The Patina celebrates an epic X Biking win the normal way - with conversations about trust and more contract negotiations.
The Patina celebrates an epic X Biking win the normal way - with conversations about trust and more contract negotiations.
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.
- Motorcycle ride by roman_cgr. Link & License.
- OFFICE and PAPERWORK sounds » 01322 writing signature 1.wav by Robinhood76. Link & License.
- That Guy's Sky Is Way Too High (long version) by Doctor Turtle. 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 20: We Have to Trust Someone
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:
This is your biweekly self-care check-in, where we remind you to drink some water, take a deep breath (though preferably not at the same time), and make sure you’re otherwise listening to your body’s needs. You never know when you’ll get the call to become a masked vigilante, and it’s important to be able to answer it, even if afterwards you turn down the position for philosophical reasons. But until the fickle winds of fate decide to grant you that opportunity, or if they already have and you’re currently off duty, 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 20: We Have to Trust Someone. 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]
Sydney (as Cassidy): Last time on a Knight of Shreds and Patches, we had our first official X Bike race, and we managed to not die. In fact, all those hours of research and practice I've been putting in meant that I actually got first, with Birdie looking pretty in second. Seeing the theory translate to practice makes winning everything feel like only a long shot, instead of entirely impossible. We've got a team of mechanics, including our star Emma, and Marathon to bring that competitive edge (and the occasional flower bouquet). We even won cookbooks from the guest judge who, as far as i could tell, had no business being in the announcer's booth. Now we'll just need to keep winning, with our opponents becoming more skilled, better equipped, and increasingly well armed. Easy.
[radio static]
Episode Start:
Nick: After the Minor League X Bike competition, Birdie and Cassidy are given access to the biker's lounge - a small room under the arena where there are food and drinks and basic first aid supplies, and the racers have some time to rest and recuperate before they are potentially mobbed by press and fans. The racer breakroom is a surprisingly small space. It is a hallway crammed between a series of garages and storage. The result is a very long skinny room where everything is cozy and close together, but the groups of racers are far enough away that you can have a private conversation. This is where the less popular racers are allowed to go and rest. From the ceiling, you can hear the dull thrum of other X Bikes warming up and racing and mechanical noises from the garages in the distance. There are worn, torn and duct taped, leather couches and a black and white staticky screen showing some sort of cooking show or home improvement show that is very difficult to make out, and a wood paneled snack machine with a smashed display against the wall. The other riders are mostly being seen to by Patches off site, but the few who are in this room with you, Cassidy and Birdie, are far away and wrapped up in their own conversations, and you find somewhere comfortable to sit and have a little time to yourselves before you need to move on to the next task.
Kit: Birdie is not sitting correctly on this low couch that they've taken over for the two of them. She's currently laying down with her feet sitting crisscross and her head propped up by a throw pillow, and she's reading the cronut cookbook, very cursorily, just flicking through the pages, and she'll dog ear the pages that she finds interesting enough to remember about for later or to give Nona to bake.
Sydney: Cassidy reserved her spot with her cookbook and has gone to look through the unmanned but stocked fridges for something good to drink, and comes back with two aluminum cans.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Well it looks like what they got is Gray Talons, if that works for you.
Kit (as Birdie): Eugh.
Sydney (as Cassidy): This one is mango.
Kit (as Birdie): Oh okay. That's not one of the bad flavors.
Kit: And she'll hold up her hand.
Sydney: Cassidy gives it a toss and then sits down in her spot, putting the cookbook onto the ground in front of her, just so it's out of the way, and cracks her own can with a honeycomb and the words King's Cornucopia.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I think this is mead, or maybe it's a it's a lighter fizzier mead?
Kit (as Birdie): Let me see?
Sydney: Takes a sip and hands it out to Birdie for inspection.
Kit (as Birdie): Oh.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah it's pretty good.
Kit (as Birdie): Oh yeah. Janus used to like that stuff a lot.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Well, it's pretty tasty. Any good uh, cronut things?
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah, a couple. Um.
Sydney (as Cassidy): It was a very heavily sponsored event.
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah, there was a lot more discussion of cronuts than I was expecting. But hey, now we can go home and bake you a bunch of cronuts, since you deserve them.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Oh thanks.
Kit (as Birdie): Mhm.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I'm the champion. I'm so good at X Biking.
Kit (as Birdie): You are. You're so good at it.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [horse noise]
Kit (as Birdie): Like, honestly, though, I'm really proud of you. You did amazing. You didn't die. That's the only rule.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I didn't die. Yeah, no, I, you know, it's a death race, but I actually having now competed in an event, and I felt like it went well, and one of you know, my three tricks that I have prepared actually came in handy. Maybe I'll feel different when we get out of the minors, but like this doesn't feel impossible.
Kit (as Birdie): No, yeah, and you're a natural, so I think that at the very least, you'll make a really good name for yourself, and we'll be able to use that to our advantage once we get up to the big leagues and stuff.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Well, we're gunning for the trophy, so
Kit (as Birdie): [unsure squeaky Birdie noise] We'll see how that goes, but I'm not sussed about it right now. Just enjoy the wins that we can get before we actually get to like the really hard to avoid death in large quantities races.
