Transcript: Season 2 Episode 8: You Road Types

A Knight of Shreds and Patches Transcript Season 2 Episode 8: You Road Types Transcript by Cameron Robertson

Intro: [hurdy gurdy music begins]

Nick: Welcome, listeners, to A Knight of Shreds and Patches. An immersive actual play podcast. This episode features the talents of –

Penn: Penn Van Batavia as Marathon Messenger.

Kit: Kit Adames as Birdie Foundling.

Cameron: Cameron Robertson as Emma Blackwood.

Sydney: Sydney Whittington as Cassidy Shard.

Nick: Nick Robertson as GM and Narrator.

Sydney: Hello listeners, this is your editor, Sydney, with today’s messages:

We’ve got several rounds of thanks to hand out today! First, thanks to Ben R. for the wonderful tabletop game “Pull Over, I Need to Pee”, about the interstitial moments between chapters, the moments that are usually skipped, overlooked, or deemed not important enough. Behind the scenes, we used this to help spark some of our narrative direction this episode, though the gameplay itself didn’t make it in. The link to the game can be found in the show notes.

Thanks again to fern.gulley for supplying the spicy literature highlighted in this episode! If you have your own ideas for the wet chestiest of literature, the link to the discord can be found in the show notes, where you can talk about romance novels and maybe something about a podcast.

Thanks to Alli & Kira, our fabulous new patrons! It’s so lovely to have you join us. Backing our Patreon gives you access to bonus episodes, campfire conversations, and other fun rewards, and generally helps support the show.

We’ve also been nominated for several categories at the New Jersey Web Fest: Best Editing (of an Actual Play Podcast) (Hey that’s me!) Best Player Character Performance (in an Actual Play Podcast) (Yay Aly) Best Ensemble Character Art (Actual Play Podcast & Livestream) (Yay Rashed)

Best Original Song (Yay Dora) Outstanding Actual Play Podcast (Not playing D&D) (Yay us)

And with that, we wrap up today’s announcements and head into Season 2, Episode 8: You Road Types. And so...

Join us, for now our tale to yours attaches To carry hope: a Knight of Shreds and Patches.

[hurdy gurdy music ends]

[electronic beeping]

[robotic powerup noise begins] Distorted Robotic Voice: Power restored. Systems online. Reconfiguring audio connection. [robotic powerup noise fades to radio frequency static]

[over radio] Cameron (as Emma): Last time on a Knight of Shreds and Patches, Marathon and I had to fight each other in the tournament, but luckily we are both fabulous actors and were able to put on a good show of fighting without Marathon actually hitting me. After that, Marathon was in the finals and ended up having to fight the baker lady Birdie was flirting with and...that did not go well. But hey - I didn't die, Cassidy earned some money betting on the fights, and Birdie had a great night. [radio static]

Episode Start:

Nick: It's a beautiful day to drive. The weather has warmed up. You've traveled far enough away from Tree All Mountain that you're no longer seeing people regularly and all is quiet except for the rumble of the rig. You have a basic direction of Southwest provided by Marathon, and for now that's enough. This trip isn't fast, but it is a good chance to recuperate after so much time in the city and working. You plan to make frequent stops and not push the pace too hard. Instead, you take the time to get to know each other a little better. As this trip begins, what do we see in the cockpit of the rig? How does everybody start out?

Kit: Birdie is driving and it's her first time driving in the rig and in general in a while. She has jacked up the front driver's seat to help her to see over the dashboard, because when she got in, it was almost a little comical that it looked like she needed a booster seat. So she's got both of her hands high up on the wheel and she's very leaned into the wheel watching because she can't keep still, even while doing something with all four limbs. That's just her, and she's listening very intently to the newest romance novel that they've picked out for this car trip.

Sydney: Cassidy is sitting in the passenger seat listening somewhat less intently to the romance novel because she is listening to also the engine sound and making sure, since this is Birdie's first time driving the rig, and driving the rig off the road would be bad and also stalling the rig out would be bad. Like don't grind gears, these are expensive parts. But she's slowly settling in as Birdie demonstrates her capabilities at operating vehicles.

Cameron: Emma is sitting in the backseat on the driver's side and is leaning into the corner with her head resting on the window with her eyes slightly closed, dozing. She still looks very, very tired - isn't doing a whole lot right now.

Penn: Marathon has got her feet up on the seat in between Emma and herself and has got her head deep in this book that's between her knees as she continues reading it for the rest of the Patina.

Penn (as Marathon): The air between them was oddly still, and yet it thrummed with tension. They couldn't possibly and yet, how could they not? After all that had passed between them there was only one place left to go. As if pulled by magnets, they drew closer, tentatively caressing each other's wet chests.

Cameron (as Emma): [sigh/groan/crying]

Sydney (as Cassidy): There it is.

Penn (as Marathon): Kissing shyly at first, then more firmly. And suddenly the floodgates loosed and they lost control entirely. Lips and hands wandered freely and hungrily. There was somehow never enough and yet there was always more.

Penn: And Marathon slowly closes the book.

Penn (as Marathon): Well, I was not expecting yet another wet chest yet. I am impressed by this author's motif.

Cameron (as Emma): Is wet chests a motif?

Penn (as Marathon): I would say so at this point.

Cameron (as Emma): I feel like it's a central theme to the plot. [laughing]

Kit (as Birdie): Wet chests can be a theme. It's a theme of rain, which means it's - [breaks off laughing]

Penn (as Marathon): A theme of sweat.

Kit (as Birdie): [still laughing and hard to understand] It's a theme of -

Sydney (as Cassidy): Literary parallelism that every romance scene has to have a wet chest no matter the context or the setting or how many times it's already been in the book.

Cameron (as Emma): That one didn't even explain it. It just had them.

Penn (as Marathon): I assume from sweat, right? No, it was from the licking before remember? They were -

Kit (as Birdie): [giggles]

Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah.

Penn (as Marathon): The licking of the chests.

Cameron (as Emma): Okay uh, [sigh] why are - Why, why are you licking that much? You shouldn't reach the point where you're then describing it as wet.

Kit (as Birdie): [laugh]

Cameron (as Emma): Like that's slobbering, that's not licking. Right?

Sydney (as Cassidy): There's a lot of teasing going on.

Kit (as Birdie): It's a really hot room.

Cameron (as Emma): Then why -

Kit (as Birdie): There's a sauna?

Cameron (as Emma): Why -

Kit (as Birdie): There's a sauna.

Cameron (as Emma): [overlapping with Cassidy] Why is only their sweat chest-

Sydney (as Cassidy): [overlapping with Emma] The floodgates opened.

Cameron (as Emma): [mocking self] Why is only their sweat chesting? [normal] Why is only their chest sweating?

Sydney (as Cassidy): I would imagine everything is wet at that point if they're that sweaty.

Cameron (as Emma): [rather frantic] Then why do you need to comment on the wet chest?

Sydney (as Cassidy): Author appeal, because that's,

Cameron (as Emma): No~.

Sydney (as Cassidy): it's a recurring motif.

Penn (as Marathon): I like it.

Cameron (as Emma): No~. [fades off]

Penn (as Marathon): Yeah.

Cameron: Emma turns her head back into her window.

Cameron (as Emma): No~...

Penn: Is the rig a little turbulent with Birdie driving?

Kit: Birdie's probably going a bit faster than is advisable in the rig, because she's leaned in really close and that sort of puts her weight forward into the gas pedal. But I think she does notice that she does it about every 30 or so seconds, so you feel the speed change as it accelerates and then you see the speedometer go down, and then it slowly ramps back up, and it goes down. [laugh] She's trying not to hit things.

Cameron: [laughing] Is she succeeding at not hitting things, I think is the important question.

Kit: Are there things to hit? [laugh]

Sydney: I think if they were things to hit, we would need to not all be in the rig - we would be doing like the walkie, scout-y driving.

Kit: Yeah. Then, you know, she's rolled over a few bumps here and there, but it's not extremely turbulent, I promise. Birdie's a pretty good driver.

