1.07 The Time Gordon Got A Dog

We’re all recovering from Mayanna’s birthday party! So it’s a pretty chill one. Paz joins the quest. Gordon makes a new best friend. JJ throws out the rundown. Fran & Ibra puzzle it out.

-- links --

Website: wanderingpathpod.com

Support our show: patreon.com/wanderingpathpod

-- cast & crew --

Created by Mischa Stanton

Produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, & Mischa Stanton

Gamemaster: Mischa Stanton

Ibra: Bex Taylor-Klaus

JJ: Lyn Rafil

Gordon: Ian McQuown

Fran: Mayanna Berrin

Sound design: Mischa Stanton

Cover art: Lyn Rafil

Transcript assistance: Darby Summers

Music: Independent Music Licensing Collective

Production & House Manager: Erin Bark

-- about --

The Wandering Path is an actual-play podcast putting complex characters, resonant themes and engaging new mechanics at the heart of immersive adventures. We’re making the stories we want to see in the world, one game session at a time! Join us for our first season, as we dive to the heart of the City of New Prosper: a techno-magical metropolis on the rise, where those who seek to craft themselves a new future will first have to settle the debts they owe the past. New episodes every other Monday.

— Transcript —

Bex: Previously on The Wandering Path

[Theme music begins in background of recap].

Mischa: The hunt for answers is on! After a brief recovery lunch at Jenny’s Deux, JJ and Gordon headed to the library to hit the stacks, and found some historical accounts of how Astra was used before the war. Meanwhile, Fran tapped her biggest repository of arcane knowledge, her pachonko-loving mentor Thorgan, but unlike every other time she’s come to him for advice ever, this time he actually gave her some: to check out a mysterious location in the heart of a dangerous part of the city. You know, beggars can’t be choosers, I guess. All caught up? Let’s see what’s around the bend today, on The Wandering Path.

[Theme music fades out].

Mischa: Good morning, everyone! 

All: Good morning! 

Bex: Is it?

Mischa: And by everyone, I do not mean the characters, I do mean the players. [Laughter]. Uh, last night was Mayanna's 30th birthday party. [Cheers].  Which was an excellent time, and all of us were there. [Laughter]. Some of us- some of us were there until well past midnight. 

[Laughter].

Mayanna: Including me! 

Lyn: Yeah, I hope so, I guess.

Mayanna: Especially me! 

Mischa: Oh my god. 

Mayanna: So, a bit of- a bit of fun fact for y'all is um, I got to the party at 6:35. The party was supposed to start at 7:00, because I had to pick up Ikea cushions for the outside lawn furniture, [Laughter], because the old ones were– I, I love my friends and I won't let them sit on bad cushions. So we coordinated an Ikea pickup. And so I went to the Ikea and it took so long for them to get me these four cushions. It was insane. And so then I had to rush back to my house. And then I got ready, and then I drove them, and so I parked my car and it was 6:35 p.m. And then I had to put the cushions–it was very silly. [Laughter]. So like right before people showed up, I was like putting these cushions into covers and zipping them up and it was very– 

Lyn: Wow. 

Mischa: Listen, I spent most of the night on those cushions. 

Mayanna: I’m so glad you were, I'm so glad you were sitting on that. Literally my friend and I were like, “they're being used!”

[Laughter]. 

Ian: You guys were all out for that.

Lyn: That was awesome. 

Mayanna: We love to throw, I love to host my friends and I, and I, uh, have you ever heard of stockfleth? This is like a Swedish term. 

Mischa: No.

Bex: No.

Mayanna: It's a term I heard when I was working at a coffee shop, and it's like this thing about like– I think it's like a Swedish design principle or something where everything has like a place and everything needs to feel welcoming. And so like the- instead of saying like “did you clean the counter” be like “did you fleth that?” like that so everything needed to be fleth– so I've just internalized that. It's like I want my friends to feel welcomed; I want everything to be in its proper place; so I gotta- I gotta make sure it's all flethed. 

Bex: I fuck with flethed.

Mayanna: Good, I’m so glad.

Ian: You guys also made tacos for like 80 people.

Lyn: That was sick. 

Mayanna: We had a dress rehearsal for the food. 

Ian: Are you serious? 

Mayanna: Yeah.

Ian: They were so good, too. 

Mayanna: I'm so glad. 

Bex: It was delicious. 

Ian: Also, fun fact for listeners at home, Mayanna likes crispy onions on her tacos. 

Mayanna: Yes. Yes, I do. And we got a big bag of them, and I'm glad they were a hit. I'm glad people liked them.

Lyn: Oh, yeah. Yeah, they're great. 

Mayanna: And I also heard some hot Cheeto fries got on some tacos!

Bex: Oh, for sure. 

Ian: Oh, yeah, I got a bunch of hot Cheeto fries. 

Mayanna: That made me very happy!

Mischa: Yeah, so, so yeah, if today's a little bit subdued, that is why. 

Lyn: Yeah. 

Bex: Also if it’s manic, that’s why.

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: I got up at 2:30 in the morning, so I think I'm ready to fight God. 

[Laughter]. 

Ian: I do have to tell you all one more story, just because it's, I'm never going to forget it as long as I live. 

Lyn: (Laughs).

Ian: So here's the deal. For everyone listening at home, we're all sitting in Mischa's apartment on couches. We're all sitting, so we're all pretty much the same height. 

Bex: Comfy. [Laughter]. Oh. Yes, okay. 

Ian: I did not realize. Just how short you are, Lyn. 

Lyn: Yeah. 

Mayanna: Yeah, yeah. 

Ian: How tall are you? 

Lyn: I'm like 5 foot. 

Bex: Even. 

Ian: Even? 

Bex: Full measurement. 

Mayanna: Like on the dot.

Lyn: Yeah. 

Ian: Which is so amazing that you're playing a half dwarf, I just have to say. 

[Laughter].

Lyn: Yes! I was like, I'm gonna play a race that's shorter than I am! 

Bex: Yay!

Ian: There was a moment last night where we were all standing around, like the four of us were talking, and I had my tacos in my left hand, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement that was just way lower than I thought it should be, [Laughter] and it scared me. Lyn scared me, stepping up next to me to join the group, so much so that I literally went, “Ah!” 

[Laughter].

Lyn: That was so funny. It was really really funny.

Bex: For context, Lyn comes up to, like, Ian's elbow. 

Mayanna: Yeah. 

Lyn: You're like, extraordinarily tall. 

Mayanna: How tall is Ian? 

Ian: I'm six, well, I'm a- I'm a Hollywood six, which means I'm 5'11” and a half. 

Lyn: Sure. 

Mayanna: You have to keep the half. I'm 5'5” and a half and it's very important. 

Ian: Yes, it is. It's my true height. 

Bex: I'm 5'3” and a quarter and I say I'm 5'4”. 

Ian: Anyway, it was just an amazing- God, it was just- I've never- I've never actually been scared by someone just standing next to me. 

[Laughter].

Mayanna: Someone I know. 

Bex: Just being there. 

Mayanna: Oh my God. 

Lyn: I also walk quietly.

Ian: You did! You were just like, I literally thought I was about to get eaten by a mountain lion. 

Lyn: By a mountain lion?! 

[Laughter].

Ian: Just some, some predator about elbow height, silently coming upon me at a party. 

Mayanna: Some sneaky night creature.

Lyn: How big do you think mountain lions are? 

[Laughter].

Mayanna: It could have been a baby mountain lion.

Bex: About your size, honestly. 

Ian: Your size? Mountain lions are like, exactly your size. 

Lyn: But like, tall? 

Ian: That's a good point. 

Bex: When they’re on their hind legs.

Lyn: When they're on all fours?

Ian: Maybe it was on its hind legs, about to pounce on me, you know? [Laughter]. I was drunk. Anyway, happy birthday, Mayanna. 

Mayanna: Thank you. 

Lyn: It was lovely.

Bex: It was fun.

Mayanna: It's good to be 30. I love y'all so much. I'm so glad you all came. 

Bex: You're fantastic. 

Mayanna: Thank you. 

Mischa: Alright, y'all wanna play a game? 

Mayanna: Let's play a game! 

[Cheers].

Mischa: Okay. Well, it's a good morning for our characters as well.

Bex: Yeah!

Ian: Woo! 

Mayanna: What a day! 

Ian: (Yawns).

Mayanna: What a time! Who did we share the, I gave it to you, the Astra, yeah. Okay, cool. 

Mischa: Yeah, so Ibra, you've got that, everyone else kind of went to your individual homes. Gordon, you took a pretty significant detour. 

Ian: Oh my god. 

Mayanna: That was scary. 

Mischa: Just having like, a moment

Ian: Yeah, I was sort of wondering, in a parallel universe where I like went down there. After I left, after we left that session, I was like, “what would it have been like if I made a big mistake?”

Mayanna: I think you'd have died. 

[Laughter].

Ian: I probably would have died. 

Bex: Yeah, turn around, go home. 

Lyn: Yeah. It was like an active construction site, right? 

[Music begins: low, melancholic, ambient synths].

Mischa: It's a, it's, it's the largest industrial site in a large industrial city. Like, it's the central industrial location. Like, they train people their entire lives to work on this thing and this thing alone. 

Bex: Fifth level minimum.

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: You might say . but, yeah, y'all made it home to face your various existential crises and panic attacks vis-a-vis, uh, electric ghost attacks.

Ian:  That's the name of my new band. 

Mischa: Is anyone feeling any particular ways about it, like, after a sleep? 

Mayanna: I think, like, you know, off of, I, I still think about what you said, last session, which was, “you're looking at this jacket, and for the first time, you're like, this wouldn't protect someone in combat.” And so I think, like, as, as I wake up in my modest apartment, I… I'm still thinking about how dangerous the world is in a way that I've never thought of before. Granted, my mom gave me a gun before I moved to the city, [Laughter], but I, I, you know, that, that's one of those, like, “yeah, at some point, like, some creep might, you know, try to mug ya.” This is, like, “everyone we know, potentially, could be exposed to something that they are not prepared for.” And, like, we are barely aware of, like, how to prepare for that. 

Mischa: Well, yeah, and, I mean, thinking about that moment with your mom, where she just, you know “You never know.”--  

Mayanna: You never know. 

Lyn: You never know.

Mischa: Today…you know. 

Mayanna: Yeah, yeah. 

Mischa: And from now on, you will know. 

Mayanna: Yeah, and I think I also wonder, I'm like, you know, Ravona knows, and Gwen knows, but But, like, who else knows? I think, is the question that, like, if we know, and we're just people, who- there must be other people who also might know. And, like, Thorgunn knows to a certain extent, so, like, who else knows? And so I think I'm, like, looking out my window, just kind of, like, wondering that as people walk around the Barra district, regretting decisions they made the night before. 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: I think we all relate to those people today. Yeah, you look across the city, and out your, modest apartment window.  

Mayanna: My modest apartment. 

Mischa: It's a little bit, like, noir-y, you know? Like, maybe it's, maybe, yeah, maybe today it's overcast. We control the weather in this world. Maybe it's like a gray and overcast morning.  [SFX: thunder rumbles]. And you kind of look out across the expanse of the city being like, who knows what out there and who isn't safe. 

Mayanna: Yeah, I know. And I'm gonna work more on the jacket. I think I'm gonna keep sketching out places where I could put, like, subtle plates of armor?

Mischa: Sure.

Mayanna: Maybe panels and different things like that, so I think I'm gonna work on that this morning until Gordon's delivery route starts. Do you want me to help you today, Gordon?

Ian: Definitely. 

Mayanna: Hell yeah! 

[Music ends].

Mischa: We'll get to that in a second. The four of you do, wake up to a text message, y'all have been put in a group chat with Paz! 

All: Yay! Paz! Paz! 

[Music begins: pensive, piano, strings, and choir synths].

Mischa: Paz sends you guys a text that everybody wakes up to that says, 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: Staticky filter, indicating a text] Finally headed home today. 

Bex: Immediately I take the group chat and I change the name to Pazology.

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: Amazing. 

Ian: Cute. 

Mayanna: I send like a dancing lady emoji.

[Laughter]. 

Bex: I send one of those like body rolling cartoon characters. 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: Okay, so we have established that these texting devices are only like text characters. 

Bex: Right. 

Ian: Rudimentary.

Mischa: But they do. Well, so I love that they have like that ASCII like animation style where it's just like, like morphs between different characters to make the animations.

Mayanna: I think my dancing lady is like, like the, the, the sideways slash and then like a line and then a letter O and then another slash. 

Bex: I'm imagining, like, the two emojis, the dancing lady and the dancing guy, switching back and forth. 

Mayanna: Yes, yes!

Ian: Yeah, I definitely send, like, parentheses and squiggles to form, like, loaves of bread.

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: Oh, amazing! 

Bex: Yes. 

Mischa: Paz texts back, 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: staticky] How are you guys doing this? 

Mayanna: We’ll have to teach you!

Lyn: We have a lot of them saved, actually. 

Mischa: Just their macros? 

Lyn: Yeah, no, it's like, we have our own notes app equivalent, and then we just copy and paste them. 

Mayanna: It took too long to put it together the first time, we will not put that much work in again. 

Ian: I text back IYK–IYKNK? IYKNK. [Laughter]. Phew, That was hard. 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: staticky] While I've been sitting in the hospital, trying to find more information on that stuff that happened to us at Boggins. I can't, like, find anything. 

Mayanna (Fran): [SFX: staticky] Weird! 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: staticky] Where did you look? 

Ian: Shocker Paz! 

Mayanna: Crazy! 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: staticky] Are you guys still looking into it? 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: staticky] Absolutely. Where did you look? 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: staticky] Just what I could bring up on my–

Mischa: What do they call them? Sidekicks? Phones? Do they call them phones?  I think we just call them phones. 

Mayanna: I guess communicators? 

Bex: Device? Communicator? 

Mayanna: Device? 

Ian: Compad. 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: staticky] Just what I could pull up from databases here in the hospital bed. If you're still looking into that, I want to help. 

[Music fades out].

Ian: Twist.

Mayanna: I think in our own chat, in electric jelly, I'm like, 

Mayanna (Fran): [SFX: staticky] honestly, love that for us. She's invested. And she was harmed by this creature. Like, she’s your friend, I think we can trust her.

Lyn (JJ): [SFX: staticky] yeah, but do you think it’s safe?

Bex: I text in Pazology, 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: staticky] Want me to pick you up? 

Ian: Whoa. 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: staticky] Yeah. I just gotta grab some stuff.

Mischa: Double exclamation points. She's like, so excited. 

Bex: Cool. 

Ian: Will you do it again with double exclamation points? 

Mischa: Sorry. She says, 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: staticky] (Enthusiastically) “Yeah, Let me just grab my stuff!!”

Ian: There it was. That's the excitement.

Bex: I text back. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: staticky] Awesome. Let me know as soon as you're ready. I can be there in 20 minutes.

Mischa: Sweet. 

Mayanna: Ooh!

Mischa: There's two other people that received individual text messages from Paz this morning. The first one is Ibra. 

Ian: Dammit.

[Laughter]. 

Bex: (Mischievously) Hello.

[Music begins: ominous, low synths;].

Mischa: Ibra, you're gonna get a second text from Paz after, like, all the party in the group chat. 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: staticky] Hey Ibra, this might sound kinda weird, but remember what we were talking about in the hospital?

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: staticky] Yeah, seeing something with the… weirdness? 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: staticky] Have you ever had, like, a weird dream? 

[Gasps].

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: staticky] I have. 

Bex: And I, uh, I pause, and I leave, like the ellipsis going for a second before I hit send. 

Mayanna: Ooh. 

Bex: And then I type again. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: staticky] Do you want me to tell you about it? 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: staticky] Yeah. What was yours? 

Bex: I pause for another moment and then I start to type out the dream. 

Mayanna: Woah.

[Music ends].

[Music begins: pensive, fantastical synth pads]

Bex: In, in as much detail as I can, including the columns at our footsteps and the armor on our friends, the Corona, the spinning lights, the people, the faces. Absolutely everything I can possibly remember. And that it happened right before. And I'm trying to keep this concise, but it does end up becoming a novel.

Mischa: Sure. Do you want to roll performance about it? 

Bex: Yeah. I would love that. [Shuffling through dice].

Mayanna: Ohh. I love “about it.” “Roll performance about it.” 

Mischa: Yeah. 

Mayanna: Speak on it. 

Ian: And the roll. [Dice rolls]. And it's good.

Bex: Dirty 20.

All: Yes. Hell yeah. 

Mischa: Yes. This gift you've given me. [Laughter]. It takes a long time for Paz to respond after that. Clearly, you know, you've, you've dumped a whole novel. Maybe she just needs the time to read it. She needs a little time to process it. You describe the dream in pretty vivid detail. And then she says, 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: staticky] I think I may have had a pretty similar dream last night. I dreamed I was above a crowd far below a crown of white light, and I flew over all of them and collided with a bright star and washed them all away.