Sydney: Cassidy takes a sip and then does a big stretch over the back of the chair, leaving her arms thrown over the back of the couch - one arm stays over the back, one arm stays hanging off over the edge of the armrest, and she kind of collapses backwards. Is Birdie still in her fancy uniform? [laugh]
Kit: Birdie changed into more sensible pants, but has the rest of the outfit on, sans the blades and protective measures she had on, so it's more of her normal outfit. She probably put on, like a slouchy sweatshirt jacket too. Cassidy didn't have to change. [laugh]
Sydney: Yeah, Cassidy took off her motorcycle jacket and is wearing her standard black tank top that she did change out of the armored pants for just shorts.
Kit (as Birdie): You having fun stretching over there, Cassidy?
Sydney (as Cassidy): Gravity's so heavy here.
Kit (as Birdie): I don't think it's any different than anywhere else, but okay.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Ugh.
Sydney: And she sits back up.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Hey, Birdie, I have a I have something I've been wondering.
Kit: Birdie will sit up with about a 6 out of 10 level of difficulty. Her back never feels quite right after she finishes an X Biking race.
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah, what's up? [ow my back noises]
Sydney (as Cassidy): You need help?
Kit (as Birdie): I'm okay. My back just hurts.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I can't imagine the biking is great for that.
Kit (as Birdie): No, yeah, When, when-when you have a spine that doesn't like to absorb shock anymore, yeah, not the most comfortable after solid amount of time. Yeah. Anyways, what'd you want to ask?
Sydney: Cassidy takes another sip of her mead and swishes it back and forth a couple of times before swallowing.
Sydney (as Cassidy): So we, a few days ago, we had the big powwow with all of the siblings, and like Winifred's going, 'okay, it's we get to go get the trophy' and then that will save the Knight and everything.
Kit (as Birdie): Mhm.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Your siblings don't seem like they trust each other very much. Winifred didn't bring up the Knight in front of them, and - although Juno showed up and then everyone kind of was like [concern noise].
Kit (as Birdie): [uncomfortable soft laugh]
Kit: Birdie will sigh and will take three long swigs of her Gray Talon.
Kit (as Birdie): Um, yeah, yeah, they don't. Um, it's kind of like been a thing since before I even left, though, so I guess I haven't really thought about it much. You just like wondering about it in general or did you have like, a -
Sydney (as Cassidy): So I guess - [sigh]
Sydney: Cassidy gives a look around the room and makes sure that there's no one sitting nearby that's gonna pick up the conversation - though, she kind of assumes that everywhere in Sasnak is bugged at this point.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Um I guess, like the Knight is not something that needs to be casually known about in any detail by anyone that doesn't need to know.
Kit (as Birdie): Mhm.
Sydney (as Cassidy): So Winifred knows, because Winifred needed to because she was the one that we're trusting to diagnose and fix the problems. Uh~ do we need to be concerned that the twins or the other, like, if Winifred isn't trusting everyone, do we need to have that same level of not trusting of your family? Like,
Kit (as Birdie): Uhm.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I'm assuming we're trusting Winifred because we're already trusting Winifred.
Kit (as Birdie): I hate to give you this answer, but it's pretty complicated. Um.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Oh good.
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah, unfortunately. Yeah so [sigh], I trust Winifred a lot, and it's always been that way, but Winifred has a habit of being secretive about her own agendas, and that's just how it's always been. I don't think it's ever been to a point where I think that she would ever choose her own personal agenda over one of us, but it's it's been a source of distrust within my family for a while. Like we wouldn't know about things that she was doing until after she had done them, and then we realized that she wanted us to take a job, not only because the pay was good and maybe another reason, but also because, in the long run, it helped her own goals.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Well, like, what is, what is she trying to do, I guess?
Kit (as Birdie): With this? With, with our -
Sydney (as Cassidy): Well uh in the past, with now, like - I mean, she's helping you I guess because you asked for help, right?
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah.
Sydney (as Cassidy): We don't necessarily - like we have to trust someone.
Kit (as Birdie): And you should trust Winifred.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Okay.
Kit (as Birdie): She just, she'll always kind of have her own things happening, and that's just part of working with her. She's doing this with us because I asked, and because this is something - it pertains to something that matters to her. But I'm sure that she has another reason. I don't think that it would be anything to harm us.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I mean she's qualified to do it. Yeah.
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah.
Sydney (as Cassidy): So but Juno sitting around the table is also like, 'I am up to all kinds of these - I've got my own stuff going on,' but in a way that Winifred doesn't trust, so - and Juno works with the Domes, I guess?
Kit (as Birdie): That's the reason that it's hard to trust them - which sounds really messed up, but we always said that we'd never work with the Domes, because they were the ones screwing things up, making our lives harder, and, you know, making it so that we - I don't know. It's hard, because Juno has kind of always had their own agenda, but in a different way. It's not just like working with us so that they can also work on projects that benefit them in the long run, but literally just isolating themselves and working alone. After a certain point, I was maybe like 12 or 13, when they stopped coming around as much. I don't know, they got this entry level mechanics or computer or something position with the Domes and there was this massive fight about it and it was, it wasn't - things weren't the same afterwards, even if we sort of made up about it eventually, it was just - I mean, it was the same with Zan in a way too. It's, it's hard to not take money and stuff where you can get it.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Sure.
