S2 E17: Winding Down and Gearing Up

Tatiana Gefter:

Hello, everyone, my name is Tatiana Gefter. I use she/they pronouns and I am playing Alma of the Vale with The Gravedigger playbook.

 

Michi Zaya:

­Hi, my name is Michi Zaya. I use any pronouns and I am playing Fletcher, The Witch.

 

Jenine Florence Jacinto:

My name is Jenine Florence Jacinto. I use they/them pronouns and I play Hoku Bayani.

 

Octa Delgado:

Hello, my name is Octa. I go by they/them pronouns. And I will play Neu Threestrings from The Weaver playbook.

 

Harper Sage Pettit:

Hi, my name is Harper Sage Pettit. I use they or she pronouns and I will be your guide for this season of queeRPG, Of Kith and Pen.

 

Octa (Neu):

Dear Foss, you hate me, I get it… It's fine. I betrayed your trust and then came back into your life when it was clear you did not want me to. And now I'm doing it again with this letter. Today I had a talk with a new friend and I told him that he cannot always get the relationships that he wants, and that he needs to accept it, and that he needs to move on because distance is sometimes the only choice that we have. I hope he does better than me. I clearly do not listen to anything that I say, but you already know that. So just, please read this letter, I promise on every piece of string that I have ever woven that you will never hear from me again. Horus is playing with scary people. I may disagree with what Terrera is doing, but they are now in league with a cult name preservation. They are dangerous. They are attacking small gods around Towerfell with no mercy. They tried to kill and subdue an ancient one. They are using magic for direct violence. That is not what any kith with a hair of kindness will do. That is scary and leads to a world I don't think any one of us wants to live in. They are pushing the gods away in a more serious way than even Terrera would ever. And we have very scary news from the Lastings. The thousand landings are sinking, and me and my friends are trying to stop it, but in the meantime Ronnie is there. She did nothing wrong, she knew nothing of what I did when we were in the Academy, and I know that you loved her cause you loved me, and our frog friend is in danger. So I need to ask you for two things, to last requests from me: go get Ronnie out of the Lastings, get her to safety. And I can get into so much trouble if you tell anyone about this letter. Me and kith I love the most. So at least burn this letter if you don't care for me. I implore you, your little thimble.

 

Harper (Guide):

We will pick up with our group in the Flying Dutchkith. Alma has been having a very difficult time with some news that she got from her kind of ex, I guess?

 

Tatiana:

It's- there's layers to this. It’s like who she's hearing the news from, what the news is, being stuck on the ground and not being able to move, the ship being damaged. It's just all piled up. There's the weight of the lie to Hoku, there's the Neu having a bad time as well with that whole thing happening, it's all just- it's all just.

 

Harper (Guide):




Alma’s having a time. The group has to kind of keep continuing on though. Hoku, Neu, and Kalix have gone back down to the engine room, with help with Chandler as well, to kind of like work on the engine hopefully get it back up and running sooner than later. But Fletcher, you've stuck next to Alma over the past few hours as they've kind of been dealing with this trauma. Fletcher experiencing his own trauma in various ways, how does he help out in the situation as Alma is clearly not doing very well? 

 

Michi:




Fletcher is making three soups. Three different soups at the same time. All big pots: we've got three soups going. One of them is full of edible flowers, another one is full of acorns and sweet potato because he knew that was a pretty good one from last time, and the third one is anyone's guess. A lot of ingredients are going in there. At one point a riverstone went in there, we'll find out what that soup is. But as Fletcher has Alma sat down in like a comfier chair next to the kitchen, Fletcher is just kind of describing all the soups. So he’s got his edible flower pot he’s like,

 

Michi (Fletcher):




Alma, um this one has magnolias and cherry blossom, and added one nasturtium but I don't I don't think it's going to do anything, but usually if you have at least five of them is there will be a little bit spicy, and then this soup is the soup we had earlier with the acorns. 

 

Tatiana:

Alma is like making little sounds of acknowledgment every so often, but it's like she's not absorbing any of this information. She’s just listening to the sound of Fletcher’s voice and the words don’t really matter, it's just the voice.

 

Jenine:




Oh that's nice. 

 

Tatiana:

Yeah, for sure. It’s great.

 

Harper (Guide):

So Alma is maybe stabilizing or maintaining, but not really getting better per se. 

 

Tatiana:

Like she's not, you know, panicking anymore, but she's also you know not herself. What is herself? Who knows! Is herself just the mask that she's been wearing this whole time? We'll see, I guess. But yeah so she's just kind of focusing on listening to Fletcher’s voice and not really paying attention to the details, but it's better it's a better thing to focus on the alternative. 

 

Harper (Guide):

There's several of you down in the engine room of the Flying Dutchkith. You’re kind of working together to get the engine back up and running so you can get this ship up in the air, and over to Towerfell. How is the teamwork going so far?  

