, because, I don't. [02:29:55] Speaker E: Know, you can go over, say hello. He does like being bowed to. He's a little full of himself. [02:30:08] Speaker B: Understandably so. [02:30:10] Speaker A: Understandable. [02:30:12] Speaker E: And you see this dragon who has been like, kind of down on all fours and curled up a little bit, straightens himself up. As Rosanna gets closer, you realize that he's much taller than he looked. So when he's back on his back legs and his smaller front legs are kind of pulled in, he is absolutely gorgeous. All rippling gold scales, intelligent looking eyes. [02:30:44] Speaker B: Oh, my God. This is so cool. I don't quite know if you know what I'm saying, but I want to pet you. Oh, my God. I feel like Isabella. Isabella. [02:31:09] Speaker E: He lowers his head for you so that you can pet him. [02:31:20] Speaker B: Oh, my goodness. Oh, my goodness. We're touching a dragon. Right now. You know, in college. In college, I would have been the coolest chick. I say is I play d and d every Friday. [02:31:41] Speaker E: So did I. Long before I got him. [02:31:50] Speaker C: Arthur approaches and just bows as if he's meeting some foreign potentate dictator or something. [02:31:58] Speaker E: Foreign dignitary. He kind of watches you. You get the feeling that he's judging you for a moment, and then he bows in return. [02:32:16] Speaker C: Of course he does. Everyone else does. Why not? [02:32:19] Speaker E: Hey, he only did it while you were bowing. And then he bowed back. What do you want from him? [02:32:24] Speaker C: Nothing. Except. [02:32:28] Speaker B: Arthur. You need to pet him. His scales feel so. [02:32:36] Speaker A: Uh. [02:32:37] Speaker C: Is that something you like? Arthur says to the dragon. [02:32:46] Speaker E: He. You can almost hear him chuckle before he lowers his head to allow you to pet him. [02:33:01] Speaker A: I think Isabelle's absolutely fascinated and, like, feeling the texture of the scales and all of that. And her brain is doing the logical stuff of being, like, mapping out how the skeletal system would work or the muscular system would work, because it's just how her brain works. Not that she wants to study that part, but it's like, well, this probably is like this. It's like that. That's how the souls work. And is like, no one's ever going to believe me when I say this. [02:33:51] Speaker B: Well, Miss Ophelia, what do we owe the pleasure? [02:33:57] Speaker E: Oh, I'm supposed to be helping you get my boyfriend home, apparently. [02:34:05] Speaker C: Boyfriend? [02:34:08] Speaker E: In a way. Boyfriend may be a strong word. We're not exclusive, but you guys have. [02:34:15] Speaker C: Been seeing each other for a while. [02:34:18] Speaker A: Good for you. [02:34:19] Speaker E: The Mood strikes have had the pleasure of encountering a number of magical beings. But I'll tell you what, so far, nobody has it on God. [02:34:36] Speaker A: It's fair. [02:34:41] Speaker B: You know? Fair? [02:34:44] Speaker C: That does explain a few things. From back in the day, when I was invactively involved in the church, realizing star, is it? Sure. Where else would he go and disappear to you if not to see his girlfriend? He must like you. [02:35:07] Speaker E: Well, I would hope so. He keeps coming back. [02:35:14] Speaker A: What's it? [02:35:16] Speaker B: We kind of know what we need to do. [02:35:19] Speaker A: But it was a little. We need all of these things, rather than what we need to do once we get all of the things. [02:35:31] Speaker E: Okay, look at this process as a baking a cake, okay? Opening up portals to other worlds is actually not all that different. Or not all that difficult. The problem is you. I'm sorry? Least you didn't come in looking like you were going to kill somebody. [02:36:13] Speaker D: Listen, I unfortunately had to get up. [02:36:17] Speaker E: I understand. Listen, the process of getting him home is a little bit like baking and complicated cake, if any of you have ever baked. And she kind of looks at Arthur, and there's a look on her face that suggests she thinks that's probably doubtful. In his case, there are specialized ingredients, because opening up a portal in and of itself isn't difficult. Opening up a portal without getting blown up is hard. Paradox has a way of slapping back. Let's just put it that way. That's what happened to the last one who opened the portal. And it was hell to close them all back up again. Let me just tell you, I was there for reference until my meddling auntie swept me away and locked me in a bubble so that I. Never mind. Family drama. We don't have to get into it. [02:37:21] Speaker B: In a bubble. [02:37:25] Speaker E: Not literally a bubble. She's got a little domain place out of time. That's why I look so much younger than I really am, because I spent about ten years there, and I still spend quite a bit of time there because she wants to meet people, and it's apparently my job to find the right kinds of people and bring them home so that she can meet them. Because she's weird and won't leave her house much. Come to think of it, that's probably for the best. For everybody else, she gets cranky when she's too far from home. [02:38:06] Speaker B: Okay, got it. Yeah. No, I completely understand. [02:38:13] Speaker E: I thought you might. You'd like her, and I know she'd like you. Yeah. You're not Christian, right? [02:38:25] Speaker B: No. [02:38:26] Speaker E: Good, then, yeah, she'd like you. Well, I kind of figured, given then she'll tap her neck around where your collar would be. [02:38:39] Speaker C: Though some would claim it's not. We get that a lot. Or did when I was