Kit (as Birdie): After - we're mercenaries. Who are we to say what's morally right? But [sigh]
Sydney (as Cassidy): I guess there's jobs you feel good afterwards, and there's jobs that the way that you feel good afterwards is feeling the money in your pocket.
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah, so I don't know. I know the least about Juno I feel out of everyone, but yeah, it's always going to be a little hard, because to some degree, they were choosing to isolate themselves from us, even if, in their mind it's to do this grand plan - still sucked. You know we're still their family.
Sydney (as Cassidy): And this was all even before you? Like before the accident?
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah, by several years.
Sydney: Cassidy chews on her lip a little bit.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I mean, like - this is cynical mercenary Cassidy for a second, I guess. Do we - do you still trust everyone enough to let them have access to everything? Do we need to follow Winifred's lead and like not talk about certain things? Or
Kit (as Birdie): I trust Janus. A lot. Probably the most after Winifred, so I don't think that she'd ever be an issue.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Janus I guess has a family too. The more attachments you have, the more things you have to lose.
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah. I worry about Juno knowing about things like what's in our storage unit and all that, because I don't know what they're doing. I don't know who they're working for exactly, and I mean, that's like, that the kind of tech that it is, it's - I don't know how they would react to that. I don't know what it would - I don't know how they would do.
Sydney (as Cassidy): There's not going to be like, negative feelings for that we are working for Opal?
Sydney: And Cassidy tilts her head sideways at Birdie while she says this, because that's maybe not all they're working for.
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah, that's where it that's where it gets complicated again, I guess. Part of doing X Biking in the big leagues is having a big sponsor, and part of doing the work that we're doing here is needing to collaborate with people like Opal.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I mean, they have the money and the jobs. As the Patina we don't really care~? I mean, I guess we care on moral grounds if we get asked to do anything that we don't like, but
Kit (as Birdie): I mean, yeah, it makes me feel shitty to knowingly benefit them, which is why it's nice that we have that we get to refuse jobs thing. But, yeah, I don't know. It's the difference between us doing a favor for Opal that really doesn't do much in the grand scheme of things and alter much for people who were living like how my family was, versus actively working to benefit their cause. Doing Opal's stupid skullduggery things like her chores, that doesn't even bother me as much as if we were, say like people who went out there to tell everyone how amazing she was, or look at all the good work that she's doing, you know?
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah. I mean, I yeah, maybe there's a question for you too, is like we have now entered Sasnak society. People know who we are, and that means they may want stuff from us. [laugh]
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah, I don't know.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I mean, my stance is I want to accomplish what we came here for, and I'd like to feel good when we leave.
Kit (as Birdie): It's kind of impossible to really do anything in Sasnak and then feel good about it, I think.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Well I didn't feel too bad after last time, but maybe that was because everything was tied up in feeling very mixed feelings about leaving Gwendolyn.
Kit (as Birdie): Hmm. Yeah.
Sydney (as Cassidy): She was maybe right to stay here too, considering everything else that happened afterwards, but
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah. I don't know.
Sydney: Cassidy goes to take one more sip, and then ends up finishing the drink and then puts it on the floor and crushes it under her boot.
Kit (as Birdie): [laugh] Yeah, I don't know. Maybe I'm thinking too much about it, but I mean that's just how it's always been. Zan and I completely fell out over things like this. So
Sydney (as Cassidy): Well Zan was doing X Bike, right? X Bike stuff. Did they ever end up getting sponsored?
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah, that was why we had the falling out.
Sydney: Cassidy goes across the room to grab another beer and then leans against the table that's nearby.
Kit (as Birdie): Zan was getting money from the Drain Boys and -
Sydney (as Cassidy): I mean, that's not a council person, I guess.
Kit (as Birdie): No, but -
Sydney (as Cassidy): [soft laugh] Is that better or worse?
Kit (as Birdie): It's worse in my opinion. I mean, we did some horrible jobs for them, just - not horrible in like, the moral way, but just horrible in the way that you're hiring teenagers to do this job instead of -
Sydney (as Cassidy): The adults would say no?
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah or who can get paid more for it, because they don't need it as much. They don't need the money as much. You're you're hiring people who can't say no.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [disgusted horse noise]
Kit (as Birdie): I just I couldn't- I couldn't deal with that, and I got really angry at them a lot about it. Of course, they got sponsored by a council person here, or whatever, but that was just like - I don't know, to me, it was a massive deal at the time. I just - yeah. I think that to get money on Sasnak, unless you're working at a Patch, there's no way to really do perfect net good.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Everything is politics and working your way through the machine to get where you want.
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah.
Sydney: Cassidy throws an arm out to gesture at the machine that is Sasnak.
Sydney (as Cassidy): It's got some big motors too. So,
Kit (as Birdie): [laugh] Yeah, literally and figuratively.
