Ep. 73: Xoc’s Memory, Part 2

OK, Mauve, I can tell what you’re thinking, and it is, why does this picture that Tready took look like a receipt for seven more pairs of socks? And it’s because -

Mauve

You have got to stop buying socks.

Mako

Look, my darling, I can’t help that I’m getting cold feet.

SFX: A poignant pause.

Mako

But not! Like that! Because! I’ve been working on! Tready, Tready, show her the thing, the thing, the thing you’re gonna do!

SFX: Champagne bottle pops

SFX: Tready whistles wedding music at triple speed

SFX: Party Poppers

Mauve

...is that the toast he is going to be performing at our wedding?

Sue

So you DID remember to bring toast! Good, good, can’t have sandwiches without it.

Professor

Well technically Sue, any type of bread would suffice. For sandwiches.

Sue

No, Professor, it has to be toast. I like to hear my bread breaking.

Marv

Exactly what Sue said about the food at our wedding. Bring the toast over here, Mako. We’re hungry. And by that I mean Sue’s hungry.

SFX: Mako walks to the rest of the group.

Mako

You want to hear Tready’s toast? He hasn’t finalized it yet, we’ve just choreographed that one part, we’ve still got a couple of months--

SFX: Tready agrees with more whistling.

Sue

No, no, the toast. The toast you brought for me. The toast that I requested and you remembered. Because if my bread’s not the thing crunching something’s gonna be.

Mako

(beat)

Did you KNOW! Tready can perform the functions of a camera AND a toaster! Tready, Tready, what are you conspiring about with my bride to be over there, come over--

Mauve

[yelling, to Mako]

He’s busy, Mako, you can’t rely on Tready for everything.

[quieter, to Tready]

So is that...the full toast? That’s the toast you’re going to be making at my wedding?

Tready

Beep beep. (These beeps clearly mean no)

Mauve

Good, because I have some notes.

SFX: Mauve unfurls a paper.

SFX: Mauve walks away.

SFX: Everyone makes ambient noises. Mauve’s are her notes.

SFX: Mauve’s speech and everyone else fades out.

Loell

(to himself)

We were here for a picture. Not wedding notes. Or a picnic.

SFX: Inuki sound

Inuki

But time with friends is good!

Loell

Yeah, I guess so, Inuki. It’s certainly been a year, hasn’t it, girl? I didn’t think we’d have a team much less a name by now. The Heroes of Navarene. Hm. Hopefully we can live up to it.

SFX: Ambient noises fade back in.

SFX: Tready whistle.

Mako

Now that Tready’s finally back, we can get to toasting! So! Who’s got the bread?

Professor

Well, uh, logically, Mako, I believe that, if you were in charge of bringing the toast, you were also in charge of bringing the bread. Logically.

Mako

(beat)

You solve one problem and another one crops up. Well! We’ll just go back to town and get some bread.

Loell

That’s not gonna work, Mako. The sun’s setting soon. We’ve got to get this picture taken before it’s too dark.

Sue

He’ll be back lickety-split. You can’t have a picnic without bread, Aegon.

Loell

(Too seriously)

Then there’s no picnic.

SFX: We hang on this line. It’s like, a little bit too serious.

Loell

Because we’ll just, like, get something on the way back, I mean. No big deal. The picture shouldn’t take too long if we all get hungry.

Sue

But I’m already hungry. Why didn’t we all just pack our own separate sandwiches. Who organized this pic--oh my god what is that.

Marv

It’s a club sandwich.

Sue

(near tears)

It’s even shaped like a club.

Marv

That’s what you get when you put your mechanic in the kitchen! Does anybody else want one? I wasn’t really confident anyone would remember what they were supposed to bring so I just, you know. Brought all of it.

[00:05:00]

Sue

(mouth full)

I love you.

Loell

Well this wasn’t...supposed to be a picnic, really, I just thought it would make a nice spot for the picture, and then the Professor was like, oh, that’s a lovely picnic spot, why don’t we bring some food, and then I just sort of...

Professor

Marv! These are exquisite! Tiny little tea sandwiches cut into perfect left triangles!

Marv

Especially for you, Teach.

Loell

...lost all of you. Like I have now.

Mauve

(excited)

Are these tiny toothpick rapiers stuck into my sandwiches?

Marv

(cool guy tongue click noise like you do with finger guns)

You betcha.

Loell

Guys.

Mako

Mine look like socks!

SFX: Inuki noise.

Inuki

Yum!

Mako

Hey, no, Inuki, you’ve already, stolen a real sock, and it was my favorite one, Marv, Marv, didja bring--

Marv

Here you go, Inuki. They look like little flowers.

Inuki

Thank you thank you thank you!

Loell

And now everyone’s eating. Great picture. Great way to be remembered forever.

SFX: Marv walks up to Loell

Marv

Hey, what’re you looking so glum for, Aegon?

Loell

Just, go back and eat with everyone else.

Marv

You gotta eat too, bud! If your soul’s gonna be trapped in a picture, you gotta make sure it’s on a full stomach.

Loell

It’s not trapping souls, Marv. I mean, OK, I guess if you listen to the town I heard about it from, pictures steal souls, but that’s just their thing, and my thing--based off of their thing--is that they bond souls. Pictures bond souls. It’s supposed to be a way of sticking together, I guess.

Marv

Yeah. You figured out how to get the soul-stealer working yet?

Loell

Ugh. No.

Marv
Because now I can finally get my hands on it.

SFX: Marv works on the camera.

(as if from a distance)

Mako

How do you always manage to beat me in Go Fetch?

Professor

Well logically it stands to reason that my strategy is that I’m better at the game.

Mako

(as if she’s said something with insight)

So THAT’s it!

Sue

(mouth full)

...and he’s telling us to go easy on the furniture!

Mauve

At a brawl?

Sue

Yeah, come on, who hosts a brawl and then worries about their furniture? Anyway I threw one of his benches at his face.

SFX: Tready whistle.

SFX: Inuki sound.

SFX: More background sounds from cast.

Marv

(back at our distance)

Sorry, I know you didn’t want anyone to be distracted, but...it’s working, right?

SFX: Marv is fiddling with the camera.

Loell

(begrudgingly)

Yeah, that was a good call. They’re certainly happy.

Marv

That’s what I’m here for. Now we can actually...figure out...what’s up with this thing.

Loell

Hey, Marv. How do you do that?

Marv

Do what?

Loell

Fix problems. Avert disaster.

Marv

Oh, well. Sometimes being a leader is about making decisions so something gets done. And by leader, I mean, babysitters. I find it’s easier to think of yourself as the babysitter making a call about what’s going to be best for everyone.

Loell

(laughing)

I didn’t know this was what leading my own group would look like. Keeping Mako from upgrading all of my stuff, especially the stuff that doesn’t need it, pretending to be afraid of Sue, pretending not to be afraid of Mauve, asking the Professor to explain what she means at all times, listening to a bucket make a Best Man speech.

SFX: Tready does the speech again from far away.

Loell

They’re a good group. Passionate. To a fault. [Chuckle] It’s the thing we all have in common. I guess today wasn’t so bad after all, even if we don’t get to keep it forever.

SFX: Camera goes off

Marv

Oh hey, I got it to work! That’s gonna make a great candid picture--

SFX: Camera...continues to go off at alarming speed.

