The Patina gets a new job opportunity from Opal and then scatters across the city.
The Patina gets a new job opportunity from Opal and then scatters across the city.
Cast:
- Marathon Messenger is played by Penn Van Batavia. She can be found on Twitter at @acquiredchaste and in drag as horror king JOHN on Instagram at @john.is.risen. Penn is an indie TTRPG designer whose most recent work includes SLICE *IT* OUT, a grisly carving RPG about cutting pieces of yourself out to fit in. Check out faer other work at pennharper.itch.io.
- Cassidy Shard is played by Sydney Whittington. She is our wonderful editor. She’s also a contributing editor and occasional guest player for the Orpheus Protocol, a cosmic horror espionage actual play podcast. Find her on Twitter at @sydney_whitt.
- Emma Blackwood is played by Cameron Robertson. Find her on Twitter at @midnightmusic13 and on Instagram at @reading_and_dreaming. Cameron is also a player on Tabletop Squadron, a Star Wars Edge of the Empire actual play podcast.
- Birdie Foundling is played by Kit Adames. Find her on Twitter at @venusvultures. Kit is also a voice actor and writer on Elevator Pitch Podcast, a queer genre-hopping anthology podcast that can be accessed on Spotify and YouTube.
- Our GM and narrator is Nick Robertson. Find him on Twitter at @alias58. Nick is also the GM for Tabletop Squadron and can also be found as a player on the Orpheus Protocol.
Music & Sound Credits:
- This podcast features the musical talents of Dora Violet and Arne Parrott. You can find Dora at facebook.com/doraviolett. You can find Arne at atptunes.com.
- old radio Channel search sound effect by Garuda1982. Link & License.
- Happy Greece Traveling (ID 1339) by Lobo Loco. Link & License.
- Endearing Curl by Blue Dot Sessions. Link & License.
- A Little World by Yusuke Tsutsumi. Link & License.
Art Credits:
- The official artwork for this podcast was created by Rashed AlAkroka, who can be found on Instagram and Artstation @rashedjrs.
Find Us Online:
- Our Website
- Twitter
- Join our Patreon
- Join our Discord
A Knight of Shreds and Patches Transcript
Season 3 Episode 34: The Temptation of Negotiation
Transcript by Cameron Robertson
Intro:
[hurdy gurdy music begins]
Nick: Welcome, listeners, to A Knight of Shreds and Patches. An immersive actual play podcast. This episode features the talents of –
Penn: Penn Van Batavia as Marathon Messenger and Gwendolyn Rozenthall.
Kit: Kit Adames as Birdie Foundling and Vaus Foundling.
Cameron: Cameron Robertson as Emma Blackwood and Janus Foundling.
Sydney: Sydney Whittington as Cassidy Shard and Winifred Foundling.
Nick: Nick Robertson as GM and Narrator.
Sydney: Hello listeners, this is your editor, Sydney, with today’s messages:
April showers bring Mayflowers, and Mayflowers bring pilgrims, diseases, and many other bad things to follow. That concludes today’s edition of Sydney’s History Lessons. If you check the syllabus, you’ll see that by attending today, you’ve earned an hour towards your Continuing Education on Being Cool, which you well deserve.
And if you need more hours for your certificate, consider backing our Patreon, which gives you access to bonus episodes, campfire conversations, and other fun rewards.
And with that, we wrap up today’s announcements and head into Season 3, Episode 34: The Temptation of Negotiation. And so…
“Join us, for now our tale to yours attaches
To carry hope: a Knight of Shreds and Patches.”
[hurdy gurdy music ends]
[electronic beeping]
[robotic powerup noise begins]
Distorted Robotic Voice: Power restored. Systems online. Reconfiguring audio connection.
[robotic powerup noise fades to radio frequency static]
[over radio]
Kit (as Birdie): Last time on a Knight of Shreds and Patches, Cassidy and I split the win for the Seventh Sea Showdown, which was so fun. And our new upgraded equipment went super well for us. It made it probably a lot safer - like as safe as you can get for X Biking, but whatever. And yeah! It was great! Carbon announced which was distracting but [excited squeal] Yay we won! And we did it fair and square which is what Cassidy wanted so I’m very glad that we were able to appease both of our wants in this situation. [excited squeal]
[radio static]
Episode Start:
Nick: We see the Patina being led into Opal's office by a quiet receptionist as council person Opal receives them from behind her desk, excited to congratulate them on their most recent X bike victory.
Penn: Marathon is standing behind the rest of the Patina, once again, in a dark turtleneck, with loose baggy pants and little sunglasses covering her eyes as she keeps her arms crossed in a bid to look just as intimidating and stoic as she's tried to be at these meetings in the past.
Sydney: Cassidy is standing as much off to the side as she feels she can justify given that she is one of the racers that is winning matches currently. Now that the weather has gotten cooler, she is back in her standard adventuring gear - her brown canvas jacket and a green scarf.
Kit: So Birdie has opted to sit down in one of the available chairs, being semi comfortable to be here after several meetings with Opal. She's wearing a pretty casual outfit of sturdy green pants and a large brown sweater as the weather changes to get a bit more nippy on the constantly moving city. She's playing with the ends of her hair, and currently has a length of hair tucked between the bottom of her nose and her upper lip, and she pushes out her upper lip to make it stay like a mustache, and she's just glancing off until someone says something.
Cameron: Emma also being fairly confident in this office as the number of times that she's been here to talk to Opal, takes the other seat next to Birdie and is wearing a long sleeve cream linen button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up on her forearms, and a pair of comfy looking gray pants that are right down the line of yoga pants and dress work pants. Opal is seated behind her desk, once again finishing up some paperwork and setting it to the side as the Patina enters and is wearing a dark plum power suit, just her being a modern business woman. She looks up from the paperwork she sets aside and makes eye contact with Birdie and Cassidy off to the side and does a soft golf clap like
Cameron (as Opal): Very impressive. Bravo. Excellent race yesterday.
Sydney: Cassidy inclines her head.
Kit (as Birdie): Thank you. This one was a lot of fun. So happy to happy to win.
Kit: And Birdie will look back at Cassidy and smile.
Cameron (as Opal):
Yes, very, very good, smart idea on the swapping who placed first to make it seem like a very evenly talented team. That will look very good for the points as I am moving things around.
Sydney (as Cassidy):
Thanks. It's because we're a very evenly talented team.
Cameron (as Opal):
Convenient, then. Great. So you might be wondering why I've called you here today. Your race performance, it's been excellent. I'm glad to see that you put all of those new bicycle parts to use. Please continue to improve...
Cameron:
And she's gesturing at Emma, and obviously has no idea what happened mechanically, but saw that the bikes looked different than they did the first time, which means that something happened.
