The Patina takes care of their wounds, both physical and emotional.
The Patina takes care of their wounds, both physical and emotional.
Cast:
- Marathon Messenger is played by Penn Van Batavia. She's an indie TTRPG designer who just launched a new game, Wasmannian, a solo RPG about bees, wasps, and otherness in a binary world. You can find Penn on Twitter at @acquiredchaste.
- Cassidy Shard is played by Sydney Whittington. She also edits the show. 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.
- Our GM and narrator is Nick Robertson. Find him on Twitter at @alias58. Nick is also the GM for Tabletop Squadron. Nick 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.
- Foley class » dirt spray 1.wav by Halleck. Link & License.
- Hopefully (ID 515) by Lobo Loco. 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 2 Episode 37: We’re Gonna Go Be Heroes
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.
Cameron: Cameron Robertson as Emma Blackwood.
Sydney: Sydney Whittington as Cassidy Shard.
Nick: Nick Robertson as GM and Narrator.
Sydney: Hello listeners, this is your editor, Sydney, with today’s messages:
Thanks for hanging out with us! We’re glad you can join us for our new episodes every two weeks, or if you’re a backlog listener, we’re glad you can enjoy the show at your own pace, whether that’s a stately procession or a no-sleep full-on content binge. Also, a fun fact about these last few episodes: the name Jorb Tunnels actually came from a Patreon NPC submission! And if you too want to name an NPC (and have us twist the characterization their name implies, sorry not sorry), 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 2, Episode 37: We’re Gonna Go Be Heroes. 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, I parted ways with the Patina. Um. After a particularly uh, tense conflict between the Rust and the Patina over whether or not to do a shakedown and potential attack on a caravan of others in the same area as us. Things got pretty bad pretty fast. Marathon pushed Kelsey, Juliana shot Cassidy. Everything kind of happened pretty fast and luckily I was able to get Kelsey to de-escalate the situation but I ultimately chose to leave the Patina... so...yeah.
[radio static]
Episode Start:
Nick: The sun beats down hot above the remaining members of the Patina. As Emma works to bandage Cassidy's gunshot wound, the group watches the Rust as they disappear around a low hill chasing after the merchant caravan that caused the division between the two mercenary companies and taking Birdie with them.
Penn (as Marathon): Dirt. [yelling] Dirt! I can't believe Birdie left!
Penn: Marathon is pacing back and forth, while I assume Cassidy is still on the ground.
Sydney: Cassidy is sitting half leaned back into Emma's lap [laughing] where she can work without being totally on the ground.
Cameron: So Emma's kneeling so that Cassidy can lay angled up on her thighs, and is slowly cutting away the shirt so that she can get the gunshot wound in her shoulder.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [pained sigh] Marathon what the fuck did you think was gonna happen? You shoved their captain off the cliff in the middle of [incredulous laughter] orders being given?
Penn (as Marathon): I don't know. I thought y'all would like back me up when I was trying to confront her-
Sydney (as Cassidy): With what? Emma doesn't even have her sword.
Penn (as Marathon): Not like physically just like
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yes let's stand there, imposingly, in front of like nine mercenaries.
Penn (as Marathon): [sigh] Like, I don't know, just - they were gonna do something really bad.
Sydney (as Cassidy): And the way to stop that was to [laughing but not like haha] make them shoot me?
Penn (as Marathon): Look I-
Sydney (as Cassidy): And then let them still go do the thing anyway.
Penn (as Marathon): I don't know what to tell you.
Sydney (as Cassidy): There are other [pained laughter] kinds of interventions besides, 'hey, let's go pick a fight right now before any one's prepared for it from our side. We have one gun, we have no weapons. [breathing slightly heavy] Birdie's not even - Birdie's like, doing whatever.'
Penn (as Marathon): Are you okay, Cassidy? Like -
Sydney (as Cassidy): [overlapping] No, I have a hole in me, Marathon.
Cameron (as Emma): [overlapping] No she's not okay, Marathon.
Penn (as Marathon): Okay! Okay, she's on the ground - but is - are you stabilized? Do we need to get you out of here.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Where are you going to take me?
Cameron (as Emma): Where? Where would we take her?
Penn (as Marathon): The rig? I don't know.
Cameron (as Emma): They- I- it- it's fine.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Emma's already got the first aid gear battlefield triage. Whatever.
Penn (as Marathon): Yeah, so are we just, we just camping out here, or -?
Cameron (as Emma): I need to get Cassidy to stop bleeding before we do anything.
Penn (as Marathon): Okay. Okay.
Cameron (as Emma): So yeah.
Penn (as Marathon): Uh - What what do you still need?
Cameron (as Emma): Uh. For for Cassidy to stop bleeding.
Penn (as Marathon): Yeah.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah, I'm working on it.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Marathon, you've already done enough today. Let Emma take care of it.
