S4 Ep1: Black Vultures

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Sam A Mutants of Masterminds Actual play [00:00:34] Speaker B: by Hallowed Haven Studios Last time on Apotheosis. Our story began when a group of five individuals found our rather mundane evenings becoming anything but as we were hunted and attacked by a pack of wolves, larger, more ferocious and more intelligent than any we had ever seen before. Banding together Chris, Koda, Sarah, Teddy and myself, Oliver attempted to survive and escape our dire circumstances, awakening some mysterious and divine font of power within our blood that provided us with the capability to do feats of epic proportions. Unfortunately, in our mad dash for salvation, Teddy was mortally wounded and we were unable to give him the medical attention needed in time to save him. Arriving at the hospital to deliver his body, we took the opportunity to get our story straight and come to terms with the harrowing experience that we had just gone through. Not long after making it through the night and being interrogated by the police, we were met with a young stranger who insisted that we come with her, both for our own safety and to have everything explained to us in time. And all was explained. Indeed, we were informed that we were beings known as Psions, children of the gods, and that the myths and monsters we had heard of and read about throughout our lives were very much real. Recently, however, the Fenris wolves, offspring of Fenrir of Norse mythology, had begun rooting out and killing Silence before they even knew what they were. Taking this in at varying rates, we were left to cope with our new knowledge before we were each taken to receive a visitation of our godly parents and be bestowed birthrights to allow us to access the full capacity of the divine ichor in our veins. It was during this time that it was revealed that I was a scion of Oghma Sara, one of Vidar, Kota, one of Bastets, and Kris, a child of Loki, who has been absent and unaccounted for for almost 30 years due to a frequency for Loki's children to be hunted and killed. In an attempt to stall Ragnarok, Artemis offered Kris her parentage and to become her sion instead, to which he accepted. Our new lives took us to a dwarf town in Maine known as Anvil, where we received additional birthrights and and responsibilities from our pantheons. We were then tasked with locating a Sybil in order to receive a prophecy to guide us on our task of helping stop the Fenris wolves. In our travels to seek out this Sybil, we were accosted by the monsters in question, this time led by a hostile and rogue scion named Gwyn. Fighting valiantly, we managed to stave off our attackers at the cost of mass property damage, and quickly continued our travels to Georgia, where we plunged deep into the earth, where. Where we then received our fortunes from a clueless woman who didn't understand the power that she possessed, nor how long she'd been down in that cave. Upon leaving with cryptic insights, we discovered that we had been down in the dark far longer than what it seemed, and quickly learned that one of our allies, Moira, a scion of Hera, was killed by the leader of the Fenris Wolves, another rogue scion named Stefan. After some time in a meeting with the goddess Artemis, we were instructed to meet up with our remaining friends on an enchanted and warded farm of owned by another friendly scion named Damon. There we were able to find a measure of relaxation or stress, if you ask me, as we became acquainted with the dryads of the farm. Good things aren't meant to last forever, however, as we with Net and Kareem, set out to rescue a pair of unawakened scions before the Fenris Wolves could get to them first. While this operation was largely a success and the twins, Lily and Lucas were saved in time, it was not without its own challenges and complications as our main group evade titanic wolves, while Net and Karim drew most of the attention, and in doing so were met with Stefan himself, who ended the engagement by wounding Net, who was able to be saved by me and Koda. During our next rendezvous, using Kareem's connections, some semblance of safety was procured for the group, and Lily and Lucas were given a crash course in the new world that they had been thrust into before they were picked up to be given their visitation with their own father. Roughly around this time, Chris was cornered into a private meeting with Stefan, and which he learned that they shared a commonality and that they were both offspring of the trickster God Loki. Upon telling his band of this meeting, we began to plot and strategize against our enemies, only to later have a change of hearts and begin to question if a path of redemption were possible and could be used to save more lives down the line. A meeting with Stefan and Gwen was organized and the offer was made, eventually ending with Stefan accepting the deal and Gwen walking away, further enraged with her enemies. Though the agreement stood, alliances and friendships were strained by the mere offer to absolve Steffen, and it was made known that he would have to stand before the gods and face judgment to see if he was even worthy of the chance of penitence. This all culminated in us arguing On Stephen's behalf and making personal pleas to the various gods who were selected to represent each of the major pantheons before a vote was cast. The trial went in Steffen's favor, with a coin flip from Ganesha, God of luck, being the tipping point that secured our success. Stipulations were still set, however, and it was decreed that Steffen would bear the punishment of his father, and that we would have to perform a labor for each pantheon in order to earn his release. Not all paths remain linear for heroes. While I stayed steadfast in my desire to begin these labors, Sarah stayed with Stefan to accompany him and ease his punishment. Kris was tasked with other matters by his mother, and Coda was briefly waylaid with a mission by her own pantheon. I, not able to begin my quest alone, was given support in the way of two fellow scions of the Tuathaedanan, Clint, son of the Morrigan, and Lucas, son of Lugh. Together, our trio decided to kick off our adventure the way any good Irish godchild would, by throwing a massive party in the town of the dwarves. Much fun was had, many drinks were consumed, and I may have drunkenly phoned a particular dryad late in the night to promising results. Come morning, we traveled to Ireland to begin our first labor to recover the dragonstone in Moghmel, the Irish underworld, on behalf of the Tuatha de Danan. While we faced a number of challenges along the way, including fomorians, ghosts, wolves, and pollen, we were able to locate the dragonstone and recover it, but at the cost of Clint bearing a curse from the Fomorian king's throne. It was also during this time that Lucas, while intimidating our foes, let something slip in such a way that only I was able to identify that he may be more than he appeared returning from Mogmel. Though the Tuatha were disappointed with the results, they accepted the labor as completed, and we were sent off to check in on Stefan and Asgard, picking up Kota along the way to rejoin our team. While we're counting our adventures and getting familiar with one another at the airport. It was then that I made the peculiar discovery that the dragonstone was in fact an egg that held a creature of a titular nature imprinting upon me. I now found myself responsible for an infant dragon bestowing upon him the name of Braum. Arriving in Asgard, we checked in on Stefan and Sarah to give us a proper reminder as to what we were fighting for. It was then that Lukas also revealed himself to be Lugh, the God king of the Tuatha Deidanannan, and that he would be the one to claim Steffen as his own. Once the Labors were completed, revelations processed and phone numbers received, we traveled to Japan to begin our next retrieve a sword from Yomi, the Japanese underworld, on behalf of the Amatsukami. Struggling to find entry, we eventually retraced the steps of Izanagi by moving the boulder and entering the cave that led us to Yomi. After acquainting ourselves with the underworld, we eventually navigated our way to the Poison Sun Ward, Yomi's reflection of the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where we fought our way past radioactive zombies by collapsing a building on them and and found our old enemy Gwen conversing with the godlike entity of the ward. Rather than result to violence, we made a deal with the entity to plant a half dozen seeds during our travels and leave the great doors to the ward unlocked in return for the sword. Realizing that we had been duped in our deal, we attempted to counteract some of the harm that we had done by finding a way to keep the poison sunward barred while also adhering to the terms of keeping the door unlocked. After accomplishing this in a less than efficient amount of time, we sought our avenue of leaving the underworld. Discussions led to the natural and reasonable conclusion of climbing Yggdrasil, the world tree itself, a task that took far more effort and time than we expected, but ultimately conclude with us returning to the world of the living to find Shango, God of the Loa pantheon, awaiting us. Insisting that we take a break after the ordeal we'd gone through, and Shango escorted us to Damon's farm and educated us on the art of not making poor decisions, while also promising to ensure that the sword we recovered made its way to the proper pantheon. Over the course of our R and R, I seemed to have found a well of courage within me while speaking on my troubles to my dryad friend Asterope, and made a move that quickly escalated our relationship into something quite more than friends. After resting, we hit the road once again to prepare a vegetarian barbecue in Anvil for the God Ganesha as our labor for the Daeva pantheon. The feast in celebration was a rousing success to the God of Luck's delight, and we reunited with our old friends Lily and Lucas, who gave us our next quest to establish an altar to the Aztec gods in the well renowned cardiology hospital in Cleveland. Upon accepting the labor, we also picked up a new ally in the way of Carim, a scion of the Pasejet Pantheon, and not to be confused with our other friend, Cream, a scion of the Yzada, utilizing some impersonation, manipulation, Gaius endowing, and a little white collar crime. The altar was established and set to be maintained for this foreseeable future, marking the labor as complete with a decent amount of time to spare before the Loa called upon us to complete their Labor, Coda and myself were left to begin working on our own personal Labors on behalf of the Yzada and the Celestial Bureaucracy respectively. For me, it was to write a thesis that explained Stephen's infractions to the Mandate of Heaven and why he should be spared regardless. For Coda, it was to find the rightful owner to a piece of abandoned property that had no discernible heir endowed to it, making significant progress on both counts by the time we were called upon. We traveled to New Orleans to reach the island of guinea and protect it from intruders as the Loa enjoyed their yearly 24 hour celebration in which the dead gods and scions of the Pantheon party together within a mansion hosted by Baron Smedi. Bodyguarding against those left uninvited ended up being a rather eventful feat as we were faced with a Kraken that we vanquished through the clever usage of cat laser pointer technology and yet another run in with our enemy Gwen that ended with Clint delivering a mind controlled, motivated punch to my sternum and pride, an evicted undead party crashers from the shores of the beach. Fortunately, all challenges were successfully dispatched and we were rewarded with the knowledge that yet another labor had been completed and with Clint going on a spiritual drinking adventure with Baron Samety and other members of the Loa that culminated in a vast amount of new phone numbers in his contacts list, as well as an ambiguous meeting with the Baron's wife. Completing our task, we took yet another sojourn on Daemon's farm, where we were met with the God Hephaestus and his scion Andrew, who was then tasked with joining our team and aiding us as the labor of the Dodec Cathyon was just upon the horizon. Before that, however, we were escorted by the God of the Forge to Wales, where I, unwilling to part with Brom, brokered a deal with the Welsh pantheon to be their champion and look after their great dragon till he decided he was ready to return home, an oaf not taken lightly or kindly by my own Pantheon. Following this, we dined with Mithras and and completed the labor task Dakota, and then we sought out the Celestial Bureaucracy so that I could turn in my essay to which I was informed that I performed adequately. Settling these affairs, we were formally given our next task bestowed upon us by the Greek pantheon, originators of the heroic labor and well known in mythology for the difficult and lofty tasks placed upon their. Characters of legend told to perform funeral rites for 100 individuals fatebound to the Dodec cathion and ensure each were given a Narcissus flower so that a bouquet makes it to the underworld for Hades to gift to his wife. We promptly began to seek out the best way to make ease of our work. Coming to the conclusion that the Myrmidons, ancient warriors used by Achilles, counted for our means and are easier to come by than a mass amount of dead Greek scions, we began our search for a mass amount of dead ant soldiers. Eventually, our search brought us to a scion of Poseidon by the name of Alexandra. After some initial confusion and concerns of threats, a deal was made by myself for Alexandra to ferry us to the island of the Myrmidons to complete our labor, and in return, she would receive a vial of the Hesperides apple juice that I was gifted for my birthday. Agreeing, we made our offerings to Poseidon for safe travels and set sail for Aegina. Not long after our course began did we come face to face with a mighty storm that resulted in us washing up on a completely different island than intended. Tropical and filled with wild animals, we eventually found the place inhabited by an utterly enthralling woman who called herself Penelope. Though charming, hospitable, and lonesome, we spent several weeks on Penelope's island, making repairs to our vessel to continue our quest. All the while, details about our host continued to seem off, until suspicions culminated with the discovery of a cave that laid out a number of clues that led me and Andre to a specific conclusion as to who our new companion truly was. Upon bringing our accusation to Penelope, but with the caveat that we wish to remain cordial, the woman dispelled her act and revealed herself to be the sorceress Circe. Maintaining amiable terms as we negotiated, we eventually reached a deal with Sersi in which she would perform a ritual to aid us in reaching our proper destination. But in exchange, each one of us would spend one night in her bed alongside her, taking the opportunity to connect with the outside world. Aya was granted permission for Masterope to take part in the ritual, and Andrei refused to be involved whatsoever after he was unable to contact his own romantic partner after discovering she'd been put into an arranged marriage due to Andre's prolonged absence. Though Kota elected to stay behind on the island for an extended duration with Cersei. The rest of us completed the ritual and managed to arrive on Aegina to request an audience with the Queen and explain our situation. By macabre fortune, it was disclosed that a vast number of Myrmidons had met a grisly end via mysterious means, and we would be permitted to perform the necessary rites under the condition that we took part in the island's funerary games to pay homage to the warriors that lost their lives. Agreeing, I, Andre and Clint performed admirably in our various games of choice, with me making a shocking display of my developing physique in the traditional bare chest, leather skirt and sandaled feet attire of the ancient Greeks, something Andre quickly capitalized on by snapping a photo of the ensemble and promptly sharing it with the nymphs of Daemon's farm. Following the games and reuniting with Coda, we ventured into the underworld of the Dodec Cathyon, this time through the passage of your average grave site, where we collected the spiritual bouquet and paid our tithe to the ferryman Charon. Our journey took us across several of the athrolized rivers, inevitably before the gates of Hades, where we faced Cerberus and lulled the great three headed hound to sleep. Soon enough we were before the Lord of the Dead himself, where we profited our offering and were instructed to deliver it to Persephone in the garden. Another labor completed. We took one quick stop while in the land of the Dead and sought out Moira in Elysium, allowing Cota and myself to speak with her about all that had happened since her her death, and get a little bit of closure. As this conversation ended, Moir bestowed me with a kiss that granted me a powerful vision of prophecy that allowed me to warn my companions about potential dangers in our next labor before promptly falling unconscious. Taking my words into account, the band toted my unresponsive body along with them as they exited the underworld and soon came into contact with Bast, who provided them with their next and final laboratory on behalf of the base to break into a secure facility and steal the feather of an angel without crushing it. Heeding their incapacitated friend's warning, the band left me under the care of Alexandra as they sought out to complete the task given to them, planning extensively and taking measures to ensure the safe transportation of their prize. The end result was the heist of the century that's while costing one of the nine lives of Koda's feline familiar in a rather extensive beating to Clint's bird companion was executed nearly flawlessly, and even permitted the band to nab a collection of additional relics that appeared as if they were being prepared to be auctioned off. Returning triumphant to find me awake and active, we were able to identify our newly acquired goods with the intention of returning them to their pantheons of origin. This matter resolved and all labors completed, we returned to Asgard to have Steffen, and to a lesser extent, Serra, released from imprisonment and have him officially join our band once he received his visitation from Lugh. However, on our way to depart from the overworld of the Aesir, we came upon what appeared to be an injured man claiming to be a scion of Coyote named Ozzie. Rattled, Ozzie was able to explain that his own band had been attacked and killed by Gwyn, and that the seeds we had been planting were poised to explode if he was not able to collect Steffen's true name and give it to her as the holder of his true name. Kota remained steadfast in her duty to guard it and refused to admit that she knew it. Satisfied with this response, Ozzie ceased his act and revealed himself to be something much greater and continued to test us both in body and mind, asking us the question, how do you stop a God? While proceeding to initiate combat. The fight quickly became a thrashing as Ozzie, now referring to himself as the stranger, showed off his prowess by half entombing both Steffen and Clint in the side of a mountain and liberating Andre of one of his arms, all without taking so much as a scratch of his own. As the fight commenced, questions were posed in search of an answer to the stranger's riddle, concluding with me outright asking for the answer in an attempt to outsmart the game. Amused, the stranger conceded and stated that to stop a God, one must take away their faith. It was then that Lugh arrived to rescue us, and the stranger departed. After taking our account of what happened, Lugh gave Stefan his visitation, adopting him and binding his ichor as a son of the Tuatha de Danan, before calling upon the Morrigan to provide further illumination as to who we encountered. Reading our fate threads established by the endeavor, Morrigan was able to come to the harrowing conclusion that Loki had returned and we had just faced him in the flesh. Compartmentalizing this information for the time being, we were taken to the court of the Tuatha gods, where we were gaoled, all present with our adventures, and were hailed as heroes and elevated to the shining staff of demigods. While the celebrations were great. They were also brief as Morrigan made the announcement that Loki had returned immediately, sending all God's presence and maybe the rest of the pantheons, as news spread into immediate and dire preparations. What happens next? Well, there's only one way to find out. [00:19:36] Speaker C: Well done. I'm Claire Allison, and I'm playing Blaith, the scion of Odin. [00:19:41] Speaker A: Hi, I'm Gavin Cash, and I'm playing Clint Brazos, a scion of the Morrigan. [00:19:47] Speaker D: Hello, I'm Heretic. And I'm playing Stefan Vargar, the scion of Loo. [00:19:51] Speaker B: Hello, I'm Gary, and I'm playing Oliver Bright, the scion of Oghma. [00:19:55] Speaker E: Hello, I'm Solomon, and I'm playing Andre Briscoe, the scion of Hephaestus. [00:20:00] Speaker F: And I'm bloodied porcelain. I will be your storyteller for the evening. Brothers shall fight and slay each other. Cousins shall kinship violate. The earth resounds, the giantesses flee. No man will another spare. Hard is it in the world, great whoredom an axe age, A sword age. Shields shall be cloven, A wind age, A wolf age. Ere the world sinks, Mim's sons dance. But the central tree takes fire at the resounding Gjallar horn. Loud blows Heimdall, his horn is raised. Odin speaks with Mim's head trembles Yggdrasil's ash yet standing groans that aged tree. And the Jotunn is loose. Loud bays garm before the Nupa cave His bonds he rends asunder and the wolf runs. Hiram steers. From the east the waters rise. The mundane snake is coiled in Jotun rage. The worm beats the water and the eagle screams. The pale of beak tears carcasses Naglfar is loosed. Good evening, players. [00:21:14] Speaker C: Hello. [00:21:14] Speaker A: Good evening. [00:21:15] Speaker D: Hello. [00:21:15] Speaker E: Good evening. [00:21:16] Speaker C: Hello. [00:21:18] Speaker F: Welcome back. We're here for season four. I hope you're all ready. [00:21:22] Speaker A: I am so ready. [00:21:25] Speaker F: It has been about two weeks, a little under, since the. Since the happenings at the end of season three. You all have had time to get. Get some rest, spend time with your divine parents to get your new, like, demigod upgrades, your new gear to talk about the new level of power that you have reached. All of that, you have been Clint, Stefan, Oliver and Andre. Stefan, you have mostly been forced by circumstance and the agreements to which you. To which your freedom was granted. You've had to spend most of your time wherever Oliver is. He is responsible for you. Given that he was part of the original band that freed you. You all. Clint. Clint, Stefan, Oliver, And Andre all have received a text message calling you back to Damon's farm. Assuming that you were not already there, which I imagine Stefan and Oliver may have been. [00:22:39] Speaker B: Yeah, good assumption. [00:22:44] Speaker F: Damon has not told you why? Just said that there are