Cameron (as Opal): So as you are, you are newcomers, and we're trying to get you into the championship - to make this work, you're on the upward trajectory. You're headed towards where we need you to be. But to get the number of points necessary to make it work, there's going to be fair number more races that you'll have to participate and place in, obviously. Just racing in them and not winning does nothing - although technically it does, but like not enough - so many, many races there. I have the official number written down somewhere, but just know that it's quite a few. And then, with all of your excellent biking, I will be pulling strings behind the scenes and cashing in some favors with fellow council members and business partners, and you'll see that come into play as the caliber of race that you're participating in increases the farther we go on. I'll also be to really cinch the deal making some strategic donations to committees that are sponsored by the X Bike show runners. So we've got a plan. We just have to keep - you have to keep winning now in order to make the plan come to fruition.
Kit (as Birdie): Well, that's the goal.
Sydney (as Cassidy): When is the championship? How short of a time are we compressing all these races until?
Cameron (as Opal): The championship is on the winter solstice, so we've got about five weeks. Um.
Sydney: Cassidy's eyebrows raise as she starts mathing.
Cameron (as Opal): At least seven or eight races in that five weeks.
Kit (as Birdie): And we need to win all of them?
Cameron (as Opal): Ideally, yes. At least one of you needs to place most definitely in them all.
Kit (as Birdie): All right.
Cameron (as Opal): As long as you both keep placing on the podiums, we can work with that. That's excellent. However, if there's a few of them where it's just one of you, it works if, if there's races where you're not on the podium and we have to start doing a bit more finagling, so probably possible, but more work and less of a sure thing. I will, I will say, I can, I can get you into the championship. I am confident in that ability. The more you win, the less, um, well, I'll just say this, the less rigged it will seem.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [short laugh]
Cameron (as Opal): People will like you more if you win and are then in the championship, versus if you don't, and then still end up in the championship.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I mean we're racing as the Patina, which means we kind of, we have our own name tied up in this., so I think we agree. We should not make it look -
Cameron (as Opal): Mhm. Yes, your brand is very important. That must be a priority. So that's, that's the plan. The plan is uh, keep winning and everyone will be happy that you're in the championship. Do you need anything else from me besides getting you scheduled in these races and obviously doing all of my behind the scenes stuff?
Kit (as Birdie): Um.
Kit: And Birdie will look around to her compatriots.
Kit (as Birdie): We do owe you another job, I believe?
Cameron (as Opal): Yes.
Kit (as Birdie): If - has anything come up, or did you want to talk about that at all?
Cameron (as Opal): Well, I am trying to respect the tall one's wishes and not give you a Guts job.
Penn (as Marathon): Thank you, ma'am.
Penn: Marathon says stoically.
Cameron: Opal nods in like you're very welcome that I'm doing this for you.
Cameron (as Opal): Yeah, so with the number of races you're doing, I'm trying to be cognizant of the lack of time we're working with here, and I do want you to be able to focus so that you do keep winning, as we discussed. So I've had several larger efforts come up that I've decided I don't want to take that much of your time away, and you did, you performed very well on the first job and well - so the opportunity that's come up that is, I think, something that would be manageable within the free days that you'll have open between races, and that is not in the Guts, per request - that of course you can say no to as you you can refuse the jobs, but just know it is it is difficult finding one that fits within these very short time constraints we have. [bit rushed] How do you feel about stealing from the Ramp Girls?
Nick: And we cut away to the Patina walking together down Merchant's Alley after concluding their meeting with Opal.
Kit: Birdie has her heels of her hands shoved into her eyes, and she's kind of hitting her head against the heels of her hands gently going,
Kit (as Birdie): Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why would we say yes to that? Why? Why did we do that? Why? Why did I say yes to this? Oh, my god.
Cameron (as Emma): You seemed confident and you were the one who said yes.
Penn (as Marathon): Yeah, you -
Kit (as Birdie): [bit of a freakout moment] I know! Why - that's why I'm saying stupid!
Penn (as Marathon): You got sucked into the temptation of negotiation.
[Birdie mumbling behind Emma & Marathon]
Cameron (as Emma): I mean, that was really negotiating.
Penn (as Marathon): That's true. You did just say yes.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah, that was, that was a pretty quick, decisive yes.
Kit (as Birdie): Oh god~. Well, if you fuck up a mission stealing from the Ramp Girls, that's like, the equivalent of, like, you know you can do a lot of things in the city and get away with it.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah, I'm sure.
Kit (as Birdie): The Ramp Girls always know.
Penn (as Marathon): Well, you do have a connection.
Kit (as Birdie): I know! That's why it's a bad idea.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Because your face is gonna be known?
Kit (as Birdie): Yes! Yes. I went with Karma to to the headquarters and I, like, sat there.
Cameron (as Emma): Oh, you went to the headquarters with Karma?
Kit (as Birdie): [flustered lesbian noises]
Penn (as Marathon): So you know your way in? You've got an infiltration strategy.
Kit (as Birdie): Oh~.
Cameron (as Emma): I mean, we do too. We came up the ramp to get into the city Marathon.
Penn (as Marathon): [self deprecating laugh]
Cameron (as Emma): Like we know where the ramp is.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [short laugh]
Penn: Marathon points at Emma and shakes a finger like, 'ah, you got me'.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Just call Karma and tell her you need a thing from the evidence room. And it's her - I don't know. I was gonna say virginity, but
Cameron (as Emma): [shocked laugh]
Penn (as Marathon): Her -
Kit (as Birdie): I don't think she's -
Cameron (as Emma): [laughing cough] Gosh.
Kit (as Birdie): Anyways. Um.
Cameron (as Emma): It's a stupid construct anyway.
Penn (as Marathon): I need some booty from the evidence room. That's right, my name is Birdie Foundling.
Kit (as Birdie): [nervous discomfort] Um~.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah I've just really been wanting to see the inside of the evidence room.
Penn (as Marathon): The evidence chest. [laugh]
Cameron (as Emma): I just think being around so many like confiscated items would just be a really big turn on.
Penn (as Marathon): [laugh]
Cameron (as Emma): [giggle]
Kit (as Birdie): Okay, how about this? How about this?
Penn (as Marathon): You did before.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [surprised laugh]
Kit (as Birdie): If I can go on a second date, somehow end up in the Ramp Girls headquarters, which we might - Karma is really busy, and then somehow manage her to let me into the evidence room, fine. I'll try and get it.
Penn (as Marathon): Sounds like a plan! Break Patina -
Kit (as Birdie): [now hold on a second noises] But but but
Penn (as Marathon): - One, two, three!
Kit (as Birdie): [laugh]
Cameron (as Emma): That seems incredibly unlikely that that scenario would happen.
Kit (as Birdie): Um, I don't know if Karma is the type to really care about propriety? I don't know. I don't know. Karma gives -
Penn (as Marathon): Well, you could distract her or cause a distraction, and we go in -
Kit (as Birdie): I could -
Penn (as Marathon): - and bust something out.