there. [02:38:45] Speaker E: Yeah, well, if I've learned anything about christians is that they love to argue about who's right and who's wrong. But as someone who's met. As someone who's met a real demon and a real angel, they're all wrong in their own ways, but they're all right, too. So, you know. Yep. Met the lady of the lake. She's looking at Rosanna. [02:39:20] Speaker B: Doe. Bab. I've heard stories about a lady of the lake, but I don't assume that they are the same person. [02:39:31] Speaker E: Well, there is a real lady of the lake, and there are mages and witches in the like who model themselves after her. My aunt is one of the ones who models herself after her. The actual lady of the lake shows up to harass me on occasion. [02:39:53] Speaker B: D this is all so interesting. [02:39:58] Speaker E: Let me tell you what. When we get through all of this, I'm going to take you home and let you meet my auntie, because you might fit in perfectly at the home we're trying to build. Oh, Avalon. That's where we're from. [02:40:19] Speaker B: BP. [02:40:20] Speaker E: You would know what Avalon is. You are enough of a nerd. Once I find it anyway and get it back. [02:40:39] Speaker B: Yeah. [02:40:43] Speaker A: So you were saying something about. [02:40:48] Speaker E: Oh, right, baking a cake. I'm sorry. She's just so cute. And she'll kind of like Pat, Rosanna's hand. And your other friend, the one who's still up in the rV, like a black hole. It's weird, but interesting. [02:41:06] Speaker D: What's up? [02:41:08] Speaker E: Oh, there you are. You must be Piper. [02:41:12] Speaker D: That's me. [02:41:14] Speaker E: Piper. You are interesting. [02:41:20] Speaker D: So I've been told. [02:41:22] Speaker E: Would you like to meet Fafnir? Before we get back onto the cake baking metaphors, she kind of gestures at the really big dragon. Sure. Fafnir will kind of, like, shuffle over towards you. It's clear that he's trying to move carefully so that he does not seem too imposing. And he gets over and he brings his head down to kind of be on eye level with you. It's like having a head the size of a Clydesdale's head, like, right in your face. And he sort of takes a long sniff, pulls his head back, turns, sneezes. There's a little puff of smoke. Yeah, you smell odd to him, too. Who did that to you, I wonder? [02:42:25] Speaker D: I didn't know it was a thing until yesterday. [02:42:29] Speaker A: Yesterday? [02:42:30] Speaker E: Well, you're either born weird or born weird, and somebody put a stop to it. And I'm curious to find out which. Later, though, let's just say I really like puzzles. You're a puzzle. Okay, great. So, getting Loki home. Like baking a cake. Except it's a cake with specialty ingredients. We need certain things to help us bridge the gap. I can cast the spell, but the spell's dangerous. Which is where I believe you're going to come in. And she points at Piper. My understanding is that you are very good with technology. [02:43:20] Speaker D: Yep. [02:43:21] Speaker E: Good. I think between you and I, you could probably build something to amplify and stabilize the power that's going to be going on. I'm mostly just here to be a catalyst and do the actual spell casting. Most of the work is going to be on you guys. All of my focus is going to be on trying to keep paradox from ripping us all to pieces. So I can't say that I'm going. [02:43:53] Speaker C: To be like a time paradox. You're going to have to explain that. [02:44:00] Speaker E: For lack of a better term. When you rip holes in spacetime, spacetime tends to smack back. Arthur. [02:44:10] Speaker C: Got it. Yeah, I get it. [02:44:13] Speaker E: They're also paradox spirits. That they have names and they're actual beings. And we don't want to meet one of them. [02:44:20] Speaker A: Definitely not. [02:44:21] Speaker E: Wrinkle shows up occasionally to harass my aunt. It's not fun. [02:44:30] Speaker C: Okay, yeah. [02:44:31] Speaker A: When are we doing this? [02:44:34] Speaker E: Well, here, let me finish the metaphor. [02:44:39] Speaker A: Okay. [02:44:40] Speaker E: The other options, or the other ingredients that we need, is a connection to dreams. And she points at Rosanna. I believe you and your fae friend can help with that. We need powers that have potency, both here and in Loki's world. There aren't many that are close enough. The dreaming that we have here, there's something similar to that over there. So, dreams. And you'll do me a favor and don't ever tell him that I told you this. There's a theory that the gods in his world only exist because the humans there dreamed them up. Which is very similar to the changelings of our world, except that their gods are significantly more powerful. So it's one of the theories anyway. In fact, in changeling legend, there's a group that are actually gods in Loki's world. The Tuahadidan, the irish gods of myth in our world, or irish gods of myth in both worlds. But apparently they're actual gods where he comes from. Here, they're just figures from changeling lore and mythology, but supposedly were actually changelings at one point before they disappeared into the dreaming. So I like watching the realizations work their way through Rosanna's face. Okay, so we have dreams. That's one of the most potent forces in their world and one of the most potent forces in ours. That's going to help with bridging a gap. The other is that the primary source of power for gods in that world is their overworld. Their overworld is built on faith. Enough people have. Enough people have believed in them over the millennia that they have consolidated it and built their overworlds from it. And