S2 Ep6: Know

[00:00:30] Speaker A: Hi, I'm Gavin Cash, and I play Clint Brazas, the scion of the Morrigan. [00:00:37] Speaker B: Hello, I'm sticker, and I play Coda Massacoy, the scion of Bassett. [00:00:42] Speaker C: Hello, I'm Gary, and I play Oliver Brights, the scion of Ogma. [00:00:48] Speaker D: Hi, I'm Gray is, and I'll be playing Shango, the loa, god of justice and Thunder. [00:00:55] Speaker E: And I'm bloody porcelain. I will be your storyteller for the evening. Good evening, players. [00:01:02] Speaker A: Good evening. [00:01:06] Speaker E: Last week, you all were in Yomi, the Japanese underworld, set to retrieve a katana left behind after a scion of Izanagi fell within the ward of the poison sun. You were confronted by a being that might have been a god, might have just been a particularly powerful Titan spawn, might have been something else altogether. It was unclear to you exactly what it was, except that it seemed to represent, or at least to resonate with, the trauma and pain left behind in the devastation of the bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima, Nagasaki. It made a deal with you. In exchange for you leaving its gate unlocked on your way out of the ward and to plant a number of seeds it provided to you on your journeys. It would allow you to take the sword that you had come for. Also there was Gwendolyn Chambers, the current leader of the Fenris Wolves, who had been there to make a deal of her own. After agreeing to allow you to take the blade and having your assurances that you would keep your end of the deal, the being turned to her and accepted her offer to join the Titans, you all left and on your way out, decided to try to find and exploit some loopholes in the agreements that you made. You spent a considerable amount of time figuring out how you could bar a gate from opening without locking it, and then did your best to do so before working to find your way out of the underworld, another phone call was made to Kimiko, who told you that you had a number of options. The easiest would probably be to find a graveyard, but you could also try to find your way back to the cave entrance that you came in. Or if all else failed, you could find your way to the world tree and attempt to climb it back to the realm of mortals, to Midgard, the world. Despite having been told that the graveyard would have been your easiest passage, you decided you were going to climb the world tree instead. It took several days and a considerable amount of effort, no small amount of warping luck by Oliver to ensure that you made it off the tree and back to earth. You were deposited in a way in a parking lot in Japan, where you were picked up by a black SUV driven by a man who identified himself as Shango, the Loa god of thunder. He made arrangements to have the sword returned to who it belonged to and rushed you to the airport in a whiting private jet before telling you that he had pulled some strings to ensure that you got at least a little bit of downtime and some time off. You had, after all, made multiple trips to different underworlds at this point, and he recognized that you were probably exhausted and a little emotionally wrung out from your experiences. You were informed that he had made arrangements with your friend Damon in Georgia and are currently sitting on his private jet on the way back to the US. Knowing that when you arrive, you will be able to travel to your friend's home, where you will be able to relax in the company of dryads and a scion of Dionysus. No doubt Coda is looking forward to another taste of the good stuff that Damon's farm provides. And perhaps Oliver will finally be able to answer the age old question, is he a conifer? The stage is yours. [00:06:28] Speaker A: Now, Shango. You said you had a. [00:06:33] Speaker D: Well, no. Well, much like anything else, I was point. I was hoping you would say no. That was kind of the hope. Yeah. Coda had the right idea. How about this, Clint? I'll do this for you. Let's make a deal. If you promise me that for the next year that you won't make a deal with a deity of any kind, I'll give you one of my greatest possessions. [00:07:08] Speaker A: Does that mean, like, I can't make a deal with mom too, or is it just so. [00:07:18] Speaker D: Yes. Oh, I'll put it this way. Okay, you know what? Let's rephrase this deal. If you do make a deal with any deity, you will up and down review that contract to make sure that nothing goes against you in a negative way and you come out on top. [00:07:34] Speaker A: Yeah, I can agree to that. [00:07:36] Speaker D: Okay. Handshake. He holds out his hand. [00:07:39] Speaker A: Clint will extend his hand and deliver a handshake. [00:07:45] Speaker D: And you see the gray in his eyes change to, like, a lighter gray as he smiles. Hold you to it. [00:07:53] Speaker A: Wait. Is there a contract? Before we finalize this here deal? [00:08:00] Speaker D: Well, you should have reviewed what I just said. [00:08:02] Speaker A: But you didn't. [00:08:02] Speaker B: Oh, man. [00:08:04] Speaker C: Does that mean he already lost? [00:08:07] Speaker D: No. [00:08:11] Speaker A: It'S just going from here on, right? Okay, I can deal with that. [00:08:15] Speaker D: Yes. But just let that serve as two lessons to you in one go. Yes. [00:08:22] Speaker A: Yeah, I can learn. [00:08:27] Speaker D: All right, let's get you something to eat. [00:08:29] Speaker A: Thanks. [00:08:30] Speaker D: Any dietary restrictions? [00:08:34] Speaker A: No. [00:08:35] Speaker D: As long as it's eatable, we can accomplish that. Yeah? [00:08:43] Speaker C: All good here? [00:08:46] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm good. But do you have Tuna? Raw Tuna? [00:08:57] Speaker D: Exclusive you for a second? I can get raw tuna. Oh, right. For the other God on board. [00:09:04] Speaker E: Like the cat. [00:09:07] Speaker D: Yeah, of course. And he goes right back of the jet, and you begin to hear the sounds of, like, pots and pans clinking. [00:09:20] Speaker A: Kitchen on a private jet. Is that normal? [00:09:23] Speaker C: I don't know. I've never been on a private jet before. [00:09:26] Speaker B: I've never even seen one. [00:09:28] Speaker A: You've never seen a jet? [00:09:30] Speaker E: A private one. [00:09:34] Speaker A: They're not in public, and that's why. [00:09:37] Speaker B: I haven't seen one. [00:09:39] Speaker A: Makes sense to me. [00:09:45] Speaker B: You made another deal? [00:09:48] Speaker A: Yeah, but this one seems like it's got better terms for me because there's a lot less involved for me to actually have to keep track of. [00:09:57] Speaker B: So what was the terms? [00:09:59] Speaker A: That's the only deal I get to make with any other deities unless I really deeply scrutinize the terms and conditions of a contract and make sure it ain't too terribly bad for me. [00:10:10] Speaker B: Good. Perfect. Great. Amazing. [00:10:18] Speaker A: I think. [00:10:23] Speaker D: All right. It ain't my best work, but I do what I can. And he comes out. He's holding three plates. Looks like meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy, like fresh made bread. He's like, all right, I haven't cooked for anyone in a long time, but you all definitely use a nice hot meaL. He starts putting it down on the tables in front of the chairs. [00:10:49] Speaker A: You ain't never cooked for anyone in a while. This smells too good for that. [00:10:55] Speaker D: Yeah, well, usually pretty. [00:11:01] Speaker C: Regardless. Thank you very much, Shango. [00:11:06] Speaker D: Of course you're a. [00:11:08] Speaker A: Thank you. [00:11:10] Speaker B: So what's your deal, perspectively? [00:11:19] Speaker D: I do my best to see injustice corrected. And if there are well within my area, if there are any nerdy wells, liars, genuine assholes that just do whatever they can to make other people's lives miserable, I do my best to put them down. [00:11:46] Speaker A: Like, make them feel bad about themselves, put them down? [00:11:54] Speaker B: More like Outback. [00:11:57] Speaker A: No, I've never been a fan of that place. [00:12:01] Speaker D: No, the Outback steakhouse is an absolutely terrible place that no one should ever travel to. Although their lobster Thermodor is bad. [00:12:08] Speaker B: I like Outback. [00:12:10] Speaker D: I'm sorry, Koda, but it's true. No. Weld, take a look around you. And he, like, jetches some of the walls. And you see him in a couple of photos. You see him in the guts of suit, standing next to Dr. King. You see him in one of Gandhi's adventures outside, exploring the world as, like, a bodyguard. You see him standing next to President Obama as a Secret Service member. And just various photos of him throughout recent history. [00:12:50] Speaker C: Interesting. [00:12:55] Speaker D: Go ahead. [00:12:56] Speaker C: Sorry, I was just going to say. So you're a god who seeks to stop injustice, stop bad things from happening to good people. How do you feel about the current situation with the Thanris? Wolves and whatnot? Seeking out silence that haven't awoken. And then. [00:13:23] Speaker D: You see his eyes go to, like, a darker, stormy gray. Talo have suffered like everybody else. And I have lost a daughter. [00:13:38] Speaker A: My condolences. [00:13:40] Speaker D: Thank you. Clint. I. He is an individual that was never given a fair shake. I don't see the scions of Loki as individuals who, from the jump, should be treated as they are. It's the equivalent of what happened to our people when they were looked upon as just lesser. They're not human or below par or just worthy of being called animals and put in shackles, enslaved. It's no different than that. They didn't deserve that. Everyone deserves to be treated the same until proven otherwise. If those scions of their own volition had chosen to just do terrible things, then that would be one thing. But to be ostracized and put down and oppressed from birth just because of who their father is or mother is or whatever, that I will not abide. And the three of you still, I understand what you're trying to do, but I will not stand by and let you drag yourselves through the mud and through multiple underworlds and such, going through all these harrowing journeys and have no one try to take care of you at the same time. I will not allow it. [00:15:19] Speaker C: Well, it's nice to be looked out for for a change. [00:15:26] Speaker D: You have nothing but my respect for what you're attempting to do. While if I were your parents, I would have told you, don't do this. He should have just seen. But justice is complicated. [00:15:46] Speaker C: Does he deserve. [00:15:48] Speaker D: Yes. Does he deserve a judgment? Yes. For his own actions. But he shouldn't have had a judgment served upon him for things he hadn't even done yet. And that's why he is the way he was. [00:16:06] Speaker B: Were you always a god? Or did you just. Were you ever a scion? What was your path? I guess if you want to talk about it, I guess. [00:16:22] Speaker D: No, that's fine. For me, it was always relatively cloudy as to where I started. However, since before the ships even came to our shores, I was always kind of an ideal. Not so much as a figure of justice until later. But I always was doing my best to advise kings, leaders of certain tribes. And then when they began to take us to the new world, my power and many of others was greatly diminished for quite some time. It wasn't until that, the belief that we could be our own people, that we weren't what they said they were, that I began to gain strength again and was able to assist and aid others. Like, I am deeply blessed to have met Tubman in one of my travels and other people such as that. But it wasn't until many recent years that I was able to actually do more and have more belief in myself and what our people represented. It all starts from the bottom. It's not like we're all very young gods in comparison to everybody else. [00:17:52] Speaker B: Mmm. [00:17:55] Speaker D: But as far as where I started, it's been. I'm not sure on anymore. It's cloudy the farther back I go. [00:18:05] Speaker B: Yeah, that makes sense. You're not too bad. And then Coda's going to turn to eating. [00:18:17] Speaker D: Thank you. Coda's kind of like, thanks. Hey, I did good. And it's kind of this facial expression, but please, any other questions? Of course. [00:18:33] Speaker A: Sorry. Do you got a phone number? [00:18:41] Speaker D: I mean, if you say my name three times in a mirror, I just suddenly appear. Oh, okay. [00:18:47] Speaker A: Yeah, we can do that. [00:18:48] Speaker B: No way. [00:18:49] Speaker E: No. [00:18:51] Speaker D: Yes, I have a phone. [00:18:55] Speaker B: He had a BMW of snacks. Of course he has a phone. [00:18:58] Speaker A: All right, cool. I'm just making sure because. Yeah, this was an unexpected event, which has been nothing but a pleasure, and I'd like to stay in touch. [00:19:11] Speaker D: Oh, well, you don't have to worry about that. I'm actually going to have use for the three of you. While I don't want to send you on a task or a journey or trek or whatever, in order to get your friend free, I will have use of you. [00:19:27] Speaker A: Oh, so you're going to hand us down a task? [00:19:32] Speaker D: Yes, I am. And it's going to be ek looks over the three of you. It's like stroking his beard. I think you'll be able to handle it. [00:19:46] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:19:50] Speaker C: Great track record right now, but take your word for it. [00:19:55] Speaker D: Have you heard of the fetgade? [00:19:57] Speaker A: No, the what now? [00:20:01] Speaker D: On the first evening of November. [00:20:06] Speaker C: We. [00:20:07] Speaker D: Have a massive party in the Loa underworld. It's actually going to be at the Baron's mansion. And I don't often have time to spend time with my own children. And due to recent events with the loss of my own, I would like to spend time with a few of my kids. Who do incredibly large amounts of work for the world, and they don't get a lot of free time, especially not to spend with their own father. So I would like the three of you to assist in guarding the gate, as it were. [00:20:45] Speaker A: That'd be an honor to help out that way. [00:20:48] Speaker B: What do we have to go against? [00:20:50] Speaker D: What's usually the dangers with everything going on? I can't even begin to tell you. Usually it's just a precaution. Now, this event will last For 24 hours, so I would ask you to stay there for 24 hours guarding it. [00:21:11] Speaker A: Yeah. Do we have to kick out the folks that party a little too hard, too? [00:21:15] Speaker D: You wouldn't be going in, and I wouldn't ask you to after what you just came from. But I will ask that. I know I'm sending you and helping you get to some downtime, but I'll be asking you to meet up with me in New Orleans on October 31. [00:21:41] Speaker B: Oh, sick. [00:21:42] Speaker A: Let me just type that into my calendar here. [00:21:45] Speaker B: Halloween. [00:21:49] Speaker C: Suppose that makes sense. [00:21:53] Speaker B: Is it true that I've heard it in movies and stuff, but they always say the veils get thinner on Hallow's Eve. Is that real or is that gobble cook. [00:22:10] Speaker D: It storyteller? Is that true? [00:22:16] Speaker E: So, yes, basically it varies a little bit, but for the most part, yeah. That time of year, the veil gets thinner between life and death. It is worth noting that they have to meet you on Halloween. But the actual celebration is November 1. [00:22:37] Speaker D: Yes, but, yes, the veil does get thinner on that particular day. But you'll be meeting me at midnight, October 31, and then you'll be there for the entire day of November 1. [00:22:55] Speaker B: Oh, so like Day of the Dead shit, but different culture. [00:23:00] Speaker D: Yes. [00:23:04] Speaker B: All right. Sounds like work, but fun. [00:23:16] Speaker D: Coda. I'm going to be very honest with you. You all chose to climb the world tree. So this the standing guard at a gate. I mean, I'm sorry, but. [00:23:26] Speaker C: Yes, it. [00:23:28] Speaker B: Was nice climbing the world tree. [00:23:33] Speaker C: It was a lot of work for three days straight. It was brutal. [00:23:37] Speaker E: It was brutal. It is worth noting that you are still exhausted. [00:23:42] Speaker B: Well, yeah, but she still thought it was nice. It was a change of perspective. You get to see yourself in a different perspective when you climb the tree of the. You know, Koda's like. It was kind of nice. As much as exhausted. [00:24:03] Speaker A: What am I doing to climb a tree as a kid? [00:24:05] Speaker D: 1 second. Here. Here's the godlike power of Advil in Tylenol, if you need it. [00:24:15] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. There we go. [00:24:18] Speaker B: Can I smoke in here? [00:24:20] Speaker D: Depends. What are you smoking. [00:24:24] Speaker B: Depends what's not allowed. [00:24:30] Speaker D: I mean, there are several things you could smoke that are. I mean, it's my day. Weed. I'm talking about weed. Coda. [00:24:38] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, I'm smoking weed. That's it. [00:24:40] Speaker D: Okay. That's fine. [00:24:41] Speaker A: Of course. [00:24:42] Speaker D: Smoke weed. Okay. [00:24:43] Speaker E: Cool. [00:24:44] Speaker D: Goodness. Yeah, go ahead. [00:24:48] Speaker B: She's going to walk away because she doesn't want to be rude about it. Not all the way, but. So she's not blowing