Sydney (as Cassidy): What about Vaus?
Kit (as Birdie): Vaus didn't really care.
Sydney (as Cassidy): About Zan? or about you? or
Kit (as Birdie): Just about what the group was doing. I mean, Vaus and I were probably the closest out of any of us. Zan took a different route of isolating themselves and was surrounding themselves with other people, you know? Juno wanted to spend time with their machines and Zan wanted to be famous.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Because Vaus and Zan were together?
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah, yeah. And Vaus only really knew what Zan told them about the group until right up to the the accident, as far as I know, but Vaus understood where I was coming from when I fought with Zan, but I don't think that they had really positive viewpoints of the other three. Vaus is impartial. Vaus serves their own agenda.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Vaus is here for the tea.
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah, I don't know. I think that they're always going to be the hardest to read. I'll never really know why they do anything that they do, because if you ask them, what they're going to do is they're going to look at you and smile and not respond, because they can just opt out of doing that, and no one questions them because they're Vaus.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Convenient power.
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah. So
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah I was like, I like hanging out with them.
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah.
Sydney (as Cassidy): But in the context I guess of this conversation, and we can talk about this later, whatever, just I raise it with you now, because we, we know we don't, we don't have to engage in all of the group politics and opinions and everything. But like, if we don't know what Vaus' motivations are - like, is that fine?
Kit (as Birdie): If any secret is kept from Vaus, they'll eventually figure it out anyways. That's what I've come to know, is that they know enough people in the city and they hear enough because people just tell them things, assuming that all they're going to do is keep quiet about it, which is normal for them actually, it's not like a - that's not misconstruing their character at all. I mean [laugh], fuck, they probably already know what we have in storage at this point. I don't think that there's any reason to not trust them. I think that, in a way, the way that they've done things this far, i.e. not telling Winifred or Juno about the fact that I was alive - it was their way of giving me my own time to come back. They've always cared in their own way, so I don't, I don't distrust them. I don't think we have any reason to distrust them. They don't have anyone else to be loyal to anymore, besides us - the Foundlings, I mean. They're really big on the memory thing. I don't think that they're really ever going to move on from Zan, so I don't think that they'd do anything that would have upset them when they were still around. So
Sydney (as Cassidy): So Juno I guess then is just, is the wild card?
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Like, it's probably fine. I just -
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah. I don't think that if they found out that they do anything, I just don't know them anymore.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah.
Kit (as Birdie): So yeah.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Well Janus, I'm sure, is a great judge of character, and if they've been having weekly family dinners, then unless Juno's like a master of disguise and relates nothing of their real life.
Kit (as Birdie): [giggle] I'd like to see Juno try and dress up like Janus. It'd be really funny. Or at least, just even act like - I think if Juno tried to act like Janus, I like they'd blow a blood vessel in their brain or something like that.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [laughing]
Kit (as Birdie): [laugh] Lovingly, of course. But
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah, yeah.
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah. Janus and Vaus seem to have gotten on well, which I'm glad for.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I know, you've been - you were gone a long time. It's a lot of feelings everywhere that we kind of get a front row seat to.
Kit (as Birdie): [laugh] Sorry about that.
Sydney (as Cassidy): We also kind of expected it. That's why we are here.
Sydney: And Cassidy sits down next to Birdie and puts out a hand.
Sydney (as Cassidy): To support you.
Kit (as Birdie): Aww. Thank you.
Kit: And Birdie will set down her Gray Talon and take Cassidy's hand and pull her into a hug and squeeze her extra tight.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Oof.
Kit (as Birdie): Oh, come on, I'm not that strong.
Sydney: Cassidy with her hand that's not holding an open can gives Birdie a bear hug.
Kit (as Birdie): Awww.
Nick: One of the X Bikers from across the room goes
Nick (as X Bike Rider): Gay~!
Kit (as Birdie): Shut up. I fucked your mom!
Sydney (as Cassidy): You would be too, if you saw what was under the sweatshirt.
Kit: Birdie sticks her tongue out.
Nick: So a day has passed since the X Bike race and while the Patina has been dealing with some mild attention due to their success, it has been relatively quiet until you receive a summons, officially as a mercenary company under the employ of counselor Opal, summoning the entirety of your employee membership to meet for contractual obligations. This is handed to you by a messenger who meets up with you at the garage, issuing this summons and making a special care to physically hand the letter to Emma and acknowledge that Emma is holding the paper before they run off without any more explanation, but the group has been summoned to Opal's head office as soon as possible, is what this letter says.
So the Patina arrives at Opal's office. You all are shown into Opal's office by a dour looking footman who does not stay to take a drink order and for those of you who came for the original negotiation, Opal's office looks pretty much unchanged from the last time - still lots of wood paneling and ornate furniture. There are noticeably fewer employees in the office in general, and Opal appears to be here alone.
Cameron: As the Patina is led into Opal's office, she looks up from the large stack of paperwork that she's obviously been going through on her desk and smiles politely and just gestures everyone towards the chairs that are in front of her desk and finishes signing off on whatever she's currently working on.
Cameron (as Opal): Good morning.
