Kids on Brooms - The Mysteries of Ravenswood, Episode 4

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Hello, friends, and welcome to the finale of mysteries of Ravenswood over here on Queen's court games. I am Aubrey, and we are playing some more kids on brooms by Jonathan Gilmore, Doug Lewandowski, and Spencer Stark. Roll on into things in a moment, but first, let me introduce you to the cast, and I will start with jas. [00:00:27] Speaker B: What up? I'm jazz. I use shide pronouns, and I am playing caster Seiros, who uses he and pronouns. [00:00:33] Speaker A: Fine. And then J. Hi, everybody. [00:00:37] Speaker C: My name is Jay or Nala. My pronouns are they, them, and today I am playing Faro chin, who uses he, they, and she pronouns. [00:00:46] Speaker A: Alyssa. [00:00:48] Speaker D: Hi, y'all. I'm Alyssa. I use they, them pronouns, and tonight I am playing Rima Thompson, who goes by Tom, and uses they, he, or she pronouns, and Kai. [00:00:59] Speaker E: Hi, everybody. I'm Kai. I use he, they, and she pronouns, and I am playing Renee Asher, Gerard Laval, who uses he they pronouns. [00:01:28] Speaker A: You can find all of the links to their assorted social media accounts by sending exclamation point cast to the chat, or you can use exclamation point scenario if you're interested in picking up a copy of the game for yourself. The stream is sponsored by Hunters Entertainment and odd Duck dice. I will be giving away the final set of the trans pride dice by odd Duck, and you can enter for a chance to win by sending exclamation point to dice to the chat. And the winner will be drawn at the very end of the session. The cast and I have discussed our lines and veils in advance via session zero, and we've agreed to a code of contact to ensure a safe and respectful environment. But we want you to be safe as well. You can use exclamation point safety to content warnings for this episode. With all of that said, students, are you ready? [00:02:17] Speaker C: Are we? [00:02:18] Speaker A: I don't know. [00:02:21] Speaker B: I'm scared. [00:02:24] Speaker A: Well, and with the intro out of the way, I guess we do our recap one last time. [00:02:32] Speaker C: For the last time, here's what happened the last week on the mysteries of Ravenswood. So we pick up right at the end of the previous episode, and as my friends specifically, Caster sees Faro consume some light. There's kind of a really awkward conversation about that. We don't really talk about it, but it's fine because we have stuff to do, specifically chasing down the leads that we had received prior. The first place we head is to Elric's mystical mysterium, where we are picking up ingredients that our friend Juniper, who is still missing, was trying to procure from this place, the shopkeep, tells us that they had to get it from hunters. We discovered that this is Chimera venom, which, unfortunately, is one of the ingredients discovered in the book belonging to my mentor, who's doing some very suspicious things. Meanwhile, Tom goes back to the tavern and confronts talus. Meanwhile, the rest of us are screaming. But in this confrontation, we learn or not, we, Tom learns that Talus really wants this book back and offers in exchange, a key to this locked wizard's tower that no one has been able to get into. This is of great interest to Tom. So Tom figures out maybe some kind of deal with talus in order to get this book back. Meanwhile. Meanwhile, the other three of us go to the bookstore belonging to Cynthia Prescott, where we are again collecting stuff on behalf of Juniper. We've come up with this lie about us having a group project that we're working on and that we're picking stuff up on behalf of her because she's not feeling well, which, I guess, is one way to put it. We pick up a stack of books, about two to three really old tomes, and then we meet up with Tom outside, who tells us about this conversation. Tom tells us that Akos wants the book. Book. Akos, by the way, is the other person that Talos is working with who has a past with Renee's family. Not a great person. Very, very not good. We all go back to Renee and Faro's shared dorm room to find that the door has been left unlocked. We try to figure out if someone's still in there. Renee tries to use magic to take a look see and fail spectacularly, and instead, essentially, flash bangs the room. We come into the room, finding everything torn apart. We're not sure if that was Renee's doing or if someone had actually torn up the room. What was interesting is that it only seems like Faro's room has been looked through. Renee's room is untouched and most, most badly. Great words here, Jay. The worst thing that we discovered is a circle that has been burned into our coffee table, a symbol of the unbroken, a really powerful group behind a lot of the politics in the city, who also has connections to Renee's shady family. Love that for us. Then we, as we're all trying to discuss what the heck to do next, there's a knock at the door, which I open to reveal Victoria, who tells us that the headmaster wants to see us. Tom and Caster agree to stay in the room to make sure no one else tries to come in, whereas Faro and Rene will go to the headmaster's office. When we walk to the headmaster's office, we have a talk briefly about legacy. When we enter the headmaster's room, it's full of tons of collector's items, and we learn about, well, Andreas. The headmaster tells us that he's really trying to get to the bottom of this, which Faro was not really having. And so Faro stands up to the headmaster and points out that he isn't really doing everything he can to find Juniper. After all, tracking magic is a thing, and someone as powerful as Andreas should be able to do that to find her. Headmaster tells us that there's now going to be curfew till 09:00 p.m., meanwhile, back in our room, Castor and Tom look at the books that Junie had gotten, and they have a conversation. Concerned that Faro and Rene are losing sight of what's really happening here, Tom reveals that they overheard that Talus and Akos don't want to delay what they're working on. And Tom says that they just want to return the book and be done with it. It's not our problem. They also bring up the idea of putting a tracking spell on the book so that if we do give it back, then we'll be able to track to, hopefully, where Junie is. Our session ended with a small jackdaw tapping at our window with a note in its beak instructing us to bring the book tonight to an address. And included in this note is a lock of juniper's hair. That's where we left off last session. [00:08:54] Speaker A: That is where you left off. And, I mean, I think it is a pretty good spot for Faro and Renee to re enter the scene with Caster having just discovered this. [00:09:14] Speaker E: The entire walk back from the headmaster's office, Renee has been pretty quiet. But I'm sure that Faro, I mean, she's used to Renee just walking quietly right next to them, but every so often, there's a longer glance as he rolls around the conversation they had going to the headmaster's office. While he should be probably proving Caster and Tom Wright thinking about the mission, instead, he is thinking that maybe he just revealed a little bit more vulnerability than he intended. [00:10:02] Speaker C: I think it's very clear from Vado's face that he is uncomfortable in the silence, but also doesn't know how to fill it. And I think the walk back, like you said, is full of us occasionally looking at the other person when they're not looking at you. But we eventually reach the door. I think Faro pulls out. Their room key unlocks the door, and we walk in, and we see you two, I assume, by the window with this note. [00:10:34] Speaker E: Oh. [00:10:39] Speaker B: Yeah, I suppose we hear them. Well, if you guys aren't talking, we probably wouldn't hear you coming. But if you. We hear you unlock, you'd hear the. [00:10:49] Speaker C: Key in the lock, though. [00:10:51] Speaker B: So I'm gonna throw a very panicked glance at Tom. Like, what do we do? [00:11:00] Speaker D: I think that when we hear the key in the door, Tom kind of edges closer to the window, like, behind you, if he can get there. So I'm like, we're in front. It's fine. [00:11:10] Speaker C: Wow. [00:11:11] Speaker D: If this is not Renee and Faro, it's fine. Okay. [00:11:18] Speaker B: Yeah, but I'll just be awkwardly holding the book or the notes and the lock of hair. That's definitely. Probably Juniper's. [00:11:27] Speaker C: So Faro walks in and sees the two of you, and he just kind of, like, stares at you. Because I sees that you two are a bit panicked. And then I think Fado just says, it's just us. Don't worry. [00:11:40] Speaker B: Oh, no, that's not related. I mean, it's good to see you. [00:11:45] Speaker C: What do you got there, junies? Otto is run walking over. [00:11:53] Speaker E: Yeah, right in. Right in their shadow is little Renee, just like, what's going on? [00:12:04] Speaker B: I hand it to you. [00:12:07] Speaker C: Where is this address that they want us to take this book to? [00:12:12] Speaker A: It's. Would you have been to, or at least are aware of where Tallis home is? [00:12:21] Speaker C: Yeah, I'm sure. Like, I've delivered research to him at his house before. [00:12:30] Speaker A: It's not his house, but it appears to be, literally, the address would be the next house over. [00:12:40] Speaker E: What district of the city is it in? [00:12:43] Speaker A: It is in this district. It is not that far outside of the school itself. It'd probably be like a. Depending on how quickly you're walking. Like 20 minutes walk from where you are. [00:12:57] Speaker C: I think Fado's brow furrows as they look at the note. And he looks up at the three of you and just says, this is literally the house, like, right next to Tallis's. [00:13:14] Speaker D: Is it Tallis's handwriting? [00:13:17] Speaker C: Is it Talis handwriting? [00:13:20] Speaker A: No. [00:13:22] Speaker C: Photo. Shakes her head. [00:13:27] Speaker D: Is that better or worse. [00:13:31] Speaker B: About Impala? I think. [00:13:33] Speaker E: Do I recognize the handwriting? [00:13:38] Speaker A: Give me a brains roll real quick. [00:13:40] Speaker B: Oh, no. [00:13:42] Speaker C: Let's go. [00:13:43] Speaker E: Or first roll the session 16, who. [00:13:51] Speaker A: Haven'T seen it for a while. But you definitely recognize that handwriting. It was on a lot of notes and letters that your family got. [00:14:03] Speaker E: Oh, definitely has something to do with the unbroken. [00:14:10] Speaker B: If I get that. [00:14:12] Speaker E: But the note is from someone attached to that in a clearer way than. Just listen. If Professor Tallis is being manipulated as something, this is someone with deeper connections than that. [00:14:30] Speaker C: What should we do? [00:14:35] Speaker E: I don't know. [00:14:39] Speaker B: We've got to do something. It's Junie. [00:14:45] Speaker E: We can't give him the book. [00:14:52] Speaker B: Well, we had an idea that we could maybe do a replica, or at least passing one, and then we'd be able to follow it back to wherever they're keeping her and maybe some authoritative figure so we don't have to deal with the rest of it. Seems like a good idea to me. [00:15:16] Speaker C: Do you really. Do you really think that the people in charge are going to handle this correctly? [00:15:23] Speaker B: Do you think that we can. [00:15:26] Speaker E: Pastor the unbroken, have their fingers in everything? This is. I don't know what authority to go to. [00:15:38] Speaker B: What exactly is the plan here? We hand over the book. We don't hand over the book. Try to rescue Junie ourselves. [00:15:48] Speaker C: Well, based on our conversation with the headmaster, he's not doing much to try to find her. [00:15:57] Speaker B: That's encouraging. [00:16:00] Speaker C: That's why I said it's really, really hard. Because the people that. The people that we're supposed to go to, we can't trust them. And that's quite. It's. I. Believe me, I don't want to be dealing with this either, but I trust myself when I can't trust anyone else. That's all I've got. [00:16:32] Speaker E: But if we do give them the fake, Tom, you're not to be, you know, rude about it, but you're quite good at lying. You do it. [00:16:48] Speaker D: So, we talked about this caster and Aynd when I made a fake originally, that inside wasn't good because, I don't know, alchemy. But if, like, Faro could help with it, we could change around some of it. So whatever it is they're trying to do doesn't work. But it still looks, like, passably close enough. [00:17:10] Speaker C: That's Faro smiles so widely, and it might be the happiest you've seen him in a while. And he says, now that that's an idea. [00:17:30] Speaker B: Terrifying. Please stop. [00:17:32] Speaker C: What? Smile disappears. [00:17:34] Speaker A: Okay. [00:17:35] Speaker E: Renee is still smiling next to them. [00:17:39] Speaker B: Okay. How much time do you need, do you think? [00:17:43] Speaker C: Uh, well, the. The book's long, but based on what we've found out, it's clear which parts they are really looking at. So those are the parts we're focused on. We can put mumbo jumbo in the middle. They're probably not going to look at that, probably going to flip it be flipping right to the end and all the other research associated with that, so. And, like, you can see Faro doing some, like, mental calculations. How much time do we got? [00:18:19] Speaker B: When does the. [00:18:20] Speaker C: Yeah, sorry, no, the note said tonight, but I don't know what time of day it is right now. [00:18:27] Speaker B: It's like afternoon ish, right? [00:18:29] Speaker A: Yeah, it's getting afternoon. Closer to evening. You could reliably. It's like half o'clock. Yeah, you probably reliably have about like three to 4 hours. [00:18:38] Speaker C: Okay. [00:18:39] Speaker A: To work. [00:18:40] Speaker C: Um, Faro is talking while walking into his room to pull out that lockbox again. Um, does a little magic to unlock the lockbox again. Removes all of the random trinkets in this box, pulls out the book, replaces everything, closes it, locks it. And as he's doing that, they are muttering to themselves. And then they say, well, note says, tonight, I can probably get this done if the two of you. Or not the two of you. If someone is willing to get me food so I don't have to go to dinner, I could do it. Okay, then. Yes, I can. I can. I can get this done. Tom. [00:19:26] Speaker D: Okay, so we've got a fake book that we hand over, and then what? They're not. I don't think. [00:19:35] Speaker B: It's not very likely that they're going to let Junie or us go. Just so you know. They've sort of got the element of surprise on our side. Though I highly doubt they think we're going to fight back. [00:19:52] Speaker E: Maybe we start with a. You start with the entrance and I'll start thinking on an exit strategy. [00:20:01] Speaker D: The unbroken renee. Do you know, do they disappear people? [00:20:06] Speaker A: Or. [00:20:06] Speaker D: I mean, the rest of us don't quite have the status that they probably are looking for, but would they keep us around for their future? [00:20:15] Speaker E: The spell in that book makes me think that they wouldn't hesitate to get rid of people. This is more information than I think I ever wanted to know. [00:20:31] Speaker B: I could call my mom's. I could. I could call my mother's. The Lightbringers. So. [00:20:42] Speaker E: Yeah, yeah. [00:20:46] Speaker B: The, you know, lamp. Lightest. Yes, yes. [00:20:48] Speaker E: Yeah, yes. [00:20:49] Speaker B: Sort of higher up there, I suppose. Yes. I could call them. I could at least let them know what's happening. We could get someone on our side. I trust them, at least. [00:21:07] Speaker A: I'm also going to have everybody. If you want to quickly make a brains roll to see what you know about factions in the city or in the area as well. [00:21:25] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:21:25] Speaker E: Let's go. Rene is one thing. That was a three. [00:21:34] Speaker A: Don't forget to collect your adversity. Tokens as well. [00:21:37] Speaker E: Yes. I'm okay. [00:21:39] Speaker B: I got an eight. [00:21:41] Speaker A: An eight. [00:21:43] Speaker D: Two