Marv

Oh, okay, a lot of candid pictures, everybody pose while it’s running!

SFX: Everyone Shuffling.

SFX: General laughing and candid lines like I WANT TO BE IN THE FRONT and YOU’RE SO TALL GO IN THE BACK and I’M NOT DONE WITH MY SANDWICH and FINISH IT LATER and AEGON GET OVER HERE

Marv

Alright everyone, on the count of three! One!

The Heroes of Navarene

Two! Three!

SFX: A louder camera flash.

SFX: Camera developing

SFX: Loell walking to camera.

SFX: Loell takes the picture from the camera.

Loell

That’s gonna be a keeper.

[Sound of chimes.]

Kyle

We start with a strand of auburn hair.

[Gentle, ethereal music.]

And then the strand multiplies. We zoom out and we see more strands, more strands, and the strands eventually come out to reveal a little floof that looks almost like a toupee between two rabbit-like ears.

[00:10:00]

The toupee kind of flops, flops, flops alongside the ears as the head of this creature hops alongside this vacant countryside.

Then, after a moment, it doubles. Suddenly we see another version of the ears and the head and the hair but much less opaque than the other, and we see two hare faces kind of turning almost to each other and sniffing.

Then we hear a tinkling of glass, almost like someone stepping on a loose tree branch, but the tree branch in this case was made out of glass, and the harebit turns up, looks back at some unseen predator, and races away from its reflection in this shard of glass which is one of millions and millions and millions of shards littered across the glassy wastes of The Beyond.

Tom, give me a roll.

Tom

Okay. Are you happy, dad, that I have my dice here?

[Rolls.] That’s a 17.

[Music fades.]

Kyle

Okay. So you’ve been doing okay in the wastes, Xoc, but it’s still been about a day or so since you’ve last eaten. Even when you’re doing great there isn’t much food to go around, and at the moment this harebit is the only thing you can find. So how are you hunting it down?

Tom

Oh, so that’s easy. Xoc has long since learned how to make snares to catch small game, so what he’s doing here is just chasing the harebit directly towards that snare. There’s a little gulch that it’s being driven into that’ll force it right into the trap.

[Chase music begins.]

Kyle

So this two-year-old harebit runs forward, it looks left and right, and then its ears flip up and turn to the left. As it follows its ears it can see a way out, a horrifying cavernous gulch, just a big pit surrounded by shards of glass. The harebit runs up on one of these giant shards. From the ground it looks like probably a ten foot out outcropping going over this gulch, but if you looked at the gulch from on top it would look like a giant mouth with the glass shards forming jagged teeth around it.

But, without anywhere to go, the harebit jumps in. As you make your way to the edge of the gulch, Xoc, you can just hear a quiet “(fwip) of the rope as it tightens around something at the bottom.

[Music ends.]

Tom

Xoc is going to shimmy back down there to make sure the harebit is finished off and then set to the less glamorous work of taking out and prepping it for food.

Kyle

Okay. You’ve done this many, many, many times.

Tom

Mm-hmm.

Kyle

And we make it to night. What’s your setup once it starts getting dark?

Tom

Well, it’s actually not that drastically different than how Xoc has been camping with the Quest Friends, honestly. Still got a basic bedroll, materials from the Weal. Xoc, once he’s seen to the fire, will find some place that’s kind of sheltered. Usually there are little rock alcoves that are easy enough to shelter under, but if worse comes to worse he can also try to prop up his robe so that it covers him while he sleeps, and then just huddle in for the night, try to be mindful if he hears something dangerous coming by.

Kyle

Yeah. So you snuggle up for the night.

[Ethereal music begins.]

The wastes have a lot of bad things about them: they’re arid, they’ve got no food, and I cannot stress enough there is just glass everywhere. But, one nice thing is that every night is a perfectly clear night, so when you look up you’re able to see the same stars that you could see since you were a child living at the Weal. In fact, you can probably see them a little clearer without that light barrier in the way.

The barrier of the Weal when you grew up, that light barrier surrounding the town, would affect them the way almost a kaleidoscope does or a prism does when you shoot light through it. So it’s interesting, because when you see these stars, they’re in many ways clearer and truer than what you remember, but they also don’t feel like the same set.

[Music fades.]

It’s been a few weeks, probably not too long since Xoc left the Weal, since we’ve established that it took him a year to get to the Steadfast.

Tom

Mm-hmm.

Kyle

And the wastes are right next door to the Weal, so if it took you a few months then it should’ve taken you years to get to the Steadfast, so we’ll say it’s a few weeks. How is Xoc feeling after these few weeks of scavenging?

Tom

Well, that first rush of adventure hasn’t really worn off yet.

[00:15:00]

He’s still excited, still raring to go, still so eager to see what the world is like beyond this, all its wonders. So, the rough parts of living haven’t really dampened that much. I think he is starting to get just the tiniest bit of cabin fever. He’s eager to see people again, a little afraid, sure, but it would beat just being alone in the wilderness for weeks on end.

Kyle

Yeah, it definitely can… it definitely can suck, for lack of a better word. Yeah, it can suck to walk across an arid wasteland filled with glass and no food and no people around.

So, as you go to sleep, you hone in on the sounds to remind you what life is out there: the small sniffing of a harebit, the faint buzzing of a far-off colony of bees, and a very, very faint ‘Aneen!”

Tom

[Chuckles.]

Kyle

But tonight there’s a different sound… music.

[Clownish villain music plays over speakers.]

Kyle (as ???)

Yeah Doc, you find anything yet?!

Kyle (as Doc)

Nah, nah, I can’t find anything over here. You sure Jerry said it was over here?

Kyle (as ???)

Well, I mean, that’s what Moore told us.

Kyle (as Moore)

Yes, Jerry lost it here.

Kyle

Xoc, the music that you heard, how did you originally respond to hearing music?

Tom

Xoc would not have gotten out of bed at first but would have definitely been alert and listening for that, because that is strange and interesting. At the sound of voices though, Xoc will slip out of his bed roll and creep on over.

Kyle

Are you trying to be sneaky, or just…?

Tom

It’s about halfway. Xoc is at least in his own mind making a halfhearted attempt at being sneaky, but to be honest he’s too curious to be very stealthy here.

Kyle

Okay. Yeah. So you walk towards the sound, and you see a few things. You see this large vehicle. It looks like a covered wagon, but instead of wheels it has a bunch of spokes sticking out of it, kind of like a pirate’s captain wheel, just so it doesn’t get any of the glass stuck into it. You can easily tell that this covered wagon has music blaring from it. It seems to be the source of everything, because not only is music coming from it, you can see some lights illuminating four shadows.

There is a tall shadow that’s making deliberate short steps to places and then bending down, looking for something, and continuing to walk. You can see this other shadow, a lot thinner, with tubes it looks like—almost like a machine. It reminds you of the machines that had wires on the outside going all around it, doing what anyone else would easily recognize as the evil twiddling their hands thing.

You see a third figure, a very short elderly figure. He walks very similarly almost to the way Horus does, and there seems to be this appendage on his head that extends out his eyes. Finally, next to the car, the only person not looking for things, there is a man in a suit who is just kind of pouty leaning against the car.

[Music ends.]