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah, that's what I was - that's what I was going to say, is that we should plan -
Cameron (as Emma): Oh okay.
Kit (as Birdie): - for me to just distract Karma,
Penn (as Marathon): Ahhhh,
Cameron (as Emma): Ohh.
Kit (as Birdie): - not to seduce Karma for nefarious purposes.
Cameron (as Emma): I mean, it can be both.
Penn (as Marathon): Yeah, that's what she did with Kelsey.
Kit (as Birdie): [flustered lesbian noises] Okay, okay. Well, that was different.
Cameron (as Emma): And hey - we know about it this time.
Penn (as Marathon): Yeah, that's better.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah look at that.
Kit (as Birdie): It was actually what I did with Jolene too - god damn it. [sigh]
Penn (as Marathon): You're just a honey pot.
Cameron (as Emma): [laugh]
Kit (as Birdie): [overlapping] Don't call me that.
Penn (as Marathon): [overlapping] Not just - I shouldn't say just.
Cameron (as Emma): Our other option is getting Marathon arrested. So
Kit (as Birdie): [delighted giggle]
Penn (as Marathon): Patina break!
Cameron (as Emma): [laugh]
Kit (as Birdie): The Ramp Girls will not let you go, though, don't - so don't get arrested by the Ramp Girls.
Cameron (as Emma): Well okay. [there goes that brilliant plan foiled]
Penn (as Marathon): Well, I'll end up in a drunk cage lock up. How's that?
Kit (as Birdie): Uh~ not the Ramp Girls.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Well, I'll just go talk to Winifred, get her to like loop the cameras and then she can seduce someone too.
Kit (as Birdie): I don't - I no~. Uh um. [kinda sounds like a dialup router] Well okay, look -
Penn (as Marathon): I won't seduce anyone.
Kit (as Birdie): I think - oh [laugh]
Penn (as Marathon): I'm a good situationship.
Cameron (as Emma): I mean so the camera, the camera idea is good. I don't know about the seducing of multiple people with multiple people.
Kit (as Birdie): I think that, I think we should just see that we do have an in with Karma, even if I would feel bad about it. And we should take that in first and then have our plan B be that I distract her for some amount of time so that you guys can go in. How about that? Easy. Easy done.
Kit: And Birdie starts walking towards the cronuts.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I mean, how many Ramp Girls are there? Is - okay.
Penn (as Marathon): Hey, sounds - there we go.
Cameron (as Emma): It seems -
Penn (as Marathon): We'll talk about it more tomorrow.
Cameron (as Emma): - like more an excuse for her to go on another date with Karma, but
Sydney (as Cassidy): So she goes on a date with Karma, and we'll just do the mission, and she can do whatever she's gonna do.
Penn (as Marathon): Exactly.
Sydney (as Cassidy): At least it's gonna be short.
Kit: Birdie comes back with a cronut.
Kit (as Birdie): I heard that. And you know, if I manage to get it out of the evidence room, if I manage to get into the evidence room, then I will do the entire mission and you guys can go on dates or whatever.
Penn (as Marathon): Pinky swear Birdie?
Kit (as Birdie): I'll try! I'm happy to be Plan A.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Not plan B for Birdie?
Cameron (as Emma): Marathon and Cassidy - are you cool if I crash y'all's date and we turn it into a friend date?
Sydney (as Cassidy): That's fine.
Penn (as Marathon): A frate.
Cameron (as Emma): Okay.
Kit (as Birdie): [laugh]
Cameron (as Emma): Okay, sure. Yeah, that.
Kit (as Birdie): Sure.
Penn (as Marathon): You could be there too, Birdie. You're a friend.
Kit (as Birdie): [laughing]
Cameron (as Emma): We can we can, we'll workshop it. We'll figure it out. We'll figure it out.
Penn (as Marathon): We'll just have a friend date after the mission.
Kit (as Birdie): We'll workshop it. We'll workshop it.
Penn (as Marathon): Yeah, let's get some lunch. We'll talk about it and take care of it tomorrow.
Nick: We cut to Marathon a few hours later, back in the shipping container where she and the Patina are staying. And Marathon is seated at the kitchen table, where the Patina have been sharing their meals, with a pen and a large pile of postcards.
Penn (as Marathon): [pumping herself up] All right, let's get this started.
Penn: And Marathon clicks her pen, pulls a postcard off the pile that shows a picture of the Crow's Nest and writes,
[postcard text is in "" and otherwise it's spoken]
Penn (as Marathon): "Dear Nana, Sorry I haven't talked to you in a few years." [groan] Shit.
Penn: And then Marathon will pick up the postcard, set it off to the other side of the desk where she picked the postcard up from where there's already a few different scattered and started postcards.
Penn (as Marathon): Uh "Dear Nana, I miss you lots. Things have been going great without you -" No uh fuck. I shouldn't have written that. Okay.
Penn: And she puts another one off to the side and attempts a few more before leaning back in her chair and taking a deep breath out.
Penn (as Marathon): Maybe I just need a change of scenery.
Penn: And we cut to Marathon in Tornado Corridor helping clear out just a little bit more of the rubble from this last Turning and helping put the finishing nails on some of the structures that are being rebuilt for the citizens here. And then we see her in a shady corner attempting to write another postcard, to no avail as she tosses it into the garbage. We see her again at a bar, trying to write, getting frustrated and taking a shot of something mysterious, before bumping shoulders with a large warrior that we recognize as Atlas Bloodfeast. And quickly, we see different shots of them taking shots themselves, arm in arm sometimes, arm wrestling a little bit and an ink stained splash postcard making its way into the trash as she leaves. And we see her in the Eaves again, on her grav skates this time, skating over planks and rickety wires racing other dare devils throughout the Eaves and taking a break with them while they smoke to try and finish writing a postcard and asking them for help. Before she sits up with Eureka in her eyes wide with an idea, and she holds up a postcard that's has many ink smudges at this point, and she shouts,
Penn (as Marathon): I think I finally got it Nana!
Nick: Next we see Birdie. She is by herself and walking through Merchant's Alley on a quiet afternoon.
Kit: Birdie is walking through Merchant's Alley with a little coin pouch at her hip, wearing something equally as casual as she was a couple of days ago. She's just going to the grocery store, and she's walking with a slight purpose, but not really zooming through Merchant's Alley as it's kind of nice to step out of the house and get a moment to just take in the scenery and look around at all the people that are in Merchant's Alley at all times of day.
Nick: And Birdie as you are continuing down the road, you hear a call from a shadowed alleyway nearby.
Nick (as Juno): Psst. Hey! Hey Birdie! Kid!
Kit (as Birdie): Wha-
Nick (as Juno): Come here!
Kit (as Birdie): Juno?!
Nick (as Juno): No, don't no names. We're we're being covert here.