Kit (as Birdie): Good morning.
Cameron (as Emma): Good morning.
Cameron (as Opal): I'm so glad you could make it. Let me just set this over here for the moment. All right.
Kit (as Birdie): Wouldn't miss it for the world.
Cameron (as Opal): Perfect, because I have identified the first job that I would like to request that you perform for me.
Kit: Birdie will look at everyone in the group then realize that she might be the one talking [laugh] for the meeting.
Penn: Marathon gives a stony look like she's trying to stand very, very still and tough with her arms crossed.
Sydney: Cassidy takes a deep breath and is not going to snark first thing in this meeting about not being congratulated on their win in her honor.
Kit (as Birdie): Um, perfect. What is it?
Cameron (as Opal): Well, so there's an item I need you to procure and, while I know we discussed previously that, of course, this job will be paid separate from the X Biking contract bit, but I also wanted to add in on top of the I don't know, job pay, whatever, the money for this - I don't know I was thinking like hazard pay, but it's not like, it's just, I'm doing - I'm paying you to do a job. I don't know. [recenters] Based on your excellent performance at the most recent race, I do think that with just a few string pulls, I can get you very quickly promoted to the Champion League. As kind of a trade off of, yes, I am - I realize it is, it is early on in your X Biking season, but I am pulling you away, so I do not want you to feel as if I am sabotaging your efforts there either, as both are obviously important to me, but
Sydney: Cassidy gives a vindicated nod.
Cameron (as Opal): Excellent. So you I - if I'm remembering it correctly, you are the one,
Cameron: She says, pointing at Birdie,
Cameron (as Opal): - from Sasnak? The rest of you are new here.
Kit (as Birdie): Yes.
Cameron (as Opal): Right, so I assume, having grown up here, you are familiar with the Drain Boys, yes?
Kit (as Birdie): Yes, I am.
Cameron (as Opal): Mhm. So the the item that I wish for you to procure for me is located in the Guts and does require passing several Drain Boy checkpoints, and um unfortunately, due to past incidents we'll say, the Drain Boys are no longer allowing my private security into the Guts. Um, as apparently it's too violent, which I find just rich coming from them.
Kit (as Birdie): [giggle]
Cameron (as Opal): So the goal of this would be for you to be able to procure this item as you are not officially part of my security force, and ideally not raise any suspicion from the Drain Boys to [sigh] just keep them off of everyone's back and just away from them and not have to deal with them.
Kit (as Birdie): And may I ask what this item is?
Cameron (as Opal): Yes. So
Cameron: She starts shuffling through the stacks of papers on her desk, and finally finds - it's not blueprints, but it's a white paper about a piece of technology. And she pulls it out.
Cameron (as Opal): So it is, it's a circuit key. Um you are the mechanic?
Cameron: And she holds it out towards Emma, and Emma nods, and reaches forward and takes it and starts reading to herself in this stack of papers.
Cameron (as Opal): Um so it's a circuit key. I am aware of the location. I can provide you with maps as well as the last known whereabouts of these Drain Boy checkpoints that you would have to avoid or bypass in some other means. Yes, but that that is all of the details of the actual item itself, so you know what to look for. Find that's often helpful.
Kit (as Birdie): Just a little. [laugh]
Cameron (as Opal): [rich person closed mouth chuckle]
Kit (as Birdie): Emma, do you have any initial opinions, given that you probably know the most about what the actual item is? You know, me, I don't do computers.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah uh~ I mean, from just my incredibly quick scan of it, it's a small piece of tech, so I don't know of the difficulties of reaching it, but I think it would be able to be hidden relatively easily to allow for us to not notify the Drain Boys of our having it, I guess?
Kit (as Birdie): Okay, I don't personally have any qualms with what's been said so far.
Sydney (as Cassidy): So are the Drain Boys gonna shoot us on site because they know we're associated with you? Or,
Cameron (as Opal): No, that's the whole point of this is they don't know that you're associated with me, or you're just my X Bike team.
Sydney (as Cassidy): So why do we have to sneak past them? Can't we just walk?
Kit (as Birdie): That's the - yeah, we we would just be walking down there pretty much. Also, I know the head of the Drain Boys, if he's still working there.
Cameron (as Opal): Your approach is up to you. Though they shouldn't - they're, while I'm not fond of them, they shouldn't just be violent on site to any random person they come across.
Kit (as Birdie): I don't think it would be hard to get past them at all.
Cameron (as Emma): Do you happen to know if the circuit key is actively plugged in to something at the moment or if it's just hiding?
Cameron (as Opal): Well, I haven't been down there myself to verify. Based on its function, no it should not be actively in use. If it is plugged in, it won't be active. But it is possible that it is attached to other machinery. But should, should be in a removable way that is not not causing any explosions or anything should one remove it. It should not be active. You wouldn't - it is not something you would want to leave active, as I'm sure you can see from the details provided there.
Kit (as Birdie): Could I be nosy and ask what you need it for?
Nick: Yeah, so Opal isn't wanting to give too much information, but that is at odds, as always, with needing you to get the job done - finding that balance. So why don't you roll me a hard Negotiation check Birdie, but with a blue die because you are an employee right now, so Opal does want you to succeed.