Sydney: Cassidy sees a pothole coming up and doesn't say anything on purpose to make sure that Birdie is going to react correctly to it.

Kit: Birdie sees it and goes

Kit (as Birdie): [quick inhale]

Kit: And she swerves the rig just a little bit over just so that she missed it with the tires, and then it returns to normal. It was just a little jerk. It's okay. It's okay. It's fine.

Kit (as Birdie): Sorry.

Penn (as Marathon): Uh no, thanks. Um. I'm still not used to being in a car, I don't think. Um.

Sydney (as Cassidy): What - how did you get when you went to travel with the team?

Penn (as Marathon): Well, there was the very competent driver is all and it was like a bus and I didn't have to see the places we were going. So.

Kit (as Birdie): [quietly] I'm a very competent driver.

Penn (as Marathon): Yes. Very, very much so. And I'm very confident in your skills too Birdie. So. [fumbles for words] Yeah. Thanks for letting me read the book. Here's it back. Um.

Penn: And Marathon scoots her knees closer to her chest.

Penn (as Marathon): I'm just gonna hang out for a little bit. Like I can only hang out in the car. Where else can I go? It's moving. It's going it's moving so fast. Okay.

Cameron (as Emma): [kinda groggily] Are you okay, Marathon?

Sydney (as Cassidy): Do we need to stop and let you get out and stretch your legs?

Penn (as Marathon): Uh -No, I'm, I'm good. Uhh. Don't mean to be a bother. Nope, keep going. Sorry.

Cameron (as Emma): [groggy] No, it's - let us know if your injuries start cramping up.

Penn (as Marathon): Uhp. Well. [sad laugh] They've been cramping the whole time. Um.

Cameron (as Emma): [more awake] All right. Well, if you reach a point where you need to get out of the car, let us know.

Penn (as Marathon): I'll jump. Oh, yep.

Cameron (as Emma): Don't - no~!

Penn (as Marathon): Oh.

Cameron (as Emma): No~.

Kit (as Birdie): Do you get carsick?

Penn (as Marathon): Car sick? Is that a -

Kit (as Birdie): Yeah, like motion sickness but in a car.

Penn (as Marathon): You can get sick from being in the car?

Kit (as Birdie): Sometimes.

Penn (as Marathon): [starts to panic] Is it like - uh, um. I think I am now.

Cameron (as Emma): Oh, no.

Penn (as Marathon): Um. Uh. Ah~.

Kit (as Birdie): I'm not cleaning puke out of the rig. Can we-?

Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah, go ahead and pull us over.

Kit (as Birdie): Okay.

Nick: And we zoom out as the rig pulls over and everyone hops out to stretch their legs, and the days pass one into the other with some of your rest stops standing out more than you would expect. You've been traveling for a couple of days when we rejoin the Patina. The rig is stopped in the middle of the road. The engine has been turned off as though you've been waiting for a while.

Sydney: Cassidy is sitting in the front seat with her arms crossed looking so ridiculously impatient, staring out the window not out the front window just staring out the side window with the air of someone who's been told that she needs to hold it for 45 more minutes and is tired of it. And it is actively trying to avoid bouncing in place and letting her frustration be entirely visible.

Sydney (as Cassidy): [loud frustration] I don't know - what why did it choose to sleep here?

Penn (as Marathon): I mean, it's it's just a moose. I know them from back at Tree All, I can step in and help move it if you need. You just need to click at it, you know.

Sydney (as Cassidy): [still very frustrated] It's like five times your size. It's going to get up and eat you.

Penn (as Marathon): Nah moose don't eat people. Hey, no - this is something I know. Moose -

Kit (as Birdie): You know, it'll just gouge you and we'll have no more Marathon.

Penn (as Marathon): They just eat moose food. No they're nice. They're nice. You guys, you guys - didn't you see all the moose in Tree All?

Cameron (as Emma): [tired mom of a toddler vibes] Marathon, I want to point out that the moose in Tree All would be domesticated giant moose, as this one is not it may be slightly more dangerous than the ones you're used to seeing in the middle of a city.

Penn (as Marathon): Well, how hard could it be? I bet you if you look in the eyes, and you click at it,

Cameron (as Emma): It's going to charge you.

Penn (as Marathon): [sputters]

Kit (as Birdie): Yeah.

Sydney (as Cassidy): You're welcome to try it, but make sure you stand out of line with the rig so that when it does charge you that it doesn't knock the rig over.

Penn (as Marathon): Okay, who's who's gonna help me? I know we can do this. Cassidy, I won't let you down. Who wants to help me uh move, move the moose?

Kit (as Birdie): Can you run yet?

Penn (as Marathon): Can I run?

Kit (as Birdie): Yeah, have your injuries healed enough to where you can run?

Penn (as Marathon): Well, I can like hobble pretty quickly.

Kit (as Birdie): Ugh. No.

Cameron (as Emma): I think a moose can move faster than a hobble.

Kit (as Birdie): Yep.

Penn (as Marathon): I mean - I can roll. Rollings still something I can do. It could hurt, but -

Kit (as Birdie): Where are you gonna roll? Because you're not going to roll under the rig.

Penn (as Marathon): Away.

Cameron (as Emma): Okay, but speed here. We're wanting speed to get away from the moose, Marathon.

Penn (as Marathon): It's a moose, how big? You know, it's big. It's lumber-y.

Cameron (as Emma): [exasperated] You can see how big it is!

Sydney (as Cassidy): This feels like a perfect problem for Zee-o to help with because they would be so excited by this giant moose that the moose would sense their positive energy and move somewhere else to not get overwhelmed.

Cameron (as Emma): I mean, I'm excited about the moose too, but that doesn't mean I want to go talk to it right now.

Sydney (as Cassidy): You maybe yeah - maybe you just need to go pet it. Go pet it with Marathon.

Penn (as Marathon): I'm not going to pet it!

Nick: The camera sees from a distance, you can't hear the dialogue, but who goes out to approach the moose and what happens?

Penn: Marathons over the head with her crutch. She's hobbled over on her crutch and she's starting to poke at it with it, and is clicking.

Kit: Birdie is out there helping.

Nick: The moose opens one bloodshot eye, glares at Marathon and then groans and rolls half out of the road, feet sticking straight up in the air. Marathon, it reminds you of some of your drinking buddies the next day when they're incredibly hungover, and it hasn't completely cleared the road, but you're able to hobble back into the rig and drive around it.

Cameron (as Emma): I would just like to go on the record that that was a terrible idea.

Penn (as Marathon): Ehh it worked! I helped!

Cameron (as Emma): [laughing]

Sydney (as Cassidy): Good enough.

Nick: And you travel on, we come back to the rig in the early evening. There is a small settlement by the side of the road and an outdoor oven where bread is stacked cooling on a rack as we see the Patina piling out of the rig.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Time for some food that we didn't have to cook.

Kit (as Birdie): Can we get bread?

Cameron (as Emma): Ooh yes.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Let's get bread.

Cameron (as Emma): Bread~.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Emma you like bread.

Cameron: I love bread.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Marathon do you like bread?

Penn (as Marathon): That's a lot of carbs, but sure.

Cameron (as Emma): Excuse you.

Kit (as Birdie): Who doesn't like bread?

Sydney (as Cassidy): I'm sure you can get - find a squirrel or something and decorate it.

Penn (as Marathon): Yeah, sure. Yeah. I mean, it's not like I'm moving a whole lot anymore.

Penn: Waves a crutch.

Sydney (as Cassidy): We're driving pretty far.

Penn (as Marathon): Yeah. That's fair. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, let's get some bread. Let's get this bread.

Nick: And we see the group approach somebody who is messing with this outdoor oven. A quick banter goes back and forth. Birdie steps up and says something kind and ends up getting a good deal. And then we see the four of you sitting on the wheel wells of the rig watching the sunset over the trees, each holding a loaf of bread.

Penn (as Marathon): Do you guys have water?

Cameron (as Emma): [sad and defeated] Yeah.

Cameron: Emma passes a water bottle down.