smoke in everyone else's face. [00:25:03] Speaker D: But. 1 second. Oliver. Clint. Drink? [00:25:09] Speaker A: Yeah, I'll take one. [00:25:11] Speaker C: I'll have one. [00:25:13] Speaker A: Just one. [00:25:14] Speaker C: Just one. [00:25:16] Speaker A: After all that climbing. [00:25:18] Speaker D: Are you a pale ale man? [00:25:22] Speaker A: I'm pale sometimes until I get in the sun. [00:25:26] Speaker D: Clint, you glow in the dark, but yeah. Pile paler for Oliver and something harder for Clint. [00:25:31] Speaker A: Yes, please. [00:25:32] Speaker D: Yes. Here we go. [00:25:37] Speaker A: Thank you. [00:25:38] Speaker D: Yes. Any other questions? I'm an open book. We're almost there. [00:25:42] Speaker B: Though. [00:25:45] Speaker C: I suppose we're going to have to check codes while regarding that gate. Will we? [00:25:52] Speaker D: No, most of everyone will be there by the time you start guarding it. [00:25:58] Speaker C: All right. [00:25:59] Speaker A: Will we get to hear some of the music while we're standing there? [00:26:05] Speaker D: I'm going to go out of the limb and say no. [00:26:10] Speaker A: I don't know. If I had, like, an earpiece in and you had my number, would you put the music on for me? [00:26:18] Speaker D: Clint, I'm asking you to guard my family. [00:26:20] Speaker A: Well, of course I'm going to be out there. Guard your family. I just like to have a little background noise while I do my guard. [00:26:25] Speaker D: Know, the background noise will be the silence, I hope occurs around you in front of the gate. He actually looks like a kind of irritated at this point. [00:26:33] Speaker C: Okay, if we're guarding, we should be fully aware of our surroundings. [00:26:38] Speaker A: Well, yeah, but you've never had music on to keep yourself awake or focused. [00:26:44] Speaker D: I don't sleep. [00:26:46] Speaker A: Well. That must be nice. But some of us do. [00:26:55] Speaker D: Yes, but for 24 hours, you won't be. [00:26:58] Speaker C: We'll bring coffee, energy drinks, five hour energy, whatever you need. We just need to limit the distractions. [00:27:07] Speaker D: You can take shifts if you want to. [00:27:12] Speaker A: All right. No music. I got it. [00:27:14] Speaker D: The three scions who normally guard this are fairly powerful and usually can handle it pretty well. But you three should be fine. [00:27:22] Speaker A: Are they going to be part of the party? [00:27:25] Speaker D: Yes, for the first time in quite some time. [00:27:27] Speaker A: Good. They deserve. [00:27:31] Speaker D: Tears. [00:27:35] Speaker E: Oh. [00:27:36] Speaker D: Are you done? Goodness. [00:27:38] Speaker C: He likes to take her time with it. [00:27:42] Speaker B: What do you mean? [00:27:44] Speaker C: I'm just saying you thoroughly enjoy your marijuana. [00:27:48] Speaker B: Marijuana? Just say weed. [00:27:52] Speaker C: No. [00:27:55] Speaker B: All right. Can I also have a drink? [00:28:04] Speaker D: Would you like. [00:28:08] Speaker B: She's going to look to see what the other two are having. [00:28:13] Speaker C: I'm just drinking whatever he gave me. [00:28:16] Speaker B: I'll take what they're having. [00:28:19] Speaker D: Both of what they're having. [00:28:23] Speaker B: No, I don't want too much of something. I'll take wine. You know what? I'll take wine. [00:28:29] Speaker A: Here you go. [00:28:31] Speaker E: Cool. [00:28:34] Speaker B: I'm almost 21, but it's fine. [00:28:37] Speaker D: Never mind, then. Takes the glass away. [00:28:40] Speaker C: No, he's a God of justice. [00:28:44] Speaker B: Are we in? Right now? [00:28:47] Speaker D: We're in the sky. It's my country. [00:28:50] Speaker C: And technically, there are international drinking laws for when we are in the sky. [00:28:57] Speaker D: Oh. I mean, they don't even know I'm in the air. But I agree with you. [00:29:02] Speaker C: Well, also, yeah, you're dominating your rules. [00:29:06] Speaker D: But I'm going to go land this thing. Y'all get comfortable. [00:29:10] Speaker A: All right? [00:29:13] Speaker E: All right. The trip from Japan to the US takes a hot minute, but not nearly as much as you would expect it to. You get the feeling when you touch down and you realize that it couldn't have possibly have been more than a few hours, that maybe there's something about this jet that isn't quite the same. And it can't just be who its owner. [00:29:40] Speaker D: You don't know what you're talking about. That's fine. [00:29:49] Speaker E: When you land and the door opens, you are immediately greeted by the kind of sticky humidity of the US south. [00:30:05] Speaker A: Yeah. Feels like we're back home. [00:30:09] Speaker B: Thank you. [00:30:13] Speaker D: All right, everybody. And he points like a black Bronco on the tarmac. All right, everybody piling. [00:30:22] Speaker A: Are you going to be driving us there, too? [00:30:26] Speaker D: Yeah, this real quick. All right, I have some business to attend to. [00:30:31] Speaker C: The car was already here waiting. [00:30:37] Speaker D: Being a God and stuff as he gets. [00:30:39] Speaker C: Yeah, I don't know why I questioned it. [00:30:43] Speaker B: He'll pile on in. Wait, so you're not staying with us at Daemon's? You're just dropping us off? [00:30:54] Speaker D: Yeah, I have some things that I need to attend to. Also, I have some people to placate after the stunt I just pulled. Honestly, as he starts driving off the tarmac onto the highway. [00:31:05] Speaker A: And is that why you're going down to Damon's? To pick stuff up to help satisfy folks? [00:31:14] Speaker D: I mean, he has some pretty good stuff. And we have a pretty big party to throw out. All three days? [00:31:19] Speaker E: It's more than a few days. It's a few months from now. [00:31:25] Speaker A: Well, yeah, you got to pick up some to sample and make sure you want it for the party. I get it. [00:31:29] Speaker D: Wait, actually, I had no idea what that date actually was. That's my bad. [00:31:35] Speaker E: It's months as you are driving off the tarmac and about to pull out onto the highway, the three of you see a display light up on the console where the GPS and everything would normally be like the layout for an incoming phone call. Lights up. And it is an older man's face that looks eerily familiar. I would like all of you to roll me intelligence and academics, please. Or intelligence and politics. Is there a politics skill I always forget? [00:32:22] Speaker A: There is. [00:32:23] Speaker C: Oh, there is. [00:32:24] Speaker A: There is. [00:32:25] Speaker C: Oh, there is. Yeah. [00:32:26] Speaker E: Intelligence at academics or intelligence at politics. [00:32:35] Speaker C: That's a total of six. [00:32:37] Speaker E: Well done. [00:32:39] Speaker A: Nothing? [00:32:43] Speaker B: Two. [00:32:45] Speaker E: Okay. Clint looks real familiar. Can't place it. You just kind of stare. You're like, how do I know that guy? Coda. You think you've seen this person on TV when political stuff was on the news? Oliver, you recognize Ezekiel Dempsey, who is a senator and chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. [00:33:22] Speaker C: Why are you getting a phone call from Ezekiel Dempsey? [00:33:27] Speaker D: I'll answer it. How are we doing, son? [00:33:32] Speaker E: Pretty good. We have a big vote here soon, so I've only got a few minutes. But I heard you were flying in and I have exactly five minutes. According to my secretary. That bill that I sent you, did you get a chance to look at it? [00:33:53] Speaker D: If you get enough votes for. It'd be pretty solid. [00:33:57] Speaker E: Yeah, that is the problem, isn't it? Listen, you've got an in with. Oh, God, what's the. Know the guy from. The one from Alabama. God, why do I always forget his? [00:34:17] Speaker D: Mitchell? Yeah. [00:34:19] Speaker E: Yeah. Could you make a phone call and ask him to shake some even? We're not even going to be able to get it out of committee if I can't. A couple of people to give it the nod, so to speak. [00:34:40] Speaker D: I'll give them a phone call as soon as I'm done here. [00:34:43] Speaker E: Thanks. [00:34:44] Speaker D: Of course. [00:34:47] Speaker E: Are you driving? [00:34:51] Speaker D: Trying to keep a low profile. Because I may have made a few people a little irritated. [00:34:58] Speaker E: Who'd you piss off? This. [00:35:02] Speaker D: Uh, the vast majority of the Amatsukami. I'm pretty sure I'll send an apology letter soon. Maybe. I don't exactly appreciate what they did to these kids. [00:35:16] Speaker E: These kids. [00:35:19] Speaker A: Heather. [00:35:20] Speaker D: Say hello, children. [00:35:21] Speaker A: Hello, Julie. [00:35:22] Speaker C: Hi, sender. [00:35:23] Speaker B: I like seeing you on TV. [00:35:28] Speaker E: Hi, kids. Who am I talking to? [00:35:32] Speaker D: It's Clint Prasos, Coda Massacoy and Oliver Bright. Three incredibly courageous scions that are handling some serious shit they don't have to. [00:35:42] Speaker E: Oh, y'all were part of the group that made all of that fuss up in Maine. [00:35:50] Speaker C: That's us. [00:35:53] Speaker B: Well. [00:35:57] Speaker E: Cool. Well, good luck. I hear what you guys are dealing with is some pretty heavy stuff. [00:36:08] Speaker C: Yeah, that's certainly a way to describe it. Yes. [00:36:13] Speaker A: I'm having a good time so far. [00:36:18] Speaker E: Well, I don't really have any advice that I could give. My particular labors are a little bit less divinely inspired. But best of luck, try to keep your heads above water, I guess, and. [00:36:40] Speaker A: The same to you. [00:36:43] Speaker C: Thanks, sir. [00:36:45] Speaker E: Yeah, no problem. All right, I got to get going. I'm getting. They're ringing the bell. You all have a good one. [00:36:54] Speaker D: Talk to you soon. [00:36:56] Speaker E: You, too. [00:36:58] Speaker D: Bye. [00:36:59] Speaker E: And he hangs up it. [00:37:06] Speaker D: Really proud of him. [00:37:10] Speaker A: And that's your son. [00:37:12] Speaker D: Yeah. He does really good work. [00:37:18] Speaker C: I've seen he does. Surprising, though, you seem to have a pretty solid relationship. [00:37:27] Speaker D: I mean. [00:37:31] Speaker A: So anytime he calls, you just pick up the phone like that. [00:37:35] Speaker C: See, that's what I mean. Because in case. [00:37:39] Speaker D: Yeah, no, Ezekiel is. I try not to have too many children at the same time. This is one of the few situations that I do, but I try to assign my. I don't have favorites, but the ones that do the most and are most successful on their own without much influence for me, I kind of tick under my wing to make sure they do as much for the world and for the community as they can. Ezekiel is essentially like a leader. He went into politics to try to do as much as he can with the law to help the vast majority of the country. He's done very well. My daughter, Lydia Brown, is a member of the World Health assembly, and she advises several countries on proper medical procedures. And she's been on part of dockers on borders for a very long time. She's been in a lot of hot zones across the world. And then there's Yuru, the son, who doesn't talk to me anymore. [00:39:00] Speaker E: I would again like everybody to make Int an intelligence, please. [00:39:16] Speaker C: Ten. [00:39:18] Speaker E: Good Lord. [00:39:19] Speaker A: Goodness. [00:39:21] Speaker D: I am not smart. [00:39:27] Speaker E: What'd you get? [00:39:28] Speaker A: Clue one. [00:39:30] Speaker E: One. Okay, Oliver, you immediately recognize the name. Yurugu is on Interpol's most wanted list and is known for generally being a shitster around the globe. He's a weapons dealer. He's been involved in a number of armed uprisings and bloody, violent coups. [00:40:12] Speaker C: Al probably just kind of wins when I hear that name. [00:40:16] Speaker B: What's he do? Why doesn't he talk to you? [00:40:21] Speaker D: He fights for freedom. That's not the way I'd like. [00:40:28] Speaker B: Oh. [00:40:34] Speaker D: Nelson Mandela is one of my favorite people I've ever met, and he did everything he could without resorting to violence in a lot of ways. Yuru does everything he can to circumvent that and chooses violence as his only resort. If there's a government that needs to be toppled, that's what he does. Collateral be damned. [00:41:03] Speaker A: Sounds kind of messy, but effective. [00:41:10] Speaker D: Not as much as you'd think. Because justice and, well, vengeance, they kind of flop back and forth. Yes. He wants to avenge all the people say a dictator did wrong and choose to have a dictator in the head. That dictator has a family. That family is going to want justice. That family is going to want vengeance. And that vengeance is going to be wrecked upon whoever takes the place of that government. It happens around the world all of the time, but yru doesn't care. [00:41:49] Speaker B: I guess. How do you decide what is the correct amount of justice? [00:41:56] Speaker D: I guess it's not for me to decide. Especially the ideas of justice have changed so much. And then just the past hundred years or so, the idea of justice has changed. If I want to bring a corrupt senator to justice, I need to prove what he's doing and put him beforeth a jury and a judge, a court of law, and let them decide what justice should be rented out. It's not my job to do it anymore. Everyone's idea of justice is different. Every country's idea of justice is different. Every law system is different. The only justice I am allowed to enact is making sure that I see to it that they face it. [00:42:43] Speaker A: So you're not the judge or the jury, you're just the policeman? [00:42:53] Speaker D: Sadly, yes. And also, there are hotspots across the country that other Pantheons are in charge of. And despite my want to go correct that injustice, I have to leave it in their hands. That's why Yuru has been dodging many a bullet a lot of the time, and I've had to take heat from other Pantheons to make up for what he's done. [00:43:28] Speaker B: What's your. What's your thought on, like, people redeeming themselves? [00:43:40] Speaker D: Go ahead. [00:43:43] Speaker B: Do you think it's worth. Do you think it's worth giving people a second chance? And, like, you know. [00:43:58] Speaker D: As many chances as they need? Just like your friend, he needs a chance to be redeemed. To be redeemed. Redemption. Redo himself? Sorry. I believe from the bottom of my soul that everyone has goodness in them. To a degree. You may also ask, though, how many times can someone get that another chance? Yeah, that depends on so many factors. It's messy. It's gross, right? You never really have a solid answer to this. You have to just choose what you individually believe and follow it to the best of your ability. [00:45:00] Speaker B: I believe what you believe. [00:45:02] Speaker D: Well, Coda, you're very young. You have plenty of time to figure that out. No one's asking you to figure it out immediately. Anyone who does is a complete idiot, and you shouldn't listen to them. [00:45:14] Speaker B: Right. [00:45:16] Speaker D: The journey of self discovery can take an entire lifetime, and it should take a lifetime. As you experience more, your opinion is going to change. [00:45:26] Speaker A: And just to clarify, other than Yuru, if any of them were to call you just out of nowhere, you'd pick up the phone and answer them? [00:45:36] Speaker D: Of course. They're my children. [00:45:38] Speaker C: Pat. Clint, on the shoulder. [00:45:41] Speaker D: Clint, are you okay? [00:45:43] Speaker A: Yeah. Just experiencing some envy, that's all. [00:45:49] Speaker E: Ian Sort of nips at Clint's ear. Remember, he's only got three. [00:45:55] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. That does make a difference, I guess. [00:46:01] Speaker D: Actually, yeah, you'll see. Sango, reach into his coat pocket and then just push a card over to Clint. That's my phone number. [00:46:11] Speaker A: Thank you. He'll tuck it away into a pocket. [00:46:15] Speaker D: Also, Clint, do yourself a favor. [00:46:17] Speaker A: Yeah? [00:46:17] Speaker D: Just all constantly remind yourself your mother does love you. [00:46:24] Speaker A: Yeah, I know she loves me, but sometimes it's just nice to hear it. [00:46:29] Speaker D: Clint? [00:46:30] Speaker A: Yeah? [00:46:31] Speaker D: Your mother loves you. [00:46:35] Speaker A: Thank you. [00:46:39] Speaker D: Never underestimate a parent's love for their child. She may be bound by duty and can't always be there for you. But don't think for a second if a push came to the shop, she wouldn't do whatever she could for you. I don't know the Morgan very well, but she loves you. [00:47:01] Speaker A: Thank you. I don't think she'd ever put it quite that way, so it's nice to hear it. Thank you. [00:47:09] Speaker D: That goes for the both of you. It looks like Coda and Oliver. [00:47:16] Speaker C: I will take your word for it. [00:47:19] Speaker B: I know my mom loves me. [00:47:30] Speaker D: All right, here we are. [00:47:34] Speaker E: Clint, as Shango says that you look up in time to see a ripple on the side of the road. And where there had once been a thick tree line, the world seems to kind of shift and glimmer a little bit like a mirage coming into view. And eventually that effect sort of dissipates, and you find that you are actually looking at hundreds of yards, at least, worth of rolling field. [00:48:14] Speaker A: Does that usually happen? [00:48:16] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:48:18] Speaker