Kit (as Birdie): Oh my gosh.
Kit: And Birdie will stop, and will look around and see all the people around them bustling and step into the alleyway.
Kit (as Birdie): Um well, you just used my name so, you want to talk?
Nick (as Juno): Yeah, uh
Kit (as Birdie): I'm not talking to you in an alleyway, Juno. Let's go get food.
Nick (as Juno): Well, I I'm in the shadows where they or I can't be observed. This is sort of my thing lately.
Kit (as Birdie): Why?
Nick (as Juno): Huh, I don't know. You know, no one's asked me that before. [small laugh] I maybe just like the aes- okay, fine. Where do you want to go?
Kit (as Birdie): Um ~, what are you in the mood for?
Nick (as Juno): Uh, I dunno [overlapping] like a sandwich.
Kit (as Birdie): [overlapping] Tea. We're gonna go for tea.
Nick (as Juno): Tea. Okay, no -
Kit (as Birdie): Tea and sandwiches.
Nick (as Juno): Perfect.
Kit: And a Birdie starts walking towards the high tea garden that's in Merchant's Alley somewhere near Reed's Books.
Nick: The next thing we see is Juno and Birdie seated at a slightly short table with a lace table cloth and a stack of China and small finger sandwiches and a very fancy teapot. Juno looks very out of place. He is wearing a clean, but obviously worn lab coat with what looks like scrubs on underneath, just loose cotton clothes. He has a heavy tool belt hanging off the back of his chair, and is jiggling his leg, drawing attention to the very thick work boots that he has on as well. His buzz cut has been freshly shorn, almost to the point of having a shaved head, and he looks very pale in the sunlight, but is happily munching on some sandwiches.
Nick (as Juno): Okay, this was, this was, this was a good call. These are tasty.
Kit (as Birdie): I know, right?
Nick (as Juno): Good idea.
Kit (as Birdie): Thank you. So you wanted to talk about something urgent enough to hang out in an alley until I would be there?
Nick (as Juno): Well, I knew where you were gonna be, and so it wasn't too much time out of my day to set up a rendezvous, even if you immediately messed it up by making me leave my very comfortable alleyway.
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah, you know what? Let's talk about that. What have you been doing to the cameras in the Guts?
Nick (as Juno): Oh! Uh~, you noticed that?
Kit (as Birdie): No,
Nick (as Juno): Well, how would you notice that? That doesn't make sense.
Kit (as Birdie): Wander told me -
Nick (as Juno): [annoyed and disgusted] Oh.
Kit (as Birdie): - that something's been messing with the cameras and the Guts. And you know, I may not know the Guts as well as I used to, but I had a hunch.
Nick (as Juno): That greasy piece of chewed up lacquered bone. Hate that guy so much.
Kit (as Birdie): Wow. You do hate that guy.
Nick (as Juno): Yeah. I wouldn't feed him to an octopus if he was the last fish on the frickin city - and I know that's a weird thing to say, but I wouldn't. Even if the octopus was really hungry. Yeah, I've been - I don't really see a reason to be particularly secretive with you, Birdie, and you asked, so I've been slowly taking out all of Wander's cameras in the Guts. Well, really, just the cameras in general. Um. They're no longer hooked up to the system, so Winifred can't see down there, which is wasn't really on purpose, but I don't see a need to work around it. Wander can't see down there. None of the council people can.
Kit (as Birdie): Huh.
Nick (as Juno): I left enough around for the Drain Boys that they can at least rescue each other if something goes wrong, but they can't really launch deep missions anymore either. I've just been kind of taken the Guts for old Juno, basically.
Kit (as Birdie): So you're just kind of ending the surveillance in the Guts and,
Nick (as Juno): Well, ending their surveillance in the Guts and trying to undermine some of the worst parts of what the Drain Boys do so that maybe they'll stop hurting kids - it's sort of a side project, honestly, but it's pretty important.
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah.
Nick (as Juno): And really, just having anywhere on the city that some of the council people can't see seems like something that could come in handy at some point, either for me or, you know, the family gets into stuff sometimes, and they don't usually ask me for help, but I want it to be available if they do.
Kit (as Birdie): Huh.
Nick (as Juno): It's been sort of a hobby, I guess. And really, as long as we're talking, I feel - I don't know. I missed you while you were gone, and now that you're back, and I don't know how long you're back, no one else has asked. They just looked all angry all the time, never really gave asked what I was doing and you did so, um, that sell out work I've been doing hasn't just been me selling out. I know so much about the Domes now.
Nick: And he takes a sip of tea while looking particularly smug. You can see a little glint in his eye.
Kit (as Birdie): Mhm. Well, I suppose I can't really sniff at you for doing sell out work anymore, considering that I'm currently double crossing sell out work right now.
Nick (as Juno): Oh, do tell.
Nick: Juno laces their fingers and puts their chin in their hands.
Kit (as Birdie): Well, we're on a contract with -
Kit: And Birdie will lean in a little conspiratorially.
Kit (as Birdie): We're on a contract with Opal right now to get us to the top of the X Bike things, but I've been taking side work with Wander, and we've all kind of just been working on trying to get our goal in whatever way we can, I guess. You know, I know the Wander is awful, I do, but he's really weirdly interesting, and I'm really horribly curious about him.
Nick (as Juno): I can understand that. I don't fully get it what his whole deal is.
Kit (as Birdie): I know.
Nick (as Juno): I haven't set myself fully against him, because, frankly, he scares the crap out of me, but I don't think he's human and, like, not in the hoity toity, like, 'oh, Opal's super rich and doesn't value human life or anyone but herself,' kind of way, like, I legitimately think there's something else going on there. He - you heard those rumors at the ball that he had gotten killed, right?
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah, I did.
Nick (as Juno): He got shot like a bunch.
Kit (as Birdie): Well, now I'm even more interested.
Nick (as Juno): Yeah.
Kit (as Birdie): I never considered the fact that he might be not human, I guess. Do you think he's wild tech or something, like, some sort of, like, really advanced wild tech?
Nick (as Juno): I don't know, maybe partially, maybe something else, um, something crazy.
Kit (as Birdie): Huh.
Nick (as Juno): I know he's been in the city for a really long time, like he's only been on the council five, six years, but he's been around a lot longer than that, I think. Just other creepy motherfuckers, similar kind of M.O.s behind a lot of people in power.
Kit (as Birdie): Hmm.
Nick (as Juno): It's strange. And whenever I seem to get close on those rumors, the information just disappears. Super weird.
Nick: And as though the ideas just occurred to him, Juno looks around to make sure that nobody is seated too close nearby to overhear them.
Nick (as Juno): But you didn't hear that from me.
Kit (as Birdie): Of course.
Nick: He winks very comically.