orders from on high. You need to. You need to come to the. Come to the farm. He has a big meal planned and then he has a surprise for you. [00:22:59] Speaker D: Alrighty. [00:23:02] Speaker F: Stefan and Oliver, you were put to hell. You were. You were put to work helping get the. The big cookout that is going to happen. Ready, Clint? [00:23:16] Speaker A: Yep. [00:23:18] Speaker F: How long does it take you to show up? [00:23:20] Speaker A: Well, it's not going. [00:23:21] Speaker F: And how. How do we see you when you show up? [00:23:24] Speaker A: Yeah, it's gonna take me a little bit of time. My horse isn't as fast as some folks, but you know, as. As things get going as people start arriving so we can start preparing. Clint's gonna ride in on a very pale horse. Bones a plenty. Not a single bit of flesh to be seen. But a nice big leather saddle holds up a 6 foot 4, 230 pound brick house. With a big old cowboy hat on his head. And a bird that flies down to land on his shoulder as he hops down and the dirt starts to mess up his boots. He is a big old boy. He is sturdy and he's got a toothpick stuck out of his mouth. And his blue eyes are peering around looking for his friends. [00:24:12] Speaker F: Excellent. As usual. When you arrive on the farm, you can see. See dryads out in the distance in the fields. And you get the. You see some kind of like loitering around the outside of the house. And there's clearly a lot of movement in and around the house. You can hear like the. The side door that leads out onto like the main patio where Damon has his big like outdoor cooking setup. Keeps opening and closing as people are coming and going from the main kitchen. [00:24:48] Speaker A: Excellent. Yeah. Clint tips his hat to his old friends. He recognizes those striads. And he's going to strad on over the house, see if his folks are inside. [00:25:00] Speaker F: As soon as you open the front door. A dryad who is the flowers that are in her hair. And you know her pretty well. She is almost always one of the ones who ends up spending time with you when you were here. Her hair is like vines and honeysuckle. And as soon as you open the door and she sees you, she bolts from across the house and like launches herself at you. [00:25:29] Speaker A: Oh, hey there, Gruntle. Pick her on up. Wrap her in arms. [00:25:35] Speaker F: I missed you. [00:25:36] Speaker A: I missed you too. How have you been? [00:25:40] Speaker F: Pretty good. [00:25:42] Speaker A: Yeah, Things. Things look a little busy around here. You're staying out of trouble. [00:25:47] Speaker F: She makes cute little non committal noises. [00:25:50] Speaker A: I mean, we could go start some trouble. [00:25:53] Speaker F: CLINT chuckles Think Damon might get frustrated if we start that early. [00:25:58] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, he does have expectations. All right, let me go say hi first and then. Then we'll see what's going on. [00:26:07] Speaker F: And rather than allowing you to put her down, she like, literally climbs and scrambles around you so that she is like piggyback on your back. [00:26:18] Speaker A: Oh, perfect. There you go. All right, hold on. Hey, don't pinch that. [00:26:22] Speaker D: All right? [00:26:23] Speaker A: And he will walk around with his dryad friend on his back. He's got no problem. [00:26:27] Speaker F: Dryad backpack. [00:26:28] Speaker A: Exactly. All right. [00:26:31] Speaker F: As you walk into the kitchen, you can see Oliver and Stefan and Asterope and Natine are all hanging out. Well, I shouldn't say hanging out. They are helping do things. Natine has been, as usual, has very strict rules that she's not allowed to touch the food, but she can let carry the platters and plates. So anytime somebody, like, finishes a platter of something, she's. She scoops it up and takes it outside. [00:27:01] Speaker A: It's about time y' all started helping on cooking. Come on. What do I need to do around here? Hey, hold on. Eeny, meeny, miney. That one. And Clint will just kind of wander over and start harassing Mr. B. What you been up to, Mr. Oliver? You've been. What you cooking? What you cutting? [00:27:20] Speaker F: You prepping before we get into you responding. Why, why don't Oliver, why don't you tell our listeners what they see? Because you look a bit different than the last time we saw you. [00:27:32] Speaker B: Yes, Oliver is a little bit changed. He is no longer in tweed. We have upgraded. He is in, I guess, something of like a casual suit. No blazer, no tie, but the vest, pants and shirt with more than a few buttons undone. He's got a new nifty red, what looks like it might be like scaled leather coat on. His hair is now down. It's no longer tied up, and it seems to have like a more of a kind of gold quality to it than dirty blonde like it used to be. The singing stone is visible around his neck, hanging from a bit of twine. And as Clint's kind of like walking up to him due to the fact that Oliver does have feature multitasking, he is both helping with the preparations, but also seemingly reading a book at the exact same time. [00:28:29] Speaker A: What are you reading there? [00:28:32] Speaker B: Oh, hey, Clint. Just some mythology stuff. Some more esoteric things I'm trying to find. And, yeah, if you want to help out, I think some cutting and dicing needs to be done. [00:28:43] Speaker A: Okay. You mind holding on to my backpack for me? And he'll wiggle his dryad friend. [00:28:48] Speaker B: I'll look up from the book for, like. [00:28:53] Speaker A: He's stronger than he looks, I promise. [00:28:55] Speaker F: Have you learned nothing? Honeysuckle's a clinging vibe. [00:29:02] Speaker A: Yeah, all right. I don't mind. It's fine. You can stay around. Clint is putting on airs as if he is mildly inconvenienced when he is in love with what is happening. [00:29:13] Speaker B: Okay, great. [00:29:14] Speaker F: Stefan, what do our listeners see when they see you? [00:29:20] Speaker D: Well, Stefan's a bit less clothed. He is now shirtless, of course. Got a bit more tattoos across his body, one for each of the previous band, as well as Andre Briscoe. He has deadly nightshade across his chest. His hair has gone back to its black color, and he is just helping around the house. Ain't doing much. [00:29:53] Speaker F: Nateen has you helping to put together, like, the. Like, form the patties for the burgers that are gonna go out on the grill. Because she can't. So she's tasked you with, like, taking the big bowl of ground chuck and all of that stuff and. And actually forming it into the proper patties. [00:30:17] Speaker D: Alrighty. It's been a while, Clint. You having fun already? [00:30:22] Speaker A: Well, of course. I mean, how can you not have fun when you show up here and you got folks like Meliance? [00:30:28] Speaker D: Fair enough. [00:30:30] Speaker F: Just hear a playful little giggle from behind. [00:30:32] Speaker A: Clint, what are you working on? You got a. You got any burger patties that's not good to eat raw? Hold on. Clint's gonna look around for some vegetables so he can have a snack and pass one over his shoulder. [00:30:44] Speaker F: What are you passing over, like, a carrot stick or celery stick? Something like that? [00:30:51] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. I mean, whatever's available if there's a carrot stick. [00:30:54] Speaker F: Emma, this is Damon's. Damon's kitchen. The one thing you have learned about Damon's Place is there is always food aplenty, especially freshly grown stuff. He has, like, a number of greenhouses that basically just produce food for the farm itself and occasionally get shipped out to the local farmer's market because they almost always overgrow. [00:31:20] Speaker A: Well, in that case, we're getting ourselves a bowl of baby carrots and a sidecar around. [00:31:25] Speaker C: Excellent. [00:31:26] Speaker F: Andre? [00:31:27] Speaker E: Yes? [00:31:28] Speaker F: When do you show up? How long does it take you to answer the summons? And how. How do we see you when you show up? [00:31:35] Speaker E: Well, I probably would have Just immediately started making my way out out there. Probably would have used a little bit of stuff from the workshop I was holed up in for the past two weeks to improve the Daedalus device for. On a temporary scale, so that way I could get there a little bit faster. It's already pretty fast by itself, but much faster with a little bit of help from certain esoteric materials. So basically, I would be using the Daedalus device to fly my way out to Damon's farm, since my dad ain't here to help me out with the proper portal ways that we got to it last time. So no falling out of a wardrobe this time. [00:32:17] Speaker F: Perfect. You all hear the sound of booted footfalls and the opening of the front door and can see through the kind of like, open floor plan of this. Of this big redesigned farmhouse. Andre walking in. Andre, what does everybody see? [00:32:44] Speaker E: Well, what people see is a little different from the last time they saw him. The last time they saw him, he had a more laid back and not really focused on appearance or look. His shirt was oil smeared. He had oil stains all over his skin, and his hair and such was a mess. But now he. It looks like he's taking better care of himself. He has switched to a polo. [00:33:10] Speaker F: He. [00:33:10] Speaker E: He has made sure to clean himself very thoroughly and has been focused more on trimming up his hair and making sure that he looks a lot more put together. He looks less like a mechanic and more like an engineer. Also, where he had his arm amputated, he now has a brilliant coppery red prosthetic. Mechanical prosthetic that looks like it has all kinds of digitized by Google. It looks more like a regular arm and looks like it moves as a regular arm does without any of the mechanical sort of like, blockiness that some would normally have. [00:33:49] Speaker F: Excellent, boys. [00:33:50] Speaker B: Great. [00:33:51] Speaker A: Oh, hold on. Where'd you get that? [00:33:55] Speaker D: You sweating like oil. [00:33:57] Speaker E: Well, I mean, that makes sense given that I was in a workshop for the past two weeks. How y' all doing? [00:34:02] Speaker A: Doing good. But now I think I see what it is. We've been shopping at the same places. I like your shirt. [00:34:10] Speaker E: Thanks. I like your outfit, too. Black looks good on you. [00:34:15] Speaker A: Well, thank you. I mean, I learned it after watching mom all these years. It looks so good on her, I figure I had to try it out at least a little. And I gotta say, these leather chaps are kind of fancy. [00:34:27] Speaker B: Like, look up for half a second again. Oh, new arm's looking good, Andre. [00:34:32] Speaker E: Thank you. Thank you. It's a lot more. I can add a lot More to it than the last one. [00:34:39] Speaker A: What do you mean by that? [00:34:40] Speaker E: Well, I mean, I can upgrade it. It's mechanical. I can add more things to it as I get the time and the materials. It's like I would shoot lasers, probably. [00:34:53] Speaker A: Could it be like an electric toothbrush type thing where it helps you brush your teeth, wreath better? [00:34:59] Speaker E: Yeah, probably, if I really wanted to. But of course, I'm also still working on the device. And he will just pull out from his back pocket the mechanical clockwork orb that he had last season. That still looks like it's being worked on. It looks unfinished. It looks like it has a lot of runes and buttons that are still missing. [00:35:24] Speaker B: That's progress on that. [00:35:25] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:35:26] Speaker E: Added a few more things here and there. Figured out that it can do a few things, like specifically, but. And then the rest is just kind of as it wants. Really does all kinds of weird if I really focus on it. [00:35:39] Speaker F: So it's about right. It is around this time that there is a voice that is familiar to everybody because you have all been here enough to have met most, most, if not all of the dryads, but always tends to pop up anytime Andre visits. There is a dryad with brown and green hair. She doesn't have flowers, but, like, she has leaves that look like they belong on a laurel tree. And her name is Daphne. And she sticks her head down from upstairs. Like she was. Like she was upstairs dealing with stuff, probably doing chores or something like that. And as soon as she heard Andre's voice, you all hear this very small feet, but you could still hear them bolting for the stairs. And then her head just kind of pops down, like in the space where it's like above the railing of the railing of the stairs, but like below the next floors, below the ceiling. You know what I mean? So it's just in that little corner and her eyes kind of light up. Andre, every time you come to visit, Daphne in particular, makes you talk about the things that you've been working on. She's been exceptionally. You can tell that it is very difficult for her, given her nature. But she has been exceptionally respectful of your relationship status, but also always gets really excited when you're there. It's obvious that she's got a little bit of a crush, but she is, like, withholding her nature as a dryad not to try and climb you. [00:37:32] Speaker E: I appreciate that she respects my relationship status of I don't fucking know. [00:37:36] Speaker F: Yeah, well, I mean, she knows that you have feelings for somebody, and she has always respected your relationship status ever since you got together with Mia. [00:37:45] Speaker D: Fair. [00:37:46] Speaker F: Can't make any promises that she didn't jump your bones before you met Mia, though. Yeah. [00:37:54] Speaker E: Hey, Daphne. How you doing? [00:37:56] Speaker C: Hi. [00:37:57] Speaker F: Hi. Hi. [00:37:58] Speaker C: Hi. [00:37:58] Speaker F: Hi. Hi. Has the orb done anything new? [00:38:01] Speaker E: Well, it seems to be, like, set on the musical setting. He will just, like, do the same configuration he did for when he had to play music that you. That he used to help L. Cerberus to sleep. So I got that to be, like, a set set in, but it seems to still have a whole lot of things that I can do variably. [00:38:19] Speaker F: Huh. Well, maybe new stuff will pop up. [00:38:24] Speaker E: Yeah, probably. Especially if I keep fiddling with it a little bit here and there. Though it would really suck if I tried to fiddle with it and then it just, like, exploded. [00:38:33] Speaker F: It would. That would be bad. But it hasn't done it yet, and you've carried it into some pretty dangerous situations, so I think if it were secretly a bomb, you would have figured it out. [00:38:42] Speaker E: Yeah, it's fair. [00:38:43] Speaker D: Doesn't smell like a bomb. [00:38:45] Speaker F: It does not. It also doesn't smell like his dad. [00:38:48] Speaker B: Well, it's called the Daedalus device, right? [00:38:51] Speaker F: No, the Daedalus device is the wings. [00:38:54] Speaker E: Yeah, that's what I got on my back. This thing is the. I haven't really come up with a name for it other than dream orb, given the fact that it came from schematics I dreamed about. [00:39:04] Speaker B: Well, ignore me. I'm distracted. [00:39:06] Speaker A: I think the orb is a good one. [00:39:08] Speaker F: It does smell a little bit like him. Anyway. [00:39:13] Speaker E: Anyway, [00:39:15] Speaker F: have you. Have you. You guys haven't. Oh, hey. Well, this will be fun. And she's gonna, like, hurry downstairs. She stops long enough to kind of give Andre this, like, half hug [00:39:29] Speaker C: and [00:39:29] Speaker F: then head for the, like, side door out onto the patio where you guys can hear. Damon is chatting with various dryads. And occasionally, you could hear him telling them, no, no, I know. I know they're here. I know they're all very pretty. You cannot just drag them off for fun. Yet things have to happen. In Daemon's, like, typical stoner voice. I will say this, Stefan. In the time that you have been here, Damon is a stoner. He smokes all the time. He is also probably the smartest person you've ever met who isn't a God. Like, he's a little bit. As far as you can tell, a little bit smarter than even Oliver and Andre, which is impressive, despite the fact that he seems a little bit like a burnout. You do get the feeling that part of that is the fact that he's been scioning longer than any of you. Any of them have. Not quite as long as you have. But you also got a little bit of a hard reset, so. [00:40:33] Speaker D: Well, Mr. Andre, seems like you got an admirer. [00:40:38] Speaker E: Yeah, I think it's. I think it seems like we all got one. Deserved or not. [00:40:43] Speaker A: That's the thing about these dryads. They have a habit of growing on you. [00:40:48] Speaker E: That's. I like that, Clint. I'm gonna. I'm stealing that one. [00:40:51] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, feel free. Stefan, if you could, I'd like, you know, an extra big patty, please. I'm particularly hungry. It's been a long ride. [00:41:02] Speaker D: All right, that can work. He'll make a patty that is no larger than the others. [00:41:10] Speaker A: Nope. It's nice that we're all back together. Are you sure that we don't have a few minutes before we get to business? I mean, I've. We got at least three, right? [00:41:22] Speaker B: Cleanse, behave. [00:41:24] Speaker D: You, sir, gotta get a bit to work. [00:41:27] Speaker A: Looks like we're gonna have to wait a few minutes. [00:41:30] Speaker F: It is around this time that Damon. Damon walks in. He is. He is in his. His typical kind of stoner fashion. He's got one of the. One of the farm T shirts on. It is currently a little bit stained around, like, the edges of the apron that he is wearing. It's like he wore an apron to try and protect the shirt and still managed to fuck it up. Although some of the stains are like, on, like the outside of his sleeve. So you think that at some point he may have gotten hit by a dryad with food? That at some point there may. There may have been a. A. What do you call it? A. A minor food fight outside. Because the dryads are always out to be out to. Out to have a little fun and a little mischief. Especially when they think that he is being too strict or telling them no. Oh, hey, guys. [00:42:28] Speaker E: Hey, Damon. [00:42:28] Speaker D: How you doing, slobby eater? [00:42:34] Speaker F: It's not my fault. I mean, I told them that there was a surprise and they couldn't go dragging you off to bed until after the surprise was over and Ianthe threw a plate at me. [00:42:50] Speaker A: That sounds about right, actually. I mean, can't you give us just like five or six minutes before, you know, behave? Look, it's not just about me. It's about managing chaos and expectations. Them folks know that we're here now. [00:43:07] Speaker F: Listen, in no world would it only take you five to ten minutes. [00:43:14] Speaker A: You're right. [00:43:15] Speaker B: You're right. [00:43:16] Speaker F: Not with them. It didn't matter how exhausted you might end up. They wouldn't be finished in five to 10 minutes. If I can't wear them out in five to 10 minutes, you certainly can't. [00:43:27] Speaker A: What if we just organize, like, a blanket thing? That way we're all above the blankets and we're talking. Things are happening. We all get business handled at the same time, Damon. [00:43:36] Speaker F: Looks like that idea doesn't necessarily bother him. But his eyes go to Oliver and then to Andre. [00:43:42] Speaker D: You might want to go get a new shirt, Damon. [00:43:46] Speaker F: Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna. [00:43:48] Speaker D: And Clint, you might want to. If you want to make your burger bigger, you might want to help. [00:43:55] Speaker A: Oh, fine. All right, here. I'll set aside my carrots and get to work. Go ahead, Damon, you said there's some sort of surprise for us. [00:44:05] Speaker F: There is. I'm gonna see what the status on that is. And he takes his. He takes his apron off, and he tosses it to Andre. You're on the grill. [00:44:17] Speaker D: All right. [00:44:19] Speaker F: Given that you are the only one here I am confident will not burn themselves. [00:44:25] Speaker E: Yeah, it's fair. [00:44:26] Speaker F: Try not to burn my food. [00:44:28] Speaker B: I actually can't get burned anymore. So what? That's the coat. [00:44:34] Speaker A: So if you took the coat off, you could get burned? [00:44:36] Speaker B: I would get burned if I took the coat off, yeah. [00:44:38] Speaker A: Does it? I got so many questions. I'll ask you later. [00:44:42] Speaker C: Your. [00:44:42] Speaker F: Your dad's not a volcano God, so. And he kind of saunters by an upstairs. [00:44:50] Speaker B: Also true. All this said without looking up from the book, by the way. [00:44:55] Speaker F: At some point, as. As he disappears, Asterobe kind of, like, shuffles over from where she's standing. She does this little, like, half shuffle step so that she's directly next to you and then bumps you with her hip. Hey. [00:45:12] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:45:13] Speaker F: Just because you can multitask like, that doesn't mean that it's not impolite. [00:45:18] Speaker B: I know. I'm just all, like. Kind of, like, pinch the bridge of my nose and, like, rub my eyes. And it's notable that Oliver does not look like he has slept very much recently. The eyes are tired and baggy. I'm just close to some things. I think [00:45:36] Speaker F: she kind of reaches over and plucks the book out of your hand and very carefully marks your page with a napkin, because it's what happens to be around. I'm gonna go put this away. Spend time with your friends. [00:45:49] Speaker B: Okay. Okay. [00:45:51] Speaker F: This can wait. And she will. She will walk away. [00:45:56] Speaker B: Kinda, like rub my face with my hands, and then, like, fully actually look at everyone for once. Oh, Clint, you have a hat now. [00:46:02] Speaker A: Yeah, I do. It's about time you looked at us. And he's not wearing a shirt. And you already mentioned that, so. [00:46:11] Speaker B: I already knew about the shooting. [00:46:13] Speaker A: Oh, well, I mean, you were here working with him, so it makes sense. [00:46:16] Speaker B: Yeah, he doesn't listen to me when I tell him to put one on. [00:46:19] Speaker A: Stefan, do you even own any shirts anymore? [00:46:23] Speaker F: He does, but I don't like it when he wears them. She wanders back in. [00:46:30] Speaker D: Thank you. Oh, Clint. After my poor dead heart. [00:46:35] Speaker A: Yeah, in. Yeah, yeah, I know. It's that whole handsome but dangerous thing. It's. It's a problem. We're gonna have to address it later, I'm sure. But for now, what. What's going on? And Clint will turn his attention to Damon. [00:46:52] Speaker F: Damon is not in the room. Damon went upstairs and changed his shirt. [00:46:56] Speaker A: What do y'. [00:46:56] Speaker F: All. [00:46:56] Speaker A: What do y' all think is the surprise? [00:46:59] Speaker D: I don't know. [00:47:00] Speaker B: He's been pretty tight lipped about it. [00:47:02] Speaker D: Nothing good. [00:47:05] Speaker B: Oh, where's this going? [00:47:07] Speaker A: Nothing. Clint just squeezes Melly's thigh and continues on cutting up vegetables. [00:47:13] Speaker F: She is giggling. It's a great it. Listen, I know what the surprise is. It's awesome. [00:47:21] Speaker E: Well, I trust her judgment. [00:47:23] Speaker