Kit (as Birdie): [disappointed] Hmm.

Penn (as Marathon): It's like really dry.

Cameron (as Emma): It is very crunchy.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Maybe it would be good for croutons. Like just chuck it in a salad with a bunch of dressing on it.

Cameron (as Emma): [long suffering sigh] Yeah.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Maybe I'll just get some olive oil to dip it in?

Penn (as Marathon): You just eat bread by itself? Is that common for you road types?

Cameron (as Emma): Uhh.

Kit (as Birdie): [whispers under breath] You road types....

Cameron (as Emma): That's common for everybody, right?

Sydney (as Cassidy): I think so.

Cameron (as Emma): Breads just delicious. You just buy a loaf of bread and you eat it.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah you can put like butter or cheese or something on it.

Penn (as Marathon): And you make a sandwich? Or

Kit (as Birdie): Haven't you ever just had butter toast?

Penn (as Marathon): I mean, yeah, but then you have butter.

Sydney (as Cassidy): We have - do you want to put something on it?

Penn (as Marathon): Um, no, no, I'm not gonna. No, never mind. Forget I forget I say I'm sorry. Anyway. Um. [clears throat]

Cameron (as Emma): The butter would probably help.

Penn (as Marathon): It's great. This bread - it's great. Mhmm.

Cameron (as Emma): It's not though, [laughing] Marathon. It's not.

Kit (as Birdie): It's really not. [dreamy] It's not as good as Sasha's.

Penn (as Marathon): I really appreciate you getting me some bread, um, with you know our community funds- you know, the funds I'm giving anyway.

Sydney (as Cassidy): I do miss Sasha's bread.

Cameron (as Emma): It was a really good donuts.

Sydney (as Cassidy): It's been two days since we ran out. I want another Danish.

Kit: Birdie is staring off wistfully and she's like,

Kit (as Birdie): I know. [dramatic sigh]

Penn (as Marathon): They were good then? The danishes?

Kit (as Birdie): Did you not have one?

Penn (as Marathon): No, I ah [random noises] Has anyway it's not, you know? Never mind. Not my Danishes, also you know, Sasha kind of like - I don't know. Was a little too embarrassed to uh, eat any of those, I guess.

Cameron (as Emma): Why?

Kit (as Birdie): Oh, because Sasha wooped you?

Penn (as Marathon): Ye- [sigh]

Cameron (as Emma): Oh~.

Penn (as Marathon): Yeah.

Cameron (as Emma): Mm.

Penn (as Marathon): Turned me into cream puff, so

Kit (as Birdie): Well. [giggle fit]

Cameron (as Emma): [snort and giggle]

Sydney (as Cassidy): Is that what they're calling it now? [Birdie is still giggling]

Penn (as Marathon): It was a bake- bakery pun. I thought I thought it was, [Birdie continues to lose it] I thought it was playful but

Cameron (as Emma): Um. [Birdie is just still laughing] You know, I think the thing with cream puffs is you have to be very delicate with them actually, so that's not a good bakery reference.

Penn (as Marathon): Exactly. I got all mashed up. Nah...

Nick: Has Birdie slid off of the wheel well onto the ground laughing about this?

Kit: [still laughing] Probably. Birdie hit her knee wrong on the way down and so she's kind of like holding it but she's still laughing because that was just so perfect.

Cameron (as Emma): She kneaded you into the ground. [Birdie recovering from laughing]

Penn (as Marathon): Ahhh okay.

Cameron (as Emma): That's the better -

Penn (as Marathon): That was -

Kit (as Birdie): Mhmm.

Cameron (as Emma): That one's more violent.

Sydney (as Cassidy): You didn't rise again?

Penn (as Marathon): Okay, well, classic once again. Um. She beat me within a yeast of my life. Is that?

Cameron (as Emma): Um.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Close.

Kit (as Birdie): She beat you like an egg.

Penn (as Marathon): Mmm. Mhmm.

Kit (as Birdie): Cause you'd have to - yeah. Yeah.

Penn (as Marathon): There was. Yep. Yep. Keep them coming.

Cameron (as Emma): I was surprised when Sasha beat you up because she seemed like a bit of a cinnamon roll.

Kit (as Birdie): Ahaa.

Penn (as Marathon): Hm.

Kit (as Birdie): You know, she was -

Cameron (as Emma): And then she kicked your butt.

Penn (as Marathon): Hmmmmm. Yep.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Birdie do you have opinions on the cinnamon roll-y-ness of her?

Kit (as Birdie): She's one of those types that, you know, she could probably severely hurt someone.

Penn (as Marathon): [clears throat]

Kit (as Birdie): But outwardly, she - [laughs] It's not funny. I'm sorry Marathon. Um.

Penn (as Marathon): Mm.

Kit (as Birdie): She, she is very, very sweet outside, on the outside.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah like a gentle giant?

Kit (as Birdie): Uhh in the right context.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Uhuh.

Cameron (as Emma): She moved Marathon to tiers.

Sydney (as Cassidy): [snort]

Kit (as Birdie): [giggle]

Cameron (as Emma): Like a cake.

Penn (as Marathon): Hey! No, I didn't cry. [everyone else laughing] What -ahh. Okay. Okay.

Nick: And we zoom out from the Patina ending their day laughing together and a feeling of companionship that maybe wasn't there before. Again, some time passes, we see brief snapshots of the Patina riding in the rig, people switching seats, different people driving, different activities and readings occurring. And the next thing we see is the rig pulled to a stop on the shore of a massive lake. The crew has already been stopped for some time. It's lunchtime. What are you all doing on the shore?

Kit: Birdie is making a sandcastle on the beach, a safe distance away from the water.

Sydney: Cassidy is making sandwiches for the crew with more prepared rations, the fresher stuff having been expended since last settlement that they were in.

Cameron: Emma is doing her workout routine.

Penn: And Marathon has her crutches very noticeably off to the side now and is trying to catch up to Emma in her workout routine, but is still wincing from quite a bit of pain.

Cameron (as Emma): If you're going to make that face every time, you can stop.

Penn (as Marathon): [loud and pained] No pain, no gain.

Kit (as Birdie): You can always come and make the sand castle.

Cameron (as Emma): Yeah that - [mom voice] 'No pain. No gain' is not true when you're recovering from an injury, Marathon.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah, if you hurt yourself more, you'll just stay hurt longer.

Penn (as Marathon): I can't drop under 80, okay? I've already are dropped under 100. I gotta keep 80 push ups.

Cameron (as Emma): I mean, okay.

Penn (as Marathon): [loud groan of effort]

Cameron (as Emma): This definitely a choice you're making right now.

Cameron: Emma's not breathing hard. She's just having this conversation while continuing push ups.

Sydney: Cassidy comes over with a sandwich that she hands to Birdie and then sits down on the sand next to her.

Kit: Birdie is taking a bite out of her sandwich while patting down some of the sand on the side of her a little sandcastle. It doesn't look very good, because she's too afraid to touch the water because it's so cold and it makes her joints all stiff. But she is watching Marathon in a rather concerned fashion.

Sydney (as Cassidy): She's probably just going to hurt herself more.

Kit (as Birdie): Yeah. Which like, do you think it would help if we told her that if we run into anything and she's still hurt that she can't help?

Sydney (as Cassidy): Maybe.

Penn (as Marathon): You ladies checking out the gun show? [yell of pain] Dirt! Ugh!

Cameron (as Emma): Marathon go ahead focus on breathing for me

Penn (as Marathon): [breathless groan]

Cameron (as Emma): - rather than yelling,

Penn (as Marathon): [long exhale]

Cameron (as Emma): - if you're going to insist on doing this.

Penn (as Marathon): Ughh.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Marathon if you get hurt again, you won't be able to help in the next fight.

Penn (as Marathon): I just -

Sydney (as Cassidy): You got to take care of yourself to take care of us.

Penn (as Marathon): Dahhh. Well.

Sydney: Cassidy takes a bite of her sandwich very innocently and then looks at Birdie.