that's where the gods garner most of their power. However, faith in our world doesn't quite work the same. It's still potent, it's still powerful. There are still people who can wield it like a weapon, which you can do. She points an Arthur. But it's still faith. It's still just human faith. Those two pieces are going to build our bridge, give, essentially give me a compass rose on where I'm casting to. Because otherwise I could just be ripping open a portal to anywhere and we could be dealing with, I don't know, hundred foot elder gods with tentacles for faces? It could get really ugly if we're not careful, is my point. [02:47:44] Speaker A: Let's be very careful. [02:47:46] Speaker E: Let's be very careful. The other. Yeah, I don't ever want to meet Cthulhu. So we agree there. The other thing that we are going to need is balance. And we have somebody in our midst who, concurrently, is actively straddling the balance between life and death. And she looks over at Isabelle. It's the ultimate balance game in the world. In any world. Really. Something tells me, honey, when that nasty, nasty curse that's winding its way through you gets broken, you're going to be a little bit more intimately familiar with that balance than you are now. And you're already pretty familiar. It's okay. It'll be a skill for you instead of a nightmare. [02:48:49] Speaker A: I certainly hope so. [02:48:53] Speaker E: You. So that's the deal. I'm casting the spell. I'm going to be the conduit, and I'm going to be very busy with casting the spell and keeping paradox under control. I'm not going to be any help to you, unfortunately. My hope, Piper, is that you can help me amplify and stabilize, set up some of your toys, and then get way, way back where you won't interfere. Not that you're not very precious, and that I don't want to get to know you, because I absolutely do. But during that spell, having you near me would be bad. [02:49:45] Speaker D: Again. So I've been told. Is this just, like, a thing that happens to people? [02:49:58] Speaker E: Is what just a thing? What's happened to you? [02:50:00] Speaker D: Yeah. [02:50:01] Speaker E: No, it's weird. [02:50:04] Speaker D: Okay, cool. [02:50:05] Speaker E: I mean, I've heard of people who are naturally in nerd against magic, but it's usually, like, on purpose or they've gotten backlash from, I don't know, a spell that went awry. Did you get onto a mage's bad side at some point? [02:50:27] Speaker D: Of all the people whose bad sides I'm on, I don't think any of them are mages. [02:50:32] Speaker E: Well, I mean, that's wise for you. Also, I heard you all met gunshot. [02:50:42] Speaker B: Yes. [02:50:47] Speaker E: Well, you should know that I had a conversation with him and convinced him to go on about his way and not bother all of you. For now. Try to. Try not to get into too much trouble. Yeah. Keep your work to the point where you're only going after those who are doing genuine harm. Maybe. And not just those who are different. [02:51:14] Speaker D: Piper looks at Arthur. [02:51:16] Speaker C: I'm just saying. He did say that he takes out our kind and kind of implied that he might if given the order or something. [02:51:25] Speaker E: And so it's less about given an order. Gun shop doesn't take orders, number one. Ever. [02:51:34] Speaker A: It doesn't surprise me. [02:51:36] Speaker E: He pointedly doesn't take orders. That's why he's not part of the group he used to belong to anymore. He focuses on hunters. Yes, he hunts hunters. He tends to focus more on those who are doing more harm to the community than good. My understanding from him is that you all didn't die as soon as he found you. Because you saved more lives than you've taken, both human and supernatural. Because there were people who were not entirely human who would have died in that last attack in New Orleans. [02:52:22] Speaker B: Unless I absolutely have to. I don't tend to use violence. [02:52:27] Speaker E: Good. [02:52:31] Speaker A: I mean, I just mainly deal with kindred. [02:52:36] Speaker E: I know kindred can be questionable, but not all of them are terrible. Just utilize discretion. [02:52:47] Speaker A: I know that not all of them can be terrible. [02:52:50] Speaker D: Things aren't. [02:52:51] Speaker A: There's a lot black and white bad ones out there. [02:52:54] Speaker E: There are a lot of bad ones out there. Which you won't find me complaining too much. Those who my blood calls to. And she'll kind of gesture towards Rosanna. We tend to taste a little bit like cotton candy to. So an awful lot of my people have gotten drained dry by kindred, so you won't find me complaining if you take out a few. Just use your discretion. Try to go as unnoticed as possible. Because I can't promise that he will always leave you alone for one good deed. And trust me, you don't want him to actually be hunting you. [02:53:38] Speaker A: Yeah, I definitely get that. [02:53:44] Speaker E: So what are we doing? [02:53:47] Speaker B: Oh, I was just going to go practice some shooting. [02:53:52] Speaker E: Like with a gun? [02:53:54] Speaker D: Not quite. [02:53:55] Speaker B: Not quite. [02:53:56] Speaker D: I was just going to run some diagnostics on for a weapon. [02:54:01] Speaker A: I am going to go make some stuff. [02:54:06] Speaker C: I was here to smoke and write my journal. [02:54:10] Speaker E: Okay, well, Fafnir is fine with smoke, so do you mind if I leave him to hang out with you? [02:54:18] Speaker B: Hang out with the dragon? [02:54:24] Speaker C: Yeah, as long as he's okay with this brand that I carry. That I can't think of right now because I don't actually smoke. Some people