F: And she kind of grins over at Andre. I know what I'm talking about. I am an authority on fun things. [00:47:31] Speaker B: Well, when you're sitting on a throne like that. [00:47:36] Speaker A: Froze his brows trying to understand. [00:47:40] Speaker F: After a short while, you hear Damon's footsteps coming back down the stairs. And there is another set of much quieter footsteps that are following him into the room. Steps a dryad that is unusual to say the least. Clara, would you like to describe what they see? [00:48:05] Speaker C: Yeah. There is a dryad who has sort of not like cascading hair like some of the other dryads you've seen. Small leaves in sort of a long hairstyle, dotted throughout with like little white flowers and little red berries. Her eyes are the same kind of color as the berries, and she's got, you know, woody colored skin, sort of a dark sort of darker brown. The most odd thing for people who are familiar with dryads is that at the ends of her, like, elbows and like on her knuckles and stuff, she has like small thorns and she just pokes her head out from behind Damon with a big old smile. [00:49:06] Speaker D: Hi. [00:49:07] Speaker A: Oh, hey there, Damon. Who's your new friend? [00:49:11] Speaker F: I think she can introduce herself. [00:49:14] Speaker C: My friends call me Hawthorne. [00:49:17] Speaker A: Hawthorne, Nice to meet you. I'm Clint Brazos and these are my friends. They can say their own names. I'm confident in that. [00:49:24] Speaker C: She just looks expectantly. [00:49:26] Speaker E: I'm Andre. Nice to meet you. [00:49:27] Speaker D: Stefan will smell the air. I'm Stefan. [00:49:31] Speaker C: Kind of a cold reception, I guess. She sort of, like, looks up at Damon, like, okay, it's not cold. [00:49:37] Speaker D: We're just have a bit of a time limit. [00:49:43] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, the big surprise, right? [00:49:45] Speaker A: Yeah, we're all real curious. [00:49:47] Speaker C: What do you think it is? [00:49:48] Speaker A: Oh, I'm thinking we're gonna get, like, our own private jet, like them comic book folks, and fly around and do cool things. [00:49:58] Speaker B: I don't know what it is, but it's not that, damn it, [00:50:03] Speaker E: because I don't need a jet to fly. [00:50:04] Speaker D: You can fly? [00:50:06] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:50:07] Speaker E: Got the Daedalus little device here. And he just turns around and shows the backpack. [00:50:11] Speaker A: Do you have to think happy thoughts to fly, or how does that thing work? [00:50:14] Speaker E: I mean, mine are just turned on. I don't know what he does. [00:50:17] Speaker F: To answer a kind of sideways query that got made earlier. Stefan, when you sent the air, you smell burning amber and, like, the ozone, electricity. You also smell a lot of flowers and plants because you're surrounded by dryads. [00:50:42] Speaker D: Indeed. [00:50:44] Speaker F: And of course, you smell a lot of fresh grass and clover. And you hear, like, the creaking of wood, and you smell olives on, like, a hot summer air. [00:51:00] Speaker D: Well, it is nice to meet you, Hawthorn. [00:51:04] Speaker C: You're Stefan, right? [00:51:08] Speaker D: Yep. [00:51:08] Speaker C: Well, it's very nice to meet you. And she'll, like, reach out to shake his hand. [00:51:13] Speaker A: Oh, careful, he's been touching raw meat. [00:51:17] Speaker D: I must apologize. I don't do handshakes. [00:51:23] Speaker C: All right. And she, like, goes back and kind of arranges herself under Damon's arm and, like, leans into him. [00:51:29] Speaker F: Daemon kind of hugs her against his side. And after a second, you see his hand, like, shift. And it's because every time he finds a place where he thinks his hand is gonna rest comfortably, he gets poked by, like, a thorn. Sorry, I'm used to it. [00:51:47] Speaker A: Hawthorne. Why were you holed up up there instead of out with the other folks throwing food around and. And hitting him with a sausage or something? [00:51:56] Speaker C: Damon doesn't like when I unionize the dryads. [00:52:00] Speaker A: Yeah, I could see that being a bit of a problem. [00:52:04] Speaker C: No, he's just taking a nap. [00:52:05] Speaker B: So we're going to sleep for a second. I thought riots didn't sleep. Normally [00:52:11] Speaker F: they don't, but they still have to rest. [00:52:14] Speaker B: All right, fair enough. [00:52:15] Speaker F: You. Your room here does, in fact, have, like, a pot that Astero pay can turn into a pot. [00:52:23] Speaker D: Well, come and celebrate then. The more the merrier. [00:52:28] Speaker C: Wonderful. Are Asterope and Nateen here? They are Hawthorne just sort of like tilts her head to the door. We could go back outside. [00:52:40] Speaker F: We could. Comes from Astarope. Let's do it. [00:52:49] Speaker C: And she'll grab the girls and run up. [00:52:51] Speaker F: And then suddenly it's just the boys. [00:52:55] Speaker A: Oh, fine. Bye. [00:52:57] Speaker F: Well, no Mel. [00:52:58] Speaker C: Fall asleep. [00:52:59] Speaker F: Sorry, I. I totally forgot. I totally forgot about Mel. Mel stays. [00:53:02] Speaker C: I'm stealing Mel, too. [00:53:04] Speaker A: No. [00:53:04] Speaker F: No Mel. You know what this seems like. This seems like this needs to be our first roll of the season. Ooh. For those of you watching at home, you will notice that there is a new little white box that has popped up at the top of the screen. This is our. This is where you will see our dice rolls. [00:53:25] Speaker C: I told you we're starting with PvP. [00:53:27] Speaker F: No, this is not PvP. Let's see. What can I have you roll, I guess? Persuasion. [00:53:41] Speaker C: Sure. [00:53:42] Speaker F: Clint, you can also roll Persuasion. You both get your. Your pretty bonus. [00:53:51] Speaker A: Oh, all right. [00:53:54] Speaker C: I was like, where do I add that? [00:53:58] Speaker D: I have a. I have a weird question. Bp. [00:54:01] Speaker F: I may have a weird answer. [00:54:03] Speaker D: Can I roll to see if the scent follows her outside? [00:54:07] Speaker E: Yes. [00:54:07] Speaker F: It is going to be difficult. [00:54:10] Speaker D: That is fine. My perception is muy grande. [00:54:16] Speaker A: All right. With the attractiveness bonus, I do get up to a 29 on my persuasion. [00:54:21] Speaker C: I don't think I can beat that. No. [00:54:25] Speaker D: 29 for my perception. [00:54:27] Speaker F: Okay. Unfortunately, I. Because I had to reset the chat so that you guys wouldn't have spoilers for powers and things because we were testing macros last couple of days. You guys can't see Clint's 29 persuasion, but I promise it is there. It's just too high to be caught on to. Caught on the screen. So Blythe attempts to get. Attempts to get Melly to leave with her, but it just does not happen. Millie goes, no, it's okay. [00:55:03] Speaker E: You go ahead. [00:55:04] Speaker F: I haven't gotten. I haven't gotten. I haven't gotten to hang out like this in a while. [00:55:10] Speaker C: Right? Something he does with his tongue. [00:55:12] Speaker F: Yeah, though Damon said I had to behave. I can't. I don't get to do that right now. So Damon, he just sort of shrugs. There's a surprise coming. It's important. [00:55:28] Speaker C: Fine. So [00:55:32] Speaker F: Hawthorne, Asterope, and Atene all disappear outside. There is a moment where Damon looks a little indecisive because poor Andre is stuck outside working the grill. But he decides to hang out for a couple more minutes. He goes to the. Goes to the fridge and grabs beers for all the guys and hands them out and has an extra one in his hand. That is probably Going to Andre at some point, Stefan, with your 29 perception. Which is insane, by the by. That plus 20 to perception is stupid. I hate it here. The scent does in the. The specifically burnt amber scent does, in fact, follow Hawthorne out. Out the door. [00:56:31] Speaker D: Stefan will turn to look at Damon. You got a new friend, it seems. [00:56:37] Speaker F: Oh, no, she's not. She's not new. I've known her for years. Known her as long as I've known the other dryads. [00:56:44] Speaker B: Thinking back, do I remember skinning around at any point? Bearing in mind I do have magetic memory? [00:56:49] Speaker F: You do not. [00:56:51] Speaker B: Haven't seen her around. [00:56:53] Speaker F: She doesn't. Doesn't always make herself known. She. Let's just say she's special. And I have not always let her hang out when other scions are here. [00:57:05] Speaker B: Ah. Gotcha. [00:57:07] Speaker D: Just when some of the most infamous are around. We're good friends, it seems, Damon. [00:57:14] Speaker F: Especially when some of the most infamous are around. And he sort of looks at all of you pointedly. [00:57:20] Speaker B: Yeah. Well, [00:57:23] Speaker D: say, lovey, you got interesting taste. [00:57:28] Speaker F: I didn't go shopping for him, Damon. I. We rescued them. We grabbed whoever we could who was nearby. [00:57:36] Speaker D: All right. I trust you. [00:57:40] Speaker B: I haven't opened yet. Do you have a Lacroix instead? [00:57:44] Speaker F: Damon sort of gives this long suffering sigh. We've talked about this. We've been practicing. You are perfectly capable of handling a beer. [00:57:56] Speaker B: I know I'm capable of it. I just don't want one. [00:57:59] Speaker F: No, I don't keep Lacroix in my home. It's a crime. [00:58:03] Speaker B: It's really not. [00:58:05] Speaker A: We could just shake an orange at a glass of water. You'd get the same thing. [00:58:12] Speaker B: The bubbles are what bring out the flavor. [00:58:16] Speaker D: Are you a polite man, Oliver? [00:58:20] Speaker B: Where is this going? [00:58:21] Speaker D: Well, you better start drinking before it spills, and I'll hit the bottom of his bottle. [00:58:29] Speaker F: Oliver, make me a. Make me a dexterity check. Okay, well, yeah, he. He taps on the bottom of the bottle, and you. You do not, in fact, manage to stop a little bit from spelling on the floor. And Mellie from behind Cliff goes. Party foul. Party foul. [00:59:00] Speaker A: Damn it, Oliver. That's alcohol abuse. You're gonna go to jail. [00:59:05] Speaker B: I'll clean it up. [00:59:06] Speaker D: I apologize. [00:59:08] Speaker F: Party foul. The only way to make up for it is you have to drink the rest of the beer. Like, right now. [00:59:12] Speaker A: Yep. Chug, chug, chug. [00:59:14] Speaker B: I'm not going to chug a beer. [00:59:18] Speaker F: Those are the rules. [00:59:19] Speaker A: Yeah. Aren't you a rule follower? [00:59:22] Speaker B: I think we've demonstrated at this point that we tend to break rules. [00:59:25] Speaker A: We as in the group, Mr. B. You're always following them rules, and the rules say that you gotta drink. [00:59:33] Speaker B: Like, pinch the bridge of my nose. If I chug this one beer, will all of you not make me drink anything for the rest of forever? [00:59:40] Speaker A: No. [00:59:41] Speaker F: Damon, by the way, is standing by. It just looks highly used. It is saying nothing. [00:59:46] Speaker D: You don't have to do anything you don't want to, Mr. Bright. But it is impolite. [00:59:53] Speaker F: Also rules of hospitality, man. [00:59:56] Speaker B: Okay, fine. [00:59:57] Speaker F: When offered food and drink. You take the food and drink, I'll chug the beer. [01:00:01] Speaker A: And boy, good job. [01:00:04] Speaker F: Excellent. Oliver. Oh, never mind. I can see your stamina. You do not need to roll. You're fine. It's just like. Is your stamina still. Nope. No, it's not. Okay. Outside. Andre, you are on the grill when a dryad you have never met before comes out in the company of Natine and Astorope, and they are arms linked and giggling together like. Basically like college girls. [01:00:43] Speaker E: Ladies. I'm sorry. I don't think I have met you before. [01:00:49] Speaker C: Hawthorne. You're the last to be banned, right? [01:00:54] Speaker E: Yeah, it's me. Yeah, I gotta say, I've been here a lot. I don't remember ever seeing you. I'm sorry. I don't. I didn't know that Damon really got new drives to come around very often. [01:01:08] Speaker C: He doesn't. I. I'm just not around a lot. [01:01:12] Speaker E: Okay. Guess we just kept missing ships in the night and all that. [01:01:15] Speaker C: Probably. [01:01:16] Speaker E: Well, welcome. Y' all get kicked out? Out here? [01:01:22] Speaker C: No, I dragged them away from a very boring party. [01:01:25] Speaker E: Ah, that's fair. [01:01:26] Speaker F: Mellie wouldn't join us. [01:01:28] Speaker C: Comes from. [01:01:29] Speaker F: Comes from Astorope. [01:01:31] Speaker E: Well, I mean, no. She's a clinging vine. And she's clung to what she wants to. [01:01:35] Speaker C: She does that. So you're new, right? [01:01:39] Speaker E: Uh, relatively, yeah. [01:01:41] Speaker C: What do you mean, relatively? [01:01:43] Speaker E: Well, I mean, I just recently joined up with this group. I joined up when they were taking care of their business for, well, our pantheon. Oh. Yeah? [01:01:53] Speaker C: Are you? [01:01:54] Speaker F: So. [01:01:54] Speaker C: So what do you think of him? [01:01:56] Speaker E: I mean, I like Clint. And I like Oliver. Oliver's got a good head on his shoulders. Clint's got his heart in the right place. And, well, Stefan sure is here. [01:02:08] Speaker C: He sure is, isn't he? [01:02:10] Speaker E: Yeah, he is. [01:02:13] Speaker C: Clearly, that bothers you. [01:02:15] Speaker E: I mean, I don't think there's anyone walking this earth, at least in our kind of business, that would. Would not be bothered by seeing the man that murdered a lot of their siblings and a lot of people that are important to them walking around. [01:02:30] Speaker C: Yeah, well, seems kind of Strange that the rest of them seem to forgive him. [01:02:36] Speaker E: Well, Oliver didn't really know any of his siblings and was going along with this idea of redemption. And Clinton Glenn's heart is really too big. I'll mix with the unique perspective of a scion of a God of death. Well, goddess in his time. [01:02:59] Speaker C: In his case, the Morrigan. Right? [01:03:02] Speaker D: Yeah. [01:03:03] Speaker E: The Morgan. [01:03:04] Speaker F: And Clint's got over the size of. The size of the state he comes from. Comes from the teen. [01:03:11] Speaker E: That's true. And Oliver's able to see basically every fucking equation given the fact that his dad's Augma. So they can probably see a lot more of the logic and the hope for what they're doing here. [01:03:26] Speaker C: Right? I mean. And Hawthorne sort of looks over at Natey and no offense, she just sort [01:03:34] Speaker F: of shrugs a little bit. I get it. She really does want to do better and be helpful. [01:03:41] Speaker E: We'll see. [01:03:42] Speaker C: I mean, I guess. What you working on? [01:03:45] Speaker E: I'm just cooking up the burgers, making sure that. Well. And he just actually points to one that's a little bit bigger given to giving Clint what he actually asked for. Trying to be nice here. Been a while since we all hung out together. [01:03:58] Speaker C: It's a real boys club, isn't it? [01:04:01] Speaker E: Yeah. We had another who was here. One of the scions of the Passage. But she had to go back. There's a lot of happening in Egypt. [01:04:08] Speaker C: Ah. I assume she also couldn't stand Stefan. [01:04:11] Speaker A: She. [01:04:12] Speaker E: She also was part of the original group that made this whole plan to give him a chance of redemption. [01:04:18] Speaker F: If anything, she was one of the ones who argued the hardest. But her? Yeah, but her mom has stuff for her to work on, so she got pulled away. Hopefully she'll be back. [01:04:29] Speaker E: Hopefully. [01:04:30] Speaker F: Damon has been sending. Damon sent. Sent her a care package because she's not. She's so far away. And it would be so hard for her to get here just to pick up her supplies. He shipped it. [01:04:43] Speaker E: Good. I've been hoping that he was able to get. Reach out to her and get her what she needs. [01:04:47] Speaker F: Yeah, I mean, it was the Iris Express, so. [01:04:51] Speaker C: Yeah, he wouldn't have to pay it if he'd let me do it for him. And she says that to Astro Bay. [01:04:55] Speaker E: You do it for him? [01:04:57] Speaker F: Yeah, but we're not supposed to leave the farm, remember? [01:05:00] Speaker C: Right. [01:05:02] Speaker E: So what do you do around here? Hawthorne. If you don't. Don't mind me asking. [01:05:06] Speaker C: Just dry at things mostly. Sleep with Damon. [01:05:09] Speaker F: She does like a little. [01:05:10] Speaker C: Like she kind of tilts her head. Like she's pretend trying to look innocent. [01:05:16] Speaker E: Storyteller. [01:05:17] Speaker F: Yes. [01:05:17] Speaker E: Is there some method with which I could figure out if I'm being bullshitted? [01:05:22] Speaker F: Absolutely. You can roll inside sight and Hawthorne can roll deception. [01:05:29] Speaker E: You know what? I think I will. [01:05:31] Speaker C: Does he think I'm pretty? And does that count for this? [01:05:34] Speaker F: Do you think she's pretty? [01:05:36] Speaker E: Yeah. [01:05:36] Speaker C: Then, yes, you nerfed my pretty. When I'm in. When I look like this. [01:05:41] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:05:41] Speaker F: Let's make it a plus two instead of a plus five. So you get the first rank, not the second. You only have to beat a 15. This shouldn't be that hard. [01:05:53] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. [01:05:53] Speaker F: You gonna click the thing? [01:05:55] Speaker C: Oh, I did. [01:05:56] Speaker F: I don't see it. [01:05:57] Speaker C: I rolled a 19. [01:06:00] Speaker E: Slander. [01:06:00] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:06:01] Speaker C: Oh, it looks like I've been disconnected. [01:06:06] Speaker F: Looks like roll 20 may have hiccuped. One second, guys. [01:06:08] Speaker D: It's there. [01:06:09] Speaker A: I see it now. [01:06:10] Speaker F: There we go. Yeah, she seems perfectly legit. [01:06:16] Speaker E: Fair enough. [01:06:17] Speaker C: But yeah, she. [01:06:19] Speaker F: She just sort of shrugs. [01:06:20] Speaker C: We all do a variety of things. I just tend to stay out of the way. [01:06:25] Speaker E: I get that. [01:06:26] Speaker C: And besides, I like hearing more about the demigods who come by. [01:06:29] Speaker D: Oh, yeah. [01:06:30] Speaker E: You hear a lot about this band from other people? [01:06:33] Speaker C: A little. You have been very busy. [01:06:36] Speaker D: Yeah. [01:06:37] Speaker E: Admittedly, I still feel a little bit weird because I kind of came in at the. At the final bit of their. Their labors. But I'm glad I was here to help them out. [01:06:47] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:06:48] Speaker E: I think it's best. I agree with what they're doing from a logical standpoint, because being hunted down just for who you come from is. But he also did a whole lot of. Because. Likely because of being hunted down, which don't excuse it. So I guess. [01:07:15] Speaker C: I guess how much good can you do to balance out, you know, mass murder? [01:07:22] Speaker E: Just all you can, really. You give your life to it. You give everything you have to show one that you want to be better. But you also have to understand that the moment you slip, people will be coming for blood, probably. [01:07:38] Speaker C: Do you think that he can make. He can do enough. Good. [01:07:43] Speaker E: I think he can try. Which, given the fact that he's wanting to, is a big step. And I'd rather have one more person on the line against the Titans than not. [01:07:54] Speaker C: I guess it's nice to want things. Sorry, does. I mean, doesn't the other. Don't the other two throwing their lot in with him sort of make them complicit? [01:08:06] Speaker E: Well, one, they didn't actually commit any crimes. Two, they wanted to just make sure that he gets a chance to rehabilitate and redeem himself. Not. They didn't say that what he did was okay. I think that trying to lump them in as party to murder is a bit black and white. And that our world ain't like that. Everything's fucking complicated. [01:08:33] Speaker C: Everything is complicated, I guess, but it just feels like. [01:08:37] Speaker E: Oh, sorry. You go ahead, ma'. [01:08:39] Speaker A: Am. [01:08:39] Speaker C: Oh, no. It's just, you know, Oliver was so new and then he threw in his lot. It feels like he made a big decision. [01:08:46] Speaker E: Yeah, but he also. Well, from one standpoint, he had to sort of make a name for himself, given how we are and how we operate. And two, he came in with a more mortal view of things. About rehabilitation and wanting people to do better and right wrongs. [01:09:09] Speaker F: There was also a lot of influence from his old band. Yeah, one of his old bandmates was. Yes, they were all movies. One of his old bandmates was a public defender, so. And as far as I understand, it was her idea. Which is weird because she's a child of vdar. [01:09:28] Speaker C: Yeah. Vidar's not usually known for these things. [01:09:31] Speaker F: Not the forgiving type. [01:09:33] Speaker C: No. [01:09:34] Speaker F: And my understanding is he wasn't pleased. He was pleased that she made her own decision. He was not pleased with what the decision was. [01:09:42] Speaker E: Also figured coda had a lot in it, given how sort of focus on redemption and kind of run against. Against the normal ways she is. Yeah, Tradition was kind of antithesis to her. [01:09:58] Speaker C: I heard it was pure luck that they got through. [01:10:01] Speaker E: I also heard that. I heard about a coin flip. [01:10:04] Speaker F: Yeah, we weren't there, but that's the story that Damon told us. [01:10:07] Speaker C: I guess if fate wants him alive. [01:10:10] Speaker E: At least for now. [01:10:11] Speaker C: How long till burgers are ready? [01:10:13] Speaker E: Not too much longer. And he'll just do one last flip. [01:10:18] Speaker F: And it is around this time that the side door opens and Damon returns. Well, I should have just waited for you to show up and let you do it. [01:10:32] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:10:33] Speaker E: I don't know what you were thinking. [01:10:36] Speaker F: I was thinking that those boys in there eat a lot and we should start making stuff early. [01:10:41] Speaker E: Yeah, it's fair. [01:10:43] Speaker F: Clint alone puts away half my kitchen every time we serve a big meal. So it's a good thing we always have an ample amount of food. [01:10:51] Speaker D: Oh, yeah. [01:10:53] Speaker C: I'm just glad I get to be at this party. [01:10:57] Speaker F: Yeah, you've been better behaved than usual. [01:11:03] Speaker C: I behave just fine. [01:11:05] Speaker E: Now there's a story there. [01:11:06] Speaker F: He just kind of smiles. I will leave it up to her to tell you when she decides to. Here's a beer, by the way. [01:11:17] Speaker E: Thank you. And he will just, like, uncap it with, like, tourney it with the prosthetic [01:11:22] Speaker F: and just Chug Is your favorite Greek brand. [01:11:28] Speaker E: Damn, it's been too goddamn long. Got anymore? [01:11:34] Speaker F: Always. [01:11:35] Speaker E: Good. [01:11:36] Speaker F: The family keeps it in stock as often as they come by. [01:11:39] Speaker E: Then Brissette. [01:11:41] Speaker F: I mean, dad owns the parent company, so. [01:11:45] Speaker