Kit: Birdie is grinning so big and she's just nodding very quickly.

Kit (as Birdie): [slightly above a whisper] Oh, yeah. I think you got her. [laugh]

Penn: Marathon falls face down in the dirt from the top of a push up and just lays there for a second before putting a thumbs up.

Kit (as Birdie): You want a sandwich?

Sydney (as Cassidy): There's a couple more.

Penn: She shakes the thumbs up.

Cameron (as Emma): Does that mean no?

Penn (as Marathon): [muffled from ground] It means yes, please.

Cameron (as Emma): Okay.

Penn (as Marathon): [muffled] I would- I would, [clears up] I would love a sandwich. Get some protein to rejuvenate, you know, it was a good workout. [quiet pained groans]

Cameron: Emma reaches the round number, whichever round number she's gonna hit next in her push ups, and stops and jumps up and walks over and grabs a sandwich for her and Marathon and walks back over.

Cameron (as Emma): Are you going to keep laying on the ground like that or do you want to sit up?

Penn (as Marathon): [mumbling] This is a nice spot. I can see the lake and I can see everybody and -

Cameron (as Emma): But your face is in the ground, how are you going to eat your sandwich?

Penn (as Marathon): Uh, slowly?

Cameron (as Emma): Oh, okay. Here-here you go then. Have - enjoy that.

Cameron: Emma gives a concerned look over Marathon to Birdie and Cassidy.

Sydney: Cassidy gives back and open hands up shrug with a sandwich in one hand.

Nick: We see Marathon still face down, one hand patting through the sand towards where the sandwich has been set by Emma and we cut away as the Patina continues to travel. We see the rig towards early evening pulling up to a clearing along the road. Rusted and hulking, there are are what looked like hundreds of yards of pipes stretched out suspended high into the air. Maybe it used to be some sort of amusement ride, maybe it wasn't - it's hard to tell. But what you can see this area being used for now is as a hide processing area. They have skins hung up and dried after being processed to be turned into leather. There are several buildings with long queues in front of them near these rides that have been changed into shops and places for lodging as the Patina piles out looking forward to spending the night somewhere a little less rough.

Cameron (as Emma): [observing sigh] Well. Ah~, this is interesting.

Sydney (as Cassidy): This is a big pile of something.

Cameron (as Emma): Yeah.

Kit (as Birdie): Kind of creepy.

Cameron (as Emma): A little bit. Yeah.

Penn (as Marathon): I don't know if you need supplies, but here's the square that I owe ya, case you need it.

Cameron (as Emma): Thank you. Yeah, we can go ahead and wander around and see - there looks like there's other things besides the very large tanners.

Penn: Was there any rides that are actually functioning like a kiddie coaster or something?

Nick: There is one ride that looks like it's been almost entirely rebuilt multiple times, but still appears to be functioning. And it's a broken down, scratched and dinged carousel. The music is off tune, some of the animals have been reassembled out of two by fours, and you can see all of the inner workings because the coverings are gone, but it still looks friendly as it spins in the distance lit up.

Cameron (as Emma): All right, who wants to go wandering with me?

Kit (as Birdie): Uhh.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Well, we need to probably get some more food, but Marathons paid up so I think we're good to find some slightly uh, more fresh [laugh] food for the next few days.

Cameron (as Emma): Maybe they have decent bread here.

Kit (as Birdie): I hope so.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Maybe. Maybe we should have just brought Sasha.

Kit (as Birdie): We wouldn't want that. [small laugh]

Penn (as Marathon): You guys go ahead. Um.

Cameron (as Emma): Why not?

Sydney (as Cassidy): She could just share your tent.

Kit (as Birdie): Yeah, but then you guys would file noise complaints.

Penn (as Marathon): O-kay.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah yeah, okay. Fair. Well, we'll see if we can find a close approximation of something that she could have made.

Cameron (as Emma): [quietly] Maybe we can look for some earplugs.

Sydney (as Cassidy): [laughing]

Sydney: Cassidy points to Emma and then turns and starts walking away.

Cameron (as Emma): All right, y'all watch the rig. We'll be back.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Birdie you're in charge!

Kit (as Birdie): Yes!

Cameron (as Emma): [yelling as walking away] Don't let her do anything dumb!

Kit (as Birdie): Okay~! I promise I won't!

Cameron (as Emma): [yelling from farther away now] And no more push ups, Marathon!

Penn (as Marathon): Um well. Um. [drops voice quieter] Birdie. Okay, now that we're alone. Now, this may sound like something dumb, but I was wondering how much - I heard some stories - how much pickpocketing you've done?

Kit (as Birdie): Yes. You have my interest.

Penn (as Marathon): Yeah, well, I just thought it would be good to up a little bit of supplemental funds and um, not that I'm in dire need of any um, but

Kit: Birdie gives a somewhat knowing look, having been in the same position before, and she considers it for a moment, glances back to see how far away Emma and Cassidy have gone and goes

Kit (as Birdie): Right~. I suppose as long as you're not doing push ups and, you know, I'm an experienced pickpocket, so it's not anything stupid.

Penn (as Marathon): Okay, well um.

Kit (as Birdie): I think we can do it.

Penn (as Marathon): There's there was some time I was on this streets a little bit, and I learned some maneuvers and this crutch will come in handy.

Penn: And Marathon pulls the crutch out of the side of the rig where she's been holding it.

Penn (as Marathon): How much have you heard about the Keystone maneuver?

Kit (as Birdie): Hmm.

Nick: So we see Birdie walking excitedly and Marathon hobbling towards a line that has formed outside of one of these small buildings. The smell of smoked meat and frying potatoes draws people in from a distance as people are gathered to collect food. The crowd is very focused on the front counter where people are making orders and swapping money for whatever delicious thing they can get their hands on. And we see Marathon and Birdie standing at the outskirts.

Penn: Marathon is scoping out the scene waiting for somebody who's hassling one of the people at the food stand and as soon as she has the mark down, she makes eye contact with Birdie and nods and holds out her fist. And she says,

Penn (as Marathon): Now, just between us 50/50, right?

Kit (as Birdie): Well, oh. Oh, you want to split it? I figure that you would want it all.

Penn (as Marathon): Oh, well, sure that that works if you're -

Kit (as Birdie): I mean,

Penn (as Marathon): I don't feel good about that. How about -

Kit (as Birdie): I mean, I'm traveling with the Patina and I'm assuming that you're going to use this money to pay us. So...

Penn (as Marathon): [awkward laugh] Birdie, I'm so glad that you understand and are very kind about this. Don't leave me hanging though.

Penn: And she's got the fist up still.

Kit: Birdie just smiles very brightly and gives her a fist bump. And she laces her fingers together and pops her neck and her knuckles and goes,

Kit (as Birdie): Yeah, let's do it.

Nick: So Marathon - what is your plan? How are you going to perform the Keystone maneuver?

Penn: We see Marathon's feet hobbling quickly to try and catch up with this guy who was hassling the person at the current stand. And as she just gets right into position, she puts her crutch down so that it looks like that this person kicks it and so she goes kind of flying onto the ground with her crutch going as well.

Nick: All right, to see how good of a distraction you make, this feels like a Deception check to me. It's gonna be an average check. I don't think this person is particularly -

[dice rolling]

Penn: A success and a threat.

Nick: Okay, so you definitely distract everyone with this big fall. Everyone is focused on you, especially the target that you did this right in front of. I think the threat is that you re-tear some of your injury and it's going to be obvious to Emma and Cassidy when they get back that you did something that re-hurt yourself. There's no way you're going to be able to hide it, not just because your clothes are all dirty but because of the way you hold yourself, but to Birdie's Skullduggery check she will get a upgrade to it. So that's pretty good, because everyone's very distracted. So Birdie, how are you slipping in? What is your tactic here and go ahead and roll a average Skullduggery check.

Kit: Am I allowed to flip a story point for this?

Nick: Yeah, absolutely. So with the story point, and with the help from Marathon, you'll be rolling two yellows and a green at average difficulty.