have biases against it. [02:54:39] Speaker B: Well, Arthur, if you need it again, then she'll take out the pink sparkly vape and hand it over to him. [02:54:47] Speaker E: Oh, that is delightful. [02:54:51] Speaker C: Yeah, Arthur, totally kind of nice. [02:54:54] Speaker A: Smokes. [02:54:54] Speaker D: Morley's. [02:54:56] Speaker E: Yeah. Gross. [02:55:01] Speaker B: What's that, Paul? Ball 100. [02:55:09] Speaker E: Okay, so fastnier kind of looks at you and looks at Ophelia. And for a moment, she kind of looks back at him, and she puts her hands on her hips, and she talks in a language none of you have ever heard before. And she sounds like a mother who has just had it up to here with some surly teenager because she babbles at him in this language, and you kind of hear him rumble a little bit, and his shoulders kind of roll. He looks like a teenage boy who's fronting up. And her tone gets just that more sharp. [02:55:48] Speaker C: Talk to your mom like that. Just be nice. [02:55:54] Speaker E: Favnir gives Arthur this look that says, I could eat you. [02:55:59] Speaker D: He might. [02:56:00] Speaker E: At which point, Ophelia grabs him by the chin and yanks his head around to face her and kind of waggles her finger at him for a moment. And then he sort of, like, hunkers down in on himself and looks a little, like, put in his place. [02:56:18] Speaker B: I am both intrigued and terrified by euphelia. [02:56:24] Speaker C: Yes, well, yeah, that's not terrifying at all. [02:56:29] Speaker E: I've had him since he was a baby. He's my familiar, but he's like a child. Unfortunately, yes, I called you a child. Now go hang out with the nice man with the collar. Maybe you can convince him to not wear it so damn much. [02:56:46] Speaker B: Good look. It's a good look on him. [02:56:58] Speaker E: But Fafnir kind of moves over to Arthur and kind of slumps down. And Arthur is literally, like, having to sit down next to, like, a pouting teenager. That's kind of what it feels like. A big, fire breathing, pouty teenager. [02:57:20] Speaker C: Arthur just kind of looks at him, goes, yeah, been naked. You're good, man. [02:57:26] Speaker E: You're good. [02:57:28] Speaker C: We all go through it. [02:57:29] Speaker E: He just sort of huffs. Another little puff of smoke comes from his nose. [02:57:34] Speaker C: I don't know if you want one. [02:57:39] Speaker B: Are you offering cigarettes to children? [02:57:43] Speaker D: Are you offering cigarettes to dragon children? [02:57:47] Speaker C: He was born in the. [02:57:49] Speaker A: Come on, now. [02:57:49] Speaker C: He's old enough. [02:57:52] Speaker E: They don't age like we do, Arthur. Oh, yes. Come on. Unless my aunt interferes, he will outlive me by a. [02:58:12] Speaker C: Oh, well, all right, then. [02:58:16] Speaker E: All right, Rosanna, let's go see this bow of Isabella. Could you point out where you were planning to set up? Because I have the feeling that whatever it is that you were planning to make has the potential to get dangerous. [02:58:29] Speaker A: Gonna put the table where I'm gonna work over there. [02:58:35] Speaker E: All right. She will wait for you to get your table set up and for you to settle, and then she kind of, like, mutters for a moment under her breath and flicks her fingers, and you guys see this? Barely visible, like thin, almost glass looking bubble form around Isabelle's space. You can still hear and see everything perfectly through it. She'll just kind of turn back to Rosanna. There we go. Now we don't have to worry about her accidentally starting a fire. [02:59:12] Speaker A: Thank you. [02:59:14] Speaker E: You're welcome. Safety first and all that. [02:59:21] Speaker D: From what I've learned of Isabelle, if she starts the fire, I don't think it would be an accident. [02:59:30] Speaker E: That's. [02:59:31] Speaker A: I start making the dragon's breath rounds. [02:59:37] Speaker E: What is your check for your ordinance? [02:59:41] Speaker A: For ordinance, I believe it is intelligence plus, either. I think it's intelligence plus science. Come on, Hunter, book, where are you? [02:59:50] Speaker D: I had you a second ago. It's plus science. I know that. [02:59:57] Speaker A: For ordinance, it is composure plus science. [03:00:02] Speaker E: All right, make me a composure plus science role. [03:00:05] Speaker A: And is this a thing that I can use desperation on or anything? [03:00:10] Speaker E: What can you use desperation for? [03:00:14] Speaker A: Because, I mean, I'm the entrepreneurial. [03:00:18] Speaker E: Oh, then, yes, absolutely. [03:00:21] Speaker A: Bold innovations and experimental approaches. [03:00:23] Speaker E: Yes. Then you can absolutely use your desperation dice. You have four of them. [03:00:35] Speaker A: See, I've got composure, science. Would my spec and chemistry do anything with that? [03:00:43] Speaker E: Absolutely. [03:00:47] Speaker A: And do I have to use all four? [03:00:50] Speaker D: Yes, I think it's all or none. [03:00:53] Speaker E: Okay. [03:00:54] Speaker B: Yes. [03:00:57] Speaker A: I want this to work really well, and I haven't actually used desperation yet, so I kind of want to do. [03:01:04] Speaker E: Yeah, you guys have been really careful about stuff. The only one who's been using desperation at all is Piper. [03:01:11] Speaker D: Yeah, I've been so careful, I think. [03:01:13] Speaker A: It'S the first time I've used any of my edges or parts. Oh, right. [03:01:16] Speaker D: I'm still in despair. [03:01:18] Speaker E: You are? [03:01:20] Speaker D: We need to blow something up. [03:01:22] Speaker B: Got it. [03:01:26] Speaker D: Oh, no. [03:01:30] Speaker