E: Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense. [01:11:48] Speaker F: Well, he'll. Seeing that the burgers are almost done, he will stick his head in the. Oh, wait, hold on. Before we do that, I should jump back to the guys in the kitchen. Now that Damon is gone, is there anything you guys want to talk about? [01:12:02] Speaker B: I think Oliver, upon reluctantly chugging his beard, just sort of tosses it in the trash. Sighs. Cleans up the bit that he spilt, and then will lean back and look pretty tired, but satisfied that his friends are around. [01:12:18] Speaker F: You really need to sleep more. You hear from behind Clint? [01:12:22] Speaker B: Yeah, so I've been told. But too much to do. [01:12:26] Speaker F: I would like Oliver to make a perception check. [01:12:29] Speaker B: Oh, goody. [01:12:32] Speaker F: We're back, baby. [01:12:34] Speaker B: There it is. [01:12:37] Speaker D: Sick. [01:12:38] Speaker F: Okay. You don't notice anything? Stefan, your perception is so high. I'm not going to make you roll. As Mellie has been hanging off of Clint's back, there is a vine of honeysuckles that has begun to, like, encircle his, like, hat. Like a hat band, just quietly growing and blooming. [01:13:04] Speaker D: Hey, Clint. [01:13:06] Speaker A: Yeah, what's up? [01:13:07] Speaker D: Would you like a second beer? I'm not interested in this brand. [01:13:13] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, I don't mind. I'll take it for. And Clint will have absolutely no concern just drinking whatever you put in front of him. Beer. Anything else he's happy to chug now that he's gone. What do you all think? I mean, we haven't had to go out and do anything important for a minute. [01:13:36] Speaker B: Yeah, that's probably gonna be ending soon. There's still a lot going on. Even more now with you know who being back. I don't know. It's in this line of life, could be anything. [01:13:53] Speaker D: You can say people's names. [01:13:56] Speaker B: Stefan can. [01:13:58] Speaker A: But speaking of. I mean, knowing that he is out and about. Stefan. You ready to put up your dukes if we run into them? [01:14:09] Speaker D: Yep. I don't really have any care for him, so. [01:14:14] Speaker A: Good. [01:14:14] Speaker D: I just don't want to run into him at all. [01:14:18] Speaker A: I have a feeling in this line of work, we're gonna end up running into him. [01:14:22] Speaker B: Or else a Fae bond to him. We're going to. [01:14:25] Speaker D: I was gonna say, I don't think we really have a choice. [01:14:29] Speaker A: Yeah, but I mean, look, it's kind of a big deal, right? Stefan? I Mean, he's been an important person in your life. He's made of. [01:14:40] Speaker D: No, [01:14:43] Speaker A: hold on. Hear me out. He's made choices that have impacted you, right? Like, his whole shtick is up. Your whole thing. Are. Are you gonna be okay? I mean, we've taken you out. We. We've hung out with you a little bit, but you. You gonna be okay, buddy? [01:15:02] Speaker D: Oh, I'm just peachy. I didn't attack any of the other gods when I saw them. This guy's a stranger compared to them. He's just on the sidelines. [01:15:15] Speaker A: Yeah. Hopefully we can keep him there. [01:15:17] Speaker B: As this conversation continues, Oliver, kind of, like, his brow kind of furrows and his hands twitch, almost as if. Like, he's itching to grab something. And maybe a few seconds after that, he reaches into his coat, pulls out the Toma stories, and just starts flipping through it, like, not quite feverishly, but as if he's just trying to find things but without any particular rhyme or reason. [01:15:39] Speaker F: Okay. Is there something you want me to have you roll or. [01:15:43] Speaker B: No, that's just fluff. [01:15:45] Speaker C: Okay. [01:15:46] Speaker A: Didn't your book already get taken? Where the hell do you get that thing? [01:15:50] Speaker B: This is the birthright. The other one was just something I picked up. [01:15:54] Speaker A: Oh, this is that book. Okay. [01:15:56] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:15:59] Speaker D: Well, any of y' all smell anything weird when that dryad came by? [01:16:06] Speaker A: Well, I mean, I. [01:16:07] Speaker C: No. [01:16:08] Speaker A: No. Mellie. Mellie. Do you know anything about that? Hawthorne? [01:16:15] Speaker F: Sure. She's one of my sisters, and she's [01:16:18] Speaker A: been here more than a week or two. [01:16:21] Speaker F: Oh, yeah. She's been here as long as the rest of us have. [01:16:25] Speaker A: Huh? [01:16:25] Speaker C: All right. [01:16:26] Speaker A: I've just never seen her. Maybe I have. I've just never, like, talked to her. That's the problem. [01:16:32] Speaker F: She's one of the shy ones. She usually only comes out for Damon when other people aren't around. [01:16:39] Speaker D: Only Damon? [01:16:41] Speaker F: Yeah. [01:16:41] Speaker D: All right. [01:16:43] Speaker F: Usually. She also gets up to mischief sometimes, so he doesn't always let her come out when other scions are around, even if she's curious. [01:16:53] Speaker A: You find anything in that? Go ahead. [01:16:56] Speaker D: In the what? [01:16:57] Speaker A: No, I was gonna ask Mr. B if he found anything over there. He looked like he was intent on something. [01:17:02] Speaker B: No, I'm just looking for things. Tidbits, whatever. It's the point the other book was for. Just to find stuff to help us. [01:17:10] Speaker A: So instead of paying attention to the conversation and thinking it through that way, you want to read your book in front of us? [01:17:17] Speaker B: I can do two things at once. [01:17:18] Speaker D: I mean, I can give you the answer, but it ain't gonna Be fun. [01:17:22] Speaker B: It's less that and more. Just the more we know, the more we can use. Let's put it like that. [01:17:28] Speaker D: Fair enough. What do you think the surprise is then, Mr. B? [01:17:35] Speaker B: Any guesses with how things go in our life? It could really be anything. Normally, I'd say it's we're getting another job thrust upon us, but everyone seems excited about it, so probably something good at minimum. Or at least something everyone else perceives as good. [01:17:55] Speaker A: So. [01:17:56] Speaker B: I don't know. Gift, person, some ally? I couldn't tell you. Maybe a God's visiting. Could be Shango. [01:18:06] Speaker A: I miss Shango. I haven't seen him in a couple of days. I ought to call him. [01:18:11] Speaker D: I wouldn't consider that good, but sure, yeah. [01:18:15] Speaker F: Well, why? Shanko's nice. [01:18:18] Speaker D: I do not think he would enjoy my presence, ma'. Am. [01:18:24] Speaker F: I mean, I don't mean to be mean, but most people don't. [01:18:31] Speaker B: Also, if it's any consolation, Chango has his thing of his fate. He always has three kids, and they each represent different things. And one of them, from what he told us, didn't seem too different from you. But they also weren't talking, so. [01:18:44] Speaker D: Well, that is a pleasure to know about that. There is someone like me out there. [01:18:52] Speaker F: I mean, not every pantheon, but most pantheons have at least. At least one God whose kids aren't exactly welcome. They don't usually get hunted and murdered. [01:19:06] Speaker D: No, that's a special prize for some of us. [01:19:09] Speaker F: Yeah. Sorry. [01:19:11] Speaker D: You haven't done it. [01:19:13] Speaker F: No. But I could feel bad about it, even if I don't think it justifies what you did. I contain multitudes. [01:19:23] Speaker A: I mean, is there really any justification? I think we moved past that part of the his life. We've had to. We got the future ahead of us. [01:19:33] Speaker E: Right? [01:19:34] Speaker B: Point was never justification. Point was to find a new avenue. [01:19:39] Speaker A: Is there an electric one of them? [01:19:41] Speaker B: What? [01:19:41] Speaker F: I don't you hear her? Her humming? Electric Avenue. And as this happens. Stefan. Oliver. Stefan. I will tell you what you see. Oliver, Roll me another perception. Yippee. It's your favorite. [01:20:01] Speaker C: Check. [01:20:01] Speaker B: My favorite? No, that's Persuasion. That's not. There it is. Oh, it's better. [01:20:08] Speaker F: Well, you hit the dc, it's not high. You catch out of the corner of your good eye. Not only are there honeysuckles that have grown up and around Clint's hat like they're covering his hat band, more have started to sprout along the lapels of his vest like they are poking out from underneath of the folds of his lapels. [01:20:32] Speaker B: I take it in. Look over at Stefan and give him a look of. Should we tell him? [01:20:39] Speaker F: And as she is humming, the flowers are blooming in time with the music. [01:20:45] Speaker D: I hate to say it, but I think he's right where he wants to be. [01:20:50] Speaker B: Yeah, you're probably right. [01:20:51] Speaker A: Clint with a knife in his hand, chopping up vegetables with a big smile, just as happy as can be, humming [01:20:58] Speaker E: right along with Mellie Dance. [01:21:01] Speaker A: Oh. [01:21:01] Speaker E: All right. [01:21:02] Speaker A: Cool. And Clint will start dancing. Putting the knife down. Yep. Okay. [01:21:10] Speaker F: I'm gonna go outside. Oliver. Oliver leaves the second Clint starts to the. Starts to dance. Stefan, what are you doing? [01:21:23] Speaker D: Stefan will follow Oliver. [01:21:26] Speaker A: But where are y' all going? [01:21:27] Speaker D: We don't want to interrupt. [01:21:29] Speaker F: They don't want to be a part of the dance party. [01:21:33] Speaker A: I mean, that just means we got a few minutes after all, don't it? [01:21:36] Speaker F: Or it means that we could take the party to them. There's lots of my sisters outside. [01:21:42] Speaker A: A baby. Big dance party. Yeah. Let's go. We don't need to keep chopping up these. Here. Let me just put this in a bowl. Put that in a bowl. Clint's kind of getting everything we've prepped and getting ready to go and meet outside with the burgers. [01:21:56] Speaker F: Every so often, a hand reaches out from behind you and helps by like, taking one of the bowls that you filled and then disappearing behind you with it. [01:22:05] Speaker A: All right, you hold that. I'll take this. We got that before y' all leave. Here, take this. And Clint will throw a bowl. We gotta. We gotta fry these out there somewhere. [01:22:17] Speaker D: He throws a bowl. [01:22:19] Speaker B: He throws a bowl. [01:22:20] Speaker A: You know, whatever's inside it, we gotta fry it. It probably painters. It's usually the go to. [01:22:27] Speaker B: I probably don't notice it because I'm still facing books. So that's all you, Stefan. [01:22:31] Speaker F: Your. Your perception is low enough that you don't see. But Stefan notices that Clint sort of like, tosses a bowl after you guys. And, Stefan, your reflexes are high enough. I'm not gonna make you roll. [01:22:42] Speaker D: You. [01:22:42] Speaker F: It's not hard to catch it. [01:22:44] Speaker D: I'll hold the door for you. Just don't throw. You can make more than one trip. [01:22:51] Speaker A: Hopefully I don't trip at all. And we will head on out. [01:22:54] Speaker F: And Mellie is still humming Electric Avenue as you go. Hawthorne and Andre. As Clint and Mellie follow Oliver and Stefan outside, you get the opportunity to see Clint is arrayed with honeysuckles that does not seem to have noticed. And Mellie is singing. [01:23:28] Speaker C: I think I'll let Andre see it. I think Andrey would See Hawthorne roll her eyes a little. [01:23:35] Speaker E: Like a new accessory. Clint. [01:23:37] Speaker A: Oh, thank you. I mean, she's a real good looking accessory, ain't she? [01:23:41] Speaker F: I'm very pretty. [01:23:44] Speaker C: You're very pretty. [01:23:45] Speaker A: Incredibly comfortable, too. You'd never believe. All right, so I brought these out. We got a bowl of potatoes, we got some vegetables for you. I didn't think to bring the condiments, though. [01:23:57] Speaker C: Oh, I can grab them. [01:23:58] Speaker A: You sure? I mean, it's so far away. [01:24:01] Speaker F: No problem. [01:24:03] Speaker C: And, yeah, she'll step away and disappear, [01:24:07] Speaker A: waiting for just a few seconds until she's like, you know, 10, 15ft away, leaving further. I don't know. I don't get it. There's something different about her. Mellie. You're sure that she's your sister, Your friend. [01:24:23] Speaker F: Oh, we're really close. [01:24:25] Speaker C: Oh, I meant disappear. [01:24:29] Speaker D: Oh. [01:24:29] Speaker F: Oh, okay. My apologies. I don't think I had a rule for it. Hawthorne. You do not. Hawthorne literally pops out of existence, leaving Asterope and teen standing there kind of awkwardly because they were all linked arms for a second when it happened. I can take them with me. I mean, are you going to. No, I'll leave them. I was like, I think it's funnier if you just disappear and leave them there. [01:24:53] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:24:54] Speaker A: The ketchup's in the what? The. [01:24:57] Speaker F: And Natine kind of looks awkwardly and glances at Stefan because she knows that it's almost impossible to lie to him, but she goes. [01:25:07] Speaker A: She. [01:25:08] Speaker F: She does that. [01:25:10] Speaker D: I already smelled it. [01:25:11] Speaker A: You're fine, Melli. Can you do that? [01:25:14] Speaker D: Hold his hand, hand out to Nadine. [01:25:17] Speaker F: She will take it. And because you are one of the only people that she can, like, safely have physical contact with, she will sort of slide under your arm and cuddle herself up against your bare chest. Your bare side. And Melli from behind. Kluka. No, that's not something I can tell. I have other talents. [01:25:38] Speaker A: Like what? [01:25:40] Speaker F: She giggles. Well, you've already seen some of them. [01:25:42] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. I was just curious if we were gonna learn more about each other. [01:25:46] Speaker F: I'm also very good at decorating and accessorizing. [01:25:51] Speaker A: Oh, I already knew that for sure. But I don't think I've seen any other your folks just up and pop out of existence like that. That's kind of a different one. Are you sure she didn't just turn into grass or something? And Clinta looked down at where she was standing? [01:26:10] Speaker F: No, she did not. I promise. You're not gonna step on her, right? [01:26:16] Speaker A: If you say so. [01:26:18] Speaker F: Clint, what is your. Your base perception? [01:26:22] Speaker A: My base perception is your passive. [01:26:25] Speaker F: So 10 plus your perception, it'd be a 13. Okay, you do not hear this. Stefan does. Andre, what is your passive perception? [01:26:35] Speaker E: Let me double check. [01:26:36] Speaker F: 10 plus your perception ranks 14. Okay, so the only person who hears this is Stefan and you. Probably Damon. But it. You. It's hard to tell. Damon has a really good poker face, even for you, Stefan. You quietly hear from behind Clint a little voice. Go. Though you may enjoy it if she did or if she stepped on you. [01:27:01] Speaker A: Does Clint hear that? [01:27:03] Speaker F: No, you do. You explicitly do not. You hear her say something, but you don't catch the exact words. [01:27:09] Speaker A: What was that? [01:27:11] Speaker F: What was that? [01:27:12] Speaker A: Oh, I thought I heard something. Thinking that's a dangerous thing to do. [01:27:16] Speaker F: I have been told that sometimes when you think too much, you get yourself into trouble. [01:27:20] Speaker A: You know, I've heard the same thing. Wait, were they talking to you? You or about me? Because, I mean, I've heard that all my life. [01:27:27] Speaker F: I mean, they were talking to me about you. [01:27:30] Speaker A: Oh, I'm. [01:27:32] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:27:33] Speaker A: Yeah, it sounds about right. How long does it take to get ketchup? [01:27:38] Speaker F: Hawthorne? Yes. Are you coming back? Oh, yeah. [01:27:43] Speaker C: Grabbed everything. [01:27:44] Speaker F: How long are you gonna be gone? [01:27:46] Speaker C: I can pop back whenever I want. [01:27:49] Speaker F: I want to give them some great gig. You. How long you want so that I know how long to give them to role play. [01:27:57] Speaker C: I'll take a couple more minutes. I might go grab the dog. [01:28:01] Speaker F: Okay. Stefan is the only person other than. Other than Damon who is. Who has been aware of this this whole time. Andre, you hear a weird kind of shuffling, like, down by your feet. It's almost like it's coming from under the grill. Oh, boy. And it's one of those grills that's built into, like a. Like a. Like a. Like a proper. Almost like an outdoor countertop type of thing. [01:28:32] Speaker C: And the. [01:28:33] Speaker F: The cabinets that are underneath of it, where, like, the propane tank and stuff would normally go, one of them pops open and rams you in the shin. [01:28:42] Speaker E: Damn it. [01:28:44] Speaker F: And as you look down, there is a rather large dragon head popping out from underneath of the cabinets. And then, like, the kind of shuffling of scales and things as Brahm starts to crawl out of the cabinet and of course, like, force himself between your legs. Brahm has grown considerably, Braum, when he stands up on four legs, not two. Comes up to, like, your hip maybe a little higher. [01:29:20] Speaker E: Good to see you too, Braum. Ow. Careful. And he's just trying to make sure that he doesn't end up, like, getting thrown around by an excited dragon. [01:29:29] Speaker F: He's not excited. He's moving Slowly, you have time to, like, move around. He's not. He's not being rude. It's just that his only way out was, like, through you, basically. [01:29:39] Speaker E: Yeah. It's fair. [01:29:43] Speaker F: And. And Oliver, you. So everybody else hears this kind of low, deep rumble from him, and you see, like, smoke and little sparks kind of escape from his mouth. These are not. I am trying to make fire and phalanx sparks. These are. I can make fire and I am holding it back. Sparks. But Oliver, you hear in that very distinct tongue that he has a draconic tongue. You hear, tell him I'm sorry I woke up from my nap and he was in my way. [01:30:20] Speaker B: Rom says he was sorry that he's sorry. You were just in the way and he didn't know. [01:30:25] Speaker E: It's all good. It's fine. [01:30:26] Speaker B: He forgives you. [01:30:29] Speaker F: You do get the feeling that he can understand him. He just can't talk to him. And then he sort of sits back on his. On his haunches and looks at everybody, and his jaw kind of pops a little bit as he gives this, like, long yawn. And like, plumes of smoke come from his throat and his chest kind of glows red for a minute, like he might be warming up to let fire go. [01:30:58] Speaker B: Do it away from the group if you're going to. [01:31:01] Speaker F: I'm not. This just happens. [01:31:05] Speaker B: Just checking. Do you want an easy meal, as in the burgers, or are you gonna go hunting? [01:31:10] Speaker F: He kind of gives a slow blink and looks around for a minute, and then his eyes settle on Damon. Is he going to get mad at me if I go hunting in the woods again? [01:31:20] Speaker B: Depends on what you hunt. [01:31:23] Speaker F: Well, I only hunted a deer, but he was quite upset last time. [01:31:28] Speaker B: Stick to rabbits and I'm sure he won't mind too much. [01:31:32] Speaker F: Rabbits are too small. I will do more damage if I am trying to hunt those. They are faster and they hide easier. [01:31:43] Speaker B: In the meantime, we'll make you a [01:31:44] Speaker F: burger and I'll ask out of character. What you are aware of is that the last time he went hunting out in the. Out in the. The woods around the farm, he went after a deer. And that's all well and good. He caught the deer. He proceeded to breathe fire at the deer and damn near burnt down part of. Part of the woods. [01:32:06] Speaker B: Also, for the record, he wasn't mad at you for hunting the deer. He was mad at you for the forest fire. [01:32:13] Speaker F: He had to call in a. A scion with both the sky and the water purviews to summon up a big enough amount of Water to put it out without having to call mortal authorities to help. I'm sorry. I didn't do it on purpose. [01:32:29] Speaker B: I know. Just, if you go hunting, try to avoid the fire. [01:32:34] Speaker F: I will carry the food elsewhere before I cook it. [01:32:37] Speaker B: There you go. Now we're thinking. We're creating a plan. [01:32:44] Speaker F: He takes a kind of a long inhale and watches everybody and his eyes settle on Stefan for a moment and he kind of gives this long, slow blink. This is a thing that happens frequently. Brahm is smarter than people tend to assume. Everybody kind of assumes that Brahm is like any other animal. You know, he's not. He is. He is fairly intelligent. And he frequently ends up, like, studying Stefan. Like, he is trying to figure out how he feels about him. He never says anything about it, but this happens a lot where he will study Stefan for a long period, and then he will kind of, like, flick his tail, which is what's happening right now, turn and make his way with that, like, heavy kind of awkward gait because it is not a natural or normal. Not a natural or normal method of movement for him. He. He is. He is at the point now where flying is the more comfortable option. But he has also figured out that his wings have gotten big enough that they tend to hit people if he's not careful. So he kind of shuffles to the edge of the deck and, like, full body jumps off of it and lands really heavily down on the grass. And then his. His wings whip out and they are massive compared to the last time Clint or Andre. Andre saw them. He's more than. He's more than, like, doubled or tripled in size since last time you saw him. And then he takes off into the air. [01:34:28] Speaker A: Clint, finally, blinking after staring at Brahm's magnificent size, kind of mutters, I think we're gonna need a bigger bag of Cheetos. Yeah. [01:34:42] Speaker B: Sometimes he's still in the mood for him, but these days he's more carnivorous. Somatoes, if you can find something called [01:34:50] Speaker C: that, it's around this time Hawthorne will come back out of the house. She has sort of done some lip service and appears just behind the door and walks forward. And you kind of. She sort of stutters in and out of existence for a second before, like, traipsing down the stairs. And behind her is a very large dog. [01:35:16] Speaker F: Not a dog, because everybody here is a scion. It is a wolf. A proper, like, slightly bigger than your normal sized wolf size wolf, but not as big as, like, Fenris wolves. [01:35:30] Speaker C: Sorry that took so long. [01:35:32] Speaker A: All right. Who is your new friend here? [01:35:36] Speaker C: This is Lucky. [01:35:37] Speaker A: Well, howdy, Lucky. How are you? And he'll bend down and offer a hand, not to pet, but to sniff. [01:35:45] Speaker F: He. He like. So when Clint first offers his hand, he gives this look at the head and then up at Hawthorne, like he is. Like he is. He is asking, is he really gonna fucking pet me? And you hear that in your head, Hawthorne. But then when it's clear that it's just here, you can get my scent, he kind of lets a breath out through his nose. Fine. And leans over and gives him a little sniff, and then does that particularly canine