Mischa: From your description of the dream, it sounds like Paz's point of view was the golden streak. [SFX: firework whistling through the sky].

Bex: Yeah. 

Mayanna: Woah. 

Mischa: That flew through the sky and collided and, and, and like blew the dream away. 

Mayanna: Oh my god. 

Lyn: What the fuck, Mischa? 

Mischa: Welcome to the story, motherfuckers! 

Mayanna: I love this! 

Bex: I reply, 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: staticky] I always told you you were a star. 

Mischa: Oh my God. 

Ian: That was fucking–

Mischa: right in the heart.

Ian: Jesus. 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: staticky]  You guys were people in the dream. You were on the ground, you were in armor. You were people? 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: staticky] We were people. 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: staticky] Why wasn't I people? 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: staticky] Maybe you're something more than people. 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: staticky] That feels weird. I don't like that. No. I don’t like that.

[Laughter]. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: staticky] Okay. Then maybe you're just people, but you're awesome. How about that? 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: staticky] That I'll take. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: staticky] Okay, cool. How close are you to home? 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: staticky] I'm in the car back now. I'll be home in like 10 minutes. Let me grab some stuff. You'll meet me here? 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: staticky] I'll meet you there in uh, about 30 minutes. 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: staticky] Sweet. See you soon. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: staticky] See you soon. 

Mischa: Uh, uh, smooch emoticon. (Air kisses).

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: staticky] I love you byeeeeeeee. 

Bex: With like extra Es. 

Mischa: Yeah. She sends. 

Mischa (Pax): [SFX: staticky] Byeeeee (muffled noises of other letters), 

Mischa: but she's like keysmashing around the E.

Bex: (Laughs) “byeeelflmgflgm.” 

[Music ends].

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: Yeah. The other person who gets a text, a private text from Paz this morning is Gordon. 

Ian: Called it! 

[Gasps and laughter].

Mayanna: Yes! 

Mischa: Okay, Mr. Big Shot. Chill the fuck out–Settle down. Yeah. 

Bex: You didn't get the first one because you called it. 

Mayanna: No, get excited. I'm excited.

[Music begins: low, wistful synth]. 

Mischa: No, get excited. No, it's so true, get excited. Gordon, you wake up to those group chat texts and then a private text from Paz that says,

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: staticky] Hey, I just wanted to say thanks for saving me at Boggin’s.

Ian: (Groaning) Oh my gooooood. That was me, not Gordon. Ummm, okay cool.

Mayanna: (Chuckles).

Mischa: And then she sends a second text a minute later that says,

Mischa (Pax): [SFX: staticky] Can I make it up to you?

Mayanna: (Gasps).

Mischa: Can you roll insight for me? 

[Gasps, squeals, general freaking out].

Mayanna: Oh my God! 

Ian: Oh my God. Are we going to go on a date? 

Mischa: I don't know. Do you want to? 

Mayanna: Oh my God. 

Ian: Here we go. 

Mischa: Only if Gordon wants to. 

Ian: I rolled a yeet!

[Cheers].

Mayanna: Oh my God! Insight! 

Mischa: Okay, 

Bex: Natural Yeet! Natural Yeet!!

[Laughter].

Mischa: Through the text, you can like, feel the heavy breathing that happened in between those two text messages, so it's like, (heavy breathing). And then like, you can feel the amount of tension that she's sending, like hitting send. Like, you can feel how nervous she was, she must have been writing these texts.

Mayanna: Awww.

Ian: Lord. Okay. Okay. What do I do here? So, because I yeeted that dice. 

Mayanna: You know. 

Ian: I know. 

Mayanna: You know. 

Ian: And something happens sometimes. 

Mischa: Yeah, like, I think, I think some part of your like, mind, like, flashes back to the, the battle when you were, like, scrambling and freaking out, and you think back to those moments you had with Paz, where you were holding her in your arms, and you're like, “I see what happened.”

Mayanna: Yeah. Yeah. 

Lyn: Mhmm.

Ian: Yeah. And I, yeah, because sometimes what happens too is when people send just the right thing, you all of a sudden understand there's interest, and then that, like, completely changes your, you know, your relationship to that person. 

Mayanna: Yeah it like recontextualizes your interactions, and like things you've said of like that sparked this and oh maybe this was this. Yeah.

Bex: This is like even a thing that could happen. As opposed to before it was like what that I would never think of that. 

Ian: Yeah, I think that happens. So I think I read that text, and I think I like smile to myself, right? It just sort of catches me off guard. And I say, 

Ian (Gordon): [SFX: staticky] I would love that. 

Mayanna: (Gasps) Wow.

Ian: But then I, but then I also send, 

Ian (Gordon): [SFX: staticky] side note, are you feeling okay?

Mischa: Um…

Ian: I've stumped the GM. 

[Music fades out].

Mischa: Yeah. You nat 20'd the insight– 

Ian: Damn right I did

Mischa: –but whether or not she's going to open up to you about this over text, not even at the date yet, but is she going to open up to you? Um, can you roll… This is gonna be a, like… I want a high persuasion roll. 

Ian: Here we go. 

Mayanna: Oh, nice. 

Mischa: And I think if you try this roll again later, right, there are circumstances which will make the difficulty lower.

Mayanna: Yea, of course. 

Mischa: But in this moment, it's pretty high.  

Ian: A 7 persuasion. 

[Laughter].

Mayanna: That's fine. 

Bex: That tracks. 

Ian: Great, great insight. Poor execution. 

Mayanna: It makes sense. 

Mischa: Yeah, um. She just says,

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: staticky] Yeah, thank you so much, it really means a lot that you care. I feel great.

Ian: Awesome. I text back, 

Ian (Gordon): [SFX: staticky] I’m so happy to hear that. I would love to. 

Mayanna: Awww. 

Ian: Oh man, do I say tonight question mark? No, that feels crazy. There's so much crazy shit going on. 

Mischa: Yeah. 

Ian (Gordon): [SFX: staticky] Let's get together this week. Let's get dinner this week. 

Mischa: It takes her a minute, and then she responds. 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: staticky] I’m looking forward to it. 

Mischa: Period. And then she sends another one that says, 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: staticky] I mean, it’s gonna be great!

Mischa: Exclamation point. And then she's like, really overthinking that period. She sends like a couple more texts. 

Lyn: (Guffaws).

Ian: She’s like me in texts, this is how I text.

Lyn: I feel that in my soul. I feel that in my soul!

Mayanna: I have a friend who is like, anytime somebody texts me something that ends in a period, I assume they are mad. And I'm like, “no, it's just good punctuation!” 

Bex: You guys I have refused to use punctuation for a while because of that.

Mayanna: Honestly, fair. 

Ian: Also the edit feature in iMessage, worst thing that's ever happened to me. 

Mayanna: I love the edit feature in iMessage. 

Ian: I know, but I text my girlfriend, and then I immediately edit it six times. 

Mayanna: Because you have to, but like that means you care.

Ian:  It does, but I also feel like a sociopath. 

[Laughter]. 

Bex: You're just gay about it.

Mischa: So that's the text you get from Paz, and she's like, 

[SFX: Light, ethereal synth music begins].

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: staticky] I'm really looking forward to it. I mean It's gonna be great. Where should we go? I think it's gonna be a good time. Okay. Have.. good… deliveries!

Ian: I laugh to myself. I say, and I, I, I say, 

Ian (Gordon): [SFX: staticky] Haha, can't wait, 

Ian: And a smiley face. 

Mayanna: Aww. Oh my god. 

Lyn: Incredible. Love that. This is why JJ and Paz get along.

Ian: We'll figure out where we're gonna go, cause probably not, Jenny's, it could be Jenny's, but we could also find some other fun places in town. 

Mischa: I'm sure, as someone who keeps a notebook where you review different restaurants, you–You know, the exact place. 

Ian: Yes. Exactly. So we'll, we'll approach that later. 

Mayanna: Oh yeah. Paz is in for the best time. 

Bex: Right?

Mayanna: And I'm so excited for this person who doesn't exist, 

[Laughter]. 

Bex: Right? Especially because he knows her food allergies too. [Agreement]. Like, oh my God, this is going to be so great. 

Ian: And then I set my compad, if that's what we're calling it, 

Mischa: Sure.

Mayanna: Love it.

Ian: Called it, fuckin swinging the power around. Set my compad down, which has a little bit of flour on it, dust off my hands and turn back to where I am, which is in the kitchen baking a whole bunch of bread.

[Music ends].

Mischa: Yes! It's time for another installment of Gordon's Delivery Service! 

Ian: (singing and snapping) Gordon's Delivery Service! Gordon's Delivery Service! Boop!

[Music begins: jaunty bossa nova].

Bex: I love this.

Mischa: That was great! 

Ian: Thank you. 

Mischa: I don't even need to do music. I will though. 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: Yeah, so it's another installment of Gordon's Delivery Service. As we recall, you're gonna name the delivery you're making and the reason that the person you're making the delivery to is expecting Cecilia and gets you.

Ian: Great. 

Mischa: And then today, I have an extra little fun mechanic that we'll get into once we get in there. But for now, Fran, are you joining? 

Mayanna: I'm joining. If Gordon will have me, I am joining. 

[Music ends].

Mischa: Oh, good. 

Ian: Always, every time. 

Mayanna: Absolutely. I think I will have gotten up early and then make my way over on, like, some sort of transport so that he doesn't have to pick me up, so I'll, I'll have probably, like, 

[Sounsdscape begins: transit and cars rolling by]

Mischa: Oh, wow.You're like up early. 

Mayanna: Yeah, I think so. Yeah. 

Mischa: Okay. 

Mayanna: Because I, I, I did my, my wistful window watching and then I was like, I should probably get to the bus. 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: Although, I mean, yesterday was like an ordeal. You fought an entire mech and then did a bunch of stuff in the afternoon. I imagine y'all went to bed, except for Gordon, maybe, who was like staring into the void. Y'all probably went to bed like even earlier than usual. 

Mayanna: Yeah, absolutely. So yeah, I got up early and so I, I, I didn't want you to have to worry about picking me up. So I think I'm going to meet you at the silo. 

[SFX: bus brakes squeaking, door opening and closing, low motor rumbling]

Ian: I love that. I also just love the casual anime vibes of like, we fought a giant mech yesterday, and then, and then 12 hours later, you're just like, tiredly standing at a bus stop.

Mayanna: Yeah. Just holding my backpack, Just like, 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, here we go. We got work to do. 

Ian: So you meet me at the silo. 

Mischa: Great. where are y'all delivering today? 

Mayanna: Ooh.

Ian: My choice? 

Mischa: Yeah, it's Gordon's Delivery Service, man. 

All: (Singing) Gordon's Delivery Service. Gordon's Delivery Service. 

Mayanna: Call now. 

Ian: Boop. 

[Laughter].

Ian: I would say today, I think we're visiting a church of some sort.

Mayanna: Ooh, awesome. 

[Music begins: light, ethereal synth pads and chimes]

Mischa: Oh, interesting. So, okay. I love that. There is a spot in East Mine Town, which is known as Temple Way. It's in one of the older parts of town that has sort of older shrines to various gods, like organized place of worship that were like from the really early days, like almost before New Prosper was a whole city. They were like we're gonna build a mine here, the miners need a place to practice their various faiths, one of the first places we're gonna establish is like this row of houses of worship. 

Mayanna: Amazing. 

Mischa: Tell me about this temple.

Ian: It's not very tall. I think it's, like, low to the ground. It might even be, like, single story. You know, like, low and long as opposed to high and…

Mayanna: Mighty?

Ian: Amazing. Yeah, how far is it from the mine? 

Mischa: Well, the mine is huge and in the dead center of the city. Everything kind of spreads radially out from there. It's really pretty close to the rim, I would say. 

Ian: Right. Yeah, maybe that's why we're here today too, because of last night, sort of being pulled back to the, you know what I mean?

Mischa: Ooh, that, that you can't like, avoid the call. 

Ian: Can’t let it go. Yeah, yeah. 

[Music shifts: ominous, suspenseful synth and strings]. [Soundscape of traffic and motor rumbling in the background].

Mischa: Fran, will you roll insight about that? 

Mayanna: Yeah, I will absolutely roll insight about that. 

Ian: (Singsong-y) Acting like it's fine. 

Mischa: Do you want to roll deception? 

Ian: Yeah, sure. 

Mayanna: Okay, let's see here. 

Ian: Fuck. 

Mayanna: That's a 16. 

Ian: Yeah, that's a 5. 

Mayanna (Fran): Um, you, you okay, Gordon? 

Ian (Gordon): (Long pause). (Drawn out) No…..  

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna (Fran): Um, do you want to talk about that?

Ian (Gordon): No? 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, okay. Alright, is it just, you know, rough night? 

Ian: I think as we're driving, I look past Fran out the window to the edge of the mine. 

Mischa: You're driving radially around it so it, so the mine is just like deep and like makes up the horizon kind of no matter where you look past, like you're just always looking kind of at it.

Ian: Yeah. 

Mischa: So yeah, so like Fran asks, you know, are you okay? And you just stare a little bit past her. out like the other side of the tuk-tuk and just in the background over Fran's shoulder at every angle you look as you drive towards Temple Way you see the mine. It's just big and looming. 

Ian: And I keep sort of like checking in to make sure nothing's changing with it, you know, like it's an animal, kind of.

Mischa: So, yeah, and Fran, you clock Gordon having this existential moment vaguely moving towards like the most religious part of town.

Mayanna (Fran): Um… Do you… Are you, is it, are you okay? Is it the church? I don't know if you believe, I'm kind of, you know, I'm kind of like, “what could, who knows?” But like, you know, I don't know what your religious vibe is, you know?

[Music fades out]. [Soundscape returns to the sound of motors].

Ian: I think, I think Fran saying it that way, like, completely pulls me out of it and distracts me. And I just go, 

Ian (Gordon): Who knows?!

Mayanna (Fran): Well, yeah, like, who knows? 

Ian (Gordon): What do you mean who knows? 

Mayanna (Fran): I mean like, I mean, I know that people can like, I just don't know what your like, religious vibe is, you know? 

Ian (Gordon): That's such a good question. I don't think– I think I believe in bread. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, that's true. Bread you can see and feel and understand and you can like have a tactile relationship with it. So that like, makes sense to me. 

Ian: So that's what I start talking about. Like I switch the subject. to what I baked today, which was garlic rolls, because the garlic rolls at Jenny's were so underwhelming. That that's what I made today for church. 

Mayanna: Nice. Oh, amazing. 

Lyn: Really good. 

Mayanna (Fran): Are you worried they're not going to like it? Because I think they're going to like it. 

Ian: That's a great question. I literally, you asked me that, and I opened the sort of like sliding back window of the tuk-tuk while we're driving, and I like reach my arm, and I like fish a roll out of one of the trays. And I like toss it to you. 

Mayanna: Incredible.

Mischa: As soon as you roll the window up, like the waft of garlic comes from the back of the thing, it fill the front compartment. 

Ian: Yeah, yeah yeah.

Mayanna: I love garlic. Me and Fran both love garlic.

[Laughter].  

Ian: So how is it, that's my question. 

Mayanna: I'm gonna try it. Do I roll? Do I need to roll for it or? 

Mischa: No,  it's good!

Mayanna (Fran): It's so good! They're gonna love it. It's gonna be fine. 

Ian (Gordon): Thanks. Thank you so much. That makes me feel a lot better. 

Ian: I think I like chill out when, when she says that. Breathe a sigh of relief when she tries. 

Mayanna: Do you not normally listen to music when you do deliveries? 'Cause I mean, I love, I love a, a calm, neutral silence between friends, but I also love a tune.

Ian: I love that. Does this tuk-tuk have a radio? 

Mischa: Ooh. here's what I'm going to say. This is Cecilia's tuk-tuk. Eleven or higher, there is a radio. Ten or lower, there isn't. There could be tomorrow, Gordon. That's up to you. 

Mayanna: Oh. Here we go. 

[Dice rolls].

Mischa: Twelve. yeah, there's a radio. 

Ian: There's a radio! 

Mayanna: Amazing! Let's listen to some music or something.

Ian: Yeah, I love that. Here, go for it. Pick a song. 

[SFX: static and intermittent sounds of radio dialing in].

Mischa: You click on, some tunes. It's all the best hits of the 80s, 90s, and today. 

[SFX: staticky, upbeat pop rock]. 

Mayanna: Ah, Yes. 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: No, but it is, it is like a, like a chill tunes radio. 

Mayanna: I love that song “Damn I Feel Like a Half Elf.” 

Bex: Yes. A banger.

[Laughter].

Ian: Is it? That's, that's a Mayanna's laughing so hard she can't anymore.

[Everyone sings the intro sting to “Damn, I Feel Like a Woman”]

Mayanna: Let's go elves! 

[Laughter]. 

Ian: Fuck it that's a party point, but I really resent it. 

Mayanna: Yes! 

Ian: I really don't like that I'm giving you a party point. 

Bex: You have to put a category for party points you resent. 

Mayanna: Yes! 