E: Overreach or despair. [03:01:33] Speaker D: How do you all feel about danger seven? [03:01:39] Speaker E: Okay, so here's the thing. One of the things that you guys are doing right now is actually bringing down your danger. So you guys are technically closer to danger four. I just haven't officially gotten to the point where it had ticked over. So what this would do is essentially. [03:01:55] Speaker A: Put you back at danger five and overreach. [03:01:59] Speaker D: Does overreach increases danger? [03:02:01] Speaker E: Yes. [03:02:02] Speaker D: Well, but it increases danger by two, because there are two ones. [03:02:06] Speaker E: Yeah. So you'll be at danger six, actually. [03:02:10] Speaker C: Yeah, you'd be a danger six, but you would have the number of successes. Or you can go into desperation and automatically fail. [03:02:17] Speaker D: Yeah, despair. You fail, but, yeah, no danger, but you go into despair. [03:02:24] Speaker E: Just a reminder that you are dealing with explosives. [03:02:28] Speaker A: Yeah, I don't want to fail, so I was definitely going to choose to overreach. [03:02:33] Speaker E: Okay, you guys are at danger six. Excellent. But you have 123456 dragonfire shotgun shell or shotgun shells. [03:02:58] Speaker A: Isabelle only understood how to make them in theory until now. [03:03:07] Speaker E: Okay, well, you managed it. I will figure out how you overreached at some point. [03:03:21] Speaker D: Looking up how to make napalm. [03:03:26] Speaker A: Government watch list, here I come. [03:03:29] Speaker E: Welcome to the club. Maybe. I just want you to know that one of the SPCs just posted a Gif of Steve Irwin going danger, danger, danger in SBC chest. All right, cool. Rosanna. [03:03:57] Speaker B: Yes. [03:03:58] Speaker E: Show off your. [03:04:03] Speaker B: To think that I like to call this her magic girl moment, right? She's just going to wipe her hand across her chest and the tattoo is going to move with it down her arm. And it's very painful and she's trying to not wince, but the bow begins to form right before their very eyes. And it's like that gorgeous, made out of the twigs of the branches and there's flowers on. It's all very pretty. Definitely. Even if her sister says that it's not something that definitely has some of her magic touch on it, and she's just going to find a random tree and just kind of pull back and try to aim. I get three extra dice on top of my roll already, so I will go ahead and make the attack roll successes. [03:05:45] Speaker E: All right, very good. Piper? [03:05:51] Speaker C: Yeah. [03:05:52] Speaker E: I would like you to roll whatever it is that your sense the unnatural role is. [03:06:02] Speaker D: Right. [03:06:05] Speaker E: And you are getting a plus two because you are focusing on something Rosanna wants you to be able to observe. [03:06:12] Speaker D: All right, six successes. [03:06:16] Speaker E: Very good. Yeah, so number one, one of the things that you immediately clock is that these, these arrows, the shaft of them is made of the same kind of wood as the bow and wood anything hurts kindred. The other thing that you're pretty sure will make them really effective is that your sensors go a little bit nuts when she pulls back that bow string. And you could hear the power that kind of coalesces when it summons up, because what she does is she pulls back the bow string, which you can't see, by the way, so that in and of itself is weird. And then the arrow kind of like swirls and grows into the air like it's knocked on a bow string. And then you let it go. And then she lets it go. [03:07:29] Speaker D: Sorry, that's only five successes. I accidentally rolled one too many dice. [03:07:33] Speaker E: That's fine. That's still more than enough. You aren't 100% positive what the effect will be, but you are pretty sure whatever it hits is going to get hit pretty hard. Does that make sense? Yeah, it's a little bit like readings off of something that's just created from raw power that doesn't kind of lean any one particular way. Interesting. [03:08:08] Speaker B: Yeah. So that's my bow. If I do extra good at it, it rips the soul of whatever is lying in the body into a portal. So I guess I could also kind of open portals. [03:08:31] Speaker E: Way. [03:08:34] Speaker B: Don't know where they go, but, yeah, which is quite terrifying, now that I think about it. [03:08:44] Speaker D: Yeah, that should be. [03:08:50] Speaker A: Very effective against. [03:08:53] Speaker D: Kindred, considering that the arrows are still made of wood, in addition to being almost entirely composed of magic. [03:09:04] Speaker E: Yeah. [03:09:11] Speaker B: It'S a thing. I thought that this was witchcraft. [03:09:19] Speaker E: It is, in a way. [03:09:25] Speaker B: Like I'm here for it. [03:09:28] Speaker E: Listen, do me a favor. She's going to look over at Rosanna. If a woman ever pops up when you're near water of any kind and tries to offer you a sword, tell her no. Nothing ever ends well. I made the mistake in the. I'm still trying to sort through that mess. [03:09:51] Speaker B: Understood. I'm going to assume that this is your lady of the lake you were talking about. [03:09:57] Speaker E: Yes. I mean, like I said, there are multiple ladies of the lake, and none of them have your best interest at heart when they show up with a sword and offer you a quest. Speaking of which, everybody who is watching all of this, I'm not going to make you roll. You guys realize that as you have hung out with her, mist has begun to roll in from the swamp and is, like, collecting across the ground at your ankles. Seems to swirl, particularly