Penn (as Marathon): Okay, I think I need to take a walk.
Penn: And Marathon is very exasperated and frantically just sets off in a random direction down the hill.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [sigh] This hurts Emma.
Cameron (as Emma): Ah, yeah, I know. I'm sorry. Uh~.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I didn't want a second bullet hole in - well, I guess it's been a year.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah. I mean, [soft laugh] the other one had time to heal.
Sydney (as Cassidy): It's not like I need this arm for anything.
Cameron (as Emma): Mm-mn. I mean, no, not important. Uh. The bullet did go all the way through so I don't have to dig it out. [forcing positivity]
Sydney (as Cassidy): [unforced sarcasm] Great.
Cameron (as Emma): If we're trying to be positive at the moment.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah.
Cameron (as Emma): I'm gonna have to stitch it shut though and that's gonna really fucking hurt.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah. And you get to do both sides.
Cameron (as Emma): Mhm. Yep. [sigh in I'm a mechanic not a doctor] Okay, let's, we'll do your back first so that you can keep applying pressure to the front.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah.
Cameron (as Emma): Does that work?
Sydney (as Cassidy): That -
Cameron (as Emma): Okay.
Sydney (as Cassidy): - seems reasonable.
Cameron (as Emma): All right, I'm gonna help you sit up. Sorry. [sympathetic laugh]
Sydney (as Cassidy): Ow. [pained laugh]
Cameron: Emma's gently helping push Cassidy up from her right shoulder.
Cameron (as Emma): [sigh] And I'm gonna, I'm gonna have to cut away more of your shirt in the back here.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah~. I think the shirt is kind of ruined anyway. It's all full of blood and it's got holes in it.
Cameron (as Emma): Mhm. It's for for ventilation, Cassidy.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah, great. It makes me go faster. All that extra blood loss makes me lighter.
Cameron (as Emma): [snort]
Sydney (as Cassidy): But yeah, I'm not gonna I can't do anything with the shirt that can get over my head. I can't move this arm.
Cameron (as Emma): Alright.
Cameron: Emma takes out a knife and starts cutting away at the back of Cassidy shirt, basically revealing her entire left shoulder so she has full access to it.
Cameron (as Emma): All right um. So you talk, I'm going to disinfect your shoulder.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Great.
Cameron (as Emma): All right. Just keep talking. It'll be fine.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [false cheer] Yeah, let's see. Um. I'm tired of~ [gets stuck on hard F noise in pain] having my [deep breath] crewmates run in and get themselves killed and get me shot it and hurt. [loud groan] I'm tired of having my crewmates leave in the middle of a fight. I mean, at least Birdie accomplished not letting us get killed.
Cameron (as Emma): Leaving in the middle of a fight-fight or leaving in the middle of the fight that is happening right now? And this is - this is about to hurt.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I'm just ranting to the - [sharp inhale and pained noise] - the open air around me about how often this keeps happening. Ah~.
Penn (as Marathon): The grass rustles as Marathon starts stomping back up the hill.
Penn (as Marathon): [real worked up] Look Cassidy - I'm sorry you got shot, but I didn't shoot you. I had to intervene. There was, it was like - I -there was stuff wrong. And I'm sorry.
Sydney (as Cassidy): And you're gonna throw the [upset laughter] name of my dead crewmates around as the source of your moral imperative.
Penn (as Marathon): I don't know wha- you know, things were getting really cloudy okay? I was - I'm trying, I'm just trying to do the right thing out here and not let some innocent people die. I'm sorry you got shot but I - we stopped them.
Sydney (as Cassidy): You don't have to immediately like, running in and trying to do the first thing that comes to mind is how you die. Ask me how I know that. Ask me how I got this scar that's on my eye.
Penn (as Marathon): How'd you get that scar on your eye Miss Cassidy?
Sydney (as Cassidy): This is not my first crew. [sigh] Before I joined the Patina,
Penn: Marathon stares, glaringly.
Sydney (as Cassidy): One time, I met a group of jazz musicians in Mellowtone and I joined up as their bodyguard. They hired me and we wandered around Mellowtone and the surrounding regions playing music. I learned piano, in fact. How helpful is that? In exchange, I taught them to fight. I taught them to use bows. I taught them to use a rifle - although we only had two rifles between all of us.
Penn (as Marathon): And you rushed in and I assume -
Sydney (as Cassidy): No guess. Yes. Guess who rushed in?
Penn (as Marathon): You.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Guess -
Penn (as Marathon): Right?
Sydney (as Cassidy): No~, I have common sense Marathon.