Ian: A second party point. 

Mayanna: I do it for the points! 

[Laughter]. 

[Music begins: light, dreamy, synth organs]

Mischa: okay, so I think that this church is dedicated to to light. [SFX: heavy door latch opens]. I think that this place on Temple Way has like a big sort of refractive skylight opening that sort of takes in the light of early morning as it comes like underneath uh the fortress of Upper Prosper and like it catches those early sunshine rays and refracts them so you walk in there's not a lot of artificial lighting, but it is one of the brightest places, especially that you can find, you know, in the shadow of the upper city. Tell me about the head abbot of this place, the person who's expecting Cecilia and gets you. 

Ian: I think they're, I mean, they're very mine-related, right? So they're not in, super elegant decorated clothes. They're much more in like, brown-scape, workery.

Mischa: Oh yeah, I would say for a light domain place, probably wearing like rough linen that hasn't been like bleached white, but it's like light clothing, you know. As the morning rays come in, like it sort of casts them in like a little bit of glow as they wander around the space with, I don't want to say worshippers, because I don't know if people are coming to like pray to a statue, but people who like come here for solace.

Bex: Lightbaths. 

Mayanna: Community. 

Mischa: Yeah. Yeah. (Chuckling) People using the ceiling as a, as a seasonal affective disorder– 

Bex: Yeah. Lightbaths. 

Ian: Wow.

Lyn: Like it's a better tone than the lights from the Upper City. 

Mischa: Yeah, something about like the prism of it like softens the lights of the underside of the upper city. 

Mayanna: Amazing. 

Lyn: More natural. 

Mischa: Yeah.Honestly, yeah. Yeah, 

Ian: I love that. I think we walk in, and they have this, they have such a calm, serene voice to them, right? You know, do you want to do it, or do you want me to do it? 

Mischa (The Abbot): (with a wavering voice) Welcome, young baker. Thank you so much for delivering. 

[SFX: voices echoing, in the halls of the temple] .

Ian (Gordon): [SFX: echoey] Hi! We're here for the, uh, we're here to, delivering. You nailed it. Um, sorry, what's your name?

[Music ends].

Mischa: Why the hell did my brain just say that this guy's name is Abbott Costello? 

[Laughter].

Bex: It is! Because it is! Because this is Abbott Costello! 

Mayanna: Yes! Please! 

Mischa: Damn. Yeah, his name's Abbott Costello. 

[Laughter]. 

Lyn: Incredible. 

Bex: Mischa, I love you. 

Mayanna: I love it. 

Lyn: Ten out of ten. 

[Soundscape begins: quiet shuffling through the church, books being put down and picked up in the distance]

Ian (Gordon): [SFX: echoey] So nice to meet you, Mr. Costello. Uh, the Abbott. Anyway, uh, where do you want me to put the rolls?

Mischa (Abbott Costello): [SFX: echoey] We will take them to the back for any who might enjoy them. (Sniff). These– ooh, extra garlic. 

Ian: Do I, can I, is that a good thing or a bad thing, I'm wondering? Not asking, wondering. 

Mischa: Go ahead and roll insight. 

[Dice rolls]. 

Ian: I rolled the Nat 1 fuck. 

Mayanna: Aww. 

Bex: Oh no, is he a vampire? 

(All overlapping).

Lyn: Woah, at the light–? 

Mischa: Yeah, The Abbot of the Light Temple is a vampire.

Bex: Yeah, it's a vampire. With a Nat 1, that's what you think. 

Ian: Absolutely. It's canon, it's canon, it's canon. 

Mayanna: He's one of those daywalker vampires that can walk in the sun or whatever. 

Mischa: Uh, the Abbot, like, eats one and is like, 

Mischa (Abbott Costello): [SFX: echoey] Mmm, I would not think of garlic rolls as a light dish. They are delicious but, uh, rather off theme. Did, did Cecilia bring these? 

Ian (Gordon): [SFX: echoey] Yeah, yeah. She thought that it would be a great switch from the normal. Uh, you know, a little change up. 

Mischa (Abbott Costello): [SFX: echoey] Indeed. I will have to discuss these changes with her. We are an old institution with an old way of doing things. 

Ian (Gordon): [SFX: echoey] No, no, no, that's fine. I'll tell her. How about I tell Cecilia and, and, and she'll note it down for the future?

Mischa: I think now is a great time for you to roll a d8 for me, please. 

Mayanna: Oh. Ominous. 

Bex: Whoops.

Ian: Oh god. [Dice rolls]. I rolled a 7. 

Mayanna: Nice. 

Mischa: 7? (Chuckles) Okay. 

Bex: Is that good? 

Lyn: I don't know if that's good. 

Ian: I'm gonna assume it's some kind of– 

Bex: I'm assuming it's bad. 

Mischa: You Head back out to the tuk-tuk to get, like, a second box of rolls. [SFX: door swings open]. You know, you don't want to leave this temple lacking, even if, like, maybe garlic rolls not the best fit.

Ian: Sure, yeah, they need enough bad rolls. 

Mischa: Well, I, I, I don't want to say bad, they taste good. I think he just was not expecting them. 

Mayanna: They’re just different.

Ian: Yes, of course. 

Mischa: Like, you don't go to a church and expect, like, the fancy garlic parmesan wafers. 

Ian: That's a great point, yeah.  

Mischa: But you, you don't want to leave him short handed, so you go back and get the second thing. From around the corner of the building you hear a low growling. 

[Music begins: suspenseful, jazzy strings and piano].

Mischa (Unidentified Creature): (Growls).

Ian: Uh, okay, great. (Blows raspberry). Awesome. 

Mayanna (Fran): What was that? 

Ian: I'm terrified. Terrified.

Mayanna (Fran): What was that? 

Mischa: You, you slowly turn your head and you see a big dog on the sidewalk. 

Mayanna (Fran): Ohh, big dog. 

Ian: Like, how big? 

Lyn: Like… Mountain lion-sized? 

[Laughter].

Mischa: Yeah, like mountain lion-sized. I was gonna say, have you ever seen a dog that was the size of a small horse?

Mayanna: Oh yeah.

Bex: A great dane.

Ian: Yes, yes I have. Okay, great. And it's looking at me, and it's not happy.  

Mischa: Do you want to roll animal handling? 

[Dice rolls]. 

Ian: Oh, fuck yeah. Ooh, I got a 17. 

Mischa: Yeah? As you sort of lean to one side and lean to the other and try to gauge this dog's behavior, you spot its eyes tracking the garlic rolls. 

Ian: Mhmm. 

Mayanna: Aww. 

Ian: Oh no. It's a hungry dog. 

Mayanna: He's just hungry. 

Ian: I take a garlic roll. And I gingerly put– I like toss it, like two feet in front of the dog. 

Mischa: Uh, it catches it. 

Ian: Oh wow. 

Mayanna: Good boy. 

Ian: That’s a little scary.

Mischa: It like jumps forward. 

Mischa (Dog): (chomps roll out of the air)

Ian: Yeah, that was terrifying. I'm like, I don't feel like I'm in danger, but I still feel very scared. 

Mayanna: You know when like a dog's teeth like go like, get that, like that hard click.

Mischa: Yeah. Yeah. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, gotcha. 

Ian: But I like something about this dog. 

Mayanna: Aww. 

Ian: Uh, I tossed it another garlic roll. 

Mischa: Uh, it jumps again. 

Mayanna: Whoa. 

Ian: What's the, what's the emotional state of the dog at this point after two rolls? 

Mischa: Um…

Ian: P. S. I rolled a 19 instead of 17. I lied, just so you know. 

Mischa: Okay, listen, you're, the, the dice said a 19, so, yeah, I think the dog, the first couple times you, you give it a roll, it sort of lands back in that crouch, like that, that defensive crouch, and like, trying to figure out how to, how it can get the tray from you. But you toss it a couple more, and over the course of it, like, it realizes you're going to give it some? 

Ian: Yeah. 

Mischa: And then, after only a couple, like, it's waiting. 

Mayanna: Aww. 

Mischa: It sort of, like, sits, and, like, stares up at you. 

Bex: Puppy. 

Ian: I reach into my satchel, and I pull out, cause, like, garlic rolls are okay, but garlic rolls aren't for dogs.

Mischa: That's true. 

Lyn: Yeah, garlic is toxic to dogs. 

Ian: Is it fucking really? Oh no!

Mischa: Yeah. It is, It's gonna give him big tummy aches later, but you don't have to be there for that. 

Ian: He's huge, so. 

Mischa: Also, this is a fantasy world. 

Lyn: Yeah. 

Mischa: Maybe in this world, Dogs like garlic, leave me alone. 

[Laughter]. 

Lyn: Dogs are not vampires. 

[Laughter]. 

Ian: I reach into my muffin bandolier, and I pull out like a much more sort of savory muffin that would be like much more better for the dog, much more better.

Mischa: Ooh, like a sausage roll? 

Ian: Yes. I have sausage rolls in my bandolier. 

Mischa: Sure. 

Ian: And I think this time, ooh, I'm taking a chance here. 

Mayanna: Okay. 

Ian: I set the rolls down, and I approach the dog with the sausage roll. And I I, instead of tossing it to him, I hold it out in front of him. 

Mischa: The dog darts forward.

Ian: Oh god.

Mischa: And sniffs, sniffs, sniffs, sniffs.

[SFX: dog sniffing and quietly whines].

Ian: Oh god, I'm so scared. 

Mischa: And then looks back up and waits for you. 

[Music ends].

Mayanna: (Gasps) Whoa! 

Ian: I give the dog the sausage roll. And then while he's eating it, presumably? 

[Music begins: gentle, lighthearted piano and chimes]. 

[SFX: chomping].

Mischa: Yeah. 

Mayanna: Do it. 

Ian: I pet him. I pat him on the head. 

[SFX: Dog whimper].

Mischa: The dog's angrier facial features sort of relax and it closes its eyes sleepily, chewing happily on the sausage roll and receiving pets.

Mayanna: Does he have a collar? 

Mischa: No. 

Ian: No collar. 

Mayanna: Gordon. 

Ian: I call Fran. 

Mayanna (Fran): Gordon, You gotta–Gordon. 

Ian: I go 

Ian (Gordon): Fran!

Mayanna: I've been here the whole time. 

Ian: Oh have you been standing next to me this whole time?

Mayanna: Yeah, I'm like, I follow you. Like, I'm your little assistant. Like, I'm here if you need anything. I'm here to hold stuff if you need me to hold stuff. So I've been watching this whole situation.

Mayanna (Fran): Gordon, you, Gordon, you have to. Gordon, you have to. 

Ian: I pat him on the head and I say, 

Ian (Gordon): I'm gonna name you…

Ian: What am I, what am I gonna name him? So we’re gonna call him BG. 

Bex: Instead of GB, Gordon Baker? 

Ian: Well, because I was thinking garlic bread. GB.  GB… BG

All: Oh, GB. BG. 

Mayanna: Uh, Big Guy. 

All: Big Guy! [Cheers and laughter].

Bex: Barlek gred. 

Ian: That was so good. 

Mischa: Uh, try to tempt BG into the tuk-tuk with another sausage roll. 

Ian: Yep. 

Mischa: BG seems hesitant to get into the, a, small space like the tuk tuk. 

Ian: I completely understand that. 

Mayanna: I understand. I will sit in the back with the bread. [Laughter]. I will give up my seat. I want you to have this dog. 

Ian: So maybe what we do, maybe what we do, is because we've already given, like a certain amount of trays out. So maybe we move the rest of the trays that are in the back of the tuk tuk to the front seat, and then you sit in the back with BG. 

Mayanna: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 

Bex: Make sure he doesn't– 

Ian: So maybe I put a roll in the bed of the tuk tuk. Does BG jump in the bed of the tuk-tuk? 

Mischa: Ooh, can you, you're going to have to roll a second animal handling check.

Mayanna: I would love to give you the help action if I could. 

Mischa: Yeah. So that's with advantage. 

Ian: I rolled a yeet. 

[Gasps].

Ian:  I yeeted it. 

Mayanna: Big Guy is canon now. 

All: (chanting) Big guy, big guy, big guy! Big guy, big guy, big guy! Big guy, big guy, big guy! 

Mischa: Gordon, you have a dog now. 

[Cheers, yelling, laughing].

All: Fuck yeah!! For real?! Yes!!

Lyn: I'm so thrilled and so afraid!

Mayanna: Oh my god, we have a dog! 

Ian: I've never got a dog in a campaign before!

Mayanna: Me neither! I’m so excited, I'm so excited for you! 

Mischa: And the largest cheer and the biggest high, emotional high of the campaign: the time Gordon got a dog. 

[More cheers and laughter].

Mayanna: That's the name of the episode. Clickbait, not clickbait. 

Ian: Okay, I have a dog. 

Bex: Big Guy, Gordon Baker.

Ian: So we finished the delivery. 

[Music ends].

Mayanna: Can we say he's a Bernese Mountain Dog? 

Ian: He's massive. 

Mayanna: He's a big guy.

Ian: Yeah, but he's, but he's black, right? He's a big black dog, like a short haired dog. 

Mayanna: Ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah. We didn't pick breed. Roll for breed. I don't know. 

[Laughter]. 

Lyn: Is there a dog breed table?

Ian: To me, to me, like a giant, like a, like a mastiff. 

Mayanna: Oh, a mastiff. 

Ian: Like a huge, short haired, big jowly dog. 

Mayanna: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh my god. I'm so excited. 

Mischa: Yeah, Absolutely. 

Ian: Jet black. This is fucking wild. 

Mayanna: I will die. I will die before this dog dies. I will take a bullet for this dog. 

Bex: We will protect this dog. At all costs.

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: Good for me to know, the person in charge of the bullets. 

Mayanna: Yes, I will take, I will take a bullet for this dog. 

Mischa: Yes, you wrap, you wrap up the rest of your deliveries, only now you have this dog. I can't believe Gordon just has a dog. 

Ian: (Dog panting noises).

[Other players start making dog panting noises].

Mischa: You'll have to, you'll have to make a, make a stop at the pet store. 

Mayanna: Yeah. 

[Laughter]. 

Ian: Dog sounds coming off the couch! Yeah, I think I do. I think we make a quick side step, cause, cause he's, he's a stray dog, so he's probably a little thin, right? You can probably see his ribs, for even how big he is, or not?

Mischa: Uh, great question. Do you want to roll medicine about that? 

Ian: Yes I do. 

Mayanna: Ooh, do it. 

Lyn: I love all these dog rolls. 

[Dice rolls].

Ian: 16. 

Mischa: Ooh, yeah. it looks like this dog is not that skinny. You get a sense that it's probably been eating a lot of the rolls that Cecilia delivers. 

Mayanna: That is so funny. 

Ian (Gordon): Oh my God. Oh my God. I wonder if Cecilia knows BG.

Bex: I'm sure she does. 

Mayanna: I bet she does–we’ll ask.

Mischa: We'll see when she comes back from town. 

Mayanna (Fran): I miss Cecilia so much. I love doing this with you, but I hope she's doing okay.

Ian (Gordon):  I'm terrified. I hope I don't get in trouble for making garlic bread for the church and then lying and saying it was her idea. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, He's so old. He'd probably forget. 

[Laughter]. 

Ian: Yeah, I did also want to know how upright that old man was, cause he sounded like he was pretty parallel to the floor.

Mayanna: How much question mark is his spine? 

Bex: (Laughing) “How question mark is his spine?” 

Mischa: Honestly, Abbott Costello, I think he's like, a short man and like not bowed, but definitely looks like, a meeple or like a Matryoshka doll kind of shape, like just like a round guy, like straight to the floor.

Mayanna: A round man. I love it. With the robes, just like, yeah, 

Bex: Just a little blueberry.

Mayanna: Yea, a little blueberry man.

[Music begins: jovial, relaxed lo-fi].

Ian: So my pitch is, sorry, just cause to not get a super off track. My pitch is that we finish the rest of our deliveries and then we stop at the pet Mart and we pull whatever meager sums that we have and buy the basics. Like a dog bowl, a water bowl and a pillow. 

Mischa: Sure. And maybe that's when it hits you that like, Fran, you've been doing this like side gig for the past couple of days. Like, are you getting paid? 

Mayanna: Oh no, I just, I'm just here for the vibes. 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: No worries for Fran? Not even a little bit of like, “oh yeah, I should probably do something that's getting paid?”

Mayanna: I'm hoping, I'm hoping that the job we just did will pay and then I like, here's my thing. I want to help Gordon because I want Gordon to get in good with Cecilia, and I just like to stay busy. So I'll also, I would love to use my craftsman's tools as we finish up the deliveries to make BG a collar. 

Lyn: Yes!

Bex: Yay!

Mayanna: So I'm working on that in the back. I was like measuring his neck. Um, and so I, I, I give you like a sort of like dark purple leather collar with like a nice little silver pressed coin.

Bex: Can you infuse it with like tracking? 

Mayanna: Ooh, that might take longer. Correct?