Tom

Xoc will probably not actually say anything until he’s essentially called out but will keep getting closer and closer to this group, watching what they do.

Kyle

The group doesn’t notice you proceeding. They’re too busy looking for this thing and speaking loudly to one another, and half their words are things like:

Kyle (as ???)

Ah! Damn it, Jerry!

Kyle (as Moore)

Yes Jerry, this was your mistake.

Kyle (as Doc)

Oh come now, now, now. It’s only… completely Jerry’s fault that we’re out here at night.

Tom (as Xoc)

Um, excuse me. What’s who’s fault?

Kyle

The figure with the external wires turns around to you to say:

Kyle (as “wires”)

Ah, finally Jerry, you decided to speak—

Tom (as Xoc)

Um… my name is Xoc. Nice to meet you all?

[Threatening music begins.]

Kyle

This figure steps into the full illumination of the headlights, and you can see she’s pretty much exactly as I described her. She’s a thin woman with these tubes that are crisscrossing over her arms like external arteries.

Kyle (as “wires”)

Xoc you say? What are you doing out here, Xoc?

Tom (as Xoc)

Oh, uh… just traveling… in a vaguely northwesterly direction towards the nearest source of human life. I guess here I’ve done it. I found you. You are, um… you are humans, right?

Kyle

She steps closer.

Kyle (as “wires”)

[Menacingly.] Just traveling, eh?

Tom (as Xoc)

[Unphased.] Yeah. I’m an adventurer.

[00:20:00]

I’ve struck out on my own for the first time ever and I wanted to see the world.

Kyle (as Doc)

See the world in these wastes?!

Kyle

You can see that the old man with the extended eyes, which you can now see is part of this headset he has that has spectacles that extend forward, is walking on your other side. He has taken a step forward.

Tom (as Xoc)

Well yeah. This is part of the world too, isn’t it? And it’s quite beautiful out here. I’m trying to pass through, because you know, it’s not a very easy place to live, but… it’s nice.

Kyle

The last of the searching figures, this very tall well-built man wearing what are poorly counterfeited Order of Truth robes, not that you know that, has stepped up on your third side.

Kyle (as Moore)

Where are you from, stranger?

Tom (as Xoc)

Oh you know, just a tiny little village called the Weal. It’s kind of a nowhere place on the map.

Kyle

The figures who have stepped closer and closer, getting more threatening with each step, suddenly stop… and before you can respond, Xoc, Xoc’s arm is grabbed by the woman who says:

[Music changes to clownish villain music.]

Kyle (as “wires”)

[Excitedly.] Well why didn’t you say so, friend?!

Tom (as Xoc)

Oh, um… well, you know I… because it’s kind of a… Not a lot of people know about it. I wouldn’t really expect you all to know about it.

Kyle (as Doc)

[Scoffs.] The machines’ paradise?

Kyle

Xoc’s eyes are being evaluated by this old man whose spectacles are all the way out.

Kyle (as Doc)

Why wouldn’t tech scav—aficionados know about such a wonderful place?

Tom (as Xoc)

Oh! I mean, I guess that makes sense. I know Horus had talked to people when he sometimes went out exploring. We’re not supposed to talk about it too much, but I guess if you already know… Yeah, I’m from there.

Kyle

A strong hand is just placed on top of your head, kind of like a pat-pat but also it could easily squish you if it wanted to. [Chuckles.]

The Order of Truth man says:

Kyle (as Moore)

You’re from there… How could you be from there?

Tom (as Xoc)

I mean, like…

Kyle (as “wires”)

Ah! Don’t be so hard on him, Moore. It’s not that weird to have someone from the Weal. I’ve got family from the Weal. So far as we can be considered, this kid is practically family.

[Music ends.]

Tom (as Xoc)

[Long surprised inhale.]

Kyle

And she slaps your chest.

Kyle (as “wires”)

That’s right, we’re basically family!

Tom (as Xoc)

Oh! Um… who, who is your family in the Weal?

Kyle (as “wires”)

Heh, it doesn’t matter now, because it’s you, kid! So, you can call me Auntie Scarlett. Up there…

Kyle

And she points to the tall man in Order of Truth robes.

Kyle (as Scarlett)

Up there is Uncle Moore, and over here is… you can just call him Doc.

Kyle

And she points to the old man with the spectacles.

Tom (as Xoc)

Well yeah. Hello. It’s nice to meet all of you. What are you all doing out here then?

Kyle (as Scarlett)

[Laughs.] That doesn’t matter. What’s more important is what’s my nephew doing out here?

Tom (as Xoc)

Oh, I mean, like I said, I’m just… I’m passing through on my way to the nearest human settlement, which I guess is…

Tom

And then Xoc will say however many units of distance it is from here, roughly, approximately, according to what he was told.

Kyle

[Chuckles.] Was he given the name?

Tom

Um… yes, although I don't know what settlement would be closest. I don't think there is one on the map that would be fitting.

Kyle

I mean, you can just make up a name.

Tom

Oh, yeah that’s true, I have that power.

Tom (as Xoc)

Yeah, I’m going to Redrun. It’s supposed to be the closest town, right on the edge of the wastes. I was going to stop there to see if I can get more supplies and find leads for scavenging, because I’m out here looking for resources, valuable things I can bring back home.

Kyle (as Scarlett)

Redrun you say? Well, we just so happen to be going there ourselves.

Kyle

Xoc’s left arm is grabbed by Doc, and Xoc’s right arm is grabbed by Uncle Moore, who start basically pushing you towards the back of this covered wagon. Auntie Scarlett says:

Kyle (as Scarlett)

Why don’t you come along with us? I’ll just handle this thing with Jerry out here.

Kyle

And she points to the pouting suited man.

Tom (as Xoc)

Oh, uh… I guess that’s very nice of you, but most of my supplies are still over there back at my camp. I should probably get those. Do we wanna start in the morning?

Kyle (as Scarlett)

Ah, we’ll pick those up too. Don’t, no worries about. We’ll pick it up too.

Tom (as Xoc)

Oh, oh… We’re just, we’re going now?

Kyle (as Scarlett)

Yes! Most of us are. Alright, come on now, Jerry.

Kyle

Auntie Scarlett slaps the suited man on the back.

Kyle (as Scarlett)

Let’s go finish our business first.

[00:25:00]

[Sound of chimes.]

SFX: The Wind of the Apocrita

SFX: A spider skittering

SFX: The spider gets squished by Aegon’s Warhammer

Sue

Is that the last of them?

Loell

I think so.

Mako

Are we talking about the spiders or those fearsome glass soldiers?

Loell

Sue?

Sue

I got all of the glass goons.

SFX: Sue punches her fists together.

Sue

Punching spiders is hard.

Loell

Then we got all of them. The last spider’s nothing more than shards now.

Mako

Ah, what a shame! I would’ve loved to capture one of those skittery fellows alive.

Tready

[Alarmed beep]

Mako

I know it’s dangerous, Tready! But this is a once-in-a-lifetime find! It’s not every day the forecast is cloudy with a chance of spiders!

Professor

You’ll get another chance. This isn’t the last time we’ll encounter that thing. ...The Apocrita.

Sue

You know what it is?

Professor

...I don’t.

Sue

Then why the name?

Professor

It feels right.

Mako

[Shuddering] Eh, nothing feels right about this. It shakes me to my bones! Good thing none of them literally crawled under my skin!