around her. [03:10:31] Speaker D: I don't like that. [03:10:32] Speaker B: But what is that? [03:10:34] Speaker D: Just a thing that happens around. [03:10:38] Speaker B: Mist. [03:10:39] Speaker E: Oh, yeah. Sorry. Avalon's one of the. It's part of our legend. Avalon's an island in the mist. It's hard to find because it passes into this magical mist thing that protects it. Yeah, it follows me. I have never been able to get rid of it. Just like the apples and honey. Although I like that. That's gotten me through some doors, let's put it that way. Got me into Loki's bed. So. [03:11:18] Speaker D: I don't think it takes much to get into Loki's bed. [03:11:21] Speaker E: You'd be surprised. He's picky. He would be, too. [03:11:28] Speaker B: He's into blods, isn't he? [03:11:33] Speaker E: I think it's more that when you have managed to fuck literal goddesses, it sets a high bar. [03:11:48] Speaker D: To be fair, we did just talk to him earlier about the horse, so. [03:11:53] Speaker A: I don't know if the bar is. [03:11:54] Speaker D: All that high all the time. [03:11:57] Speaker E: Well, what he told me when I asked about that is you didn't see the horse. [03:12:03] Speaker B: Doesn't make it better. Still, a horse. [03:12:08] Speaker E: Listen, I pretend not to ask questions. I read a lot. Because it is better to read than to hear it from the horse's mouth. Pun intended. [03:12:27] Speaker B: Yeah. This is not the first time we've talked about the horse today, like I said. [03:12:38] Speaker E: Anyway, so, typer. [03:12:43] Speaker D: Yeah. [03:12:45] Speaker E: She'll kind of pause and look back at Rosanna and kind of reach over and give her cheek a little pinch. You just are precious. Telling you, when this mess is over, I'm taking you home. You'd fit right in. And then she's going to make her way over to piper. And Piper, you notice that she stops about 3ft away from you, but she gets as close as she can get. You think, without potentially having to deal with any after effects of being too close to you. We're going to work on some schematics. You're going to work on some schematics. I'm going to give you my notes. I have been researching and researching and researching this spell for almost 20 years, basically since I met him. I missed him the day he came through. I was busy with other things. Think I was trying to stop a giant. I don't know, something too big for the portal. It was trying to come through, that's for sure. But I have been studying the spell, and I think with gunshop's help, he's a little bit more tech savvy than me. Admittedly, I still use a flip phone. I think I've managed to boil down the basics that you need to be aware of so that you can get started. Obviously, whatever this tech is that you develop, you're going to have to be able to operate it remotely. [03:14:30] Speaker D: That should be no problem. [03:14:32] Speaker E: And you might want an extra friend to help you. They don't have to be there, just somebody who you trust enough to give access. And she kind of waves her hand, and there's this little swirl. Like the mist kind of swirls up from around her feet like a little mini cyclone, and at the top of it forms this book. And she kind of plucks it off of the mist and hands it over to you. It is brown leather. Looks very, very worn. The pages look dog eared. This is obviously something that she's held onto for a long time. And when you flip through the pages, it is pages and pages and pages of notes in various languages. A number of them you do not recognize. [03:15:30] Speaker D: Great. [03:15:32] Speaker E: But the last few pages have stuff that is in clear English that, while maybe not simple to understand, are at least understandable to you and give you a place to work from. It's stuff about frequencies and the use of sound like pitch and tone in enhancing magic and magical casting, that sort of thing. You can feel free to look through the rest of it, but I'm not sure how much use it's all going to be for you. Some of it's sumerian and was a dead end anyway. [03:16:11] Speaker D: I don't have enough time to try and learn Sumerian. [03:16:15] Speaker E: Well, they have translators, but I take your point. I'd say the last ten to 20 pages are going to be the most interesting for you. I suspect it's going to be a little bit of a project. This obviously isn't something we're doing today. Plus, my understanding is that there's an ambush coming up. [03:16:36] Speaker D: Well, that is the plan. [03:16:39] Speaker E: Excellent. He's very good at those, so you all should be in good hands. [03:16:50] Speaker D: Well, thank you. [03:16:52] Speaker E: You are welcome. Who do I want to give my last gift to before I leave? You? And she'll point at Isabelle. Got something far more potent than I could give you, so you're off the list. Unfortunately, I can't top a gift from a God, I'm afraid. [03:17:16] Speaker A: That's fair. [03:17:20] Speaker E: Mmm. You look like you wouldn't appreciate it. And she looks over at Arthur. [03:17:27] Speaker D: I have an idea. Piper runs to the RV and calls Gozer. [03:17:33] Speaker B: Gozer's still at the compound. [03:17:35] Speaker D: We left him at the. [03:17:38] Speaker E: You could have brought him with you. [03:17:40] Speaker D: Yeah, I assumed we were taking him with us. [03:17:42] Speaker E: Yeah, that's fine. [03:17:43] Speaker A: He just goes everywhere with. [03:17:44] Speaker E: Yeah, if you guys want to have brought him with you. Absolutely could have. Then, yeah. Then he's with you. Gozer comes out, looks over at the dragon. The dragon looks at Gozer. They both give this awkward long look, like teenager