Mischa: That would probably get into like actual magic. Actual custom stuff. Yeah, that'll, I'll do that later. 

M!: That's later. 

Mischa: We were doing like a fun cute little thing.

Bex: Sorry I got ahead of everything. 

Mayanna: No, but honestly not a bad idea. But I think for now just like, he now has a home, and so he deserves a collar as well. So I made it for him. 

Ian: This is the, the one where Gordon gets a dog and a girlfriend. 

All: Yes! Yes! Yes! 

Mischa: Gordon's living his best life today! 

Mayanna: BG GF, let's go! 

Bex: It's Gordon's big day. 

[Laughter]. 

Ian: Gordon's big day. 

Lyn: Big day. 

[Music fades out].

Mischa: You finish up your deliveries for the morning, and then it probably hits you at some point near the end as you're sort of like basking in having a new dog, this wonderful distracting force that's keeping you finally staring at something that isn't just the gaping void in the center of the city that, like, causes your heart to race a little bit every time you look at it. At some point it probably occurs to both of you that JJ set an appointment with Gwen this morning. 

Mayanna: Oh! Oh!

Ian: Oh! Shoot. 

Mayanna: Oh, we have to go! We have to go there. We have to go to there. Oh gosh. 

Ian: Right. We just bring BG with us. 

Mayanna: Yeah, we got it, we got it.

Ian: Cause there's no time, we ran so late. 

Mayanna: On the commute I make like a, and it's probably like less sophisticated, but a little leash to go with the collar the rest of the drive.

Mischa: Sure, yeah. The minute it hits you guys, you rev up the tuk-tuk, 

Ian: (revving up engine noises). 

Mischa: BG sticks a head out the window and just goes 

[SFX: dog bark].

Mayanna: Yes! 

Mischa: And you drive away. 

Bex: He's got such a little bark for such a big guy.

Ian: Yeah, he's got, that's what I was just thinking. Small bark, big dog.

Mischa: Yeah. The next thing this morning is, uh, JJ, you had talked to Gwen yesterday about sort of getting everybody together and debriefing about what's been going on.

Lyn: (Drawn out yelp. That's fine. That was Lyn, not JJ. 

Bex: (sings) What’s been goin– (Stops singing) Okay.

Lyn: Thank you. Yeah.

[Music begins: energetic, rhythmic, arpeggiated synth beeps].

Lyn: JJ waking up, I think, like, looked at her, like, whiteboard calendar thing, about to do, like, the normal routine, and then, like, stares at it for a second… And then just erases most of it. 

Mayanna: Whoa! 

Bex: Nice. 

Lyn: Like, keeps, like, appointment with Gwen, but, like, the only things that are up there are, like, see Gwen, see friends, see family. Like, it's all just, like, everything, everything else is just, like, erased. 

Mayanna: Wow. 

Lyn: And just, like, keep staring at it for a bit. And then probably that was also when all those texts came in and she's like, 

Lyn (JJ): Okay, (sighs)Um… Nothing matters. No, that's not true. Everything, everything matters. That, that didn't matter. This matters. This matters a lot. Okay. 

Mischa: And I think for, for someone who's so on the move, on a morning routine. I think, like, if you're erasing everything but the appointment which you knew you had to make after Gordon's deliveries would be done, so like it's like a mid to late morning kind of deal, for someone who's always like on the clock moving like brush teeth, you know, whatever I think maybe this morning like you're just at your kitchen table. Just like staring. 

Lyn: Yeah, like just staring for a while. Didn't even make my own coffee. Just staring. 

Mischa: And then eventually like an alarm goes off. [SFX: alarm ringing]. It's like hey get to your appointment with Gwen. 

Mayanna: Okay Moment of zen, but for the wrong reason. 

Bex: Moment of zen before Gwen.

Lyn (JJ): I will grab coffee on the way. I think. I think that’d be good for me. I’m talking to myself. Yeah, I talk to myself. That's fine and normal, I think. 

[Music ends].

Lyn (JJ): I do that, right? Yes. What? What? What am I doing? Okay, I gotta go. Uh. Uhh! (Sighs). Everything's fine. Everything's, we're good. We're good. We… Me… I'm good. 

Lyn: I'm saying that as I'm like, you know, locking up my door behind me. I'm gonna go to like, the coffee shop around the corner first before texting everyone like, 

Lyn (JJ): [SFX: staticky] Remember, we're meeting with Gwen in a bit. Okay, see you all there. 

Mischa: Gordon, do you say anything on the group chat about bringing a dog? 

Ian: (Pause). No. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: Yeah! Hell yes! Amazing.

Bex: Good. Because I have a plan too! 

Mischa: Yeah, JJ, you're the closest to the Department of Labor Management offices. You head on over and wait outside on the sidewalk for the rest of your compatriots to show up.

[Soundscape begins: cars going by, people walking, gentle, indistinct chatter]

Lyn: Yeah, I'm like waiting on, um, kind of like on the steps. There's like side railings that are stone, so people hang out on them like they're benches.

Mischa: Sure.

Lyn:  So I'm just like Kknd of hanging out, watching people as they go by, maybe saying hi to some of the people that, again, very awkwardly like, 

[SFX: heels stepping on pavement].

Lyn (JJ): Hey, Melissa, morning, have a good… day.

Mischa: A lot of people just like, kind of like half waving and nodding as they head inside. 

Lyn: I think like at some point I like pull up my– what? Compad? 

Ian: Compad. 

Lyn: Compad. 

Mischa: He said it, it's canon. I can’t change it now.

Mayanna: Yeah, it's great.

Lyn: Yeah, like I take up my compad, and I start typing a message to Samira and then delete it. And then start typing again. And then delete it. 

Mayanna: Oof.

Bex: (quietly) Gay. 

Lyn: And then I–

[Laughter]. 

Bex: Sorry!

Ian: Take–I love how you're taking it back. You know. 

Lyn: Yeah. Take it back, take it back.

[Laughter]. 

Bex: Oh my god, Mayanna.

Mayanna: “Gay!”

[Laughter]. 

Ian: Sorry. That is also a party point. That's funny. I’m keeping it.

Mayanna: Oh sorry. 

Lyn: And then, yeah, just continues to just sit and wait. Just watching everyone go by and being like,

[Music begins: light, pensive].  [Soundscape continues].

Lyn (JJ):  this is what matters. They all. This, them. Everyone here that's walking by, this is what matters. 

Lyn: And like, kind of similar to Fran, I think, is like, “I don't know who knows and who doesn't, but clearly that doesn't matter because anyone can be affected.”

Mayanna: Yeah.

Lyn: And I think that's really scary. 

[Music fades out]. [Soundscape continues].

Mischa: Ibra, you and Paz pull up on your bike in front of the labor management building, [SFX: electric bike decelerating] catching JJ in a thousand yard stare. Like, I think JJ's like, just kind of like staring at the sidewalk a little bit and just like doesn't even notice you drive up. 

Bex: I recognize that because that's how my morning was until Paz texted. I, when I got home last night, I crashed super early, which means my internal clock has like eight hours set. So I woke up early. 

Mischa: Yeah. 

Bex: And I was just in the state that JJ's in now for, for, for those couple hours before Paz texted. Sort of seeing that thousand yard stare, Ibra swings their helmet into, like, down into view by their legs.

Mischa: Sure. 

Bex: Sort of in the vicinity of JJ's eyeline, just so there's movement, something to break them out, but not freak them out too much. 

Lyn: Ah, a mountain lion! 

[Laughter]. 

Lyn: (Laughing) I'm never letting that go. 

Mayanna: Meow!

Lyn: I was kidding. No, JJ doesn't do that. But does, like, go, 

Lyn (JJ): Ah! Oh.

Bex (Ibra): Hey. 

Lyn (JJ): Hey. Sorry, I didn't hear you come up. 

Bex (Ibra): It’s o–

Lyn (JJ): Paz! Hi! 

Mischa (Paz): Hey, hi! 

Bex (Ibra): I brought a surprise. 

Mischa (Paz): It's me.

Mayanna: It’s a Paz. 

Lyn (JJ): What a lovely surprise. 

Lyn: I open my arms as an offering for a hug. 

Mischa: Roll for hugs? No, I'm just joking. It's great! 

Mayanna: It's a nat 20 every time! 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: I have every faith that JJ is excellent at hugs. 

Bex: Yeah.

Lyn: Yeah, one thing they're confident at, it's hugs. 

Mischa: So true. 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa (Paz): Hey, yeah, thanks for including me in your, like, club of people who got attacked at Boggins’ Beestro by a Ghost.  

Lyn (JJ): I don't know if that's a club, and also we were all there… 

Bex (Ibra): I'd say you're already part of it, by being there, right?

Mischa (Paz): Yeah! 

Lyn (JJ): We didn't want– it's not that we– 

Mischa (Paz): Do we have like a secret handshake, or? 

Lyn (JJ): : Uh….

Mischa (Paz): Like, like, membership cards? I can make them? 

Lyn (JJ): Oh! 

Bex (Ibra): Really? 

Mischa (Paz): No, I'm just kidding around. What are you guys what are you talking about? 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, we don't fully know what's happening still. Well, we kind of do. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah, I feel like– Should we fill Paz in on like, what we've got so far.

Lyn (JJ): oh yeah, I think, I mean Gordon and Fran are still on their way, so.

Bex (Ibra): We've got some time. 

Mischa (Paz): Oh my god, you guys have been, like, on it. This is so exciting. I have been waiting in a hospital bed. It has been so boring! Tell me everything. 

Mischa: And I think you guys, like, star wipe, like, explaining it to her, and as soon as you kind of catch up, that's when, skrrt, [SFX: brakes squealing] the tuk-tuk drives up alongside.

Ian: That's a hard brake. I'm excited. 

[Music begins: jaunty, lighthearted].

Mischa: Yeah.  out of the back window of the tuk-tuk, like, a big dog's face just hanging out. 

Mischa (BG): (Panting).

Bex (Ibra): Whoa!

Lyn (JJ): Oh! 

Bex (Ibra): Hi, big guy!

Lyn (JJ): Hi, hello, aww, he's so cute. 

[Laughter]. 

Bex (Ibra): Oh, he's got a lot of drool. 

Ian: I think the only way that I communicate with BG so far is like leading him around food wise. So I think I toss, I think I toss JJ a biscuit.

Lyn (JJ): Ah ah oh!

Lyn: I'm gonna roll a dexterity, see if I catch it. 

Mayanna: Ooh, yes. I love this. 

[Dice rolls].

Lyn: Okay, fine. 15 plus something. 

Mayanna: Nice. Good job.

Ian: So I toss you a muffin and I go, 

Ian (Gordon): Guys, this is BG! 

Mayanna (Fran): It's BG! 

Bex (Ibra): BG! 

Mayanna (Fran): It's BG! He's here now. 

Bex (Ibra): Oh. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yep, he's here now and that is happening and that will not stop happening. So get ready!

Lyn (JJ): Okay!

Bex (Ibra): Cool. Hi BG, nice to meet you 

Lyn: Immediately JJ is just happy. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: Yes good, oh my god yay!

Bex: Okay, so 

Mischa: nothing will break you out of a thousand yard stare quite like a cute dog. 

Lyn: it’s literally like in colleges instead of like giving like more than ten sessions of therapy. They have a puppy party. 

Bex: Yes. 

Mayanna: Yes.

Lyn: It's what that feels like. 

Bex: Last night at the party, there were blessings that were coming from a giant D20, and the blessing that I got was the good boy blessing. 

Mischa: Oh my god!

Mayanna: BG's the good boy! Oh my god! 

Lyn: Wow!

[Laughter]. 

Bex: BG's the good boy. It came true so fast. My good boy blessing is BG. 

Ian: Holy cow.

Mayanna: Oh my god! 

[Laughter]. 

Ian: Mayanna is literally being torn apart by her joy right now. I mean I've never seen her make these faces. 

Mayanna: I'm so happy! I typed up the little blessings and I was like, I hope somehow, someway, these are maybe a little bit magical.

Bex: So real though.

Ian: This is the chillest session we've had so far. Just the dogs… 

Mayanna: I love it, the vibes, immaculate. I love it here.

[Laughter]. 

Lyn: Happy birthday. 

Mayanna: Yeah! Thank you. 

Bex: I think Ibra being like a protein fiend has jerky in their backpack, so I think I take out some jerky and I feed BG. 

Mayanna: (Whispers) Oh I love it so much.

Mischa: Yeah. Oh my God. So many meat snacks for BG. BG is elated. And like also like has been munching on like stray rolls in the back of the tuk-tuk, I think is like happy and contented.

[Music ends].

Ian:  I go, 

Ian (Gordon): hey boy, you're going to stay right here and you're going to be a good boy. 

Mischa (BG): (Woofs).

Mayanna: Um, I think like, cause I made the mop the other day, I think I've got some like stray rope. And so I, I did a little, a little, you know, one of those little braided rope bones. 

Mischa: Yes!

Mayanna: So I was just working on that. So I'm going to give that to BG to chew on while we–

Ian: And we have a bowl with water in the, in the bed.

Mischa: Oh yeah. Cause you stopped by the pet store. 

Ian: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. In the bed, not in the, in the cab. Cause that's irresponsible. 

Mayanna: Absolutely.

Mischa: For sure. Y'all head up and into Gwen's office. 

[SFX: Door opens] 

[Music begins: contemplative chimes].

Mischa: I think when you open the doors to the the main bullpen, I think the four of you kind of walk in and like head straight back, and I think you catch the rest of the bullpen giving you like half awed looks, you know, sort of like hushed whispering as you guys walk past people's cubicles.

Bex: I check my outfit for blood and rips.

Mayanna: I mean, we look amazing, but like, that's like, all the time for us, so. 

Lyn: Can I insight check the vibe of the office currently? 

Mischa: Yeah, yeah. 

[Dice rolls].

Bex: I still feel like I'm the same bloodied that I was yesterday, so I'm checking for signs of it on my body. 

Mayanna (Fran): No, you look good. You look good. 

Bex (Ibra): (Sighs). Okay. 

Mayanna (Fran): You look good. You're okay.

Lyn: I only rolled an 8. 

Mischa: There's several vibes sort of clashing throughout the office, and I think all of it just has the cumulative effect of making JJ incredibly uncomfortable. It seems like this word has spread of yesterday's events.

[Hums]. 

Bex: I clutch my backpack strap a little tighter against my shoulder.

Mayanna: I think I like, I like roll my shoulders back, like puff my chest out a little bit. 

Mischa: Awesome. 

Mayanna: Just like “teehee.”

Ian: I brush some, uh, flour off my apron. 

Mayanna: Nice. Nice. 

Mischa: You walk on back, you sort of like wave to Gwen through the window. She waves you in. 

[SFX: Door opens]. [Music ends].

Mischa (Gwen): Excellent. Thank you all for coming, for making time for me this morning. Please shut the door.

Mayanna (Fran): Of course. 

[SFX: Door closes].

Mischa (Gwen): I, I've heard several conflicting accounts of the events yesterday at the Overpass site. 

Mayanna (Fran): From which parties out of curiosity? 

Mischa (Gwen): Well, uh, I had some calls from the Mechanist Guild saying that they'll need additional resources because more parts of the, the bridge collapsed? 

Lyn (JJ): Correct. 

Mayanna (Fran): That is true.

Mischa (Gwen): I, uh, received a very terse note from Inspector Ravona's office. 

[Groans].

Bex (Ibra): Oh. Yeah.

Mayanna (Fran): Right. Could we perhaps see the contents of that note? 

Mischa: Ooh. Roll persuasion. 

Mayanna: Ooh, I can't wait. Let's see here. 

Bex: Can I help? I wanna help. 

Mayanna: You wanna help? 

Bex: Yeah. I wanna be like,

Bex (Ibra): We had a little bit of a… awkward moment where we asked for more information and were met with, uh… 

Lyn (JJ): Disdain.

Bex (Ibra): That's a really good word for it. 

Mayanna (Fran): Dismissal would be another word I would use. 

Mischa: Yeah, go ahead and roll again. 

Mayanna: Okay. Come on, baby. [Dice rolls]. Ah! No. no. Not much better. 7. 

Mischa: Oh, she says– 

Bex: Does it count if it wasn't in the box? 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: Oh, maybe. Does it count if it wasn't in the box? 

Mischa: I guess not. I don't know what to tell you. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: Ugh, no.

Bex: It was a birthday box.

Mayanna: No, it doesn't want– it doesn't want it to happen. It's a five. 

Mischa: The dice are telling the story. 

Mayanna: The dice are saying no. 

Mischa: Gwen says, 

Mischa (Gwen): I don't think it would be appropriate to show you the exact wording– Suffice it to say, it seems that Inspector Ravona doesn't deem you fit for the task. Now, I think Inspector Ravona's a highly competent woman. I think she will follow this task diligently, but I don't think she's the ultimate authority. And I know you. I want to hear your side of the story. 

Mayanna (Fran): Of course. Thank you. 

Bex (Ibra): Thank you. 