Kit: So Birdie is quick to find the opposite way that everyone is facing towards Marathon, so that she can saunter up so that it looks like she's trying to weave through the crowd to see what's happening. And she leans in alongside the person that her hand without looking with her full view is going to lightly lift a pouch of money from this person's thigh. Her hand dips into this person's satchel and she makes her attempt at lifting the coin pouch out while glancing up at this person's face to make sure that they aren't watching her. And I'm gonna roll. One success and three advantages.

Nick: Nice. So this mark that the two of you picked out of the crowd was a good one. He's much better off than a majority of the people around, seeing as it looked like he was prepared to pay actual currency for this food rather than barter or favors like they seem to have been exchanging. There's people who were chopping firewood for the oven in exchange for sandwiches. This guy, as you look up to make sure that he's fully absorbed with Marathon's plight, he has a thick mutton chops and is balding on top and his mouth is just hanging open like a beached fish as Marathon rolls around on the ground, yelling about the pain and the agony, and did this guy trip her or - everything is just making a very loud scene, and you're able to lift his entire amount of money that he has on him. When you do get a chance to look at the money, you'll see that with that one success, there is a Tree All square that you can give to Marathon. With the advantages, there's also a lot of spare change of smaller divisions of squares, and you have enough to buy some of the sandwiches that you've been smelling this whole time, so when Emma and Cassidy get back, you'll have hot food for them.

Kit: So Birdie is going to, if no one's helped Marathon, she's going to duck away very quickly, so that she hopes no one sees her by this person, and will go around and be like,

Kit (as Birdie): [over dramatic] Oh my gosh, are you okay?

Penn (as Marathon): [over dramatic] Ow my leg!

Kit (as Birdie): [over dramatic] Oh, no!

Kit: And just start trying to help Marathon up and letting Marathon lean on her, so that they can start hobbling.

Penn (as Marathon): Thank you kind citizen.

Kit (as Birdie): Of course! Yeah.

Nick: Several people had tried to help Marathon before you came over, but she was flailing so wildly that they couldn't get close and so the crowd was just gathered around. Your kind citizen routine helps to extricate you from the group and, even with everything that happened, you're able to cut the line and trade some of your change that you felt with an expert assessment was in the pouch and grab some food off of the order table before you make your escape. No one the wiser.

Penn: As we stumble away, Marathon is while leaning on Birdie, holds her fist out for a little fist bump again.

Penn (as Marathon): Nice one kid.

Kit (as Birdie): Thanks. You know, that was really fun. Thank God. [laugh]

Penn (as Marathon): Yeah. Well, thanks. I you know, I appreciate, you know how much we lifted?

Kit (as Birdie): Uhh. One full Tree All square and some change, but I took some of the change and got sandwiches.

Penn (as Marathon): Okay. Um. Now Birdie, I know you're aware of my situation, because you told me to my face um - would you let me have the square?

Kit (as Birdie): Yes, that was a given. Of course.

Penn (as Marathon): Okay, cool. Oh my god. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Birdie. Um. We won't mention this to the other two, right?

Kit (as Birdie): Nah.

Penn (as Marathon): Nah?

Kit (as Birdie): It's our secret.

Penn (as Marathon): Okay. Oh ow! Okay my leg really does hurt. Let's get back to the rig.

Kit (as Birdie): Okay. Yeah. [laugh]

Nick: And we see Marathon, dusty and leaning very heavily on her crutch, and Birdie walking back to the rig and Emma and Cassidy have recently gotten back and from a distance their posture is hands on hips looking around very much a how did they get lost from away from the rig this quickly? There are questions openly on Cassidy and Emma's face, and Birdie answers the questions by holding up the bag of hot sandwiches. Cassidy and Emma look unconvinced but grab their share of the food and hop back into the rig. The rig drives away into the forest. The commotion of this repurposed clearing continues and set back into the darkness, we see long metal limbs clutching around tree branches and some large shadow, light reflected off of multiple lenses as they track the rig on its way back into the wilderness. And then the shadow is gone. And the Patina moves on.

It's been three weeks since you left Tree All Mountain. You've had many quiet days and some days not so quiet. You've learned more about each other and grown more comfortable in each other's presence as you pull up for yet another evening camping in the wilderness, alone with nothing but the distant sounds of wildlife and wild tech and each other for company. What is the normal routine of setting up camp look like now?

Cameron: So camp set up has lost pretty much all of the awkwardness that adding Marathon to the group had introduced to the routine. And we're once again back with our normal tasks and everybody has a thing that they do. It's everyone besides Marathon setting up their own tent, one of us whoever has time assisting setting up Marathon's because Marathon won't stop making her injuries worse. [laugh] And then once the tents are out, Cassidy starts cooking, Birdie and Emma are collecting wood and setting up the fire area, Marathons cutting up potatoes.

Nick: So we see the group, the camp is just about done being set up. The food is beginning to cook, and it will be a little while before dinner.

Cameron (as Emma): Hey, Birdie.

Kit (as Birdie): Yeah?

Cameron (as Emma): Since we've got some time do you want to go swing a baseball bat and a hockey stick around for a little bit?

Kit: Birdie who's currently organizing some of her bag out on the ground by the campsite scoops everything together pretty easily because it's a habit of hers at this point. grabs her hockey stick and just

Kit (as Birdie): [sighing] Yeah. That would be good. That's probably a good thing to do. Yeah. Could pass the time. Should probably stretch.

Cameron (as Emma): Yes. Let's not join the injury group.

Kit (as Birdie): [awkward laugh] Yeah~.

Sydney (as Cassidy): I would recommend that, yes.

Penn (as Marathon): [yelling] Are y'all about to fight?

Cameron (as Emma): [yelling] No.

Kit (as Birdie): Kinda?

Sydney: Cassidy is squatting by the campfire and trying to get the fire started next to the wild tech cook pot.

Cameron (as Emma): We're just doing a gentle sparring, like adults.

Penn (as Marathon): I could come watch. That could be fun.

Cameron (as Emma): Why don't you stay where there's seats and just watch from over there? Stop trying to stand up.

Penn: [laughing] Marathon I feel like is also near the fire where Cassidy is, but there's a chopping board and a knife and potato scattered a little bit about and she's struggling to get up with her newest injury.

Penn (as Marathon): Well.

Penn: And she gives up and sits back down.

Penn (as Marathon): Okay! I'll just watch from here, but stay stay within the fire light, if Cassidy gets it.

Sydney (as Cassidy): We've still got daylight for another like hour.

Penn (as Marathon): That's true. How hard y'all going?

Kit (as Birdie): Uh~. I mean, we said like a gentle spar. I'm at like a four today, so

Cameron (as Emma): Yeah, probably not very hard.

Kit (as Birdie): Yeah.

Penn (as Marathon): Okay. Wait, perfect [fumbles with words] - practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect. So

Kit (as Birdie): Yeah.

Cameron (as Emma): [sigh]

Kit (as Birdie): [anxious] Not really aiming to be perfect in any sense.

Penn (as Marathon): You got this!

Kit (as Birdie): Thanks Marathon. [laugh]

Cameron (as Emma): Emma does a salute type gesture towards Marathon and walks over to the rig to grab her bat.

Kit: Birdie is very much still trying to stretch out her joints and be a responsible person and take care of herself so that she's not benched with Marathon.

Sydney: Cassidy fishes in a pocket for a metal lighter that pops open and she lights the fire and then just pure habit, sticks it out to Marathon and then puts it away looking confused about why she did that?

Penn (as Marathon): Oh, yeah, sure. Um.

Penn: And Marathon pulls her pack of maples out from her back pocket.

Penn (as Marathon): Did you - do want one? Do you want a light?

Sydney (as Cassidy): No, I was I apparently was going to get yours.

Penn (as Marathon): Oh, well. I'll take one.

Penn: And she puts the cigarette in her mouth, leans forward.

Sydney: And Cassidy, pure muscle memory, the lighter is out, it spins over her fingers once and then she opens it up and lights Marathon's cigarette.