boys who have just decided that they have to exist in the same space, so they're just not going to talk about it. And then he pads over to Piper. Well, he's precious. [03:18:17] Speaker D: Yes. Fifth member of our cell. This is Gozer. [03:18:22] Speaker E: Well, hello. What was your idea? Piper. She is, like, kneeling and petting him, and he is loving it. [03:18:32] Speaker D: I suppose it depends on what your last gift was, but. [03:18:38] Speaker E: Something of a get out of jail free card. One use. [03:18:44] Speaker D: Yeah, that wouldn't do him much. [03:18:59] Speaker E: Rosanna or Piper. Arthur doesn't seem like he would appreciate getting a gift from a magic user, so he's been eyeing me like he half expects me to blow everybody up. [03:19:11] Speaker D: I'm fairly certain he does. [03:19:16] Speaker E: Tell me, is it the magic, or is it my choice of bedmates? [03:19:21] Speaker B: Probably a little bit of column. A little bit of column B. [03:19:28] Speaker E: Goodness. Isn't one of those passages in your book, judge not, lest ye be judged? Take the wood out of your own eye before you judge another. That sort of thing. Been a while since I've been to church. It's okay. Well, since neither of you is going to say who gets the last gift, I suppose I'll just Enie meenie mini mow it. And you see her kind of enie meanie mini mow between Rosanna and Piper for a moment before she turns to Rosanna. I'm almost a little bit sure that this won't work for Piper anyway, given her condition. [03:20:20] Speaker B: Oh, no. You made her disappear. [03:20:22] Speaker E: Apparently I did. [03:20:25] Speaker C: Out of jail. No more having to follow up with anything. [03:20:34] Speaker D: Me. I'm back. [03:20:36] Speaker E: Except you're not. There we go. Okay. [03:20:43] Speaker D: Yeah, I was trying to get into discord proper. [03:20:46] Speaker E: That's fine. I'm pretty sure this won't work for your friend Piper anyway. She's given her condition. This might just go to waste. And she will kind of hold out a hand and wave her hand on top of it. Rosanna. And when her hand comes away, there is, looks like glass, like a bubble that is about palm shaped, sitting in her hand. And inside of it is a perfectly preserved four leaf clover. If ever things get really, really bad and you think you're going to die, or you are in the most dire straits you have ever been in, squeeze this. It'll break, but it should hopefully be enough to get you out of whatever your situation is. [03:21:48] Speaker B: Thank you. She'll gently take it at her hands and just kind of look at it. Thank you very much. This is going to be very helpful. [03:22:07] Speaker E: I don't know what the effects will be, because they will vary based on your situation. It may just stop something from hurting you. It may sweep you away somewhere else. So only use it if you absolutely have to. It's not made of glass. You can hold it a little bit more firmly than that. You have to have intent to break it. [03:22:33] Speaker B: Okay. That she'll grab onto both hands. [03:22:37] Speaker E: Yeah. It feels like you're holding a solid glass ball rather than the bubble it looked like. Okay, boys and girls, well, lovely meeting you, but I've got to go see a mambo about a snake. [03:22:59] Speaker A: Have fun. [03:23:00] Speaker B: Yeah. [03:23:02] Speaker E: Well, I think, I think you met her and she can't look over at Isabelle. You've got her handiwork all over. [03:23:07] Speaker A: Yeah. [03:23:08] Speaker D: Oh, yeah. She doesn't like me. [03:23:10] Speaker E: Yeah, that's not surprising. She doesn't like many people. And you please tell me that she didn't bring you home to her house. [03:23:23] Speaker A: What do you mean? [03:23:26] Speaker E: Wow. She really owed whoever called in that favor. Wow. This will be an interesting conversation for me then. All right, feff, let's go. And she'll kind of walk away from the lot of you. And Fefnir kind of very quickly, almost serpentine hurries over to her side. She kisses him on the cheek, whispers a little incantation, and he bursts into a flock of birds that fly off. See you all soon. [03:24:06] Speaker D: All right. [03:24:07] Speaker E: She gives a little finger wave, winks at Arthur, grins and disappears from sight. [03:24:16] Speaker C: Yeah, that wasn't terrifying at all. [03:24:31] Speaker D: I should get to work. [03:24:33] Speaker B: Be told me she was just going to take me someplace. [03:24:38] Speaker D: Oh, yeah. I'm, like, 80% sure if she might have a thing for you. [03:24:46] Speaker B: It's the blonde. Sometimes my own hair gets in my mouth. It's okay, because it's charming. [03:25:02] Speaker D: Sometimes. [03:25:03] Speaker B: Sometimes. All right, well, looking at my hands, by the way, do they seem any more cleared up? [03:25:15] Speaker E: Yeah, they're healing. It's going to take time for them to completely heal, but, like, the pain's mostly gone. It's mostly uncomfortable because the skin's not. Yeah, but yeah, no, I assume Isabelle looked your hands over at some point? Yeah. And while they're not cured yet, they are healing much faster than they would have been. Does anybody want to do anything else? Isabelle, do you want to try for more stuff it. [03:25:56] Speaker A: See? Kinda, yeah. I think I'd actually kind of like to try for maybe some, like, smoke bombs or something. [03:26:14] Speaker E: Absolutely. Let's go ahead and make a roll if you would like. You are welcome to use desperation dice. [03:26:22] Speaker A: I think I'm good this time. [03:26:24] Speaker D: It went so well last time, though. [03:26:27] Speaker E: You all have had amazing luck with the desperation