C: Normally. [00:48:21] Speaker E: It'S not hard to know what a lot of it is. A glance makes it pretty clear that you are looking at. You're looking at fields upon fields of weed. And these plants are bigger than any. Any plant you've ever seen before. Bigger than they have any business being. And it looks like women kind of dotted here and there throughout the fields. Walking in between these rows, they all look slightly off, but from a distance it's hard to tell why. They're pretty, though. [00:49:19] Speaker A: So this is real. We didn't step into any sort of dream or. This is not like Asgard or anything, is it? [00:49:31] Speaker D: You're going to like Asgard again. Sorry, 1 second clone. I'll get us out of Asgard. [00:49:39] Speaker E: You're not in Asgard. You're definitely in Damon's farm. [00:49:42] Speaker D: Yeah, he's got, like a shitty Ingrid on his face. [00:49:47] Speaker A: It's got a certain sort of smell here, don't it? [00:49:55] Speaker E: You all ride up this long, kind of slightly winding dirt road up towards a large kind of traditionally built farmhouse. It's clean and white and there's like vines kind of growing along it here and there. It's got a big wraparound screened in porch. In fact, the screen is different. That's a new addition from the last time Oliver and Coda were here. And there are a number of women out on that porch, kind of sitting behind the screen who all sort of like, hop up and wave at the car as it pulls up. [00:50:48] Speaker A: Clint waves right back through the windows. [00:50:54] Speaker D: Shanghao turned the car off. [00:50:56] Speaker A: All right, here we are. [00:51:00] Speaker C: Thanks again for the transportation and conversation, Chango. [00:51:05] Speaker D: Of course. Oh, Coda. [00:51:10] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:51:12] Speaker D: Take some time for self reflection, but again, you have all the time in the world to figure it out. [00:51:23] Speaker E: Yeah. [00:51:24] Speaker D: Everyone can be redeemed. [00:51:32] Speaker B: Thanks, Shango. She'll rub the back of her neck and look at the other two and go. Is it possible if I could talk to you too later with your phone number or whatever? [00:51:53] Speaker D: Absolutely. [00:51:57] Speaker E: So cute. It is as this moment is happening that all four of the doors of the SUV open and the SUV is surrounded by beautiful women. Clint, what you realize sets these women apart from most of the women that you have seen is that they have hair that seems as much hair as it is like vines. Their hair is kind of laced through with flowers. Some of them have patches of skin that look more like tree bark than actual skin. They're all stunning, but it's this very otherworldly kind of pretty. [00:52:42] Speaker A: No, they're all hippies. [00:52:48] Speaker E: Shango. One of them, in fact, one that you have met before, kind of throws open your door and gives you this huge toothy grin and looks very excited and bright eyed to see you. Are you staying? We can put a brisket in the smoker. [00:53:13] Speaker D: Oh, how dare you. [00:53:16] Speaker A: Come on, just for a couple of days. [00:53:19] Speaker D: That's not fair. Okay. Yes. Damn it. [00:53:25] Speaker E: And the second he says yes, she's Got his hands and is pulling him out of the car. [00:53:31] Speaker A: All right. [00:53:31] Speaker D: Goddamn goodness. [00:53:37] Speaker E: There are two who have reached in and kind of taken either of Clint's hands that are starting to pull him out of the car and are, like, asking. They're like, who are you? Where are you from? What's your name? Being very flirty, kind of hanging all over him. Lots of just attention and lavishing him in the moment. Koda, they've gotten used to you coming by a few times and not really, like, getting attached to anybody or spending any alone time. So mostly they just kind of wave politely and offer to take your things. [00:54:22] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, she'll wave and then kind of head towards Damon. [00:54:28] Speaker E: Damon is, for the moment, not into the house. [00:54:31] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:54:33] Speaker E: Oliver, your particular friend, is standing nearby, but she's hanging back a little bit. She's a little bit more withdrawn than the others at just kind of smiling at you pleasantly and shyly. [00:54:51] Speaker C: Just get out, look around, look down, look up, wave, look down again. [00:54:59] Speaker E: Well, it's not 03:00 a.m. So that's a nice change. [00:55:06] Speaker C: Yes. [00:55:10] Speaker E: Do you want to come inside? It's hot out here. [00:55:16] Speaker C: I'm noticing that it really is right now in science. Sounds great. [00:55:22] Speaker E: Didn't you just go to the underworld? [00:55:26] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:55:27] Speaker E: And you wore tweed. [00:55:30] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:55:35] Speaker E: Well, you're committed to your brand, at least. And she'll kind of, like, slide her arm into yours and start guiding you inside. As you all get inside, dryads are pressing drinks into people's hands. It's immediately this almost, like, laid back party kind of, kind of atmosphere. Music gets turned on, whatever. You end up finding Damon in his living room. And it's that massive living room with the huge wraparound sofa and just, like, a wall of electronics. Like, there's a TV that takes up the bulk of this one big wall, but it's, like, surrounded by different video game consoles. He's currently wearing a VR headset, and without the context of exactly what's going on inside of the VR headset, it just kind of looks like he is flailing wildly and a little disjointedly beat saber. Yeah. And Clint, from what you can see of this gUy, he's tall, but not quite as tall as you. He's not particularly broad. He's definitely a little bit more on the slender side. He has a shaggy head of blonde hair. He's wearing a kind of loose fitting T shirt and baggy jeans. And when one of the girls gets over and manages to kind of deftly duck and weave between the flailing arms to manage to tap him on the shoulder so that he'll stop. He kind of pauses and sways a little bit on his feet as he goes to pull the headset off. And he looks around and he goes, oh. [00:57:47] Speaker A: Hey, friend. How's it going? [00:57:49] Speaker E: David Oda, how you doing? [00:57:56] Speaker B: Well, shitty, but it's great to be here. [00:58:04] Speaker E: Well, thankfully, I got something to help with that. [00:58:08] Speaker B: She'll actually giggle a little bit and look excited. [00:58:14] Speaker E: You burned through your stash already? I gave you a pretty big one when you were here last time. [00:58:19] Speaker B: It's just so good, you can't stop. [00:58:23] Speaker E: Yeah, one puff is never enough. All right? And he'll kind of, like, pass this headset off to one of the Dryads, who takes it and goes to put it away. When he walks over and he sort of holds a hand out for Shango. I thought you were just going to drop him off and go, did you get your mind changed? And he glances at the Dryad, who's, like, hanging from your arm. [00:58:51] Speaker D: We've met. Yeah, you said brisket, so, yes. They tasting like, of course. Just a little while. Days. [00:59:06] Speaker A: Yeah, just a couple of days. We're going to enjoy some. [00:59:10] Speaker D: I forgot how the Greeks party. Honestly, we got to go back over there once in a while. [00:59:16] Speaker E: Oh, shit. This isn't even a real party day. This is just a chill the fuck out kind of day. But yeah, no, we put brisket in the smoker, I think. Did I remember to do that? And one of the girls kind of nods and he goes, good. Excellent. All right, well, Mikasa, su casa. I got rooms for everybody. Y'all just miss Net and Kareem. They were here a couple days ago. [00:59:47] Speaker A: Wait, just to clarify, on account of the smell and the vapors going on around here, when you say there's brisket in the smoker, are we talking wood chips and pecan wood or Oakwood in there, or are we smoking it a different wAy? I got to know for what kind of meal I prepare to have and how the night is going to pan out. [01:00:08] Speaker D: I could smell from here. That's a good hickory. [01:00:11] Speaker E: Yeah, we use real wood for that particular. Yeah, but if you're interested in the other stuff, I got plenty of that too. [01:00:22] Speaker A: I can tell. I might dig you up on it. [01:00:27] Speaker E: He kind of walks over and he puts his hand out to Clint Damon, scion of Dionysus. [01:00:33] Speaker A: Oh, nice to meet you, Damon. I'm Clint Brassus, scion of the Morgan, and he'll take firm handshake. [01:00:42] Speaker E: Yeah, I figured it was her and the old man, but your bird seems like less of a dick. [01:00:50] Speaker A: Yeah, he's pretty nice. [01:00:53] Speaker E: Ian sort of squawks and fluffs up a little bit. [01:00:56] Speaker A: Look at him, and he'll scratch under his chin and everything. [01:01:02] Speaker E: You get nipped. [01:01:03] Speaker A: Worth it. Nice to meet you, Damon. Do you ever talk to my mom? [01:01:18] Speaker E: Not personally. No offense, just kind of not my vibe. [01:01:26] Speaker A: I get it. [01:01:27] Speaker E: I've met plenty of your siblings. [01:01:32] Speaker A: Are they pretty nice, too? [01:01:35] Speaker E: No. Most of them are assholes. You're the nicest one so far. Okay, they're a very serious bunch. [01:01:45] Speaker A: So if I was to theoretically throw together a barbecue, you don't think maybe a few of them would show up and party, too? [01:01:54] Speaker E: Well, they are Irish, so they might. [01:01:57] Speaker A: All right, cool. Jot that down here. [01:02:03] Speaker E: So really, if you want the ones who will really party, you want to invite the kids to the Dagda? [01:02:10] Speaker A: The Dagda? Okay. [01:02:13] Speaker E: Lou's kids aren't bad either, but they can be kind of self righteous assholes. But the Dagda, he parties. So do his kids. Typically. [01:02:29] Speaker A: Do you have the Dagda's phone number? I'm trying to get a contact list put together for this. [01:02:35] Speaker E: Uh, no, I don't make it a point of collecting the phone numbers of gods. [01:02:40] Speaker A: Oh, you should. It's actually been quite a fruitful hobby. [01:02:44] Speaker E: I mean, with the exception of a few. And he'll kind of nod at Shango's thoroughly distracted. Well, listen, Mikase, there's rooms upstairs. You two know the deal. And he'll kind of point at Oliver and Coda, and he looks at Clinton. I'm sure the girls will take care of you. If you need anything, all you got to do is ask. Coda. [01:03:08] Speaker B: You're. [01:03:09] Speaker E: I'll go put together a care package. [01:03:12] Speaker B: Thank you. [01:03:16] Speaker A: What exactly is the deal? Y'all seem to already have a deal going on. And you all know about the deal. [01:03:24] Speaker C: Can explain. [01:03:29] Speaker B: Essentially, the Dryads love to have a fun time in general, but especially at night. Or I guess during the day, too, if that's what you're into. I don't particularly partake in that because. Well, anyways. But, yeah, there's that. I mean, there's good food, there's weed, there's TV, there's games. Like you said, my house, your house. Mikasa Sukasa. So enjoy. [01:04:03] Speaker A: All right. [01:04:04] Speaker B: And it doesn't have to be just one. Dry it, too. [01:04:07] Speaker A: Wait, what do you mean by you? [01:04:10] Speaker B: Figure it out. Okay, I'm going to go get my care package. [01:04:14] Speaker E: We could show you. [01:04:17] Speaker A: Yeah, that's fine. I'm up for learning something new. [01:04:26] Speaker E: Clint ends up with a dryad on each arm and one behind him, and they are shuffling him towards the stairs. [01:04:36] Speaker A: It looks like I'm going to be a little bit busy for a minute. You all just let me know if you need anything. [01:04:43] Speaker E: It's going to be more than a minute. [01:04:47] Speaker A: What are we going to do with all the extra time? [01:04:51] Speaker E: Oh, I think you'll figure it out. And they disappear up the stairs. [01:05:03] Speaker B: Leaving. [01:05:05] Speaker E: Coda and Oliver downstairs with Shago and Damon. Damon, who has shuffled into a side room and begun to clunk around coda. You visited a couple of times during your, during the time between seasons, and you've kind of figured out that this side room is Damon's. Like, you hesitate to call it an office because while there is a desk, there's also just, like, rows and rows of apothecary shelving. And everything is very meticulously labeled, which is wild because this is a dude who frequently forgets that he pulled something out of the fridge and set it down so that he could grab something else. And then, like an hour later, we'll walk in and wonder why there are tomatoes on the counter. [01:06:04] Speaker D: If you're attacked. [01:06:07] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:06:12] Speaker E: Damon is a heavy burnout combined with the most extreme form of ADHD you've ever seen, to the point where you're not even sure he's high. Most of the time, you think this just might be who he is, but this room is just wall to wall. Each of the four walls is lined with shelves with the little apothecary drawers, and each drawer is, like, meticulously labeled. There's these big glass jars up on some of them that are filled with exactly what, you know, what it is, but the center is like this big, wide table that has a chair at it, so it could be a desk, but you've never actually seen him really sit down unless he's settling into start rolling blunts, and he kind of walks in and he's got a humidor off to one side, and he pulls out. He pulls out a few things from that, and he's going around and he's pulling down jars and he kind of pauses and he goes, what would you say is currently your biggest issue? You're not sleeping good. You got racing thoughts, anxieties. You angry? [01:07:36] Speaker B: All. [01:07:37] Speaker E: I mean, of course you're angry. You're you. But you know what I mean. [01:07:41] Speaker B: Thanks. I haven't been able to sleep well lately, but that's like, all right, we. [01:07:52] Speaker E: Need at least a few rolls of the Betty by strain. Where is that? What else? [01:08:04] Speaker B: I guess I do need to be able to do some deep thinking while I'm here. Oh, and, oh, God. I'm going to work on one of my labors while I'm here. So I'm also going to need to be able to focus. Like, super focus. I'm going to have to research. [01:08:26] Speaker E: All right. Hmm. And he kind of looks around. [01:08:42] Speaker B: It. [01:08:43] Speaker E: Pulls out a few things, and then hands it over. Hands over a box. And he kind of points that he goes, this one will help you sleep, but don't use it unless you are prepared to sleep. [01:09:08] Speaker B: Okay. [01:09:14] Speaker E: This one will help with anxiety and help you calm down if you're real upset about whatever stuff to help you focus a little bit more complicated. But this is this gum that I've been working on, and it's not like an edible or anything. It's just got a metric fuck ton of caffeine in it, so that might help. [01:09:42] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, I'll try it. I'll be your guinea pig. You got anything you need for. You need testing? [01:09:54] Speaker E: You sure you want to try? [01:09:58] Speaker B: Do I have to repeat myself? She says jokingly, not like, with her usual gusto. [01:10:11] Speaker E: All right, I'll keep that in mind. I got something I'm working on, but this one, because you said you wanted to get introspective, I call this one Kryptonite. Let's just say, wait until you are ready to go on a journey of self discovery and make sure that you are in the care of people that you trust. [01:10:42] Speaker B: You are a mad scientist. [01:10:46] Speaker E: My girls do most of the work. I just come up with names and figure out how it works. [01:10:53] Speaker B: Okay, well, thank you for this. [01:10:57] Speaker E: Also, I manage the money because otherwise they would just go and give it to whoever and never make a penny. [01:11:07] Speaker B: I really need to study more of what you're doing. [01:11:12] Speaker E: Hey, you like Cheetos? [01:11:15] Speaker B: I love Cheetos. [01:11:17] Speaker E: I figured out how to make homemade Cheetos. [01:11:20] Speaker B: You did not. [01:11:22] Speaker E: I did. [01:11:23] Speaker B: Mad scientist. This is what I'm talking about. How did you come up? I want to try them. I want to make them. I want to try them, and I want to make them. [01:11:33] Speaker E: And he leads the way into the kitchen, past Shango, who is now entertaining two girls who are very excited that he's here. [01:11:48] Speaker D: Though I know what to do. I mean, we got it going. I'm just late. [01:11:56] Speaker E: Oliver, who has said almost nothing the whole time, but still has this girl who's know arm in arm with him. It looks very pleased, but is being incredibly respectful by comparison to her sisters. Quiet. [01:12:10] Speaker C: For both the normal reasons. And also, I'm trying to keep an eye on Brahm, make sure he's not causing problems. [01:12:17] Speaker E: He is a dragon, Romy. Perception, awareness. [01:12:21] Speaker C: Oh, no. [01:12:24] Speaker D: That dragon about to light up some fine boat, I'll tell you that. [01:12:28] Speaker E: Two successes. [01:12:29] Speaker D: Two. [01:12:35] Speaker E: Brahm has actually