for Tom. [00:21:44] Speaker A: Two for Tom. Uh, what did you get, Fato? [00:21:48] Speaker C: Two. [00:21:49] Speaker A: Two. Okay. [00:21:51] Speaker E: Oh, boy. [00:21:53] Speaker B: Just some clueless bitches. [00:21:56] Speaker A: You spend all of your time here, so it's kind of like. Like, wait, what else goes on in the city? [00:22:01] Speaker C: No, it literally makes sense that Faro wouldn't know, but I'm just laughing at my dice. [00:22:06] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, you gotta get those. You gotta get those bad rolls out of the way early. [00:22:12] Speaker C: I know this. This role didn't matter too much, right? Hoping that we do better later. [00:22:19] Speaker B: I rolled. Good. [00:22:21] Speaker A: Caster. I'm about to give Caster some information. [00:22:24] Speaker C: Yes. [00:22:24] Speaker B: Yay. [00:22:25] Speaker E: Yeah, but we're over here just being pretty. [00:22:27] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:22:29] Speaker B: So. [00:22:29] Speaker A: Well, so, Caster, you've probably lived in the city most of your life, and you've heard stories from your mothers there. There's many different factions in the city. You know, you've got the bloody blades. You know, the supposed thieves guild. You know, they probably not your best bet, but they have been known to help out people in a pinch. Usually, though, you take on some kind of debt. Yeah. Be it monetary or work or information. It is a. They trade fairly. There are stories about a vigilante working out of one of the districts across the river. There's actually stories of a couple of vigilantes, a small, little group, who have been sort of fighting back against what they feel is the corruption in the city, and they're slowly gaining a little bit of notoriety. Um, and you've heard. You've heard of a group called the noctexa. They are a group of powerful wizards who believe that they hold the key to undoing the endless night. And, uh, you know, they've been looking for information and or people to join their ranks who believe in their cause. All of these exist within the city, and you may or may not, within the 4 hours, be able to find contacts. [00:24:25] Speaker B: Oh, boy. Okay, I will relay that information because I'm looking through the dock, and I can only find, like, two mentions of those. But, yes, I will. I'll basically say I could reach out or have my moms reach out, and we can see if we can get some backup. [00:24:58] Speaker E: That would be brilliant, Caster. [00:25:02] Speaker B: You know, what else can I do? [00:25:09] Speaker E: The unbroken and the lamplighters seem pretty diametrically opposed, so. [00:25:16] Speaker B: Yes, I would hope so. Anyway, you did say they have fingers in many pots, but like I said, my mother's. We. We might not be. We might not see eye to eye on everything. But I know that they love me and they would do anything for me. So I could ask and we can see what we can do. [00:25:47] Speaker C: I think that's a wonderful idea, at least to get more adults who we can trust. [00:25:59] Speaker B: Okay, then I'll work on that. You work on the book exit strategy. Intervene here. Yep. Get food. Yep. [00:26:10] Speaker C: Okay. [00:26:10] Speaker E: Food. Right. Yes. [00:26:12] Speaker B: Break. Bye. [00:26:16] Speaker E: And Renee goes into his room pretty much immediately. [00:26:22] Speaker C: I think photo will bring Tom into his room, although we do leave the door open in case Renee has to say anything to us. And I make room for you at my desk. And I think the two of us are going to begin working on this book replica. And I think what that looks like is a lot of photography, explaining to Tom, like what to write or what to have written in the book. And I, the player, am not clever enough to come up with something, but I think Fudo is smart enough to. I don't think it's going to be as simple or obvious as just changing the ingredients or changing whatever. I think specifically the thing that photo is going to change. Change is something in the process of making the, like the air, the aerosol stuff. Because it's likely that they know what ingredients they need anyways. It's likely they've. They generally remember how to make this. But in all of Fado's studies of alchemy, they know it's very much like, you know, like chemistry. It's very intricate processes, especially something as detailed and as advanced as this. So even if measurements are off or processes or temperature, you're supposed to heat the thing to are off, then it might get messed up. So that's. Those are the things I thought I was going to change, is these very subtle numbers that matter. [00:28:04] Speaker A: So it's more of a physical thing rather than using your magic to do it. Using. [00:28:11] Speaker C: Well, Tom is the one who's magicking. A replica book foto is basically standing over your shoulder explaining what to change and vaguely explaining the alchemy enough so that Tom can create this replica. [00:28:24] Speaker A: Okay, so we'll get a roll from you, and then we'll get a roll from Tom. So it definitely sounds more like a brains thing. [00:28:32] Speaker C: Yay. Can I use all my specialties stuff? [00:28:36] Speaker A: Yes, you can. And I will set the challenge at twelve. Like, you're still going to have done it if you get lower, but that means you've successfully masked it enough that a. I cannot tell what that's. [00:28:56] Speaker C: I'm holding my dice, staring at it. [00:28:58] Speaker A: Okay, I thought you had already rolled. [00:29:00] Speaker C: And you're like, oh, no, no, I'm staring at it, making it. Listen to what you're saying so that it doesn't mess up this roll. [00:29:10] Speaker A: You'll still have given the information, but it's. The lower it is, the more obvious that you have changed something. The higher you get, the less obvious, and the longer it would be before they realize something is wrong. [00:29:21] Speaker C: All right, you ready? [00:29:23] Speaker A: Yep. [00:29:23] Speaker C: You ready, dice? Okay. Luckily, I have a bunch of bonuses to alchemy because I'm really good at that. Oh, okay. Um, math. 24. [00:29:40] Speaker A: 24. [00:29:41] Speaker B: Oh, God. [00:29:43] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:29:44] Speaker E: That is. [00:29:45] Speaker A: You have done it in such a way that there may be only one other person who will be able to tell that you have changed something and that maybe only once they've actually, like, started working on something. It is like. It is the whole. Instead of doing this, this is how you cut up the venom gland to do that, you know, little things. Enough little things that it is going to be a problem. Uh, and then, uh, golly y'all, we might be able to pull this to do the, uh. To do the actual, uh, fakery. Let's. [00:30:26] Speaker E: Let's do. [00:30:30] Speaker A: I'm feeling like, rather charm. [00:30:34] Speaker C: Magic, you know? [00:30:35] Speaker D: Yeah. Charm for illusions. Yeah, that works. And I think that what it is is that Tom has taken out sort of a blank notebook that he's supposed to be writing down notes for classes in, but hasn't really been, and actually copies down everything that Faro is saying and will then sort of magic that, so that the whole thing looks like the actual book, but the contents of those last, like, the contents of the beginning sections are still going to be gibberish, like the first time they tried this, but the last section is going to remain sort of accurate, but also look the way that it should. [00:31:09] Speaker C: I have a question. Could I potentially, like, this is more of a physical skill, but could I remove the leather cover of the original book so that we can put the leather cover on this book? Um, I. I think it would make sense that Foto knows a little bit about, like, bookbinding and sort of that sort of thing. Um, is that something we could do given the time? [00:31:38] Speaker A: Yeah, that's just if, you know, I'm not going to make you roll for that one, that definitely. You have time, so that's definitely super easy to do within the time you have. [00:31:47] Speaker C: Nice. Okay, so I'm gonna exploded. [00:31:51] Speaker B: Oh, my God. [00:31:55] Speaker D: So, 26, 24. [00:31:57] Speaker E: We might actually do it. [00:31:59] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, there's a moment when you're done where you forget which one is the fake for a second. You're just like, wait, flip, flip, flip. Okay. You've, like, flipped five pages in and you're like, no, that. That is. That is that mark. I know I put that mark there. Like, okay, we're putting the other book away, but unless somebody is going to be spending a lot of time studying this book and knows alchemy really, really well, you're not going to be able to tell the difference, especially with the shorthand. Everything is in. [00:32:43] Speaker B: Nailed it. [00:32:44] Speaker C: Nailed it. Hell, yeah. And I think while we are working on this, I imagine Faro is kind of, like, chit chatting a little bit. We're mostly focused, but I think Faro will tell Tom just about because we're writing in Talus's shorthand. So I think Tom gets to hear a little bit about Foto's or the mentorship and what that was like, and because I imagine it's all gibberish, so Faro's like, no, you have to write it this way. And I know it doesn't make sense, but this is how Talis would write it, and blah, blah, blah. [00:33:35] Speaker D: Yeah, yeah. And I think that Tom is both sort of working diligently and also trying to, I guess, sort of vibe check Faro in terms of, like, what is this bringing up for them? Like, is he sad about thinking of this mentorship or angry or what are the vibes? [00:33:54] Speaker C: Great question. I think. I think it's very clear to you that photo is using this task to distract himself from the actual situation. The way that Faro is talking about Talus is not. You don't hear any negativity in Faro's tone. He doesn't seem upset. He doesn't seem angry. And I think, given that this is the most talkative you've seen Fahdo in a while since his incident, that it's pretty clear that Fado is using this as a way to distract himself or to ignore sort of what's happening, perhaps because it's too painful. Yeah. [00:34:52] Speaker D: I think that as Tom sort of makes the final details on the book, takes the leather cover off and sort of reattaches it to this version, they'll turn to Faro and say, what do you think you're going to do after this, if it all works out? [00:35:22] Speaker C: What do you mean? [00:35:25] Speaker D: I mean, I assume you will keep working with. You could keep working with Tallis if he can stay at the academy, but I rather thought you wouldn't want to do that. [00:35:44] Speaker C: Faro gets really quiet, and I think he looks down in a way, and they breathe out air, perhaps that he's been holding in this whole time and just shrugs and says, honestly, don't really know. Because ever since I started here at this school, Professor Tallis has been my person, my mentor, my teacher, someone I looked up to, admired, someone who I connected to. He was someone that I truly thought saw something in me, thought that I was special, that I was worth teaching. [00:36:56] Speaker D: No, I think that he did. I don't think that that's in question. The fact that he wanted to use you, maybe for this, for something else, that only speaks to the fact that he thought highly of you, of your skills. [00:37:17] Speaker C: The photo turns to Tom and looks you in the eyes, and they say, I know I never told you about this. Frankly, I haven't told anyone really about this. But I'm sure you've noticed. A couple months ago, something happened to me. I feel like I've lost. Lost my spark, my. My magic, my. Frankly, I lost my light. [00:38:11] Speaker D: Wildly misunderstanding. I think that Tom sort of grabs your hand and is like, renee's right there. Like you can make this work out. [00:38:30] Speaker C: I know he's been trying to help me with what he did, but he doesn't have answers. And we've been looking everywhere. We've been doing everything that we can, and I can't reverse what he did. There's no research. There's nothing. [00:38:56] Speaker D: I don't think it's a question of research, Faro. It's. If you don't want to forgive him for whatever he did, that's fine. But I think it's just both of you looking inside yourselves. Have you talked much about it? [00:39:20] Speaker C: We talk about it, like, all the time. That's what all this is for. And Dirfollow points to these stacks of notes in his room and gestures in the direction of Renee's room. That's what all this is. That's. It's been really hard because it's. It's. I know he didn't mean it. I know they didn't. But the experiments went too far. [00:40:06] Speaker D: Oh, it was experimenting. Well, I mean, Tom looks at sort of this pile of books and remembers the pile of books they saw briefly in Renee's room and says, well, I mean, it seems like the both of you are really dedicated, at least to making it right. I'm sure you'll figure something out. [00:40:37] Speaker C: Why? For the first time, Faro has an inkling that we might not be talking about the same thing. And he kind of tilts his head at you and says, what do you think I'm talking about? [00:41:03] Speaker D: I hear breakup. [00:41:06] Speaker C: What funnel? Like, draws back and is very confused. [00:41:16] Speaker D: What do you mean? What I mean, a few months ago and now it's awkward between you two, or not as comfortable as I think it used to be. And, I mean, everyone just sort of assumed and with the makeovers and everything, that it was like a post breakup, no tomorrow. [00:41:47] Speaker C: And Fano just starts laughing. And that laughter, soon it quickly devolves into this laugh, cry, just kind of like. [00:42:02] Speaker B: No, no, it's. [00:42:04] Speaker C: That's. [00:42:09] Speaker D: First of all, hands fluttering, like, not quite touching you. Not sure what the best way to cover even. [00:42:21] Speaker C: We weren't dating. We're not interested in each other like that. That's. That's not. That's not what I was talking about. We. That's. Is that. That way you thought. [00:42:41] Speaker B: No. [00:42:43] Speaker D: Oh. [00:42:48] Speaker C: No. A couple months ago, Renee, you know, they study shadows and whatnot, and I had within me a lot of light, and he was doing experiments on how shadows would interact with light and something went wrong. And the shadow. Shadows went inside my body and took away my light. That's why I look different. My magic is not the same. [00:43:32] Speaker D: And that's not a euphemism, that's what actually happened. [00:43:38] Speaker C: No. No euphemism at all. And I think Faro has on his desk, like, a little oil lamp and it's not being used, but Farou will turn it on and light it. And Tom, you see this light turn on and it flickers for a couple seconds before the light blinks out. And you watch as it travels towards Foto's hand and enters into her fingertips. And you watch as all of their veins start glowing all the way up their arm. Their freckles glow and you see for a mere few seconds the foto that you knew from a couple months ago before it all fades once more and photo's staring at you. And they say, yeah, no, I literally mean my light is gone. Oh. [00:44:43] Speaker D: Is that what they were talking about in necromancy class? The. You were late. Um, but vampires, right? They're light vampires now. [00:45:05] Speaker C: Yes. That's. You know, with. With all the stuff with Professor Tallis, I haven't had time to really look into that, but that was my next big lead. [00:45:17] Speaker D: Oh, well, that's great. Then you can start. I mean, Professor Xavier is probably not caught up in this unbroken stuff. So you've got a new mentor. It's great. [00:45:35] Speaker C: I don't think it's going to be as easy as that. I've been walking around practically on eggshells. I keep making lights go out and it's terrifying. In a world with such limited light, I seem to consume it all. [00:45:55] Speaker D: But if anyone's going to understand, though, I mean, Sarah Dampir, they'll. They must. I'm sure they'd understand. [00:46:06] Speaker C: I don't know. We have to focus on this. I think on cue, Fado's stomach grumbles, and she