SFX: Inuki groans

Inuki

Gross.

Loell

Yes, Inuki. Very.

Sue

What would even happen if one of them did that?

Professor

Logically, I imagine that it would be quite unpleasant.

SFX: Mauve running closer.

Mauve

Aegon!

Loell

What’s the matter?

Mauve

It’s Marv, he…

Loell

[Chuckle] Don’t tell me he tried to charm the cloud?

Mauve

I think he’s dying!

Sue & Loell

What!?

SFX: Transition

SFX: Everyone running to Marv

Sue

Marv, Marv, Marv, Marv, Marv!

Marv

[Coughing] Okay, that was four Marvs too many. There’s only one of me here.

Sue

[Laughing] Now’s not the time for jokes, you… you… you!!!

Loell

Marv!

Marv

Oh, hey bud!

Loell

What happened?

Marv

Well, you know me. I tried to charm our new friends, and I uh… think it worked a bit too well.

The Heroes of Navarene

[Gasp]

Sue

What are those things under his skin?

Mako

I didn’t think the spiders would actually infect someone like that.

Loell

Okay… okay! Marv, just stay there, and I’ll get… I’ll get the spiders out!

Marv

With that big hammer of yours? Heh, you’re more likely to damage me than The Apocrita. And this winning smile is one of the few things I bring to the team. We can’t mess that up, can we?

Loell

Well, I can’t do nothing!

Marv

No, I guess you never could.

Loell

Mako! Fi… fix it!

Mako

Of course! ...How do I do that, though, boss?

Loell

If I knew I wouldn’t be FUCKING telling you to do it!

Marv

Hey, don’t be too harsh on them. The kids can take care of themselves just fine.

Loell

Could’ve fooled me.

SFX: Tools hitting the ground, zipper opening.

Mako

Alright, I’ve got my tools. I can try... something.

Marv

Don’t.

Sue & Loell

Don’t!?

Marv

Don’t give me that shocked face, bud. Changing the world was always your thing; I was just along for the ride. But I knew the risks. It’s fine. And even after I’m gone, I’m gonna keep believing in you because you’re going to keep saving people who need it. So let me go here, because who could ask for a better death? My hero on one side, the love of my life on the other. I don’t regret a second of it. You don’t need to coddle me on this one.

[Gentle nostalgic music carries into the announcements.]

Kyle

Hello and welcome to the announcement break for Quest Friends, Episode 73: Xoc’s Memory, Part 1 {2}. I am Kyle, your GM, and thank you for coming along on this little experimental journey with us. These past two episodes have been many, many, many months in the making, and I’m just really glad we finally got to share them with all of you.

So, let’s quickly shout out the folks who were able to make this episode happen.

First off, a quick shout-out to my co-writer for the Loell’s Memory segments, Hallie Koontz, who you can find in pretty much every episode of Quest Friends that isn’t these two. [Laughs.]

[00:30:00]

We also had all of these wonderful actors onboard. In order, Mako is played by Chase Beck, Mauve is played by Trisha Mellon, Sue is played by Sarah Doreen MacPhee, The Professor is played by Fiona MacKinnon, Marv is played by Caleb Smedra, Inuki is played by Colette Feehan, and Commander TJ is played by TK Cooper, although TJ’s line is kind of a blink and you’ll miss it one. If any of these fine folks caught your ear, you can find links to more of their stuff in the description.

In addition to the Heroes of Navarene, who are played by those voice actors, we had a few new characters this episode and two of them come from our name pool. Specifically, Auntie Scarlett is named for Scarlett or @enbiebrit on Twitter and Uncle Moore is named for Stephen Moore or @chickidizzle on Twitter.

If you’d be interested in being part of our name pool wherein your name can become the name of a person, place or thing, just be sure to make a tweet or Tumblr post with the hashtag #QuestFriends. On that note, thank you so much, Scarlett and Stephen, for sharing about the show.

One last thing, just like with last episode, this one does have a little bit of an audio quality shift for me halfway through. My audio just stopped recording halfway through the session for some reason and so it uses backup audio. It’s not really that much worse, it’s just a little bit muted.

But that’s all I’ve got for you today. Our next episode, the first episode of this campaign’s final arc, The Obsidian Cloud, Part 1, will be releasing on Monday, April 5, but if you’d like additional content before then, you can find stories, artwork, and behind the scenes insights at Patreon.com/QuestFriends. I’ll see you there.

[Gentle nostalgic music carries out of the announcements.]

Kyle (as Scarlett)

Ah-ha!

Kyle (as Doc)

Ah-ha!

Kyle (as Moore)

Ah-ha!

Tom (as Xoc)

Ah… ha?

[Rock country music begins.]

Kyle

And with that, three shots clink together and the fourth just kind of wavers as we see where Xoc is. First, we hear it. There’s this very loud music. It’s like loud rock coming from a jukebox. We can smell the mustiness of the air. We’re in one of those places where you can smell the bathroom wherever you are.

Tom

God.

Kyle

But among all this grossness we are focused on this one circular table where we see the three members of that traveling group—without Jerry—and Xoc, because you are in Redrun… Bar & Grill.

[Chuckles.] You are in the Redrun Bar & Grill. Sitting around the table are three of the members of that group, Auntie Scarlett, Uncle Moore, and Doc, and the other three immediately down their shots and slam them to the table before all staring at you.

[Music fades.]

Tom

So Xoc is gonna sniff at the shot glass.

Tom (as Xoc)

Are you sure this isn’t turpentine? I think this is for machines.

Kyle

Xoc’s hand is slapped by Doc who just says:

Kyle (as Doc)

Well you’re a machine, ain’t ya?

Tom (as Xoc)

Well, eh… not that kind.

Tom

He’s gonna take a little sip and just be like [disgusted noises.]

Kyle (as Scarlett)

[Cackles.]

Kyle

Auntie Scarlett seems very bemused by your disgust of it.

Kyle (as Scarlett)

Well that was fun enough. I think it’s time for another round! Go get ‘em, Moore!

Kyle

And Moore just pushes the table, stands up, and walks out. He is actually, he’s doing the thing where you push out your chair but he just pushes the table because he’s so beefy, and he stands up and walks over to get the stuff.

Tom

Heh.

Kyle (as Scarlett)

So…

Kyle

Auntie Scarlett leans on her elbows and stares into your eyes, Xoc.

Kyle (as Scarlett)

What do you think of Redrun?

Tom (as Xoc)

Well, um… I kind of expected more buildings nearby. It doesn’t really match the stories, or the smell, but I guess Horus couldn’t smell in the same way. It’s very loud.

Kyle (as Scarlett)

[Laughs.] Well, a little bit more of that machine drink and all of it will start getting blurred out. No worries.

Tom (as Xoc)

Okay…

Tom

Xoc will try to sip a little more.

Kyle

Give me a Might roll.

Tom

Oh dear.

[Rolls.] That’s a 6.

[00:35:00]

Kyle

Go one step down the damage track.

Tom

Yeah, that’s fine.

Kyle

As you just get impaired by this alcohol.

[Rock country music slows down and grows distorted.]

But hey, Auntie Scarlett is right, I mean she didn’t lie, because the music starts kind of blurring out… and so does your vision, and your speech.