Penn: Marathon breaths out and looks away.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Turns out though, when [laugh] you teach people, yes, here's morals. Here's the ability to fight, to go try and right those morals, and then you go also remember, have some discipline and self control the first time that they're encounter a situation where they're, 'oh, look, it's time to go right a wrong. It's time to go be heroes.' Then they all run in. It's all it's - they don't even wait for me to be in position before they decide 'no, this is the chance we can't, we have to go stop this right now.' The five of them decided to go run in and [laugh] just jump on the bandit company that we had been trying to track down for three days. Of course, you know, the bandit company was quite well armed and had horses and had guns and sharp blades and more than six months of casual experience. You know, Priestly - now he was the sax player and Calamity they were the percussionist for our group - they had they had a really good rapport with each other. They died in the first 15 seconds of that engagement.
Penn (as Marathon): [regretting bringing up this trauma] Okay, Cassidy.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Sierra. She was the bass player. She could just sit there and groove. The way that she played the music would just warp around her she could make it do whatever she wanted.
Penn (as Marathon): Sorry, Cassidy.
Sydney (as Cassidy): After the charge broke, she tried to run away and got a spear through the back from someone on horseback. Charles was the trumpet player. He had some really high range, he he actually managed to do a stand up fight with one of their swordsman, but I don't teach sword fighting, so he lasted - it was an impressive like 45 seconds before getting run through.
Penn: Marathon's gritting her teeth and staring down.
Sydney: Cassidy pushes herself up with her one good arm and walks over and points directly at Marathon.
Cameron (as Emma): [annoyed nurse] Cassidy.
Sydney (as Cassidy): My best friend Tyner bled out on that field while I [sad laugh] forced the rest of the bandits away. [sigh] And I went back and I got to hold him while he bled out in my arms. He was a really good piano player.
Penn (as Marathon): Sorry Cassidy. That really sucks, okay? But, and I'm sorry you have like so much trauma associated to this job, but isn't that, like what are what are we here to do if they're about to kill some innocent people to rob some stuff? Like is that is not not one of the reasons we're out here to stop that? Like what was I supposed to do? Watch them do it? Oh, they killed three people. Now it's time to stop. You know, now it's time to get in there.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Marathon. Remember when I saw that they had a radio antenna and that we could warn them? There are there are other ways to intervene besides picking a fight that we can't win. You don't have to they're- [laugh] exercise some fucking self control. We are humans. We're not superhero, mythical creatures.
Sydney: Cassidy gestures to the hole on her shoulder that Emma had put two stitches in. It's not closed.
Penn (as Marathon): [fight has gone out of voice] Lay back down, Miss Cassidy.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [sigh]
Sydney: Cassidy turns and walks away. Not back towards Emma more kind of back towards the rig.
Penn (as Marathon): Fu-ck~.
Cameron (as Emma): [sigh] Cassidy~!
Sydney (as Cassidy): No we're gonna go be heroes. I could just go get on the motorcycle and I could drive after them and I could go shoot Juliana -
Penn (as Marathon): Cassidy lay back down!
Sydney (as Cassidy): I've got one good arm. I can brace against my shoulder. That's my trigger hand.
Cameron (as Emma): [sigh]
Sydney (as Cassidy): I'm still - I can still aim.
Penn (as Marathon): Oh my god, I get it okay? It was stupid. Okay, I shouldn't have done it. There was other ways. I just, I got overwhelmed in the moment.
Cameron: Emma is packing up the first aid kit, having made the determination that Cassidy is not coming back up the hill.
Penn (as Marathon): What the fuck are we gonna do about Birdie?
Sydney (as Cassidy): What is there to do about Birdie?
Cameron (as Emma): [sigh]
Sydney (as Cassidy): She stopped the fight. She accomplished more than you did.
Cameron (as Emma): Ouch.
Penn: Marathon looks down at her fists covered in blood and looks ashamedly off to the opposite side of where Cassidy is walking.
Cameron: Emma gathers up the first aid kit and stands up and walks down towards the hill passing Marathon on our way down door Cassidy that reaches up and puts her hand on Marathon's shoulder.
Cameron (as Emma): [emotionally stable friend voice] Birdie - Birdie is an adult and made her choice. If there - there's [sigh] - there's really nothing that we can do as much as I would like to. That's - we can't make her stay with us if she doesn't want to, Marathon.
Penn: Marathon's eyes are welled up a little bit as she's still trying to turn looked away.
Penn (as Marathon): Just lost another team, okay? I just - I just - wish she didn't leave.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah, me too.
Cameron: And Emma squeezes her shoulder.
Cameron (as Emma): And you didn't lose a full team.
Penn (as Marathon): That's true, I just just got one shot. Um. I'll see you down there, Emma.
Cameron (as Emma): All right. I'll I'll take care of Cassidy.
Cameron: And Emma walks off towards Cassidy.
Penn: Marathon gives a nod while still trying to look away before the movement drops a tear.