just says, I could really use that food now. [00:46:30] Speaker E: I think, on cue, behind you, you hear Renee's door close as he is leaving, but he's been in his room for quite a while. [00:46:46] Speaker C: Farrow's door is still open, and he kind of just, like, leans out to watch you leave and says, oh, you just leaving now? [00:46:56] Speaker E: Yes, um, sorry. And he just leaves. He doesn't look at you, he doesn't do anything other than keep walking. Essentially. [00:47:09] Speaker C: Farou just turns back, too, Tom, and is still just staring at the desk, quiet. [00:47:24] Speaker D: Yeah. Tom watched that interaction and is like, are you sure it wasn't also a breakup? [00:47:39] Speaker C: Tom, Renee and I never really dated. I mean, we did very briefly, but decided it would be better if we just stayed friends. But we never officially dated. [00:47:59] Speaker D: Okay, well. [00:48:03] Speaker C: Does everyone think we're dating? [00:48:06] Speaker D: Yes. Did you? You really didn't? Yes. [00:48:15] Speaker C: Oh, that explains a lot of that. That explains a lot of weird interactions I've had, actually. That explains a lot. Damn. I mean, Faro seems remarkably, like, shocked at this revelation. [00:48:37] Speaker D: I mean, it's fine that you weren't and that you don't want to be, but. Yeah, no, everyone kind of assumed, and, I mean, you're still. Even if you're not, like, romantically involved, you're still close, right? Or you were. [00:48:59] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah. Renee's been a really great friend. He feels very badly about what happened to me. We've both been trying to fix it. [00:49:20] Speaker D: How do you feel about what happened to you? [00:49:26] Speaker C: That's fine. I'll be fine. [00:49:32] Speaker D: Do I believe that? Is that a convincing thing, that vonage? [00:49:36] Speaker A: I don't know. [00:49:37] Speaker C: I'm trying to lie. So how convincing am I? [00:49:44] Speaker A: Charm and charm. [00:49:45] Speaker C: Charm. Let's see. Was that my dump stat? [00:49:50] Speaker A: Let's see. [00:49:51] Speaker C: No, it was not my dump stat, but it's still lower than my other one. I need a d ten. Literally any d ten. Where are my d ten s? Here's one. Okay, seven. [00:50:05] Speaker D: Fuck. I got a five. [00:50:10] Speaker A: Unless you want to spend adversity tokens. [00:50:12] Speaker D: No, I'm saving those for when we're going to get murdered. [00:50:15] Speaker B: We're going to die. Please don't. [00:50:19] Speaker D: So I think Tom will look at you and nod after a second and say, okay, well, I'm glad that you're fine. Maybe talk to Renee about it, just to reassure him about that. I mean, even if it wasn't a romantic breakup, you still seem more distant. And I know you've been working on the mechanical, magical parts of fixing this, but it seems like maybe the feelings part of it has been a little lost. Maybe I'm misreading. [00:51:08] Speaker C: I think father was quiet. And as an attempt at a joke, Faro says, yeah, I misread, too, and points at the stack of books on his desk. [00:51:27] Speaker D: I think Tom sort of giggles, and it's less like that was a good joke and more just like a release of tension after all that's happened in this past day. Just like stars. You're such a nerd. I can see why you and Junie got along. Get along? Get along. [00:51:53] Speaker C: Yeah. This isn't over till it's over now. And photo just straightens and knots. [00:52:06] Speaker D: Hopefully Renee will be back soon with food and a plan. [00:52:10] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, gonna rewind just real quick to be like, Renee, what were you working on in a room? [00:52:20] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:52:22] Speaker E: Renee rushed into his room and closed the door and went to the one clean spot in the room that Conrad had cleaned before being given the rest of the day off. And immediately doesn't pull open books or go searching in his magic, but pulls out a clean, very, very fine piece of parchment and begins to furiously write. And he scrawls a letter. Fathers, I have found myself encircled in a scheme of sorts. I understand that your associations have your associates that have frequented our home have an unbroken promise to keep. Should my associates from Ravenswood Academy be willing to make a transaction with mix Bronte for their safety, I would be willing to come to an arrangement with them for a greater cause. Sincerely, your son, Renee Asher Girard Laval. And after he writes it, specifically emphasizing in his writing just a little bit of flourish, the words encircled and unbroken. He folds it very neatly, takes off his golden signet ring that he wears all the time, puts a bit of wax on the letter, seals it with his signet, lifts it up, and just waves his hand and is going to use magic to just sort of disintegrate the letter and reappear it at his home. [00:54:09] Speaker A: And I imagine what Fado and Tom were working on by the point where you left it was probably an hour and a half, almost 2 hours in, and you would then get a return letter about that point, hour and a half later with a meeting point of the park next to the drunk control in less than an hour. [00:54:41] Speaker E: When the letter is received is when Renee gets up, realizes how long they've just been sitting in this room and, like, not really doing anything. The letter was sent and they just sat at their desk and turned their ring over in their finger, partly to wait to let it cool, but then after it cooled, just kept looking at it and then realized when the letter arrived, oh, I actually was supposed to do something and gets up to leave. And that is why he just storms out. [00:55:20] Speaker A: And then we'll move over to Caster. What are you working on during this time? [00:55:24] Speaker B: Oh, I'm going to go contact my mothers. [00:55:29] Speaker E: Your mothers? [00:55:31] Speaker B: My mothers. [00:55:32] Speaker E: Your mom. [00:55:34] Speaker B: The way that I do that is I hop in my broom and I go to the tallest point in the academy, and I kind of, like, do like, a deep breath because I haven't really contacted them since I enrolled in this school and we haven't really talked, so. And then I am going to tilt my head back and open my eyes, and when I open them again, they are stark white all through the cornea, and light just spills out like a freaking spotlight, and it just shines into the sky as it's starting to near evening in a little bat signal. I suppose the one thing that my mom said I could do if I ever needed to talk to them. Haven't used it yet. Guess I gotta. And I will. [00:56:35] Speaker E: I'm not sure. [00:56:36] Speaker B: So they live in the city, though? [00:56:39] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. And the Ravenswood academy district is actually really close to the district where most lamplighters live and work. That's right. You know, you only have to keep this up for a little bit of time and tell the audience a little bit about your mothers. [00:57:00] Speaker B: Oh, boy. Okay, let's see. Well, both of them are light skinned, pale white women. One of them is really, really tall. This is my mother. Her name is Arielle. She's really tall and very big bodied and has long brown hair that is always braided. She has just flawless makeup all the time. She is I'm not sure about in terms of ranking. Both of them are priests of the star mother, but she is the, I suppose you would call her the higher ranking one. And she is also celestial, as is my other mother. Her name is Kirsten. She has freckles around face, brown eyes. Her hair is a lighter brown and cut very short. That is kind of like a bob that goes to her chin. She is also a bitter bit on the heavier side, but curvy. And yes, she is more the, I want to say, the physical one. While my mother is very elegant and very feminine and very intense and social. Kirsten is very blunt and would rather throw fists than talk. [00:58:40] Speaker A: Yeah, I don't think you get both of them, but I think you probably get Ariel. And the way that the lamplighters work and essentially is there. We don't have to get into that. [00:58:55] Speaker B: I'm so curious, though. I want to know. [00:58:57] Speaker A: Yeah, I'll give you a brief rundown. So the way that most the temples work is they are like astriums, where people study the stars. They study the constellations, because each of the gods actually corresponds to a constellation in the sky. And there are all of those. And essentially, there are all of these astraums for each of the major gods that are at least accepted the worship. There are certain ones where you're just like, maybe you gotta go underground for that one. And they all sort of report they have, like, their own sort of, like, you know, hierarchy. And then there is generally a high priest of the lamplighters in the city as well. There's sort of one cathedral where all of the gods are represented, and that's where they hold the most, like, big things. Like, if they were to. Whenever any of the senators her are, you know, sworn in, it happens there. Like, if somebody big was to get married, you could possibly get married there if you really wanted to. And big events, things like that happen at that. At the Lord Salem Cathedral. And that's where the high. High priest works. But, you know, if you star mother, you know, definitely the most popular. So there are. There's more people that worship her. And. Yeah, after probably about 20 minutes or so, you see your mother, Ariel, on the broom sort of approaching you as well. Kind of. Maybe a little bit like, this is the first time you've done this since you've gotten to school. Maybe she's a little bit hurried because, you know, never done this before. She's now worried for you. [01:00:54] Speaker B: I'm also worried for me. [01:00:56] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:00:57] Speaker E: I don't know. [01:00:58] Speaker A: Would they have a nickname for Caster? [01:01:02] Speaker B: I don't know. [01:01:03] Speaker A: Or a pet name? [01:01:06] Speaker E: Probably pet names. [01:01:07] Speaker B: Probably nickname. I don't know if I can get away with being called cast, to be honest with you, so probably not. [01:01:17] Speaker E: I mean. [01:01:17] Speaker A: I mean, if you wanted to. You decided, though, that's why. [01:01:20] Speaker E: Nickname. [01:01:20] Speaker B: Nope, it's okay. [01:01:21] Speaker A: Nope, it's okay. [01:01:22] Speaker B: I don't think I. Even if. Even if that might have been, like, a younger nickname, he probably wouldn't tolerate it now. Yeah, he's grown. He's a big boy now. [01:01:31] Speaker A: Okay. And then just you get your mother being like, Caster. [01:01:39] Speaker B: His mother says. [01:01:41] Speaker A: Everything all right? [01:01:43] Speaker B: Yes. Um, sorry. It was a bit urgent. [01:01:48] Speaker E: Hello. [01:01:49] Speaker B: It's nice to see you. Where's mom? [01:01:53] Speaker A: She. She was in the middle of a meeting and I said that if it was, she would try to be here after that meeting was over. You know how it is. [01:02:07] Speaker B: Yeah, I do. Um, thank you for coming. I suppose I'm in a bit of trouble. [01:02:21] Speaker A: What's going on? [01:02:23] Speaker B: Um. So, uh. Oh, this is okay. This is a lot. So there is a book that some really bad people want and they took my friend in order to get it. And we have it and they really want it back. [01:02:55] Speaker A: You could sort of see her face go from concerned to serious as you just being like, what kind of bad people? Just people of the academy. [01:03:08] Speaker B: No, bigger than that. [01:03:11] Speaker A: And is you. You say the word unbroken and there is. There's. For a moment, there's like a serious look that passes across her face. Like she knows exactly what you're talking about before she sort of steals herself and schools her face. They're not good people to mess with. [01:03:34] Speaker E: Oh, yeah, I know. [01:03:35] Speaker B: Kind of governed by the whole giant pool of blood in the library. [01:03:41] Speaker A: Oh, dear. Gently, sort of reaches out to, like, put a hand on your shoulder. [01:03:53] Speaker B: So I would really use some help. Because you don't know who to trust. [01:04:03] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:04:03] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. Okay. I know someone. They were a friend of mine when I was younger. They're good. You. You remember when I told you about my friend Clover? [01:04:30] Speaker B: Do I? [01:04:32] Speaker A: Yeah, I'd say you do. Your mother has talked about this person named. Nicknamed Clover. Never said like, you know, just that, you know, they both grew up in, you know, the same district and sort of the same area, and they were friends and sort of. Your mother probably got out, quote unquote of that. As you know, she became a lamplighter, whereas sort of clover stayed behind. But your mother has said good things about clover. That clover is reliable and always seems to know people. Know the right people. [01:05:15] Speaker B: Uh, yeah. [01:05:19] Speaker E: Okay. [01:05:19] Speaker A: Um. Well, she does still owe me a favor from years back, so I think it is time I, um. I call that in. [01:05:33] Speaker B: Okay, well, can you hurry? [01:05:34] Speaker C: Because. [01:05:35] Speaker B: Yes, tonight. [01:05:37] Speaker A: Tonight, yes, I will go. I will go directly there. She should still be at, well, the crow and hammer. [01:05:52] Speaker B: And he's just gonna really quick, just rush in and give her a hug. Like a really tight hug. [01:05:57] Speaker A: Yeah. And she will give you an incredibly tight hug back just being like, please, please be safe. [01:06:07] Speaker B: I am trying, but other. They're bad people and we can't think of this book. It's not good. [01:06:20] Speaker A: We'll fly with the wind behind me. I will go as fast as I can. We'll get you that help. Please. I just. I can't lose you either. Miss you so much. Please, after this. After this is. Please, just. We wouldn't. You can come home whenever you like to visit. [01:06:55] Speaker B: Uh, yeah, um, we'll see. [01:07:01] Speaker C: No. [01:07:02] Speaker A: Okay. [01:07:02] Speaker E: Okay. [01:07:04] Speaker A: Yeah, um. [01:07:05] Speaker E: Yeah. [01:07:05] Speaker A: And pulls back and, you know, there's a thing where she wipes away tears. She can tell that she is crying. And, um, just goes. I said, please, please be safe. I will. I need. I will go right now. As Sheena, she starts to, like, move her broom, and you can kind of see she's pointing it towards the, um, where they would be heading towards the other side of the city. Please be safe. Please. If anything changes, send me a message. [01:07:32] Speaker D: Of course. [01:07:33] Speaker B: Okay. Uh, bye. [01:07:37] Speaker A: I love you. [01:07:38] Speaker B: Said hi. I love you too. Okay. [01:07:43] Speaker C: Bye. [01:07:45] Speaker A: And you're pretty sure she says bye, but it's kind of lost in the wind as she points her wand at the back of the broom and just sets off. You can feel the winds shift behind you as they move to push her along. [01:08:10] Speaker B: You just, like, full on deflates. That was pretty freaking hard for him to ask for help, so. And he's going to still on his broom, still standing, just like, you know, long ways, like at the skateboard. Just kind of gently lowers himself back down to the ground. [01:08:35] Speaker A: Okay. [01:08:37] Speaker B: Might not die. That's good. Should be good. And he goes back, goes back inside. [01:08:45] Speaker A: Yeah. And I think that is the perfect spot to take our ten minute break as we come back and figure out how it's all going to end. What is going to happen? Well, everybody stand up, stretch your legs, get something to drink. We will see you all in ten minutes. Hello, everybody, and welcome back to the second half of the finale. It seems everybody is making some plans, so let's figure out the order that things are going to go off in. So, Renee, you went to go get food. [01:09:29] Speaker E: Yes. And is going to very unceremoniously deliver it and then leave again. [01:09:34] Speaker B: Go. [01:09:35] Speaker A: Yeah. You, faro and tom, you have food now. And Renee is