Penn (as Marathon): That's pretty neat trick. [inhale]

Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah, I had a friend of mine smoked a lot. [laugh]

Penn (as Marathon): Nice.

Sydney (as Cassidy): So I got pretty good at it.

Penn (as Marathon): Cool. Well, sure you don't want one?

Sydney (as Cassidy): Nah, I'm all right.

Penn (as Marathon): Cool. Well, I'll just keep chopping potatoes here.

Cameron: Emma walks over to Birdie where she's stretching and starts stretching out her arms holding the bat up behind her head, using it as a lever, leans over slightly to Birdie and says

Cameron (as Emma): So they're flirting, right?

Kit (as Birdie): Oh, yeah. I don't know if they know it yet, though.

Cameron (as Emma): Okay, I'm just, I'm just feeling vibes.

Kit (as Birdie): It's very interesting, because it seems that neither of them realize how they look.

Cameron (as Emma): I feel like Marathon does and she feels very awkward about it. It's not changing anything, but she's definitely aware.

Kit (as Birdie): I hope at least one of them is. Yeah, cigarette lighting - anyways. [giggle fit]

Cameron (as Emma): But I mean, I think it's mostly the cigarette lighting - like so first of all, Cassidy offered to light it which -

Kit (as Birdie): Yeah.

Cameron (as Emma): - progress. Second Marathon, put it in her mouth to then lean forward. Like she had it in her hand, she could have held out her hand. But like,

Kit (as Birdie): Mhmm.

Cameron (as Emma): That was a lot more intimate than I think they realize. [laugh]

Kit (as Birdie): Yeah, excessive eye contact.

Cameron (as Emma): Mhmm. Okay. I just want to make sure I wasn't the only one seeing it.

Kit (as Birdie): No, no, no, yeah, yeah.

Cameron (as Emma): Okay, good.

Kit (as Birdie): [laugh and clears throat]

Cameron (as Emma): All right, ready to go? All stretched?

Kit (as Birdie): [very unenthusiastic] Ready as I'll ever be.

Kit: Birdie has never had proper training in this. So she's just gonna get into a ready position and she is holding this hockey stick like a bat. [laugh]

Cameron: Emma is holding her bat more like a sword. [laugh] And I think Emma starts taking steps towards Birdie going through like a slow swing down with her bat.

Kit: Birdie definitely fights with her hands being pretty far apart on the stick so that she can try and better control the end, especially right now because she does not want to whack Emma with the barbed wire, so she's taking more of the defensive side of the fight as she raises the stick to meet the swing that Emma does.

Cameron: I'm picturing it kind of like when you're prepping for a stage combat scene and you're walking through the motions - slightly faster than that.

Kit: Like a three quarter speed.

Cameron: Yeah, so like there's no force really behind either of their blows. They're more just, it's the reaction of if this is swinging towards me here, this is what I need to do to block or get out of the way.

Kit: Birdie is going to take her offensive move and twist her hockey stick up towards Emma so that Emma is forced away from her and they end up apart again.

Nick: Emma is forced back, Birdie's got more reach with the hockey stick, and Emma has to recalculate. And they begin to circle each other for another pass as we cut back to Cassidy and Marathon by the fire. The distinct clacking of wooden weapons can be heard over the crackle of the fire.

Penn (as Marathon): So who was your friend that smoked?

Sydney: Cassidy has the lighter in her pocket fidgeting with it like she somehow just remembered it was there?

Sydney (as Cassidy): Uh. An old Patina member?

Penn (as Marathon): Sure. Okay. Yeah. Like uh, one of the ones that retired or -?

Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah, retired.

Penn (as Marathon): Was not very convincing, but I won't push it Miss Cassidy. Can you pass me another potato here?

Sydney (as Cassidy): [voice filled with laughter] Sure.

Sydney: Cassidy grabs a potato from one foot outside of Marathon's reach and puts it on the cutting board.

Penn (as Marathon): Thank you. Thank you. And um, I know I've said it many times before, but well, I've said sorry many times before, but I also want to, I don't know if I said thank you for um, I don't know, making sure I didn't, you know, kill myself in the ol' fighting pit. I know it's been a little bit but I still feel pretty bad. Not just physically. So

Penn: Marathon gives finger guns as she says that last part.

Sydney (as Cassidy): No, it's - I get it. Like, yeah.

Penn (as Marathon): Yeah. Don't have to say anything. I just, yeah. Thank you. I appreciate it. But uh, yeah, cool. I appreciate the light.

Penn: And Marathon has this half cigarette and pulls it out.

Penn (as Marathon): But [sigh] it's been a little while since I've been smoking, I don't know if I can have this whole thing myself anymore.

Sydney: Cassidy is just lost totally and thought the muscle memory kicked in and then the scent memories of cigarettes. Marathon smoked them before but something about the way that tonight is presenting, she shakes her head a couple of times trying to snap out of the reverie and looks over at Marathon and shrugs and puts a hand out.

Penn (as Marathon): Yeah, here you go. I was just gonna stamp it, but here you go. Yeah.

Penn: And Marathon passes over what's left of the maple.

Sydney: And Cassidy takes a modest draw and manages to avoid coughing.

Penn (as Marathon): Look at you! Miss expert over here.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Something like that. I haven't smoked in a long time.

Penn (as Marathon): Yeah. Since your friend retired?

Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah.

Penn (as Marathon): Yeah.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Well. Yeah.

Penn (as Marathon): Kind of the same reason I picked it up. So

Sydney (as Cassidy): Your friend retired?

Penn (as Marathon): [short small laugh] Yeah.

Sydney (as Cassidy): [long sigh]

Penn (as Marathon): Um I'm finished with the potatoes. So I don't know if there's a stew pot you have ready?

Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah, you can check them in there.

Penn: And Marathon stretches out and can't really reach the chopping board.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Okay, I can - I can chuck them in there. [laugh]

Penn (as Marathon): [laugh] Ah thank you. Thank you. I appreciate it.

Sydney (as Cassidy): At some point, you're gonna need to stop hurting yourself more.

Penn (as Marathon): I - yup. I did. I did. Mhmm. And I won't. And I'm getting a little better. I'm up from a hobble to a shamble, which I think is better.

Sydney (as Cassidy): [laugh] Good. Yeah. At some point, maybe - maybe that also extends to uh, some other parts of your life. Don't keep hurting yourself more.

Penn (as Marathon): Sure. Um. Yeah. How would a - I'm sure that's important.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah.

Penn (as Marathon): Yup.

Sydney (as Cassidy): So where are we going?

Penn (as Marathon): Well, I - [word jumble] I this is -

Sydney (as Cassidy): We have -

Penn (as Marathon): - awfully quick, I mean, I was I was just thinking, I'm not -

Sydney (as Cassidy): We have a heading?

Penn (as Marathon): [starts to panic] - we don't have to do anything.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Marathon.

Penn (as Marathon): [scrambles for words] I'm sorry. I'm -

Sydney (as Cassidy): Your signal?

Penn (as Marathon): [full on gay panic] I'm sorry. I wasn't signaling anything if you're not interested in anything. Um.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Your radio signal?

Penn (as Marathon): The radios. Okay. Okay. Yeah. Um. You know, and I'm really sorry for just then, but yeah, sure. Um. Well, I have some maps in my pack. I just I haven't been able to triangulate - it's not really my strong suit. But I have some markings of where this I got some signals in.

Sydney (as Cassidy): You have a direction?

Penn (as Marathon): I - it's Southwest that's about all I know.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Okay.

Penn (as Marathon): I don't have the major calculation skills for that, but I can pull them out if you need.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah, I have my I have maps too. [laughing] I have - I sit around and draw them for fun,

Penn (as Marathon): Yeah.

Sydney (as Cassidy): - so,

Penn (as Marathon): True that and that's very cool thing. I've got the radio towers all marked on mine here actually, if you want to, I don't know, I don't know if you have them on yours, but I can kind of show you how it bounces.