Sydney: Cassidy is leaning on the rig next to the motorcycle with her good arm. She knows that she probably - she would have a hard time pursuing them in her condition especially while she's not patched up, but it doesn't mean that she doesn't want to.
Cameron: As Emma approaches she's giving Cassidy a 'you're being ridiculous look' and points towards the back of the rig and goes
Cameron (as Emma): Sit.
Sydney: Cassidy goes and sits down on the back of the rig. Her head is spinning a little bit.
Cameron: Emma follows and starts unpacking the first aid kit again to continue patching of Cassidy.
Cameron (as Emma): Really? You're gonna, you're gonna ride the motorcycle like this?
Sydney (as Cassidy): No, I'm gonna sit on the roof of the rig and you're gonna drive me.
Cameron (as Emma): Not with only two stitches in your shoulder, I'm not. Turn around.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [groan]
Nick: As Emma works on Cassidy's wound, we leave the Patina and move to cover the widening distance between them and their former contract holders. We see the Rust as they are driving in quick pursuit of the merchant caravan that was rapidly escaping. Birdie you are in the sidecar of the motorcycle being piloted by Teno. The dust plume on the horizon that marks the merchant caravan is obscured by the dust being kicked up by the rest of the Rust. You found that you've had to pull your goggles down to protect your eyes. Over the sound of the motorcycle revving, the rumble of the tank and the other motorcycle leading the way, you're still able to speak with Teno.
Kit: Birdie's quiet for the present moment and is lost in thought because she's having to reevaluate a lot of things right now. So she's pretty much just staring off to the opposite side of where Teno is and watching the scenery pass by and picking at any loose fabric in the seat that she's sitting in.
Cameron: Teno keeps casting concerned looks at Birdie, but doesn't want to say anything to start a conversation to intrude, but definitely does want to say something, but doesn't want it. It's very complicated feeling.
Nick: Birdie as you're picking up the material you notice that there is a bright red handprint on the inside of the sidecar. At first you think it's blood but it's to read it is paint as though somebody left a reminder of themselves. And as you look at it closer, you see that there are scribbled initials below it that you can't make out.
Kit: Birdie takes a breath as long as she can manage to and then lets it out. And while still not really looking in Teno's direction, just saying loud enough so that Teno can still hear her.
Kit (as Birdie): I know you're looking at me. Do you want to ask me something? Or
Cameron (as Teno): Are you okay?
Kit (as Birdie): Well. Um. I'm physically fine. I'm -
Cameron (as Teno): That wasn't what I was asking about. [laugh]
Kit (as Birdie): I'm frustrated. Okay? I didn't think [sigh]- I didn't think that would go the way that it went. I thought that, at the very least, there would have been a plan or something. I'm not saying that the Patina was going to like, betray you guys or anything, but I just, there was more conflict than was necessary and I already don't like it. I'm just, I guess reluctant to head into more. Is there any way we can ask Kelsey to stop before we get to the caravan?
Cameron (as Teno): [I'm slightly scared of my boss laughter] No. No, because now she's pissed. So
Kit (as Birdie): I bet.
Cameron (as Teno): Yeah. I would be too if I got pushed down a hill. Um. But
Kit: [giggle] I think - I don't know. I don't think we're gonna be able to make up for that lost time. Caravan probably got the idea.
Cameron (as Teno): Yeah.
Kit (as Birdie): I know that I don't do work that they do, but they're good people and I [frustrated noise]. I guess I'm just trying to unpack so I don't explode or something.
Cameron (as Teno): Yes, please keep the explosions to a minimum while you're on my bike.
Kit (as Birdie): [soft laugh] Well I've got a backpack full.
Cameron (as Teno): Both literally and figuratively. Yeah.
Kit (as Birdie): [laugh] I'll wait for a better time, but no I think it'll be okay. I'm just [sigh] I guess I'm trying to plan out what I'm gonna do now. You know, I was only with them for a few months.
Cameron (as Teno): Mhm.
Nick: As you're having this conversation, Birdie, you see that the plume of dust that the Rust is chasing is shrinking. They're losing ground, and at some signal that you don't see, the Rust begins to slow before pulling to a loud stop. You're thrown against the front of the sidecar as Teno is forced to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the tank as it stops suddenly.
Kit (as Birdie): Ow.
Cameron (as Teno): Shit! Sorry.
Nick: Kelsey pops open the hatch of the tank and pulls herself smoothly out of the hatch sitting on the side of the armor and angrily throws a tool down into the dust with a hollow clang. And echoing off of this dry grassland you hear her shout,
Nick (as Kelsey): Well, shit! Wasted too much time with them - we're out everything after all that. Shit.