Kit (as Birdie): [giggle] Yeah, I don't know what to think about him really. All I know is that, you know, I have to keep an eye on him now, because, unfortunately, he threatened our family and so - well kind of. I don't know -
Nick (as Juno): What did you do?!
Kit (as Birdie): Nothing. I didn't do anything. He just was like, [best description I've got is this sounds like a creepy old wizard voice] 'oh, and don't and don't forget about [mumble noises] ' started name dropping our family and kind of insinuating -
Nick (as Juno): Is that your Wander impression?
Kit (as Birdie): [maybe it's more drunk vampire?] 'And he talks like this'. I don't know [laugh] it's been a bit since I've talked to him.
Nick (as Juno): [cackling] Nah that's great. I like that. I am going to only hear that the next time I try to get information about him. That's awesome.
Kit (as Birdie): Well, okay, if I'm actually going to think about it, he goes, [now it's a dry evil witch who is going to cook you in her oven] 'well, he wouldn't want something bad to happen to Winifred, would we'.
Nick (as Juno): Oh, okay.
Kit (as Birdie): [laugh] That's what he sounds like in my brain.
Nick: Juno snaps and does finger guns.
Nick (as Juno): Yep, that's it. You got it. You got it. You won. That's pretty good. You're talented in that.
Kit (as Birdie): Thank you. I try really hard. Um, no, I, I don't know. I I am glad to know that you're not a sell out, I guess.
Kit: And Birdie will lean forward and lightly punch Juno's bicep.
Nick (as Juno): Ow.
Kit (as Birdie): Now there's no way that hurt.
Nick (as Juno): Nah it's just,
Kit (as Birdie): Anyways. Is that what you wanted to talk to me about? The stuff done in the Guts and everything?
Nick (as Juno): [sigh] Yeah. I just needed somebody to know. I feel like I've tried to explain, and Janus trusts me, but just doesn't have time to listen, and the rest of the Foundlings are just wrapped up in their own stuff and it was easier not to tell anyone, because I was in the middle of things, but the idea of you thinking that I was what everybody thought like, really bothered me, so I guess I needed to tell somebody, and that was you. And then I know there's a lot going on. I don't know everything going on, but you've been doing some dangerous things, so if you need help at some point, I hope you'll ask, because nobody else does.
Kit (as Birdie): Hmm, yeah, I might, because I just took a job, and I think it was very unadvised to say yes to this job, but I took it, and we're gonna think about how to do it. But if we end up in the Guts, or if I need someone who knows the Domes super well, you'll be the first person I come to, don't worry.
Nick (as Juno): Good. I hope so. What's the what's the job?
Kit: It's Birdie turn to look around and make sure no one is sitting too close to them or glancing at them while she leans in even closer.
Kit (as Birdie): [unsure whisper] Okay well, we're gonna, we're gonna try and steal something from the Ramp Girls.
Nick: We cut to Juno, walking away from the tea garden, putting the palms of his hands into his eyes, saying,
Nick (as Juno): Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Nick: From there, we cut away and see the interior of the shipping container again, where the Patina is staying. Birdie is out running errands. Marathon is out around the city. And for the first time in a while, Cassidy and Emma have some time together without any distractions.
Sydney: Cassidy's got some of her maps spread out on the table where she's been working on a Sasnak neighborhood map. Mapping the top accessible levels of the city, not the Guts or any of the middle layers, but if you could see it from the sky. In Sasnak like you can get a pretty good view of that from the Crow's Nest, where she went with Marathon, and probably has gone back a couple of times on her own as part of her own mapping hobbies.
Cameron: Emma walks out of the bedroom that she's been sharing with Marathon, sees Cassidy at the table, looks around to confirm that the rest of the Patina is not here at the moment, and approaches the table, grabs one of the chairs and spins it around so that she can sit backwards on it, and sits down and crosses her arms over the back of the chair and leans her chin on her arms and says,
Cameron (as Emma): So how's Cassidy?
Sydney: Cassidy crosses her arms in front of her immediately on guard.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Uh good. Why?
Cameron (as Emma): Oh, we just haven't gotten to talk for a while, so I was starting a conversation. [laugh]
Sydney (as Cassidy): Okay, good, I guess? I don't know. There's lots of stuff going on. I already went to X Bike practice this morning.
Cameron (as Emma): How's the newly modded bike working for you?
Sydney (as Cassidy): It's good. It's fast.
Cameron (as Emma): Mmhmm, good. That was most important in the spreadsheet.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yes. [laugh] As long as it's safe enough. And you know, if uh, if it explodes during a race, it I guess wasn't safe enough.
Cameron (as Emma): You know, I don't think that's necessarily a true statement given some of the X bike obstacles I've seen, I don't think that's 100% on the bike if it explodes or not, being safe.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah. How's Emma? If you're leaning on the chair here.
Cameron (as Emma): Uh, Emma is good. Um Emma might be slightly concerned about how all of her friends are getting along, and also just wanting to check in and make sure that certain conversations that I know that were gonna happen when we got out of the Guts happened and how they went and how people are feeling about it.
Sydney: Cassidy fills her cheeks with air and then blows it out.
Cameron: Emma just smiles.
Kit: Vaus, who is in the corner, takes us as an invitation to leave and will go to Zan's bedroom with their cup of tea that they were just making.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Let's, let's -
Sydney: Cassidy looks down at her map and leaves her current pen in a place to mark what the last thing she was working on.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Let's, let's go for a walk. Let's not - I need to walk and talk if we're gonna do this.
Cameron (as Emma): Okay.
Sydney: Cassidy stands up, collapses the pile of maps a little bit smaller, revealing a few scattered postcards on the table underneath the maps.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Greetings from Sasnak, I guess.
Cameron (as Emma): That's a cute picture.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah. Anyway, you wanna go~ - I don't know. Like we can go shop, I guess. I think we said that would was a thing we were gonna do at some point.
Cameron (as Emma): I think all the rest of us did shop.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Well, I bought some stuff. I don't know. I let me get Emma's polished eye, I guess.
Cameron (as Emma): Okay.
Sydney: Cassidy suits up to head out into the world.
Cameron: Emma grabs a sweater off of the side of the couch where she had just tossed it after coming in earlier.
Sydney: We flash forward to a small boutique store in Merchant's Alley with a bench and a couple of booths with curtains over them. There is currently a lot of shuffling from inside of one of the booths where Cassidy is trying on the next outfit.
Cameron: Emma is lounging on the bench. She's got one foot up on the bench, so she's got her knee bent up next to her, and it's kind of hugging it as she and Cassidy have a conversation over the partition.
Sydney (as Cassidy): So yeah, I guess when she finally got around to asking [short laugh], neither of us I guess really knew what we wanted? Like she was asking to define it, to define what we were, but in that conversation we were trying to figure out, like, okay, what is that? How different is it?
Cameron (as Emma): Uh huh.
Sydney: And then Cassidy opens the curtain.