 

Jenine:

I think it's a lot of Hoku just sitting there going, 

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Okay, I think this is what you're supposed to do. 

 

Jenine:

Does not know what he's doing. He's just, he's putting on big boy pants and trying their best because they think they have to be the big boy now and figure out what's happening with the ship, and is just following orders slightly, and probably is making whatever Kalix says to do. Just amplifies whatever the order is. 

 

Harper (Guide):

And Hoku had the blueprints too. Hoku, go ahead and give me an instinct roll. 

 

Jenine:

Ten!

 

Harper (Guide):

A himbo who also thrives in STEM. Hoku, you’re able to help the group kind of see maybe some of the jerry-rigged bits and pieces that Alma has kind of put together over the years, and match those back to the blueprints you have, and maybe kind of correct some of the things that have gone wrong over the past several years. But kind of getting things back to, closer to the blueprints. And as you’re instructing Chandler to like go over to like this channel, and Neu over there and grab this wire. You feel in your pocket like a little vibration. 

 

Jenine:

I'm going to grab it because I normally just have star charts, so I’m confused.

 

Harper (Guide):

And you reached down and feel like the cool metal of the coin, pull it out, and remember that you have Alma’s special coin. The one that broke Alma. And it's vibrating. 

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Ka- Kalix! Kalix, Kalix? 

 

Harper (Kalix):

Yes, what is it? 

 

Jenine (Hoku):

I have the coin that made Alma not Alma anymore. I just want someone to like, spot me as I look at what's happening with it, and I think you're probably one of the best options for that? 

 

Harper (Kalix):

Yes I can, I can do that. 

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Cool, okay.

 

Jenine:

Hoku pulls out the coin. Is it hurting? Is it hurting? 

 

Harper (Guide):

It's not hurting, it’s not vibrating anymore either, but you look down at it and you see that there is a different message. 

 

Jenine:

What does it say? 

 

Harper (Guide):

On mainland. 

 

Jenine (Hoku):

I'll be back! 

 

Jenine:

And then Hoku just like, sprints upstairs with the coin. Comedically with like the coin in front as they are running down the halls and going,

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Alma! Alma Alma Alma! Oh, well. Fletcher! Fletcher? Fletcher? Alma?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

This one is technically a nettle, and is pretty good at some things. I put ginger in all three of them. I didn't put ginger in the acorn stew last time.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Fletcher! Alma! Fletcher! Alma! 

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Hoku, do you want some soup? 

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Uh coin has message on it that doesn't normally have this message on it and I just wanted to check - I can still hold it if you don't want to touch it Alma. I didn't get any hurt from it so that's pretty good. What it says, “on mainland” now. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Uh huh, that's really nice, Hoku… wait, what?

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Mainland. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Mainland. Who's on mainland? 

 

Jenine (Hoku):

The whatever is on the coin says “on mainland.” 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

What!?

 

Tatiana:




Alma is going to jump off from her seat, rush over to Hoku to grab the coin to look at it. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

What what what what, wait. Hold on. How are they on the mainland?  How did they get - they’re on the mainland. They're not on the Lastings. They’re safe. Ha ha ha!

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Wait wait wait, what's the mainland? 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

They’re on - they’re on land! They’re not falling! They’re on the ground! They can’t, they can’t di- ah ha ha ha! Oh my god! Oh my god. 

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Is mainland like a type of ground? 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

It's not in the air. Fletcher, they're not in the air. They're not falling. They're okay! 

Michi (Fletcher):

Okay, I'm glad they're okay. Who is okay? 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

My family is okay.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Oh, thats so good! Can they join us for soup? 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Well I don't, I don't know where they are, really. Um they just, the coin is very, it's really small we can only write so much. 

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Can you, can you write on the coin and tell them where we are, or they tell us where they are, or can you write with a coin too? What do you need, paper? I have the paper you gave me for my birthday.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Uh, the coin is kind of one way, but it's Okay it's fine, it's it's fine. We can send a letter really fast. 

 

Michi (Fletcher):




Here’s some paperwork from my birthday, and I have magic white-out in case you mess up any of that, um the magic white-out doesn't taste good. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Hey Fletcher, how’d you come to that conclusion? 

 

Michi (Fletcher):




I have a lot of pockets and I thought I had some condensed liquefied dandelion seeds and it was the magic white-out and it tasted a lot like when you lick one of those rocks on the side of a cave wall. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Give me the white-out. 

 

Jenine (Hoku):

I'm just gonna go back and fix the engine room. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Wait, you're fixing- what? 

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Yeah! Bye!

 

Tatiana (Alma):




Wait! Sorry, I don't remember much, where-? How did I get in the kitchen? 