Cameron: Can I, as Emma, give Birdie an additional blue die because based on the information in the white paper, I could probably hazard a guess as to what it's doing so Opal's not as - the desire is not there to keep it back 100% because she just handed me all the technical information?
Nick: Yeah, you could give a blue die for that.
Kit: So that will be two yellows, one green, two blues and three purple. Three successes and a Triumph.
Nick: Yeah Birdie, if you can give a how you convince Opal that sharing as much information as possible would make sense, and then for the Triumph, probably you're gonna sweeten the pot as far as like payment for this, but I will let you all figure that piece out.
Kit (as Birdie): Um, I guess I'm just asking because we've had this deal about us having a right to discern whether or not we want to do one of your offers, and I think that we're we're just more likely to make the process easier and agree to your your terms as long as we know all the details.
Kit: And she'll smile real big.
Cameron (as Emma): From the papers it looks like it's - I mean, circuit key is a very good description for it. I think it is a, it's a, it's a key to an automatic door or something.
Cameron (as Opal): Yes, yes it is. In the in the interest of openness or whatever, it is indeed, as your friend said, it's a key. It controls an exterior hatch to the city and a ladder that lowers from it.
Kit (as Birdie): Hmm, that is useful.
Cameron (as Opal): Yes. And I would rather, much rather, I be the one in control of it.
Kit (as Birdie): I think that's fair. Does anyone have any qualms with this?
Kit: And Birdie will look behind her at Marathon and Cassidy.
Penn: Marathon, very stoically, gives a shake of her head.
Kit (as Birdie): Thank you, Marathon.
Sydney: Cassidy shrugs and shakes her head.
Kit (as Birdie): Perfect. Well, then I think that we're ready to look at the contract.
Cameron (as Emma): So I I know you said that we're nobody's here - we shouldn't have to worry about the Drain Boys being a violence concern at all, but we've heard a lot from Birdie's siblings about just like the dangers of the Guts - octopuses and like swarms of octopuses and stuff. Are we going to be good, just like walking down, following the map you give us to pick this up and heading back, or like, is there cause for other concern safety wise?
Cameron (as Opal): There are indeed many octopuses, as well as potentially other dangers. It is the Guts and you never know. So I did - I did think of that. Part of this contract I have added onto it that as you're technically already employed by me as the Patina from the original contract, just doing a temporary contracting position specifying that you are acting as part of my security team, which will grant you access to have weaponry legally, so that you can fight off any swarms of octopus or whatever you encounter.
Penn: Marathon's eyebrows raise.
Sydney: Cassidy's eyebrows raise in concert.
Kit: Birdie gets the most evil grin on her face.
Cameron: Emma looks much calmer knowing that she's gonna have a sword when she goes up against octopuses.
Cameron (as Opal): So nothing, nothing, officially branding you as such, but we will have the paperwork here, and I'll have Barnaby give you, I don't know, cards or something that say that you're currently members of my force and thus are totally okay to have the weapons.
Sydney (as Cassidy): We have a license to kill octopuses.
Cameron (as Opal): Not specifically that, but yes, a license to have a weapon as a non citizen.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Does this extend, like is this only while in service to you on this particular job, or is it for the duration of our cooperation with you?
Cameron (as Opal): As long as you don't do something stupid?
Sydney (as Cassidy): Sure.
Cameron (as Opal): I think it is highly probable that you would need them again for any other jobs that I have planned or would have planned, so they are still probably not something you want to be wandering around Merchant's Alley with. But if you are to go into the Guts for any reason, or if you, if you want to keep a dagger in your boot or whatever, go for it.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Noted.
Kit (as Birdie): Hmm.
Cameron (as Opal): If it would reflect badly on me in any way, I will simply say that you were supposed to give the card back after you completed the job and you didn't and thus it is still your fault, and I am not to blame.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Of course.
Cameron (as Opal): Just so we're clear. I just want want everyone to be aware. Does that work for you? Are you amenable to performing this uh, fetch quest for me? Are you willing to perform this very serious and very dangerous mercenary job for me?
Sydney (as Cassidy): As very serious, very dangerous mercenaries, yes.
Kit (as Birdie): I second.
Penn (as Marathon): All in favor.
Cameron: Emma's continuing to read the paperwork and is nodding.
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah.
Cameron (as Opal): Very good. [calling out] Barnaby!
Nick: The door creaks open slowly and you see a large man wearing a three piece suit whose face looks like a basset hound shuffle into the room carrying a folio.
Nick (as Barnaby): Yes, ma'am?
Cameron (as Opal): We require the Patina's contract for the job, as well as the temporary security HR stuff.
Cameron: And Opal waves her hand as in like that is so far beneath what she cares about actually how that works.
Nick (as Barnaby): Fine. It's already been written up.
Nick: And he opens up the folio and starts to hand out carbon copy forms in triplicate.
Nick (as Barnaby): If you all could just sign at the bottom.
Cameron (as Opal): Do read it first. Do read it first. We hadn't discussed payment specifics yet, Barnaby. You had the contracts.