Kit: Birdie's going to get out of the sidecar probably much less smoothly. Her body's still kind of shaky from the adrenaline rush that she was just in, and she'll start walking towards where Kelsey is not super fast or urgently but just as if she's going to give a suggestion but wants to tread lightly.
Nick: Kelsey looks over. Her legs are still dangling down into the main body of the tank and you can hear a muffled voice from below.
Penn (as Jorb Tunnels): Ah, um Kel-Kelsey? Could you please [squished noises] move?
Nick (as Kelsey): Shut up Jorb.
Nick: And she kicks down into the tank and you hear -
Penn (as Jorb Tunnels): Hey!
Nick: - thumping noises. Before she pulls herself free, she makes a hand sign to the group to make camp here. Birdie to your experienced eye, this is not a good place to make camp. It's exposed, there's no cover or water, but you can see that Kelsey isn't making decisions with her mind right now. She is upset. She pulls herself all the way out of the tank and hops down. Even in this moment, you notice that she moves very smoothly with practiced strength and training as she walks over towards the motorcycle and addresses Teno.
Nick (as Kelsey): Well [sigh]. That money would have made for the whole year and here we are sitting in this dusty shithole. Teno, go ahead and make camp. If you could set up a pickit and get on the radio maybe see if you can get Mr. Fitzgerald on the horn, get him over here. We're not going to the rally point anymore. [sigh] It's a good thing I tripled the fee for that village or we would be eaten on half rations for the next month and a half.
Nick: Kelsey as though for the first time notices Birdie. Birdie you can see that she has a slight glisten on her brow from the heat inside the tank and her cheeks are flushed as she says,
Nick (as Kelsey): Well, I'm gonna be honest, I was not expecting you to come with us seeing as you already had gainful employment. What, what made you do it? Why are you here? Not that we're not happy to have you. You certainly improve the scenery.
Nick: And she smiles at you.
Kit: Birdie smiles a little and gives a half shrug.
Kit (as Birdie): This is the kind of work I do. I - I've been a mercenary for a long time, longer than a majority of the Patina and I guess I just kind of stopped kidding myself on what kind of stuff I do.
Nick: She smiles in a sharp way that you have not seen before and Kelsey barks a laugh.
Nick (as Kelsey): Those bitches are soft. Can you imagine that payday rolling down the street and you just let it go? I thought we had a deal. We had a contract. They backed out for what? Feelings? Can't feed a troupe with feelings.
Kit (as Birdie): [kinda likes feelings] Well. They have heart. Heart only gets you so far though.
Nick (as Kelsey): Heart doesn't get you anywhere. They always talk about the heart. The strong center are the people who lose. That's not us. We're glad you made an intelligent decision.
Nick: And Kelsey swings around to where the rest of the Rust are beginning to make camp. Birdie, you notice that Miranda, the researcher of the group - the accountant - the scientist - you're not exactly sure what she does, except that her specialty isn't combat - and she has been looking at you with a look almost of heartbreak, of disappointment, and turns away. You also see that even before setting up tents or making a fire, Felix is dabbing lightly at Juliana's face with a dirty rag and doing his best to stop the bleeding from where she was punched.
Kit (as Juliana): Felix if you don't get that damn rag off my head, I'm going to kill you.
Nick (as Felix): Well, you're getting blood everywhere.
Kit (as Juliana): Felix!
Nick: Okay, okay.
Kit: She starts shoving at him.
Nick: And as the Rust starts to bed down, you sense that most of the energy, most of the anger, is coming from Kelsey, but you can see frustration on the faces of a lot of the other members. Kelsey looks around the camp, making sure everything is going to be set up and she tears her shirt off, crumbles it into a ball and throws it down. She's wearing a tight sports bra underneath. And shouts to no one in particular,
Nick (as Kelsey): I'm going to work off some of this frustration. I'm going for a run. I'll be back. Make sure we don't get ambushed or murdered.
Nick: And she goes jogging off in some random direction around a hill.
Kit: While Kelsey's still in earshot, Birdie will say just loud enough for her to hear
Kit (as Birdie): You can always come by my tent later.
Kit: And Birdie would like to try and glean what information she can off of this mercenary troop. Things she might have to consider to be important if she's going to be staying with them for an extended period of time, where the important things are, where everyone stays around one another, the important stuff.
Nick: Sure, make me a Streetwise check at hard difficulty.
Kit: Given that we've spent two weeks around them, can I have a blue die?
Nick: You can have a blue die for your experience with this group.
Kit: Thank you. So that'll be three yellows, three purples and a blue. Oh, an advantage, a success, and a triumph.
Nick: Wow. So you get a very good feel for the layout. You can tell that this group has been together long enough they have a standardized way they set up camp. Most of the supplies get slid between the tracks of the tank somewhere that would be very difficult to sneak into camp to get to and you notice a lot of the food is kept in saddlebags on the motorcycles and that they tend to array their tents in a circle with the tank in the center. So what would you like to spend that triumph on?