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Oh I was making you soups because you got really scared of your coin and stopped talking for a bit, and you were laughing at jokes that I didn't think were really funny, and Loren might be a bad guy again, so um we, I didn't- we didn't tie him up, I tied him up with magic and then we tied him up, and Hoku and Neu realized the ship was still broken and so Kalix is trying to help with that still, and then I was supposed to go on a date- not a date. Maybe a date? It’s a date. I was supposed to have tea and now I’m making soup instead… and… yeah.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Huh. Okay. Soup is good, maybe focus on the soup. Yep, yep, soups good. Did I miss anything-? Where is Loren, like where did you put him?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I think maybe Chandler put him somewhere? I don't really remember because it was really stressful. But Loren said we shouldn't go to Towerfell because there's like a horned toad called Kel there who's supposed to be locked away, who apparently hurt the fire spirit, but then is really mean and is part of the preservation. He’s a horned toad with a scar over their eye. Neu and Hoku saw this, I didn’t really see it, but that's what I learned. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Okay, that's- that’s fine. Sorry, I'm just absorbing all of this information. So, in summary, good news: people I care about are no longer falling out of the sky. Semi good news: our friends are working on fixing the engine. Bad news: there's a killer horned toad in Towerfell who tried to kill the fire spirit that we pulled out of before. 

 

Michi (Fletcher):




Um yeah, I don't - I don't, I don't know if the toad is a killer, I don't I don't know their history, but our friends saw a thoughtsmore that involved this preservation person putting the metal thing in that fire spirit. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Okay that's- that's fine. That's Okay. All in all, we are standing pretty neutral right now. Which is good, and you’re making soup.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Yeah and I washed my hands. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Oh, thank you. 

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Do you want to feel?

 

Tatiana (Alma):

 

Oh, um, wow. Those are not sticky like they usually are. 

 

Michi (Fletcher):




Yeah, it's kind of nice, but I sometimes miss stickiness because I don't actually have to like fully pick up things because if I just put my hand on it sticks. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I mean, having to use your fingers, oh no. But, um, how's the soup coming, Fletcher?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

The soups are good, they’re all done. You can have all of them right now. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

What did you make?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

This one's full of flowers and it's supposed to make you feel really happy and pretty inside, just in case that you had a date to get ready for as well. This is the acorn soup that we had the other night, and this one is um, I think it gives you dreams. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Okay, I'll have the like, the one with the acorns I think? Yeah, could you pour me a bowl of that?

 

Tatiana:

And while Fletcher is doing that Alma is going to pocket the coin again, and she's going to walk a few paces, and she's going to like, hit something on the floor which opens a secret trap door and she’s gonna slide down to the engine room.

 

Tatiana (Alma):




I’ll be right back! Okay bye!

 

Harper (Guide):

With that let's jump over to Neu. You've been inside the engine with Chandler for a little while, how's that been? 

 

Octa:

Well, it was Chandler, and Kalix was also there, right? 

 

Harper (Guide):

Yes, Kalix is outside the engine, you and Chandler are actually inside the engine working on it since you're so small. You like fit up inside it and may actually get to the wires and different things. 

 

Octa:




I think mostly we've been trying to focus quite a bit on on the fixing up of it. Pretty much Neu will try to make sure all of the cables of the same color, thing of the same color of the little leather straps that connect mechanisms. And as that'll happen, at some point like turn a little bit towards Chandler. 

 

Octa (Neu):

So, how are you doing? 

 

Harper (Guide):

Yeah and like Chandler’s got like a couple of hoses in his hand and like grease is like all over him, and he’s like,

 

Harper (Chandler):

Um, I guess I'm doing fine. I feel like I could go for a shower. But yea, I’m good. 

 

Harper (Guide):

And then he kind of plugs something in here and then starts to tighten something else over there.

 

Octa (Neu):




Do you not feel a bit strange? You kind of hurt one of our traveling companions quite a bit.

 

Harper (Chandler):

Yeah, I guess so. I don't know, I felt I felt like he didn't deserve that, but I just couldn't help myself, you know? 

 

Octa (Neu):




Yeah, I understand having an impulse that isn't very good for others, but do you not want to go and apologize? Do you not feel - are you happy that you did that?

 

Harper (Chandler):

I feel like I was sticking up for my friends.

 

Octa (Neu):

And you were, but you could have grabbed him, you could have not gone hard on it. And I know that- I know that it was as we told you to go upstairs to go get Loren, I know that, and I also know that you really like bonking things with hard stuff, but you know, you went to school with us. 

 

Harper (Chandler):

I guess I just don't know how I fit. I just don't know where my place is.