crawled his way into the lap of one of the girls, and she is, like, petting along his neck, and they're making noises at each other that don't seem like they're any particular language because you're not able to translate it. But they seem to be able to understand each other. [01:13:03] Speaker C: Right. Okay, good. Not lighting things on fires. Good. [01:13:14] Speaker E: Pele, meanwhile, has found the highest point in the room, which is one of the shelves above the massive TV and is lounging like the tiny God that he is and overlooking his domain. [01:13:31] Speaker B: Good. [01:13:32] Speaker E: Which is mostly to say that he is getting up and away from the people who keep trying to pet hIm. In the kitchen, Damon pulls out a. Like a. It looks like a bread basket almost, where he has, like, folded the cloth corners over whatever is inside, and he puts them out. And they don't look like a standard Cheeto, but you can understand what he was going for. They are definitely a little bit more realistically colored than Cheetos, but you can see that there's dusting of different spices, and they're generally bigger than what you would expect from a Cheeto. And he puts the basket down on the counter. Well, I kept getting yelled at for eating the real thing, so I figured I'd figure out how to make it. Then the girls can't complain at me for not being healthy. [01:14:39] Speaker B: All right, can I try it? [01:14:44] Speaker E: Sure. That's a spicy kind. I'm out of the normal when I finished them yesterday. [01:14:49] Speaker B: Well, thank you. I love spicy. She'll take one and munch it. [01:14:57] Speaker E: Coda. It is spicy. It is very cheesy. It tastes nothing like a Cheeto. It tastes like what a Cheeto was trying to be. [01:15:09] Speaker B: Damn. You're going to have to hide these, Damon. [01:15:16] Speaker E: I was thinking about seeing about how hard it would be to mass produce them. [01:15:24] Speaker B: You got to do that? [01:15:27] Speaker E: Never got to diversify my income stream. [01:15:35] Speaker B: Do you have a decent amount made? Because while we're on our travels, I can drop a few, try to sell a few. [01:15:42] Speaker E: No, I'm still in the testing phases, but I'm pretty happy with those. I figure I'll come up with a few more flavors, and I know some people in the food market, I think. [01:16:01] Speaker B: Okay, diversify. [01:16:06] Speaker E: Figure. I call them stoner snacks. [01:16:12] Speaker B: Like the brand or just that snack? [01:16:16] Speaker E: The brand. [01:16:17] Speaker B: Okay, cool. I was going to say we're not getting much information from what it does. I just call them it stoner snacks. But yeah, that's a great idea. That's a great idea. She called him like, cheese Louise. [01:16:33] Speaker E: Cheese. I like that cheese Louise. That's good. [01:16:41] Speaker B: Yeah. She'll honestly snack on them if you keep letting her eat them. And she'll probably. [01:16:49] Speaker E: He does. [01:16:50] Speaker B: Cool. She'll sit with Damon for a bit, to be honest, until some stuff happens. [01:16:57] Speaker E: Oliver, is there anything that you want to do? [01:17:01] Speaker C: Yeah. While we're kind of waiting around, I'Ll kind of suddenly seem to realize something. Be like, oh, Esropia. I don't know if you got my other pictures, but I took some ones after that and thought maybe if you want to see them. [01:17:21] Speaker E: Sure. [01:17:22] Speaker C: I'll pull up the phone, look at it for a second, see the date, wince a little bit, but then pull up the various photos we've taken since Magmel and just kind of show them off. [01:17:34] Speaker E: Did you maybe want to go for a walk and tell me about your. [01:17:43] Speaker C: Sure, sure. That sounds nice. [01:17:46] Speaker E: Awesome. [01:17:51] Speaker C: Lead the way. [01:17:54] Speaker E: And she kind of gives coda a little finger wave and a bright smile and then begins to lead you outside and out the back into what is actually a large flowering garden. She does not like, direct you towards the rows and rows of weed. Ah. And proceeds to. She looks with interest at all of the pictures that you have taken, but is also like asking questions that she wants to hear about your adventures. And she frequently coups over how brave you are to do all the things that you're doing and how impressive it all is and things like. [01:18:49] Speaker C: Debatable. But also, you probably saw Bram. He's a new thing. [01:18:56] Speaker E: Well, he's. Yes, I noticed. [01:18:59] Speaker C: As it turns out, Magmel, the thing we need to get the big rock was actually an egg. And it hatched and he decided you, I guess. Or I mean me, but yeah, you know what I mean. [01:19:18] Speaker E: He took a shine to you. [01:19:21] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:19:22] Speaker E: I have an uncle who's a dragon. [01:19:25] Speaker C: What? [01:19:26] Speaker E: I don't know if he ever took a shine to anybody. He's kind of a jerk. [01:19:32] Speaker C: I'm trying to get past the. You have an uncle who's a dragon part? [01:19:36] Speaker E: Yeah, it's a Greek thing. We have complicated family trees. [01:19:48] Speaker C: That's very good. I like that. [01:19:54] Speaker E: Have you gotten your labor from the Greek? From the dodocathion yet? [01:20:00] Speaker C: No, not yet. It looks like we have three that we need to kind of handle. And from some of the other Pantheons and Shanghao told us what we have to do for the Loa, but Greeks have not come a knocking yet. [01:20:19] Speaker E: Well, I don't know what they have planned. We don't really get a lot of news out here, but in my experience, and from all of the stories, just pay attention to try to read up on the stories about the gods that you're dealing with. Greeks holds grudges. [01:20:48] Speaker C: Yeah, I probably could have benefit from being a bit more observant on these past two labors as well. [01:20:54] Speaker E: If you're helping one of them, you're bound to be pissing another one off, so just keep that in mind. [01:21:01] Speaker C: That I will. Just. I'm nervous. Say the least. [01:21:11] Speaker E: Be all right. You've gotten this far through, and you're kind of like the smartest person I know. Even smarter than Damon. But don't tell him I said that. [01:21:23] Speaker C: I'll try my best to avoid it, but lately I feel like I haven't been smart enough. I've been making missteps, bad missteps. Things that. Well, anytime I've had to make a call during these labors, it felt like the result has done more harm than good. And, well, I don't know. [01:21:47] Speaker E: You're still learning. [01:21:54] Speaker C: I'm coming to some epiphanies about myself. Recently, I've made a sort of conclusion to stop lying, but it's hard when I look at the end result of me trying my absolute best and it being not good enough, I'm just. I think I'm more concerned with letting the people around me down as opposed to actually messing up. [01:22:44] Speaker E: Well, I don't know a lot about the stories from other pantheons, but I know about the stories from mine. Heroes aren't perfect. Even Heracles, who had a team of people around him to support him, and they were all really impressive. They still screwed up. Just working with the team made the screw ups a little less. A little more bearable when they happened. [01:23:31] Speaker C: Right? I don't know, I guess it's. [01:23:35] Speaker E: You've got to stop trying to take the world on your shoulders. [01:23:41] Speaker C: I'm just scared. So scared all the time about so many things. [01:23:50] Speaker E: Of course you are. It would be silly to not be scared. Anyone who's not scared when they're dealing with stuff like this is dumb. You're not dumb. The fact that you're scared isn't what's important. It's the fact that you do it anyways, that's important. [01:24:14] Speaker C: What happens, though, when I finally screw up and they decide they don't want me around anymore? Or I screw up and someone better comes along and they decide they'd rather have them than me? But thEn. [01:24:37] Speaker E: Um. Have you seen your friends? [01:24:48] Speaker C: I have. [01:24:51] Speaker E: No offense, but number one, I don't think most of them could afford to lose you. [01:25:02] Speaker C: And what if I wasn't exactly talking about my friends? [01:25:12] Speaker E: Talking about your dad. [01:25:17] Speaker C: Sure, yeah. Ogma. Yeah, him. It's awkward. I'm talking to him. It feels like I'm talking to a teacher rather than a father. [01:25:33] Speaker E: Yeah, I get that. [01:25:38] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:25:40] Speaker E: But I don't think that. He doesn't seem like the type. You remind me of him a little bit. Um. Teachers do what they can to help the people that they're guiding. [01:26:01] Speaker B: Right? [01:26:01] Speaker E: And it takes a lot for a teacher to give up on a student who needs their help. [01:26:08] Speaker C: That's true. You're right. It's just awkward. I guess recently, when we're introducing ourselves, we're all saying we're the sign on this. Or. [01:26:21] Speaker E: That'S because it's polite. [01:26:24] Speaker C: Yeah, I feel iffy about saying, hi, I'm Oliver Bright. The sign of OGMa. Not because I don't think I deserve to say that, but because, well, maybe, just maybe, I don't want everything about me to be defined by him. [01:26:49] Speaker E: Okay, so let me put it to you this way. When you think about Heracles or Hercules or Achilles, do you think about who their parent was or do you think about what they did? [01:27:06] Speaker C: I think about what they did. [01:27:10] Speaker E: Then stop worrying. You're just not as far along on your journey as they were. You'll get there. And it's not about defining yourself by who your parent is. It's about. [01:27:26] Speaker B: Making. [01:27:29] Speaker E: Ties known so that people understand the political landscape when they're dealing with you. It's about knowing who they're going to piss off if they insult you or who could be happy because they treated you well. [01:27:55] Speaker C: That's a good point. You're pretty smart yourself. [01:28:02] Speaker E: No, about all that. I'm head full of flowers. [01:28:09] Speaker C: I don't know. Based on what you just said, it's very introspective. [01:28:17] Speaker E: Been at this a long time. [01:28:21] Speaker C: Well, from someone who should probably give himself more credit. I think you should give yourself more credit as well. [01:28:31] Speaker E: I'll try if you'll try. [01:28:36] Speaker C: Now, we were just made given a lecture about not making deals Willy nilly, but I think in this case, I'll take you up on that. Also, quick Question. Something I've been meaning to ask as a sort of curiosity, scientific thing, if that's okay. So you're a dryad, meaning you're a plant being. And when you're in this form, do you breathe out carbon dioxide like a regular person or is it oxygen? Because you're a plant? [01:29:22] Speaker E: I breathe out oxygen. [01:29:25] Speaker C: Oh, okay. Good to know. So in that case, I shouldn't have to come up for air for a while and I'm going to kiss her. [01:29:36] Speaker E: Well. [01:29:40] Speaker B: The gasp I just did. [01:29:45] Speaker E: The kiss is long and gentle and sweet. She tastes like honeysuckle. And we will fade out on that particular scene and return inside to Coda. Hanging out with. Just with Damon. Everybody else has kind of found their corners and retreated to them. [01:30:24] Speaker B: Sorry, I'm so shocked. Yeah. I think at this point, Coda did try to sit on the. What did she say? It's a wraparound porch kind of situation. [01:30:45] Speaker E: And you could be out on the front porch. [01:30:48] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:30:48] Speaker E: Great. [01:30:49] Speaker B: Yeah, she's going to be sitting out there. She's probably going to smoke the old stuff that he gave her because she's like, I just need to chill right now because all this stuff, she's going to hold onto it for later and she's just going to. Sitting out, staring out, thinking. [01:31:13] Speaker E: So how's it been going? [01:31:19] Speaker B: Um, you know, it's. Well, you don't know. It's. It's. It's. It's great. You know, we're going around. We're doing labors. We're eventually getting Stefan. I don't know. It's a lot, I'll admit. It's a lot. [01:31:47] Speaker E: I get the feeling you don't really know how you feel about all that. [01:31:54] Speaker B: No, she's going to lean back and then inhale and exhale like a puff and kind of stare out and then be like, I don't really know what to feel about anything right now. I understand. And I can live in my anger because I understand it. I get it. I'm safe there, but I just don't know why I'm angry anymore. I don't know why I'm doing any of this. Like, obviously there's Stefan, but was that the right choice? Does net hate me now? Because I made that? Like, doesn't net hate me in general? Am I doing the right thing? I can't sleep at night because I keep having these fucking nightmares of wolves ripping at me and net stabbing me because, like, betrayed her or something. And we're being hunted down and Teddy's dying and she's just going to blurb out. All of. Yeah. [01:33:06] Speaker E: Huh? [01:33:07] Speaker B: I don't know how to feel about anything. [01:33:09] Speaker E: That's a, um. Listen, I can tell you a few things. First thing I can tell you is that net doesn't hate you. She's upset. She's fucking pissed. She doesn't hate you. [01:33:28] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:33:30] Speaker E: She doesn't agree with what you did. There's a lot of people who don't agree with what you did. But something tells me that you knew going into this that there are going to be a lot of people who didn't agree. [01:33:49] Speaker B: Yeah, but I didn't want. I feel like I heard her. [01:33:52] Speaker E: You did? She felt her big sister die and it was his fault. He made the call and you fought for him. So, yeah, she's hurt. And I don't know how long it's going to take for her to not be hurt. I don't know if she'll ever not be hurt by that. But just because she's hurt doesn't mean you made the wrong choice. [01:34:39] Speaker B: Feels like it. Well, but also it doesn't. I don't know. [01:34:45] Speaker E: No, it doesn't feel like you made the wrong choice. It feels like you are hurt because she's hurting and you can't fix it. [01:34:54] Speaker B: I can't. And I keep making more mistakes of her. [01:35:07] Speaker E: What did you do? [01:35:13] Speaker B: Do you know a yukiko? [01:35:17] Speaker E: No. Yeah, what about her? [01:35:21] Speaker B: So net gave me her number. So we know figure out stuff about this labor we just did. And that was like, don't tell her that I gave her. [01:35:34] Speaker E: And you did. [01:35:35] Speaker B: I did. And I panicked. And I don't know why I panicked. I don't know why I panicked. Like, why would I panic about something like that? But I guess, I don't know. I felt unsure and I was like, well, why are both of them being so sus about this? It's just a phone number. And then, I don't know, it just came out of my mouth and I just fucked more things up. And then she sent that message where she was like, well, it's not my first time. And I don't know. [01:36:02] Speaker E: That hurt. [01:36:03] Speaker B: That hurt a lot. But I guess she's hurting too, so I guess I deserved it. But also I don't think I deserved it because that was really fucked up. But also I guess it's fucked up that I'm doing this stuff for Stefan. Right? Right. [01:36:20] Speaker E: Here's the thing. You can only control what you do. You can't control how people feel about it. How people feel about it isn't your problem. It is what it is. You made a call. You're going to have to live with the consequences of that call, but that doesn't mean that her reaction to your decision is your problem. You got to give her the space to feel how she's going to feel and to work through what she's going to work through. And I can't make any promises that she's ever going to get over this or that it's ever going to be perfect or even good again with her. But I can tell you that net sees a lot of the bad on a day to day. More than you guys have seen, that's for sure. She was doing it before you guys knew what you were, and she's going to be doing it until the day she drops, because that's just who she is. She's dealing with the aftermath not only of what he did, but of the decisions that you made to take him off the table, off the playing field. Things have gotten like they were bad when he was in charge with the wolves, but they've gotten way worse since that other bitch took over. [01:38:10] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:38:13] Speaker E: She'S brutal and a lot less choosy about who gets hurt. And every time they don't make it in time to stop Whatever's happening, net blames herself. And then I suspect, because it is easier than taking all of the guilt on her own shoulders, part of her probably blames you, too. And that ain't fair and it ain't logical, but grief rarely is. [01:38:53] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:38:56] Speaker E: And I imagine she's also got a fair bit of survivor's guilt going on, too. As far as net was concerned, if anybody in that little trio that they had going on was going to die, it was going to be her. She made it a point to make sure that she was always the one in harm's way. So Moira making the sacrifice play fucked her up. I like the new guy they brought