You’re still there, you haven’t been like drugged or anything, but you’re feeling the effects of very, very strong alcohol.

Tom

Yeah. Xoc is just sort of, when not being directly addressed is just sort of getting quiet, staring at his lap, feeling increasing discomfort. This is a very weird, weird situation, and honestly, even without being just sort of dragged away in the middle of the night by these strangers, Xoc would feel uncomfortable here at the bar.

Kyle (as ???)

[Muffled inaudible speaking behind dragging music.]

[A slam on the table, metal is tossed and tings, an ear-ringing whine begins.]

Kyle

Xoc’s arms and head get pounded by the table, because I’m gonna say probably your head drooped down a bit, but you can feel as Auntie Scarlett slams on the table.

[High-pitched whine stops.]

Tom (as Xoc)

[Startled.] Huh? W-What…?

Kyle (as Scarlett)

Oh. [Laughs.]

We were just talking about, uh… talking about your home.

Tom (as Xoc)

What about…?

Kyle (as Scarlett)

Oh, we just wanna know a bit more about it.

Kyle (as Doc)

Yeah. What kind of tech and stuff you got there?

Kyle (as Scarlett)

[Scoffs.] Doc, don’t worry about it. You know, that’s not the most important thing.

Kyle

Auntie Scarlett reflexively touches her arms.

[Threatening music begins.]

When you first met Auntie Scarlett she had these sleeves that had almost this wire weave on them. When she got back from doing whatever with Jerry, you noticed there was blood all over the wires, but she claimed she just, you know, ran into some glass. It didn’t cut the wires, somehow, but you know, strong glass… staff, you know, strong wires.

Tom

[Breathy chuckle.]

Kyle

Regardless, she was pretty upset by that, so she has replaced them with these fashionable sleeves. It’s a bunch of floppy disks, so it looks almost like this sleeve of metal armor but the metal plating is made out of floppy disks. When talking about cool tech she reflexively kind of touches that arm.

Tom (as Xoc)

Haven’t you been there before?

Kyle (as Scarlett)

Oh, of course! It’s just… you know the Weal, it’s… It’s always so bustling. Every time I come back it’s like a completely different place.

Tom (as Xoc)

[Softly.] Nothing ever changes in the Weal. I was the only change for almost 20 years. Everyone just stays—

Kyle (as Scarlett)

Well there you go, 20 years! And I’ll say your auntie is quite a bit older than that. [Chuckles.]

Oh, if you could’ve seen what it was like in my heyday.

Tom (as Xoc)

It was exactly the same. I have seen. They have the records. Reference Section has drawings and pictures.

Kyle (as Doc)

Reference Section? What is that, some kind of library?

Tom

Xoc is just going to cock his head and narrow his eyes.

Tom (as Xoc)

They’re the most important person in the Weal. They’ve been there forever. No one else even remembers a time they weren’t there. Why don’t you know who they are?

Kyle (as Scarlett)

[Chuckling, unsettled.] Oh, well, Doc, he just… You know how secretive we “Weal-eites” are. Haven’t told him a whole lot.

Tom (as Xoc)

Nobody… Nobody says Wealeites. It’s Bazian.

[Music ends.]

Kyle

A fist slams down on the table as Uncle Moore says:

Kyle (as Moore)

It’s late. Now I know you don’t want to, Scarlett…

Kyle (as Scarlett)

[Dismissive grunting.]

Kyle (as Moore)

…but we have to finish this mission before we take any other “expeditions.”

Tom (as Xoc)

[Softly.] Okay. I should probably get my bed roll and set up a camp.

Kyle (as Scarlett)

Alright, but don’t go too far. There are some dangerous folk out here, and…

Kyle

Xoc’s hand is grabbed by Auntie Scarlett’s hand and she puts her other hand on top of it.

Kyle (as Scarlett)

…we’ve got a very big day tomorrow.

[Sound of chimes.]

** Begin Loell 7, 39:53

[00:40:00]

[Sound of chimes.]

SFX: Faint wind

Mauve

Come on, come on! Mako… Sue… Tready... when are those three going to get back with news?

Professor

It won’t be good.

Mauve

It’s gotta be good!

Professor

It won’t be.

Mauve

And how do you know that?

Professor

Their faces.

SFX: Sue and Mako walking up.

Mauve

Sue! Mako! How did it…

Sue

It didn’t.

Mako

That buffoon of a mayor said they “deal with harsh weather all the time!” HA! Can you imagine hearing “a slight sprinkle of spiders” as part of your regular forecast?

Tready

[Agreeable beep]

Sue

He said that he wasn’t concerned because only an eighth of each town hit by the Apocrita actually gets taken by it.

Mauve

Yes, because we evacuate everyone else! Ugh…

Professor

So that’s it, then?

Mako

For open diplomacy, yes, but those dreadful flying spiders are still a ways out; we’ve got some time for illicit evacuation.

Mauve

At this point it feels like our Plan B has just become our Plan A.

Sue

What do you think, Aegon?

[Beat]

Sue

Aegon?

Mako

Has he just been quietly standing there the whole time?

Loell

I’m going.

Sue

(Sigh) That’s probably best.

Mako

Splendid! I had Tready Bear steal a map of the town while we were speaking to that oafish beaurocrat - there may be a way to get most of the people out.

Tready

[Proud beep]

Mauve

Alright! Then let’s do what Aegon said, and get going.

Professor

That’s not what he means.

Mauve

That’s not - then what the hell does he mean? Aegon, what the hell do you mean!?

Loell

I’m going.

Mauve

Yeah, you’re going away. Out of this town. Ev-ac-u-a-tion. That’s what you mean by “going,” right?

[Beat]

Mauve

Aegon?

Loell

Professor. The thing we talked about. Is it there?

Professor

The weapon should be somewhere in there, yes.

Mako

Wait, there’s a weapon!? A useful one?!

Sue

That’s great! Where is it?

[Silence]

Mauve

[Realizing with horror]

The cloud. It’s in the cloud, isn’t it.

Loell

I cannot…

Mauve

You’re planning to fly into the cloud, aren’t you? Goddamit, Aegon, I thought you were finally over this macho legend nonsense.

Mako

Hold on, into the cloud itself?

Sue

That’ll get him killed!

Professor

Most likely, yes.

Loell

We started this group to save people, and we aren’t saving them.

Mauve

BullSHIT we’re not saving people!

Professor

We are saving many lives.

Loell

But not all of them! What was that number again, Sue?

Sue

One-eighth.

Loell

One-eighth. Mauve, Mako,

Mauve

Aegon!

Loell

Tready, Sue,

Mauve

It’s not the same!

Loell

The Professor, Inuki, myself

Mauve

Stop it!

Loell

...and then Marv. We all know what that one-eighth feels like. I cannot take another loss. Not one.

[Beat]

Mauve

Well, then I’m coming too.

Loell

No! I told you, I cannot take another loss!

Mauve

Then what about you!?

Loell

That doesn’t matter. This is my job, this is what I'm here for, this is what I started the group to do. I'm making the call.

[Beat]

Loell

I’m going.

Mako

It feels like you’re kind of going over our heads here, boss.

Loell

Well, sometimes leaders just have to make decisions.

Sue

I’m sure that’s not what Marv meant -

Loell

Don’t talk like you knew him like I did. Don’t talk like you understand any of this like I do.