Cameron: The outfit that Cassidy has tried on is more along the lines of what Emma has been wearing while we've been in Sasnak - floral professor chic. So just around the knee dark floral skirt and a very low V T shirt with a big cardigan over it.
Cameron (as Emma): That's cute.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah, I feel like I look like I know things.
Cameron (as Emma): Uh huh. You look very studious.
Sydney: And Cassidy gives the skirt a flounce. It doesn't super flounce because the fabric is heavy.
Cameron (as Emma): I think you're gonna have to do a spin rather than a flounce.
Sydney: Cassidy does a higher effort spin to get it to move a little bit.
Cameron (as Emma): Yay.
Sydney (as Cassidy): So I guess we kind of ended up at be exclusive and be open to exploring more serious things, but not right now, because I guess that's not what she was looking for?
Sydney: And Cassidy observes the outfit in the mirror at the end of the room.
Cameron: Emma turns and reaches behind her and grabs a dark red, almost purple-ish leather jacket off of a rack behind her, and takes off the hanger and hands it out to Cassidy.
Cameron (as Emma): Swap this out for the cardigan.
Sydney: Cassidy puts the cardigan off of one shoulder, puts the jacket back onto that shoulder and then repeats the process on the other side, handing the cardigan back to Emma.
Cameron (as Emma): So gonna try to provide advice while knowing that I've had this conversation with both of you, and I don't want to break either one of y'all's confidences.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Sure.
Cameron (as Emma): But I would say I think Marathon's thing is just that she wants you to be comfortable, so she's scared of feeling like she's pushing you into anything because she knows you've had a lot of traumatic romantic relationships in the past, and she doesn't - I think, I think she has too, but I think hers were traumatic in a different way.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I do like this jacket better.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah, I think that, I think the sweater is more me, probably.
Sydney: Cassidy gives it another swish before heading back into the booth and closing the curtain with another rustle of fabric.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah. So if there's, if there's anything that you don't expressly say that this is what you want and or are comfortable with, or what you're looking for, or anything like that - I don't see Marathon bringing it up because I don't think she wants you to feel pressured in any way by being in a relationship with her. I can see how that would be frustrating for you trying to have that conversation with her. [laugh]
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah. I mean, if she's, like, if she's asking me to be in a relationship, like, she needs to know if she's asking that means that she wants something more than what is now, but she should know what that is. And, like, I gave her some possibilities of what that would be, but I don't, I don't know that I came away with anything besides that exclusive and like, go, keep doing what we're doing, but you know, don't like stomp on the feelings every morning when you wake up and make sure that they don't grow into anything big.
Sydney: Cassidy opens the curtain again, comes out wearing a pair of dark washed denim jeans and a tan button up sweater over top of a blue, thick cotton shirt with the collar out.
Sydney (as Cassidy): The story is very, I don't know if I'm giving the right vibes for - I need to, like, borrow some glasses or something. Have some ink stains on me.
Cameron (as Emma): I can provide you with motor oil -
Sydney (as Cassidy): I mean, I have, I guess I have a lot of ink.
Cameron (as Emma): - to replicate the ink. Yeah.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I think it's close.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah, you, you look kind of like you're, you're studying really hard to like be a professor, um, but also, it's not that dissimilar from what you normally wear, either.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah, hmm.
Sydney: And Cassidy goes back over to the mirror and twists around looking at her shoulders and her, the back side of the pants.
Cameron (as Emma): That blue is really pretty.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah, I like this, I like this wash. It's good.
Cameron (as Emma): Mhm. Yep.
Sydney (as Cassidy): And they're, they're flattering.
Cameron (as Emma): So I think you'll, you'll figure it out with Marathon. Y'all will get there. I don't know what else I can really -
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah, I just -
Cameron (as Emma): - say, I think that y'all got to figure that one out. I can -
Sydney (as Cassidy): Sure.
Cameron (as Emma): I can just watch from the sidelines and like, cheer you on or whatever would make the both of you the happiest.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Mhm.
Cameron (as Emma): Mhm. How, how, how were things when we weren't there? Because I've, I have picked up on certain things because I have heard comments that have been made but haven't gotten a chance to specifically ask you about it.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [sarcasm is an avoidance tactic] And when you, when you say we weren't there, you mean you and Birdie weren't there because me and Marathon were on our date?
Cameron (as Emma): Mmm no, I mean when me and Marathon took our epic plunge into the depths of the Guts.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Mmm.
Cameron (as Emma): And then had our super fun time friends adventure to work our way back out of the Guts.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Wish I had a super fun times friends adventure.
Sydney: As Cassidy goes back into the dressing room.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah, you know, I get it. [laugh] I too wish we hadn't been separated, but y'all, y'all seemed to not, you're not at each other's throats, but it's also not a comfortable vibe between the two of you right now, although I can tell, like with some of the conversations about the X Bike races,
Cameron: And Emma looks around this boutique that they're sitting in, and censors herself, figuring that Cassidy can figure out which conversation she was talking about.
Cameron (as Emma): Birdie seems to really be trying to see your side of the conversation, which I think is - that seems like a healthier thing between the two of you, but it's still not comfortable.
Sydney: Cassidy opens the curtain again and comes back out, this time with dark brown corduroy pants, a white cotton shirt with a fitted green herringbone vest.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I'm so smart, look at me. Get my pocket watch out.
Cameron (as Emma): The vest is adorable. I don't know if it's a practical article of clothing.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah. I mean, it brings my waist in.
Cameron (as Emma): It fits you very nicely. I just don't think it's gonna keep you warm at all and - [laugh]
Sydney (as Cassidy): No, I think I'd have to get one of those - actually here hand me that.
Sydney: And Cassidy points to one of the wool jackets on the rack near Emma.
Cameron: Emma turns, grabs it and passes it over to Cassidy.
Sydney: Cassidy puts it on.
Cameron (as Emma): That's heavy.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [dug] Yeah, it's gonna be warm.
Cameron (as Emma): I mean, we're going for warmth, I get it, but just commenting.
Sydney: Cassidy steps over to the mirror again.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Uh~ [lip trill (like a horse)] I mean, you saw what happened on the first half of the Guts adventure, which is that I had been under the impression that it was going to be easy, and then it was suddenly super dangerous.
Sydney: Cassidy frowns at the mirror before sitting down on the bench next to Emma.
Sydney (as Cassidy): And then you guys disappeared, and it is - I blamed Birdie. And then Birdie dragged me away from where you fell. And then we kept hitting more things that either you can't see anything that's coming in the Guts, because it's the Guts, or it's bad preparation, or bad observancy, or whatever to get, say, shocked by the live circuit.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah, so Juno said you got electrocuted.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Uh huh.
Cameron (as Emma): We're just, we're just touching things now.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Uh huh.