on, though. [01:39:28] Speaker B: What's he like? [01:39:30] Speaker E: Lucas. He's smart, good with his hands. Kind of a Lucas. Kind of a dweeb, but yeah. Lucas. Yeah. [01:39:52] Speaker B: What's he to sign on of? Or who's he to sign of? [01:39:57] Speaker E: Lou, I think. [01:40:02] Speaker B: No way. There's like an actual one. [01:40:09] Speaker E: What do you mean, there's an actual one? [01:40:11] Speaker B: Sorry. I swear, God's in their shit. [01:40:17] Speaker E: He's got no tolerance, though. I gave him two puffs and he was blasted for a day. [01:40:25] Speaker B: Oh, I can so wait. So there's a real Lucas that's the son of Lou, and not just Lou being the. Yo, God's in their shit, man. I can't Gods do too much playing these games left and right. [01:40:54] Speaker E: Coda's just gonna kind of like be. [01:40:55] Speaker B: Cursing to herself for a bit and then go, we had a Lucas and then the Lucas wasn't lo kiss. It was then, but now you're telling me that there's an actual Lucas. [01:41:11] Speaker E: Wasn'T? [01:41:16] Speaker B: Man, God's in their shit. [01:41:20] Speaker E: Yeah, God's in their shit. Sounds about right. [01:41:26] Speaker B: Do you ever talk to your parent dad? [01:41:32] Speaker E: Sometimes. He comes around. When. Well, when he needs to be resupplied. Um, he was here for my last birthday. We had a fucking blowout of a party. He brought the main EDs, though, and they make things complicated. The whose main edge? [01:42:03] Speaker B: Still not going to know what it is. [01:42:05] Speaker E: They're crazy worshippers of his. Kind of known for ripping men to pieces. [01:42:13] Speaker B: Oh, shit. That's a party. Like, not one I want to be a part of. But that's what. [01:42:24] Speaker E: Yeah, I asked him if in the future he could leave them elsewhere because they made things got complicated when somebody's follower got, well, dead. But it was a really good party. So much wine. So much fucking wine. [01:42:50] Speaker B: I got to ask my mom. How the Egyptians party? [01:42:57] Speaker E: Um, yeah, I don't really know. I don't think I've ever been to an Egyptian party. [01:43:05] Speaker B: Well, I gotta ask her. Maybe I'll become the God of Egyptian parties. I'm kidding. I couldn't do it. I don't have the patience. [01:43:19] Speaker E: They seem pretty formal to me. [01:43:23] Speaker B: Okay. Crazier things have happened. I'm kidding. I couldn't do it. If someone knocked over my lamp or some shit, I'd break their nose in, but whatever. But she looked okay, right? When you saw her okay is relative. [01:43:53] Speaker E: I've known her a long time. I could tell she's not okay even when she looks okay. But I don't think her not being okay is your fault. I think even if Stefan had died, if Gwen had been the one to one left to take over, this would have happened one way or the other. [01:44:18] Speaker B: Yeah, like convince myself that this is. [01:44:25] Speaker E: Okay even if it's not. What are you going to do about it? [01:44:34] Speaker B: What do you mean? [01:44:37] Speaker E: What would you do to change it even if you knew it wasn't okay? [01:44:47] Speaker B: Man, I don't know. [01:44:51] Speaker E: So don't. Stop stressing. There's nothing you can do to fix it. You worry and isn't doing anything except wasting energy you can't really afford to spare. From what I understand. [01:45:11] Speaker B: Stop worrying. [01:45:14] Speaker E: I didn't say stop worrying. I said stop stressing. [01:45:16] Speaker B: Oh, stop stressing. Right. [01:45:19] Speaker E: Worry is normal. Worry is natural, but don't invest more energy into it than you have to. [01:45:33] Speaker B: All right? I guess. Yeah. [01:45:38] Speaker E: It is. The following morning, Coda wanders downstairs from her room. Damon is already there. The smell of waffles and bacon and eggs is going in the kitchen. And it is him and a handful of the Dryads working on making a very big meal. Dakota, you have not seen either of your companions since the day before, at least not for long. You caught a glimpse of oliver and asterope hand in hand, but they did not stick around long enough to have a conversation. They just sort of slid inside and disappeared while you and Damon were out on the porch having your conversation. Nice. You have not seen Clint at all. Or Shango for that matter. Though you have heard a few things that suggest what they're up. [01:46:42] Speaker B: Oh, guys have been busy. [01:46:47] Speaker E: Morning rolls around and as I said, you get downstairs and Damon is cooking, and the house is full of those awesome smells of a perfect breakfast coming together. Well, I'm going to assume that Shango is the first one up because he know literal godly stamina and constitution and is the only person who could put a dryad away wet here. [01:47:23] Speaker D: Yeah. No. He comes on the stairs. He kisses the cheeks of. I guess the two dryads, puts his jacket on, starts putting its hat on. As he heads towards the door, he gives Damon a salute. I'll need that delivery within a few weeks. [01:47:48] Speaker E: We already got it loaded into your car, man. It's done. [01:47:52] Speaker D: We've got a damn. [01:47:53] Speaker E: I got a bigger one that I'll ship down there, but you've got enough to get you through for a while. [01:47:59] Speaker D: I'm more worried about the Baron. He'll burn through that in about a day and a, but. [01:48:04] Speaker E: Yeah, I know. I have a field that's dedicated to just him. [01:48:09] Speaker D: Yeah, he's going to owe me big for this one, but Coda. [01:48:16] Speaker B: Yep. Good morning, Shangha. [01:48:23] Speaker D: When you're ready, just give me a call, okay? [01:48:27] Speaker B: Yeah, I will. She will actually get up and go over to him and offer a hand. [01:48:33] Speaker D: Yeah. Big old grin. The clouds in his eyes seem a little bit lighter and he shakes it. Pleasure meeting you. And do not be a stranger. All right? [01:48:42] Speaker B: I won't. [01:48:43] Speaker D: I've got your back. And think about what I said. [01:48:49] Speaker B: Oh, I am. [01:48:52] Speaker D: And if you do lose faith, I've got enough faith in you for the both of us. Okay? [01:49:01] Speaker B: Yeah. Thanks. [01:49:06] Speaker D: Tip his hat and walk out the door. [01:49:11] Speaker E: As you go. The dryads who spent most of the night with you kind of give a blissful wave. Look quite pleased, but also a little sad that you are leaving, but wave you off as you load into the car and leave. [01:49:36] Speaker B: Hey, Damon. [01:49:38] Speaker E: Yeah? [01:49:41] Speaker B: What's today? [01:49:50] Speaker E: I don't remember. [01:49:52] Speaker B: All right, she's going to check her phone to see what today's date is. [01:50:00] Speaker E: Out of character. I've already forgotten what day it's supposed to be. 18. [01:50:04] Speaker B: 1818. [01:50:14] Speaker E: You all can't do this to me. It's March 18, I think. [01:50:27] Speaker B: The 18th. [01:50:31] Speaker E: Pretty sure. [01:50:34] Speaker B: Do you know what this means? And she's going to lean in close and be like, do you know what this means? [01:50:40] Speaker E: It's Tuesday. [01:50:44] Speaker B: Besides the point. The Ides of March plus three is the birthday of Mr. B. [01:50:57] Speaker E: Also not Tuesday. It's Saturday. Oh. [01:51:02] Speaker B: Even better. I guess. Saturdays are great. Tuesdays are okay. I don't know. [01:51:09] Speaker E: Who's Mr. B? [01:51:11] Speaker B: Oh, Mr. Bright. It feels weird, Colin, but Oliver. [01:51:18] Speaker E: Oh shit. [01:51:20] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:51:23] Speaker E: So gotta. We need cake. [01:51:29] Speaker B: Yeah, cake. And maybe not balloons. I don't think he likes balloons. The noise. We need books. Like we should make a cake shaped like a book. Oh my God. [01:51:41] Speaker E: Okay, but can it be an edible cake? [01:51:48] Speaker B: You're speaking my language. Wait, but this is for his. For his birthday. Wait, can half of the book be an edible and then the other half is the regular cake? Like it's like an open book, but IT's like one is edible cake and one is just like regular cake. [01:52:09] Speaker E: Let me see what I can do. [01:52:10] Speaker B: Sick. Okay, I'm going to find like books to put. I should make it book theme. Oh my gosh. I'm going to have to research and study stuff. Okay, cool. This is exciting. Wait, is he awake? Have you seen him awake yet? [01:52:26] Speaker E: Nope. [01:52:28] Speaker B: Oh my God. [01:52:29] Speaker E: Even better. [01:52:29] Speaker B: I woke up before him. Does he like coffee? I think he likes coffee. Let me see if I can get something together. And she's just going to start like going around the house, getting together. Random birthday shit. [01:52:40] Speaker E: Oda is a flurry of activity. Clint, you have a higher epic stamina than Oliver does. So you are awake. First, you're sore. It's a good sore, but you're sore. Apparently a night with three Dryads is as much if not more work than climbing the world tree. [01:53:05] Speaker A: After all that work, I think it's a bit more than the world tree. [01:53:14] Speaker E: There are. There are three half naked dryads in the bed with you in varying states of awake and asleep. [01:53:24] Speaker A: Well, it's been an absolute pleasure and I'm sure I'll come right back. But you're all interested in breakfast. [01:53:33] Speaker E: We don't eat food. [01:53:38] Speaker A: Well, do you all want to come hang out while I eat food? [01:53:46] Speaker E: Yeah, in a little bit. [01:53:49] Speaker A: Yeah, I'll be down there. Feel free to come and join me. [01:53:53] Speaker E: Okay. [01:53:55] Speaker A: Oh, man. Lower back is killing me. [01:53:59] Speaker E: Don't be away too long. [01:54:01] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. Just going to do some stretching. [01:54:06] Speaker E: So do you just throw clothes on and head downstairs for, like, coffee and food? Because you are starving. You've burned so many calories. [01:54:14] Speaker A: Yes. Clint would come downstairs, disheveled, hair, absolutely a mess, just looking barely put together. [01:54:23] Speaker E: So Clint walks down the steps. He has no shoes on, no socks on. He's wearing his pants and his shirt. The first thing that you notice is that there are parts of the shirt that look like, in an attempt to get him out of it, they may have pulled a little too hard. Some of the seams have obviously been weakened. They're not as structurally sound as they used to be. There are flowers and twigs in his hair, and it does not look like they were put there on purPose. He looks like he just ran a marathon, but he looks happy about it. [01:55:15] Speaker A: Might actually get a nap after breakfast and sleep at all. [01:55:23] Speaker E: Damon looks amused as he is hunting through his huge pantry that is, like, half food stuff and half cookware and bakeware and whatever. Like, everything that he can't fit into the many, many cabinets in this rather large kitchen is in here, too. [01:55:50] Speaker A: What are you all running around for? [01:55:55] Speaker E: Go ahead. [01:55:59] Speaker B: She's, like, shoved somewhere in the kitchen, and she's like, the eyes of March plus three is the birthday of Mr. B. It's Mr. B's birthday. [01:56:09] Speaker A: Today. All right, I gotta get them something. You got coffee back there? I've been busy. [01:56:27] Speaker B: There's definitely coffee. And she'll point where Damon was initially preparing all of breakfast and such. [01:56:38] Speaker A: Clint will stumble his way over towards where the coffee is and busy himself, and then he kind of realizes, oh, wait, you said Mr. B's birthday? Like, our Mr. B? [01:56:51] Speaker B: The one and only. [01:56:55] Speaker A: What are we going to do for him? [01:56:57] Speaker B: Well, we're working on an edible cake that. Well, hopefully it's going to be like a book and half of it is edible and the other half is, like, plain or whatever. [01:57:09] Speaker A: Shouldn't the whole cake be edible so we can eat it? [01:57:17] Speaker B: Clint, were you born in the summer? [01:57:20] Speaker A: I don't think so. [01:57:22] Speaker B: Okay, I see. Anyways, no, edible as in, like, it has, like, weed in it. Mariah Janae, edible. [01:57:31] Speaker A: Okay. [01:57:32] Speaker B: Yeah, in edible. [01:57:35] Speaker A: Okay. That's not going to be a problem for them. [01:57:39] Speaker B: Well, half of it will be, and then the other half won't. [01:57:42] Speaker A: Right? Okay. All right. [01:57:44] Speaker E: Yeah. [01:57:45] Speaker B: And we're just kind of making things, like, booked book theme. So I'm going to look up, like, three books, and then hopefully that works. I mean, I've been reading at least three books, so maybe I could just talk about authors and maybe that'll be great or something. [01:58:03] Speaker A: Yeah. I'll see if Amazon's got a couple of audiobooks or something for them. [01:58:08] Speaker B: Yes. It's all right. Whatever. It's fine. Yeah, he can get a gift card. Cool. But that's what I'm doing, and I think that's what we're doing. And although he's not awake yet, usually he's like the first to Wake up because he likes doing that or something. I'm sure you two had a lot of fun last night, so that makes sense. [01:58:35] Speaker A: Funny thing, I didn't run into him at all last night. Had a little bit of a busy time. [01:58:43] Speaker B: Yeah, I see. [01:58:45] Speaker A: You said he was not awake yet. We can go and get him up. Give him breakfast in bed or something. [01:58:51] Speaker B: Let's let him come down himself. [01:58:56] Speaker A: That sounds messy, but okay. [01:59:01] Speaker B: What? [01:59:03] Speaker A: It's okay. Nothing. [01:59:04] Speaker E: I just had my drink go up my nose. [01:59:09] Speaker D: I'm not apologizing. [01:59:15] Speaker E: That sounds messy. [01:59:21] Speaker A: So we're making them a bookcake. You're making them a bookcake. Do you want help? I realize you're doing all this alone. Do you want help with this? [01:59:30] Speaker B: Oh, I'm not making the cake. Damon is the genius doing that. I'm kind of just doing all the other stuff, but, yeah, he could help. [01:59:38] Speaker A: I'll pitch him sick. [01:59:43] Speaker B: Also, this is totally not related to what we're doing right now. But since they have the pit here, or, like, the smoke and stuff, you should see if Damon will let you prepare the food we need to do as a labor. [02:00:02] Speaker A: That's a good idea. If nothing else, I can get a test run or two, see if it tastes right. [02:00:08] Speaker B: Yeah, doesn't hurt. And you have tons of people here to try it. Well, not tons, because the Dryads don't really. But you got Damon. [02:00:18] Speaker A: I got Damon. I got you and I got. Yeah, yeah, we'll get this done. Well, yeah, we can work on that. Takes care of my thing. Do we want to do some research on your house or anything while we're at it? [02:00:33] Speaker B: Or are we thinking. I think that's what my afternoon was going to be. I was going to actually sit down and start. [02:00:41] Speaker A: I mean, if it's Mr. B's birthday, I don't think we're going to have much time to focus on ourselves. [02:00:47] Speaker B: That's true. We'll see what the day brings us. [02:00:52] Speaker E: Y'all are welcome to stay for however long you need. My understanding from the big man was that he's running interference so that you guys have a chance to get back to normal life for at least a few months. [02:01:07] Speaker A: Oh yeah. I'm just saying we ain't going to have much time to do anything but Mr. B's birthday today. That's what I'm saying. [02:01:16] Speaker E: Hell yeah it is. You could see him like texting on his phone with one hand as he's like pulling stuff out of the fridge with the other. [02:01:25] Speaker B: Wow. Yeah. [02:01:33] Speaker A: I have an idea. Do we have any sort of tree based joke books or anything like that around here? I got to brush up on my puns. [02:01:45] Speaker B: So I have a question. What is up with this whole tree and conifer and spruce stuff that you guys keep talking about? Mr. B keeps being like Cody, you can't know. [02:01:59] Speaker A: Yeah. So generally speaking, when I offer a secret to someone, I intend on keeping it. And this is one of them that I'll just let you in on the fact that what happened while myself and Mr. Oliver and Lucas got up to no good. I can't reveal the secrets that happened therein. [02:02:22] Speaker B: Right. I got a. Okay, cool. [02:02:26] Speaker A: Yeah, it's one of them. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Kind of. [02:02:31] Speaker B: Ah, okay, I'll just get it out of Mr. B then. [02:02:34] Speaker A: Oh yeah, I'm sure it'll pop up real quick. [02:02:38] Speaker E: Great. Sorry. The storyteller is twelve. Oliver, how late do you think you've slept in? [02:02:59] Speaker C: Normally Oliver is up very early, but this time around he's sleeping for a while. Normally he's up at like 07:00 a.m. This time it's probably like 10:00 a.m.. [02:03:10] Speaker E: Excellent. So 10:00 a.m. Is about the time that you start to wake up. There is a figure next to you in bed. She is cuddled up against you with her head on your chest. [02:03:35] Speaker C: Going to lay there for a second, for once feel really good about myself. And then try to slide out of bed stealthily. [02:03:48] Speaker E: Yeah, I've seen your stats. [02:03:51] Speaker C: Probably not going to happen. There's a couple of epic decks in there. [02:03:56] Speaker E: You go to slide out of bed and that arm that was kind of thrown around your middle tightens up and holds on. [02:04:04] Speaker C: Sorry, I was just trying to. I'm really dehydrated right now. [02:04:11] Speaker E: Oh, right. Water. Okay, she'll let go. [02:04:20] Speaker C: Thanks. Also, have I mentioned before that you're really pretty? [02:04:26] Speaker E: Only like a thousand times in the hour before you fell asleep. Just sort of lost count of every time before that. [02:04:37] Speaker C: Just want to mention one more time. And with that, I will get dressed, leave the room. There is no vest. There is no jacket. The shirt buttons are, like, misaligned. The hair is, like, down and disheveled instead of being tied back. And I'm just going to stumble out of the room like that. [02:05:02] Speaker E: So as you stumble out of the room and down the stairs, you pass a couple of the dryads who are going upstairs, and they kind of look at you and they giggle. And as they pass by you, you hear one of them humming Happy birthday under her breath. [02:05:22] Speaker C: Stop in place. Oh, no. And then continue making my way down. [02:05:30] Speaker E: And as you get into the kitchen, there are clattering pans and you hear a stand mixer going rather loudly. Damon is obviously, like, up to his elbows in some sort of cooking project. But there's also plates and plates of breakfast food. [02:05:49] Speaker C: I'll look at all of it, put my finger up, go to the table, drink, like, a full glass of orange juice in, like, one go, and then look back. Don't tell me you're making a cake. [02:06:01] Speaker E: Happy birthday, my guy. [02:06:05] Speaker C: Who told all of you? [02:06:11] Speaker E: Damon will like, without missing a beat, point at. [02:06:16] Speaker C: Hey. How did you know? [02:06:23] Speaker B: Well, I remembered it's something random I made up. Know we were in. Were. Well, we were in school, but you were obviously. [02:06:32] Speaker E: It's a real fucking cute rhyme. [02:06:36] Speaker B: It's the eyes of March plus three is the birthday of Mr. B. Gonna. [02:06:43] Speaker C: Stare at her and blink a few times. You remember? Okay. Thank you. But you really don't need to go through all this effort. It's just a day. [02:06:56] Speaker B: A day to celebrate another year of you being in our lives. [02:07:04] Speaker C: No, just a regular day. [02:07:06] Speaker B: If you want to do that year to celebrate you explaining random book shit to books facts to us, another year to. I don't know what else I don't like. Can't you just be happy that you're here another year? [02:07:28] Speaker C: Trust me, Koda. Right now I am the happiest I have ever been and doesn't have anything to do with my birthday. What's that, Clinton? [02:07:38] Speaker A: Can you say that again for me real quick? [02:07:42] Speaker C: You know, I am too euphoric right now to even be embarrassed. This is the happiest I've ever been. [02:07:46] Speaker A: Yeah, it looks like you might have something between your teeth. Do you still have fur in your mouth? [02:07:54] Speaker C: I don't like where this is going. [02:07:56] Speaker A: That's a tree joke. [02:07:57] Speaker B: I had to look up oh, you lost me there. [02:08:02] Speaker E: I see. Yeah. [02:08:03] Speaker B: Is there fur? Is fur really a tree? [02:08:08] Speaker A: Yeah, it's one of them trees. [02:08:12] Speaker E: One of the drives looks over and goes, Astro is not a conifer or a fur tree at all. [02:08:19] Speaker C: That's a good thing. I did not use that. [02:08:24] Speaker B: Wait, Mr. B. Wait. [02:08:31] Speaker C: Sit down and start drinking my coffee. [02:08:34] Speaker B: Mr. V. You're looking pretty out of sorts. Did you sleep well? [02:08:46] Speaker A: Like he got any sleep. Look at him. [02:08:51] Speaker C: I don't know why I'm saying this, but let's go back to my birthday. We don't need to celebrate my birthday. It's just again, a day. If you want to do all the things you just said, coda, you don't need to make it all special. [02:09:11] Speaker E: Why? [02:09:11] Speaker B: But you're special. [02:09:13] Speaker E: But it was special. [02:09:16] Speaker A: And it still is. [02:09:17] Speaker E: And standing in the doorway of the kitchen is astropic. She is significantly better put together than Oliver is. She's wearing a very pretty sundress. Her hair is up, the flowers are very artfully arranged in her hair, and she is beaming. Good morning. Nice to see you too. I didn't have a chance to introduce myself. I was a little distracted. I'm Astorope. [02:09:53] Speaker A: Astorope. Nice to meet you. I'm Clint Brazas, sion of the Morgan. I'll extend a hand. [02:09:59] Speaker E: She will shake your hand. And you spent the night with a few of my sisters, I can see. [02:10:05] Speaker A: Yeah, they left a few marks on. [02:10:07] Speaker C: Me in a way you two actually already have met, but, you know, it was sort of over the phone, kind of. [02:10:17] Speaker E: Were you one of the ones who was yelling in the background? [02:10:20] Speaker A: Yeah, I might have been one of them. That was a party we were at. [02:10:29] Speaker E: We're definitely having a party today, right? [02:10:32] Speaker A: Most definitely. [02:10:34] Speaker B: Because it's a special day. [02:10:36] Speaker C: Do I not get a say in this? [02:10:38] Speaker E: No. [02:10:40] Speaker C: Look, I've never really done this sort of thing for my birthday since I was, like, six. I just don't see the point. [02:10:51] Speaker A: That reminds me, I got to see if we can get a unicorn. [02:10:56] Speaker B: What? [02:11:02] Speaker A: You never wanted a unicorn or a pony for your birthday? [02:11:05] Speaker B: Yeah. No, I mean, I didn't. Okay, Mr. B, have you ever. [02:11:17] Speaker E: Before. [02:11:19] Speaker B: This month, have you ever hatched a dragon? [02:11:24] Speaker C: No. [02:11:27] Speaker B: Something you've never done before that you've now done? I think I would call that change growth, even. [02:11:40] Speaker E: Just like that, something grew. [02:11:41] Speaker B: All right. [02:11:45] Speaker A: Clint reaches out for a fist bump. [02:11:49] Speaker E: She smiles. And fist bumps back. [02:11:51] Speaker C: Now there's three of them. [02:11:55] Speaker A: Yeah, there were three last night. [02:12:00] Speaker B: Goodness. I'm going back to celebrating your birthday. I'm going to find tons of books to show you and maybe talk about them. [02:12:11] Speaker C: Maybe talk about them? [02:12:13] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, I have three books I've been reading while we've been traveling and stuff, and over the last few months I've been reading them. But that doesn't matter. So I could talk about those, but I will find other classics that I think you would find enjoyable and I will talk about them in a somewhat length. [02:12:34] Speaker C: I'm more interested in three books that you actually have read because that's new for you. That's this change you've just mentioned. [02:12:43] Speaker B: Yeah, I've been reading the Egyptian Book of Dead. I've been reading when women ruled the world, six Queens of Egypt. And I've been reading Midnight in Cairo. It's like Egyptian or like Egypt during the Roaring Twenty S. I did recently pick up another book that was like, called Watermelon Democracy, but it's kind of dry and I kind of can't really get into it. But I find it more fun to read these things when I tear up my toaster strudel boxes and put them in random parts of the book. [02:13:17] Speaker C: You're trying to distract me with how I feel about your toaster rules. And it's not going to work because I believe you've also mentioned you read Dracula before. [02:13:26] Speaker B: Yeah, I had to read that, like, in school or some shit. That's, like, not something I wanted to read. Then again, it was pretty good in the end. [02:13:32] Speaker C: I was about to say it's a phenomenal book. [02:13:36] Speaker B: Yes, books are phenomenal. And that was a phenomenal one. And you know who taught me that books can be phenomenal? [02:13:46] Speaker C: Here I go and say it. [02:13:49] Speaker E: You. [02:13:50] Speaker B: And that's what makes you special and makes me happy that you're alive. Another year on this. [02:13:56] Speaker E: Listen, and Astrope will make her way over and she'll settle herself into Oliver's lap and kind of throw an arm around his neck and twirl some of the pieces of his hair around her fingers. Relax. Enjoy your Birthday. Stop telling everybody not to enjoy your birthday with you. And maybe later I'll let you open your favorite present again. [02:14:31] Speaker B: Okay? [02:14:32] Speaker E: And she smiles and you realize that her holding back and being really sweet and shy with you is purely because she likes you and wants you to be comfortable. But you've ripped off the Band Aid. Now all bets are off. She is still a dry. [02:14:49] Speaker C: Okay, sounds good. [02:14:51] Speaker A: Sure. [02:14:52] Speaker E: Yeah. And she'll look over at Koda and just smile and wink like, I got you. [02:14:59] Speaker B: You're amazing. [02:15:02] Speaker A: You know, Shango said this was supposed to be a place where we lie down and relax and enjoy ourselves. I don't think we're going to have much energy by the time we're done with this place. [02:15:15] Speaker B: You all won't. [02:15:16] Speaker E: That's not uncommon. So what can I help with? [02:15:37] Speaker B: She's just going to look over to Damon and go, well, Damon's doing a lot of things at once. [02:15:46] Speaker E: So you look over at Damon, and I've been making roles behind the scenes. The part of the kitchen that Damon is working in looks like a bakery exploded. There are bowls and multiple stand mixers. And he is obviously making, like, from scratch icings. He's testing flavors and all of that other stuff. Actually, despite the fact that it looks really chaotic and there is stuff everywhere, it actually does look like he's making progress and that there is good things happening. It's just a messy process. [02:16:28] Speaker B: Well, there's that. That's going pretty. Hmm, I guess decorations, maybe. And then she'll look at Oliver and go, what's your favorite food, Mr. B? [02:16:40] Speaker C: I haven't really thought about it before. [02:16:46] Speaker B: Well, it's a great thing. You're a great thinker. [02:16:50] Speaker A: What book are you reading right now, too, Mr. B? [02:16:54] Speaker C: None. Particularly since scion reasons. I kind of pick up a book and finish it within minutes. [02:17:03] Speaker A: Okay, so if you were to pick out, like, maybe not a favorite book, but a favorite genre of books, what would it be? [02:17:14] Speaker C: Probably gothic literature. [02:17:16] Speaker A: Okay. I got some ideas. [02:17:24] Speaker B: And she'll look at Astarope and go, I think you would help Bess stick in with Mr. B. [02:17:33] Speaker E: You want me to keep him busy? [02:17:35] Speaker A: Yes, please. [02:17:38] Speaker E: Happily. [02:17:44] Speaker C: I'm both scared and eXcited. [02:17:49] Speaker E: Oh, scaroused. That's an interesting way to feel. [02:17:56] Speaker C: And the scale just keeps tipping further towards the scared portion. [02:18:03] Speaker A: Don't worry, it'll flip to the other side before you know it. [02:18:09] Speaker C: I believe you. [02:18:15] Speaker E: Okay. Because we do actually have to accomplish some things today. Oliver's birthday is an experience, to say the least. Oliver, I do have a couple of questions that I need to know so that I can properly narrate how this day goes. Do you exercise any suspicion at any of the food that is before you when the time comes for food and cake and whatnot? [02:18:53] Speaker C: Probably not. Excellent. [02:19:00] Speaker E: I need you to make a stamina and fortitude roll, please. [02:19:05] Speaker C: You got it. [02:19:08] Speaker E: Cool. [02:19:14] Speaker C: Two successes. [02:19:18] Speaker E: Okay. You end up with before anybody can stop you. Or maybe they just realize what's happening and choose not to stop you. You end up with a piece of cake when it times to cut the cake. That is definitely the edible part of the cake. And you don't realize because it's really, really well done. It doesn't hit you that you may have ingested something that you didn't really intend to until about an hour later when you start feeling really good. You all have, effectively, a cookout. Clint gets kind of. When the dryads hear about Clint's task that he has to cook vegetarian barbecue for Ganesha, the plan to do burgers and all of that stuff out and all of that stuff gets tossed out the window. And the dryads immediately set to helping Clint come up with ideas and gather what they need. It turns out that this place has a pretty massive garden that, according to them, grows in full bloom year round because dryads. So maybe not absolutely everything. There may need to be a trip or two out to the store during the day as you're preparing, but for the most part, you have everything that you could possibly need right here on the farm. Clint has a chance to do some cooking to practice, and that's what most of your birthday meals are. Is various vegetarian barbecue mean well? Clint, could you. [02:21:18] Speaker A: I would be happy to. [02:21:20] Speaker E: Thank you. [02:21:29] Speaker A: What is the stats? I'm roll. [02:21:34] Speaker E: Let's go with wits and craft culinary, please. [02:21:43] Speaker A: Hey, these are actually B ten. [02:21:45] Speaker E: Damn. Yeah, that's pretty good. You get the feeling you're going to need to work on it some more in order for it to meet the standards of a god. But this is really good. For a first attempt. You are incredibly pleased. [02:22:05] Speaker A: All right, this is my ground pecan chili. It's been low, slow, simmered for about 6 hours now. Go ahead and we'll try this first. I'll be one of the various meals that he gives out. [02:22:18] Speaker E: Perfect. As I said, Oliver, you get the edible half of the cake when you grab your piece, and about an hour later you're feeling really good, you end up eating like, four or five of those large homemade Cheetos. You kind of got the munchies. But astropy makes sure that you have food in your hand all the time, whenever you need it. She makes sure that you're drinking lots of, you know, obviously spending a lot of attention and time with you. Your friends give you their gifts. My understanding is that I think everybody just sort of splurged and did gift cards for audiobooks. [02:23:07] Speaker A: Yes, Clint does have a different one that he's set up. [02:23:11] Speaker E: Okay. [02:23:12] Speaker A: Clint would basically just set up the den at any given moment. Whenever he sees that Oliver is a little bit far gone, he just set it up with a nice, lazy fire. Get some books set up Gothic horror is what he's looking for because that's what he assumes. Gothic literature is right by the chair and just tries to make it as comfy and quiet and serene a place as he can. [02:23:38] Speaker E: Oh, that's very sweet coda. [02:23:43] Speaker B: Yeah. Tons of gift cards on audible and then, like, Barnes and nobles and strands and stuff. [02:23:55] Speaker E: Perfect. Damon, for his part, provides a small lacquer box that's about five inches long and three inches or five inches wide and three inches tall or deeper. You know what I mean? And inside are three small capped bottles that look like they might have some sort of, like, it's hard to tell, almost honey flavored juice. But it's not as viscous as honey. It looks like actual, like, liquid. It's not much, but it's what I've got. Until another run can be made or somebody can donate more. Apples. Those are condensed down for strength. One of those will do what a full apple can do. [02:25:21] Speaker C: Kind of pick one up and hold up to the light. Oh, thank you, Damon. This is going to be really helpful. [02:25:31] Speaker E: Well, you guys have gone into two underworlds so far, and it would not surprise me if you end up in more, so you should keep them with. You. [02:25:46] Speaker C: Said keep them with me, right? [02:25:50] Speaker E: Yeah. [02:25:51] Speaker C: Sorry, I'm feeling really out of it. I don't understand why, but. Yeah, I'll do that. [02:25:57] Speaker E: Cool. Well, have fun, buddy. I'll just clap you on the shoulder, give you a little knowing smile, and walk away. Astarope's gift is wrapped in wrapping paper that looks like it may have actually been, like, almost homemade. It looks like woven, like leaves and flowers, flower petals. Oh, and it's pretty heavy when she hands it to you. [02:26:32] Speaker C: Oh, this is really nice. You put this together today? [02:26:39] Speaker E: Well, I mean, not what was inside of it. I just put the wrapping together, which doesn't take long when you have plant magic. [02:26:48] Speaker C: All right. [02:26:50] Speaker E: But I heard what you said and I thought you might like it. [02:26:59] Speaker C: Well, as far as the wrapping goes, I do, but I'll just then begin to tentatively open it. [02:27:06] Speaker E: You open it up. And inside is a leather bound book. It's obviously old and probably almost definitely an antique with gilt edges on the pages and the engraving or whatever it is that they call it in the leather is. It is a copy of the Great God Pen by Arthur Machin. [02:27:45] Speaker C: Oh, I thought read this one before, actually. This is really nice. Thank you. [02:27:55] Speaker B: You're welcome. [02:27:58] Speaker E: Um, yeah, we've. We've had it in the library for a while, and, well, we've met the guy it was