kind of snort. You like pets? [01:36:17] Speaker A: I do, but, you know, I don't usually get pet by a wolf too [01:36:22] Speaker F: often, so I like some pets. [01:36:25] Speaker C: I think to the rest of the group to just say, he's a very good judge of character. [01:36:31] Speaker A: Well, I mean, he hasn't bitten my hand off yet, so I guess I'm pretty sure. Pretty good. Hey, Mellie, do you want to stick your hand down here? [01:36:39] Speaker F: Lucky already knows me. [01:36:41] Speaker A: Oh, well, there you go. Do you want to give him a scritch, then? And Clint will kind of tilt to make sure it's easy to reach out. [01:36:48] Speaker F: So Clint kind of like, half turns his back so that she can. So that she can reach over. And Mellie, like, does this thing where she, like, wraps her legs, like, around Clint's hips and let's go with her hands so that she can, like, lean backwards, and both of her hands come up, and she starts giving Lucky, like, these really intense scratches around his, like, ears and around his jaw. And Oliver doesn't see this because his perception isn't high enough. [01:37:21] Speaker B: Whoa. [01:37:25] Speaker F: But everybody else sees that for just a moment. That kind of, like, fluffy, very distinctly male wolf tail gives, like, the smallest hint of a, like, a thump. Like, he wants to let it go, but he's holding himself out back because he's too proud for that shit. [01:37:45] Speaker B: Thank you for listening to Apotheosis. If you enjoy this story, please make sure to subscribe and review wherever you're listening to our podcasts. You can find more of our actual plays on our website [email protected] havenstudios.com Please consider supporting us on Patreon at patreon.com Hallowed Haven Studios. Your support helps makes more stories like this possible. [01:38:06] Speaker F: As everybody is making plates and getting ready to settle down at the rather [01:38:12] Speaker D: long [01:38:14] Speaker F: table that is set up outside. It's like the size of a proper. Nope, they can't hear me. And we're Back as everybody is making their plates and settling in to eat their lunch. The. The table that is outside is like. It is like a long proper dining table. It is made to seat like 20 plus easy. Everybody's. All of the scions kind of congregate at one end. The Dryads, the most part, don't really eat. So some of them hang out, some of them wander off. Hawthorne settles in at the table. Asterope sits next to Oliver. Natine has perched herself in Stefan's lap. And Melly. Mellie is in Clint's lap. Clint, who has still not noticed that he is. He has been made much prettier, which is one would think is not possible, but somehow she's very good at accessorizing. [01:39:21] Speaker E: Audrey would have pulled out a seat for Daphne. [01:39:24] Speaker F: For who? [01:39:25] Speaker E: For Daphne. [01:39:27] Speaker F: Ah, yes, she. She absolutely hangs around and as you're settling in, she starts asking you questions about like what your. Your latest experiments are. And there's, you know, that quiet like back and forth chatter between the two of you. And eventually Daemon, who is seated at the head of the table, kind of clears his throat to get everybody's attention. And when everybody is looking at him, including Oliver, because at some point Asterve reaches over and closes the book. She closes the book and then like takes your chin and turns it towards Damon. [01:40:10] Speaker B: I'm looking, I'm looking. [01:40:13] Speaker F: And he sorta. He sort of puts his elbows on the table and laces his fingers and goes. Well, I think it's time to give you all your surprise. [01:40:25] Speaker B: Yes. I think you have us all properly on the edge of our seats. [01:40:30] Speaker A: Yep. I've got my napkin at the ready. [01:40:32] Speaker F: What? Why do you need it? Never mind. [01:40:34] Speaker C: I don't want to know. [01:40:35] Speaker A: I don't know what kind of surprise it is. [01:40:39] Speaker F: And then she or he. Sorry, he turns and he kind of looks at Hawthorne and goes, you've had your fun. Really? Yup. [01:40:51] Speaker A: Fine. [01:40:52] Speaker C: Let me change into something more comfortable. And yeah, Hawthorne will stand and sort of like [01:41:03] Speaker F: it looks like she is [01:41:04] Speaker C: wiping off makeup or like wiping something off her arms and legs. And just the dryad look disappears and instead is a compared to all y', [01:41:18] Speaker F: all very short, [01:41:21] Speaker C: half Asian woman with long dark hair. She's wearing. I guess she was wearing these before a daemon's farm. A necstatic farm's T shirt and jeans and you know, and various charm looking necklaces, prayer beads and bracelets. [01:41:45] Speaker A: Oh, so wait, did she just trade places? I know she can disappear now. [01:41:51] Speaker D: Clint. [01:41:52] Speaker B: She was the dryad. [01:41:54] Speaker C: Hey, kids. [01:41:55] Speaker A: No way. You don't look like a. How'd you do that? [01:42:01] Speaker C: No, I want you to finish the sentence. [01:42:03] Speaker A: You don't look like a dryad anymore. How did you accomplish this feat? [01:42:09] Speaker C: Have you never met shapeshifters before? [01:42:11] Speaker A: I mean, not. I. Clint gets a little uncomfortable. I mean, the last one we dealt with was not a good person, so. Not really, no. [01:42:25] Speaker C: And Blaidd looks at Daemon, like, seriously, [01:42:29] Speaker F: Daemon sort of lifts his brows. I'm not the one who gave you this position. I just agreed to host the meeting. [01:42:37] Speaker B: This position? [01:42:38] Speaker F: Ugh. Go on, introduce yourself. [01:42:41] Speaker C: I'm Byleth Zhang. I am a scion of Odin. [01:42:45] Speaker B: Of course you are. [01:42:46] Speaker E: Ah. [01:42:47] Speaker A: So, spy. [01:42:48] Speaker C: Excuse you? [01:42:49] Speaker E: I assume you're here to keep an eye on him and he just points to Stefan? [01:42:52] Speaker C: Among other things, yes. The powers that be are not particularly thrilled with your. I don't know, situation. [01:43:01] Speaker E: Can't fucking imagine why. [01:43:04] Speaker C: Frankly, we assume to die by now. [01:43:05] Speaker A: Well, that's hard. [01:43:07] Speaker C: Also. And let me be so fucking clear for a second. This is not just a thing. A favor for my dad. You guys have. You've sort of run out your credit with the other psychopomps. [01:43:22] Speaker E: What the fuck did I do? [01:43:23] Speaker C: Not you. You're great. [01:43:25] Speaker E: I try. Thank you. [01:43:26] Speaker F: Andre is literally the only one that any of the other psychopomps have had a nice thing to say about. [01:43:33] Speaker C: We've unionized. [01:43:34] Speaker A: Oh, no. I hear those are dangerous and scary things. [01:43:39] Speaker C: The eyebrow race on Blythe. So, yeah, I guess you're stuck with me. [01:43:44] Speaker A: Oh. Oh. Most folks usually say it the other way around. At least after the first day. [01:43:50] Speaker C: That is true. I am fucking stuck with you. [01:43:53] Speaker A: There we go. It's already happened. We're best friends already, aren't we? [01:43:58] Speaker C: Clint, you are so pretty. [01:44:01] Speaker A: Thank you. Thank you. [01:44:04] Speaker F: Lucky gives a sound that sounds a little bit like a dog trying. Like a dog that might be trying to laugh. [01:44:13] Speaker C: So, yeah, mostly I'm here to help you. [01:44:16] Speaker D: Was that all the surprise was? [01:44:19] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:44:20] Speaker E: Hello. [01:44:20] Speaker C: Welcome to your new parole officer. [01:44:21] Speaker F: Damon. [01:44:22] Speaker A: To pee in a cup. [01:44:25] Speaker F: Damon sort of shrugs a little bit at Stefan. I'll be honest, if I told everybody the truth over the text, I was pretty sure nobody would show up. And she is one of my favorite people, Genuinely. So it is kind of a. Kind of a gift from me to entrust her to you. Excuse you. [01:44:46] Speaker C: And Blythe will, like, chuck whatever is on her plate. Adam. [01:44:51] Speaker F: He will catch it. [01:44:53] Speaker C: Damn it, Damon. [01:44:53] Speaker F: He will kind of smile. What? You honestly going to sit there and say that I'm not protective? [01:44:59] Speaker C: No. I'm going to tell You. That you can't. Never mind. [01:45:03] Speaker A: So you said you're here to keep an eye on him. Amongst other things. As Clint gestures to Stefan. [01:45:11] Speaker F: What. [01:45:12] Speaker A: What are the. The other things you mentioned? The unionization of psychopomps. So clearly we're gonna need some help with that. But. But what else are you. Is there. What are they saying about me? [01:45:30] Speaker C: Do you want the truth? [01:45:31] Speaker E: Really nice change of pace. [01:45:33] Speaker C: No, touche. I mean, you got a big heart. You know what they say about guys with big hearts. [01:45:40] Speaker A: They die early. [01:45:41] Speaker C: Bigger dick. [01:45:42] Speaker A: Oh, Melee, is that true that you. [01:45:48] Speaker F: Yes. [01:45:50] Speaker A: Okay. Blinks. Unsure of how to process them. [01:45:53] Speaker C: Most of the scions around here have. Most of the scions have talked about you, but none of us have really spent a ton of time with you. The word gets around. The world's not that big. [01:46:05] Speaker A: I mean, if they've heard about me and talked about me, they've got to say at least something good about him. And he's over there, genius. [01:46:13] Speaker F: Oh, yeah. [01:46:15] Speaker C: Most of the Greeks know Andre. They like him. He's also been the least, you know, involved with that one. And she'll nod towards Stefan. [01:46:26] Speaker A: Yeah, I suppose Mr. B might be the one that's getting in hotter water, based on the. The connection to Stefan here. But are they saying good things about him, too? Because he's real smart. And I don't think we'd get in half as far without him. [01:46:42] Speaker B: I made my choices. What they say about me is what they say about me. [01:46:45] Speaker A: Yeah, but don't you want to have your ego stroked and feel good about yourself? [01:46:50] Speaker B: Not particularly. I know who I am. [01:46:53] Speaker A: Yeah, you're really stroking. [01:46:54] Speaker C: I can't imagine anyone stroking anything. [01:46:56] Speaker F: Astrobase a little bit. [01:47:00] Speaker C: Present company notwithstanding. [01:47:04] Speaker A: So does this come with expectations as well? New rules? [01:47:08] Speaker C: Not really, no. Mostly just don't fuck up again. [01:47:13] Speaker A: Oh, we are so screwed. [01:47:16] Speaker C: I mean, there's still. There's still wolves after everyone. Even if you took away their general, he did make the problem fucking worse. [01:47:24] Speaker B: We made the problem worse. How's that? [01:47:27] Speaker C: Gwen's a psychopath. [01:47:29] Speaker B: Okay. [01:47:29] Speaker E: Yeah, she's kind of taking over that position, so. [01:47:32] Speaker B: Right. And here's the thing. We've had Sion say this before, but here's the umbrage I have with that. There's no telling that if we chose to off Stefan instead, that she wouldn't still be alive and in this exact same position. We don't know that. [01:47:44] Speaker C: Sure. [01:47:44] Speaker B: She could have gone away. She could have lived. She. We fought her multiple times. She is one tough person to put down. Have you fought Her? I don't think so. So you don't know. You don't know if she would have gone away and done exactly what she's doing right now. [01:47:59] Speaker C: Did you do an augury about it? Did you look into it? [01:48:03] Speaker F: Did you Also, Oliver, how long? I'm just gonna throw it out there. Oliver. You don't know what she's been doing the whole time you guys were off in your little bubble running labors. [01:48:16] Speaker B: My point isn't about what she is doing. Is that she would be doing it either way. Or at least potentially doing it. We don't know. [01:48:22] Speaker F: I'm talking about Blythe. You don't know what her job was before she came here. So I think it is a little much to assume that she hasn't had to fight Gwen or deal with her or the wolves. And this is probably the closest angry you have ever heard, Daemon. [01:48:43] Speaker B: That's fair. I retract that statement. I apologize. But I think it is worth considering that she is tough. And we don't know what could have happened. [01:48:51] Speaker C: We don't. [01:48:53] Speaker D: She would have fought less hard. [01:48:55] Speaker F: My understanding is that she got real unhinged when he wasn't there to give orders anymore. [01:49:01] Speaker E: Which probably made worse. Which, yeah, I was gonna say probably made worse by the fact that he turned coat on them. As opposed to just dying. [01:49:09] Speaker D: Yeah. It's not about the orders. Not for her at least. [01:49:13] Speaker C: So yeah, if nothing else, consider me an ambassador for your asses. [01:49:17] Speaker B: Well then, welcome to the case here. [01:49:21] Speaker F: Fun for everybody. No offense, but as likable as Clint is. Clint has been running with you guys long enough and had a big enough hand in helping to get you free that he is. Doesn't have quite as much of the social pool as he might have had otherwise. Blythe has been out there on the front lines until very recently. Helping other bands who have been dealing with the mess that you all left behind when you decided that the her labors were more important than dealing with Gwen. Which is not a judgment on my part. I'm just. That was how it went. [01:50:00] Speaker C: It is on mine. [01:50:02] Speaker A: It did sound a little judgy. Just a little though. [01:50:08] Speaker F: He will shrug a little bit. The band made their choice rather than pivoting to continue to deal with Gwen and take her off the table and deal with the wolves first. They decided to set Stefan free first. [01:50:21] Speaker B: And the judgments are fair. [01:50:22] Speaker A: Yep. [01:50:24] Speaker F: And I don't think Net has talked to the rest of you, but I know she talked to Koda and made it very clear what kind of mess it Got left behind. You guys have been in a little bit of a bubble. And you've been insulated for the most part. For most of the damage that's been done. Done while you were all busy. Gwen seems to still be getting orders from somebody because they're still going after unawakened scions or unvisited scions. [01:50:54] Speaker D: But [01:50:57] Speaker F: she is not worried about collateral damage. The way that he used to be. We didn't recognize that that's what it was. At the time, we thought it was just caution to protect the wolves as much as possible. But without him at the. Without him at the helm, a lot more innocent people have died. Innocent mortal people, frequently. Which makes our lives a lot harder because Gwen doesn't care about cleaning up after herself. [01:51:24] Speaker E: Attracts. [01:51:26] Speaker D: Well, we should pro eat before our appetites are sullied. [01:51:32] Speaker A: Yeah, probably. [01:51:33] Speaker D: Stefan makes no move to eat and [01:51:36] Speaker C: Vlad sits down and tucks in. [01:51:37] Speaker F: Natine is going to nudge the food towards Stefan. It wasn't given by her. You can eat it. [01:51:43] Speaker C: I'm not allowed to kill you anyway. [01:51:46] Speaker D: Oh, that helps so much. Deleted. After Nadine asks [01:51:53] Speaker A: Gary. [01:51:55] Speaker F: You mean Oliver. [01:51:56] Speaker A: No, I. For this moment, I do mean Gary. [01:51:59] Speaker F: Oh, out of character. Okay. [01:52:00] Speaker A: Yeah, Gary. Do we see, like a physical, visible change in, like, the bulk of Oliver? Like, has he been putting on some weight? [01:52:10] Speaker B: Yes. Oliver looks a bit more sturdy. He's still very lean, but there is definitely some musculature there that can be seen through the clothing now. [01:52:21] Speaker A: Perfect. Clint is going to point just off to the woods or something as a distraction. He's not great at this. And he's going to try and swap his plate for yours so that Clint is giving Oliver the bigger burger so that he can be a bigger, stronger boy. [01:52:44] Speaker F: We're gonna do deception versus insight. [01:52:47] Speaker A: Excellent. [01:52:48] Speaker F: Okay. You do not get your pretty dice. [01:52:52] Speaker A: Oh, okay. [01:52:55] Speaker F: I somehow doubt that Oliver is physically attracted to you, so. [01:52:59] Speaker A: No, it checks out. I understand. [01:53:03] Speaker B: There's no reason to suspect Clint on this, so he's not going to be activating Brayhorn's eye, so this is not going to be a great check, actually. Yeah. [01:53:12] Speaker F: Oh, boy. You. You full. You fully turn to look at the trees and Clinton, there's no problem. I'm not going to make you roll, slide a hand or anything, because the difference is that big. Oliver. Oliver gets like the bigger burger and everything else. Astero sees it, but you can tell by the little smile on her face that she is pleased and will not say a word. [01:53:39] Speaker E: Hey, look over there. [01:53:41] Speaker B: It works. [01:53:42] Speaker E: What? [01:53:44] Speaker A: And Clint will fire Wink back at Astero. [01:53:49] Speaker F: And as if. As if it. As if this was what Clint was. Was pointing out, there is a familiar large black bird that comes swooping out of the trees. [01:54:00] Speaker A: There he is. Wait, is that Ian? [01:54:03] Speaker F: It is Ian. And he. He's. He lands on the. The railing of the. [01:54:09] Speaker C: Of the. [01:54:10] Speaker F: The patio deck thing. [01:54:14] Speaker A: All right, Ian, welcome back. You see anything out there? Hold on. Got a quarter, a nickel, a dime. And this is what I was waiting for. Clint produces a shiny little plastic marble, tosses it his way. [01:54:32] Speaker F: Ian catches it in his beak, and it gets tucked under that. That wing that all of his shinies end up underneath of. But somehow, even when he flies, nothing ever falls out. You don't know how it works. It's like he's got his own little pocket dimension. No, not really. I. I flew around the perimeter a couple of times, but I didn't see anything. I did see Braum. He's gotten really big. Thought he was gonna be 30. [01:54:59] Speaker A: Well, just stay out of batting range. He should be okay. [01:55:03] Speaker F: He didn't actually try to, but I thought he was going to because he came up out of the trees and it scared the hell out of me. But don't tell him I said that. [01:55:12] Speaker A: Yeah. There's no fire going on out there, is there? [01:55:15] Speaker F: No. [01:55:16] Speaker A: Okay. After tweeting to his bird, Clint looks to the group. It seems like there's no fires out there at the moment. Ian's saying it's all good. [01:55:26] Speaker F: You do notice that Ian keeps looking over at Blythe and has, like, purposefully landed as far away from her as he can while still, like, being close enough to have, like, a conversation and not be, like, basically shouting at him. [01:55:41] Speaker A: Clint will notice that and not ask it in front of Blaidd. [01:55:45] Speaker C: Ian's a crow, right? [01:55:48] Speaker F: Ian is a crow. [01:55:50] Speaker C: I don't know shit. I think, actually, Blaidd does know corvids and will pull, like, a dime out of her pocket and whistle. [01:55:59] Speaker F: He. He sits there and he kind of glances between you and Clint, but does it move? [01:56:06] Speaker C: I guess if you don't want a shiny thing. [01:56:09] Speaker A: Ian, come on. Be a good friend. We have to at least get along together. I. Look, I get it, but we're not all our parents, right? [01:56:20] Speaker F: He sort of like his feathers fluff a little bit. I am proud to be one of the Morrigan's flock. [01:56:27] Speaker A: Yes, you are a beautiful bird of the biggest flock out there. The bestest. Ask anyone. They'll tell you. But we also have to be friends with the people that we Work with at least a little. [01:56:43] Speaker F: Oh, we're working with her now. [01:56:45] Speaker A: I mean, she seems to be in charge of us, kind of sort of from the whole getting us from A to B kind of situation. [01:56:54] Speaker F: He shifts a little bit. When you say in charge of us. She is not in charge of you. [01:56:59] Speaker A: No, I mean the. The transportation. It sounds like apparently we're not too. Yeah. With the. The other side. [01:57:09] Speaker F: Someone finally told you that you've managed to piss off half the psychopomps in. In the community. Yeah. [01:57:13] Speaker A: Yeah. Turns out, same person that's telling us that is also the one that's going to be helping us, so. [01:57:19] Speaker F: Okay, fine. I'll play nice. [01:57:21] Speaker A: Thank you. [01:57:22] Speaker F: And he will. He. He will hop off of the railing and kind of glide over and land on the table. And if Blaidd still continues to offer the dime, he will. He will very gently take it. [01:57:35] Speaker C: Blaidd will offer him the choice between a dime and a, like, little silver bead. [01:57:43] Speaker F: Which one is shinier? [01:57:46] Speaker C: The bead is more intricate. The dime is shinier. [01:57:49] Speaker F: The dime is what he takes more [01:57:51] Speaker C: where that came from, I guess. [01:57:53] Speaker F: And he will tuck it under that wing. And he does this thing where he sort of, like, lowers his head like birds. Like, you know how when birds, like, bob their head but he doesn't bring it back up? He lowers his head like he is. Like. It's a little, like, weird little birdie bow. [01:58:06] Speaker C: So not bad. [01:58:07] Speaker B: He's known from shaking people down. [01:58:10] Speaker C: I mean, he's a crow. [01:58:12] Speaker F: And Clint hears you pay me. [01:58:17] Speaker A: Clint busts out laughing just like I. [01:58:20] Speaker F: And hops off the table and lands back where he was. [01:58:24] Speaker C: He should. They're very bright birds. [01:58:28] Speaker A: It's not extortion. It's. No, wait. It was extortion. It wasn't the other one. [01:58:33] Speaker F: It was not extortion. It was expecting a pay. It was expecting pay for a service rendered. [01:58:38] Speaker A: That's right. Yeah, I remember. [01:58:40] Speaker C: Now I'm wondering if your belief that you've been extorted by a bird has anything to do with the fact and she's talking to Oliver has anything to do with a similarity with how you've been treating your psychopomps. [01:58:52] Speaker F: And you see Ian's little head bob again. I love this bird. [01:58:56] Speaker A: Me too. [01:58:57] Speaker B: I'll put the burger down and look over. Go ahead. You clearly have things you want to say about this. [01:59:04] Speaker C: No, I'm having fun jabbing. [01:59:05] Speaker B: Great. [01:59:06] Speaker F: Damon is eating quietly and just watching all this like it's a tennis match. [01:59:12] Speaker C: You could spend some time filling me in on what you were doing when you were away. I know you did labors, but not really the extent of them. [01:59:22] Speaker E: Sure. [01:59:23] Speaker B: We did one for each pantheon. Each one wanted a specific thing from us. Which one interests you the most? [01:59:29] Speaker C: Let's see. [01:59:30] Speaker A: You didn't give her a lot to work with there. [01:59:33] Speaker B: Well, I'm assuming she knows the major pantheons. [01:59:35] Speaker C: Yes, and I know was done, but I know that they all asked you and vaguely what was requested. I know you wrote a paper. [01:59:44] Speaker B: I wrote more than just a paper, [01:59:50] Speaker F: Andre. The