SFX: Inuki makes a sound.

Inuki

Maybe you should listen to your friends.

Sue

Aegon-

Professor

We won’t change his mind.

Loell

I’ll send Inuki back as soon as she drops me off. Take care of her.

Mauve

Fine. FINE. If the “hero” wants to go get killed in a blaze of foolhardy glory, let him. He’s just another rotten Angulan Knight, after all.

Loell

Goodbye, everyone.

SFX: Inuki takes off.

Mauve

(Fading out, as Loell flies away)

We are in this boat together! Aegon!

[Sound of chimes]

[Thunder cracks and a heavy rain begins.]

Kyle

The spokes of the covered wagon poke into the muddy earth of the forest that you’re in.

[00:45:00]

It’s a few hours from morning, and Xoc, you and Auntie Scarlett and Uncle Moore and Doc are no longer in the wastes. You’re now in this forest.

[Clownish villain music plays over the radio.]

Scarlett and Doc are sitting in the front of the covered wagon, which you can briefly hear them through a little flap but you can mostly just hear the music they’re playing, leaving in the back you and a silent Moore who is sitting on a crate filled with something.

Tom

Xoc has, by this point, given up trying to ask where are we going, what are we doing. He just stays silent.

[Music fades leaving wagon sounds and the rainstorm.]

Kyle

After a while Uncle Moore looks at you.

Kyle (as Moore)

Come here.

Tom (as Xoc)

[Absent.] Hmm?

Kyle (as Moore)

[Forcefully.] Come here.

Tom

We’re sitting next to each other, aren’t we?

Kyle

You’re across from each other.

Tom

Oh! Right. No, I can visualize it now. Yeah, Xoc will move closer.

Kyle

Moore opens his coat which you can see has an alarming amount of weapons inside of it, so many pockets filled with so many different lethal things, and out of one of them he grabs this silver slug.

Kyle (as Moore)

Open.

Kyle

And he points to his mouth.

Tom

Xoc will do it, confused as always.

Kyle

Immediately, Xoc’s mouth will be grabbed by Uncle Moore who will pick up your tongue and slide the slug underneath it.

Tom (as Xoc)

[Squirms.] What… What was that for?

Kyle (as Moore)

Silver slug. You can shoot it out and know what somebody’s thinking.

Tom (as Xoc)

Oh… okay. Does it just have to stay in my mouth?

Kyle (as Moore)

Yes, it has to stay in your mouth.

Tom (as Xoc)

Okay…

Kyle

Silence passes a bit longer, and Moore crosses his arms.

Tom

Xoc doesn’t respond to that, tries not to even look like anything.

Tom (as Xoc)

What happened to Jerry?

Kyle

Moore just scoffs that you have to ask and he sits down and refuses to answer any more of your questions. Actually, as he sits down you can see the crate slide open. This crate was filled with what you were told were all sorts of wonderful things you would be able to bring home: artifacts, items, cyphers. Inside it’s just what looks to be like more weapons. It’s a box full of plasma grenades.

Tom (as Xoc)

Oh…

Tom

Xoc will go back to sitting in silence.

Kyle

The flap to the front opens up.

[Clownish villain music plays over the radio.]

Auntie Scarlett leans back resting her arm, which now has the clean and unbloodied tube sleeves on it, on the back of her chair.

Kyle (as Scarlett)

So Xoc, you excited to go home? Excited to see all of those machines and their state of the art technology? I’m sure your parents are awfully worried you’ve been out for so long.

Tom (as Xoc)

I don’t… have parents? I told you already, I’m a scavenger. I’m on a mission. I have a job to do. It’ll probably be months before I go back.

Kyle (as Scarlett)

[Laughs.] Months? You can’t be serious.

Kyle (as Moore)

Focus on driving, Scarlett.

Kyle (as Scarlett)

Yeah-yeah, sure, but there’s gotta be something you really love there that you wanna see again, someplace with…

Kyle

And her mechanical sleeve is illuminated by a strike of lightning.

Kyle (as Scarlett)

…particularly beautiful machine parts.

Tom

Xoc doesn’t respond to that, but he is thinking about people he wishes he could see right now.

Kyle

Uncle Moore continues.

Kyle (as Moore)

Scarlett.

Kyle (as Scarlett)

I’m just saying. I’m just saying. I can’t believe someone would leave such a wonderful place without taking a few things along with them. They wouldn’t hide it if there wasn’t something valuable there, Moore.

Tom (as Xoc)

There’s nothing valuable there at all. It’s just rusted broken stuff. That’s why we need to scavenge. Nothing useful left there at all.

[Music clicks off abruptly.]

Kyle

The car stops.

Kyle (as Scarlett)

Now nephew, what did I tell you about lying?

Tom (as Xoc)

Why else would they send a kid out to scavenge, huh? Because…

Kyle (as Scarlett)

I don't know, for kicks? For—

Tom (as Xoc)

…even the machines that used to do that are broken now.

Kyle (as Scarlett)

I’m speaking right now!

[Thunder crackles sharply with Xoc’s words.]

Tom (as Xoc)

There’s nothing left!

… It’s all gone. So, there’s no point in going back there.

Kyle (as Scarlett)

[Hoarse.] You gotta be shitting me.

[Hysterical.] Ah, he’s… he’s just lying. He’s gotta be—

Kyle (as Moore)

[Firmly.] He’s not lying, Scarlett. I can—

[Threatening music begins.]

Kyle (as Scarlett)

I’m speaking right now, Moore. Okay? he can’t be lying. Otherwise how does he have such a, such a… such fancy, fancy robes and such a valuable crystal staff?!

[00:50:00]

Tom (as Xoc)

Came from outside. It didn’t come from the Weal.

Kyle (as Scarlett)

So you’re saying we’ve been putting this all up for nothing?

Tom (as Xoc)

[Stammering.] Yeah—Yes.

Kyle (as Scarlett)

That’s… That’s fine. Heh. Moore, take the staff, take the robes, dump the kid.

Kyle

And Moore immediately stands up, his presence taking over what feels like half of the cabin. In fact, it’s such a big stand that the cover for the plasma grenades falls off revealing a handful just jittering in the box.

Tom

Can Xoc try to snatch the staff before Moore can and Far Step away?

Kyle

Yeah. Give me a roll.

Tom

Okay.

[Rolls.] That’s a 4.

Kyle

You grab the staff at the same time Moore does, but if you put up a fight he instantly pulls it away from you.

Tom (as Xoc)

[Softly.] No… give me my things back. I don’t want to fight.

Kyle

Moore almost looks like he’s taking pity for a second on just how, in his eyes, pathetic and naïve this young person is.

Kyle (as Moore)

What? You gonna talk me down? You gonna hug out of this? Sometimes you can’t run from a fight. But don’t worry, if you don’t fight…

Kyle

And you can see him grab the staff and raise it above his head.

Kyle (as Moore)

…this will be easier for both of us.

Tom

Xoc will raise a hand and cast Onslaught just directly at him, and we’re gonna be spending a level of Effort on this.

[Rolls.] And that’s a 3.

[Sounds of the rainstorm end abruptly.]

So what happens if I die in my own flashback? What if I lose the combat?

Kyle

[Laughs.]