based on, so it figured you might enjoy it more. [02:28:19] Speaker C: I'm certain I will. And at that point, probably can get a little bit emotional. This has been really nice. Thanks to everyone for doing this. [02:28:38] Speaker A: Of course. We're happy to help out. [02:28:42] Speaker B: You matter. And with the gift cards, there's a note, but don't read it while people are around or whatever. [02:28:53] Speaker C: You got it? Yeah. Thank you. I. I. Like I said, I haven't really done one of these things since I was six. And that's because kids, being kids, they see the child with the weird looking eye and don't really want to come to his birthday party. And then as you get older, it gets a bit more cruel and mean. Teenagers, all that. So I just kind of gave up on it, and it's just a really nice reminder. Thanks, guys. [02:29:40] Speaker A: Well, you best get used to this. I got it plugged into my phone calendar. So you ain't getting away with having another no birthday day. [02:29:48] Speaker B: Yeah. And I have my rhyme. [02:29:53] Speaker C: Maybe next time I won't mind so much. [02:29:57] Speaker E: Clint? [02:29:59] Speaker A: Yeah? [02:30:00] Speaker E: Have you partaken of the various edibles and smokable things during the party day? [02:30:09] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. As the time has gone on, he's gone from excellent to not very sober at all. [02:30:15] Speaker E: Oliver, when was the last time you checked your phone? [02:30:19] Speaker C: Probably like, last night. [02:30:22] Speaker E: Excellent. So as people are kind of settling in, Clint has once again become surrounded by dryads. Koda and Damon are talking, and you're kind of hanging out with astrope in that room that Clint set up for you. It's quiet. It's peaceful. You're reading, and she's just kind of curled up like she's sitting on the floor next to your leg so that she can put her head in your lap and listen while you read. And it's just a very peaceful thing. And then your phone chimes in your pocket, and you pull it out, and you realize that you've kind of forgotten about it all damn day. And you open it up, and there are 25 messages from Clint. There are messages from other people, too, but there are 25 messages from Clint specifically. [02:31:23] Speaker C: Been together the entire day. He could have. [02:31:25] Speaker E: Just as you begin to scroll through them, it becomes increasingly clear that Clint took one picture while he was out working on the barbecue, and he took a picture of him with this beautiful backdrop of the farm behind him and whatever, and he was fine. That was when he was sober. But the more he took in, the more he forgot that he had already done this. So he just kept taking pictures and sending you happy birthday texts throughout the day where he would take a picture and sAy, hey, happy birthday. And then he'd send it and then he'd forget that he did that. And then he'd do it again and again and again. [02:32:07] Speaker C: Oh, Clint. But instead of looking exasperated this time, Oliver is smiling. [02:32:14] Speaker E: There is a text from your father wishing you a happy birthday. [02:32:21] Speaker C: That's surprising. [02:32:24] Speaker E: There is a text from Sarah wishing you a happy birthday from her and Stefan. [02:32:42] Speaker C: That's nice of them, especially considering he's being tortured right now. But consider it. [02:32:50] Speaker E: Well, he doesn't have a phone, so she had to be the one to send the message. [02:32:54] Speaker D: Right? [02:32:59] Speaker E: And there's one from Chris. He's clearly like, it looks like it was probably taken either right before or right after they went on stage at one of the shows. And he's throwing up the horns, basically wishing the brother he never had a happy birthday. [02:33:30] Speaker C: I'll kind of, like, look at these messages for a second and then respond back, basically saying, thank you for the birthday wishes. And it's Oliver. So of course, it's a very formal, almost like letter of a text, but respond to every single one of them. [02:33:49] Speaker E: I love that. That's so good. It. Was there anything else that you wanted to do, anyone that you wanted to reach out to? [02:34:13] Speaker C: None come to mind, and therefore none probably come to Oliver's mind as he is very drug addled. [02:34:19] Speaker E: Anyone else? [02:34:24] Speaker A: Clint is waiting on a response from his mom but does not actually expect. [02:34:31] Speaker B: And no, there's just a note she left with Oliver. That's about it. [02:34:38] Speaker E: Okay. Towards the end of the night, Asterope goes and shuts the doors to the little den area that got set up so that Oliver can have some quiet and relax. Coda, would you like to tell us what the note says? [02:35:00] Speaker B: Yeah. So with the gift cards, she very quickly wrote on, you know what, it's going to be on the inside of a small book that is thoroughly worn. And it's the giver because I think she probably would have read that in high school. I'm trying to remember. No, I read that in middle school, but still, whatever. It's a book. And I feel like it was one of the books that she took from the school because she's like, okay, this is actually really good. And whether Oliver turned a blind eye to it or whatever, no one noticed that she took it. And she's had it for a while. She has, like, notes in it, whatever. But in the back of it, she wrote, a good teacher is like a candle. It consumes itself to light the way for others. But please don't burn out. It's the teacher that makes a difference, not the classroom. So keep teaching us. A teacher affects eternity. He can never tell where his influence stops. So keep being you. The world will only benefit to a great teacher, friend and I guess brother or whatever. I don't know if you feel that way or whatever. Yeah. Happy birthday. Stop saying you're not special. Whatever. And then she'll pull, like, a smiley face. [02:36:39] Speaker C: I'll read that and actually force myself to read it slowly to counteract speed reader. To actually take it in and look at it. I'm really proud of that kid. [02:36:56] Speaker E: Yeah. [02:37:00] Speaker C: She's come a long way. [02:37:06] Speaker E: I'm glad. I like your friends. [02:37:12] Speaker C: I like them too. They've been better to me than most people I've known since becoming a scion. And it's interesting. [02:37:35] Speaker E: But. [02:37:39] Speaker C: Yeah, today was. Today was nice. And maybe Koda's note, which is going to remain private. So I can't show you or say anything, just made a point in it that maybe I need to start stepping up a little bit or be a little bit more vocal about my strengths. [02:38:14] Speaker B: Well. [02:38:20] Speaker E: It. [02:38:21] Speaker B: I think she's right. [02:38:26] Speaker C: Yeah. But it has been a very good day and I think it should have a very good ending. So how about we split a bottle of wine and. Yeah. [02:38:48] Speaker E: You want to split a bottle of wine and open your favorite present? [02:38:53] Speaker C: That is what I was getting at, yes. [02:38:57] Speaker E: Yeah. But I like to make you say it. [02:39:03] Speaker C: You seem to be keen on torturing me today. [02:39:10] Speaker E: I mean, it is your birthday. I could spake you instead. [02:39:13] Speaker C: Okay, I'll just say the thing instead. I say we open a bottle of wine, share it, and then afterwards I open my favorite present. [02:39:32] Speaker B: Deal. [02:39:37] Speaker C: Or we could skip the bottle of wine. [02:39:43] Speaker E: Let's take the wine. I want to show you my favorite place on the farm. [02:39:49] Speaker C: Well, I'm not going to say no to an adventure. [02:40:01] Speaker E: He gathers a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses and leads you out of the house and past all of your birthday guests and everybody who's hanging out. Clint is overwhelmed. What was two dryads went back to three. Now he's at four. You could see that Damon is sort of running interference to stop it from being anymore because he looks a little worried that Clint's going to end up broken. At the rate that it's going. Coda is in a conversation with a couple of the other dryads who help to grow the different strains, and they're having a very intensive conversation. Or Coda is trying to have an intensive conversation and trying to understand how exactly they determine what goes into a particular strain, why, how they know what to do with what. She understands the process from the mortal perspective, but these are dryads, and they have plant magic, so it doesn't work quite the same way. And the two are trying to meet in the middle, where she can understand what's going on. You are led outside under the moon, and she leads you towards the back end of the farm, towards where there are still stands of trees and through the trees into what ends up being a clearing with a small or with a large old willow tree. And she kind of ducks under the branches and holds them apart and gestures you in. And you find yourself in this space that it's not like magic in and of itself, but it feels a lot like magic, because as soon as she lets those branches go and they sort of cut you off from the world outside, you feel like you're in a completely different place. It is peaceful. There are fireflies. It's quiet, and it smells like Earth. And like Earth after a spring rain and flowers. [02:42:46] Speaker C: Wow. This place is great. Do all the triads know about this? [02:43:00] Speaker E: Yeah. I'm the only one who really comes out here much, though. [02:43:07] Speaker C: How come? [02:43:09] Speaker E: She'll shrug a little bit. After I met you, I wasn't as interested in hanging out up at the house. That's. [02:43:25] Speaker C: Appreciate it. Well, their loss is. Wow. [02:43:37] Speaker E: She kind of settles down at the base of the tree so that she can lean against it and opens the bottle of wine, pats the spot next to her, and you two spend the evening drinking and talking, and eventually there's a lot less talking, and we will fade to black. Okay, does anybody else have anything specific that they want to do at Damon's farm? Because you have a few more days before you should probably get back to your lives. [02:44:16] Speaker A: Clint is just practicing his barbecue. [02:44:22] Speaker E: Yeah, not really. [02:44:23] Speaker B: Coda probably would just start her research on the place, but she could also do that during her regular life as. [02:44:29] Speaker E: Okay, Coda. What you find from doing your research. And there are a couple of times where you leave, and you and Clinton Oliver kind of drive up towards Virginia. The location, as it turns out, when you get there, is. It looks like a vet hospital and an animal rescue, but it's obviously been sitting empty for a long time. Screw. [02:45:05] Speaker B: Huh? Okay, and so it's just been sitting there. Does it look like anyone has walked in and out? Any cars parked around it, or. It's just like an abandoned building. [02:45:23] Speaker E: It's an abandoned building. [02:45:26] Speaker B: I see. [02:45:29] Speaker E: All right. It is called Cypress Rescue and Vet Clinic. There is a huge cypress tree growing outside and the side of the building where they don't have, like, a traditional sign. It's just that the side of the building is painted, has a huge phoenix painted onto it. [02:45:53] Speaker B: Got you. Is there any old mail here? [02:46:00] Speaker E: No. [02:46:01] Speaker B: Okay. [02:46:02] Speaker E: It's been empty for a while. [02:46:04] Speaker B: A while. Okay, cool. And you said it's called Cypress Rescue. [02:46:11] Speaker E: And Cypress vet and Rescue. [02:46:14] Speaker B: Vet and rescue. Thank you. Cool. Cypress tree, side of the building, painted Phoenix. Okay. And everything's like, boarded off. Correct. So she can't look through any of the windows. [02:46:30] Speaker E: I mean, with your stats, you could have easily picked a lock and gone inside. [02:46:34] Speaker B: Okay. Sick. I do do that. [02:46:37] Speaker E: I'm not going to make you roll. It's a very mortal lock. This isn't hard. You guys go in, there is a thick layer of dust on everything. It's not like everybody just picked up and left one day. And there's a bunch of stuff left behind. It's empty. They've got examination tables and stuff that are bolted to the floor, but there aren't instruments or anything like that. It just looks like at some point this place shut down and it hasn't reopened. [02:47:11] Speaker B: Okay. [02:47:13] Speaker E: And the deed that you have does not have a name on it. [02:47:16] Speaker B: Okay. And there's no name on the deed. [02:47:22] Speaker E: If you would like some. Some. If you would like a hint, if you're floundering for exactly what you're supposed to do, you can all roll. Wits and empathy. [02:47:42] Speaker B: Okay? Yeah. Five. Three successes and then two wits. So five. [02:48:07] Speaker E: Gavin or Clint is not sure. [02:48:14] Speaker A: What are we supposed to be doing here again? [02:48:18] Speaker B: I'm going to find out who this originally belonged to, but there's no name in the deed. [02:48:25] Speaker A: Okay, I'll keep looking around then. [02:48:27] Speaker B: Thank you. [02:48:31] Speaker E: You guys are looking around, hunting for signs of who might own this place. See if maybe there's some hint if there's, like, a family that's supposed to inherit it or something. And after a lot of searching and going online to do research or whatever, you and Oliver determined that this place belonged to an elderly man who didn't have any family, and he passed years ago. And it's been empty ever since. It was bought at some point, but the name of the buyer is hidden. They are purposefully anonymous. Probably safe to assume that that's when the Persian pantheons picked it up. And it takes a moment of you and Oliver going back and forth before you both kind of have an epiphany. As you're standing there and you realize that the wording in the letter that we were sent was kind of weirdly chosen. They told you to find the place's rightful owner. Essentially, you were told to find the person who deserves this place and is worthy of it. [02:50:04] Speaker A: Totally misinterpreting that Clint is using death senses to look around. [02:50:12] Speaker E: Unfortunately, other than a couple of, like, ghost dogs and cats, you don't really see much. [02:50:18] Speaker A: Then Clint is going to be playing with ghost animals. He's insufficiently distracted. [02:50:26] Speaker E: They seem thrilled to play Ghost fetch. [02:50:31] Speaker B: I think Coda, like, realizing exactly what she needs to do, will then look to everyone and go. I think we can head out. I think I got some of my own searching I got to do. [02:50:45] Speaker A: Can I have, like, five more minutes? [02:50:48] Speaker B: Yes, Clint, you can have five more minutes. Yes. [02:50:53] Speaker E: Neither of you, by the way, have any idea what Clint is doing. It looks like he is playing with himself, basically. Yes, I understand how that sounds. [02:51:08] Speaker C: I think Clint's time at the farm has somehow broken his mind even more. [02:51:16] Speaker B: Hey, it's okay. We all have those. [02:51:23] Speaker E: Grateful owner. [02:51:29] Speaker C: Guess we just watch him do. [02:51:34] Speaker A: Can. I was just throwing it a couple more times. I'm good to go when y'all are now. [02:51:39] Speaker B: All right. And Coda will think to herself about how to go about this, but that's all she needs. [02:51:52] Speaker E: Perfect. Okay. At the end of your stay with Damon, you have been informed that you have some time to go back to your normal lives for a bit, which is good because it is still very much the middle of the school year. Some of you have classes. Clint is Clint and has time to practice more barbecue and probably help with other scion bands if nobody needs him. Or maybe he'll just take a break and spend all day attempting to text his mother. [02:52:32] Speaker A: Just one day the rest of the day, there's no time for a break. [02:52:37] Speaker E: Well, you guys are about to have a couple of months worth of downtime is what I was getting at. So is there anything that you all would like to do with that downtime? I'm going to assume that Oliver is going to be working on the million drafts of the paper that he's writing for the celestial bureaucracy. [02:52:57] Speaker C: Yes, that is going to be the bulk of his time. [02:53:00] Speaker E: Excellent. Are you at any point going back to visit Damon? [02:53:06] Speaker C: Most likely, yes. [02:53:07] Speaker E: Excellent. I just have to make sure that this isn't a wham, bam, thank you, ma'am situation. No. [02:53:14] Speaker C: Definitely no. Not all of her. Never Oliver? Not even most likely. Most definitely he'd be going back. [02:53:23] Speaker E: Perfect. Koda, what are you doing with your time? Other than keeping up with your classes and such? [02:53:36] Speaker B: Yeah. Other than that, she's definitely looking into people who. People who do a lot of charitable work and people who just do really great work for animals. But sometimes there's people that will do Them out of vans or they're like, hey, we're doing a pop up here. Doing. [02:54:03] Speaker E: You're looking for people who want to help but don't necessarily have the funds to be able to. Okay, cool. Excellent. Clint. [02:54:15] Speaker A: Yep. [02:54:16] Speaker E: With your downtime, is there anything in particular you want to work on other than the. [02:54:24] Speaker A: Uh. Clint doesn't have a whole lot going on in his personal life outside of that, so, no, he'd be getting to know Damon, probably utilizing his time on the farm to practice the vegetarian side of the barbecue. Of course. Texting mom, texting Lou, texting literally everyone he has the phone number for and just keeping a contact and a positive network. [02:54:48] Speaker E: All right, here's my question. Are you basically just going to shack up with Damon for a while? [02:54:53] Speaker A: Yeah. [02:54:53] Speaker E: He'll even ask during the months of downtime. [02:54:59] Speaker A: Excellent offer to be the manual labor around the farm. [02:55:04] Speaker E: Oh, you're going to get some work, that's for sure. Noted. Oh, by the way, anybody who spent time with the Dryads by this point should be full on willpower. [02:55:18] Speaker D: All right. [02:55:22] Speaker E: I'm sorry. [02:55:25] Speaker B: Oh, it's okay. [02:55:29] Speaker E: Okay. We're going to make some rolls. I would like Oliver to make me four. Yeah. Okay. I'm sorry. Not four. Five. Intelligence and academic roles. [02:56:01] Speaker C: All right, first one is one. [02:56:09] Speaker A: Two. [02:56:10] Speaker C: 3710. [02:56:13] Speaker E: Wow. [02:56:15] Speaker C: 2Nd, 1123-4567. 