Sydney (as Cassidy): I do. Are yours - did you do you have yours by the fire or are they in your tent?

Penn (as Marathon): No. They're in my pack, which is in my tent.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Okay.

Penn (as Marathon): Well, uh sure. Well, yeah why don't you just get a map over here and we'll start jabbering at it, I guess. [sigh]

Sydney: And Cassidy gets up, goes to her tent to grab maps, and then walks like halfway over to Marathon's tent and then looks over in a permission asking way.

Penn (as Marathon): Oh, yeah anytime. I'm or, you know, just - [realizes what she says and gets awkward] Oh, thanks, Cassidy.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Uhuh.

Sydney: And Cassidy sticks her head into the tent and starts.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Do you have any further guidance besides in your pack?

Penn (as Marathon): Um under, well the first pocket and you're gonna have to move around. They're under a plaque.

Penn: Marathon winces as she says plaque.

Sydney: Cassidy pulls out an old ice derby award. Is it super polished? Or is it beat up? Like in what shape is this award?

Penn: It looks like there's a story behind it. It does look polished, but the wood around it looks very battered as if it was reclaimed in a way.

Sydney: What does it say?

Penn: It says MTR's Most Brutal Hit of the Year Award: Marathon Messenger.

Sydney: How many years ago?

Penn: Five years ago.

Sydney: So it's been a little bit. Cassidy absorbs this while Marathon is providing the directions for how to find things.

Penn (as Marathon): And yeah, sorry, if you see any like - just avoid the magazines in there if if you could. Those are private, so

Sydney: Cassidy picks up the map and sees a cover of one of these magazines.

Penn: The magazine in question that Cassidy has to move around is Tree All Hot and Cold Snow Bunny edition.

Sydney: Cassidy has a touch of pink in her cheeks that she comes back out with the other pile of maps.

Penn (as Marathon): Thank you. Thank you, I appreciate

Nick: And as you settle down to compare notes and hopefully find a heading for this journey, we cut back to Birdie and Emma sparring. How's that going?

Kit: Well, from Birdie's side, they've been fighting for however long Marathon and Cassidy were talking by this time six, seven minutes solid. And while it's not that they're going particularly hard or that they're moving around with any fervor that they would really have in a fight, Birdie is noticeably getting a bit more focused on trying to keep her body doing what she wants it to do. And she's breathing heavier than Emma is, because Emma has a lot of muscle on her, but more like she's having to work harder than an average person would have to work at this.

Cameron: Emma isn't breathing heavily at this point, but I think there is a slight tremor in her arm as they continue to go through these passes, just due to the slowness of everything. It's causing it to take a lot more control. So it's building up strength in a different way than she's been focused on for most of the training she's been doing by herself. So I think her arm still a little wiggly, but overall, she's fine. She's just having to think more about keeping the speed the same and not speeding up because it would be more comfortable.

Kit: Birdie's arms definitely have the same tremor, especially because of the length of her hockey stick. It's kind of awkward to hold for her. And so she waits for a point in which it's her move very distinctly and Emma's sort of in a position where she can come down easily and she goes

Kit (as Birdie): [breathing a little heavier than normal] Um. I'm gonna call it there is that okay?

Cameron (as Emma): Oh, yeah, sure.

Cameron: Emma drops her arm [laugh] cause it's tired too.

Kit: Birdie has worked up quite a sweat. At some point she did throw off her main jacket that she always wears and so she's just - Birdie takes it upon herself to just set her hockey stick on the ground and use it as a way to sit down.

Kit (as Birdie): Whoo. Yeah, that was great. Thank you. [breathy laugh]

Cameron (as Emma): You doing all right?

Kit (as Birdie): Oh, yeah, no, it's it's okay. Like it's not. I'm not like, injured - I promise. [awkward laugh] Please don't bench me. Um. I, it's um, I just I don't know, I don't know how to really describe it. My body just doesn't really like when I do things like that. It's [uncomfortable laugh] painful sometimes.

Cameron: Emma walks over and sits cross legged next to Birdie, leans back on both arms and has her baseball bat across her lap.

Cameron (as Emma): Yeah, that that's totally understandable.

Kit (as Birdie): [sounding a bit embarrassed] Yeah.

Cameron (as Emma): And you know what, I'm proud of you for stopping instead of injuring yourself by keeping going like someone else would have done.

Kit (as Birdie): [surprised laugh]

Kit: They both look over at Marathon at the same time.

Kit (as Birdie): Yeah, I got this really bad injury a while ago. I've had, I've dealt with it for a long time and I definitely used to try and push through it and that did not end well for me. Um. But yeah, I fell from from pretty high up and -

Cameron (as Emma): [concerned] Oh.

Kit (as Birdie): - it wasn't - I was very lucky, because, you know, obviously, falling from heights is very fatal in a lot of cases.

Cameron (as Emma): [shock] Yeah.

Kit (as Birdie): But yeah no, it's a, it's like, since my bones didn't heal properly, it's uh, just my joints get a little creaky sometimes, and uh they don't want to cooperate. So, but today was a pretty good day. Today was like an average day for it, so I didn't mind doing this. It's fun.

Cameron (as Emma): All right. Well, absolutely no pressure to join in if you don't want to, at any point.

Kit (as Birdie): Oh, yeah. I'll let you know if it's, [laughing] if it's bad.

Cameron (as Emma): Okay. I just want to make sure because uh, someone else wouldn't tell me and would join in and then would - I feel like we have a really good example of someone who's not taking care of herself with us right now.

Kit (as Birdie): Oh really? We do?

Cameron (as Emma): I'll give you two guesses,

Kit (as Birdie): [laughing] Hmm.

Cameron (as Emma): for who it is.

Kit (as Birdie): I really got to think about it.

Cameron (as Emma): I know. It's a tough one.

Kit (as Birdie): Yeah. I mean, well, if this person continues the way that she's going, she's gonna end up like me and then we're gonna have problems.

Cameron (as Emma): I think eventually, Cassidy is just going to strangle her until she passes out so that she just stays still and stops moving.

Kit (as Birdie): [laughing] Can't move if you're unconscious.

Cameron (as Emma): Yeah. And then you know what? She can rest up and she can heal [both laughing] and [sigh] Yep.

Kit (as Birdie): Well, I appreciate um, the reassurance, though. It's, yeah, some people are like, [jerk voice for quotes] 'just go for a walk' and, 'well, if you're walking around, you obviously have nothing wrong with you' [grumble mumbles].

Cameron (as Emma): Yeah no that - that is, that's a terrible take on any situation really.

Kit (as Birdie): [laughing] Yeah and it's - most people don't really think that way, luckily. It's just you know, you get the few.

Penn (as Marathon): [yelling] Who won?

Kit (as Birdie): Uhh~

Cameron (as Emma): [yelling] Both of us.

Kit (as Birdie): [yelling] Yeah! Cause we're good sports!

Penn (as Marathon): [yelling] Boooo!

Nick: And the two of you spend a little more time away from the fire as we cut back to Marathon and Cassidy. What does this look like as you go over the maps and try to figure this out?

Sydney: What do Marathon’s maps look like? I guess first, are they a printed map from the city with some like random doodles on them.

Penn: Mhmm. You can get maps from different places in Tree All Mountain for pretty cheap, I imagine. And she's marked and circled and scribbled out different towers that this signal could have been bouncing off through. And it has dotted lines tracing circles around their areas.

Sydney: So Cassidy has out a spread of different maps, of different details with more detail in the places that she's been, but these they look hand on but they also look embellished in the way that like Cassidy sat and just drew pretty trees in the background around the map to keep her hands busy, especially the area around Eagle Hill - looks like she had a lot of time that she was just sitting working on maps. But even the areas where she's never been to the south and to the west, are reasonably detailed. There's space for uncertainty of the exact placement of rivers and towns that she's only really gathered through hearsay and looking at the partial maps of other people that were all drawn slightly worse in different ways. But there is detail in these maps that I don't think Marathon would have ever seen if she knew what good maps looked like.

Penn (as Marathon): Oh my gosh, um.