gone again. [01:09:41] Speaker C: Hold on. So Renee walks in with the food, drops it off, and then turns around to leave. Faro is going to call after you and just say, renee, where are you going? [01:09:53] Speaker E: I trying to figure out our exit strategy. [01:09:57] Speaker C: Care to share? [01:10:00] Speaker E: Um, not yet. [01:10:03] Speaker C: Okay, good. [01:10:05] Speaker E: See you in a bit. [01:10:06] Speaker C: And I feel like. Yeah, like you're retreating back. Faro's just like, okay, good luck. Door shuts. Farou turns back to Tom. And, uh, his face is just kind of, like, confused. But immediately, the smell of the food takes over, and faro cracks open the takeout container and whatever the heck we've got to eat. Oh, no. [01:10:29] Speaker E: It's on a tray. You're getting. You're getting meal. [01:10:32] Speaker C: Oh, a meal. Meal. Okay. What did you bring? Faro? [01:10:38] Speaker E: I think Renee went through and found, like, hearty food. Definitely, like, probably not something super heavy, but, you know, depending on what kind of food it is, it's, like, your basic meat and vegetable. Or a faro is not eating meat, then a protein substitute and vegetable. [01:11:06] Speaker C: Wow. A beyond burger. Thanks. No, Faro will take a. We'll take a thick, juicy steak or something. Yeah. [01:11:18] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:11:19] Speaker C: And did you. I'm assuming you brought for Tom as well. Or we can share. [01:11:27] Speaker E: It's kind of, like, it's not clear. There's a lot of food on, like, a plate and a half, and the plate and a half is literally, like, a bread plate, even though, like, didn't need a separate plate for the bread. But Renee is just like, this. [01:11:40] Speaker C: Yeah. And I think this is the conversation Fato and Renee have had where, like, faro comes from a large family, and, you know, like, we've had enough to eat, but it was kind of, like, you know, big family. Everyone shares everything and that sort of thing. And Renee's out here with, like, and this is your bread plate. And Fato was like, what? [01:11:58] Speaker E: So five forks to eat one meal? [01:12:03] Speaker A: Of course. This is how you do it. [01:12:06] Speaker C: Fado. Meanwhile, back home, this is my fork. All of us get our own fork. This one was my fork. So cut. Cut to this photo. [01:12:17] Speaker E: Just unclear in the setup, because it is like, it could either be enough forks for all of us, plus the neighbors to come and eat, or it could just also be for Faro. [01:12:30] Speaker C: So Faro just shifts the tray between the two of us and will offer. Will offer the food to you, and I think we just eat together. [01:12:41] Speaker A: Yeah. You still got probably. You'll probably have the book done about an hour before the deadline, but you're making really good progress. And, Caster, I would like to follow Renee. Sure, Renee, sure. It'll be fine to hide your movements. [01:13:05] Speaker E: Or, I think, before escaping, Renee grabs a heavy cloak from next to the door, not attempting to off you skate anything, because he's pretty sure that the only people who would be following him are busy. And I think it's just a matter of forgetting that Caster could possibly want to do anything to do with him. So I think he just goes, oh. [01:13:33] Speaker B: I think I would like to specify that. I don't think at first, caster is, like, I'm going to seek out renee right now. But I do think that as he's, like, coming down from his emotional high, that he sees renee. [01:13:44] Speaker A: I think you may be, like, you, like, have that moment where caster is arriving, right when renee is leaving. [01:13:52] Speaker E: Yeah. And, like, renee walks out down, like, one of the lamp lit paths, and you just see him, like, pull the cloak up and, like, pull the hood over. But it's long enough to see the very, very pale tiefling before he draws the hood. [01:14:06] Speaker B: That's not suspicious at all. Yeah, I'm gonna follow. I just need a place to put my character. Don't worry about it. [01:14:13] Speaker A: It's fine. Are you going to try and be clandestine about your following, or are you just going to be like, renee, what you doing? [01:14:24] Speaker B: I think I think at first he starts to call out, and then you pull the hood up, and he's like, hmm, hmm. And so I'll be quiet about it. I probably won't hide the fact that I'm following too terribly, but, like, if he looks back, I'm gonna duck behind a pillar or something. [01:14:45] Speaker A: So I guess it just is the. How, how aware is Renee? Is Renee feeling very single minded right now? [01:14:53] Speaker E: Renee is feeling very single minded. And he might glance over his shoulder, but it's not like a big, like, is someone following me? It's just like, everything seems normal. Quick glance back. [01:15:06] Speaker A: So, Caster, you see Renee heading into the park. [01:15:18] Speaker E: As Renee enters the park, he stops just before, like, if this were a house, he'd be stopping at the threshold of the door. And he stops, and he straightens himself out and, like, cleans off the shoulders of his, like, really large, that, like, triple tiered cloak that they wore a lot in, like, the victorian era with a huge hood. And he, like, straightens the whole thing out and pulls on the bottom of his waistcoat and straightens his ascot before looking around for Akos. [01:15:58] Speaker A: You see on a bench nearby, sort of lounging back and kind of doing the thing where you, you put your arms out. You see Akos just sort of looking at this lamp that's not lit. [01:16:24] Speaker E: Is there another bench near them, or does it look like they're expecting me to sit on the bench with them? [01:16:29] Speaker A: Yeah, there's a bench right across from them. Because imagine there's, like, a pathway through. [01:16:33] Speaker E: Yeah. Renee pulls out a very small notepad that just lives in his jacket pocket. His waistcoat, anyways, pulls it out and walks over and sits just unceremoniously, does not look over at akos, just sits down on this bench, because he only has, in theory, what this is supposed to be like. So he is operating on a lifetime of a present while it is occurring, but still kind of childish understanding of clandestine meetings in Caster. [01:17:16] Speaker A: You see that? Did you see Akkos before? [01:17:21] Speaker E: I don't remember. [01:17:22] Speaker B: I haven't seen them. Yeah, I don't know what they look like. [01:17:24] Speaker A: So, yeah, you see this sort of person that's probably somewhere, you know, close to, like, 510 or so kind of gangly limbs, this purplish gray skin and this sort of messy shock of white hair. And they're sort of lounging. And then when Renee comes to sit across, they sort of see that. They lean forward and they just go. Yeah, I definitely knew I recognized you. [01:18:02] Speaker E: Um, hello. I understand that you are looking for something. [01:18:13] Speaker A: Looking for quite a few things. Can be a little more specific. [01:18:18] Speaker E: A book. [01:18:21] Speaker A: Yes, I am looking for a book. [01:18:26] Speaker E: And before I get into the details, is juniper alive? [01:18:43] Speaker A: For the time being. [01:18:51] Speaker E: What. What could I do to ensure the safety of my friends? Because I know that just delivering the book is hardly the answer. [01:19:07] Speaker A: Kind of seems to take a moment as being like, well, always use more people that work. Yeah, people inside the academy, they always use more of those. You know, it's not like we can have a recruitment drive or anything. Yes. Come and join our strange organization. If you know anybody who shows promise and wants to really affect change. [01:19:51] Speaker E: I'll do it. But after. Let. After we deliver this book, you have to let my friends go. Faro, Castor, Tom and Juniper. [01:20:15] Speaker A: Kind of not. Cass, are you going to get close enough to hear this? [01:20:22] Speaker B: Yes. Yes, I am coming up behind Akos because I do not want this person to see me. But I do want to catch Renee's eye by twinkling my fingers and letting the light, what little light there is in here, catch the glint of my rings. I just want to let him know that I'm here. [01:20:49] Speaker E: Renee's eye. I think it happens just as Renee says that and his eyes get huge. [01:20:57] Speaker C: Oh, boy. [01:20:59] Speaker B: I'm ducking. Hit the deck. [01:21:02] Speaker E: Hit the deck. [01:21:06] Speaker A: She's just saying, like, what? I'm not a monster. Sure, your friends can go. [01:21:15] Speaker E: And they'll be left alone. [01:21:18] Speaker A: I mean, I won't bother them. I mean, something about me, something about what I know, says your friends kind of, like, seem to be magnets for trouble. So, I mean, you won't have any problems with us tonight. [01:21:39] Speaker E: You want me to continue to work with you, I'll need more of an assurance than that. [01:21:54] Speaker A: Sort of sits back and is just like, okay, where is it? Digs out of pocket, pulls out this pen, and watches as, you know, you've got the notebook, and just sort of hand me. Hands it out, licks the edge of this pen. You watch as then he just stab it right into the palm of his hand. And just like, you know, they shake their hand a little bit. And you watch the sort of, the wound itself just closes up. And then they write, or they write the names of your friends and say, will not be harmed by us. Science. Hands it back. [01:22:57] Speaker E: Renee looks at Castor, tries to do it very subtly, but looks straight at Caster and takes a very deep breath. Is important to me. And he tries to kind of play it off like he's talking to Akos. But. [01:23:28] Speaker B: Caster's just been shaking his head the entire time, like, don't do this, dude. [01:23:33] Speaker A: What are you doing? [01:23:37] Speaker B: I will, however, just really quickly, I'm just going to pull out of my bag a sheet of paper and start folding it. [01:23:48] Speaker A: Okay? [01:23:52] Speaker E: Renee takes a very fine, very slim pen out. And on the paper that I'm sure he, like, goes two or three sheets in after wrote in his notebook. [01:24:09] Speaker B: Just. [01:24:09] Speaker E: Like, oh, no, that one still has blood on it. No, that one still has blood on it. And folds it back and writes, I, amma, Renee Ash, or Gerard Laval, promise to lend aid when I am able, within limitations. And then takes one of his very, very sharp teeth and just lightly pierces his thumb, dips the nib of the pen in, and binds it with the most flourishing, beautiful signature. Rips it off, holds it out. [01:24:58] Speaker A: Well, pluck it from your hand. You'll notice your handwriting. Very, very nice. Akos's handwriting is rather crude. It is kind of a utilitarian like, to get a job done. I will fold it up, stick it in the pocket of there doublet, and say, well, it's lovely doing business with you. We have lookpac pulls up pocket watch and just goes, I have about an hour and a half or so before the meeting is scheduled. Should go off without a hitch. As long as you've brought the book. And get up and kind of, like, do the thing where they just crack their back a little bit and they look up and just being like somebody for really see to that hazard. [01:25:53] Speaker B: I hate this person. [01:25:55] Speaker A: Before they just stride off, unless somebody wants to stop them. [01:26:00] Speaker B: Well, no, I'm not going to stop them. [01:26:02] Speaker A: No. [01:26:02] Speaker B: I have fashioned a tiny little origami fox. I am going to flick my fingers over it and give it a tiny bit of magical life. And I am going to. So basically, I'm going to have it kind of like perk to life, wiggle its little ears, and then scurry over and climb their pant leg. And to slip into a little pocket where they will not be seen either like a waistband or paper. [01:26:32] Speaker E: It's paper. [01:26:32] Speaker B: So like a little like a waistband or someplace where it will not be spotted. And the spell that I put on it is a listening spell. So I am going to, if Akos does not discover this thing, I am going to make sure that we can hear all of their plans. If they plan to stop backstab us, hopefully we will have a heads up. What do I roll for this? Because I know it's going to be difficult. [01:27:00] Speaker A: It is going to be difficult. Let's see. How would you like to sell me on a specific role? What do you think this role should be? [01:27:13] Speaker B: I would think this role is either flight or charm. And I will tell you why. Firstly, flight has to deal with like being quick, but also like sleight of hand things. And like, I guess technically like escape or like escaping notice. So I would argue for that. I would argue also and or also charm because it's cute. [01:27:45] Speaker A: Let's go with flight. [01:27:49] Speaker B: I'm sorry, I just thought that would be funny. Cool. Flight. That's so strange. I thought I had. [01:28:04] Speaker C: One more. [01:28:05] Speaker B: I do. Hold on, hold on 2 seconds. I have to look at a thing. I just have to make sure there's. Nope, I just have the one. Okay, cool. [01:28:17] Speaker A: Let's go. And we'll set it at a twelve. [01:28:20] Speaker B: Come on, foxy. I got a 17. [01:28:26] Speaker A: Hell yeah. [01:28:27] Speaker B: Wait, plus one. I got an 18. [01:28:30] Speaker A: Um, and yeah, you, you do that and the fox just sort of settles. You get it? Like right at a point where their cloak is like billowing. Uh, and, uh, yeah, they don't. [01:28:43] Speaker B: Oh, is it a magic. This is a magic roll. [01:28:46] Speaker A: Yes, it is. Roll that. Decrease. [01:28:47] Speaker B: I already succeeded, but I'm gonna do it again. Oh, I exploded. Holy cow, that went out. Hold on, hold on, hold on. Okay, what's that? What's 18 plus 523? 23. [01:29:02] Speaker A: That is good. Full ten above. And yeah, you, you do. And this will, it will take them a while to notice this and you will be able to definitely hear what their plans will be. [01:29:23] Speaker E: That was spooky. [01:29:24] Speaker C: The dice gods have smiled kindly on our finale last episode. With all those ones, they felt bad. [01:29:32] Speaker A: Rising action. Rising action. [01:29:35] Speaker B: Oh, I'm shaking. [01:29:37] Speaker E: Oh. [01:29:39] Speaker C: Okay. [01:29:43] Speaker E: Unless it's really subtle. I think Renee just fully watches this occurrence. [01:29:48] Speaker B: Yeah. You would be able to see it. Yeah. [01:29:52] Speaker E: And just kind of sits there and doesn't really move or react to your presence. After Ako starts to leave for a very long time and starts to tuck all the stuff into their waistcoat and under their big cloak, and then just puts his face in his hands. [01:30:15] Speaker C: For. [01:30:15] Speaker E: A very, very, very long time. [01:30:22] Speaker B: Yeah. Caster, after doing that and making sure Akos is gone, will come around to your side and just kind of sit there and rocks back and forth, waiting for you to say something. [01:30:41] Speaker E: After a pretty long pause. But also knowing that they're on a timetable, it's not, like, excruciatingly long. I I have a plan. [01:30:57] Speaker B: Do, because, um, I don't know if I approve of that. Points at piece of paper in your hand. [01:31:07] Speaker E: We have this, which is binding. [01:31:14] Speaker B: Dassault is yours. [01:31:17] Speaker E: Didn't say I couldn't tell someone else. [01:31:25] Speaker B: Well, it's nullified if they don't actually need you. [01:31:29] Speaker E: Right. [01:31:31] Speaker B: Don't ever need you because they're locked up somewhere deep in the prison cell somewhere. [01:31:38] Speaker E: Exactly. And I'm hoping to maybe at risk of a lot of risk. Thank you, Caster, for. For trusting me. [01:32:06] Speaker B: I trust in your heart, I guess. [01:32:12] Speaker E: I'm going to work for them, to work against them. I need this to stop. [01:32:21] Speaker B: You can't take down the entire entire organization. Not on your own. [01:32:25] Speaker E: Oh. [01:32:31] Speaker B: Okay. Well, I can't say I agree with it. I really, really don't. And I think you should tell your roommate, because I believe that they might have some choice words for you as well. [01:32:47] Speaker E: Let's focus on the