Mayanna (Fran): Thank you. 

Mischa (Gwen): What happened? 

Mayanna (Fran): (sighs) Okay. Well. 

Lyn (JJ): We arrived on the site, and then, when we got there, Gordon found additional explosive material on site buried amidst the rubble that was already a little bit suspect. I talked to the supervising engineer on staff, my father. 

Mischa (Gwen): Oh, yes. I had seen that on the rolls after the fact. That was kind of a funny coincidence. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah. 

Mischa (Gwen): Ha ha. 

Lyn (JJ): Ha. 

Ian: (Quietly) Writing that down. 

Lyn (JJ): He had mentioned that those materials shouldn't have been on site. So that was already cause for alarm. And then while we were there, we believe that there was an outside force that caused the–

Bex (Ibra): Activated the device.

Lyn (JJ): Activated some sort of device that caused one of the Mecha excavator–

Ian (Gordon): There was someone on the bridge. 

Mayanna (Fran): We couldn't make out who. 

Lyn (JJ): And so we– Fran was amazing at being able to evacuate all of the workers who were on the site. 

Mayanna (Fran): Gordon also assisted. 

Lyn (JJ): And Ibra faced down against the excavator head to head. 

Bex (Ibra): JJ saved me when I couldn't get it all done. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

Lyn (JJ): We were able to decommission the excavator safely.

Bex (Ibra): Unfortunately, it did hit another part of the bridge. And, and that's– 

Lyn (JJ): What caused the further collapse. 

Bex (Ibra): It was trying to hit me and I– I'm sorry, I got out of the way, and it hit the bridge. 

Mayanna (Fran): We also found several detonation devices that had been activated previously. I don't know if you'd mentioned that.

Lyn (JJ): Oh, yes. There were other activated devices. I think we turned over some of the detonation devices that we had found to Ravona, Inspector Ravona. 

Ian (Gordon): Suffice it to say, it feels like something weird is going on. 

Mischa: Yeah. As you're telling your story, Gwen is sort of rifling through papers and digging through her notes, which you had sort of really insisted that, that she start taking. And she furrows her brow and she goes, 

Mischa (Gwen): I don't think I have any records of malicious sabotage quite yet. You know, we, we’re tracking all avenues, but this is, this is so concrete, and you gave this to Ravona, and, and?

Mayanna (Fran): The detonation device, yeah, we reported everything that we witnessed and experienced. 

Bex (Ibra): And she dismissed us, and told us to leave, and told us we had no further business. And then when we asked questions, and telling her that it was really dangerous, and like, I almost died, she told us we were children and had nothing to do with anything.

Ian (Gordon): Wait, did she not tell you any of this? 

Mischa (Gwen): She is very selective in what she tells me, uh, perhaps more than she needs to be. Yes, I… am disappointed to hear this. I was nervous about working with Inspector Ravona, and, I had hoped that she would be amenable to working with competent and caring individuals such as yourselves, which is why I, I entrusted you, JJ and Ibra, and you're a different, you know, we don't know each other.

Mayanna (Fran): Right, sorry, I'm Fran. I know to run the records and stuff, but yeah, yes. 

Bex (Ibra): Oh, and this is Paz. Paz is joining our team. They were, she was out of commission after the first attack, but, she's really integral to our, to our work and our team. 

Lyn (JJ): She remembers. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yes. 

Mischa (Paz): ‘Sup boss lady. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: For those listening at home, she, she hit ‘em with the peace sign.

Mischa: Yeah. 

Mayanna: She hit ‘em with the sideways peace sign. 

Mischa: Yeah. Yeah, Gwen kind of takes that in and like, sort of narrows her eyes slightly at Paz. It's like, 

Mischa (Gwen): Yes. Pleasure. 

Ian: And you are also here. 

Mischa: Sshe says, 

[Music begins: Melancholic, rhythmic guitar and suspenseful bass]

Mischa (Gwen): yes, I, I was, I was concerned. I believe very strongly that we need to unite our efforts to combat this malevolent force. And it sounds like there is indeed malevolence behind it. You say you saw a mys– a a shadowed figure detonating a device that brought these things to life. Like, clearly, someone is planning something, and the only way– I believe the only way we're going to stop anything is to pool our resources and combat it all together.

Mayanna (Fran): I agree. 

Mischa (Gwen): Ravona does not agree with me on this. 

Mayanna (Fran): What?

Bex (Ibra): Why? 

Mischa (Gwen): I don't know if she's acting under some orders I haven't been made aware of, if there's some piece of this that I'm not able to know. She has different priorities than I do. 

Mayanna (Fran): That is clear. 

Mischa (Gwen): She is here to take charge and solve this mystery and keep it contained. I am here to keep people safe.

Bex (Ibra): And I'm, I'm on your wavelength with this. 

Mayanna (Fran): 100%. 

Bex (Ibra): And I, I think that was made clear, unfortunately, with Ravona in a way that she was not happy about at the site. 

Mayanna (Fran): We just wanted some clarity on what she was aware of. And she was very hesitant and resistant to share that with us. And when we had mentioned that we are putting our lives on the line here, that was where she made the comments about us being… 

Bex (Ibra): She called us children!

Mayanna (Fran): She called us children, she called us entitled. Yeah, she, she really pulled rank on us in a way that made it difficult for us to communicate with her. 

Mischa (Gwen): So frustrating. That a woman like that should be given such authority. I don't mean to talk out of turn.

Mayanna (Fran): No, that's fair. We appreciate your candor. And we, we want the same thing you want, which is we want people to be safe. Whatever this is, obviously like the public being made aware, we don't want that either. We want people to feel safe, but we also want people to be safe. And containing a secret versus protecting people's lives... I think you know where we stand. 

Mischa (Gwen): Yeah.

Ian (Gordon): We've also started to investigate previous instances of the blue electric magic. And we're trying to learn anything that we can that will help us further understand the situation.

Mayanna (Fran): Yes. 

Mischa (Gwen): In order to keep the people safe, not in order to contain whatever it is, or lock that information away from those that would be kept safe by it. You are here to keep people safe. You were here to learn things to keep people safe.

Mayanna (Fran): Agreed.

Mischa (Gwen): This is. (Exasperated sigh). These were the things I thought I was supposed to be looking for. I don't know. I don't know what Ravona’s deal is. I honestly don't. 

Mayanna (Fran): I'm sorry. 

Bex (Ibra): I'm sorry we've put you in this position. 

Mischa (Gwen): No, no, of course it's not your fault. In fact, you know what? 

Mischa: And she pulls a drawer open from her desk and she pulls out a set of forms.

[SFX: paper rustling].

Ian: Yes! 

Mischa: Like, official, crisp looking forms with, like, a gold seal in the corner. And she says, 

[Music ends]. 

[Music begins: triumphant yet solemn, slow horns and synth].

Mischa (Gwen): By the authority vested in me as the Magistrate of the Department of Labor Resources, I am hereby commissioning you five. 

Mischa: And Paz in the corner goes, 

Mischa (Paz): Oh me? Cool, sweet. 

Mischa: And she says, 

Mischa (Gwen): I'm commissioning the five of you as an investigative safety brigade.

Bex (Ibra): Cool.

Mayanna (Fran): Woah. An ISB. 

Ian (Gordon): Whoa! 

Bex (Ibra) : Hey, that's close to my initials. 

Ian (Gordon): The ISB. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: Yes! 

Lyn (JJ): That's quite an honor, thank you. 

Mischa (Gwen): It seems that Ravona's priorities are so different from ours that if she's looking out for the wrap up of this mystery, someone should be looking out for the people it affects. And you have proven yourselves worthy of the task.

Mischa: She takes out a fountain pen and like, signs the form with a flourish. [SFX: pen scratches]. And then goes, 

Mischa (Gwen): Oh one moment.

Mischa: And she adds Paz's name and then like initials by it. She says, 

Mischa (Gwen): Now, unfortunately without Ravonna's authority, you may have to defer to the quote unquote official investigation at times. My office can only do so much for you. I wield influence but not power, and it's important to know the difference. 

Bex (Ibra): You deserve both. 

Mayanna (Fran): But one is kind of more fun.

Ian (Gordon): So I guess that only leaves one last thing. Do you have another mission for us? 

Mischa (Gwen): Yes, I've been consolidating community requests. I can't tell what's a supernatural event and what's caused by the mundane happenings of a city, but I have attempted to corroborate and consolidate every abnormal community request. And I have here a list of them. 

[Music ends].

Bex: Is that what quest is? Short for request? 

Mischa: Yeah. 

Mayanna: That's so funny. 

Ian: What? 

Bex: I'm an idiot. [Laughter]. God damn it. Just figured this out. Okay, I'm having a moment.

[Midroll music begins].

Mischa: Hey there, it’s Mischa, this is the rest stop. Come take a break beside the path with me. Just until we catch out breath. 

First and foremost, a biiiig hug (if you’re comfortable with that) to our patrons over at patreon.com/WanderingPathPod. No new patrons this week, but as ever a huge shout out to our voyager level patron, JWX, who gives the best hugs. And if you want to give good hugs, as well as bringing us life, sustaining us, and bringing us to new seasons, you can sign up for just a few dollars per episode and get stuff like bloopers, bonus content, and more. One more time, that’s: patreon.com/WanderingPathPod. 

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Mischa: Okay, that’s it for now. Let’s get back on the path and back to the show.

[Midroll music fades out].

Mischa: She hands you a typed out list of various community requests around the city that she thinks may or may not be related to wraith attacks, as far as she understands them. There's reports of break ins, there's reports of robberies and stick ups, there's reports of stolen keepsakes, there's reports of strange physics happening at certain old sites around the city.

Ian: That's where my eye goes immediately. 

Bex: Yup.

Mischa: Okay. There's an old overseer's estate in Minetown, it's sort of a, like, a, one of the early examples of, like, a large mansion on the ground, that's been, as far as you know, abandoned for years, but apparently there's reports coming out of there of, some strange lights in windows going off, some spooky vibes that keep people from getting too close.

Ian: Spidey sense tingling. 

Mischa: Yeah, there are also reports from an old factory that, some people have, gone into what should be a shutdown facility and spent days there and come out a couple of days later, incredibly exhausted. 

Ian: Got it. So far, the Mine Town Mansion, it piques my interest most. 

Mayanna: Mhmm.

Ian: Like, and we're not talking about this, but like, just doing a quick glance at the list, that's what I, that's where my head goes.

Mayanna: From my insight from earlier, do I clock that? 

Mischa: I mean, yeah. 

Mayanna: Okay, so I do, I do like, kinda watch Gordon's expression for a second. When he looks at, at the, like his eyes, like his eyebrows, like furrow when he looks at that one. I’m like, “hmm.”

Ian: Yeah, yeah, exactly. 

Mischa: Yeah, sure. She says, 

Mischa (Gwen): I trust your judgment. I trust you. You are my team. And here it is written in ink. 

Mischa: And she slides the paper towards you. [SFX: paper slides across table]

Mischa (Gwen): I trust you. I have faith. I have faith in you. 

Mischa: And she looks JJ right in the eyes. She goes, 

Mischa (Gwen): I have faith in you. 

Lyn (JJ): Oh, that means a lot, ma'am. Thank you. We'll do our best. 

Mayanna (Fran): Mhmm. 

Bex (Ibra): Thanks boss. 

Ian (Gordon): Can I ask a quick question? 

Mischa (Gwen): Yeah. 

Ian (Gordon): Some of us in this room today may have just, I don't know, gotten a dog, and–

Mayanna: (muffled laughter). 

Ian (Gordon): You know, things like that have expenses attached to them. And I just was curious if there's a stipend that comes along with this? 

Mischa (Gwen): Of course, this official position comes with an official stipend, of course. we'll set it up with each of your accounts at the bursar's office. 

Mayanna (Fran): (Whispers) Oh my god. 

Bex (Ibra): Thank you. 

Lyn (JJ): Thank you. 

Ian (Gordon): Thank you. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh my god, thank you. 

Mayanna: Yeah. I'm like thinking about my rent and I'm like, “It's paid. It's paid, I don't have to find a new place to live.”

Mischa: Can you roll deception for me? 

Mayanna: Oh, deception. Oh no, yes I can. 

Mischa: It's a high number. Gwen gets a high modifier. 

Mayanna: I know, I know. I know. [Dice rolls]. 15. 

Mischa: Oh, pretty high, but not high enough. She pulls out a second form from the drawer. [SFX: paper rustling]. It's like a smaller, like, memo pad slip, and she writes a thing. She goes, 

Mischa (Gwen): In fact, you should already be paid for the job you've already been doing. I commissioned you yesterday, I sent you on a mission, and Ravona may not be happy, but I am suitably satisfied that the task was completed. No one was hurt–I'm sorry, present company excluded.

Bex (Ibra): I mean,  I'll take it. Nobody else was hurt. That's what we were going for. 

Mischa (Gwen): You kept, your job was to keep civilians safe, and that you did. Your job was to investigate and learn new things about the threat that faces us, and report them back to me, and you did. It's unfortunate that Ravona won't be a part of our operation, and that we'll lack her approval, so to speak. Although, whether or not I need that, I'll decide later on my own. But, you should be paid for the job you've done. Take this down to the bursar's office, we'll get you paid right away. 

[SFX: paper rustles].

Mayanna: Oh my god, I'm like, I'm so relieved. 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: Gwen hands you guys a little slip of memo paper that says, “Hey bursar's office, give these folks moneyyy.”

Bex: Verbatim. 

[Music begins: ambient synths].

Ian: Does it say how much money that we get? 

Mischa: no, but it does, it's sort of like an approval for the release of funds. The Bursar's Office in New Prosper is sort of like a general citywide bank and credit exchange. Like, when you get a birth certificate, you also get an account with the Bursar's Office. Kind of thing, that it's just sort of like tracked over the course of, and a lot of like the paperwork that is handled by guilds or businesses that register is sort of making sure that anything you're supposed to be paid gets put in your account. That, like, payroll is sort of automatic through the bank. Taxes are automatic through the bank, (pointed mumbling) like they should be. 

Players: (Grumbling) Like, they should be, they should just, should just tell us what it should be. 

Mischa: You know what it's supposed to be. Gwen stands up from her desk, uh, and, and you all sort of rise with her, almost like a judge leaving her chambers. And she just says, 

Mischa (Gwen): Ravona may not be as grateful as she should be, but I am grateful to have you all looking out for this city. We're a little bit safer now with you on watch. 

[Music ends].

Ian: We all exchanged like looks with each other. Me and Paz have eye contact for like just an extra second. 

Mischa: Hey, Gordon. 

Ian: Oh Lord. 

Mischa: Can we introduce a new mechanic? 

Mayanna: Oh my God. 

Ian: Yeah, of course. 

Bex: Roll for blushing? 

[Music begins: tense synth pads]

Mischa: We're going to start doing flirt rolls. 

All: Yes! [Cheers].

Lyn: Oh, I've been waiting for this one.

Mischa: So here's how, so here's how a flirt rule is going to work. 

Ian: Okay. 

Mischa: You're going to roll a d20 and I'm going to roll a d20. 

Ian: Great. 

Mischa: What we're trying to do is match numbers as close as possible. 

Ian: Oh my God.

Mischa: So to this roll, you can either add or subtract your charisma modifier. 

Mayanna: Cool. 

Ian: Add or subtract your Charisma. 

Mayanna: Cause you just want to get numbers close to each other.

Mischa: You're trying to get as close as possible. 

Ian: That is fucking spectacular.

Mayanna:  I love this mechanic. I think about it once a week. [Laughter]. I'll just be like making coffee and I'm like, “that's such a good idea.” 

Ian: Alright, are you ready? 

Mischa: Okay, here we go!

Ian: 1, 2, 3! 

[Dice rolls]. [Music ends].

Mischa: So I rolled an 18. 

Ian: I rolled an 8. 

Mischa: Ugh! 

Lyn: Dang. 

[Music begins: lighthearted chimes].

Mischa: Yeah, you share a moment with Paz, you like, lock eyes briefly, and then she like, gets so nervous that she like, looks away. But as she's like, giving Gwen her fiercest eye contact, her face is just getting red.

Ian: Mhmm. Mhmm. Mhmm. Mhmm. I love that.

[Music ends].

Mayanna: Yes.  It's so real. It's, it's exactly what it feels like. I love mechanics that feel like what life feels like. 

Lyn: All of us are like internal, like we're all like clenched. Like we're all just a little bit like (squeals). 

Ian: I'll say too that we all outside of the game have an idea of where we want this to go. In game though, Gordon? You know, this is a brand new thing, right? This is not, this is, this is like, Level 1 of 10 or 20. 

Mayanna: It's like the beginning of a social link. 

[Agreement].

Lyn: (Whispering) Persona series.

Ian: So it's like, so I see her blush a little bit, but like, I don't clock it too much. 

Mischa: Okay. Yeah. as you guys are, uh, heading out, Gwen says, 

Mischa (Gwen): Oh, JJ, uh, just one other thing.