Nick (as Barnaby): Yes, it would be foolish to read something without signing it. That would -
Cameron (as Opal): Wait. Foolish to sign something without reading it, you mean?
Nick (as Barnaby): It would be foolish to sign something without reading it.
Cameron (as Opal): Indeed.
Nick (as Barnaby): Compensation is on page five, subsection C. It's a standard contract. Just remember, we keep the white, yellow and green forms, you keep the pink
Kit: Birdie is going to flick to the compensation page. [laugh]
Nick: The compensation clause states that this would count as one of the contractually obligated tasks that you have to do for Opal. It also does note in a subsection that you can refuse as many tasks as you want, but before the contract is completed, you have to accept at least two jobs. The compensation does offer you seven triangles, which is a lot of money. Those of you who have been paying attention to the Patina's funds, you have noticed that the healthy amount of money that you collected, some would say stole, from the Rust has begun to dwindle, just due to how expensive everything is here on Sasnak. This would refill that supply pretty fully. And with that Triumph that you rolled in the negotiation, Opal is going to already add a modification to the contract, which is that she is going to offer you all - she recently acquired some parts for X Bikes through a hostile takeover, and she's going to let you all have dibs on those to upgrade your bikes so you don't have to buy anything.
Cameron: As the Patina is looking through the contracts and looking at page five of the compensation, Opal looks over to Barnaby.
Cameron (as Opal): Terribly sorry, but I do think I'm going to make you update it.
Cameron: And then turns to look at the Patina.
Cameron (as Opal): So as was noted earlier, this is - the access provided by this circuit key is something that I am very keen to have be under my control and not under anyone else's. I would like to add some additional incentives in the form of X Bike parts that I have acquired. I don't know what they're called - you would have to look at that.
Cameron: And take gestures towards Emma.
Cameron (as Opal): But they were from a, we'll say previously well funded team, so they should be nice. I don't know.
Kit (as Birdie): I'd be happy to accept those terms. Does anyone have any addendums that they'd also like to make?
Penn: Marathon had leaned just slightly over Emma's shoulder to try and read along with the contract. And then slowly, as Emma's flipping through much faster than Marathon's reading speed, her eyes go a little wide, and then she just moves back to standing straight up. And after hearing Birdie say this, she just shakes her head, almost anxiously.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I'm not going to turn down.
Cameron (as Emma): I mean, I would, I would be grateful for more X Bike parts. That's something that an X Bike team always can have use for.
Cameron (as Opal): Very good. As I said before, terribly sorry, Barnaby, but could you update that?
Nick (as Barnaby): Yes, ma'am.
Kit (as Birdie): Thank you, Barnaby.
Nick (as Barnaby): Give me some time to rewrite the entire contract from scratch.
Cameron (as Opal): Gosh, you don't have to do that. Reginald -
Nick (as Barnaby): [interrupting] That's what we -
Cameron (as Opal): [cutting off] Reginald - No, no. Reginald has the list of all of the parts that I hmm, acquired. Add that to it. I believe there's already a title on it. Just add that it also includes that.
Nick (as Barnaby): As you say, ma'am.
Cameron (as Opal): And the parts will be delivered to the garage.
Nick (as Barnaby): As you say, ma'am.
Nick: And he slouches out of the room and there is a long, awkward pause as you hear him speaking in low tones somewhere outside and trying to get the paperwork together.
Sydney (as Reginald): Yes, my lord.
Cameron: Opal looks tired.
Nick: After a few minutes, he shuffles back in with what looks to be an identical folio, but he hands out a new contract to everybody and says
Nick (as Barnaby): You could just throw the old one away. It's now pointless, since it was already corrected.
Sydney: Cassidy flips through only looking for the places where they differ.
Cameron: Emma flips immediately to the parts list that is now included and starts looking over that.
Nick: Yeah, just like Opal said, Barnaby did take a parts list and just addend it to the compensation clause, and it is a wide range of parts. The source of Opal's procurement is blacked out like it's confidential, but looking at it as a mechanic Emma, there is enough stuff here that you realize the limitation is going to be how much stuff you can fit, not the amount of stuff. You're going to be able to do some pretty intense customization with this. It's a very helpful windfall.
Cameron: Emma is nodding and looking quite pleased.
Cameron (as Opal): Right, so if you don't have any other - [soft laugh] if you don't have anything else you would like Barnaby to change on them. Barnaby, do you have pens so they can sign?
Kit (as Birdie): Maybe a feather quill?
Nick: His mouth slowly falls open and you can see the wheels turning.
Nick (as Barnaby): I'll go and fetch some writing implements, ma'am.
Cameron (as Opal): No, that's that's fine. They can use mine.
Nick (as Barnaby): No, no, no, I -
Cameron: And Opal opens a desk drawer and pulls out a feather pen and passes it to Birdie.
Nick (as Barnaby): I insist.
Kit (as Birdie): Oh, you just had one of these.
Cameron (as Opal): Yes, they're very - they make you feel just, I don't know, powerful.
Kit (as Birdie): I agree.
Kit: And Birdie will sign her contract and then hand it to Emma.