second he says that, your brain ticks over to that, like, nagging obsession in the back of your head. Take a hairpin point, you're gonna have a negative 2 to any insider perception rules for a little while because part of your brain power is now on drafting the argument to Oliver's little dissertation. [02:00:16] Speaker E: Noted. [02:00:16] Speaker C: Sorry, I didn't think I'd do that. [02:00:18] Speaker E: Andre just begins like, just twitch a little in his eye. [02:00:21] Speaker C: Just. I haven't had a chance to catch up with Alexandra, so I don't really, really know what went down with the Greeks. [02:00:28] Speaker B: Bunch of it was more than the others. I guess you could say it was pretty fun. [02:00:35] Speaker A: I like that one. [02:00:40] Speaker B: Essentially, with that one, we needed to get a bouquet to Hades for his wife. And in order to do that, we need to do Funerary rights for 100 individuals fatebound to the Dodecathion. We didn't think, you know, finding 100 Greek scions was going to be too easy, so we settled for Myrmidons. Tracks them down, they belong to Alexandra. There was a bit of a miscommunication that we eventually got over. Made a deal with her. She offered to ferry us to Aegina. Got a little sidetracked along the way. Ended up on Cersei's island, but after a couple weeks, found her way to the correct destination. Took part in some games and did what we needed to, went to the underworld, delivered what we wanted. [02:01:26] Speaker A: Didn't you win one of them games? [02:01:27] Speaker B: I won one of the. [02:01:29] Speaker C: I saw the pictures. [02:01:32] Speaker B: That's not the one. As Oliver's going to kind of like look down a little bit. A hand up on his brow. [02:01:38] Speaker F: Aster. Astero looks pleased. She. She is preening. Once you clear, she just sort of reaches over and squeezes all of her side. [02:01:47] Speaker C: Don't worry, babe. [02:01:48] Speaker F: You're hot. [02:01:49] Speaker B: Okay. Thank you. [02:01:50] Speaker F: It was just proof. [02:01:52] Speaker C: Bryant's like a guy who can rock a leather skirt. What can I say? [02:01:57] Speaker B: Either way, I only get third in that one anyway. What else do you want to know about? [02:02:05] Speaker C: Let's See, as soon as Oliver. [02:02:07] Speaker F: As soon as Oliver turns back to Blythe and says, what else do you want to know about? At least her up, it looks like. Clinton nods. [02:02:13] Speaker A: Hell yeah. [02:02:16] Speaker F: She has like a Cheshire cat satisfied grin on her face. [02:02:20] Speaker C: Caught up with Charlotte a little bit about what you did for the loa? Yeah, mostly that you just defended a party. [02:02:29] Speaker B: Yeah. Party. Party got duty. Cracking laser pointer. Sorry, what? Yeah, we used to laser pointer and get rid of a dragon. [02:02:38] Speaker F: She just stares at you. [02:02:39] Speaker B: You want to take this one? [02:02:41] Speaker A: Yeah. I threw a wolf. [02:02:43] Speaker B: He did also do that. [02:02:45] Speaker A: So we were in charge of security at a big party event. There was this tentacle monster in the dark water, and it got real touchy feely, so we had to distract it and ultimately send it away unsatisfied. Fight and defeated. Then there were some zombies. Gwen showed up. A punch may have happened. [02:03:12] Speaker C: I assume he punched Gwen in the stupid face. [02:03:16] Speaker D: Well. [02:03:18] Speaker B: Well, no. We actually did pretty good against her that time. It was the first time we actually managed to knock her down. One of her wolves had to drag her out. [02:03:25] Speaker A: Yeah. [02:03:26] Speaker F: Wasn't that also the fight that like, a couple of you guys went down? Comes Millie. [02:03:32] Speaker B: Yes. Clint punched me. [02:03:34] Speaker F: Yeah, but Clint went down too, didn't he? [02:03:37] Speaker A: I mean, I go down all the time. [02:03:41] Speaker C: I've heard. [02:03:42] Speaker F: And Mellie kind of gives this like, dramatic flutter. He says that thing he does with his tongue. [02:03:49] Speaker C: Oh, my God. [02:03:51] Speaker B: Okay. [02:03:53] Speaker F: Asterobe has her face at her hands. [02:03:57] Speaker D: You got a tongue thing too? [02:03:59] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. I mean, it's not quite like yours. It's a little bit different. [02:04:03] Speaker C: I think Blythe and Astrope actually make very similar face and hand gestures. [02:04:10] Speaker A: I mean, Stefan, you want to compare real quick? We could see and compare notes, maybe learn from each other. [02:04:19] Speaker B: You can. I could be the judge. [02:04:22] Speaker A: You could be the judge. [02:04:25] Speaker F: Which earns a look from Natine that could, like, wither a plant with glance. And then you could judge too. Mellie immediately sort of sits back. Okay, okay, okay. [02:04:37] Speaker D: I do believe we have two unique skill sets diverge from one another. [02:04:44] Speaker A: Oh, my sincere apologies, Natine. [02:04:47] Speaker F: What? Why would. What? [02:04:49] Speaker A: I mean, if he's saying that our skills differ and clearly, you know, [02:04:55] Speaker F: I don't. Sure. Clint. [02:04:59] Speaker A: Okay. [02:05:00] Speaker F: She looks like she has just decided it is easier to just not correct. Not correct. [02:05:06] Speaker B: What else you want to know? [02:05:08] Speaker C: I mean, Blythe is looking from Natine to Asterobe and Mellie like, what the fuck? [02:05:17] Speaker F: I mean, you know that Natine, because of her. Her unique association with. With poisonous and deadly flowers, doesn't often Run into people that she can kind of safely interact with. So since Stefan has like. Since she and Stefan have become a thing, she's very possessive. [02:05:37] Speaker C: The side note. Yeah, for sure. [02:05:39] Speaker F: Asterope is less possessive of Oliver and more just. He's the only one she's with. [02:05:46] Speaker C: Nadine, it's fine. [02:05:47] Speaker F: And Mellie is just a party girl who would happily bang all of the pretty scions. Male or female or otherwise. Doesn't matter. [02:05:55] Speaker C: Yeah, Nateen, it's fine. No one else wants to have anything to do with them anyway. [02:05:59] Speaker F: Literally offered. [02:06:02] Speaker C: Let's see. I guess the yami is the one I don't know the most about because they tend to keep to themselves. Net didn't even say anything so. Well, net's bureaucracy. Never mind. [02:06:16] Speaker B: That's the one that we probably did the worst about. We succeeded and we got the sword. But instead of we found our way to the underworld in a more traditional way, I guess you could say we did the same way that Izanagi first found it. [02:06:36] Speaker C: Oh my God. [02:06:37] Speaker B: Yeah. No. Well, we know that there are easier ways now, but point is we. We found the sword at the poison sun ward. Basically the underworld equivalent to Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The entity there was speaking with Gwen. Ran to her a second time or I guess that was the first time. And to try to make an easier time of it, we made a deal. It was a very bad deal. Wasted a lot of time trying to get a door closed. Now we have to plant some seeds [02:07:10] Speaker F: aside. Just to make it clear, Blythe, you have never heard of the poison sunburn. You don't you. You don't go. [02:07:15] Speaker C: Oh yeah. [02:07:16] Speaker F: No, I truly the first. [02:07:20] Speaker C: No rolls needed. What the Blythe? Kind of looks like nothing's gonna surprise. [02:07:25] Speaker F: This is truly a like what the [02:07:27] Speaker C: did you guys do? [02:07:29] Speaker B: Yes, we know. Shango made it clear. But it's in the past. Now he's got a little of it. [02:07:36] Speaker E: Just for the note, I'd like to point out I was also not there for that kind of decision making. That was all them. [02:07:41] Speaker B: Yeah. No, you are not. [02:07:44] Speaker C: Andre. [02:07:44] Speaker F: You remain my favorite. [02:07:48] Speaker C: I'm so sorry. I'm. Hold on. Okay. From. From. Let's. Let's start. I guess the. You've said a lot of words. The poison sunboard. Yeah, it's a Hiroshima Nagasaki. [02:08:07] Speaker F: Wait. [02:08:07] Speaker C: Okay. [02:08:08] Speaker B: It's the underworld reflection of it. The underworld had it I guess still does have a closed and wardened off away from the rest of the society because bad things come out of there. And part of the deal was that we had to leave it unlocked. But we found a way to bar it up again to. But still meet the terms. [02:08:29] Speaker C: Did you? [02:08:30] Speaker B: We at least barred it for the time being. And then made the right people aware of it or. Well, we made Shango aware of it, then told him to tell the rest of the Pantheon. [02:08:39] Speaker C: Does Shango owe you something? [02:08:41] Speaker B: Well, he was going to deliver the sword for us anyway, so. And he seems like a friendly and hopeful individual. [02:08:47] Speaker F: Right. You hear lucky in your head kind of sort. [02:08:51] Speaker D: And go. [02:08:51] Speaker F: So that's a. [02:08:52] Speaker C: No. Stars and stones. All right. And what was the deal you made? [02:09:01] Speaker B: Pull out, like, from the coat, like a small pouch. There were six of these in this pouch. There's four now. They're seeds. We were told that we have to plant them throughout our travels. [02:09:14] Speaker F: Blaidd, roll me expertise. Magic. [02:09:17] Speaker C: One second. [02:09:18] Speaker E: I don't think Andre ever actually. I don't think Andre ever actually got to see the seeds at all. At all. Either. Could I. Could he also. [02:09:24] Speaker F: Roll expertise. You did get to see them. You were there when they planted one of them. [02:09:27] Speaker A: Oh, that's right. [02:09:29] Speaker C: Just an Aladdin. I'm not very good at this. [02:09:31] Speaker F: All you can tell is that there. Is that the bag itself looks like it might have been spelled. And you can kind of. It looks like from the markings on it, it seems like it might be some sort of like. Like a containment spell for out of character reference. Because this is not something I talked to Gary about. It was a very quick and dirty ritual, basically to just try to make sure that if there were any ill effects, they wouldn't spread. But it was also like your first solo ritual, so you didn't do a great job. [02:10:05] Speaker C: Did. Did you do this yourself? [02:10:08] Speaker B: The original? Yeah. [02:10:09] Speaker C: All right. [02:10:10] Speaker A: He's real good at magic. [02:10:11] Speaker B: Maybe we're real good at doing spells. I find in my spell book. This was my first solo act. [02:10:17] Speaker C: Genuinely, no offense. I can tell. [02:10:19] Speaker B: Just run. [02:10:20] Speaker C: No. Teaching yourself magic is hard, and she, like. She, like, wants it. Do you have the wording of the deal you made? [02:10:33] Speaker B: I have eidetic memories, so I probably do. But Gary doesn't remember the exact word. [02:10:37] Speaker F: No. Because you didn't get anything like an eidetic memory until after. [02:10:42] Speaker B: Fair enough. [02:10:46] Speaker A: Ian had eidetic memory before the transition. Would Ian remember? [02:10:53] Speaker F: Ian was not with you when you made the deal. [02:10:54] Speaker B: Remember he was him and just. [02:10:58] Speaker F: Right. Yeah, I thought about that. What? [02:11:04] Speaker A: All right, Stop being so smart. We got to find ways of finding loopholes. [02:11:08] Speaker B: Okay, I don't have the word for word, but the essence of the deal was that we plant it over the course of our travels. And at minimum, I can't remember it was worded as such, the implication was that we wouldn't dig them up and planting the seeds wouldn't cause any problems. But we realized a little bit too late that they conveniently did not mention what would grow from them. And by too late, I mean seconds after the deal was made. [02:11:39] Speaker C: Yes, seeds grow. [02:11:41] Speaker B: No, I mean, we asked would they cause any harm or problems, and the entity said planting them would not. After the deal was made, I realized that planting was the key word. [02:11:53] Speaker F: Blythe looks at Damon and like, he truly. [02:12:00] Speaker C: Damon knows what Blythe looks like when she's panicked. Like, when it's truly, like, what the. [02:12:05] Speaker F: Oh, not unlike the look you had the first time you guys went to the Isles of the Hesperides. Kind of. Yeah, like, oh, okay. Oh, this is so much worse than I thought it was. [02:12:15] Speaker C: So much worse than I thought it was. [02:12:18] Speaker F: Damon sort of shrugs a little bit. Now you see why I didn't let you come by. [02:12:22] Speaker D: What did you boys get from the deal? [02:12:26] Speaker B: We got the sword, which we needed to complete the labor. [02:12:29] Speaker D: Fair enough. [02:12:32] Speaker C: You couldn't just take it? [02:12:33] Speaker B: We could have, but a godlike entity and Gwen was right there in front of us. [02:12:37] Speaker C: So Blythe looks at Damon again and in Mandarin just goes, what the fuck? [02:12:46] Speaker B: I will respond in Mandarin. Yes, yes, I know we really messed up. [02:12:50] Speaker F: Damon's mouth had opened to answer because she was speaking to him, but when Oliver says that, he closes his mouth and gestures towards Oliver with a shrug like, I wasn't there. [02:13:02] Speaker C: All right. [02:13:03] Speaker F: Out of character. Blythe, you know that since this group came around and started spending the amount of time that they do with Daemon. Daemon is walking event. Very delicate balance with the greater scion. Like, letting them stay here is one thing, but if he got too active in their stuff, it might damage his reputation, which would be a problem for him. Damon's main currency in this world is the fact that everybody likes him. And his home is generally a safe haven to anybody who asks. [02:13:35] Speaker C: Yeah, she just. [02:13:37] Speaker F: So much pity. [02:13:39] Speaker C: All right, so. God. All right. What? What other. What? You're all half of your scions of the Tuatha. I assume your Tuatha thing went pretty easily. [02:13:59] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, it went great. And then Glenn punched a chair. [02:14:02] Speaker C: Okay. [02:14:03] Speaker A: It was a big bad chair, to be fair. [02:14:05] Speaker F: You see. You see Ian shift uncomfortably at the top of the chair. [02:14:17] Speaker A: That was. I mean, nothing happened with the chair per se, but upon attempting violence, it [02:14:25] Speaker F: definitely happened with the Chair. You hit it? [02:14:30] Speaker A: Yeah. Upon attempting violence upon the chair in attempt to destroy it. I may have become a little cursed, you might say. There was a. You know the Fomorians that are taking over Mag Mel. One of them had a big fancy chair, and it turns out that touching it kind of acknowledged his perhaps legitimacy or something to that effect. [02:15:00] Speaker F: His name is Balor. Balor One Eye. He's dead now, but he still holds power. And you touched his throne, which meant that you acknowledged his right to rule over Mag Mel. [02:15:11] Speaker D: Yeah. [02:15:12] Speaker A: So it was Baelor One Eye. And Clint will give a brief recap. And old One Eye still has lingering. And so now I have this task where I have to disassociate myself and prove myself worthy of being Tuatha so that they can't lay claim to me or anything associated with me. [02:15:38] Speaker F: There were also wolves there. [02:15:39] Speaker A: There were wolves, weren't there? Yeah, there were wolves there too. [02:15:43] Speaker C: Okay, so you went to. You did the task for the Yomi and made a deal. And then you did a task for the Tuatha and you made a deal [02:15:54] Speaker B: then that one came first. [02:15:56] Speaker C: And sure, the order does not matter at this particular juncture. You did your task for the Greeks, [02:16:08] Speaker D: and [02:16:10] Speaker C: it sounds like you did. Okay, well, why? [02:16:14] Speaker B: In the grand scheme of things? [02:16:17] Speaker C: Because you stopped by Aster. You stopped by Cersei. [02:16:21] Speaker B: Yeah, stopping implies that we wanted to go there. [02:16:25] Speaker A: We kind of made a deal with [02:16:26] Speaker E: her and I didn't make any deal with her. [02:16:30] Speaker A: Well, you didn't, but the rest of us had a time. [02:16:35] Speaker B: Okay, let's skip past that part. [02:16:38] Speaker D: You know, gotta stop making deals. [02:16:41] Speaker A: Yes, we've been told. [02:16:42] Speaker D: Yeah, yeah, you're like three for three on bad peoples to make deals with. [02:16:48] Speaker A: Oh, and that's just the ones we told you about. [02:16:50] Speaker C: There's more. [02:16:53] Speaker B: At least one. [02:16:54] Speaker C: What's the last one? [02:16:56] Speaker B: It's more personalized to me specifically. Just point is, I agree to champion the Welsh pantheon. [02:17:04] Speaker F: You hear Lucky in your head go, well, that explains the dragon. [02:17:08] Speaker C: That explains the dragon. [02:17:11] Speaker B: Okay, well, aren't happy about it, but I'm trying to spin it as a diplomatic relationship. I do well with that and the two pantheons get along better. [02:17:23] Speaker F: Okay, Andre, Daphne leans over and whispers really low to you. Unfortunately. Well, fortunately for the audience, unfortunately for you, Stefan has a crazy ass passive perception. So she. So he hears every word. Daphne leans over and goes, are we gonna mention the tidal Loki? [02:17:51] Speaker E: I mean, it's probably gonna. I mean, it's gonna come up anyway. [02:17:55] Speaker F: Seems like the time that you guys tell her all of the bad things so that she doesn't get caught off guard later. I don't think she'd hold it against you. It's literal. God, it's not like you could have stopped it. [02:18:06] Speaker E: Yeah, we're kind of going in chronological order, though, so we'll get to that fast, I think, because it's also the bigger one. [02:18:12] Speaker F: I just don't know that anybody else is going to tell her anything about being poked. [02:18:16] Speaker E: No, I will. I'll make sure it happens. [02:18:19] Speaker F: Okay. She'll shut up. [02:18:22] Speaker D: So you get into an arranged marriage all over? [02:18:26] Speaker B: I sure hope not. I was told that my oath is just to uphold the pantheon when they need me for things. I don't see that requiring an arranged marriage. [02:18:42] Speaker F: Blythe, you caught that sound from Andre. He said he. When he made that sound, it almost. Almost sounded a little bit like what you have heard from volcanoes when they rumble a little bit. For a second there, he was very like his father. [02:18:59] Speaker C: You good? [02:19:01] Speaker D: No. [02:19:02] Speaker E: But it ain't pertinent. [02:19:03] Speaker C: Well, it seems like everything's pertinent now, considering everything you've done. [02:19:08] Speaker E: Oh, we ain't even gotten to the biggest part yet. Don't like arranged marriages. [02:19:13] Speaker B: Let's see, what else is there? Oh, I'm technically a white ball criminal now. [02:19:19] Speaker C: Hold on. Hi, Andre. We will get back to your thing, because that seems very specific. I. Okay. Air. White collar criminal. [02:19:32] Speaker F: This. [02:19:32] Speaker C: I assumed you are a white man. What did you do? [02:19:38] Speaker B: Well, it was for the Atlantic pantheon. We had a shrine we needed to set up, have someone tend to it. And we did that. We did it. Great. And then someone I'll look over to Clint offered her money. [02:19:50] Speaker A: Yep. I mean, who doesn't want to get paid for their work, right? [02:19:54] Speaker B: And so we had to work that out. In order to do that, A friend of ours helped me get into contact with someone who set up a shell corporation that I now run to pay a single person a stipend to run a shrine. [02:20:09] Speaker C: So you have a deal with someone to have done the shill Corporation? [02:20:13] Speaker B: Sure, but it's all mortal stuff. [02:20:15] Speaker A: We have a habit of deals. [02:20:18] Speaker C: Yeah, I can tell. [02:20:21] Speaker B: We're working on it. [02:20:22] Speaker A: The fun part about making all these deals. At least as my mom tells me. And when Oliver gets real looky looking, turns out that these deals, deals, you know, come with some. Some good old fate on our side. Or tangled up, you might say. [02:20:44] Speaker F: Bl. You don't need to roll insight. You have never seen a crow side eye a human. So hard as Ian is doing to Clint right now. [02:20:53] Speaker C: Yeah, I assume that raven and crow are not like dialects. [02:20:59] Speaker F: They're not. You can't talk to any him, but you can tell that he is just like. He's just like. That's not how that works, dumbass. [02:21:12] Speaker C: Oliver, don't help Clint. What do you know about Odin? [02:21:16] Speaker A: So when I was younger, I kind of got a little educated about some of the. The Norse mythologies and stuff. So I know Odin's kind of the important, important one. Likes long pointed sticks, only got one eye, has a couple of birds. Adopted a kid who gave birth to a horse and a wolf. [02:21:40] Speaker D: He. [02:21:42] Speaker A: Oh, did he turn into a swan or was that a different one? [02:21:46] Speaker C: That's Zeus. [02:21:47] Speaker E: Yeah, no, that was. That one's over here. [02:21:49] Speaker A: Okay. Yep. Yep. [02:21:51] Speaker C: He's got a Bly. Scritch is Lucky. When the Odin's wolves are mentioned. [02:21:57] Speaker F: And because this has to come up once per season, Clint only hears. No, actually Lucky says it. So Blythe hears Lucky go. And he's not the one who. Who. [02:22:09] Speaker B: A horse. You're right. [02:22:13] Speaker C: He's not the one who fucked a horse. [02:22:15] Speaker F: And that. You get a. That. That thump of a tail again. [02:22:20] Speaker C: And she says that out loud. [02:22:22] Speaker B: Oh, right. That reminds me. Yes. [02:22:24] Speaker E: Did you. [02:22:25] Speaker C: A horse. [02:22:26] Speaker B: No, no, we ran into the guy who did. [02:22:30] Speaker A: Yeah, that's where it all kind of. [02:22:33] Speaker B: I don't know if it's done to the rest of the pantheons or the scions of those pantheons, but, yeah, it has. [02:22:39] Speaker F: It has in fact gotten around to the other pantheons. But you are aware that Loki has been bad. The last time Loki was spotted was about just. Just under a.2. Just under two weeks ago. [02:22:50] Speaker B: Yeah. [02:22:50] Speaker C: Yeah. [02:22:51] Speaker B: Surely you heard that he's back in action. And last time he was spotted was because he decided to pay us a visit. [02:22:57] Speaker E: Yeah, that was so much fun. Andre just lifts his prosthetic. [02:23:01] Speaker A: You got to hand it to him. [02:23:04] Speaker E: I will punch you. [02:23:07] Speaker A: I deserve it. [02:23:09] Speaker C: Did he say anything? [02:23:11] Speaker A: Oh, a lot of things. [02:23:13] Speaker B: Yeah. First he pretended to be a different scion. Just one of us tried to learn some things didn't go his way. Or I guess we passed his test or whatever it was. And then he revealed that he was something more than just a regular scion. Didn't tell us his name yet. Just called himself the stranger, which is your dad's thing. Or. Sorry, did. Was it mentioned. Yeah, I know it was mentioned that Blythe is okay. [02:23:40] Speaker E: Sorry. [02:23:42] Speaker