Kit: Since Birdie's spent a solid two weeks around the Rust and still hasn't been able to go one place, she'd like to see the inside of the tank I think.
Nick: Sure.
Kit: Can she help Jorb out before she goes in?
Nick: Yeah, the group is all very busy. You're able to climb up onto the tank. Nobody challenges you. And through the open hatch you can see Jorb is struggling to get out. He's having a little trouble and looks a little out of it from when Kelsey kicked him.
Penn (as Jorb Tunnels): [sad noise]
Kit: Birdie will use one of the handholds around the opening of the tank and reach her hand down to Jorb.
Kit (as Birdie): You need some help?
Penn (as Jorb Tunnels): Oh ha. Thanks, baby bird.
Kit (as Birdie): You're welcome.
Kit: She looks a little reluctant like 'I told you not to- it's okay, it's whatever.'
Penn: Jorb gets pulled up on top of the tank, and looks pretty exhausted from the day's activities.
Penn (as Jorb Tunnels): Uh Birdie, I really don't want to go back in the tank and I left my hat and my bag down there - would be able to get it for me?
Kit (as Birdie): Of course. Where's your bag?
Penn (as Jorb Tunnels): It's just over by the lockbox and turret controls.
Kit (as Birdie): All righty. I'll get it for you.
Kit: And she's just smiling so sweetly while she gets down into the tank and will spot the lockbox pretty easily and then she'll grab both items that Jorb wanted and go back to the opening, go up the first few little rungs to get out and hand his stuff up to him.
Penn (as Jorb Tunnels): Thanks Birdie.
Kit (as Birdie): That's it?
Penn (as Jorb Tunnels): Yeah. Thank you, baby bird.
Nick: And Birdie you pull your way free and count yourself lucky that you never took your tent out of your backpack, that you keep it with you, even as you've worked with the Patina for as long as you did and you start to set up where you're going to bed down for the evening.
We see Emma and Cassidy still in the back of the rig. The medical treatment completed for now as the two of you decide what to do next and wait for hopefully Marathon to come back.
Cameron: Emma has finished applying first aid but has fetched her scissors from further into the rig and is cutting all of the nasty bloody pieces off of Cassidy's shirt in a nicer way so it's like a one shoulder top now, because she's not gonna be able to put on another shirt at the moment, but this one's kind of gross. So she's trying to cut away the nasty bits to make it as clean of a shirt as possible.
Sydney: Cassidy's shoulder is bear and with the adrenaline calmed down she looks calmer, but also a lot more aware of the general state of pain that she's in. Because being in shock from a gunshot wound definitely protects against some of that.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [said on a sigh] That's so many stitches, Emma.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah - there was a hole, in your shoulder.
Sydney (as Cassidy): But did you - were there more on my back? Was it just a bigger like big, chunky release hole? Lack of chunks? [groan of gross]
Cameron (as Emma): No, so much on the chunks. Um. I mean it was slightly bigger, but I was trying to line up your tattoo again so that it wouldn't be all weird, so
Sydney (as Cassidy): Okay.
Cameron (as Emma): There's a lot more back there.
Sydney (as Cassidy): That's, that's fair.
Cameron: I think we get a look at the stitches and they're even in the front. They are very small, neat stitches that are really close together, there's probably more of them than were necessary to keep it shut, but it's going to be super shut now. And then if we look over the back of Cassidy's shoulder, the bullet had gone through and detached one of the flowers from its stem and leaves and Emma has merged them back together and it's a little off now, but the flower is whole again, even if it's not exactly as it was.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [pained sigh]
Cameron (as Emma): Do you want me to wrap your shoulder or do you want to leave it free for a bit?
Sydney (as Cassidy): Are we - as much as I want to go on a revenge quest, I'm not sure -
Cameron (as Emma): Gonna go ahead and make the call -we're not doing the revenge quest.
Sydney (as Cassidy): But we could use the Knight to go flip the tank. I don't know if the Knights working. You're probably - I suppose I should have asked that before I said I should, we should go on a revenge quest.
Cameron (as Emma): Eh. The Knight is working on enough to flip the tank. It's it's still not pretty. But it's it'll it'll work. But no, we're not going to sneak into the camp that our friend is now at to get revenge.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Oh but Marathon is going to come back in and start yelling about morals and saying we can't let them keep going around and doing things.
Cameron (as Emma): I mean - [laughs]. So no - I'm not risking Birdie to go fuck with their stuff, BUT I also don't think that they're going to be in a position to uh~, accomplish all of those evil deeds that Marathon is scared they're going to do.
Sydney (as Cassidy): No because they're so scared of the Patina coming in to ruin their day.