 

Octa (Neu):

For now, Alma is OK with you being in the ship, and that's where all of us are. And especially, I think I'm not going to be the only one that is a bit concerned about what you did to Loren. Maybe, maybe you could ask the rest what they think about it. Maybe you could be honest on what is it that made you not want to stop, even when I was trying to hold the wrench. 

 

Harper (Chandler):

I need to go. 

 

Harper (Guide):

And he drops like the little set of pliers that he had, wipes his hands off the rag, tosses it, and crawls out of the engine. 

 

Octa (Neu):

I trust you! 

 

Octa:

Then Neu inhales.

 

Octa (Neu):

Well, that’s one difficult conversation done. 

 

Octa:

And goes back to fixing the ship.

 

Jenine:

Hoku is also running to the engine room right now as this conversation is happening. I don't know who gets there first, I think it might be Alma.

 

Tatiana:




On the slide!

 

Jenine:




You’ve got gravity behind you, Hoku only got his long legs. 

 

Octa:

I guess as Alma gets there, the first thing she's probably gonna hear is Neu just being like, 

 

Octa (Neu):

Hey, Kalix, do you remember if Hoku said that the blue goes on the green, or does the blue go on the yellow? 

 

Harper (Guide):

Neu, give me an instinct roll. 

 

Octa:

That's an eight.




Harper (Guide):


So you see a couple like, zaps, and see some like sparks fly and smoke coming out from the engine, but overall Alma it seems to be in a better state than when you last saw it. Some significant progress is being made here. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Not that I had any doubts that you guys would be able to do this, but I did have some doubts that you guys would be able to do this. But its okay! You guys are doing really, actually surprisingly, good. So that's not actually a part of that engine. It's ok! It's okay, you guys are doing a great job. Thank you, thank you so much, it really means a lot that you guys are trying to fix the ship. So Fletcher told me some stuff that went down. 

 

Octa (Neu):

You look- you look much better. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Oh I'm great! I'm feeling- I am amazing, I’m fantastic, I am so good don't worry about it. 

 

Octa (Neu):

Did Hoku give you some good news? Because they just ran away and I don't know, I didn't know why. 

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Did you break anything while I was gone?

 

Octa (Neu):

The blue was in the yellow, right?

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Alma, how did you-? I just, 

 

Jenine:

Hoku does like a little double take between the hallway and Alma.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Didn’t I - weren’t you just upstairs?

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Yeah I was, don’t worry about it. Why are you, why are you so concerned about it? Look, listen, um, good job on the engine. Hoku you’re doing fantastic. I am, I'm so proud of you, good job, but I will, I can go ahead and take that off your hands. If you, if you-

 

Jenine (Hoku):

We could do, we could do more. Do you want to do more? We could do more.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Oh no no it's just, it's okay it's okay. You know I am, I just took a pretty long break, apparently. I definitely remember going to the kitchen that's, yes mhm, something I remember doing. But regardless, I just took a break, just needed a little breaky-break and I can fix it now. Nothing to worry about, thank you so much, good job. Anyway what happened? I thought there were more of you down here.

 

Jenine:




Hoku raises a paw.




Tatiana (Alma):

Yes? 

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Do you need a hug? 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Do you need a hug? 

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Second question: can I give you a hug? 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

If you'd like to give me a hug? 

 

Jenine:




Hoku just immediately hugs and does a little pet of the head. 

 

Tatiana:




Alma just gives Hoku like little pats on the back. Just like,

 

Tatiana (Alma):

 This is a hug. That is happening. I love hugs, wow.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Alma, Alma, embrace the hug.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I'm embracing the hug! I'm- I am participating.

 

Jenine (Hoku):




Alma, your heart is racing very fast right now, and it needs to drop just a couple more. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):




It just does that. That's what hearts do, they beat.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Not at this rate. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I think that's up for debate, personally. But you didn't answer my question: I thought they were more of you down here?

 

Harper (Guide):

Neu, you’d hear that inside the engine. 

 

Octa (Neu):

Hey, I am inside! I’m in here, in the little hole. If you look you can see me, I've got- there's a little torch. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Oh that's pretty clever actually I can ever get in those little bits because I’m a bit bigger than you. But I thought Chandler was also down here?

 

Octa (Neu):




Did anyone see him going upstairs? Did he look okay?

 

Tatiana (Alma):




Hoku? 

 

Jenine:

Did I see Chandler when I went downstairs? Did we go past each other? 

 

Harper (Guide):

No, you don’t remember seeing Chandler going up the stairs. 

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Neu, did you lose Chandler? Where’s Chandler?




Octa (Neu):




I think Chandler needed a break for reasons.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

For reasons?

 

Octa (Neu):

Yeah, I may have been a little harsh. I don't think I was particularly harsh, for this topic was quite hard, so,

 

Tatiana (Alma):

What was there to be harsh about? 