mission, yeah? [01:32:49] Speaker B: No mission. Excellent. I talked to my mum's. My mum, actually, my other mum was busy, as per usual. [01:32:57] Speaker E: Let's walk and talk. And Renee gets up. And again, fully, almost nervously, straightens everything out, takes a deep breath and. Do you still have your broom out? [01:33:16] Speaker B: Of course. [01:33:17] Speaker E: Yeah. Renee is going to reach into an unnecessarily deep pocket in his bag and produce his broom and make haste back to the school. Parents lamp lighters. [01:33:44] Speaker B: Yeah. Yep. I should have mentioned that earlier. I know. [01:33:53] Speaker A: Yep. [01:33:56] Speaker B: Priest. [01:33:56] Speaker E: Good. [01:33:57] Speaker B: Oh, is it? Yeah. Yeah. Risking life and nim to bring light to the world. [01:34:07] Speaker E: It'd be worse, I suppose. Risking life and then to keep it dark. [01:34:16] Speaker B: Is that just the natural order of things? [01:34:20] Speaker E: Glad to know you. [01:34:23] Speaker B: I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It's not. I know. I know that it could be a lot worse and that you and your fathers have a complicated relationship I also have a complicated relationship. My mother's. I don't know. Do you know what it's like having someone you love put the entire world before you. [01:34:59] Speaker D: Every time? [01:34:59] Speaker E: Yes, but we aren't beholden to what our parents do or don't want for us. [01:35:22] Speaker B: You know, you. You remind me a lot of my sister. [01:35:32] Speaker E: She also gets it bad. [01:35:33] Speaker B: Oh, it's good. It's good, it's good. It's a good thing. [01:35:44] Speaker E: You remind me that there's good people everywhere. You're good people, Caster. [01:36:02] Speaker B: Yeah, you too. [01:36:04] Speaker E: Oh. Might have to change your definition of good people. [01:36:09] Speaker B: I think that is, uh. I think that's what I'm starting to realize, actually, is that, um, good people might not be defined so much by the things that they do and the sacrifices that they make, but more so, why they do what they do. And thank you. I suppose. Just. I always hated the notion of it. To be good, you have to, I suppose, give up what matters to you. I think if a crafty, we can do both. [01:37:06] Speaker E: So. They hope so. [01:37:12] Speaker B: Well, just give it the old college try. Was that too much? I'm sorry. I just. It felt it was coming out, and it just felt like it was too much. I apologize. [01:37:28] Speaker E: Renee takes a nice, long look at Caster as they slow their broom down in front of the dorms. You. You are the second person that I look, and all I see is light. [01:37:49] Speaker A: Oh. [01:37:50] Speaker B: I'm a celestial. So is that a joke? It's not a joke. Oh. Thank you for believing in me. [01:38:08] Speaker E: You make it easy. Um. [01:38:14] Speaker C: Go up. [01:38:18] Speaker B: I suppose we go reunite with our friends. We should eat something. I'm gonna pass you a snack. I'm gonna open up my bag and pass you some pretzels. [01:38:30] Speaker E: Open the door. And Renee, like, opens the door, but is actively eating a pretzel. [01:38:36] Speaker A: Yeah. Our desperate groups come back together just in time for. You all have less than an hour at this point, and you have a bit of a walk ahead of you. [01:38:52] Speaker D: I think that you walk in on Tom talking to Faro, and they're asking, okay, so we have the new book. What should we do with the original? I mean, everyone knows that they broke into your room, and then they sent a message here. It's not, it's not safe here. Right. [01:39:17] Speaker C: I was just planning on putting it back in the lockbox, but if you don't think that's a good idea, then we can find alternatives. We could put in my lockbox, but. Put the lockbox. Oh, hey, guys. [01:39:37] Speaker B: Hello. Um, good news and bad news. Good, good. News and good news and bad news. [01:39:45] Speaker C: Okay. [01:39:46] Speaker B: Okay. Talk to my mothers. May or may not show up. Yeah, no, that's also something we should address. But first, talk to my mothers. That's probably good. I will send them the address in just a moment. My mother seems to think that she can get some people together and hopefully get us back up, so that's good. Other good thing. Hmm, maybe bad thing first. Um, Renee. [01:40:16] Speaker E: The book looks fantastic. If. I thought you were making a copy. [01:40:23] Speaker C: Yeah, this is the copy. [01:40:25] Speaker B: Oh, for real? [01:40:30] Speaker E: All right, never mind. I'll get to that. Um, I have gotten us a way out at a bit of a price. [01:40:48] Speaker C: Okay. [01:40:50] Speaker E: But I have in writing that we will be able to walk away tonight. [01:41:00] Speaker C: Faro is looking at you with, like, browse, furrow, just concern. [01:41:09] Speaker A: Um. [01:41:13] Speaker E: Promise there's a longer plan to this. Um, I might have joined the unbroken. [01:41:29] Speaker C: Renee Fartel just looks at you and his. And his. He doesn't look, like, disappointed, but he just looks very concerned for you. [01:41:51] Speaker E: My hope is to use it. Sorry. [01:41:57] Speaker A: I'm sorry. [01:42:00] Speaker C: You did not have to do that. Like, seriously. That's. [01:42:14] Speaker B: Um. Yeah, no, it's really bad. Um, I do see his reasoning, though, and we could use it. And that brings me to the other good news is maybe while that meeting was happening, I might have dropped a fox on the person. So now I can hear everything that they're saying. [01:42:40] Speaker A: And speaking of hearing things that they were saying on the right back, you can hear that Akos has essentially been singing of what is amounts to an old folk song as they walk. And as they got back to the. Wherever they were going, you heard them speaking softly to someone and essentially asking if everything was in place. Is the doctor ready? [01:43:16] Speaker B: Doctor fear. [01:43:20] Speaker A: And then says, we cannot harm them. [01:43:33] Speaker B: Where's the butt? [01:43:36] Speaker A: He emphasizes the word we. [01:43:38] Speaker B: Yeah, I figured. [01:43:39] Speaker A: Okay. [01:43:40] Speaker B: Oh, jeez. [01:43:41] Speaker A: Okay. [01:43:44] Speaker B: Anything else? [01:43:46] Speaker A: And then Ako says, when it's said and done, bring me the book. I have a meeting tonight. I trust you all to keep just a bunch of upstarts in line before leaving. And I imagine it, like, eventually gets too far away for you to hear. But as far as you can tell, Akos has left the district. [01:44:32] Speaker B: Yeah, and speaking of, um, they're incredibly annoying. I just feel like I should just put that out there. And then also, um, they're not going to be at the meeting themselves. They just sent some other people. And also weirdly specified we cannot harm them. I'm assuming that means us. Um, kind of. [01:44:53] Speaker E: And it includes juniper. [01:44:55] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. Kind of felt like there was a caveat there, but I don't know what he was talking about. So they were talking about. So, um. You good there? [01:45:06] Speaker E: Fell. [01:45:09] Speaker C: A cat has broken into my room. I'm fine. It's my cat, Goose. You know, Goose. [01:45:15] Speaker E: Goose. [01:45:15] Speaker C: That's Goose right now. [01:45:17] Speaker B: Yep. Yep. So, I mean. And I think we might be as prepared as we possibly could be. It's got the book or the not book. And what? [01:45:32] Speaker E: Okay, of these books, which one is the real one? [01:45:35] Speaker B: You know what? I don't want to know. Actually, don't tell me. [01:45:39] Speaker C: I thought I was just holding two. Two of them. [01:45:46] Speaker E: And what are we doing with the real one? [01:45:49] Speaker C: I was thinking, like I said, I was going to put it back in the lockbox and stick it back under my bed, but given that whoever searched my room knows that I have it, I was thinking maybe I could put my lockbox under your bed, Renee, because they didn't touch your room last time. [01:46:11] Speaker E: I can. I can find a spot for it. [01:46:15] Speaker C: Okay. And it's clear that Faro has kind of shelved the topic of Renee. Making this deal like this is a problem for later. [01:46:31] Speaker B: Gotta survive this first. [01:46:32] Speaker C: And you watch as Faro kind of looks between the two books as if he's forgotten which one's which. And opens one of them, flips to the back and just, like, starts skimming it, and then shakes his head, puts that one off to the side, opens the other one, and then nods and says, okay, this is the real one. I'm gonna go put this in the luck box. [01:46:54] Speaker E: And photo. [01:46:57] Speaker C: Yes. [01:46:59] Speaker E: The fake is good, right? [01:47:02] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:47:03] Speaker E: And I think it's good enough. [01:47:05] Speaker C: He'll hand it to you to look at. [01:47:08] Speaker E: And Renee. Renee flips through it, but hasn't actually spent much time looking at the original, so isn't really sure which one is good or anything. Literally has had, like, very little to do with this book. So he's so just like, okay. Because I think the one time he looked at it, he rolled so badly. [01:47:28] Speaker C: I think. [01:47:29] Speaker E: Oh, yeah, if you think it's good, it's good. [01:47:34] Speaker C: I do think it's good. It's very convincing, Tom. [01:47:38] Speaker E: Everything depends on it. [01:47:40] Speaker C: I know. I know. Believe me, this is not the first time that I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. I think we did. I think we did a good job. [01:47:56] Speaker E: And I will put it somewhere very safe. [01:48:05] Speaker C: Good. And photo will just get their lockbox, stick the real book in it, cover it up again, lock it up, and then hand his lockbox to you, Renee. [01:48:21] Speaker E: And Renee takes it very gingerly. And goes into his room, and we see him move some pieces from, like, the periphery of his bed. And you actually see that the mess where it looks like there should be, like, piles of dust underneath all of the objects is actually, the floor itself is clean, because the objects, while they look like they've sat there for a long time, the dust has not accumulated, because he actually means for it to look this way. And he moves a few pieces, and underneath his bed is immaculate. It is completely clean. Everything is very organized. You can see all of his magical equipment and everything all kind of placed very perfectly and purposefully so that he can find it. And he reaches into a section that is at the moment that his hands passes the threshold of it. It's just black. And it is the thing that he doesn't talk about, because most of our studies are about manipulating the elements and all of the properties of magic of different kinds. But the thing that we have so much of in our world that Renee has spent his entire life's pursuit understanding it is a shadow box. And he pushes the lockbox into the very small place where he keeps a reserve of shadow and puts everything back the way it was supposed to be. Kind of pushes the sheets on his bed a little bit so that they look like they've been touched and must just a little bit. And places the mess back where it belongs and returns to everyone. [01:50:27] Speaker B: That's totally normal. [01:50:34] Speaker E: All right, then. That we meet our destinies. [01:50:42] Speaker B: Do you have to say like that? [01:50:44] Speaker C: Yeah, that's. That's one way to put it. [01:50:48] Speaker B: She's very intense. I'm gonna. [01:50:53] Speaker E: That's what people say to me. [01:50:54] Speaker B: And she skitters up my my arm and settles on my shoulders because she's. [01:51:01] Speaker E: My comfort blanket, and she's very good. [01:51:04] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:51:06] Speaker A: So you all leave the dorm and heads to this meeting spot. [01:51:15] Speaker C: Before we leave, I think Faro will instruct goose, their cat, that basically, if they're not back within, like, an hour and a half to 2 hours, that goose should come find me. [01:51:31] Speaker A: Okay. [01:51:34] Speaker C: And then we leave. [01:51:38] Speaker A: You all. It's about a 20 minutes walk before you all find yourself standing in front of this house. And photo. You know that the one on the right is. Think of it like brownstones in, like, New York City, how they're all kind of just packed together. You would know that the. The one, like, literally to the right is Talus's, but the one in front of you looks like nobody lives there. There are no lights on or anything. [01:52:16] Speaker C: Are there lights on in Talus's house? [01:52:18] Speaker A: There is a light on in his bedroom. [01:52:22] Speaker C: Weird. Photo. Will look at the other, the other three of you, and we'll just say, so that one's Talus's house. The light up there, that's his room. This house. As far as I know, nobody lives here. [01:52:54] Speaker B: And creepy. [01:52:59] Speaker D: We bring talos to the meeting with us. Would that be to our advantage or to theirs? [01:53:05] Speaker B: That's a good question. I don't want to gamble that. [01:53:09] Speaker E: I agree. [01:53:10] Speaker C: I was thinking perhaps one of you would be willing to fly up there and at least peek in the window, see if he's home. [01:53:19] Speaker B: I got it. Hop on my broom. This is what I'm good at, is big fear. [01:53:26] Speaker C: But yes. Let's go, Caster. [01:53:28] Speaker E: Let's go. [01:53:28] Speaker B: Let's go, Caster. [01:53:30] Speaker E: I will go. [01:53:31] Speaker B: I will go peek in the window, because that's not weird at all. Peeking into your professor's window at night. [01:53:38] Speaker A: Give me a flight roll. [01:53:39] Speaker B: Oh, boy. Come on. D 2017 plus one. That same roll. [01:53:49] Speaker E: 1818. [01:53:50] Speaker B: Is it magic? [01:53:52] Speaker A: Nope. [01:53:53] Speaker B: Okay. [01:53:53] Speaker A: This is just sneaking. [01:53:55] Speaker C: And it's just sneaking. [01:53:57] Speaker A: Just sneaking. As you do that, you're so, so careful. You get up there, you look in the window. The room is empty. There's no one in our room. [01:54:06] Speaker B: Can I listen out the window and see if there's anybody in the house? [01:54:11] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:54:11] Speaker A: Without roll, you. You're also listening. No one in the house. [01:54:16] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:54:17] Speaker B: I just shake my head back down at the others. Like. [01:54:21] Speaker C: Farah will just gesture for you to come back, like, quickly, so that if whoever. If whoever we're meeting decides to come out, doesn't see you, like, snooping. [01:54:31] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. Uncle as I land, I'm like, why would you leave the light on? That is just. Is so irresponsible. [01:54:45] Speaker C: Thanks for flying up there. I think if I gone up there, I might have eaten light. [01:54:51] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, no, that makes sense. With your light eating thing. [01:54:55] Speaker E: This. You turned off the light? [01:54:58] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:54:59] Speaker B: I mean, again, irresponsible. [01:55:05] Speaker A: Unless one wants to make it look like they're home. [01:55:08] Speaker B: But why would you? Okay, well, renewed sense of terror. [01:55:15] Speaker E: Yeah. One fear. Renee looks to all of you and is going to step towards the door unless anyone stops them. [01:55:27] Speaker D: Yeah. I think that Tom is going to whisper something to their pipe fox, who slithers down off their arm. But we'll then follow Renee. [01:55:41] Speaker B: Safi, staying with me? [01:55:43] Speaker A: Yeah, you. I'm not even gonna make you roll for this. You all get the distinct feeling that you're all being watched. [01:55:53] Speaker B: What? That's. Nah, no. [01:55:57] Speaker D: What? [01:55:58] Speaker B: Us being what? [01:55:59] Speaker E: Okay, having. Having probably lived under the circumstance of feeling like he's being watched for much of his life. This does not faze renee. And he straightens his little self up and knocks. [01:56:13] Speaker A: So polite as you go up to knock, you knock on the door as if they had sort of had it set that when you pushed or not, just swing right open. [01:56:29] Speaker C: That's not weird at all. Well, do you want me to go first, renee? [01:56:44] Speaker E: No, I can do this. I can do this. And renee is going to look around, um, and step in. [01:57:00] Speaker C: Farou will step in behind renee because I think farou was expecting renee to want him to go first, but, you know, is respecting that renee wants to do this, but we'll be backing him up because usually pharah is the one in front. So I'm like, right on your right side, ready to help out if need be. [01:57:27] Speaker E: Also, pharah would know that renee is, like, so tense, they might just vibrate out of their own body because this is the boldest. You've probably seen him ever. [01:57:39] Speaker C: Yup, yup. I know you well, we may not have dated, but I know you will. [01:57:52] Speaker B: Because I'm the tallest, just so you know. [01:57:56] Speaker A: Step into the house, Renee, with everyone behind you. [01:58:05] Speaker E: Hello. [01:58:09] Speaker A: And as you speak into this house, kind of see, straightforward into, like, maybe on your left is what would be a sitting room. On your right, you see stairs that go up and then down. Center is where, you know, a kitchen would be. And you watch some as somebody touches something with magical light and sort of this thing comes to something, starts shining magical light in the kitchen just enough that it's kind of harsh in the way that you can't really see a lot. It creates the harsh lines and shadows, but there's something there. [01:58:52] Speaker E: Renee glances over his shoulder at everyone before walking forward very, very nervously. [01:59:01] Speaker C: I'm following right behind you. Very nervous. [01:59:08] Speaker D: Watching fox. [01:59:09] Speaker B: Sorry. [01:59:10] Speaker E: Go ahead. [01:59:12] Speaker D: Yeah, go ahead. Again, sort of hesitates and can I do some sort of magic to extend my senses and see if I can feel if anyone else is in this building? [01:59:26] Speaker A: Yeah, give me a brains magic roll. [01:59:29] Speaker B: Oof. Brains. [01:59:30] Speaker A: Or, like, flight actually works too. [01:59:34] Speaker D: Brains is probably better. [01:59:36] Speaker C: Yeah, well, they. [01:59:39] Speaker A: Brains or flight magic roll. [01:59:43] Speaker D: Oh, okay. [01:59:46] Speaker B: That good over bad. [01:59:47] Speaker D: Ope. That's a five. [01:59:49] Speaker B: Oh, boy. [01:59:50] Speaker A: Well, at least it isn't double ones. It's just there's a lot going on. Emotions are high and everything is a little jumbled. You're not able to get. You are aware that there are other people in the building with you. You can't get a beat on how many. [02:00:07] Speaker D: Yeah. So I think it looks like Tom is sort of clutching the hilt of their dagger, and the vortex blade sort of pulses out for a moment around their body and then almost shudders back in, not able to really actually extend out because, yeah, this is a stressful situation. But he will follow. [02:00:38] Speaker A: Yeah. We will start walking towards the kitchen. [02:00:44] Speaker E: Yes. Yes. [02:00:47] Speaker B: I would like to pay. I would like to. I'm bringing up the rear. So I'm watching our backs, basically. I'm not really paying attention. What's happening up there, so much as I am like, who's coming? Coming up behind us? Who's gonna kill us? [02:01:03] Speaker A: Yeah, you. You do that. As you walk into the kitchen, you can instantly tell that there are several people in this kitchen. There is a. Someone sitting in a chair that you think just sort of, by the way the light hits them, is probably juniper. And there's someone standing directly behind Juniper, kind of in a threatening way with his hands on her shoulder. With the way the light is especially throwing shadows, you can't really tell who this person is. There are two other forms in the kitchen as well. [02:01:52] Speaker E: All right, we've. We've brought it. [02:02:01] Speaker A: I'm here. [02:02:03] Speaker C: Are you okay? [02:02:05] Speaker A: I've been better. [02:02:09] Speaker C: What gets you out of here? [02:02:13] Speaker A: A voice that seems to be magically disguised. You hear, say, put the book on the table. [02:02:31] Speaker C: Kind of looks at the rest of you nervous, and pulls out our copy, and we'll step forward. And before I put it on the table. So we see juniper physically in this room. We see someone in the shadows standing behind Juniper. Do I see anyone else? [02:02:58] Speaker A: There are, from what you can tell. But other than the person behind Juniper, there are two other people in this room itself. But with the way the light is, you keep really tell if anyone's beyond the room. [02:03:09] Speaker C: Gotcha. It's kind of the vibes of, like, the single light bulb uncovered that very harsh light. [02:03:14] Speaker A: Okay. [02:03:16] Speaker C: Great. Faro. Before putting the book down on the table is kind of like holding it just in front of them like this. And we'll kind of look around the room and gaze sort of into the darkness. [02:03:32] Speaker A: Not. [02:03:32] Speaker C: Not necessarily looking, but just in a way that if there were someone standing there, father would want to just look at them. Kind of a like, yes, I know you're there. I know you can hear me. And he just says, I'm going to put it down. But, Professor Talus, if you're here, which I know you are, I want to talk to you. [02:04:10] Speaker A: So you say that, and there is this sort of sound of almost heavy breathing as this figure steps into the light from the darkness. And you see, you recognize the horns instantly, the broken rims, horns. But the clothing that talus wears is different. It is darker. You see all of these vials and devices hang from his belt, and he is wearing some sort of mask on his face, kind of. If you would see, like, how a gas mask from, like, world war one would look. And as he breathes, you can kind of hear the clicking of it. And let's see, Tom, as you're looking around, you know, kind of just trying to get your bearings and figure out what's here. You look, and around the corner, you see this shape, this shape in dark clothing. And just for a moment, it leans, and you see what appears to be a harlequin mask before it kind of ducks back around the corner. [02:06:11] Speaker D: Very carefully. It does not react to that. [02:06:17] Speaker A: But. [02:06:18] Speaker D: I think actually doesn't look in that direction, but sort of knocks their foot against casters in a comforting way. [02:06:30] Speaker B: On a comforting way. Okay. I was gonna say he jumps a mile. [02:06:35] Speaker D: I mean, that could be the responsibility. [02:06:37] Speaker B: Probably, in the conversation. [02:06:43] Speaker A: And so, Faro, you're still holding on to the book. [02:06:47] Speaker C: Yeah. I think while that's happening behind him, Faro is just looking at Talos. And I think the expression on Faro's face is one of extreme disappointment and maybe even a little bit of despair and frustration and genuine confusion. It's a face that I think any mentor seeing their mentee look like this, it's very clear that Faro is judging him and feels in his heart that Talus has somehow failed them as a teacher. And Pharaoh stands their ground and is holding this book, like, really close to their chest. And she looks up at him and just says, I've read everything in here. I know what you plan on doing, and this isn't like you. This isn't the way you get what you want. But I know that whatever I say is not going to change your mind. But here, your legacy. I will hand it to him. [02:08:37] Speaker A: And Talus will reach out and gently take the book and say, sometimes we make choices that in the moment may not seem clear, but in the future, you'll look back and see that they were the right ones. And it's kind of got that sort of distorted sound of coming through this. This sort of contraption that he is wearing on his face. [02:09:12] Speaker C: I think Fuddo's brow furrows, and he just says, I know I have a lot to learn. You have always been smarter than me. I've looked up to you. You've taught me so much. But I truly believe in this moment. Professor, your mind is clouded. For the first time in my life, I feel like I have clarity. [02:09:55] Speaker A: And as you say the word clarity, somewhere off in the distance, there's a sound of crashing glass and the instant sound of something catching fire. [02:10:14] Speaker C: I'm watching Talos. How does he react? [02:10:18] Speaker E: He. [02:10:19] Speaker A: That point? He seems surprised. He, like, looks up, looks over, and just goes, looks at all of you, and then looks back at everyone else and says, when did you get out of here? [02:10:34] Speaker E: At the sound, Renee has jumped. And you all see that his hands are dripping with shadow as he raises his wand towards the sound, because he's not looking at any of the people in this room. [02:10:49] Speaker B: Also like to do something when we have a second. [02:10:51] Speaker A: Yeah, well, obviously, the sound sounds like it was coming from next door. Talus's house. [02:10:58] Speaker C: Oh. Huh. So I think in the split second that I get to react, faro turns around to Caster and Tom, and immediately, I think, just very quickly, he says, get Junie. And then we'll go back to watching what Talus is doing, because Farro does not want to let Talus leave or do anything funky, like. Like, Faro's plan, basically, is, if there's any sense of humanity left in this professor, I am the one who'd be able to get to him. And perhaps this is just the last bit of hope that Foto has for his mentor, that maybe there's a shred of him that still cares about. About him, that all of our countless hours being spent together meant anything to him like it did to me. That's why I thought it was staying. [02:12:01] Speaker A: And there is a moment where he is given the order to evacuate to the others, and he looks back at you and says, one day you'll understand. [02:12:19] Speaker C: I don't think I will. And, um, can I look. Can I look out a window? And, like, I want to let the other two do something, but, like, at this point, I'm looking out the window to see if I can see what's happening next door. [02:12:34] Speaker A: It looks like there's a fire in Tallis's house. [02:12:38] Speaker C: Luckily. [02:12:39] Speaker A: Yeah. Castor. [02:12:40] Speaker B: Yes. I think. I think at that point, because, like, on the heels of, like, the get Junie out casserole is already focusing on the singular light in the room. And what I want to do is I want to feed it. I want to make it brighter. I want to make it so bright, in fact, that it kind of explodes, maybe. [02:13:03] Speaker A: Yeah, I'm going to. [02:13:05] Speaker B: I'm just going to. I'm just going to feed it and I mean, there. So I have two. [02:13:08] Speaker E: I have two. [02:13:08] Speaker B: Here's the thing. Castor's parents are lamplighters, and Caster the celestial, and he's never been good at lighting lamps. So I think that his intention is to light this, and it can go one of two ways. Either it's going to be so bright that we can see everything all of a sudden, or it's going to be pitch black because he explodes it. So I. Whichever way it goes. [02:13:31] Speaker A: Yeah, whichever. Whichever way the dice go. [02:13:33] Speaker B: Whichever way the dice go is going to be good for me. [02:13:37] Speaker A: Brains or flight role for me. Okay, that's what I'm hearing. And as Caster is doing this, was there anything that Tom wanted to do? [02:13:48] Speaker D: Yeah, I mean, we've handed over the book. We've completed our deal. Tom is going to dash forward towards Junie. And is the person standing behind her still, like, there? Did they leave when Talos told them to? [02:14:02] Speaker A: They have stepped back like, they are leaving. It is all sort of, like, happening at the same time. They're not, like, grabbing her and dragging her. You know, they're. They. They made a deal. You have handed over the book, but you've also created a situation where they have to take your word for it. They. They don't have the time to, uh, take a look at the book. But the. The book itself, Tallis, the COVID and everything, looks real. [02:14:33] Speaker C: Well, the COVID is real. The COVID is real. The COVID is real. [02:14:37] Speaker B: The COVID is what they needed the whole time. We were wrong. [02:14:42] Speaker D: Yeah. So then Tom runs forward and grabs Junie and will just sort of hold her close to themselves. [02:14:53] Speaker A: And she definitely will hug you back because she's so scared. [02:14:58] Speaker B: She's so valid. Is she unharmed? That was a lot of blood. [02:15:02] Speaker A: Does appear to have a rather bad, like, knock on her head, like, bandage. [02:15:10] Speaker C: Did they take care of her? [02:15:11] Speaker A: Okay. You know, good, good, good. Badge. Bandage on the side of her head. [02:15:19] Speaker B: Oh, boy. Oh, boy. [02:15:22] Speaker C: Okay, good. [02:15:23] Speaker B: Oh, classic of caster. [02:15:25] Speaker A: Let's see. [02:15:26] Speaker E: No, Caster. [02:15:28] Speaker A: A six. [02:15:30] Speaker B: Wait, plus one. That's a seven. [02:15:33] Speaker A: A seven. So I think it's more of the latter of you. Make it shine so bright that the bulb explodes. Yep. [02:15:41] Speaker B: So he basically, he goes like this, where he expands his fingers and, like, I'm gonna make that light brighter so we can see. Oops. Too much juice. [02:15:54] Speaker C: Sorry. [02:15:56] Speaker A: Which, I mean, just keeps adding to the chaos of everything. And, Renee, you're reaching out with your shadow friends. [02:16:03] Speaker E: Well, I think that, like, he's about to kind of, like, try and take action with all the shadow that he's been accumulating. But the moment that the bulb is going to blast, he goes to, like, throw up some shadow just to, like, protect himself. But he's standing right next to photo, and I think he goes to block it with shadow, but the light goes to photo instead. [02:16:27] Speaker C: I know. Can I eat this? [02:16:28] Speaker A: Yeah. [02:16:29] Speaker E: Yeah, you can. [02:16:31] Speaker C: Okay. [02:16:31] Speaker A: As it explodes in that moment where everything is in a crescendo of blinding light. [02:16:43] Speaker C: And if it's okay with you, Caster, and you, Aubrey, I think given that this light was an explosion of Caster's magic and whatnot, I think we get a shot where, like, this light is, like, blinding. Like a white out, right? In, like, film terms, a white out. And there's the outline of Foto's body, just, like, immediately sucking all of this back in, and everything is glowing. I think my hair turns white for a moment. Like, almost, like glowing golden, golden white light. You can see, like, all of the veins and freckles across my entire body, they all start glowing and pulsating. I think there is a deep glow from within Farah's chest that makes almost, like, there's light inside of them, making their skin glow that color. Like, when you put flashlights up against your hand and you can see your skin glow, their eyes are blazing just like, white, pure white. And I think that light lasts a bit longer than it had in previous times, but, again, fades slowly. And Foto's face, I think, is contorted in some kind of pain. And he just kind of staggers back a little bit, probably bumps into Renee. And just. [02:18:26] Speaker B: That also hurt me because it came from me. [02:18:30] Speaker C: Huh? [02:18:30] Speaker B: Does it also hurt me because it came from me? Since you basically sucked it from me? Does it hurt? I'm gonna say it hurts. [02:18:39] Speaker A: Okay. Yeah, I like that. [02:18:42] Speaker E: What else? Oh. [02:18:44] Speaker B: Oh, I don't like that. [02:18:46] Speaker E: Oh, yeah, you're right. We have to go. [02:18:54] Speaker C: Yes, I will be. [02:19:00] Speaker E: Renee is going to grab Fato's hand, if that is all right. [02:19:07] Speaker C: Yes. [02:19:08] Speaker E: And kind of pull them so that they're both headed down the hallway. Come on, everyone. [02:19:23] Speaker A: And as you're doing this, and as you watch as several of the unbroken are moving