Cameron: I think Emma reaches into her pocket, pulls out some items and hands over it says
Cameron (as Emma): Here, hold this. [accomplished laugh]
Sydney: Cassidy with her good arm takes a handful of components.
Cameron: It is a firing pin and just a handful of wires.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Uh hmm. Well this sure looks a lot like the firing pin in my rifle except, you know, like for shells as big as my hand.
Cameron (as Emma): That is a really weird coincidence.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah. Did they have a really big rifle? Kelsey, so strong that she needs a giant bolt action rifle but like, I don't - I'm - I don't have enough energy to finish that.
Cameron (as Emma): No. No. That's from the tank, Cassidy.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [confused noise] Okay, when did you get it from the tank?
Cameron (as Emma): While y'all were all fighting. I ran off down the hill. I went into the tank. I - it's not going to fire anymore. So they're going to be screwed the first time they tried to use it. [laugh]
Sydney (as Cassidy): Okay. Yeah, that is a fair reason why we don't need to go after them.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah, I didn't know Birdie was leading with them at the time. Um. But I'm going to trust that her explosives will keep her safe even if the guns not gonna keep the rest of the Rust safe.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [short laugh] Well and I guess we saw they're um, prone to being ambushed anyway.
Cameron (as Emma): Mhm. Yep, that's what I was thinking. Um, Jorb did see me but that's not going to help them at all, because I still have that and um, you know, not very common, firing pins for tanks.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah. Weird.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah.
Sydney (as Cassidy): No precision machine shops out here.
Cameron (as Emma): Mhnm. No, and it's a really weird thing to have a spare of too. [laugh]
Sydney (as Cassidy): Hmm. Yeah.
Cameron (as Emma): So I think it's fine. Yeah. Um.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [tired sigh]
Sydney: Cassidy leans her head on Emma's shoulder. She's exhausted.
Cameron (as Emma): [sigh] Okay, I don't have to wrap your arm, but you do need a sling for it so that you don't move it around.
Sydney: Well go better go grab the sling that we you know pre have sitting in the back of your workshop.
Cameron (as Emma): Um.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Next to all the screwdrivers I assume?
Cameron (as Emma): No, you know the the workshop didn't come with the sling that - the first aid kits kind of all that's there.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah.
Cameron (as Emma): But
Cameron: Emma shifts slowly so that Cassidy's head doesn't just fall when she moves and she has enough time to regain control of the weight of it as she steps away and she reaches down with her arms crossed and pulls her shirt off over her head and she is wearing her armored tunic underneath it, but she starts tearing her t shirt so that she can make a sling.
Penn: Marathon starts coming dazedly down the hill towards the rig and has been looking down at the ground and then as she looks up a little bit towards the remaining Patina, she sees Emma and Cassidy in this compromising position and gives a little disappointed huff to herself and looks back down to the ground as she approaches.
Sydney: Cassidy's eyebrows are raised and she's out of it enough that she doesn't exercise her typical amount of discretion at admiring.
Penn: As Marathon approaches, she stands awkwardly for a little bit before deciding to interject.
Penn (as Marathon): [clears throat] Hey, guys.
Cameron (as Emma): Hey.
Penn (as Marathon): Hey.
Sydney: Cassidy looks over at Marathon. Her expression immediately becoming guarded.
Penn (as Marathon): Um Cassidy I just wanted to uh, apologize for acting really stupid back there and also after you got shot, and um, yeah, I uh, I did not act intelligently and yeah, I'm sorry. Whatever kind of stuff - just tell me what you need for now that's like, I don't know. Yeah I - whatever you whatever y'all need, you know? I shouldn't have - I shoul- [sigh] I'm working on toning myself down for this kind of thing. It's hard to not go stupid hero mode with this kind of thing. I'm still getting the hang of it. I'm not as experienced as y'all, so um, yeah. I I'll hang back a little bit more in the future.
Cameron: Emma is finishing creating her rope of T shirt, I guess.
Cameron (as Emma): So your heart's in the right place.
Sydney: Cassidy lets out a deep sigh.
Sydney (as Cassidy): That's fine. You'll work on it.
Penn (as Marathon): It's not fine - you got shot Cassidy! You got shot. And yeah, I don't I don't - we got what's left of our team and I want to try and save that. I I don't want to do to you or to Emma what, you know, your your past teammates have had happen to them. So uh. What's [big sigh] what do I even say? Nothing. And yeah.
Cameron (as Emma): [low laugh] Next time a little warning before you throw someone off a cliff would be -
Penn (as Marathon): Yeah.
Cameron (as Emma): - appreciated.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah we didn't even we didn't even try talking first. You just went straight to cliff throwing.