 

Octa (Neu):




Um, so there was a little tussle on the ship…




Tatiana (Alma):




Tussle?

 

Harper (Kalix):

A slight disagreement, I would say.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Oh, hi Kalix! What’s up man? Hi! Wow, you’re tall.

 

Harper (Kalix):

Yes… 

 

Tatiana (Alma):




Who did the tussling?  

 

Octa (Neu):

It was Chandler, and a wrench, and Loren’s leg.

 

Tatiana (Alma):




Uh oh.

 

Octa (Neu):




But Loren is in bed, the wrench is confiscated, and Fletcher made a really nicely smelling bone broth for Loren. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I'm surprised there’s still a leg to speak of, to be honest, that being the case. Okay, so big things happened while I was gone. That's the word I'm gonna use. Loren is okay?

 

Octa (Neu):

Loren is in bed. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I'm sure it'll be fine. 

 

Tatiana:

How good does the engine look? Just a quick question.

 

Harper (Guide):

When you were last working on it, it was looking about like 50% of the way there, and with you looking at it now, it looks more around like 75% of the way there. So, like looking pretty good.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Guys, guys you did such a good job. I'm so proud of you guys. Great! So I'll just finish up fixing the engine down here, and you guys did such a good job, why don't you all go take a break upstairs? Hey, you know, Fletcher made soup. 

 

Tatiana:




Alma has just started to coral like sheep dogs. 

 

Jenine:

Hoku doesn't move. 

 

Harper (Guide):

And Kalix is like an oak, very solid. 

 

Octa:




Neu is still in the hole. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

This is a good joke, guys. It's okay, it's fine, you can- it's Okay, I got this guys. Don't worry about it. Why are you looking at me like that? 

 

Jenine (Hoku):

I can read the blueprint and help. Extra paws makes the job go faster, and means Alma can sleep quicker.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I mean I really don't want to be any trouble, you know.

 

Jenine:




Hoku picks up blueprints and starts building things. 

 

Octa (Neu):

Alma, the last time we heard your voice being that high, was that night when you came after your mom almost took you out of Letter Writing Club. Maybe you shouldn't be alone now.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Well, when you say it like that… 

 

Harper (Guide):




In this moment, Alma, you do have this kind of like, “my things, I want to control over my engine” sort of mentality, but you do see that the group has been doing good work. And with their assistance it would go from a two day job to you all possibly able to finish this in the next couple of hours or so.

 

Tatiana:

Alma takes kind of a deep breath, seems to center herself, and she is going to open her eyes, seem a whole lot calmer, and acquiesce with the desires of the group to help. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Fletcher really did make soup, though. Like three soups. I was not lying about that. Three soups: I don't know what one of them is, actually. Allegedly it's a soup. 

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Did you eat the soup?

 

Tatiana (Alma):

 

I had Fletcher pour me a bowl of the like acorn one. There’s also a flower one and then there's a mystery one. I don't know, I vaguely like, in the corners of my mind remember Fletcher just throwing random things into it. I think I saw a rock? A rock. I think. 

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Did you eat the soup or did you just come down here to tell us about the soup? 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I just came down to tell you guys about the soup so that we could all eat it together. 

 

Jenine (Hoku):

And then we're all going to build and fix the engine together. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):




And then we're all going to build and fix the engine together. That's exactly right.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

 

Okay, let's eat the soup together first and then we can finish building the engine, and then we all sleep for the night. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I think that's a perfectly reasonable idea. 

 

Jenine (Hoku):

You can walk up first. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Okay, I can do that too. I am walking up the stairs now. 

 

Jenine (Hoku):




Wow, I didn't really think I was going to work. Let’s go guys, let’s go! 

 

Octa:




Neu jumps out of the hole, just like following.

 

Michi:

When y'all reach the kitchen, Fletcher is like, puts down like a huge mug and is like, kind of visibly shaking. And sees Alma and is like, 

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Alma, oh my goodness, I thought you turned invisible or disappeared or went outside and it was very confusing, but I'm glad you're back, I just had to have some soup before I went to go find you because I'm very tired from making three soups. Do you want your soup now? I kept it warm for you because you asked for some soup, but I didn't know where you went. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I just had to run downstairs and make sure everybody was alright. I'm back up here now with everybody so that we can have soup altogether. 

 

Michi:

I will say, the third soup does seem to have like, have a serving missing from it, but right now Fletcher is drinking the flower soup. That one makes you happy and feel pretty, one is the acorn stew, and then we have third soup which has a serving missing from it. 

 

Octa:

Neu will walk up and just like serve themselves a little bit of the flower soup. As they begin stirring they'll be like, 

 

Octa (Neu):

So have you seen Chandler around?

 

Michi:

Has Fletcher seen Chandler around?   