[Music begins: hopeful yet melancholic piano and chimes].

Lyn (JJ): Uh, yes, ma'am. 

Mischa (Gwen): I've seen your growth and you have stepped into this role with such a confidence. I really have marveled at it. I think it would benefit your education and the city as a whole if we were to make your transfer into my office official. 

Lyn (JJ): (Surprised) Oh. 

Mischa (Gwen): What do you think about that? 

Lyn (JJ): Um, that– Thank you, that, that's quite an honor. Um, so I would no longer be with the mechanists’ school?

Mischa (Gwen): I have taken the liberty, I hope you don't mind, I hope this isn't too forward, I've taken the liberty of filling out the transfer paperwork if you just… want to file it. 

Lyn (JJ): Oh, that's… very kind. 

Mischa (Gwen): It's all in a day's work for someone who moves people's jobs around on a citywide scale, but it gave me a particular pleasure to fill these ones out.

Mayanna: Aww.

Lyn: Lyn is crying. 

Mayanna: (laughs) “Me, Lyn, who I am, is crying.” 

Lyn: Yeah, me!

Lyn (JJ): Thank you. This is… I don't take this lightly. Is it okay if I take a day before I–I mean no disrespect, it's just… It is a hard transition to make, I think. 

Mischa: Yeah, she, puts a reassuring hand on your shoulder and she goes, 

Mischa (Gwen): I completely understand. Sometimes our visions for ourselves don't always match where we're most needed. And it takes a certain amount of maturity and a certain amount of selflessness to commit to a new vision of yourself. I understand. It's a process. It takes time. Take some time to think on it. It's not like these forms will expire. 

Lyn (JJ): Very much appreciate it. Thank you. For everything. 

Mischa (Gwen): Good luck out there. We need it.

Lyn (JJ): Anything for the city. 

Mischa: Oof.

Bex: Oh, damn. 

Lyn: Then I take my leave.

Mischa: Yeah. 

Bex: That probably got to Gwen just as much as it got to Mischa. 

[Music ends].

Mayanna: Dang. 

Mischa: From there you head down across the way to a Bursar's Depot. 

Mayanna: Amazing. 

[Music begins: gentle piano].

Mischa: It's a squat little nondescript stone building, it's like pretty, just sort of, they'll pop up anywhere, anywhere you can stick one. You guys walk into like a little foyer.  There's a very short, squat, saurid with like a flat nose and face hunched over and like a round bald head, standing behind a counter as you guys walk in. The little guy behind the counter goes, 

Mischa (Office attendant): (Very nasal and stopped up) One moment please, I'll be right with you. 

[Music ends]

Ian: (Laughs) Oh fuck. 

[Laughter]. 

Ian: I can't talk to this person.

Mayanna: I see Gordon start to like, I'm like, 

Mayanna (Fran): Don't. 

Ian: I literally turn around and be like, 

Ian (Gordon): (stifling laughter)

Mayanna: I know, I'm like, just, just, 

Mayanna (Fran): It's okay, just like. You know what, stand behind me. Stand behind me. 

Ian: I take, I literally step right behind Fran, and I like bury my face in Fran's hair. 

Mayanna: I'm like, 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, yeah, that's so fine. Yeah, you got this. You got this. It's gonna be okay. 

Mischa (Office attendant): Okay guys, how can I help you? 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna (Fran): Um, we are here to collect our payment for a job. 

Mischa (Office attendant): So, did you bring your employee identification card? 

Mayanna (Fran): Yes. Yes, I did. Yes, we did. 

Mayanna: And I give them the papers. 

Mischa: Yeah, sure. 

Mischa (Office attendant): Uh. Oh, this is like a whole rush order. We have to like… Hold on one second. 

Mayanna (Fran): No problem.

Mischa (Office attendant): And he kind of like shuffles into the back behind the counter for a little bit. 

Mayanna: And then I go like

Mayanna (Fran): (Snickers)

Mayanna: I just get it out while he's gone. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay. We're going to do this. We're going to be okay. It's going to be, I will, if you guys don't want, I'll just do all the, I can handle this. 

Lyn (JJ): What– Why are you freaking out? 

Bex (Ibra): What's happening? 

Lyn (JJ): Are you alright?

Mayanna (Fran): I'm not freaking out. You heard his voice, right? 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, that's just a completely normal voice. 

Bex (Ibra): What's wrong with it? 

Ian (Gordon): What? 

Mayanna (Fran): Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing. We're cool. We’re chillin.

Lyn (JJ): That's just a guy. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, it's just a guy. You're right. 

Ian (Gordon): You're right.  

Mayanna: I love this so fucking much. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: I am obsessed with this. 

Lyn: It's gonna keep happening.

Mayanna: This is great. No, I'm just obsessed. 

Bex: “What do you mean, this is a completely normal voice”

Ian: Also just out of game. Just so we're clear, you know, people have many different forms and shades of voices, right? So we're laughing with this person, not at this person. 

Mayanna: Mhmm. 

Ian: Mischa does not believe me. 

Mischa: Well. I think what is happening is I'm doing funny voices, and you're finding them funny, so I'll take that as the compliment that it is. But like, you have to understand that if you continue to laugh in people's faces about their voices, it will have in-world consequences.

Mayanna: Yes, exactly. That's why, you just stay back there, you're chillin. 

[Laughter]. 

Ian: Yes. I'm not– this person can't see me. 

Mayanna: No, yep. Nope. 

Mischa: Sure, do you want to roll stealth? 

Mayanna: Oh, yeah. Hide in the hair. 

[Dice rolls].

Ian: I rolled a 15. 

Mayanna: Nice

Mischa: Okay, pretty good. Okay, so that'll go against, anytime this person, attempts to spot you cracking the hell up at their voice .

Mayanna:  I have a big poofy ponytail I wear sometimes. So yeah, you're just chillin back there. 

Mischa: The little man shuffles back and goes, 

Mischa (Office attendant): Okay, I think I have your stuff in order. 

Mayanna (Fran): Awesome. 

Mischa (Office attendant): This, uh, was this a Fran Weaver? 

Mayanna (Fran): Yes, correct. 

Mischa (Office attendant): Hi. 

Mayanna (Fran): Hi. Thank you so much. Sorry, what, what's your name, by the way? 

Mischa (Office attendant): Oh, me? I'm Gaz. 

Mayanna (Fran): Hi, Gaz. Nice to meet you. 

Mischa (Office attendant, Gaz): Nice to meet you. 

Mayanna (Fran): Nice to meet you, Gaz.

Bex (Ibra): Thanks for helping us.

Mischa (Gaz): I'm sure it's a pleasure. It's an honor. Anyway, I have another employment file on form. [SFX: pages turning]. Something about, uh, something about a bistro. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, the bistro is closed currently. So I'm, I'm sort of on extended leave. yeah, everybody who works there. 

Mischa (Gaz): Oh yeah, sure. And you definitely filed the extended leave form, right?

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, um, I feel like my boss should have done that. Cause he was the one who told me that, that I wasn't going to be coming back to work for a while. Did he not?  

Mischa (Gaz): No.

Bex (Ibra): The paperwork actually should have been filed through Gwen, the magistrate's office. There was an incident at Boggins, and, and I'm pretty sure my office filled out the info for that closure.

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah.

Mischa: Kind of flips up through a couple pieces of paper on the clipboard. [SFX: paper rustling]. Like, slowly, like one page. And then a second page. And flips them down, looks back at you. 

Mischa (Gaz): No. 

Mayanna: Oh. Is there anything that I can do to file that currently? I can fill out anything right now?

Mischa (Gaz): Yeah, if you just fill out that form, but also like, a rush through form, I'm sure you just probably just, you forgot. That's totally fine. But we do, we'll do have to get this before I could get you paid. 

Mayanna (Fran): No problem. I'll, I'll fill these out right now. 

Mayanna: I go, uh, and I'll, I'll grab Gordon too. And I'm just like, we'll go off to the side, like how they do at the post office. 

Lyn: Yeah I was literally just thinking that in a post office.

Mayanna: And there's like those standing, yeah, those like standing weird tables. And I just start filling out forms and I'm like, 

Mayanna (Fran): You're doing so good, Gordon. You're doing amazing. 

Ian (Gordon): I feel like that guy smokes so much weed. 

Mayanna (Fran): I, I, I… probably.

Mayanna: And I just start filling out forms. I'm just like 

Mischa (Gaz): Okay, who's next?  

Bex (Ibra): hi. Uh, uh, Ibra Bracha-Shinmar um…

Mischa (Gaz): Oh, Bracha-Shinmar. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeeeaaah. Uh, that's not important right now. I'm, I'm, I'm here. 

Mischa (Gaz): Is this about account transfer for your family estate? 

Bex (Ibra): No. 

Mischa (Gaz): Oh, it's something else? 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah. 

Mischa (Gaz): Oh shit, I gotta get a different form. Hold on. 

[Laughter].

Bex (Ibra): What? I–

Mischa: And like, rifles in the back underneath the desk like, 

[SFX: rustling and thumping of desk drawers].

Mischa (Gaz): God. Where'd that form? Uh, where'd I put it? Oh, I got, I got, hold on, I gotta go make another copy of this.

Bex (Ibra): I actually, I have this–I, form is he, okay, he's gone. 

Mayanna: I love it. It's so good. I love it so much! I’m obsessed with him!

Lyn: I love Gaz's insert into here. 

Mayanna: I'm so happy. 

Mischa (Gaz): Okay, what are you looking for? 

Bex (Ibra): I actually have it right here, it's… [SFX: paper rustling].

Mischa (Gaz): That's good, thanks. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah, I'm taking up, okay. 

Mischa (Gaz): That's so much better. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah. 

Mischa (Gaz): It's really nice of you to, to have everything all set to go.

Bex (Ibra): Absolutely, I wish I could take credit for it, but… 

Mischa (Gaz): Oh, it wasn't you? 

Bex (Ibra): It was my boss. 

Mischa (Gaz): Oh. 

Bex (Ibra): She's pretty put together. 

Mischa (Gaz): Yeah, she's better than you. Anyway.

[Laughter]. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah, in a lot of ways. 

Bex: I love Gaz. 

Mayanna: He's such a cool, yeah, he's like, “oh shit, no way.”

Bex: “You suck.” 

Mischa: Yeah, Gaz, Gaz pulls up your account,  [SFX: typing], like puts through the, the scan code for the rush form for this job, and then presses a big chunky button on, like a big red like arcade button on the desk. [SFX: fax scanning].

Mayanna: Amazing. 

Mischa: Pulls out a cash drawer, [SFX: register opening] and he goes, 

Mischa (Gaz): Okay. One. Two. [SFX: counting punctuated by the handing and clinking of coins]. Two gold, there you go.

Bex (Ibra): Thank you. Thank you very much. 

Mischa (Gaz): Okay, next? 

Lyn (JJ): JJ. Calderon, here are my forms. [SFX: paper sliding across surface].

Mischa (Gaz): Uh, okay. Yeah, everything's, everything's good. [SFX: paper rustling]. This is all, this is all normal. You should tell your friends to be better at paperwork. 

Lyn (JJ): I try. 

Mischa (Gaz): Yeah, sometimes it's hard to get people to do what you want them to do.

Lyn (JJ): It’s kinda hard, yeah.

Mischa (Gaz): I get that. Hold, okay, hold on one second. 

Lyn (JJ): Thank you. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: And I'm filling, I'm finishing filling out the forms and I'm like, 

Mayanna (Fran): Gordon, you're gonna have to–

Ian (Gordon): (Strained with holding in laughter) I can’t–you have to

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, I’ll do it. I'll tell him you have like a sore throat or something. 

Ian (Gordon): I'm sick. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah yeah yeah.

Mayanna: So I, I come back and I give you the forms that I just filled out.

Mischa (Gaz): Oh yeah, hold on. [SFX: paper rustling].

Mayanna (Fran): No problem. 

Mischa (Gaz): No, hold it, wait. Wait a minute. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna (Fran): Mhmm?

Mischa (Gaz): Yeah. Okay. That's good. 

Mayanna (Fran): Phew yeah, Okay. Ooh, that was a close one. 

Mischa (Gaz): Okay. Fran Weaver. 

Mischa: And types, like, types into the computer, pulls out the cash drawer. [SFX typing and then a register opening] All right. Uh, one, two, uh, how, is this a weird glitch? Is there another Fran Weaver works with like a bakery guy?

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, um, Well, yes, I've been assisting, Gordon Baker on his delivery routes, but I haven't– 

Mischa (Gaz): Oh yeah, that's what it says. I thought that was weird. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, yeah, it I–You know, the gig economy, am I right? 

Mischa (Gaz): What's that? 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, nothing, never mind. yeah, I just, you know, that's like a that's like a side job. Kind of like a… 

Mischa (Gaz): Oh.

Mayanna (Fran): A side gig. 

Mischa (Gaz): I, like, always have worked in the Bursar's office. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, that's really cool, actually. That's, like, that's great that you have, like…

Mischa (Gaz): It’s like, a really good gig. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, that's awesome. How did you, how did you get into that? 

Mischa (Gaz): Uh, it's, like, in my family. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, that's so cool. That's really cool. 

Mischa (Gaz): You know, my uncle Gaz gave it to me.

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, oh, your uncle's name is also Gaz? 

Mischa (Gaz): Yeah. 

Mayanna (Fran): That's really cool. It's like a family name. 

Mischa (Gaz): Yeah. 

Mayanna (Fran): That's really, really cool. That's awesome. 

Mischa (Gaz): Okay. Here we go. 

Mischa: He gives you a third gold piece. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh my god. Thank you so much. Uh, wow. Thank you. And I will be, sorry, my friend Gordon is also here. He's got, he's got like a, like a little sore throat thing, so he can't really talk.

Ian (Gordon): (Fake coughing).

Mischa (Gaz): Oh yeah? 

[Dice rolls].

Mischa: Well, uh, I rolled a 2. 

Mayanna: Okay, great. 

Mayanna (Fran): Um, so, but he is also, looking to get his payment as well. 

Mischa (Gaz): Oh yeah, sure. What's his name? 

Mayanna (Fran): Gordon Baker. 

Mischa (Gaz): Oh, bakers. Bakers are easy. I like bakers. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh good, Okay awesome. 

Mischa (Gaz): Their records are, like, pretty good. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh good. Do you have any, like, breads that you like? Because we can bring you something.

Mischa (Gaz): Oh, you guys do, like, a, like, a lavender scone with salt on it? 

Ian (Gordon): (Strained) Yeah. 

Mayanna (Fran): Mhmm. Yep. Don't speak, but yep. 

[Dice rolls].

Mischa: Rolled a 10. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: Amazing. Amazing. 

Mischa: Amazing. Um, the guy’s, like, 

Mischa (Gaz): Oh, I love this. That'd be a little bit sweet. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, we can get that over to you for your helping us out. And yeah, just for being a great standup guy. 

Mischa (Gaz): I'm just, I'm just doing the Bursar's office, you know?

Mayanna (Fran): No, but you're doing great. I really appreciate it. 

Mischa (Gaz): Okay. One second. 

[SFX: papers printing].

Mischa: Um, and pulls out a stack of six gold for Gordon. [SFX: coins clinking].

Mayanna: Wow. Great. 

Ian: Why do I get six gold? 

Mischa: Because you've done deliveries every day and you did, safety security brigade. 

Mayanna: ISB. 

Ian: Fuck yeah. This is going to be helpful. 

Bex: You're a good bank, buddy. 

Mischa: Buddy. You’re workin’ two jobs. It's fair. 

Mayanna: You’re a single mom that works two jobs.

Ian: Just like my real life.

Bex: Loves her kids and never stops. 

Mischa: Nine to five. What a way to make a living. 

[Laughter]. 

Ian: You did it this time. Not me. I'm so happy. 

Mayanna: Nine to five, five to nine. We love to see it. 

Ian: I take the gold off the table and in my smallest voice, just trying to not let any air out of the balloon, I go, 

Ian (Gordon): (Strained) Thank you.

Mischa (Gaz): Yeah, man, no problem. 

Mayanna (Fran): We'll get you some, some of those lavender scones with some sea salt tomorrow. 

Mischa (Gaz): Yeah, do you need like a lozenge? 

Mayanna (Fran): Do you have lozenges? 

Ian (Gordon): (strained) What did you say? 

Mischa (Gaz): Yeah, I have like a whole bunch of lozenges. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, I think a lozenge would be great. 

Mischa: And pulls out a different drawer in the desk, [SFX: drawer opening] just like filled to the brim with cough drops.

Mayanna (Fran): Amazing, do you have like a honey lemon situation in there? 

Mischa (Gaz): Yeah, hold on, let me look. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh my god, thank you

Mischa: And like digs through the paper wrappers. 

Bex (Ibra): I'm sorry, what are those things called again?

Mayanna: Lozenges? 

Mischa (Gaz): Lozenges. 

Ian (Gordon): (Strained) Oh my god. 