Cameron (as Emma): This is, this is what I'm fully judging you for, by the way, if it wasn't obvious.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Thanks.
Cameron (as Emma): Yep. Uh no, yeah, that was not good.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Mhm.
Cameron (as Emma): Understatement there, but uh yeah.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah. So eventually we ended up parting ways, yelling at each other. Birdie, at least did come back to drag my unconscious body out of the Guts though, I wasn't unconscious at that point.
Cameron (as Emma): That's good. I'm glad we're not to the point of abandoning unconscious people. That's good.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah. So I ended up going back to Janus' and getting a 2am tea and friend therapy session, I guess, enough to to [uncomfortable thinking noise] cool me down enough to see that it there's not one, only one way to see the situation. And then went over and apologized the next day. But I mean, before we go on another big mission, like we got to figure out how to not let that happen again - the part that is preventable, which is like miscommuni- or like not, not communicating about the dangers and the expectations and the Rock Paper Scissors-ing. Snakes, Ramps, Guts-ing? Domes, Ramps, and Guts?
Cameron (as Emma): Uh Domes, Ramps, and Guts, yeah.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Like, as decision making in a dangerous situation. So, like, yes. I mean, I we, we're better off than yelling at each other walking away, but watching your friends disappear in front of you and thinking they're dead and thinking it's another person's fault or close to is not great.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah~. Yeah we we, we tried to let y'all know as soon as we could. It ended up not making any difference at all, because Winifred's email inbox was flooded and she didn't see it, but it still took us at least 12 hours before we were able to find a terminal that I could hook into.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I mean, there's, there's not anything you could have done once you fell down the hole.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah, but it's still - okay now you can't tell a Marathon this. Okay?
Sydney (as Cassidy): Okay.
Cameron (as Emma): We're going to do a pinky swear. This is, this is, this is something we're not telling Marathon.
Sydney: Cassidy puts a pinky out.
Cameron: Emma hooks pinkies.
Cameron (as Emma): Okay, so Marathon thinks that we took a four hour nap. We actually slept for eight hours because I was concerned that Marathon was not going to be able to continue moving, and so I may have changed the time on her watch so that she didn't know that we had done that.
Sydney (as Cassidy): That's probably a reasonable course of action given the circumstances. Rest is important, and you don't know how long you're gonna be down there.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah, and at that point we were - the map was not all that helpful, especially with measuring distances and stuff. So we were guessing like it was going to be at least two to three days walking out of there, so we were going to have to sleep at some point and -
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah, you may as well get real sleep in your cozy Drain Boys barracks or whatever.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah, and like, we didn't get any further injured when we fell, but Marathon was not doing so hot already, and so I didn't want the next obstacle we ran into to -
Sydney (as Cassidy): Marathon's health.
Cameron (as Emma): - take her out. Yeah, but she was super duper concerned about getting back to y'all, because we both kind of saw where, where that tension level was sitting at before we fell through the floor. But so that is why I did not tell her that. I made an executive decision, thinking it was more important for her to stay upright, to be able to get her back out. But by the by the time Juno found us it was incredibly easy for them to just spin Marathon up into quite a panic, telling us about how how uncomfortable it was between the two of you and how - you and Birdie obviously, not you and Juno, and the the tension and the awkwardness and everything he said made it worse. And she she loves both y'all a whole lot, and I do too, but I figured - I think I was leaning more that y'all would be adults, and Marathon may have had the more realistic view of there were too many emotions for logic to fully prevail over everything. But yeah,
Sydney: Cassidy gets up to go change again.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah. Juno asked us if we thought that, was it that you would, you would shoot Birdie, or it was something like that, and then told Marathon that she should probably start deciding which of you she was going to choose.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Oh, boy.
Cameron (as Emma): Like it was, it was bad, Cassidy. [laugh]
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah, we weren't quite at each other's throats.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah, I think, I think the it appears that the violence that y'all were potentially enacting on each other was very much an invention of Juno's imagination in the physical sense, and that it was more a lot of -
Sydney (as Cassidy): I mean by the time Juno was leading us out, we were mostly just spent. [laugh] I don't know that we said, like anything, in the hours between the starting leading and ending leading. I think our final showdown happened even afterwards. So I guess I don't know we - the vibes. We were giving off an aura of hostility.
Cameron (as Emma): Yes, that that that was what was communicated to us.
Sydney: Cassidy comes out wearing a long flowy skirt with multiple patterns and different bands going down and a strapless brown leather top, and then grabs sunglasses out of her jacket pocket and puts them on.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Now, I'm just gonna cast the spell on you instead of going to class. Wizard class maybe, I don't know,
Cameron (as Emma): It's the sunglasses are really what makes the outfit.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Oh, yeah, these are my to be a biking character.
Cameron (as Emma): Mhm. Yep.
Sydney: She takes the sunglasses back off so she can see what she's doing.
Cameron (as Emma): I mean, that's, that's pretty.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah.
Cameron (as Emma): Once again, I don't know how practical.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah.
Cameron (as Emma): But also, clothes don't necessarily always have to be practical,
Sydney (as Cassidy): No and I have some stuff like this too. It's just, yeah it's afternoon on the town, and it's probably getting a little cold for this too.
Cameron (as Emma): You probably want to put one of the jackets back on.
Sydney: Cassidy takes the giant, heavy wool jacket.
Cameron (as Emma): Maybe leggings underneath the skirt, to keep you warm. But
Sydney: This time, when Cassidy does a small twirl, the fabric amplifies her movements.
Cameron (as Emma): Ooh, very nice. 10 out of 10, I approve of the skirt.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Noted.
Sydney: And she works her way over to the mirror again.
Sydney (as Cassidy): So that's, I mean, that's kind of where we're at. We didn't let the whole everything burn down in the fires of emotions, but it's hard to - given the setup I guess, it was, we [uncomfortable laugh remembering]. It got to us.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah. Like, obviously there's - if, if we were gonna fall through the floor, we fell through the floor there's there's nothing we can do after a situation like that on on our end to assist. But I do think that we can, as a group, probably work harder to step in between the tension and shut it down faster, but it if, and I -
Sydney (as Cassidy): I was just like, I'm trying to yield to Birdie because it's her home turf, and then she's not running it the way that I want to run it, which is fine, but -
Cameron (as Emma): And see that's the thing when you yield [laugh] like it's it may not always get run the way that you like, but I think we need, we need to be able to have conversations like that without it becoming an attack on anybody, and without any of us completely shutting down.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Mhm.
Cameron (as Emma): And I think it, think it was a combination shut down when the four of us were still together, because it was pretty spicy, and Marathon and I were scared to try to interject, and then when Marathon did it, I think it made it worse. So I will make the commitment - I'll try to be incredibly transparent when bringing up that I'm not cool with vibes if we ever end up in a situation where we're starting to head towards that dynamic again.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Because like us in the cave outside Eagle Hill was fine. I mean, dangerous, but like we were,
Cameron (as Emma): I mean, besides the fact I almost died, but, I mean,
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah.