Cameron: Emma signs and then goes back to the parts list and passes the feather over a shoulder to Marathon.
Penn: Marathon looks like a deer in the headlights, but signs her initials.
Sydney: Cassidy plucks the quill from Marathon's fingers and signs her full name.
Cameron (as Opal): Right. Barnaby, do you have the cards?
Nick (as Barnaby): They're in your top drawer ma'am.
Cameron (as Opal): Oh!
Nick (as Barnaby): As requested.
Cameron: Opal spins and pulls open a drawer.
Cameron (as Opal): Oh yes, they are. You're right.
Cameron: And removes them.
Sydney: Cassidy motions to hand the quill back to Opal so that there's not ink all over her desk.
Cameron (as Opal): Oh one moment you'll need it for a minute because you have to sign your cards as well.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Ah.
Cameron: And she passes Cassidy a stack of four, two by three cards that identify them as part of the Opal Corp Security Office, and on the back has very descriptive contract language declaring you eligible to carry a weapon within Sasnak city limits.
Cameron (as Opal): There's just a line you'll need to sign on the back of those while you've got the pen.
Sydney: Cassidy stubbornly gives it a read and then signs and hands the quill back to Marathon.
Penn: Marathon just immediately signs it, still kind of stunned, and passes the pen on.
Cameron: Emma takes a look at the two remaining cards, and while reading, passes one over to Birdie and then quickly finishes reading and signs it and passes the pen over too.
Kit: Birdie has already seen one of these cards in the past, and so she just signs hers without reading it.
Cameron: Opal accepts the pen back from Birdie and replaces it in her desk.
Cameron (as Opal): If you are asked by any officials - outside of the Drain Boys, obviously per previous conversation - if you are asked about any weaponry you may be carrying, present that and should be good. Otherwise, keep it hidden.
Kit (as Birdie): Thank you.
Cameron (as Opal): Oh, you need the map. Hold on.
Kit (as Birdie): That would be another good thing.
Cameron: She shuffles through papers again and pulls out a paper folder and hands that over to Birdie.
Cameron (as Opal): Maps in there, as well as any other details I could provide about which tunnels are collapsed and what not.
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah, I know where this is.
Sydney: Cassidy reaches to take the map.
Kit (as Birdie): [younger sibling groan] Let me look!
Kit: Birdie will pull the map away really quick because she recognizes that some of the tunnels that she used to take have now collapsed or have been redone in different branching forms.
Sydney: Cassidy puts her shoulder up against Birdie and holds the map between them -
Kit (as Birdie): [groan]
Sydney: - in a siblings trying to squeeze into the backseat way.
Cameron (as Opal): [confused and concerned] Do I need to make a copy of the map?
Kit (as Birdie): No, it's okay.
Penn (as Marathon): I mean, if you're offering.
Cameron (as Opal): Would that, would that make you feel better, Tall One?
Penn (as Marathon): Yes.
Cameron (as Opal): I'm sorry. I don't know if I ever actually learned your name. You didn't come to the contract signing.
Penn (as Marathon): [awkwardly clears throat]
Cameron (as Opal): But you were very right about Miss Shards racing skills. So good on you.
Penn (as Marathon): Yes, I was Thank you. Thank you. You can just - Tall One's fine by me, but we, I think another map would be a smart idea if you're offering for free.
Cameron (as Opal): Yes, of course. On your way out, if you stop and see Reginald, he can make a copy of it for you. Or four. However many you think you need to keep the peace. That's fine.
Kit: Birdie will let go of her edge.
Kit (as Birdie): I'm good.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Oh are you sure? You're not -
Kit (as Birdie): I know where this is.
Sydney (as Cassidy): But, but there's another page.
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah, if we take the entrance that I know, then I know how to get there. Hasn't been that long.
Cameron (as Emma): I think I'm trusting Birdie more on this one, Cass.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [grumpy but maps are my thing] Okay.
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah, this doesn't, this also doesn't have all the areas where the vents are that I used to take, which I should still fit.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Then we need to make bigger maps.
Cameron (as Opal): Oh, the lawlessness of youth.
Sydney (as Cassidy): And the smaller size.
Cameron (as Opal): Anyway, thank you for coming in today.
Kit (as Birdie): Yep, pleasure doing business with you.
Nick: So the Patina leaves the office, stops to get photocopies made of the maps and paperwork, drops off the blue, white and green copies, and keeps the pink copy of their contracts. You all now know where you need to go in general, and you have clearance to get weapons, so you make your way down to the garage where the rig is kept. Everything is still in order. You're able to open the garage door with no problems. No one stops you. There's no evidence of tampering with your possessions, and you're able to arm up as heavily as you need to. And as you are leaving the parking spot in short term parking, there is a sealed envelope of another letter, formalized communication, exactly like the one that Opal sent to you with a messenger, but this one has a very complex seal stamped on the front that appears to be a wild tech circuit board pattern in the shape of a snake eating its own tail. And as you open up the envelope, you see a simple typed message. 'We need to talk' signed. 'Wander'.
Kit (as Birdie): [groan] Yeah, okay, whatever.
[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