Tom

Can I spend an XP to… manipulate this a bit, for dramatic effect?

Kyle

[Smiling.] Yes.

Tom

I know typically 1 XP is not enough to auto-succeed at a thing, but could we at least frame that the spell successfully hits? Even if that doesn’t necessarily change the overall situation.

Kyle

I’ve got a different idea.

Tom

Okay. Well then, in that case, before your idea shoots off…

[Sounds of the rainstorm return.]

Xoc raises his hand, he fires the spell, and just screams.

Tom (as Xoc)

I said I didn’t wanna fight you!

[Rumbling thunder follows, providing emphasis.]

Kyle

The spell shoots off at Moore who stands there frozen. For a second you think you might have shot him until a frown goes on his lips.

Kyle (as Moore)

Huh… I didn’t even feel a thing.

Kyle

But that’s when you hear the sizzling, because you did fail to hit Moore, Xoc, but when it missed it didn’t just hit anything, it hit the box of grenades.

** Begin Loell 8, 52:53

Kyle

Xoc. Loell. Each of you have spent all this time marching towards the storm. Were you prepared when you finally entered it?

SFX: Lightning

Kyle

Shards of obsidian tear into Loell’s shoulders as he rises into a violent glassy sky. Wood, metal, fabric - the explosion of the plasma grenade throws what feels like the entirety of the wagon at Xoc. Pushing through a cloud made of glass or the wall of a covered wagon will inevitably lead to a crash, and you both violently fall down down down, Xoc onto muddy wet Earth, and Loell onto harsh ceramic.

SFX: Inuki and Loell crash

Kyle (as Loell)

[Sounds of strain]. Not my best landing.

SFX: Inuki yells

Inuki

Ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch!

Kyle (as Loell)

Inuki!

Kyle

You scramble to your feet. You fall. Your body keeps moving, unable to face the nightmare just out of sight.

SFX: Inuki scream

SFX: Woman scream

Kyle

A scream. From a friend? For Loell, maybe, but not for Xoc. Xoc turns, and in front of him the burning wagon defies the rain. Auntie Scarlett stands up from where Uncle Moore lies on the earth, both of their disguises ripped bare. Scarlett has dozens of weapons to choose from, enough for 10 men, but she grabs the first she can, a simple shovel, and she slams it into your face.

Tom

I try to crawl away. I raise my hands. I fire off an Onslaught.

Kyle

There’s a crack, and then a scream. Auntie Scarlett tumbles to the ground, and she shouts out through gnashing teeth, the blood of which, in the darkness, looks like thick ooze.

Kyle (as Auntie Scarlett)

[Through Clenched teeth]

Get ‘em! Get’ em, Doc!!

SFX: Skittering spiders

Kyle (as Loell)

I’ll… I’ll get them Inuki. I’ll get all of the spiders out.

SFX: Inuki moans

[00:55:00]

Inuki

There’s so many.

Kyle (as Loell)

I know, I know. But I’m here. I’ll keep you safe.

Inuki

How?

Kyle (as Loell)

I… don’t know.

Kyle

A force rises up your spine and grips your neck. Fear? Regret? For Loell, maybe, but for Xoc it’s much more literal, as Doc lifts Xoc up and stares at Him with his spectacles, which start folding one over another, until a dozen are in front of his eyes, creating numerous reflections that stare at Xoc. But Xoc can’t spend too long staring back at them, as his eyes are quickly drawn to the appendage extending from the back of Doc’s headset...

SFX: Saw whirring

...and the surgical saw attached to that, in turn.

Tom (as Xoc)

(Crying and pleading) Please! I didn't--I didn't want to fight! Please don't—Please, I don't— Don't--don't do it! Please!

SFX: Inuki groans

Inuki

Please...friend?

Kyle (as Loell)

This isn’t working. Why isn’t this working? How do I...how do I fix problems, avert disaster, why can’t I...Aegon Stormbreaker’s supposed to save people.

Kyle

Loell looks at the obsidian whirlwind. Doc looks at the turned over wagon. This was a fight you chose, wasn’t it? Doc shrugs with a smile.

Kyle (as Doc)

Eh, I don’t really care much either way!

SFX: Blade

Kyle

The blade reignites, whirring faster and faster, eventually cutting off strands of Xoc’s hair. You want to stop, turn back to safer time, but… in for penny, in for a pound. And the strangest things can remind you of that For Xoc, it was the sensation of a soft, squishy, moving object underneath his tongue. For Loell, a taunt that reminded him who he was here to stop.

Hallie (as Leik)

Do you know how many ways an experiment can fail?

Kyle (as Loell)

(Quietly)

[Laughing] I get it. You’ve won. I’m a failure. You don’t have to rub it in.

Tom (as Jessar)

That bad, huh?

Kyle (as Loell)

Where are you!? Come out and [suddenly quite loud] FIGHT ME ALREADY!

Hallie (as Leik)

Be careful - we want the birds to come back.

Kyle (as Loell)

I don’t care! What about Marv!? What about Inuki!? They don’t get to come back!

Tom (as Jessar)

Oh, it’s gone… Oh, I’m sorry.

Kyle (as Loell)

You’re not sorry for a goddamned thing! Otherwise you wouldn’t have killed them!

Hallie (as Leik)

That’s a good guess, but it’s wrong…

Kyle (as Loell)

I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!

Kyle (as Loell)

You raise your hand with new, malicious intent. Loell lifts his warhammer and strikes the last Prylimans, while Xoc targets his onslaught onto the blade arm. Each snaps in two. And then you take your real weapon. Xoc prepares the silver slug under his tongue, while Loell picks up a prismatic spear his shattered foes had dropped at his feet. And, without hesitation this time, you stab your weapon into your foe’s skull. And you can feel everything - their every emotion, their every memory, their every thought, including one from Doc.

Kyle (as Doc)

Well, this isn’t what I thought was going to happen.

Kyle

But whatever other messages they had to share are quickly drowned out, by your own clear wish.

Xoc and Loell

Die, die, die, die—die!

SFX: Thunder and maybe some violence.

Kyle

The remainder of your memory is hazy. This day is more than anyone should have to endure, and both of you will soon take a brief reprieve from it. Xoc will wake up in a real world he wishes was fake. Loell will wake up in a fake world he intends to make real.

SFX and Music fade.

SFX: Picture being taken.

Mako

See! I TOLDJA he could do it!

SFX: Triumphant Tready whistle.

Mako

Wouldja look at that! Whaddya need a camera for when you’ve got a Tready! Now let’s take a look at this beaut here--

SFX: Photo develops.

Loell

OK, Mako, but I asked you to fix this other camera so we can take the picture, and also, this is a receipt for socks.

[01:00:00]

Mako

No, Aegon, it’s...wait, what?

SFX: Mako rips the paper from Loell’s hands.

Mauve

Mako. Again?

Mako

OK, Mauve, I can tell what you’re thinking, and it is, why does this picture that Tready took look like a receipt for seven more pairs of socks? And it’s because -

Mauve

You have got to stop buying socks.

Mako

Look, my darling, I can’t help that I’m getting cold feet.

SFX: A poignant pause.

Mako

But not! Like that! Because! I’ve been working on! Tready, Tready, show her the thing, the thing, the thing you’re gonna do!