Cameron (as Emma): Okay. I mean, honestly, I almost died this time too. I wasn't injured at all, but I did fall through the hole, and I should have died. So
Sydney (as Cassidy): I got hugged by a giant octopus, but you saved me. So,
Cameron (as Emma): Mhm. Yep. I would like to limit our octopus exposure, please. I am, actually, I'm, I'm glad that Marathon made the request of Opal when the two of us went and saw her after if we finished the job. I'm really glad that she requested no more Guts jobs, cause,
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah, I don't think it would be a great idea right now.
Cameron (as Emma): No, I think we can work on it. I think going back into the exact same environment to work on it is probably not smart.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah.
Cameron (as Emma): Or healthy, really for y'all. Let's not continually return to the site of trauma, if we can help it. But
Sydney: Cassidy heads back into the booth to get changed back into her street clothes.
Cameron (as Emma): I feel pretty confident that if I, if I brought it up, nobody would bite my head off.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah.
Cameron (as Emma): So I will make that commitment. But also, you should get the jacket and the skirt for sure.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah, I was definitely thinking the skirt. I can let me, let me put the jacket on one more time when I get back out, and I'll make sure.
Cameron (as Emma): Okay, because you kind of have a jacket like it, but it's a different color, and I think it makes a big difference.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah, well, then I can have the mix up. Okay, I can pull the one that matches the outfit.
Cameron (as Emma): Exactly! And and it's a nice material, and it'll hold up well. So plus, it would go with almost everything you already have, because it's very similar style.
Sydney: Cassidy pops out one more time.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Okay, did you need anything here? Or do you -
Cameron (as Emma): I don't know if you're aware of the amount of clothes I've accumulated since we got here, but it might be substantial.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I mean, if it can fit on the rig...
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Okay.
Cameron (as Emma): I offloaded some of my older stuff that had seen better days, and I have replaced and then a little bit more than that.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I mean, as long as you're not like, overspending past your share of our funds or whatever. I think it's fine.
Cameron (as Emma): No, I'm just really good at finding deals.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Then, you know, then that sounds like you're doing it perfectly.
Cameron (as Emma): Mhm.
Sydney: And Cassidy hefts the new jacket, throwing it on one more time and squinting in the mirror.
Cameron (as Emma): See?
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah, okay.
Cameron (as Emma): You need it.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I'm sold. By which I mean I'm buying it, and then it will be sold.
Cameron (as Emma): It sold, to you.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yes.
Cameron (as Emma): Yay. Anyway, I think we accomplished a lot today. I think it'll all be fine.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [slight scoff at positivity]
Cameron (as Emma): I will, I will, I will take my place as peacekeeper of the group and just a friend who no one gets mad at, and then I will just be cheering you on from the sidelines for you and Marathon.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah, I will [laugh] do my best to not jump down people's throats unless they deserve it.
Cameron (as Emma): I am sure occasionally it will be deserved, but it can also -
Sydney (as Cassidy): In the Patina.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah, it can also be -
Sydney (as Cassidy): Well, it depends, because they're gonna people deserve it more. The stupid, the stupid the ticket seller, Emma,
Cameron (as Emma): I know it's fine. We - but like, let's see if we're gonna do it amongst the group, you could, we can maybe put pauses on conversations until we're out of mortal peril.
Sydney (as Cassidy): That's fine.
Cameron (as Emma): Maybe that might be a good way to do that.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I guess. Yeah, well, it's different letting, following the leader when you're out for a stroll, and following the leader when your crew mate, who you're, I guess now, in a serious, casual relationship with, is smushed.
Cameron (as Emma): I feel like if you're just describing it as a relationship it's not casual.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Well, I mean, you can have a friend relationship. You can have a negative relationship.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah, but like, that's not how you used that word, but that's, that's besides the point. Now that you have a cute new outfit to wear, I have a tea shop that you and a Marathon should go to that Rye and I went to, and it's really cute, and the sandwiches were excellent.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Sounds great.
Cameron (as Emma): There was a riot outside, but I don't think that speaks poorly at the tea shop.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I'm trying to think, if there's a Rye and riot pun, but I'll come up with it on the way.
Cameron (as Emma): You can, you can make a sandwich pun easy with that.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Oh yeah, that's better. Thank you, Emma.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah!
Nick: And Emma and Cassidy go to get some tea having worked out some new group dynamics.
[hurdy gurdy music swells]
Outro:
Penn (as Marathon): Welcome back folks, you’re tuned to Going the Distance: Traveler’s Guide on road dial 1558. That’s a wrap on today’s log and we’re set to loop after these considerations. Further detail for the following is cataloged in the show notes.
This has been A Knight of Shreds and Patches, an actual play podcast using the Genesys game system from Fantasy Flight Games. The show is edited by Sydney Whittington, and features the talents of:
Kit Adames as Birdie. Kit can be found on Twitter and Instagram @ venusvultures. Kit is also a voice actor for Elevator Pitch Podcast, a queer genre-hopping anthology podcast that can be accessed on Spotify and YouTube.
Penn Van Batavia as Marathon. She can be found on Twitter @ acquiredchaste and in drag as horror king JOHN on Instagram @ john.is.risen. Penn is an indie TTRPG designer whose most recent work includes SLICE IT OUT, a grisly carving RPG about cutting pieces of yourself out to fit in. Check out faer other work at pennharper.itch.io.
Sydney Whittington as Cassidy. Sydney can be found on our Discord server, which is linked in the show notes, and on Twitter @ sydney_whitt. She’s also a contributing editor and occasional guest player for the Orpheus Protocol, a cosmic horror espionage actual play podcast.
Cameron Robertson as Emma. Cameron can be found on Twitter @ midnightmusic13 and on Instagram @ reading_and_dreaming. Cameron is also a player on Tabletop Squadron, a Star Wars Edge of the Empire actual play podcast.
And Nick Robertson as narrator. Nick can be found on Twitter @ alias58. Nick is also the GM for Tabletop Squadron. Nick can also be found as a player on the Orpheus Protocol.
This podcast features the musical talents of Dora Violet and Arne Parrott. You can find Dora at facebook.com/doraviolett. You can find Arne at atptunes.com.
The official artwork for this podcast was created by Rashed AlAkroka, who can be found on Instagram and Artstation @ rashedjrs.
You can follow the Patina on Twitter @ akosap_podcast or visit the website: www.akosap.com. To further support the show, consider joining the Patreon at www.patreon.com/AKoSaP, where we’ll be bringing you weekly content including bonus episodes, campfire conversations, and other fun rewards.
Until you tune back…
…stay bold and stay kind