Mischa: You want, you want throat lozenges? 

Ian (Gordon): (Strainedy) Yes please.

Bex (Ibra): I, I, I think I would love a throat lozenge. 

Mischa (Gaz): Yeah, well hold on, I'll give everybody lozenges.

Lyn (JJ): Thank you.

Bex (Ibra): What kind of flavors do you have?

Mayanna (Fran): Thank you so much. Allergy season and all. 

Mischa (Gaz): Yeah. 

Ian (Gordon): (Strained) Quick question, do you ever take these lozenges? 

Mischa (Gaz):  (Pause). No. 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa (Gaz): I don't really need them, I just keep them for the customers. 

Mayanna: That laugh was Mayanna not Fran. 

Ian: I like, I put like, I'm like literally shaking. I like put a shaky hand out for a lozenge. 

Mayanna (Fran): He's, he, he's so grateful. 

Ian (Gordon): I'm really sick.

Mayanna (Fran): He’s so sick.

Mischa: Rolled an 8! 

Mayanna: Amazing! 

Ian: Fucking yes! 

Mayanna: Amazing! 

Mischa (Gaz): Yes! Oh, hold on, let me give you two. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, thank you, that's so sweet. That's so kind. We'll give you, we'll make, we'll get you a couple scones. We'll get you like a, yeah, a couple scones for you. 

Mischa (Gaz): Oh, I would love a scone. That sounds so good. 

Mayanna (Fran): Amazing. 

Mischa (Gaz): So, well, you guys will be back like later today with the scones?

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, I think we'll probably get them to you tomorrow. 

Mischa (Gaz): Oh, tomorrow. Oh, you guys kind of made it sound like you were gonna give it to me? 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, no, no, because we, well, we have to bake them. 

Mischa (Gaz): Sure, and I'm sure you just forgot to make them today. And that’s fine, but like–

Mayanna (Fran): I'm so sorry. That's my bad. I think I just, I, sometimes I say things in a way that aren't, that isn't clear. No, but he bakes his like rounds in the morning, so we'll get that to you on our delivery route tomorrow. 

Mischa (Gaz): Yeah, okay. You'll do better tomorrow. Thanks.

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, we will. We will.

[Laughter]. 

Ian: You just hear me go, 

Ian (Gordon): I have to go. 

Ian: And I hobble out. 

Mischa: Okay, last roll. Rolled a 9.

[Cheers].

Bex: We love this. 

Mayanna: Nice. Amazing. Amazing!

Lyn: 10 out of 10. 

Ian: That’s the best NPC.

Mayanna: Also amazing that you guys were like, “this is normal.” Amazing! 

Lyn: Just a guy!

Mayanna: I love it here. 

Lyn: Most of the people that JJ interacts with is like that. 

Mayanna: Amazing. 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: Oh man, Fran, you met a sick little weirdo in a stall, he gave you gold. You’ve got money in your pocket. 

[Music begins: suspenseful, humming synths].

Mayanna: I'm so happy. 

Mischa: What's next? 

Mayanna: What's next? I have to investigate the thing on Thorgunn’s business card. 

Mischa: Yeah. 

Mayanna: I've been thinking about it all night, and I think it's probably the thing that spurred me awake this morning. And I think I go to Ibra, because Ibra was there with me, and I'm like, 

Mayanna (Fran): I think we've got to knock this out today. We have to. What else? We have to. 

Bex (Ibra): Absolutely. Can we bring Paz? 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, Of course. 

Bex (Ibra): Sick. 

Mayanna (Fran): That's great. So, you're going to take the bike, right? 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, that's fine. 

Bex (Ibra): I only have room for one. 

Mayanna (Fran): That's really okay. Yeah. That's really, yeah. So, you'll take Paz. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah. 

Mayanna (Fran): I'll just hop the bus. 

Bex (Ibra): You sure? 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. It's kind of nice. It's like, I get to kind of think about like, design stuff and like people watch. It's a very soothing time for me. So I will, yeah. 

Bex (Ibra): That’s nice. That sounds cool, actually. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, yeah. 

Bex (Ibra): You have a pass, right? 

Mischa: One bus ride is actually one copper. 

Mayanna: One copper. Okay. 

Mischa: Which I, I–

Bex: You have from Thorgunn. 

Mayanna: Oh, oh, you're right, I do! 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: They could also, I was going to say they can also break a gold. 

Mayanna: Yeah, of course.

Bex: But Thorgunn tucked a couple copper pieces in your pocket., 

Mayanna: Yeah, he gave me a couple copper pieces, you're right. 

Mischa: Well, let me ask you this too, just, just to nail down some details of our world. Do you think it's really copper, silver, and gold? Or do you think that's just like denominations of currency that we use?

Mayanna: I think it's denominations of currency that we use. I think, like, I don't think it's like a physical piece of gold. I imagine it's like bills that are gold sheen. 

Mischa: Yeah. 

Mayanna: And then like bills that are brown or like bronze sheen, you know? 

Mischa: Sure. Okay. That makes more sense. Yeah. So, um, uh, one bus ride is one copper. 

Mayanna: One copper. Okay.  

Mischa: I did forget that Thorgunn gave– 

Mayanna: Thorgan gave me a couple copper pieces in the first episode. And then, yeah, 

Mischa: Amazing. 

Mayanna: I have a copper. so I will use it on the, on the bus. [SFX: bus pulls up and brakes squeak to a halt, door opens]

Mischa: Fran, who's on the bus today? 

Mayanna: Who's on the bus today? I think we've got, you know, the classic, like, sweet old man, who's just kind of sitting in the corners, like, I, wherever he's going, it's probably to see an old friend, and that's nice.

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: And I think we've got, like, a young student, who's probably, in the midst of, like, trying to cram for an exam, and then I think we’ve got a young woman around my age who you know, she’s that girl, who knows what the day holds for her. [Laughter]. And I am holding on to the handle and I’m just like ‘I hope whatever it is, it’s good for her. I hope it’s not a douchebag guy, I hope it’s like coffee with her best friend.’

Mischa: Yeah. Or like some business deal, and she’s gonna crush it.

Mayanna: Yes, absolutely! That’s like I’m just like “aw whatever it is I hope you get it queen!”

Mischa: She’s starting up her own interior design firm, and she’s got a meeting with a big supplier–

Mayanna: Perfect, I love it

Mischa: –and she’s gonna crush it, and she’s gonna get those deals.

Mayanna: She’s gonna get it, she’s gonna get in there. 

Bex: Hell yes.

Lyn: Discounted tile. 

Mayanna: And the bus driver, I think, is like a gruff, like, gruff on first blush, but one of those guys who's like, (in a gravelly, vocal fry voice) “Yeah, you're alright, kid, you know?” 

Mischa: Yeah, yeah, I love the idea of like, an older, like, capra, almost billy goat looking, with like a white tuft of fur right at the bottom of his chin, like, 

Mischa (Capra Bus Driver): Yeah, all aboard, everybody all aboard.

Mayanna: Yes, I love it. 

Mischa (Capra Bus Driver): Oh, Fran. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, hello! Gary!

Mischa: What's his name? 

Mayanna: Gary! 

Mischa: Gary? 

Mayanna (Fran): Gary, oh my god, how are you? 

Mischa (Gary): Where we going? 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, the Dustpan.  

Mischa (Gary): Oh, that's a dangerous part of town. 

Mayanna (Fran): I know, I'll be okay. 

Mischa (Gary): You gonna be alright there, kid? 

[Music ends].

Mayanna (Fran): I'll be alright, I'll be alright. I appreciate it. I, I'm good, I've got, I've got friends meeting me there.

Mischa (Gary): Well our routes don't take us past that way no more. We'll, we'll get you as close as we can. 

Mayanna (Fran): I appreciate it. Ugh, the last mile, am I right? 

Mischa (Gary): Yeah. Truly. Alright, all aboard.

[SFX: bus door closes and air hisses as the bus rises to get going] 

Bex: Alright, as Fran steps onto the bus. Ibra pops out that tooth that's grown back overnight and hands it to Paz. 

Mayanna: Amazing. 

[Music begins: jaunty, rhythmic bossa nova]. 

Bex: I was like, 

Bex (Ibra): Just put this in your pocket, it'll make it easier to, to talk where we don't have to worry about the wind. You've done this with me before. 

Mischa (Paz): I've seen you do it a bunch of times before and it does not make it less weird. Every single time. 

Bex (Ibra): You know what? You popped your teeth out when you lost them as a kid, and it wasn't weird then, I don't know why it has to be weird now. 

Mischa (Paz): It happens once, it happens one time.

Bex (Ibra): Well not for me! 

Mischa (Paz): Okay. 

[Laughter].

Bex: And then I think we're gonna follow the bus. We're gonna follow Fran's bus. 

Mischa: Okay, cool, sounds good. 

Bex: That way I can fill Paz in on the, with telepathic link, I can fill Paz in on Thorgunn and everything without having to yell over the wind. Sure. [SFX: electric motor revs].

Mayanna: Ooh, yeah, smart. 

Mischa: It's a little bit of a slow trip, yeah, there's a full amount of time to fill Paz in as this bus makes several stops before the Dustpan, and it only, it, again, only gets so close, I think, it won't go directly into the heart of the district. Partly because it's just like a rough side of town and as Gary said, they've sort of been instructed to avoid bus routes that go that way. But also that some of the roads are torn up. That like, even still like four years on have not been fully repaired. So it, it can be a little bit of rough driving. So I think when the bus drops you off, [SFX: bus brakes squeaking] you might have to like walk your, walk your bike. Maybe, maybe you just ride really slowly while Fran walks. 

Mayanna: Yeah, it's like, 

Mayanna (Fran): Thanks, thanks for hanging back with me, I appreciate it. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah, no problem, it's fun. 

[Music ends].

[Music begins: pensive piano].

Mayanna: Yeah, and, and I think like, I'm realizing for the first time, like, I took for granted that, Gordon just got me there, like, that we, that we were just very, like, we dropped off where we needed to go and that was it, and so walking it is just a very different experience. And I think typically, like, Fran likes a little bit of a commute, but I think the, the mentality of, like, I, I, “how much further till we get to where we gotta go?” Like, I'm getting, like, a little impatient. I just, like, wanna get there. 

Bex (Ibra): I'm gonna need to buy a sidecar, aren't I? 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, I don't, I, I don't know, maybe. 

Bex (Ibra): I think it might be time. And since we might have like a gaggle now–

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. you’re probably right. You're probably right. 

Bex (Ibra): –I think it might be time. 

Mayanna (Fran): It might be time. 

Ian: I loved how that was a no that turned into a yes. You're like, “no, you, ah pssh–” 

Bex: My feet are hurting. 

Mayanna: I'm like, yeah, probably. I'm like, if Paz is joining too. Yeah. 

Bex: Yeah. It's time. 

Mischa: She's like, 

Mischa(Paz): I'm, I'm sorry, guys. I–

Mayanna (Fran): Don't apologize.

Mischa (Paz): I'm taking wheel privilege. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna (Fran): Take the wheel privilege. No, we just. This is good contingency for the future. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah look, we can start planning now. You're a designer. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, you know what? 

Mayanna: And I start writing, I have my little notebook and I start writing, I'm like, “sidecar design?”

Mischa: Yeah, you guys, um, sort of like, slow ride and walk this bike through, the Dustpan. There's like, cracked pavement and sidewalks, it's like, a bit of rough terrain, a lot of like, sort of overgrown cracks where like, wild grasses and dandelions are like pushing through, it just makes for like, a little bit of a bumpy ride. You see a lot of, various citizens with very worn and stained clothes, kind of neglected, like, kind of walking the streets. No one's in a hurry. Everyone's like, kind of just making their way and making their day all about like, the next spot they're going to stop in the Dustpan. 

Mayanna: Yeah. 

Mischa: You follow the address given to you on Thorgunn’s business card. Thorgunn’s ratty, wrinkled up business card. 

Mayanna: Which I hold like a relic, like a beautiful, sacred object.

Bex: You’ve laminated it. 

Mayanna: Yeah, I have laminated it. For sure, and it's all wrinkled and crumpled in there, but I'm like, “this is so important to me.” I think I'll put it on a necklace at some point, like, oh my god. 

[Music ends]. [Soundscape begins: birds squawking in the open air].

Mischa: You roll up to a somewhat abandoned city square, the center of which, in the middle of like what probably at one point was like a big crosswalk, has just been torn up by a huge, like, broken, mangled piece of metal.

[Music begins: wistful, wavering synths].

Mayanna: Oh boy. 

Mischa: That just sort of stands tall in the center. 

Mayanna: Like it's a monument almost?

Mischa: Almost like a yeah like a monument to–

Mayanna: –To destruction.

Mischa: Destruction. Yeah.

Lyn: Wow. 

Mischa: Ooh yeah. And the wind rolls through like the city blocks sort of like rattling boards across abandoned windows. The people that were walking the streets and sidewalks, like, they either, they have more central routes through the Dustpan, or that they're avoiding this place intentionally, but like, there's no one here. You guys roll up on an empty square. You take out the card to check the address. You sort of unfold it and uncrumple it, and you look around and you flip the card over and on the back of it is, like, a weirdly drawn symbol. 

Mayanna: Okay. 

Mischa: That wasn't there before you got to this square. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, it's happening. Oh my god. It's happening. 

Bex (Ibra): What’s happening?

Mayanna (Fran): Magic is happening. Magic is happening! 

Bex (Ibra): What? Where? 

Mayanna (Fran): There's a thing. Sorry, the card is different now. The back of the card is different now. There's a symbol on it. 

Bex (Ibra): Whoa, that wasn't there before? 

Mayanna (Fran): No, it was not! 

Bex (Ibra): What does it look like?  

Mayanna (Fran): I don't.

Mayanna: yeah, what does it look like? 

Mischa: It looks like a twisty line, it looks like a– like somebody took a paperclip and like unfolded it and then like wrapped it around and like messed with it a bunch. It's like a weird squiggle.

Mayanna: A weird squiggle. Is there anything on the streets, any of the crosswalk signs that resembles the symbol? 

Mischa: Roll investigation. 

Mayanna: Ooh, here we go, it's happening. Alright, come on buddy boy, you got this. [Dice rolls]. Ooh. Ooh. Okay. I rolled a 19 on the die. I have a plus 3, and I'm proficient.  

Mischa: Woah, I think that's like a 24?!

Mayanna: Yeah. Cause it's proficient plus 3. 

Bex: Yea!

Mischa: Woo. 24. Yeah, absolutely. You're wandering around looking at different parts of the street, looking at different angles, you know, Paz and Ibra hanging back with the bike. Paz is like, 

Mischa (Paz): What is she doing? 

Bex (Ibra): I don't know. She, she does this. Sometimes she gets an idea and she just goes off on a brilliant little, like her own little world.

Mischa (Paz): I'm so into it. 

Bex (Ibra): I know, it's great to watch. 

Mischa: Yeah, and you're like, trying to like, look up at all the street signs, and like, cracks in the sidewalk, and then you get to one angle, and you turn back towards the central structure, and it, like, just from exactly where you're standing, it lines up exactly right with the symbol.

Mayanna (Fran): Oh my god, it's happening, it's happening, it's happening, okay, it's happening. 

Mayanna: Okay, and so, like, the central structure being this weird monument thing? 

Mischa: This weird, like, fallen piece of metal that, like, looks like a wreck from part of the Upper City. 

Mayanna: Okay. Hmm. I'd like to approach the metal. 

Mischa: Sure. As you approach, the symbol looks less and less like the structure in front of it.

Mayanna: Oh, fascinating. 

Mischa: The symbol on the back of the card shifts and like morphs into a different outline, one with like a flat edge on the bottom and a jagged like edge on the top. 

Mayanna: Okay. 

Mayanna (Fran): Man, I'm kind of stumped. Ibra, it turned into this. 

Bex (Ibra): That I think that either looks–okay. There are three things that I'm seeing here.

Mayanna (Fran): Uh huh, uh huh?

Bex (Ibra): Either, mountains, flames or Paz–your heart monitor on a really bad day. 

Mayanna: Ooh.

Mischa: I'm gonna have Paz roll medicine. 

Bex: Yes! Sorry. That's exactly what I was going for. 

Mayanna: Oh my god. I'm obsessed. 

Mischa: She looks and she goes 

Mischa (Paz) I don't think it's a heart monitor. It's too random and too jagged.  

Mayanna (Fran): Hmmm.

Bex (Ibra): Do you think it's something broken? Maybe?

Mischa (Paz): Maybe? We're in the broken place. 

Bex (Ibra): Oh.

Mayanna: I'm gonna start looking at the cracks in the sidewalk and see if any of the cracks kind of look like that. 

Mischa: Roll another investigation. 

Mayanna: You got it. That is a 11. It's 9 on the die plus 3 plus 1.. Wait, sorry, I'm bad at math. That is not an 11. 

Ian: That would be a… 

Ian & Lyn: 13.

Mayanna: (laughing) That is not an 11 at all.  I’m sorry. 