Penn: And Marathon has dropped her map and is intensely studying one of Cassidy's maps.

Penn (as Marathon): This is like, was this you? These are beautiful. Oh my gosh, this is like art! More than - yeah.

Sydney (as Cassidy): I spent 10 years with a group of cartographers. This is part of what my job was before I was a mercenary.

Penn (as Marathon): I guess I didn't assume you needed to be able to draw to make a map, but I was sorely mistaken. Cassidy this is [speechless noises]

Sydney (as Cassidy): You don't need to be able to draw. It just helps you make them look pretty.

Penn (as Marathon): Should I just drop my map and the fire or -?

Sydney (as Cassidy): No, no, we need that.

Penn (as Marathon): Oh, yeah, that's true. You do need the stuff. Well, these are these are really cool and you've got a cool hand for this. But yeah, okay. So uh here's my radio towers and I don't know how those layout over over yours here.

Sydney: And Cassidy and consults Marathon's map and make some marks to indicate where the target towers would be.

Penn: As Cassidy starts marking her own map, Marathon is very intensely watching her process.

Sydney (as Cassidy): So what's the signal power of these towers? Where are they likely to receive or send?

Penn (as Marathon): Well, this station reaches out to here. And then this station kind of overlaps with it here, but the signals could kind of bounce in between because sometimes they do transmitting through so you can get other stations in other places, if you have more advanced radio.

Sydney: And Cassidy is nodding and has out another piece of paper that she's sketching - it's not clear what she's doing, but there's angles and a protractor. [laugh]

Sydney (as Cassidy): Continue.

Penn (as Marathon): Oh, yeah, um sorry, I just haven't worked with anybody on a map before and it's a little more exhilarating than I thought it would be.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Measuring and looking at, I dunno, rivers and -

Penn (as Marathon): Yeah, we're putting two pieces together to make like a cool piece. I dunno. Anyway, so [deep breath] I'm sorry, I keep getting distracted. By the process of elimination, you can't really use any of these towers, I don't know if you have any of those marked down. So probably, and you know, you never know what the Sasnak tower, where that's going to be. I don't know, necessarily where that was, but I can calculate kind of like four or five different areas that could have been based on how the signal got to me.

Sydney (as Cassidy): So I guess looking at the mountain range here. Uh. You said if they can start interfering, if they're laid out like this?

Penn (as Marathon): Yeah, no more like [pause] this.

Penn: And Marathon leans over and is guiding Cassidy's hand on the map a little bit.

Sydney: Cassidy is too busy thinking.

Cameron: The camera cuts for a second and zooms in back behind them to Birdie and Emma who are both just gleefully watching. [laughing]

Sydney (as Cassidy): All right, so then that should mean that I guess it puts us on this arc over here.

Sydney: And she points to an area kind of in the far distant west southwest.

Penn (as Marathon): Yeah um. And that's all based on where Sasnak was. If it's in like four of those five positions, were set there. So I would say 80% chance it's right there. But I'd say 80 percent's pretty good.

Sydney (as Cassidy): That seems reasonable for this wild treasure hunt that we're chasing.

Penn (as Marathon): Wow, hey um, you and your fancy map and protractor. I wasn't sure, I was just kind of gonna wander a little more aimlessly. This is looking like real possible.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Hopefully, if I mean, if that signals a real thing, and it does point to something. It's going to be - it's a long way Marathon.

Penn (as Marathon): Yeah. Well um, how how, how long? How far?

Sydney (as Cassidy): Well.

Sydney: And Cassidy draws a line across the maps from the beginning of that arc up to where they are currently and it goes across four sheets of paper.

Penn (as Marathon): Oh, god, oh -

Sydney (as Cassidy): We're up here. We've come this far.

Sydney: And Cassidy does a short movement.

Penn (as Marathon): [long exhale] Well, good thing we're warming up to each other's company am I, am I right Miss Cassidy?

Penn: And she tries to give a little bump to Cassidy and then has still mask a little bit of pain.

Sydney (as Cassidy): [sigh] At some point you're going to heal, and then you can get back to actively participating.

Penn (as Marathon): Yep. Well, I appreciate your help in the meantime, and soon, you know, I'll be for something better than movin moose.

Sydney (as Cassidy): Wel- yeah, we'll see.

Penn (as Marathon): Yeah.

Sydney: Cassidy's now notating coordinates and the arc that's been drawn on the map on the separate sheets of paper with reference marks so that she can overlay them on the big map later, but it's not something that has to permanently be there.

Penn (as Marathon): Oh, cool. You mind if I - I'll be very careful. Do you mind if I look through your maps here just while we're waiting for the stew to cook?

Sydney (as Cassidy): Sure. Go for it.

Penn (as Marathon): Yeah, cool.

Penn: And Marathon starts picking up some maps and asking Cassidy questions about what's where and which drawings mean what.

Nick: And about this time, Emma and Birdie finish spying from the edge of the fire light and drawn by the smell of the stew being almost done, come and sit down. In the background, the radio from the truck has been on. You all set the long range radio to scan occasionally to see if there's any music or news that you can catch, and it's been just running gentle static this whole time. But as the cook pot dings and the food is ready, suddenly loud and clear from a source that must be nearby, the radio picks up a signal of a very distinctive song, playing insistently and continuously and you hear the song Moon River begin to play.

Sydney: Cassidy, she hears the song kick in and with a little bit of interest of oh, we're back in music range again, [laugh] the clouds lined up just right for us to get that reflected radio station. And then it sinks in what song it is and she looks over at Emma with a quick motion that is out of character for the moment.

Cameron: Emma had been purposefully avoiding looking at Marathon and Cassidy after she and Birdie came back over to the fire because every time she did the giggling started again and she was trying to make it stop. So she's just been staring into the fire not making eye contact with anybody. And then as she realizes what song is playing, her eyes get wider and she slowly raises her head and meets Cassidy's gaze.

[hurdy gurdy music swells]

Outro: Penn (as Marathon): Welcome back to MTR 1153, that was just the end of today’s broadcast and we’ll be right back to the music after this little break. The particulars of the subsequent can be found in the show notes.

This has been A Knight of Shreds and Patches, an actual play podcast using the Genesys game system from Fantasy Flight Games. The show is edited by Sydney Whittington, and features the talents of:

Kit Adames as Birdie. Kit can be found on Twitter and Instagram @ venusvultures. Kit is also a voice actor for Elevator Pitch Podcast, a queer genre-hopping anthology podcast that can be accessed on Spotify and YouTube.

Penn Van Batavia as Marathon. She can be found on Twitter @ acquiredchaste. Penn is an indie TTRPG designer whose most recent work includes Wasmannian, a prompt game about gender and wasps. Check out faer other work at pennharper.itch.io.

Sydney Whittington as Cassidy. Sydney can be found on our Discord server, which is linked in the show notes, and on Twitter @ sydney_whitt. She’s also a contributing editor for the Orpheus Protocol, a cosmic horror espionage actual play podcast..

Cameron Robertson as Emma. Cameron can be found on Twitter @ midnightmusic13 and on Instagram @ reading_and_dreaming. Cameron is also a player on Tabletop Squadron, a Star Wars Edge of the Empire actual play podcast.

And Nick Robertson as narrator. Nick can be found on Twitter @ alias58. Nick is also the GM for Tabletop Squadron, which you can support @ Patreon.com/TabletopSquadron. Nick can also be found as a player on the Orpheus Protocol.

This podcast features the musical talents of Dora Violet and Arne Parrott. You can find Dora at facebook.com/doraviolett. You can find Arne at atptunes.com.

The official artwork for this podcast was created by Rashed AlAkroka, who can be found on Instagram and Artstation @ rashedjrs.

You can follow the Patina on Twitter @ akosap_podcast or visit the website: www.akosap.com. To further support the show, consider joining the Patreon at www.patreon.com/AKoSaP, where we’ll be bringing you weekly content including bonus episodes, campfire conversations, and other fun rewards.

Until next time…

…Signing Off