away, you kind of hear this sound of something flying through the air. And you hear, like, the thump as this knife sort of hits one of the unbroken members, and you hear the noise of pain, and then you hear them calling out, saying that they're being attacked. And that's also when you hear the sound of something metal hitting the ground, and it's like, tink, tink, tink, tink. And it's sort of a slow hissing sound. [02:20:12] Speaker E: Can I see it? Can Renee see it? [02:20:15] Speaker A: I'd say, yeah, because you're in darkness. It's kind of this sort of cylinder shape that kind of looks like it turns and is pulled. And then was just, let's tink. Letting out this sort of blue gas. [02:20:34] Speaker E: Rene's recall kind of like, slams a bunch of pieces of this whole puzzle through his brain all at once of the gas masks and the little bit of the book that he's had explained to him and kind of understands. And I think that he looks to all of them. Brooms. Brooms now. And pulls the broom out of his bag. [02:21:06] Speaker C: Yep. We are leaving so quickly. Yeah, quickly. [02:21:12] Speaker A: And, uh, so, yeah, you're running out, getting on your brooms. And one of you, as you are, like, leaving, you think you're going to be the last one out the door. And this figure in dark clothing, wearing the harlequin mask, sort of slips out the door as well, beyond you kind of just with a quick. As they leave, you see that they are. They've managed to snatch the book as they head off in a different direction. You all jumping on your brooms quickly as this. Luckily, none of the windows are broken, so it definitely seems like whatever is in this house is containing this gas, but also house is on fire. [02:22:15] Speaker B: That seems like a problem for someone who. [02:22:17] Speaker A: Someone else. [02:22:18] Speaker C: Yep. I think this is the first time in this adventure where father was like, not my problem. [02:22:25] Speaker E: And we're leaving, and I'm imagining that we could put juniper on one of our brooms. All of her stuff was left at the school. [02:22:36] Speaker A: Cool. [02:22:38] Speaker D: Yeah. I think that since Tom was already holding her, they will pull her along on the broom. And as we get outside, pause for a second and let their pipe fox, like, lower down, let their pipe fox sort of slither back up their leg and say, good job. [02:22:58] Speaker B: Ah. [02:23:03] Speaker A: Yeah. And as you hop on your brims, I also did the dots. Yes, you have. Possibly. You're going to take juniper back to the school, are we? [02:23:17] Speaker D: Yeah, we should, right. [02:23:19] Speaker E: Uh. [02:23:23] Speaker B: Maybe we should drink first. [02:23:25] Speaker E: I. I think Renee actually goes to that park, since it's right next to the. The tavern. It seems like a safe place to land. [02:23:38] Speaker A: Yeah, you do that. And, like, off in the distance, you can hear sort of the sound of like, sirens. As whoever is, you know, the guards and lamplighters are responding to this problem. [02:23:58] Speaker C: I think the fire gives Faro an idea. And as we're all fleeing, Faro I think looks to the rest of you and just says, once we're far, far enough away, sure that no one else is around but us. Photo just says, it's a real book. I'm going to burn it unless anyone stops me. [02:24:28] Speaker E: Right. Great pie. [02:24:30] Speaker B: Brilliant. [02:24:31] Speaker C: Okay, so I'm going to zip off and do that. [02:24:34] Speaker B: Oh, right now. [02:24:35] Speaker E: Okay, right now, photo, it's. [02:24:39] Speaker C: Never mind. I don't zip off and do that. Photo will, like, turn to leave on his broom, and when you call their name, he turns back around. What? [02:24:52] Speaker E: Don't. Don't leave yet. Just stay close. I think we don't know what the school's gonna be like. [02:25:04] Speaker C: True, but I want to get rid of it as soon as possible. [02:25:09] Speaker E: Fine. You can't do it alone. Let's go. [02:25:12] Speaker B: Okay. We're all going. Okay, let's go. [02:25:14] Speaker A: It's late enough. You know, it's late. At this point, you are technically past curfew and. [02:25:22] Speaker B: Curfew. I don't know what you're talking about. [02:25:23] Speaker A: Yeah, only two of you knew about curfew. Like what? [02:25:26] Speaker E: We haven't heard about curfew also. You think Renee cares about a curfew ever? At any point in time. [02:25:31] Speaker A: At least now. Yeah. [02:25:35] Speaker C: A couple months ago, photo would have cared about curfew. [02:25:39] Speaker B: That is a rule breaker. Now, say I take a walk on the wild side. [02:25:44] Speaker A: You're definitely able to get back. [02:25:46] Speaker C: We get back at 915 pm. [02:25:49] Speaker E: Like rebels living dangerously. Yeah. Rush upstairs. [02:26:00] Speaker C: Yep. I'm gonna. I don't even think I wait for Renee. I think I go into Renee's. [02:26:11] Speaker E: Oh, no, it's okay. [02:26:12] Speaker B: Hell of a time. [02:26:13] Speaker E: You froze. You froze. [02:26:15] Speaker A: Oh, no, just say what you said again. [02:26:18] Speaker E: Yeah. [02:26:18] Speaker C: Okay, so once we get back, I don't even think I wait for Renee, if it's okay with you. I think I just go directly into your room. I think I know where you hid it. And I try to gently move your piles of stuff out of the way. I think something tips over in my haste. And you hear a follower just say, fuck, and is gonna reach under the bed, pull out the lockbox. I open it really quickly, pull the book out, and where do we set a fire? I'm going to clear out. Just a. I'm gonna dump a trash can. [02:27:06] Speaker A: Well, I also say, like, you're probably in a. Like, you probably have some sort of, like, fireplace or something. [02:27:12] Speaker E: Yeah. [02:27:12] Speaker C: Oh, okay. [02:27:13] Speaker E: That's. [02:27:14] Speaker A: Central heating isn't a thing, so. [02:27:16] Speaker C: Fireplace. [02:27:17] Speaker A: Awesome. [02:27:18] Speaker C: So Faro will go to the fireplace, toss the book on, pull out his wand, and we'll cast a fire spell and just light a fire. [02:27:27] Speaker A: Yeah, you can do that. It's especially, it's a lot easier. Especially now that you've taken the, the leather cover off of it. And it's mostly just pages. [02:27:36] Speaker C: It's just paper. Yeah, just parchment. [02:27:38] Speaker A: It goes up. [02:27:44] Speaker C: Um, and we, we got a nice fire roaring. We throw some logs on and, uh, and I think as, uh, and, and, and, and whatever y'all are doing, but I think in this moment, after setting this fire with great haste, Faroeses onto their couch and goo and sit on his lap. And I think Faro's kind of in his own world right now and he is crying, like, silently. Head and hands. Doesn't seem to be embarrassed about crying in front of you three, but also I think he's been holding in a lot of emotions. [02:28:44] Speaker E: Renee. [02:28:44] Speaker C: Oh, yes, the four of you. [02:28:47] Speaker E: Uncharacteristically. It's across from Faro on the coffee table right next to the branded in mark of the unbroken and looks down on it as he plants his hand down on the table, takes a very long, deep breath and then looks at Faro and just reaches out and very gently puts a hand on his arm. Just quietly there. [02:29:30] Speaker C: And photo doesn't physically react to that. Like, doesn't flinch, doesn't really do anything. But after a couple seconds, they lean into your touch. [02:29:49] Speaker E: It just stays there. Doesn't look at the fire, just keeps an eye on father. [02:30:09] Speaker B: Castro, leans over to Tom and is like, so they're not dating. [02:30:15] Speaker D: Apparently they never have. [02:30:17] Speaker C: What? [02:30:17] Speaker B: That doesn't make any sense. [02:30:26] Speaker E: I'm gonna. [02:30:27] Speaker B: I'm gonna fuss over Junie. [02:30:30] Speaker A: Yeah. [02:30:30] Speaker C: Tom is awful. [02:30:31] Speaker B: I'm just gonna make sure she's okay. [02:30:32] Speaker A: Yeah, she seems a little tired. A little. Probably in need of rest. Uh, you know, luckily, it's only literally been a day. [02:30:46] Speaker B: Yeah. [02:30:49] Speaker D: I will ask. I think, like, do you remember, did you see what happened? Do you feel safe here or should we try and go somewhere else? [02:31:02] Speaker A: I think it's probably best if I at least leave the academy for a bit. I have family here. I can stay with them at least until I'm done recovering. [02:31:25] Speaker B: That's not encouraging. But I'm glad you're safe. And we did it. Woo. [02:31:37] Speaker E: Renee finally pulls himself away from just staring at Faro and he turns and looks at juniper. Finally they do anything. [02:31:53] Speaker A: Shakes her head and is like, well, now I just, I was, I really remember. It's kind of been up at the blur this last day. I was just in the library studying the book that Talos gave me. [02:32:08] Speaker E: Gave you. [02:32:09] Speaker B: Gave it to you? [02:32:13] Speaker A: Yeah, he wanted my help with it. [02:32:18] Speaker C: What do you mean? [02:32:22] Speaker A: He said that he wanted to, uh. Just working on decoding it, and said it belonged to some relative of his and wanted my help with figuring out what was in it. [02:32:38] Speaker C: That's. [02:32:39] Speaker B: Wait, what? [02:32:41] Speaker C: Demonstrably false. It was his handwriting. [02:32:46] Speaker A: Oh, I never put that part together. I don't know. I had uncovered what the last pages were, and I had confronted him about it, and I told him I didn't want to feel comfortable giving him the book. And then I think, yeah, that's when he did what he did. [02:33:15] Speaker C: I'm sorry. Farto kind of, like, wipes his cheeks of, like, the tears that have been, like, streaming down it. [02:33:25] Speaker E: Rene, no joke. Pulls a pocket, a handkerchief out of his pocket and hands it to you. [02:33:29] Speaker C: Okay, then, yeah, I'll use your handkerchief to clean up his face. And now Faro looks just genuinely confused. Number one, because if talos actually. Like, if juniper's story is actually correct, pharaoh has no idea why Talus wouldn't ask him to do it. But number two, based on everything that juniper is saying, like, that all doesn't make any sense. Why would Talus want help decoding his own work? Like, a lot of things don't add up. And so Faro is now just staring at juniper, and just. It's like, maybe it's not talos. What do you mean? [02:34:17] Speaker B: I mean, maybe it's not. Maybe that wasn't him, really him. [02:34:26] Speaker C: That gave the book. [02:34:28] Speaker B: Well, no, I mean, let me guess. If the. You know, if the. If the original. Tell us, because you recognized his handwriting is quite specific, wrote that book, has copies of it or not. I'm not entirely sure exactly how he got this book that is supposedly in one place or another. I'm not entirely sure. My point is that he wouldn't need help decoding his own work, and he especially wouldn't. No offense, juniper. Go to someone who isn't you, Farro. So the only logical explanation is that he's not actually tell us. [02:35:08] Speaker D: Tom absolutely cackles, like, in an unhinged way, like this story. Like, overwhelmed and unhinged. [02:35:20] Speaker B: Just. [02:35:22] Speaker D: If they don't check the student body, why would they check the professors? [02:35:25] Speaker C: That's. [02:35:29] Speaker A: That makes sense, Tom. [02:35:36] Speaker D: I can't believe. I mean, what else. What other explanation is there? [02:35:43] Speaker C: Well, I don't understand what you're on about. [02:35:47] Speaker E: Yeah, what are you talking about? [02:35:52] Speaker D: Someone took. Like Caster said, someone took Talos place at some point and is, for some reason, attempting to uncover whatever spells it is whatever alchemy he wrote. And the headmaster is. [02:36:15] Speaker C: How are you so sure of that? [02:36:18] Speaker E: It's just a thought. [02:36:20] Speaker D: I mean, what? It's feasible. I can't think of anything else. [02:36:29] Speaker E: They might be right. The harlequin. How good of a look did I get? [02:36:43] Speaker A: Decent look. It was dark, but, you know, I don't think that impedes you much. Wait. [02:36:53] Speaker E: Yeah? What? What? What's going on? There? Is there any way that I would have any understanding of what that was? [02:37:04] Speaker A: The rumor is the head of the bloody blades wears a harlequin mask. Nobody knows who they truly are. Some people refer to them as the mother, but, yeah, there's a rumor in the city no one truly knows who's behind the bloody blades. [02:37:25] Speaker B: I never met Clover. Just out of curiosity. [02:37:28] Speaker A: Probably. Okay. [02:37:31] Speaker C: Thank you. [02:37:32] Speaker D: Has he met her wife? [02:37:38] Speaker B: Anyway? That was another question that I had, though. Did I happen to see either of my mothers during the rescue? Tm. [02:37:53] Speaker A: No. [02:37:54] Speaker B: Excellent. I love angst. Great. [02:37:59] Speaker E: Love it. [02:38:01] Speaker B: I'm not gonna think about that right now. [02:38:04] Speaker A: They're fine. [02:38:07] Speaker C: Are we? [02:38:09] Speaker A: Well, I said the mothers are fine. The mother's fine. [02:38:12] Speaker B: No no, that's fine. [02:38:14] Speaker E: No, that's fine. [02:38:15] Speaker B: It's just that Caster. I don't think Caster knows that clover. Who Clover is and what his mom actually did, so I don't think he knows that she actually helps. Yeah, I think he thinks that she did nothing. It's fine. [02:38:34] Speaker A: You would have all seen the strange person in the Harlequin mask probably at some point, who took a book and left. [02:38:43] Speaker E: The go ahead. [02:38:51] Speaker A: And Juniper was like, I don't know. There was. I don't know, a time a few months ago where just. I don't know, talos started acting different. I didn't really think much of it at the time because it was just a stressful time. That's when I've been working on the book for a couple of months, slowly taking it apart and figuring out what everything meant. [02:39:24] Speaker C: Timeline wise. How does that line up to Frodo's accident? And also, did Faro notice a attitude shift in Talus over the past couple months as well? [02:39:39] Speaker A: I would say they happened right around the same time. And you probably noticed it, but you were also being incredibly distant. [02:39:47] Speaker C: Yeah. [02:39:48] Speaker A: So it kind of was like, oh, does Talos just have something on his mind? You know, things like that? Is it. Is he just busy or, you know, am I being so cold that, you know, he's unsure of how to read me? [02:40:04] Speaker C: Yeah, I think. I think from, oh, this is spicy. Because I think from an outsider's perspective, from Talus's assumed point of view, Talus's quote unquote favorite student has started, like, icing him out, has started just distancing himself completely out of perhaps, embarrassment or shame. And Talus's personality change could have been attributed to the fact that that happened. So. Oh, yikes. Photo, I think, just sighs and looks at juniper and says, how far did you get with deciphering it? [02:40:55] Speaker A: I deciphered the whole thing, especially those last few pages. And I didn't fully realize until it was too late what it did. [02:41:21] Speaker C: I'm sorry you had to go through that. I. [02:41:29] Speaker A: Thank you. [02:41:33] Speaker C: Sorry, I just can't. Ginny, you're very smart. You know that? I just don't understand why they wouldn't ask me to do it. Because maybe. [02:41:46] Speaker A: Maybe if they did, it would have. You would have seen through the ruse before. [02:41:53] Speaker C: Perhaps. And, yeah, I think Faro isn't meaning to say any of this maliciously or to be like, oh, I'm smarter than you. But, like, under. Under his breath, Faro just says, yeah, because, like, I knew what this was within, like, a couple hours of looking at it. [02:42:13] Speaker A: Yeah, she's like. She's, like, kind of just, like. I didn't say, like, wilts in a bad way, but wilts in a I am so tired way. [02:42:24] Speaker C: I know. And, like, Faro didn't mean. Doesn't mean it like that, but obviously sees how that deflates her. Like, we just freaking rescued her. And he. He looks up and just says, oh, I