Harper (Guide):

You would've seen like a little blur kind of like scurry past and into Loren’s room. And now that you think of it, that might've been him, but you're not sure. 

 

Octa (Neu):




This is really tasty, it tastes really light. I like it.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I’m really glad. I don't know if I saw Chandler, I was checking on Loren to make sure that the bone broth was OK and not too cold, and on the way back I heard some footsteps and then maybe there was Chandler, but he might have gone into the room that Lorens in. I'm not really sure, I was more worried about Alma so I had some soup.

 

Octa (Neu):

 

Yep, that checks out. I'll be back in a second guys. 

 

Octa:

Neu will try to very relax-ly leave the room. 

 

Harper (Guide):

You walk down the hall and hang a right into the next little hallway. You see the door where Kalix has been staying with Loren, the room where Loren is currently in, and you see like a flickering light underneath the door. 

 

Octa:




I'm going to like, move back to the entry of the kitchen and signal to everyone and be like

 

Octa (Neu):

Come here for a second! Sh!

 

Michi (Fletcher):




What was that? Neu did you say something? 

 

Octa:




Neu kind of shushes and then goes, 

 

Octa (Neu):

Whoever wants to come follow for the moment, I think we should hear that.

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Okay?

 

Harper (Guide):

If you're trying to sneak along with Neu, I'm going to need a swift roll.

 

Michi:

I would like to suggest that Fletcher and Hoku go immediately into their like back to back, arms linked pose that they had when we were hiding from the preservation in their sneakiness. Anyway, I rolled a four. 

 

Jenine:

It's a twelve. 

 

Octa:

I got a six plus two that's an eight. 

 

Harper (Guide):




Alma, what did you roll?

 

Tatiana:




I rolled a five. 

 

Harper (Guide):

So you're, as a whole, the group is fairly sneaky. You get up to the door and you hear Chandler say,

 

Harper (Chandler):

And so what you are saying is, there was a coup? 

 

Harper (Guide):

And that's when you would like, fall in through the doorway. And Loren, kind of still covered in the goo, just like beak kind of like talking very slightly. Chandler is there in just like nice normal clothes, not like the grease covered like coveralls he was just wearing. He is seated on the end of the bed and just looks down at the group of you all and just says,

 

Harper (Chandler):

What are you doing here?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I made soup.

 

Harper (Chandler):

Yeah I can smell it. 

 

Jenine (Hoku):

We're here to deliver the message that soup has been made. All of us.

 

Octa (Neu):

 

It's still warm! You shouldn't miss it.

 

Harper (Guide):

Y'all bein suss. They are two adults, same age as you, very smart, and they just are like,

 

Harper (Chandler):

 

Yeah whatever. So yeah there was a coup, right? 

 

Harper (Guide):

And Chandler looks back at Loren. He can't really like look at you all cause he is frozen, but he says, 

 

Harper (Loren):

Yeah if Kel is in power he's taking over.

 

Tatiana (Alma):




Huh.

 

Harper (Loren):

And that's not great. 

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I thought I heard Professor Peppers was in power because she was like leading your group, and she's usually a really good teacher.

 

Harper (Loren):

 

The Preservation has grown. Professor Peppers is not the leader of the whole, but leader of part.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

So is Kel like Professor Pepper’s boss? 

 

Harper (Loren):

I guess now if what you all said is true in your vision about the fire spirit, it seemed like in that vision he was in control. 

 

Octa (Neu):

Well, if there was a coup, that's in a way maybe good, because he who he coup-ed the power from someone else. Someone was coup-ed out, they could be our allies if there's division in preservation that maybe you could be friends with. It's good to see both of you talking! 

 

Harper (Chandler):

Yeah I came up here to apologize to him. 

 

Michi (Fletcher):




That’s really kind of you. 

 

Harper (Chandler):

 

I shouldn't have lashed out in that way I guess.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Do you want some flower soup? I'll make you feel happy and pretty.

 

Harper (Chandler):

 

That’s - yeah I'll go I'll get some. I’ll get some for Loren too.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Oh uh, Loren should have the third soup and take a nap. 

 

Harper (Chandler):

Okay, I'll be back. 

 

Harper (Guide):

So do the four of you, as you kind of have a little privacy, just the four of you plus Loren, have any questions for Loren before he probably drifts back off to sleep?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Um, Loren, I know it's very uncomfortable being sticky, but the soup will make you less sticky. You still won't be able to move but you won’t be gooey anymore. 

 

Harper (Loren):

Okay. 

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I don't really know if we can trust you right now, and I'm not sure what we should do with you. Do you guys have any ideas? 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Of all people it’s kind of your decision.

 

Octa:

Neu pretty much nods to that.

 

Harper (Loren):

What if I told you how to get into Towerfell without drawing any attention? 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Last I heard you didn't even want us to go there, so. 