B: Which. Yeah, sure. Dad's thing. Then he did us a little two for one test where he beat the crap out of us while Trying to get us to answer a question. Solve a riddle, I guess you could say. And it was around near the end of that that Lou showed up and he dipped out. Then the Morgan came and worked out our fate threads to find out that it was indeed the trickster himself. [02:24:07] Speaker C: Okay. All right. So you spoke with him? [02:24:13] Speaker E: Yeah, we played 20 questions when he asked. We played 20 questions when he asked us how do you kill a God? [02:24:19] Speaker A: We do have the answer to that now though. [02:24:22] Speaker B: Yep. Take away their faith. [02:24:24] Speaker C: Do you believe them? [02:24:25] Speaker A: Oh, don't ask me that. [02:24:29] Speaker B: Cultures had a lot of lost different mythologies and religions and we've only heard of a handful of pantheon. So either the other ones are much more small time or people don't believe them in them like they used to and so they're not around as much. [02:24:43] Speaker E: No offense, but I know a certain number of gods that are on the list of if they tell you the sky is blue, they're lying. Somehow he's top of that list. [02:24:52] Speaker C: Fair point, Bls. No offense taken. [02:24:57] Speaker F: Lucky kind of looks up at you both. You've never met Loki, but you've heard all of the stories. Loki frequently tells truths that people think are lies because it's Loki or he tells. He tells truths in ways that make them sound like lies unless you think about them like full. One of Loki's big things is that he teaches people lessons like that. That's kind of one of his roles in the mythology. [02:25:29] Speaker C: Why did Loki want you to know how to kill a God? [02:25:35] Speaker B: Who knows? Maybe he's got plans in motion. [02:25:39] Speaker F: All right, Oliver, I will give you this because even though you didn't have eidetic yet, it is kind of seared into your brain that day. He explicitly said he has a plan and that you guys are somehow all a part of it. Or he needed to make sure that you wouldn't be a problem for it. [02:25:54] Speaker B: In fact, he does have a plan. Don't know what it is, but apparently we are either involved or he doesn't want us getting in the way. [02:26:02] Speaker C: If he didn't want. If he didn't want you in the way, he would have killed you. [02:26:05] Speaker B: Well, he said he didn't want us to be a problem for it, so however that means in Loki speak is he had to be seen, right? [02:26:14] Speaker C: So [02:26:16] Speaker F: just. [02:26:17] Speaker C: Oh, God. All right. Is there anything else as far as dumb decisions? [02:26:25] Speaker B: Probably. But those are the big ones. [02:26:29] Speaker C: And I assume one of you is getting married as well. [02:26:32] Speaker A: All of us went to look over it. [02:26:34] Speaker E: Onward while we were stranded with Cersei. My Sweetheart got signed up for an arranged marriage because they couldn't get a hold of me because Cersei was blocking all of our communication. [02:26:45] Speaker D: Who's the guy? [02:26:47] Speaker E: I don't know. Probably someone from one of the other pantheons that we haven't really dealt a whole lot with. [02:26:54] Speaker C: Who's your sweetie? [02:26:57] Speaker E: Mia? Daughter Kylie. [02:27:00] Speaker C: Do I know Mia? [02:27:03] Speaker F: Probably not. Like, personally, you probably know of her. But I don't think you would have spent a whole lot of time with her or really spent much of any time with her. It's. It's one of those. It's a small community. So you've kind of heard of everybody, but not. You don't necessarily go out to lunch with everybody. You know what I mean? [02:27:22] Speaker C: Do I know anything? Have I heard anything about the arranged marriage? [02:27:25] Speaker F: You have not. You do know that it is not an unheard of thing for pantheons to use marriages between scions as a way to either shore up or establish like political alliances. [02:27:45] Speaker C: Well, it's not great for you, Andre. Sorry. [02:27:49] Speaker E: Nope. [02:27:49] Speaker D: She could just say no. [02:27:51] Speaker F: Well, at which point, Asterobico. Somebody's clearly never met Kali. [02:27:57] Speaker D: I've met a few people. [02:28:00] Speaker F: You don't tell Kali? No. [02:28:02] Speaker D: Worst they do is kill you. [02:28:05] Speaker F: No. If anything, that's not even close to the worst that they can do. [02:28:13] Speaker C: Yeah, dead people don't learn lessons. [02:28:16] Speaker B: Greeks are all about their doing things to you that are a little bit worse than death. Because lessons need to be learned. That's how we get spiders. What it's whole story about weaving and Arachnian. [02:28:32] Speaker D: Point is, gods being petty, [02:28:36] Speaker F: Greeks do hold grudges. That is from Nadine. [02:28:41] Speaker E: And another news. Grass is green and trees cast shade. [02:28:48] Speaker B: Not that we're blaming them. I'll look up to this guy dramatically. [02:28:52] Speaker D: Sure. [02:28:52] Speaker C: I would be curious to know who are we going. [02:28:56] Speaker F: Oh, sorry. Go ahead. [02:28:58] Speaker C: I would be curious to know who your sweetie is maybe engaged to. [02:29:07] Speaker E: Yeah. Well that makes two of us. I've been asked around. Everyone's either they don't know or they're [02:29:11] Speaker C: tight lipped which makes it more interesting. [02:29:15] Speaker B: Oh. Many other queries. [02:29:17] Speaker F: How much of the detail about Cersei's island have you shared? Comes from Master Ope. [02:29:23] Speaker C: Is that from me for me or is that for. [02:29:25] Speaker F: She is asking the boys at the [02:29:27] Speaker B: table who were there like around to other silence. I haven't said much of anything. [02:29:33] Speaker F: Like maybe how you like maybe how you got her to let you leave. [02:29:38] Speaker B: The was a ritual involved and the ritual required some physical work. [02:29:44] Speaker A: Yeah, we. We all shacked up with Cersei. [02:29:50] Speaker F: Yeah, as. As Clint is saying is saying that blood asteroba gives you the big eyes. [02:29:58] Speaker B: Like she. [02:29:58] Speaker F: Like she was trying to tell you without saying the words. And then Clint voices it out loud and she sort of wins it a little bit. [02:30:06] Speaker C: I thought we were. Never mind. [02:30:08] Speaker E: Again, not all of us. [02:30:10] Speaker D: Basically, a big siren. [02:30:12] Speaker F: Nope. [02:30:12] Speaker C: No. [02:30:13] Speaker A: Hold on. Hold on. Is that why we're. What. [02:30:17] Speaker C: As Astrop was. I'm not going to air your business. And she, like, you know, waves towards Astrop. [02:30:26] Speaker F: What? [02:30:27] Speaker C: You just like him a lot? You can tell when something's wrong. [02:30:30] Speaker F: I. I mean, I've liked him since I met him. I'm not into him. Because she slept with him. I gave permission. [02:30:39] Speaker B: I did make sure of that. [02:30:40] Speaker F: Because I would rather he, you know, come home than be stuck there as a pig for the rest of eternity. [02:30:47] Speaker C: I just. [02:30:47] Speaker A: Mr. B, you're. You're really good at learning things. I mean, since we're already on the subject. [02:30:55] Speaker B: Oh, where's this going? [02:30:56] Speaker A: Did you. Did you pick up anything helpful? And then Clint will look to asteroid. Did he pick up anything useful? [02:31:03] Speaker F: Astrophysical blinks a little bit? Like, how would I know? [02:31:06] Speaker D: Hopefully he grew up here, learned how to say no. [02:31:11] Speaker A: There was a comparison to before he left for the island or left and then after he came back. You've not noticed any sort of, you know, differences or improvements? Anything that he can do that he didn't do before? [02:31:27] Speaker B: Why are we on this topic? [02:31:28] Speaker F: Are you asking if she made him a better lay? [02:31:31] Speaker A: I mean, kinda. Yeah. [02:31:34] Speaker F: No. He was always amazing. [02:31:36] Speaker B: I'm gonna say that Oliver, like, in the middle that was trying to take a drink of water, and it just goes projectile. [02:31:42] Speaker A: I knew it. I. This kind of brain, whenever you give it the option to learn about the body and how it works, he's gonna figure out the good things. And Clint will reach out and pat him on the shoulder and. [02:31:57] Speaker F: And because. Because Greek. And also because Dryad. So they really don't have any shame at all. Asterope just sort of nods a little bit. Studious guys are really, like. They make sure they know what they're doing. And she looks at Andre, don't you? And sort of nods. [02:32:15] Speaker B: Okay, okay, Stay on this. [02:32:21] Speaker F: There is no reason to be embarrassed. It's good. Do you have any idea, statistically, how few men out there know how to. You know, [02:32:33] Speaker B: I haven't had the chance to look it up. [02:32:36] Speaker C: I mean, dryads talk. [02:32:38] Speaker F: Well, I. I don't necessarily mean around dryads. I just mean, like, women and men in general. A lot of men are completely clueless and just women just sort of fake it to get it over with and never had that problem with you. [02:32:52] Speaker B: Well, I want to make sure we both have a good time. Okay, Never mind. We're not talking about this anymore. [02:32:56] Speaker A: All right. What are we doing? [02:32:57] Speaker F: We really got to work on your prude impulse, babe. [02:33:01] Speaker B: Okay. [02:33:02] Speaker D: May I say, I am glad you all had fun on your adventures. [02:33:09] Speaker B: Fun is a stretch. [02:33:10] Speaker A: There was some and we're almost. [02:33:12] Speaker F: They were almost drowned. [02:33:15] Speaker B: So there was a storm. [02:33:16] Speaker D: Yeah, it's the ocean. [02:33:19] Speaker F: And while you're over there passing judgment as she's staring at Stefan, maybe remember that most of these things that they fucked up were during labors that they were doing to get you out of prison. [02:33:30] Speaker D: No, no, I remember that. I am just a bit surprised to learn of the. Which they fucked it up. [02:33:43] Speaker F: Of the sheer amount of risks and things that they took on in order to get you out of. Out of a cave where you were being slowly tortured. You should be impressed. [02:33:53] Speaker D: It's very nice. And a very. They did indeed get me out of the jail. [02:34:01] Speaker B: I'm going to. [02:34:01] Speaker D: However, they do need quite a bit of guidance when it comes to future dealings with things that will fuck up, let's say, the rest of our time outside of jail. [02:34:21] Speaker C: It's part of why I'm here. [02:34:25] Speaker B: Good. And also, believe me, we've learned a number of lessons. But also while as rope it was defending us. I will kind of like take her hand under the table and squeeze it a little bit and thanks. [02:34:38] Speaker F: She will squeeze it back. [02:34:39] Speaker A: Is it a glass table? [02:34:40] Speaker F: It is not. Dang, it's like a. Like a. Like a farm table. [02:34:44] Speaker B: So it's made out of a little glass table. [02:34:49] Speaker A: Very dangerous. [02:34:51] Speaker B: Ripped it in for having to keep that clean. [02:34:53] Speaker D: But hey, now I'm free. And we won't be making any deals with gods. So we got two birds with one stone. [02:35:03] Speaker F: Sounds great. [02:35:05] Speaker C: And if you up, you drop dead. So don't up. [02:35:09] Speaker D: Didn't plan to. Either way, it's not my problem. [02:35:13] Speaker C: Right. Is there anything else I'm forgetting as we get caught up here? [02:35:19] Speaker A: I mean, there is the. The questions that we could pose to you. Like what were you getting up to before you came and. Or did you get assigned to us? Or did you just. Why are you here? [02:35:33] Speaker C: Damon asked for a favor. And like I said, you really need help getting around and you've run out a lot of goodwill. He does not help. [02:35:46] Speaker A: Gotcha. I was more just curious on the who sent you kind of thing, because that seems to Be a common thread for us. We get sent from place to place, task to task. [02:35:55] Speaker C: My dad is not unhappy that I'm here. [02:36:01] Speaker A: Your dad is not unhappy that you're here, is he? [02:36:08] Speaker F: Double negative is a positive. [02:36:09] Speaker A: Okay. [02:36:10] Speaker C: Thank you. [02:36:11] Speaker A: So. [02:36:11] Speaker C: He. [02:36:11] Speaker A: He is. [02:36:12] Speaker F: That was not. That was not Mellie. That was Ian. I may not have done the right. The right amount of nasal tone. Sorry. [02:36:19] Speaker A: So he's happy here. Here. He knows that you're here. [02:36:23] Speaker C: The ace here, in general, are not particularly fond of everything how. [02:36:27] Speaker F: How everything shook out and, I mean, [02:36:29] Speaker A: you've heard our great and terrible fuck ups. Do you have any that you can share so that we don't feel like, you know, we're the only ones? [02:36:41] Speaker F: And at that, all of the dryads in the room or all of the dryads at the table sort of glance meaningfully at each other and reach for a drink to take a long drink. Seriously, no subtlety whatsoever. [02:36:55] Speaker C: Something deeply wrong with all of you. [02:36:57] Speaker F: But also, like, you know, from the years since it's happened, they all feel a little bit guilty about the. About, like, all that whole situation and how it has affected your original band. [02:37:13] Speaker C: Damn, it's only been a year. [02:37:14] Speaker F: No, years. [02:37:16] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. I was part of Daemon's band when we got. We went looking for the apples of the hesperides and may have stolen every dryad you see here out of Harris Garden. [02:37:41] Speaker B: You what? [02:37:44] Speaker A: Looks around. [02:37:45] Speaker E: Oh, [02:37:48] Speaker D: the charge. [02:37:51] Speaker F: I mean, we. You hear from Asterobe that we wanted to come, but, like, we weren't supposed to come to leave. [02:37:58] Speaker A: Who doesn't want to come? Of course. That makes sense. [02:38:01] Speaker B: Okay. [02:38:01] Speaker E: God damn it. [02:38:03] Speaker C: I maintain that all I did was keep the portal open for, you know, a while, maybe longer than the amount of time it would take for a couple scions to run through. [02:38:15] Speaker D: Good job. [02:38:15] Speaker A: Oh, I like you, Bl. I like you a lot. We're not. We're not alone in being fuckups. We've all made poor decisions. Excellent. [02:38:23] Speaker C: Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Hold on. Wait. [02:38:26] Speaker A: What? [02:38:27] Speaker C: Let me be so clear. I know what fate bonds look like, and I am not as tangled up as you. [02:38:33] Speaker A: I'm not tangled up. I mean, I might be a little bound. [02:38:36] Speaker B: Oh, look at Quint. [02:38:38] Speaker F: So pointless at that. Everybody hears a sound that sounds a little bit like Ian is choking. [02:38:45] Speaker A: Give it a few minutes, though. I figure after we're all done eating. I mean, you gotta work off the food. Anyways, we're getting off topic, right? [02:38:55] Speaker B: I'm gonna turn a look back at Blythe and Damon. So how exactly does hera feel about and just kind of like gesture to the farm, all of this. [02:39:04] Speaker F: Let's just say we don't leave often for a reason. [02:39:08] Speaker C: You don't leave often? [02:39:10] Speaker F: Yes, we as in me and the girls. The other girls. I need blood. He like, begins to pat at his. At his, like, Jean pockets until he finds a lovely, like, gold engraved cigarette case. [02:39:29] Speaker C: Blythe will literally teleport to him to hand him a blunt and teleport back to her seat. [02:39:36] Speaker F: I mean, he was pulling it out of his own. Out of his own cigarette case. [02:39:40] Speaker C: Doesn't matter. [02:39:41] Speaker F: You could teleport over and light it for him. [02:39:43] Speaker C: Will do. Thank you. [02:39:45] Speaker A: That's pretty neat. [02:39:46] Speaker C: Yeah. Hair's not thrilled. [02:39:49] Speaker A: I can imagine. [02:39:50] Speaker E: When is she? [02:39:51] Speaker D: I mean. [02:39:51] Speaker C: Yeah, statistically. Right. [02:39:53] Speaker B: Either way. So it's something to look out for when you're rolling with us, I guess. [02:39:59] Speaker C: Just don't get mauled by a peacock. [02:40:03] Speaker B: Or a cow. [02:40:04] Speaker C: It is. [02:40:05] Speaker F: It is also worth noting that one of the other members of that original band was Net and Moira. Yes. [02:40:15] Speaker D: He drinks his drink, [02:40:20] Speaker C: so. [02:40:20] Speaker A: Yeah, I'm glad to hear it, honestly. I mean, sure, it's gonna maybe be a problem that we have to deal with later, but it does at least let us connect on more. Well, I guess it's not a human level anymore. It's a. A scion level. [02:40:36] Speaker C: Demigodly level. [02:40:38] Speaker A: Like the sound of that. [02:40:40] Speaker C: I. Listen, I am pretty good about keeping my nose out of any kind of fate bond, but the Dryads seemed like they really didn't want to be there anymore, so. [02:40:53] Speaker A: And that chair looked like it really should have gotten punched to pieces, but here we are. [02:40:57] Speaker C: Why did you punch the chair? [02:40:59] Speaker A: Look, I was trying to. Trying to break it apart because it looked like a big, bad, evil chair. I don't like big, bad, evil chairs. [02:41:06] Speaker C: He should have just. Okay, I guess. I guess from where I'm standing, punch doesn't feel like the appropriate verb for chair. [02:41:20] Speaker B: To be fair, we had a bunch of shovels with us. I thought he was going to use that to chisel at it. He didn't. He punched it. [02:41:26] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, to be fair, Clint looks around for a way to show off his capabilities with strength and then decides not to ruin anything at the table. And, I mean, I'm pretty strong, okay? I feel confident in my ability to break a chair with my fists. If not that, I can at least throw it real far, but this was a special chair and why are we stuck on the chair? We gotta move on. [02:41:57] Speaker C: I'm just taking stock of the idiots that I'm stuck with now. [02:42:00] Speaker A: Yeah, well, hey, welcome to the club. [02:42:05] Speaker D: Not idiots. They're just not properly guided. [02:42:09] Speaker C: Right. Well, at least. So, Million Fate bonds. And I assume your white collar crime history isn't going to get you arrested for tax evasion, so probably not. [02:42:22] Speaker B: All right. [02:42:22] Speaker A: I don't think it's high enough value for that. [02:42:25] Speaker B: It pays a single woman a little bit of money each month. [02:42:29] Speaker F: Right. [02:42:30] Speaker C: Is there anything you want to know about me? [02:42:33] Speaker A: Yeah, a lot. Really? In fact, so much. I think asking everything right now might be a bit of a predicament. [02:42:40] Speaker B: We'll start off simple at the leave at the minimum. How long you been doing this? [02:42:46] Speaker C: I received my visitation, like seven or eight years ago. [02:42:51] Speaker A: Have you ever had to deal with the Fen Reese wolves? [02:42:54] Speaker C: Yes, a lot. Remember the whole you guys disappeared into a pocket a bubble of your special little Stefan tasks? [02:43:05] Speaker D: I was doing it before she was visited. [02:43:08] Speaker C: Yes, we get it. You're old. [02:43:11] Speaker D: It's not for you. It's more to explain to them. [02:43:15] Speaker B: Got it. [02:43:17] Speaker C: Part of why I have Lucky is because someone happened to be hunting scions and targeting a lot of the Aesir kids. Anyway, so I have a guard dog. [02:43:31] Speaker A: Speaking of that, Lucky, he puffs up a little bit. Did you get anything else from dear old dad? Anything like this here toothpick? And he'll wave his toothpick around. [02:43:44] Speaker C: Oh, I'll show you mine if you show me yours. [02:43:49] Speaker A: Oh, we're gonna compare sizes. [02:43:51] Speaker C: Okay. [02:43:52] Speaker B: Oh, my God. [02:43:57] Speaker C: Fine. Gesture of goodwill before Luck. Actually. Actually, even better. Lucky, fetch. And she'll let Lucky sniff around and see what the guys have on him. I have to ask for this, don't I? It's his sense magic. It's his enhanced senses magic. [02:44:16] Speaker F: Right, right, right, right, right. Okay, yeah. Roll his perception. [02:44:22] Speaker C: Sorry. I hid Lucky's cheek because I wasn't using it. [02:44:27] Speaker A: You played yourself. [02:44:28] Speaker C: I did. Where the f. Oh, there it is. [02:44:31] Speaker F: Lucky begins to circle the table. Something that everybody will notice is that, yes, he goes to slowly but surely goes to every single relic somebody has. And he will nose towards them, but he never touches any of them. He's very careful to be polite and not touch something that was gifted by a God to a scion that isn't his scion. But one by one, he picks out everybody's relic. And then he stops right next to Clint. And he is staring at the phone sticking out of Clint's pocket. And he looks back at Blythe. This thing is glowing. It's. I mean, not glowing. It's like that time we went to New Orleans with Charlotte, and we went into that one restaurant where all of the Cajun spices were happening. And, like, the kitchen wasn't separated from the restaurant. And I couldn't stop sneezing because it was so overpowered. [02:45:34] Speaker B: Huh. [02:45:35] Speaker C: Hey, Clint, can I see your phone? [02:45:38] Speaker A: Ratchet? Yeah, sure. And he will hold it up. You gonna put your digits in there? Because if so, then you can say it, but that's kind of the requirement. Okay. [02:45:49] Speaker C: Yeah, she'll hold her hand out for his phone. Do you mind unlocking it for me? Put my phone number in it. Fine. [02:45:56] Speaker A: Hell, yeah. [02:45:57] Speaker F: Yeah, I. I'll put my phone number [02:45:59] Speaker C: in and start scrolling. [02:46:01] Speaker A: Yeah, I was about to say. I'll. I'll put it on the contacts for you here. You just press the plus button to add in. [02:46:07] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. No, I've used a phone before. [02:46:10] Speaker F: As you scroll, Blythe, there are countless numbers in this. Like, you. From the way the little scroll thing at the side looks, it is so minuscule that you can't even, really, like, put your finger on it. You just have to keep scrolling. There are names in here that you recognize. There are names in here that you don't. There are names of gods in here. Clint, it would seem, is really popular or has a hookup somehow. [02:46:41] Speaker C: There is no way you could have run into all of these people. [02:46:46] Speaker A: I mean, a time or two, sometimes they'll pass me along, like contact information to get a hold of other people. So some people I haven't had a chance to personally meet and get a picture of, but most of them in there, yeah, I've talked to them. Give them a call every once in a while. [02:47:02] Speaker E: Did you fix the number for Demeter instead of the Lord Hades? [02:47:07] Speaker A: Yes, I did do that one. I had to fix that one. [02:47:09] Speaker C: Yeah, you. I. I'm. [02:47:13] Speaker F: I'm trying to decide how. [02:47:14] Speaker B: How? [02:47:16] Speaker C: He's a precious bean. Okay. Clint. [02:47:19] Speaker A: Yep. [02:47:20] Speaker C: Where did you get this phone? I'm. [02:47:22] Speaker A: I got it the same place everyone else got theirs. I mean, it's just a phone. It's a special one, but it's. I believe we got these from Hephaestus. Or he touched our phone. [02:47:34] Speaker F: You got. You got your. No, you got yours from your mother. The original band. The original band got theirs in Anvil. [02:47:42] Speaker A: That's right. [02:47:43] Speaker F: And Andre got his from his father. Stefan got his from his father. [02:47:48] Speaker A: Thank you. Yeah, I mean, I got it from mom. Same as most other folks. They get the theirs from their parents. [02:47:54] Speaker C: Did it have all of these contacts when you had it? [02:47:59] Speaker A: No, I had to work hard for that, I had to talk to people. I talked to Ganesha. I talked to Shango. And he'll just start going down the list of literally every God he's talked to. [02:48:12] Speaker C: Blood's gonna. Odin's number is. Is in there, isn't it? [02:48:20] Speaker F: Clint or Gavin? Roll me a D100. [02:48:25] Speaker A: You got it. [02:48:27] Speaker F: If you roll above a 90. Odin's phone. Odin's number is in your phone that you probably haven't noticed before. [02:48:34] Speaker A: All right, Fingers crossed. Let's go. [02:48:40] Speaker D: He hasn't gotten to the O section yet. [02:48:44] Speaker C: So it's not in there. [02:48:46] Speaker F: No, your father's number is in his phone. It is, however, listed under the Wanderer instead of Odin, which is one of your father's monikers that you weren't aware of. Yeah. [02:49:01] Speaker C: Blythe has, like, her phone out and is comparing numbers. [02:49:04] Speaker F: And as far as you can tell, he's never called him, and he's never sent a text message to him. [02:49:11] Speaker C: Have you ever met Odin? [02:49:15] Speaker A: I don't think I have. In person, no. [02:49:18] Speaker F: I've heard about him a lot. You are aware that he and your mother have a little bit of a rivalry going. [02:49:23] Speaker B: Right. [02:49:24] Speaker F: You know that every time they. Every time they're in the same place, Odin challenges your mother to a drinking. Drinking contest. [02:49:30] Speaker A: Have I been around when that happens? [02:49:34] Speaker F: Not in the room, but, like, you've been, like, in places, like, in the vicinity? [02:49:41] Speaker A: Yeah. Never had the chance to meet Odin directly. Always, like, tangentially there kind of thing, right? [02:49:47] Speaker F: Pretty much. [02:49:48] Speaker D: Cool. [02:49:49] Speaker A: Yeah. So, yeah, I never met him personally, but we're always like, you know, he goes this way, I go that way. We never really say hi at parties, but I've seen them. [02:49:59] Speaker C: Yeah. So how do you have my dad's number? [02:50:03] Speaker A: I probably got it off of one of his siblings. That's usually how it goes. [02:50:08] Speaker B: Or it was that thing with the Baron. [02:50:11] Speaker F: Could have been that thing with the Baron. [02:50:13] Speaker A: So I had a good time. Baron Sametti. We had a couple of drinks. He hooked me up. I. I think I met his wife. God. What did happen? [02:50:25] Speaker F: Now that you think about it, you don't remember most of it. You remember the part. You remember the part where you agreed to have a drink with the Baron, and you don't remember much after that. You do remember. You do remember meeting his wife. Like, vaguely, you know, that you met her and that you really liked her. [02:50:43] Speaker A: Yeah, she was real pretty. I. I mean, yeah. There was something that happened. There was. I was supposed to meet him for drinks. We drank, we talked, we hung Out. Had a great time. Clearly. I got his number. I think I got a lot of numbers after that. [02:51:01] Speaker C: So the Baron updated your contact list? [02:51:03] Speaker A: It's either that or when we partied, we partied real hard. [02:51:07] Speaker C: Uh huh. Oh. [02:51:10] Speaker A: Oh, my God. [02:51:13] Speaker C: Truly, like, we're so fucked [02:51:19] Speaker D: just realizing that now. [02:51:21] Speaker C: Oh, trust me, I knew when we. I. I assumed when I knew that I was working with them because of you, it was going to be a problem. [02:51:34] Speaker F: Wow. [02:51:35] Speaker C: Okay. Is that everything? [02:51:40] Speaker A: Do you want to hear about all the folks I slept with, too? Or, like, what kind of everything are you hoping for? [02:51:46] Speaker B: We don't need to go through that. [02:51:48] Speaker C: At some point, I think I do need a list based on. On everything else I've heard so far. [02:51:52] Speaker A: Yeah. [02:51:54] Speaker D: All right. [02:51:54] Speaker A: I'll start writing something up for you. [02:51:56] Speaker D: Just send her a text. You probably have her number in there now. [02:52:00] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, It's a good idea. I could do that. [02:52:02] Speaker C: I'll hand his phone back. [02:52:04] Speaker A: Thank you. Clint will take a selfie and send it to the number plugged in so that contact info can be easily shared. [02:52:13] Speaker F: Yeah. The phone times you were sending the selfie to Blythe. Okay. [02:52:17] Speaker A: Yes, to Bl. [02:52:18] Speaker F: I swear to God. Did you just send the selfie of yourself to Odin? With Odin. Do you send a selfie to Odin? [02:52:24] Speaker C: Do it. [02:52:25] Speaker F: Do it. Do it. [02:52:25] Speaker A: Do it. [02:52:25] Speaker F: Actually. [02:52:27] Speaker B: Actually. [02:52:28] Speaker A: So, I mean, if he's there and he knows you're here, have you let him know that you made it? Like, does he know that you're here with us? [02:52:36] Speaker C: It's not hard to get here, but he. [02:52:38] Speaker A: You didn't, like, say, hey, Dad, I finally showed up. Clint's really cool. I think I'm in love with him or anything like that. [02:52:46] Speaker C: I'm sorry. [02:52:47] Speaker F: You hear Lucky make another one of those noises. It sounds vaguely like a dog trying not to laugh. [02:52:54] Speaker C: Clint, from everything I've heard, I don't think you're my type. [02:52:58] Speaker A: That's okay. How about we. We break this silence between me and Odin? I haven't had a chance or a reason to say anything to him, but here. Stand next to me, and Clint will raise his phone for a selfie. [02:53:11] Speaker F: Clinton. Clint. Clint. [02:53:13] Speaker A: Yeah. [02:53:14] Speaker F: Roll me a. Roll me a base intelligence check. [02:53:17] Speaker A: Base intelligence? You're. [02:53:19] Speaker F: Yeah. [02:53:19] Speaker A: You're gonna be. [02:53:20] Speaker F: Your intelligence. [02:53:21] Speaker A: How about a natural one? [02:53:27] Speaker B: Oh, no, he's rerolling it. He's re Rolling it. I got a Lucky spent. [02:53:33] Speaker F: Go ahead. You. You have the thing where you could give hero points to other people, right? [02:53:38] Speaker B: Yep. I have multiple spells that let me do. Lucky. [02:53:41] Speaker F: Okay. Clint. You can if you would like to reroll that intelligence check. [02:53:47] Speaker C: Oh, [02:53:49] Speaker A: oh, I don't know if I want to. [02:53:51] Speaker F: If you don't want to, you do not have to. [02:53:54] Speaker A: Okay, I'm going to take the one in hopes that it will be funny for the story later. [02:54:00] Speaker F: So you go in with every intent of sending. You take the selfie with Blythe, and then you go in with every intent of sending the selfie to Odin. And you scroll through your phone and Odin isn't listed. Like, the name Odin is not there. And you have no idea how she thought that you had his number. [02:54:20] Speaker A: Wait a second. You spell Odin with an O, right? [02:54:23] Speaker C: You do. [02:54:25] Speaker A: Okay, hold on. Let me go through this. All right, I got. [02:54:29] Speaker F: Oh, and while that is happening, quick question. Does anybody else here have the death purview other than Clint? [02:54:37] Speaker B: No. [02:54:37] Speaker F: Okay, While that is happening, everybody else feels this. Like you're outside in the sun, it's [02:54:48] Speaker D: warm, [02:54:50] Speaker F: and you all feel this, like deep, deep, like get into your bones, chill, fall over the area. Clint, roll me a perception check, please. [02:55:03] Speaker A: Okay. [02:55:04] Speaker C: Also, I don't get purviews. [02:55:06] Speaker A: How about. [02:55:06] Speaker F: Tim, you have a psychopunk purview. I mean, a 10 is not gonna do it. So unless somebody else says something, you know that. You know that you're. You know that you feel a little bit chilly, but you are focused on your phone. [02:55:20] Speaker B: Do you want the point this time, Clint? [02:55:22] Speaker A: I'll take it this time. Yeah. [02:55:24] Speaker B: Okay, you can have a look. Point. [02:55:26] Speaker A: Awesome. [02:55:26] Speaker F: Blythe, what were you gonna say? [02:55:28] Speaker C: Is this a feeling that I've felt before? [02:55:32] Speaker B: It's still better. 16. [02:55:34] Speaker A: Oh, okay. Hell yeah. [02:55:36] Speaker F: Roll me a me. You don't have eidetic, do you? [02:55:42] Speaker C: I do not. [02:55:44] Speaker F: Roll me an insight check. [02:55:46] Speaker C: Oh, okay. Well, it's one take. They work. [02:55:49] Speaker F: The last time you felt like this, you were. You know that you were in the. In the presence of something or someone that was dead. [02:55:55] Speaker C: Huh. Not half dead, right? [02:55:59] Speaker F: No. Dead. Clint, did you reroll? [02:56:02] Speaker A: I did. I got a 16 total. [02:56:06] Speaker F: It is as Blythe is starting to, like her mouth is opening to say something. Clint. Like you realize that there are goosebumps on the back of your arms and you look up and there is a ghost standing at the edge of the patio. It is a young woman with a kind of long but shaggy looking haircut. She looks badly battered. Like when she died, it was bad, it was violent. She is wearing a. Like a denim jacket over like a. Like the remains of like a. What looks like it was probably blood soaked, like tank top. That's been shredded a little bit. And she is. She looks like it is taking her physical effort to be here. [02:57:13] Speaker A: Oh. Clint will slowly pocket his phone and then. Pardon me, ma', am, do you need some assistance? [02:57:23] Speaker F: She reaches out and her mouth opens like she is trying to speak. And you realize as she tries to speak that her throat is just a mess, like something has bit and ripped out her vocal cords. I would like both Oliver and Blaid to roll me expertise magic, please. [02:57:55] Speaker B: Okay. [02:57:56] Speaker C: I'm really mediocre. [02:57:58] Speaker A: I would get up from his chair at that point and start moving towards her. Maybe we can use a different form of communication. [02:58:07] Speaker F: With 14 and 25 Blythe, you feel and almost taste magic in the air. [02:58:14] Speaker C: It's. [02:58:14] Speaker F: It's almost like being in a room where a lot of blood has been spilled, where you can like taste the copper on your tongue, but it's a different taste altogether. If you ever. Have you ever done that thing with a 9 volt battery where you put your tongue to it to see if it is still working? I don't want to admit that on the Internet, but sure. Well, you know that. That weird kind of taste that it has when. When you do that. [02:58:39] Speaker C: Yeah. [02:58:41] Speaker F: That's a little bit what magic tastes like. Oliver, you can see a point in the area where Clint is walking towards it where it looks like there is like this influx of magic that you think you might be out. Be able to reach out and interact with if you move fast enough. [02:59:01] Speaker B: And I'll get up and start him that way as well. A little bit of a hustle. [02:59:06] Speaker C: Damon, are your wards up? Yeah, I'm gonna follow Oliver. [02:59:13] Speaker F: This is weird. Clint, what are you trying to do? To try and speak to her or interact with her. [02:59:28] Speaker A: So the first thing that comes to Clint's mind is trying to find a way of communicating non verbally. So he's gonna see if there's any sort of signs or writing that she can do. [02:59:41] Speaker F: She doesn't seem to necessarily have the wherewithal or the mental capacity to try and do something sign language or anything like that. But you do see that she is holding a hand. And in her hand is like the ghostly outline of what looks like a smartphone. [02:59:58] Speaker A: Oh, okay. Clint will raise his phone. [03:00:03] Speaker F: Oliver, what are you going to try and do? And if Blythe is following, both of you could let me know what you want to do. Unless Blythe is just going to sit there. [03:00:14] Speaker C: No. [03:00:15] Speaker B: So I just see like, kind of like just the outline, the kind of like impression of magic. I don't know exactly what this is yet. [03:00:21] Speaker F: It's a little bit. It's a little bit like when you're outside, like, standing on asphalt on, like, a really, really crazy hot summer's day, where you get that, like, shimmery mirage effect. This little bit, like. [03:00:33] Speaker C: Right. [03:00:35] Speaker F: You did not. Because your. Your magic check wasn't. Didn't quite make the. The dc, but you. You can. You could smell and feel it and taste it in the air. [03:00:46] Speaker B: In that case, I'll activate Unlit Eye, which is my sense magic stuff, and just maybe get a clearer picture if I can. And then also, like, turn clin. Be like, what are we looking at? [03:00:58] Speaker C: Rubs her jaw. Like, warn a. [03:01:05] Speaker F: Oliver. When you activate Unlitted Eye, you can see the. Like. Normally when you see the wards on Daemon's farm, they're only at the edges. It's like one of them is here now and is being pressed against. Not violently, but somebody is, like, slowly but surely trying to force something through. [03:01:28] Speaker A: It's going to be okay, ma'. [03:01:30] Speaker E: Am. [03:01:30] Speaker A: We'll figure this out. [03:01:32] Speaker F: Which you hear from Clint. [03:01:34] Speaker B: Clint, what are we looking at? [03:01:36] Speaker A: Oh, sorry. If y' all can't see it, then There is a woman standing before me. Throat looks to be ripped or torn out. Cell phone of some sort in her hand. That'd be a ghost. Sorry. [03:01:54] Speaker B: Grab the phone if you can. [03:01:56] Speaker A: Okay. And Clint will reach out to try and touch the phone. [03:02:00] Speaker F: Do you have anything that allows you to physically interact with incorporeal beings? [03:02:06] Speaker A: I don't think so. I've only got the ability to have, like, conversations or postcognition so I can understand what happened. That's the best bet I've got. [03:02:17] Speaker C: If she's got a phone, can she type on the screen? [03:02:19] Speaker A: Or could we add myself or her to my contact list? [03:02:26] Speaker F: Trying to think of how to describe this. Yeah, you can see where Oliver is looking. Oliver is staring directly at where her hand is holding the phone. You would think he could see it if he hadn't basically confirmed that he can't, right? [03:02:46] Speaker D: All right. [03:02:48] Speaker A: If you're gonna be okay with it, man. And Clint will reach out to. To touch the phone. [03:02:55] Speaker F: It feels like touching a livewire. Like, you get. You get zapped pretty hard. And when you yank your hand back, just more out of surprise than pain, Damon kind of frowns. That was the ward. [03:03:08] Speaker A: Oh, okay. Touching her is the ward. [03:03:13] Speaker F: No, whatever you touched was the ward. Why is it here? Here is. What does she look like? [03:03:21] Speaker A: And Clint will redescribe her. She got kind of hair tangled loose down Throat torn out, hand holding, cell phone. [03:03:33] Speaker F: What's she wearing? [03:03:35] Speaker A: What is she wearing? [03:03:37] Speaker F: She is wearing. Yeah, denim jacket. [03:03:40] Speaker A: Yeah, denim jacket. [03:03:43] Speaker F: I fly. [03:03:45] Speaker C: Yes. [03:03:47] Speaker F: Roll me a. [03:03:54] Speaker C: How long is her hair? [03:03:55] Speaker F: Roll me a. Roll me an insight. [03:03:59] Speaker C: I'm so bad at this. [03:04:01] Speaker F: You're really not. [03:04:02] Speaker C: Oh, well, my. Actually, hold on. If Lucky is come by, I will steal a luck point for a moment. [03:04:09] Speaker F: Loki is right next to you. Who else? Stefan, did you try and add something? [03:04:14] Speaker D: Yeah, I was gonna say. Do I know that description? [03:04:18] Speaker F: You do not. [03:04:20] Speaker C: I give Lucky a scritch for his bestow luck quirk ability. [03:04:27] Speaker F: Okay, reroll. [03:04:29] Speaker C: I'll roll that again. [03:04:31] Speaker F: God, no. That's really good. That's a. That's a 24. [03:04:35] Speaker E: There we go. [03:04:38] Speaker F: Blythe. You know, of, like, you've seen plenty of people in. In denim jackets, but there is one scion in particular that, you know, wore a denim jacket that she never took off. It was. It was covered. It was always covered in patches. Everything from, like, old band patch patches, two patches that look like they belong on biker cuts. I was just covered in them. She is a. A scion of. Looking at my notes. Sorry, sorry, sorry. She was a scion of Hades. Actually, Andre, you. You probably, like, would recognize the description too, now that I think about it. I'm not going to make you roll. You've got big brains. I don't know that you would know her name, but Andre would know her name as Lyra. Say that again, Andre. [03:05:42] Speaker E: He was just saying her name. Lyra. [03:05:44] Speaker F: And her eyes go a little wide, and she nods at Clint and then points at Andre and nods again. [03:05:51] Speaker A: Yeah, that seems to be her name. Lyra. I'm Clint. And he'll make brief introductions. Even though they can't see her, she [03:06:03] Speaker F: looks a little frustrated. And she. She, like, waves her hand at you, Clint, and then points at the phone and then points at, like, the air in front of her hand that's holding the phone and tries to push against it again. [03:06:15] Speaker A: Oh, okay. Yeah. Clint will raise his phone up and kind of do, like, the touch of switching backs kind of thing. I think that's how you could pass contact information. [03:06:25] Speaker F: No, she's shaking her head and she's like, physically, it's like she's trying to push the phone against, like, a barrier. [03:06:33] Speaker A: I think she's having a hard time reaching us because he said wards, Damon, do you mind for just a second? [03:06:40] Speaker F: Oh, yeah, yeah. And. And he'll. He. He does this thing. Thing where he makes a series of, like, rapid gestures and pulls out his Phone and hits a couple of buttons. And Oliver and Blythe, very briefly, the magic dissipates. It's actually kind of sudden and a little disorienting, at which point, Clint, she almost stumbles forward, like she was pressed up so hard against the wards that it takes her a second to catch herself. And then she drops the phone. And you could see a look of, like, raw focus and determination. She drops the phone, and everybody at the table sees a physical phone drop out of. Out of midair and land on the deck at Clint's feet. And she looks exhausted and relieved. Clint. And then her eyes. Eyes kind of well up a little bit. And you. You see Ian look at her. Ian kind of perks a little bit. And he goes, I gotta go for a little while, but I'll be back. [03:07:53] Speaker A: Yeah, I'll keep an eye on things here. [03:07:57] Speaker F: And you see Ian kind of fly over to her. And everybody sees him almost perch in midair, like he's sitting on something. Clint, you can see that he has landed on her shoulder. And after a moment, she kind of flickers and dissipates, and then he flies away. You know that he is helping to get her to her appropriate underworld. It's not really his job to faerie Greek scions, but she's clearly here when she wasn't supposed to be. So her ride isn't going to pick her up, Right? [03:08:27] Speaker A: Goodness. Good job, Ian, he'll say as he flies away. And then scoop up the phone. [03:08:34] Speaker F: The phone is cracked and battered and looks like you're a little shocked. You'd be shocked if it would come on. And when you push the button, it doesn't. But after a few seconds, despite the fact that the screen is still off and it has shown no signs of life, it begins to ring. [03:08:56] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. Okay, let's see. Can I answer? And put it on speakerphone? [03:09:03] Speaker F: It's not a phone call. It's a ringer for a text message. [03:09:07] Speaker A: Ooh, what's it say? [03:09:12] Speaker F: And flashed up on the screen, You see, we found one before the wolves did. We thought we had time. We were wrong. And there is a. A video that looks like a house that is just on. Like it's a blaze. There's so much fire, you can barely tell that it was a house. [03:09:40] Speaker A: Fuck. Oh, fuck. [03:09:43] Speaker F: Oliver. Oliver. You glance at the phone as Clint says, oh, fuck. And when you glance at the phone, your head snaps back and your eyes go really wide and your good eye goes white and you are staring at this, at this house that is on fire. And you don't know what possesses you to do it, but you walk forward into the house and through the fire. You know it can't hurt you because it's a vision. And inside, you can see the bodies of several people. All of them with gaping holes in their chests. Except for one. Sorry. All of them with gaping holes in their chests. And then you take a step, and you're no longer in the house. You are out in, like, these woods that are behind the house. And you see a young woman with her throat ripped out, but there's no hole in her chest. It's. It's like she got away before the wolves could get to her. And I'm just going to give you that. You've seen enough wolf, enough of what these wolves do, to know that if the. If the hearts are missing, there's only one thing that could do it. [03:11:02] Speaker B: Walking up, does it seem like she can, or like she's, like, dead dead at this point? [03:11:07] Speaker F: Right? Oh, she's. She's dead. You are looking down at her body weirdly. There's not a phone on her. And then the phone in Clint's hand goes black again. Another message pops up from an unlisted number. Clint. It says garm sends his regards in really big letters. [03:11:33] Speaker A: Who the fuck is Garm? [03:11:36] Speaker F: And then it goes away and it goes back to that photo. Blythe. Or. No, not Blythe. Stefan. [03:11:46] Speaker B: Yes. [03:11:47] Speaker F: Sorry. Sorry, Blythe. I have to explain. I know exactly what. No, no, no, no, no, no. Stefan has. Stefan is the only one with a passive perception high enough to see. This is why I specifically wanted Stefan. But I'm looking at your name in my notes. Stefan. You see at the very corner of the picture. It's tiny and it's distant. A cloaked figure walking away from where the fire was flanked by two wolves. And it is carrying a white staff. And that is where we're gonna end it for the evening. Thank you for listening to Apotheosis A Mutants and Masterminds Actual play by hallowed Haven Studios. GMing for this actual play is provided by Bloodied Porcelain. Andre Briscoe is played by Solomon Blythe. Zhang is played by Clara Allison. Clint Brazos is played by Gavin Cash. Oliver Bright is played by Gary. Stefan Varger is played by Heretic. Our intro music is by CK Martin. Our art is by Ova who who can be [email protected] LetsGoSpaceman Our editing is by Viren. [03:13:19] Speaker C: Sam.