SFX: Champagne bottle pops

SFX: Tready whistles wedding music at triple speed

SFX: Party Poppers

Mauve

...is that the toast he is going to be performing at our wedding?

Sue

So you DID remember to bring toast! Good, good, can’t have sandwiches without it.

Professor

Well technically Sue, any type of bread would suffice. For sandwiches.

Sue

No, Professor, it has to be toast. I like to hear my bread breaking.

SFX: Voices fade out, as if some smoke seems to be pulling them away.

The Apocrita

We can see why that memory’s your favorite.

Loell

...yeah… Wait, where did everyone go? Where are they - why can’t I see them anymore?

The Apocrita

Because they’re not here.

Apocrita Marv

Not like me.

Loell

[Breathless]

Marv.

Apocrita Marv

Hey, buddy. Did I come back too soon?

Loell

[Fumbling over words] ...how? I… just.

Apocrita Marv

That’s right. I’m here. You can hug me.

SFX: Hug

Loell

I missed you. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.

Apocrita Marv

That’s okay. Help is relative.

Loell

I just…

Apocrita Marv

Want to stop people from dying. I know.

Loell

And I couldn’t, Marv. I couldn’t be the leader you believed in. The Apocrita killed so many people.

Apocrita Marv

(Laughs) Do I look dead to you? That’s pretty rude.

Loell

(Strained laugh) Shaddup.

Apocrita Marv

It’s like I told you. Protecting everybody is a pretty tall order. You can’t stop time. You can’t stop change. Eventually, everyone dies.

Loell

So, I’m a failure? No matter what, nothing will make me more than just another rotten Angulan Knight?

Apocrita Marv

If you try to do things just one way. But… you can find your own way. Do you remember that bookshelf your mom had at home?

Loell

Yeah, she always put the mirror at the very edge. It’d fall down all the time. I would tell her that even though it looked nice there, it was safest in the back.

Apocrita Marv

...safest in the back. And that’s what the Apocrita does. It keeps us safe. We may not keep our bodies, but bodies are one tumble off the shelf away from breaking anyway. Instead, it saves our memories here, in the back. Safe forever.

Loell

Forever?

Apocrita Marv

And ever, and ever.

[Long beat, as Loell considers]

Loell

What do I do?

SFX: Rumble

Apocrita Marv

We won’t have much time when you wake up again.

Loell

When we what!?

Apocrita Marv

(Laughing) You gave our little cloud a pretty good beating, bud! It needs some time to hibernate. But when it wakes up, I’m counting on you to save everyone else. They won’t like it...

Loell

...but it’s up to me to make the call. You’ll be there with me though, right? I can’t do this without you, Marv! I can’t lead them on my own!

Apocrita Marv

Yes you can.

[01:05:00]

Loell

How? How can you still be so sure?

Apocrita Marv

Because I believe in Aegon Stormbreaker.

Kyle

Skip, skip-skip-skip-skip-skip.

BLOOOOSH.

Skip-skip, skip-skip-skip-skip-skip.

BLOOOOSH.

Kyle (as Loell)

You know bud, for seeing so many years of skipping stones you’d think I would have been able to do it by now.

Kyle

Xoc, you are back at the beach on the Weal, but today, instead of being accompanied by Horus, you’re accompanied by a man about your age with auburn hair.

Tom (as Xoc)

It… It takes time. Sometimes we don’t pick things up the way we wanted to or figure things out as fast as we thought we were supposed to. Sometimes you have to keep coming back to it, you know?

Kyle (as Loell)

Yeah. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. I get it now, Xoc. I get why you can’t trust me.

Tom (as Xoc)

[Chuckles.] What?

Kyle (as Loell)

Well yeah. If my first experience with people was three bandits trying to go to my hometown and take everything that isn’t nailed down and then everything else that is nailed down… I’d be a little, uh, distrusting of people too. You know?

Tom (as Xoc)

My first experience with people was growing up safe and loved in a place that felt like a dream. The reason you and I have struggles is because you keep trying to kill people, because you’re chasing the illusion of safety.

Kyle (as Loell)

I don’t kill people. Kill people? I told you that’s not what I’m doing. Did you just forget what we just saw?! Like, hitting someone to death with a staff, that’s killing somebody.

Tom (as Xoc)

I saw, and I saw enough to know that whatever that thing in there is using you, it’s telling you what you want to hear, but the truth is there’s no… there’s no getting back something that’s lost. You can try to hide in the memories, try to think that taking everyone into the swarm is going to make everything better, but you can’t get back the life you had before with your friends, and I’m very sorry for that.

The only thing you can do is try to live something new, because otherwise you and everyone else are just going to be living a few minutes at a time, looped forever, an unending nightmare. That’s not life, Loell.

Kyle (as Loell)

[Laughs.] See that’s funny. You call the idea of reliving those best moments a nightmare when just a few seconds ago you called the same thing a dream. But, I get it. I understand. There’s no use arguing about this further. Words can only do so much. You know?

With that group out there, they claimed they were all sorts of things, but their words didn’t match their actions. The Knights, they claimed they were protecting everybody, but they weren’t. I get it, Xoc. I get that whatever I tell you, you won’t believe that I really do have the best interests of everyone at heart.

Tom (as Xoc)

Well, that you are mistaken, because I do believe that you believe you have the best interests of everyone at heart. I know this isn’t out of malice, but…

Kyle (as Loell)

You just don’t think it’ll work.

Tom (as Xoc)

I just think you’re wrong. No… I know you’re wrong.

Kyle (as Loell)

Huh. Well, I appreciate that vote of confidence, kind of, I guess… [Chuckles.]

You know one thing, I know the other. Words aren’t going to solve this, Xoc. I can’t tell you that I’m right. I have to show you.

[The Apocrita’s theme rises.]

Kyle

Xoc, you notice as the light of the stars starts to disappear as a shadow moves from out across in the sea closer and closer to the Weal. It first goes over the craves, then goes over that rusted boat on the pier,

[01:10:00]

and by the time you finally look up at the Apocrita itself you can see its shadow covering all of the Weal of Baz… and that’s when you wake up.

Tom (as Xoc)

[Determined.] Alright then.

[Music swells and carries out to the bloopers.]

Kyle

You said the Redrun, right?

Tom

Yeah.

Kyle

Alright. You are now going to the Redrun Inn, which is definitely not the place you were supposed to be. [Laughs.]

Tom

[Amused.] Don’t pull this Daggerfall shit on me. “Oh, you were supposed to go to the Daggerfall Inn which is not in the city of Daggerfall.”

Kyle

We’re doing it. We’re doing it. I need them to have some excuse, because you probably have heard different things from Redrun. I will leave it to you to be like “wait… this isn’t a pool.”

Tom

“Wait a second… who are you?”

This is out of character for a moment, but the other day when you were like “I’ve gotta come up with an adjective for people from the Weal” I was like Kyle… there’s one in the book. It’s in my character sentence!

[Delighted and pained.] Bazian. I am a Bazian nano who talks to machines. That is literally my descriptor.

Kyle

And Loell will take this as a sign of “oh, this is why you don’t trust people” and not “oh, the things ‘I’ did were a problem.” [Laughs.]

Tom

This is why you don’t trust me. I see now. Am I out of touch? No, it is Xoc who is wrong.

Quest Friends!

Future in a Flash