 

Michi (Fletcher):

That's true. I mean you said you didn't want us to go to Towerfell and now you're trying to help us get into Towerfell so maybe it’s a trap and you're trying to make sure we get hurt. 

 

Harper (Loren):




Fine, just leave me in the sludge. Go on.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

You won’t be in the sludge. You have to take the soup and take a nap. You have to have soup and then take a nap, if you take a nap before that’s fine, but you have to take a nap again. 

 

Harper (Loren):

Sure. Just send Chandler in to feed me, nobody else. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Fine by me. 

 

Michi (Fletcher):

What's going to happen if someone else feeds you?

 

Harper (Loren):

I'm just needing a break. 

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Oh is there anything we can do to make you more comfortable, other than the goo? Which I am working on it. 

 

Harper (Loren):

I'm fine, thank you. 

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Okay, I guess you can tell Chandler and then Chandler can tell us if you want tea or other food, or if you get cold and need a blanket, or need an extra pillow. 

 

Harper (Guide):

And he just says, 

 

Harper (Loren):

Yeah, thanks. 

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I really don't want you to be stuck like this but it's just, Loren I don't know what's going on with you and I'm really confused about everything that's happened since you disappeared and so it's just confusing again now, but I really hope it's not confusing anymore soon. 

 

Harper (Loren):

Yeah, I guess time will just tell. 

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Okay. Do you want me to put my music box in here so you have something to listen to while you're here? 

 

Harper (Loren):

I- I just need some space.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Okay we can give you space, just let Chandler know if you want anything and we’ll send Chandler to give you things. 

 

Michi:

Fletcher heads for the door. 

 

Tatiana:




Alma is following swiftly. 

 

Harper (Guide):

So the group of you gather around the dining table that's outside looking out at the stars. You have a fresh bowl of soup. You’ve got some decisions to make, you got things to talk about. Towerfell is seeming like a pretty dangerous place, but apparently Loren can get you in safely, or knows how to get you in in a more safe route. You do have The Lastings sinking back on the west coast, but you do know at least some of your loved ones are safe.

 

Octa (Neu):

Are you going to be ready to talk to Lavender?

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Oh. That is me. I do need- oh no. No I got it guys, I got it. Hundred percent. I can do it. I just need to find out where she was buried? I don't really know like human funeral practices, so I don't know what happened to the corpse per se, but I can definitely do it. 

 

Jenine (Hoku):

How confidently? 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I'm so confident. I am a beacon of confidence. 

 

Jenine (Hoku):

How are you feeling right now? 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I'm feeling great. Why do you ask?

 

Jenine (Hoku):

Are you lying to us? 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

I never lied to my friends who care about me. I'm feeling great honestly. I’m feeling super good, like I could do anything. 

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I believe in Alma.




Tatiana (Alma):

Yeah, see!

 

Octa:

I'm gonna use a token to reveal something hidden about the person in front of me and ask them what it is. 

 

Tatiana:




I mean Alma genuinely thinks that she's Okay. There was the down and we are now in the up part. She is in the up part: she thinks she's fine, she can do it all. I can do everything and anything. So she fully believes this to be a true statement.  

 

Octa:

I think that the red flag will be that Alma truly believes this to be true.

 

Tatiana:

Huge red flag.




Octa:

Neu at this moment will probably just let some more time pass and be ready for the end of the manic episode, hopefully at some point.

 

Tatiana:




It'll come when you least expect it. 

 

Jenine:

Hoku is drinking the third mysterious soup. 

 

Michi:

If you drink that soup, what it does is it will like put you in sort of like a dream obstacle course, and at the end of it, it flushes your body of any toxins. 

 

Jenine:




Will Hoku immediately fall asleep? 

 

Michi:

No, just next time you fall asleep. But thats Fletcher's approach to getting rid of goo. Fletcher’s magic always comes out of it gooey which is sometimes a little bit like, its not necessarily a toxin but like it's not supposed to be in the body. So yeah it's like a weird makeshift potion. 

 

Octa (Neu):




Are we going to go back to Loren and ask about how to get into Towerfell?

 

Michi (Fletcher):




I think he’s mad at me right now.

 

Tatiana (Alma):




Are you in trouble?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Me? 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Yeah like do you, I don’t- I- I wasn't there, I don't really understand what happened. All I know is that Chandler bonked Loren real hard, which was a bad thing to do, I think we’ve established that. 

 

Octa (Neu):

He apologized.

 

Tatiana (Alma):

He apologized, all is well that ends well? 

 

Michi (Fletcher):




Oh um, I used a charm on Loren to make him be still, but it came out gooey. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):




I knew there was going to be some goo involved somewhere.