Ian: 9 plus 3 plus 1. Eleven.

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: The twist, the twist. She's really dumb. That's me. 

Bex: Can I help by like, pointing out–

Mischa: Yeah, you want to help?

Bex: I want to point out that there, that we're below the Broken Heart. I'm like, there's all this, the line could be where we are and the jagged could be the Broken…

Mayanna: Okay. Okay. I'm going to roll again.

Bex: Look farther. 

Mayanna: Come on, baby. [Dice rolls]. That's, that is an 11. 

[Laughter]. 

Ian: Saw that coming.

Mischa: You start trying to like compare it to the sidewalk, like up to the sky, up to like different pieces of it. Nothing's quite matching up. Uh, it's also hard to grasp because, like, as you move around the structure, the picture on the back of the card, like, morphs back to the, like, it, it only matches up when you're standing at a specific spot.

Mayanna: So I'm gonna stand back at that same specific spot. 

Mischa: Yeah. 

Bex (Ibra): Okay, so maybe turn, like, maybe it's just, like, a scavenger hunt, like, it's a map, like, it's leading you somewhere. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, yeah, it’s leading me somewhere. Okay, so it's pointing at this thing.

Mayanna: (Sighs) Is there anything? at this point where I'm standing, that it changed, that resembles this thing at all.

Mischa: Will you roll, hm, perception for me? 

Mayanna: Perception, sure thing. Come on, baby. [Dice rolls]. Oh! that is a natural 20. 

Bex: Yes! 

Mayanna: Um, and then for perception... 

Lyn: There it is. There it is!

Bex: Finalmente. 

Mayanna: Let's see here, wisdom. Yeah, no, it's just, it's just a raw natural 20. 

[Laughter and cheers]. 

Bex: Yeah, baby!

Mischa: So yeah, you're, you're like, sidestepping and moving back and forth and trying to figure out like where this picture stops like moving and stops becoming a different thing.  And then you put it like right up against the surface of the structure and the place where the picture resolves most readily. And like you move it slightly aside, and you notice a perfectly round circular hole in the surface of the fallen metal structure.

Mayanna: Oh my god.

Mischa: It's like pinky width. 

Mayanna: Is it bullet sized? 

Mischa: It might be bullet sized? It's like small and long and cylindrical and narrow. 

Mayanna: Okay!

Mischa: And the picture on the back of the business card like resolves really thickly, like it stops moving, it's that jagged pattern again. 

Mayanna: Okay, I'm gonna take a bullet out of my gun, one of the sighted bullets, and I'm gonna put it in the hole.

Mischa: Oh, interesting. 

Bex: Do you flick it?

Mayanna: Cause it's like Thorgunn, it's Thorgunn’s Infusions. 

Mischa: Sure. when you pull out the bullet and make contact with the hole, there's like a bright spark. [SFX: electrical sparking].

Mayanna (Fran): (gasps) Okay. Is that good or bad? I don't know! 

Mayanna: Uh, can I do an Arcana check on this? 

Mischa: Yes. 

[Dice rolls].

Mayanna: Ugh, it's like roses and thorns today. That is a 10.

Mischa: The spark happens when you, uh, like, complete a circuit. So obviously there's like one half of a spell circuit inside of this structure that's waiting for the other half. 

Mayanna: Oh shit, okay. 

Bex: I want to, can I try to touch the hole? I got some– 

Mayanna: Do it. 

Bex: With my weird little astral self. 

Mayanna: (Giggles).

Mischa: Ooh. 

Bex: Cause I'm full of Astra.

[Music shifts: suspenseful, fantastical synth chimes].

Mischa: Yeah. Interesting. 

Bex: I want to just like put my pinky in the hole. 

Mayanna: It’s a pinky sized hole! (Giggles).

Mischa: Yeah, Roll a constitution check? 

Mayanna: Okay. 

[Dice rolls].

Bex: 11. 

Mischa: 11. You reach your pinky out towards the hole, and you feel like an electric current. Drawing it in, it feels a little bit tingly. 

Mayanna: Whoa. 

Mischa: And then you feel a sharp pain at the tip of your pinky. [SFX: electrical zap] 

Mayanna: Oh God.

Bex (Ibra): Ow!

Mayanna (Fran): Are you okay? Are you okay? 

Bex (Ibra): Ah! (Sucking sound).

Mayanna (Fran): Uh, I'm so sorry. 

Mischa: When you put it in your mouth. To, like, suck on it, you can feel that the edge of your pinky has, like, turned into, like, sharp, jagged, hard edges. 

Mayanna: Whoa. 

Mischa: Your flesh has deformed into, like, a shape. 

Mayanna: Oh. 

Lyn: Oh!

Mayanna (Fran): Oh. My god. I'm so sorry, are you okay? 

Mischa: You shake your hand out, and it returns to its normal form.

Mayanna: What. 

Bex: Okay. 

Mayanna (Fran): What. What. What. What. Is this? Okay. 

Lyn: I fucking see you Mischa.  

Bex (Ibra): I know my body does weird things, but this one's new. 

Mayanna (Fran): That one's, yeah. Um…

Mayanna: I'm gonna look to Paz and be like, any of this, is any of this hitting anything for you?

Mischa: She looks at it and she's like, 

Mischa (Paz): Can I see that business card again? 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, yeah, yeah, here you go.

Mischa (Paz): Ibra, do that again. 

Mischa: Roll another constitution check. 

Mayanna: Oh, here we go, here we go, here we go. Here we go. 

[Dice rolls].

Bex: Oh, that's even worse. 9!

Mayanna: No! 

Mischa: The deformation in your pinky only manages to get, like, the very tip of it, cause, like, I think you're a little scared to, like, put your fingers in. 

Bex: Yeah. Yeah. 

Mischa: And then, as soon as the spark between your finger and the hole goes off, Paz grabs your wrist and shoves it down next to the picture, and she goes, 

Mischa (Paz): Look!

Mischa: And then, as like right before your pinky turns back to normal, it matches the tip, like one side, just one edge of the drawing on the business card. 

Mayanna: Oh, man. 

Mischa: It's like.

Mischa (Paz): So what is, I don't know. I thought it, what is that? 

Bex (Ibra): How many, how many ridges are there? 

Mayanna (Fran): It's like so many. There's so many ridges. It's like one, two, three, f-four, five, six, seven, like 12.

Bex (Ibra): Am I going to have to put all my fingers in this thing? 

Mayanna (Fran): No, no. 

Mischa (Paz): I don't think you should do that. 

Mayanna (Fran): Naaaaaah. 

Bex (Ibra): Thank you, that hurt.

Mischa (Paz): That doesn't, that doesn't look safe. 

Mayanna (Fran): I'm so sorry about that. 

Mischa (Paz): You might get, like, tetanus. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, we don't want that. We don't want that. 

Bex (Ibra): Probably.

Lyn: (Laughing) Magical tetanus. 

Mayanna (Fran): It's this jaggedy shape. I'm just trying to understand it.

Lyn: Ahhh I’m screaming, I'm just squirming so hard. 

All: Oh, Did you already figure it out? 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: Oh, is it electricity? 

Bex: This is why we need JJ. 

Lyn: Oh god, so.

Mayanna: Is it electricity? It might just be electricity. 

[Laughter]. 

Bex: This is why I wanted to bring JJ or Gordon! 

Mayanna: Can we call JJ? 

Bex: Can we call a friend? 

Mayanna: Can we phone a friend? 

Bex: I'm gonna text JJ and be like, 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: staticky] Hey dude, what do you know about electricity. 

[Laughter]. 

Lyn (JJ): [SFX: staticky] I mean, a lot. I go to school for that. Why?

Lyn: I'm like on the bus, like, somewhat going somewhere right now. 

Mayanna: That’s so funny 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: staticky] We're in the Dustpan with some weird sparky stuff. 

Lyn (JJ): [SFX: staticky] Why are you in the Dustpan? Wait what?

Mayanna (Fran): [SFX: staticky]  Classified.

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: staticky] Classified in fru–Well, we're we're, we're on a side quest . 

Lyn (JJ): [SFX: staticky] Oh okay. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: staticky] Yeah I got a side quest from Thorgunn. anyway. 

Mayanna: Oh god.

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: staticky] I we’re I think we're at a puzzle, and.

Lyn (JJ): [SFX: staticky] Oh, I love puzzles! 

[Laughter]. 

Ian: Un-fucking-believable

Mischa: Did you know your Dungeons & Dragons character can just say that? 

[Laughter and overlapping chatter]. 

Ian: Wasn't that what you did earlier, where you were like, “Oh, you're going to be in our party now.” 

Mayanna: Yeah. 

Bex: I'm going for meta this episode. 

[Laughter]. 

Ian: “You're the fifth member of our party and now you're healed.”

Lyn (JJ): [SFX: staticky] Wait, are you at an escape room? 

Mayanna (Fran): [SFX: staticky] Uh yeah!

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: staticky] Yes, that's exactly where we are. 

Lyn (JJ): [SFX: staticky] oh fun!

Mayanna (Fran): [SFX: staticky] Amazing yeah. We’re pretty stumped.

Mayanna: And can I take like a picture of the symbol? 

Lyn: We've said before that there are no pictures. 

Mayanna: Oh right.

Lyn: there's no pictures on the compads. 

Mischa: You have to describe it! 

Mayanna: So yeah, I'm like, 

Mayanna (Fran): [SFX: staticky] And it's this many jagged side and then it’s flat line.

Bex: And then I use, I use like, those, the underlined things to like.

Lyn: Oh, like, like parentheses and underscores like.

Bex: Yeah the hyphens under, under, like, make those.

Lyn: Slashes.

Bex: Yeah.

Lyn (JJ): [SFX: staticky] Oh! Are those ridges of a key? 

[Music begins: energetic, rhythmic synth beeps].

Bex (Ibra) & Mayanna (Fran): Ohh!

Bex: Damn. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: For those listening at home, Lyn and Mischa just like, finger gunned each other. They're like, “ayyy.” 

[Laughter]. 

Ian: I can watch you, I can watch you muddle through puzzles for the next fuckin two weeks. 

Mayanna: Um, okay, uh, I'm gonna, I'm gonna look around and see if there's any like scrap metal around, and I'm gonna try to make a key. 

Mischa: Yeah, yeah, you can pick up a, like a piece of, like, rebar, and you– 

Mayanna: Are there any like jagged rocks? I think I'm gonna just like start, like, trying to carve this thing.

Mischa: I mean you might have a chisel. 

Mayanna: I do have a chisel.

Ian: Don’t you have something.

Mayanna: I definitely, I, you're so right. 

Ian: You're not even going for your tool belt! 

Mayanna: I know, I'm sorry, I don't know. 

Ian: You did it like seven times in the episode! 

Mayanna: I know, I'm so sorry! 

Lyn: You need to use your free things. 

Ian: Fran’s. Fran’s kryptonite is puzzles.  

Mayanna: I, I warned the cast before we recorded today that I, Mayanna, am very bad at puzzles.

Ian: How might you make a key, Fran? “I think I'm gonna pick up some rocks.” 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: (Laughing) Okay!

Lyn: I love–

Mayanna: This is good feedback, I appreciate this. You guys keep me honest, you make me better. [Laughter].  Anyway, I'm going to open up my tool belt and I'll take out a little chisel [SFX: metal scraping] and I'm just going to start like trying to match the  shapes, of the key. So I just, do I roll like, I don't know what I roll for this. 

Mischa: No, you've solved my key puzzle. [Laughter and cheers]. I just, no, I,  absolutely. I think it's perfectly within your crafting capabilities to make a key that matches here.

[Laughter].  

Mayanna: Okay. 

Bex: So funny. 

Lyn: I'm so thrilled. 

Mayanna: I’m so sorry.

Lyn: Do not apologize.

Mischa: You, you take, I mean, you take a bunch of time and like sculpt a key out of some, out of some scrap metal. [SFX: metal scraping] You're just like sitting there with a file and Paz and Ibra like leaning up against the back, like, 

Mischa (Paz): It's so cool to watch her work. 

Mayanna (Fran): This is my wheelhouse. I can do this. This I can do. 

[SFX: metal scraping continues].

Ian: She's shaking. She's just like so burnt out. 

Mischa: Paz leads over to Ibra and says, 

Mischa (Paz): Do you think she can make a key to any door?

Bex (Ibra): Probably given enough time and like note taking, I'm positive she could do it. 

Mischa (Paz): Okay, I'm planning like several heists, but we'll talk about it later. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: That is so funny. 

Lyn: You get a text like, 

Lyn (JJ): [SFX: staticky] Did you solve the escape room? 

Mayanna (Fran): [SFX: staticky] Yes! 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: staticky] Oh yes, thanks JJ. 

Mayanna (Fran): [SFX: staticky] Maybe? 

Lyn (JJ): [SFX: staticky] I won't tell anyone you cheated. 

[Laughter]. 

Bex (Ibra): Thanks buddy. 

Mischa: You, put the key in the lock [SFX: key clicking into place] and it, like, buzzes in your hand a little bit, but still doesn't quite activate.

[Music ends].

Mayanna: Okay. Okay. Okay. But now it's complete as like a thing. Like it's like, 

Mischa: You can feel that the ridges lock into place, but something's still keeping it from turning. 

Mayanna: Hmm. 

Bex: I'm going to text JJ. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: staticky] Hey, JJ…

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: I'm going to look at the, I'm going to look at the business card again. I want to look at the business card again and see what it tells me. I like put it up against the metal. It's like, 

Mayanna (Fran): Commune with your,,, sibling. 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: …Oh!

Mayanna: I can at least make you laugh while I fail at the puzzle. That's what I can offer you. 

Mischa: No, that's interesting. 

Mayanna: Oh. 

Mischa: You put the card up, and, what do you say? 

Mayanna: I say “commune with your sibling.” 

Mischa: You put the card up and you say “commune with your sibling, do it!” 

[Music begins: pensive piano].

Mischa: And the ink on the back of the card runs down off the card and onto the edge of the key [SFX: energy charges and rumbles], and like slides along the the edge of it, like a bit of ferromagnetic fluid–

Mayanna: Oh my god.

[SFX: ringing].

Mischa: And connects the magical circuit along the edges of the lock. 

Lyn: Yes!

Bex (Ibra): Was that card written in Astra? 

Mayanna (Fran): Maybe! Thorgunn’s a man who works in mysterious ways, as I've mentioned.

Bex (Ibra): And I can see now. 

Mischa: And you hear, within the structure, like, the large metal clunking of a giant arcane lock disengaging. [SFX: lock turns, metal heavily scrapes]. And like a metal scrape and hiss as the door that you were putting your hand up against like falls in half an inch and now swings open. [SFX: squeaky hinge].

Mayanna: Oh my god, I like fall to my knees. 

Bex (Ibra): You did it right! Nice job. 

Mayanna: I’m just like. 

Mayanna (Fran): (Heavy breathing) Thanks guys. 

Mayanna: And I text, I text JJ like, 

Mayanna (Fran):  [SFX: staticky] Thank you so much.

Lyn: Just on the bus. Like, 

Lyn (JJ): I hope they're having a fun time! 

Mayanna: Oh, you're so sweet. 

Bex: I love JJ. 

Mayanna: Okay.

Mischa: You look down into a metal staircase descending underneath street level. Stairs put together out of pieces of, like, scrap metal that have been, like, perfectly arranged into smooth, perfect stairs.

Mayanna: This is so gorgeous. 

Mischa: And you can hear the stairs like far away down into the stairwell, [SFX: stone shifting and echoing] like sort of clinking and clunking and forming together, descending below. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] Whoa. 

Mayanna (Fran): [SFX: echoey] Oh my god. We gotta go. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] Yeah. 

Mayanna (Fran): [SFX: echoey] Let's go. 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: echoey] You guys are really on like a magic quest. This is rad. Let’s do it!

(Overlapping squealing).

Mayanna: Okay, I'm gonna go down the stairs. 

Mischa: And you descend to find secrets below. 

Mayanna: Oh. 

Bex: With your posse of Paz and Ibra flanking you on either side. 

Lyn: That’s so sick.

Mayanna: I'm so happy you guys are here with me to witness this. 

Ian: Remember how you almost single handedly ended the campaign by not being able to open the door? 

[Laughter]. 

[Theme music fades in].

Mischa: The Wandering Path was created by me, Mischa Stanton, and produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, and me. This story was game mastered and sound designed by me, Mischa Stanton, and was played and performed by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, Ian McQuown, and Mayanna Berrin. Cover art by Lyn Rafil, transcript assistance by Darby Summers, and music courtesy of the Independent Music Licensing Collective. Our production and house manager is Erin Bark. 

If you like what you're listening to, please tell your friends and let them know where to find us. Our website is wanderingpathpod.com, where you'll find links to subscribe and follow us wherever the path leads. We're also on Patreon, patreon.com/wanderingpathpod.

We're so grateful for anything you can do to help us keep making this show. Thanks for wandering with us. Till next time!

[Theme music fades out].