Penn (as Marathon): I definitely I tried talking, but I um, am not good at that when I am like that. And so I'm
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah, you you did try to explain and were talking but then Kelsey kept talking back anytime you asked Cassidy and I to back you up, so we couldn't talk, so overall it wasn't a great situation because you you weren't getting the support from the two of us because we couldn't get a word in, but
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah if we know what the plan is we can have something prepared.
Cameron (as Emma): I can have a weapon on me. Like my sword.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I can not be standing right in the middle of them when they started shooting.
Penn (as Marathon): Yeah, sorry, I almost got killed Miss Cassidy.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [very much calmed down from earlier] Well don't do it again.
Penn: Marathon gives a humble salute.
Cameron (as Emma): Emma reaches over to Cassidy and grabs, gently, her left wrist and is like
Cameron (as Emma): Can you bend your arm up so that your hand is across your chest?
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah.
Cameron (as Emma): All right.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [groan]
Cameron: Emma is assisting so that Cassidy doesn't have to put all the weight through her shoulder.
Cameron (as Emma): All right. Can you hold it there on your own?
Sydney: Cassidy pins it with her other arm.
Cameron (as Emma): All right, that works.
Cameron: And Emma comes in close and reaches around Cassidy's back so that she can pull the sling that she's made over Cassidy's good shoulder and bring it around and tie it to where it's against her forearm so that her arm isn't shifting around a ton and tries to tie it as tight as she can without making Cassidy lose blood flow to her hand.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Well I appreciate the noble sacrifice of your shirt.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah we probably -
Penn (as Marathon): Yeah Emma you are ripped.
Cameron (as Emma): [surprised] Um. Thank you?
Penn (as Marathon): Yeah. I would ask for a hug but I - you are too ripped. That's all and I'm exhausted.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah Emma the shirts pretty ripped now too so,
Penn (as Marathon): And Miss Cassidy - once you're feeling better, which may be few months, you're gonna get a respectful hug.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Good.
Penn (as Marathon): Okay.
Cameron (as Emma): We should probably invest in some sling material or something to add to the first aid kit.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah, next time we're in town.
Cameron (as Emma): Because I don't have unlimited shirts.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [small laugh]
Penn (as Marathon): You don't have to keep wearing Emma, I mean - [laugh]
Sydney (as Cassidy): We have to be able to do work at some point, Marathon.
Penn (as Marathon): It's true. [laugh]
Cameron (as Emma): I mean, I'm wearing my armor thing, but I am concerned about my shoulders getting sunburned.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Hm. We should get on the road so that the Rust doesn't decide that they want to come back and find us.
Penn (as Marathon): [sad noise] I'm really gonna miss Birdie.
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah, me too.
Penn: Marathon comes up to the rig and puts her head on the door and wipes her forearm over eyes.
Sydney: Cassidy just rests her head on Emma's shoulder.
Nick: Later in the night, the Rust camp is quiet. Everyone has bedded down, tents are set, and while some are illuminated from within, members of the Rust being unable to sleep, some have already been extinguished. When Kelsey, sweaty and tired from her run, makes her way back into the camp, she doesn't announce herself. She takes a minute to look and count and make sure that her company is accounted for when she notices a tent she hasn't seen before - Birdie's - and remembers the open invitation. There's a light on in Birdie's tent as Kelsey approaches and sticks her head in to check on the occupant. And moments later, Kelsey climbs inside and the light is extinguished. Later in the night, a quiet idea is brought to Kelsey's attention.
Kit: I don't think it's been too long in the tent. As things have progressed, Birdie pulls away from Kelsey for a moment and will put a hand on her slightly damp chest. She's a little out of breath, but she will say
Kit (as Birdie): Um, can I ask something? Just a favor?
Nick (as Kelsey): I'm not gonna say no at this point.
Kit (as Birdie): [giggle] Can I preface it with a question of: have you tried doing this in the tank before?
Nick (as Kelsey): [surprised laugh]
Kit (as Birdie): [giggle]
Nick (as Kelsey): It's been a while. Most people are not that - yeah there's a way to make it work. Why is that something you want to do?
Kit (as Birdie): I don't know. I just feel like it'd give us a little more privacy.
Nick: Kelsey looks Birdie up and down, nods to herself.
Nick (as Kelsey): Yeah, you should be flexible enough. Yeah, let's let's go do that. That'd be fun.
Kit: Birdie will grin and follow her over to the tank.
Nick: And in the late night, two silhouettes holding hands move from the tent to the hatch of the tank with just a quiet giggle and the rest of the evening is passed in privacy.
[hurdy gurdy music swells]
Outro:
Penn (as Marathon): Welcome back to MTR 1153, that was just the end of today’s broadcast and we’ll be right back to the music after this little break. The particulars of the subsequent can be found 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. Penn is an indie TTRPG designer whose most recent work includes Wasmannian, a prompt game about gender and wasps. 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 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 next time…
…Signing Off