811. 3rd, 1126. For the third one. Fourth, 123458. And last, 123-4569. [02:56:49] Speaker E: Okay, so between the two really good ones at the beginning and the decent one at the end, and then those two that were a little meh, you kind of break even as far as just how good it is, you balance out all of those ones with those lots of tens at the beginning. What starts out as just a paper that you're planning to write very quickly, thanks to your scion gifts, thanks to your divine levels of intelligence and your ability to read and write very quickly, this turns into a. It's almost like a dissertation. That's a little bit what this feels like. It starts out as I'm going to write a paper to fulfill the labor. And after a while, maybe it's desperation to make sure that you get this right. Maybe it is newfound confidence because you finally bit the bullet and got together with a woman who seems to genuinely adore you and you've experienced what that kind of intimacy can be like. Maybe it's just spite. Maybe you're just so fucking over the Yellow Emperor that you're going to throw his labor back in his face by doing ten times better than he even demanded. [02:58:18] Speaker C: A combination of all three. [02:58:20] Speaker E: Could be a combination of all three. Either way, you end up in a situation where towards the end of this, months and months of downtime that you have, by the time you guys hit the beginning of October, you have a full on nonfiction book. Basically, it's like a treatise on everything that you were asked to write about and more. You expand on it. You get fully fucking philosophical with it at times. It's more than you were asked for, but you are incredibly happy with it. You're a little annoyed that it has to be in triplicate, but you bite the bullet and you make it work because it's part of the labor. And by the time it's over, you have three, like four inch binders with a copy in each binder. [02:59:27] Speaker C: Awesome. I'll say probably when I finish the very first draft and finish reading it, since it's like a huge dissertation. Probably takes over a few minutes, because speed reader, look at it, it's nod, be like, wow, I'm a genius. [02:59:52] Speaker E: And because you are hanging out at Damon's at the time and Astorope is nearby, you guys have taken over one of the side rooms as like your personal office. She just kind of looks up from the book that she's been reading. Yeah. [03:00:15] Speaker C: I'm happy with this. [03:00:18] Speaker E: Good. Happy enough to set it aside for a few hours? [03:00:24] Speaker C: Yes, absolutely. [03:00:26] Speaker E: Perfect. Sifting to another scene coda. I would like for you to make me. What am I going to have you roll? Make me wits and empathy. And then. Okay, so I want you to make me five wits and empathy roles. I also want you to make me five. Perception and let's say perception and science roles. [03:01:24] Speaker B: Five. Wits and empathy. Five. Perception and science. [03:01:28] Speaker E: Yes. Do the wits and empathies first, please. [03:01:31] Speaker B: Perfect. Thank you. Counting that one, two, three, or five. So five for the first one. Hey. Oof. Jackers. [03:01:57] Speaker E: Bend a legend and reroll that. [03:02:02] Speaker B: For virtues. Do I declare it before? Yes. Okay, perfect. So then I will spend a legend and reroll this one. [03:02:13] Speaker E: Okay. [03:02:17] Speaker B: Oh, can I use my harmony virtue? [03:02:28] Speaker E: Not on this one, because you're doing a reroll that you've already done, but on your next one, you can absolutely do harmony. [03:02:36] Speaker B: Perfect. One, two, three. [03:02:42] Speaker E: That's four, five. [03:02:44] Speaker B: Oh, wait, 410 is worth 2012-3456 so then the next one is six. Now I'll use Harmony for my next one. Let me cross that off. All right, let's find it. [03:03:11] Speaker E: Wow, that's a lot of ones. And threes. [03:03:15] Speaker B: That's actually right. [03:03:17] Speaker A: So much for Harmony. [03:03:19] Speaker B: Yeah, so much for Harmony. Okay. Is it crazy to reroll that? [03:03:24] Speaker E: No, it's not crazy because that's pretty bad. [03:03:27] Speaker B: Yeah. Do I still keep Harmony or not? [03:03:31] Speaker E: Yes, you get to reroll the whole thing. Okay. [03:03:35] Speaker B: Take that point away. [03:03:41] Speaker E: All right, that's better. That's three. Plus your two. So that's five. [03:03:45] Speaker B: Five again. [03:03:47] Speaker E: 56565. [03:03:50] Speaker B: All right. And this is regular dice. [03:03:58] Speaker E: Plus four. [03:04:02] Speaker B: So this is four. [03:04:04] Speaker E: It's two sevens. And then you've got two epics. [03:04:07] Speaker B: And then the final one. Oh, dear Lord. Okay. [03:04:14] Speaker E: And three. Okay. 565-435-6543. All right, now give me the other ones. [03:04:22] Speaker B: Okay. Perception and science. Okay. And can I add my animal specialty? [03:04:35] Speaker E: So your specialty doesn't really do anything for you. It's just that you have to dictate a specialty in things like science. [03:04:40] Speaker B: Oh, okay, I see. Cool beans. So then one, two, five. It's still five. D, ten. And that also has plus two. [03:04:56] Speaker E: So that's four. Plus two is six. [03:05:00] Speaker B: That's six. Let me see. Is there anything I can add for these ones? I already did. Harmony, is the animal and science leaning more towards the vet part? [03:05:21] Speaker E: Yeah. This is kind of about your ability to comb through the networks of people in that part of society, which is why it's a perception in science. [03:05:36] Speaker B: Got you. So then, can I add my conviction to this? [03:05:43] Speaker E: I'll allow it. Just remember that you only get it for one role, unless you want to keep burning willpower. Yeah. Only do you have to spend a willpower every time you use one of your virtues. [03:05:57] Speaker B: Yes. So then this is eight. B, ten. Don't do me wrong. [03:06:09] Speaker E: 1234. So that's another six. [03:06:14] Speaker B: Nice. Ooh. Five, six, seven. Is that one. [03:06:31] Speaker E: Very good. One, two, three. Plus another two is five. [03:06:41] Speaker B: Five. Oh, gosh, I lost count. [03:06:45] Speaker E: You've got one more. 123456. Not bad. 66756. Okay. All right. It's around September that you put together a couple of, basically, dossiers of people that you have in mind for this place. And you compile the documentation. You basically put together lists of programs that they've been part of. You have notes on, you've interviewed people who know them and have worked with them, the work that they do, their specializations, the kinds of interests they seem to have. And you write up little effectively, little essays on each about why each person might be worthy and put them together, and you know that ultimately it's going to be. So you reach out to the Yazada and you end up talking to one of their scions, who is a young man that you wouldn't necessarily call him a kindred spirit, but the first thing you realize about him is that he has a deep love of animals. So you two mesh very well, at least on that level. And he makes it very clear that he can't do this for you. This isn't something that is his decision to make, and that ultimately, who you give that deed to is up to you. And that essentially the gods will judge whether or not you made the right call. [03:08:59] Speaker B: I think then from that, she would probably go to each person, because you said, I narrowed it down to, like, three people, right? [03:09:11] Speaker E: Yeah. You've got three or four people in mind. [03:09:13] Speaker B: Three or four. So I think she'll go and volunteer with them and see the work they do, their personality, and try to get a sense of their vibes. Volunteering? Well, like volunteering with them and seeing what they're doing. Undercover boss. [03:09:36] Speaker E: Okay. Very cool. All right, Clint, during this time, you have basically taken over one of the rooms at Damon's farm. You are given tasks that require physical labor that Damon doesn't like he could do, but doesn't necessarily feel like doing. And if you're going to eat and live here for free, he'll put you to work. You spend every night with at least one dryad every so often. Damon will realize that you probably need a night to yourself at the very least, because physically, you're getting really run down. And the whole point of this is for you to have some time off. And he'll sort of corral the girls and chase them away for a night or two so that you can rest. But thankfully, you're a psyod. You recover really fast, so it doesn't take more than a night or two for you to be back at 100%. [03:10:41] Speaker A: We got that fast healing you do. [03:10:47] Speaker E: During that time, there is a parade of scions and supernatural creatures and all kinds of people in and out of the farm. Damon's place is not necessarily a hotspot of activity, but it is a place where if you're on the right side and chill, basically everybody's welcome. [03:11:14] Speaker A: Awesome. [03:11:15] Speaker E: So you have months to work on your barbecue skills. [03:11:22] Speaker A: Perfect. Yeah. He'll have a variety of different offerings the whole time through really getting to test them on different peoples and places, or not places, but from places. [03:11:34] Speaker E: Perfect. Let me see I would like you to roll me. This is going to be an odd thing, but you are going to be cooking for Ganesha, right? Man can eat. That is one of the things that you quickly learn from talking to people as they are in and out of this place. And they're giving you feedback and talking to you about their experiences with the deva and everything else. I would like you to roll me stamina and craft culinary. [03:12:09] Speaker A: Marathon than it is a sprint. You got to take your time, even out your energies. [03:12:14] Speaker E: Yes. I would like you to roll me five. Stamina plus craft culinary. I would also like you to roll me. Let's make it five. Charisma and fortitude. [03:12:34] Speaker A: You got it. [03:12:37] Speaker E: Let me know what your numbers are. [03:12:47] Speaker A: All right, let's see. We got one, two, and then. So first one is five, six. Ooh. And then nothing on the last one. We're gonna go ahead and use a legend point to reroll that last one. [03:13:13] Speaker E: Okay. It much better. That goes up to a 75667. All righT, now let's do your charisma and fortitude. If you would like. You can spend willpower to add expression to at least one of these first. [03:13:41] Speaker A: I was going to offer up piety instead because it's more of the tradition, the respect for the craft from the start. Most of this cooking is by the book. It's the way that he's always learned it. The only real change being the vegetarian, being the focus rather than the side. So he's going to leave it to the tradition on that one. [03:14:02] Speaker E: But I can absolutely do piety if you would like. [03:14:05] Speaker A: Perfect. And then the last one is him going to throw the art of experimentation, of putting himself into the food. So it'll be piety first, then three regular ones, and then the last one will be expression. If you're cool with it, that's fine. Awesome. [03:14:22] Speaker E: Just remember that you have to spend willpower for each of those. [03:14:26] Speaker A: Yes. It's full, though. [03:14:28] Speaker E: It is. You don't necessarily get to refill every night. You get one back per night. It's just that you guys happen to be there long enough to refill. [03:14:37] Speaker A: Exactly. Charisma and fortitude coming. Oh, hold on. This needs to be with an additional. I'm going to use another legend point to reroll that whole thing. [03:14:56] Speaker E: Okay. [03:14:58] Speaker A: This time together. So it's four and then five. All right. And then here's the regular ones. All right, we're running low on legend points at this moment. All right, I'm going to reroll that one. That's better. So the next one is two, four, five on the second one, five on the third. It four on the fourth. And then with expression on this last one. And one more reroll. All right, that last one is up to a seven. [03:16:15] Speaker E: Nice. So I have 55547. [03:16:18] Speaker A: There you go. [03:16:20] Speaker E: All right. Over the course of months, between working as a farm hand and a part time Dryad jiggle, you also get to the point where you're working in the kitchen on a regular basis. You're working out with the smoker and the grill. Damon helps where he can, but also recognizes that this isn't his labor. So outside of giving you a couple of pointers here and there, he kind of leaves you to are. By the time it's over, getting pretty comfortable, you feel like you've pretty much got this on the day of. Whenever that ends up happening, if you can pull off this, let's have a big party and invite every scion and whatever that we can, and we'll do a big competition and whatever, and we'll have a big party in Ganesha. We'll be the guest of honor. You're pretty sure that as long as you have your buddies with you and maybe some of the dryads, just to provide extra hands that do you think you've got this? Think you'll be able to show them a good time? Yeah. Especially if you throw in some flair and kind of go above and beyond on the day of really make it my own that you're ready. [03:18:15] Speaker A: As this has gone on, each time that a new person, a new face has gone through and Damon seems cool with them, Clint will definitely offer them the opportunity to, if know, cook at the cookout to at least join and enjoy the festivities. Whenever it does happen. [03:18:33] Speaker E: You collect a number of phone numbers? [03:18:35] Speaker A: Heck, yeah, we do. [03:18:37] Speaker E: It is unclear to you at times whether those phone numbers are because they are interested in sleeping with you or if they are just genuinely being friendly and interested in keeping in touch, you're surrounded by dryads on the regular, everybody who comes and goes from Damon's Farm ends up high and sexed up at some point, which is why it's a little confusing as to who's genuinely interested in you and who's just like, yeah, sure, you can have my number. That's fine. You give out your invitations. Knowing Clint, they're probably handmade. [03:19:18] Speaker A: They sure are. [03:19:19] Speaker E: Of course they are. Handmade invitations that the Dryads happily help you with. They press flowers. One of them is pretty decent with calligraphy. The whole nine. [03:19:32] Speaker A: And clip puts a little kiss on the bottom of each one. [03:19:35] Speaker E: Of course he does. And by the time the beginning of October rolls around, you set up to have a big cookout. Unfortunately, doing it here at David's Farm is probably not going to happen. The protections here are not quite as strong as what you would find in places like Anvil is kind of how he describes it. This place is solid, but if you bring that much divine power here, it'll become such a beacon that there's almost no way the wolves don't find it. [03:20:18] Speaker A: That's a good point. [03:20:21] Speaker E: So a call goes out to Dolgrim, and the dwarves agree to put on a party for you at Anvil in the middle of the month. [03:20:38] Speaker A: Understood. [03:20:41] Speaker E: Okay, well, does anybody else have anything that they want to do during those months of downtime? [03:20:54] Speaker C: The only final detail I can think of is that I'll probably print out a fourth copy of the essay just to keep for myself. [03:21:03] Speaker E: Of course you will. That's cute. I like that. I'm totally fine with that. Coda. [03:21:14] Speaker B: I think she'll start focusing, reading more into stuff about justice and revenge or vengeance and redemption and doing a lot of deep thinking. Lots of deep thinking. Okay. [03:21:39] Speaker C: Oliver ever picks up on this, Koda will seemingly at random, receive a copy of the Count of Monte Cristo in the mail. [03:21:47] Speaker B: Great. She will gladly take that. [03:21:51] Speaker E: I love that. That's perfect. Anything else? [03:21:55] Speaker A: Yeah. Clint's final touch would be making sure he reaches out to Claudia to make sure she's invited as well. [03:22:02] Speaker B: Okay. [03:22:06] Speaker E: All it.