sorry. I didn't mean to say it like that. How can we eaten? [02:42:48] Speaker B: Junie? [02:42:49] Speaker A: I have. [02:42:50] Speaker B: Yeah, that's okay. [02:42:52] Speaker A: Really hungry. [02:42:53] Speaker B: Yep. I've got snacks. I will pull out snacks. Yeah, no, go ahead. [02:42:59] Speaker C: Oh, I think Fodo also goes into his room and pulls out, like, a basket of food, like, snacks that, uh, fado has just to keep on hand for Renee. Um, and, uh, also offers this and just puts it in front of Junie. Um, and. And along with caster, just says, yeah, eat something. [02:43:21] Speaker B: Eat something. Um, I'm gonna go run to my dorm really quick and grab some blankets and possibly some pillows, and we can just have a nice big slumber party here in the living room where it's safe, and we can all be together and watch our backs and take a nap. [02:43:37] Speaker C: Be careful. There's a curfew. [02:43:40] Speaker B: There's a what? [02:43:42] Speaker E: Oh, there's a curfew. [02:43:43] Speaker C: There's a curfew. [02:43:44] Speaker B: 09:00 p.m. That is so early. He's just like complaining as he walks out the door. [02:43:51] Speaker E: Incredible. [02:43:52] Speaker B: Final. [02:43:53] Speaker C: Just says, don't get caught, please. [02:43:56] Speaker B: Closes the door. Me get caught? Please. [02:44:03] Speaker C: You could never. [02:44:04] Speaker E: Have you seen me. [02:44:06] Speaker B: I'm very quick. [02:44:08] Speaker A: Yeah, this is, uh. I guess this is my. What is the last things you all want to do? [02:44:21] Speaker E: I think Renee, as the night kind of winds down, goes to makes an effort to be next to faro. And after a while, when things are starting to get a little quiet, looks to him. I am sorry. [02:45:01] Speaker C: I know I. You don't. You. You don't have to apologize, truly. [02:45:13] Speaker E: But I. And he looks around the room and Faro would have known this since the first day we met. Rene has a hard time making friends, trusting people. And looks at the four other people gathered in his space that he's usually very polite and distanced in. And they're making a blanket for it, essentially in their living room. And looks to Fodro again after that. Trust all of you. And it was worth it. I trust you. Going to try and work this from the inside. [02:46:16] Speaker C: I think. Photo remains quiet for a few moments and turns to look at you. Because I think for the prior of that conversation, just staring straight ahead, turns to look at you and says, I truly, truly hope that whatever deal you made, you can find a way to make some good come of it. But I am worried that you're going to get caught up in all of this. And you might have writ yourself into something quite unseemly. [02:47:14] Speaker E: No risk, no reward. [02:47:17] Speaker C: I just don't want anything bad to happen to you, Renee. [02:47:24] Speaker E: I don't want anything bad to happen to me either. [02:47:30] Speaker C: Despite, well, everything that happened to me, to us. I do believe you are the best thing to happen to me. And whatever this means for me going forward, I don't just want. I need you to stop feeling so guilty. You don't need to feel guilty. Because, sure, it's an immovable fact that you did this to me, and it's something I have to live with. But I will continue to search for answers and know that even though I might act differently, I don't blame you for this. This was simply circumstances beyond either of our power. You didn't fail me, Renee. Never have. [02:49:13] Speaker E: What starts is a very, very, very awkward laugh. Goes very quiet, very quickly. And his hair kind of. His curly hair kind of falls in front of his face and you just see tears begin to fall. I. Not out of guilt, out of a. Wanting to make the world brighter and to keep. Give everyone the feeling, the chance to feel what I felt when we first met that there is hope. That hope that you give your family the hope that I didn't know until we met. I will stand by you. [02:50:22] Speaker C: And I think Faro takes your handkerchief that you gave me and gently cups the side of your cheek with his hand and will use the handkerchief to wipe your face and removes their hand, feeling a little self conscious about it. Now that Farou knows that people think we're dating, it's like a little bit awkward. All of this physical touch is normal for us, but Faro is now very aware of what other people think and just looks at you and says, your dedication and your tenacity are things that I know won't leave you. I know that you will have my back always, no matter what happens. And I feel the same about you. And I think I just pull you in for a hug. And if it's okay with you, Kai, I think as I pull you in, I want to kiss the top of your forehead. [02:51:57] Speaker E: Absolutely. I think Renee almost dives into the hug. Like it's a breath that's been held for, weirdly, three months. [02:52:09] Speaker C: Yeah. [02:52:11] Speaker E: And just melts into it and enjoys the comfort. [02:52:24] Speaker C: And we're both crying. [02:52:25] Speaker E: Yeah, yeah. [02:52:29] Speaker D: Awkwardly on the opposite side of the. [02:52:32] Speaker C: Room, just like that. [02:52:35] Speaker D: Turned, like giving the illusion of camera, panic, privacy. Tom is, I think, sort of curled up next to Junie, like fingers entwined. Like, I know you're here, but I want to make sure you're here. Like, I was really worried about you. And sort of nudges her shoulder with his and says, I don't know if it's that much safer to be me right now than it is to be you, but I think I'm about done with the academy. So if you want to come back and you'd feel better about it, gods know, you'd make a more accurate Reema Thompson than I ever did. [02:53:47] Speaker A: I sort of looks at you and thinks and just goes, hey, I'll let you. You know, I guess I. I don't know. Let's see where it takes me. [02:54:04] Speaker D: You're smart, Juniper. You should. You should keep at it if you want to. And it's. It's a really good opportunity being here, and I'd hate to see it wasted any more than it has been. [02:54:23] Speaker A: Yeah, I'll let you know. I mean, if you. I'm sure that my parents work in the clockwork halls. [02:54:40] Speaker B: Sure. [02:54:40] Speaker A: They wouldn't mind if you just wanted to lay low there for a bit. You have guest bedrooms? [02:54:53] Speaker D: No. I'll let you know too, that I don't know what Talus is doing, how the fake talis was doing it, but I've gotten pretty good at illusions, so no one would need to know. [02:55:12] Speaker A: That's. That's good to know. And we'll turn to Castor. How do we see Castor? As the night grows longer and we move towards the not quite dawn. [02:55:44] Speaker B: I think that castor can't sleep. And so as everybody else starts to drift off, he will slip out and take to his broom once more. Because that's where he feels most comfortable standing. Um, horizontal style, like a skateboard, um, which is bonkers because it's a broom. So it's really thin. So his feet, which are rather large, kind of like. Yeah, it's. He's perfectly still. He's perfectly balanced. It's like. It's like someone of cast who seems like a lot of movement and a lot of noise. To be as still and uncannily balanced as he is on the broom. Um, it's like he was born to it. And he rises up into the sky. He's not on the roof this time. He's just. He's just standing on his broom, going as high as he dares. As the night stretches on above his head. It's clear night and the stars are out. And he kind of is just tilting his head back and like, gazing up at the. At the sky where he feels like he most belongs. [02:57:13] Speaker A: Yep. [02:57:13] Speaker B: There. Pulex, I don't think I can do it. I'm sorry. I know that, um. I know that Ravenswood was kind of your. Your dream. And, uh. I really wanted to fulfill that for you. But I don't think I can now. I'm sorry. There's something going on. Something bad. And I'm not you. I'm not mum or mother. I'm not a good guy. And I'm not a hero. I'm just scared. So I'm sorry. I tried. And he. He kind of shifts his weight to the heels of his feet and he slips over the edge of the broom and he free falls. And he feels the wind whip through his curls and he closes his eyes. And with the rush comes his broom as it slides back under him. And he glides to a stop, facing forward again on the grass in the courtyard. And he kicks his broom up, clicks it back into pen form and he goes back into the room. [02:59:42] Speaker A: And as you go back into the room, you throw one look over your shoulder and you see the eclipse sun sort of starting to peak above the horizon. As the city of Malachod wakes for the as close to day as they see anymore. The city will within a few hours, be moving to hustle and bustle as everyone moves from place to place, not knowing what happened, not knowing these dangers that lurk beneath the surface, the unbroken, the dread doctor. And all of that is a story for another day. So we have come to the end of our adventure, and I will go around once more and let my amazing cast tell you where you can find them. And I'm going to start with you, Jaz. [03:01:01] Speaker B: What up? My name's Jaz, also known as Cinderskoria on Twitter. That's where you can usually find me hanging out. I use she they pronouns. I was caster, Saros, he uses he him pronouns. And he's a little disaster, baby man. You can find me here at Queen's court games I. It might be announced by then, maybe not. [03:01:22] Speaker E: Oh, wait, is it. [03:01:24] Speaker B: Never mind. I can't talk about that yet because I'm pretty sure it's going to be in a few months from now. But I will be around here. Check it out. [03:01:29] Speaker A: There's something really cool that I'm aware. There's a couple really cool things. [03:01:34] Speaker B: I'm really excited, so I'm really. So keep an eye out. I'm not sure when we're announcing it, but we'll be announcing it soon. You can find me there. You can find me. Oh, actually, probably not on elixir anymore. I just realized because we're wrapping up our next couple of sessions, so maybe not. You can find me on other sider studios for the Arcane Corps. We are just starting season three and we'll be dropping that soon as well. If you wanted to catch up on seasons one and two, should be available on YouTube. On the other side of studios channel. I'm also. I'm just doing a bunch of random things here and there. You can find me mostly on Twitter or any social media platform except for Instagram that has Cinderskoria. Instagram. They hacked me, and so they stole my username and I can't get it back. So on Instagram, I'm silver star. How appropriate for my boy. That was. That's me. That's it. Goodbye. Love you. [03:02:34] Speaker A: Thanks for tuning in, Jay. [03:02:39] Speaker C: Hi, everyone. My name is Jay Ernala. I played Farojin, and you can find me on the Internet or on Twitter, Wu, and everywhere else at naladraws, including TikTok, where I make videos in my character cosplays. And if you check Kai's channel, we did a little lip sync thingy for our characters so you should should check that out. I am a full time illustrator and art director doing freelance in ttrpgs. I'm currently the art director for all the witches, which is a super cool game. If you like witches that are not made by terfs, check out all the witches. It's an original game system and setting and it's really cool if you like. If you want to see me in more AP's, I am on itaewon by night which airs on Tuesdays at 08:00 p.m. Over on Badhouse RPG, we are the first and only all asian cast playing vampire the Masquerade. I play a girl boss named Viridian song and I really love this game so you all should come watch it. Besides art and that stuff, I also do voice acting and sensitivity consulting and actual play stream performance like this. Like itaewon. Lots of other random one shots that are coming up. Cast me in your games. I love playing characters and things and I want to do more of it because I like dressing up. Halloween's my favorite holiday and that's my favorite thing about AP, is just getting to create costumes and makeup and all of that fun stuff. Anyways, that's me. I'm gonna throw it to whoever's after me. Thank you for watching this show and happy pride, everybody. [03:04:43] Speaker A: Yeah, and that'll bring us to Kai goodness. [03:04:48] Speaker E: Hi guys, I'm Kai. You can find me on all social media platforms as Estelle of Imladris, where you can see all of the many, many, many projects that I have going on all the time in recent history to this recording. I was the costume designer for the party, which is a web series. It's a comedy web series that is fully available on YouTube about people who do this thing, play tabletop together, and it's about how fun and messy people are at and away from the table. And then I also am a producer and performer in a group called the Lore Brewery. It is a podcast. You can find it on all your podcasting places as the lore Brewery and on all social media platforms at Lorebrewery. Right now we are in the midst of our fairytale five adventure called Far Far away where I play another messy tragic boy in a waistcoat. This is a really specific thing that I do and sounds familiar. Yeah. And you can check out episodes of Far, far away. By this point, we are probably in the double digits as far as episodes being released, which is really cool, but it is edited and I actually do most of the music editing for those episodes as well. So that's another weird little thing that I do. And then you can find me on Happy Jacks RPG at Happy Jacksrpg in the Unsung Tales, which is a wondering second edition game, playing an elf, playing an elf captain who is in the process of figuring out what to do as an elf in the dwindling days of the elves in Middle earth. And it's a wonderful time where we wander around and have very deep conversations about Middle earth. It's really fun. And that game system is wonderful. And then last but certainly not least, you can also find me on Saturdays on transplanter rpg, which is a all trans people of color led actual play where we are traversing the multiverse of transplanter, where we are agents of trans doing the will of fate. So please come check that out on Saturdays. Oh my goodness. And just watch the show on repeat because it was wonderful. Thank you Aubrey and happy pride, everybody. [03:07:18] Speaker A: That'll bring us to Alyssa. [03:07:21] Speaker D: Hi y'all. I'm Alyssa. You can find me on Twitter queer. You can also find me on and on Weavering Forest, which is a all Bipoc and translate Star wars actual play using the Pathfinder two e system. Also using the Pathfinder two e system is goblets and gaze, which I am on with our lovely Gm here, Aubrey. Also Gm there. And speaking of Gming, I am the gm now for a game of spire, the city must fall, which is airing on bad house or PG starting in July. And that's me. Yay. [03:07:58] Speaker A: And lastly, I am Aubrey. I've been your GM and you can find me everywhere on the Internet at Madqueen cosplay. And as Alyssa said, I am the GM over on goblets and gays. So if you like password two e and you like me, my weird gming style, delicious GM style, you can find more of that over there. You can also find me doing so many things over here on Queen's court. We also have had our tabula sono lighthearted game that's been running all Thursdays this month. I believe we have one more game left if I am doing my math correctly. So you should definitely go check that out. It has been a blast. You can also catch me over on Hallowed Haven Studios as a part of Wayfair, their hunter the reckoning game play Isabelle, our strange little Gremlin mortician. You can also catch me over on ashen snow by scalds tale, a pastbender, two e gatewalkers adventure, and so many other things you can check see the full list of everything I am doing over on my twitter and be on the lookout for more of Knox light. This is not the last you have seen of this world. There is still so many stories to tell and I cannot wait to tell them. But yes. But for now, we must bid you farewell and we'll see everybody next time. And just one last time for pride month. Fuck terfs. [03:09:42] Speaker C: Fuck turf turfs. Fuck terfs. [03:09:44] Speaker E: Fuck turfs.