dice. [03:26:32] Speaker B: Did I hear danger died? [03:26:37] Speaker D: If you roll well enough, you can get to danger ten. [03:26:42] Speaker A: I am going to spend a willpower to reroll. [03:26:45] Speaker E: Go for that. [03:26:48] Speaker A: Three successes. [03:26:50] Speaker E: Okay. You manage to make three small smoke bombs. Okay, they're not going to be perfect, but they may be able to get you some cover when you need it. [03:27:01] Speaker A: Yeah. [03:27:04] Speaker E: Okay. Does anybody else want to do anything before we call? [03:27:11] Speaker B: Well, both of us. [03:27:12] Speaker D: Piper is just going to go lock herself in the lab and start going through these notes. [03:27:18] Speaker E: Okay. Make me intend technology. [03:27:29] Speaker D: Right? [03:27:39] Speaker E: Yeah, you're good. You don't have any problems. You know exactly what you need to do and what you need to make. You also see places that you can improve upon. Ophelia's, first passes, she did acknowledge that she is not overly versed with technology. So the fact that she got as much as she did down in a way that made sense for tech is pretty impressive. Also, something that you notice when you read this. You're pretty sure she wrote this all in Quill, not pen with a proper fucking quill. Because she's an order of Hermes, that's why. [03:28:25] Speaker D: That's just quills are not good. [03:28:32] Speaker E: She has beautiful penmanship. Anyway, you manage to improve upon her original designs, you get some really good ideas. You do suspect you may need somebody else to help you operate all of this, especially if you want to have any attention left for potential threats that might try to interrupt things, which you are paranoid enough that I'm just going to give you that you know that there is a chance that something is going to try to fuck this up. [03:29:07] Speaker D: Oh, yeah. [03:29:09] Speaker E: So if you want to be useful in a fight, you need a second to help you. They do not necessarily have to be physically with you. It would make it easier, but, yeah, a second would be very useful. And having them physically closer means that their reaction times are more likely to be good. There's no lag, you know what I mean, for information. But they don't have to physically be there. Rosanna, what did you want to do? [03:29:45] Speaker B: She's going to go pop right down next to Arthur really fast, take out her stash, her slowly dwindling stash, offer him one of her strawberry creams, and just look him in the eye and say, you look like you need it. [03:30:09] Speaker C: Yeah, it's been a rough couple of days. [03:30:15] Speaker B: You're telling me. And she's going to unwrap it. That just popped in his mouth that she's going to take one, too. [03:30:24] Speaker E: I have a question for you, Rosanna. [03:30:27] Speaker B: Yes. [03:30:29] Speaker E: How much intent are you putting behind this gesture? Is this just because it's worked before or do you genuinely, really heartfelt, want it to work? [03:30:41] Speaker B: He really wants it to work. [03:30:47] Speaker D: Okay. [03:30:49] Speaker E: Are you still in any way, shape or form, still angry or hurt or whatever? No. [03:31:05] Speaker B: She's probably a lot more calm now than she was yesterday. The big emotion that she's still feeling is love. [03:31:17] Speaker E: Okay, Arthur. It tastes like sunshine and a little bit of overly ripe lemon. Ripe lemon. There's just a tiny hint of it being a little bit sour. But overall, it is a very pleasant experience. If you are low at all on temporary willpower, you get one back. [03:31:44] Speaker C: No, I'm fine, but I'll take the candy anyway. [03:31:50] Speaker E: Otherwise, it just makes you feel good, doesn't quite taste right, but it still is good. [03:31:58] Speaker C: Doesn't quite taste like what it looks. [03:31:59] Speaker E: Like, but hey, it tastes like what it looks like, but also tastes a little bit like an overly ripe lemon. It's just this moment where sometimes you eat something, it tastes perfect, but there's that weird aftertaste that's kind of what it is. Rosanna, yours tastes normal. Anything else? [03:32:22] Speaker B: I know that offered to take you out drinking and obviously that's probably going to happen tonight. [03:32:30] Speaker E: You still have stuff in the rv for drinking? [03:32:33] Speaker B: Yeah. Let me take you out. [03:32:46] Speaker C: Sure. I mean, we have to finish what we're doing here, right? Or did you want to leave them to doing what they're doing and just head out? [03:32:59] Speaker B: Think they'd be mad if you and I went to go grab dinner somewhere? [03:33:03] Speaker C: I think they'd be mad if we didn't tell them we were going to grab dinner somewhere. [03:33:08] Speaker B: Yeah. Want to go grab dinner? [03:33:16] Speaker C: Sure. [03:33:20] Speaker E: Okay. Deleted. [03:33:22] Speaker B: A kiss on the cheek. That. [03:33:23] Speaker E: Go. [03:33:23] Speaker B: Let the other two know that they're going to go grab dinner. [03:33:28] Speaker E: I'm going to assume that you're going to call an Uber or something. [03:33:31] Speaker B: Yeah. [03:33:32] Speaker E: Okay. Because you kind of have their house. [03:33:37] Speaker D: They're going to be like, what in the rv. [03:33:43] Speaker E: Looks up at? Everybody's gone. Where'd everybody go? All right. [03:33:49] Speaker A: Calls the compound, please come get me. [03:33:53] Speaker E: And petty show up as Rosanna and Arthur climb into a ride chair that looks very confused about why he's picking you guys up in the middle of nowhere, but decides not to ask any questions. We are going to call it for the night.