 

Michi (Fletcher):




I think that's why he’s mad at me, but I also asked him to be still because he's part of the preservation and now there’s this scary person in the preservation that hurt the fire spirit so now we don't trust Loren again, I think. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Right. 

 

Octa (Neu):

I mean, if I had to say why I think Loren isn't doing very well aside from well, you know Fletcher. Aside from that, I think the other reason is that he did leave his old friends behind just to prove that he's good to us and we keep not believing him. I think maybe he's tired of that. 

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Maybe, I mean, I've never had someone leave me behind before and make me really sad when I discovered they were part of like a weird mysterious group, and then they leave their weird mysterious group and try to help me, and then I find out more things about their weird mysterious group. That's never happened to me before, so I really don't know what to do right now.

 

Tatiana (Alma):




Fair enough.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I just wish Loren never joined The Preservation because then he wouldn't be part of it and I wouldn't be so worried.

 

Tatiana (Alma):




That is a predicament. Welp! Are you done with your soup? 

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I'm done with my third soup, yeah. 

 

Tatiana (Alma):

Okay cool. 

 

Tatiana:




Alma’s started cleaning up the dishes.

 

Michi:

 

Fletcher has another bowl of soup and is going to go bring it to Kalix.

 

Harper (Guide):

 

You would eventually find him up on the top deck looking out at the skyline. 

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Hi Kalix. I made a lot of soup and I brought you some. 

 

Harper (Kalix):

Oh um yes, thank you. Which one is this? 

 

Michi (Fletcher):

This one’s the flower soup. 

 

Harper (Kalix):

What does it do? 

 

Michi (Fletcher):

It makes you feel happy. 

 

Harper (Kalix):

I'm not sure if I could feel that. 

 

Michi (Fletcher):

What's troubling you? 

 

Harper (Kalix):

I just know there's a lot going on in the world and I'm just ready for it all to be back to normal, you know?

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I guess. But I mean, what is normal for you? 

 

Harper (Kalix):

Being back in Portsmore. I'm thinking about buying a house and retiring from being a guard, you know.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

That sounds nice! Do you think you'd start a garden? Because it rains a lot in Portsmore and maybe some of the stuff we learned at Middledwell could help start a garden. 

 

Harper (Kalix):

I am thinking of something like that, something that would help me with my pigments.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

 

With pigments? 

 

Harper (Kalix):

Yes, I think I really would like to get into making pigments.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Pigments for what? 

 

Harper (Kalix):

For paints, for dyes, for creating art.




Michi (Fletcher):

That’s really nice. Do you think you'd start painting? Maybe Chandler could use your paint, pigment paints.

 

Harper (Kalix):

I don't think I will start painting myself, but I do you have a good eye for colors. I could definitely help Chandler with his painting.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I know soup isn't the same as tea, but I am glad I found you so that I could give you soup. 

 

Harper (Kalix):

I'm really glad you found me too. 

 

Michi (Fletcher):

What are you doing up here? 

 

Harper (Guide):

I was just spending some time thinking about what I was telling you about. I don't feel like life, like this, is the life that I really want to have.

 

Michi (Fletcher):

Oh. That's really sad. Does that mean you don't want to travel, or is it just the stressful thing that's been happening with all the gods and humans? 

 

Harper (Kalix):

The travel, the seriousness, stuff up in the air. I just would like for a little bit of stability. 

 

Michi (Fletcher):

I don't think I really understand that but I really appreciate you telling me all of this. I really care about you, and I'm sorry that this is all hard for you. Is there anything I can do right now that will make it a little easier?

 

Harper (Kalix):

 

This, 

 

Harper (Guide):




And he points down to the soup with his spoon and says, 

 

Harper (Kalix):

This is quite good enough. And being here with you. 

 

Michi:




Fletcher is gonna hold Kalix’s hand. 

 

Harper (Guide):




And Kalix is gonna look at you, put his soup down, and say,

 

Harper (Kalix):

Fletcher, I’d really like to kiss you, if that would be fine?

 

Michi:

Fletcher looks Kalix in the eyes and is kind of like taken aback with breath and giggles, and Fletcher like nods very sweetly. 

 

Harper (Kalix):

and Kalix would like lean down, hands around your waist, and kiss like very passionately as the stars kind of glisten in the night sky.

 

Kenzie:

Everyone thanks for listening. You can follow queeRPG on Twitter Instagram and TickTock at queeRPGpod. And, we are now on Bluesky queerpg.bsky.social. queeRPG is made possible by all of you who listen and share the show! So if you like what you hear, please rate and review. It helps other people find the podcast. You can also support the show by signing up for our patron at patreon.com/queeRPG. If you're interested in seeing transcripts for the episodes, all of those from previous episodes and episodes to come can be found on our website queeRPG.com until next time.