Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Speaker A: The work is good and it is never done.
Stressful relationship conversations and auditions and ranting to yourself on your voice app, on your phone. All of those things aside, it is still the work day. And what that means exactly for our rebels here is community center activities and things that need to get done.
Specifically today, we close in on the food bank day, and also when the dandelion kindergarten kids are able to come over. And within the after school program that the community center provides as well, it is kind of like a home economics day for the kids. There is an urban gardening little area also within the community center where people are able to exercise their skills of not only landscaping, but also gardening, small construction jobs, and so much more. Lots of science projects are also happening here. And there is a closed off little spot where there are some, like, high schoolers that need to do, like, a little agricultural job. So everyone in the community center makes sure this is closed off for these specific high schoolers named Brandi and Thomas. You know, very adorable stuff.
Varun, right now, your usual project is during the after school program that happens, you know, every weekday, the kindergarteners get their stuff settled in, little cubbies. And you know that usually every day where there is an influx either provided from the community garden or just donated in whatever way the pantry always has. Lentils, beans, all sorts of, like, canned sort of things, canned meats. But specifically today, Eva, the board of directors for on site operations at the four Seasons, has assigned that we really just gotta use all of these particular items. So what is in front of you is not only everything, like, within the pantry, and, like, usual things, but you have potatoes, collard Greenshouse.
[00:02:17] Speaker B: Mm hmm.
[00:02:18] Speaker A: And leeks.
[00:02:21] Speaker C: Interesting.
[00:02:22] Speaker A: So a lot of the time, truly, most of the time, every time, you have to make recipes and just create kind of a recipe plan for the kids to learn on the day as everyone kind of cycles in. You also have the rest of your rebels here that either they're there to eat or hang out or whatever. Varun, how do you set up your battle station here, as the kids are, like, settling in? And also everyone, how do you kind of help Varun make this station or help him just in general? In this scene.
[00:03:00] Speaker B: I can describe Varun's battle station. It certainly looks like a battle station. It's an apt descriptor. All of the necessary tools, whether it's pots, pans, knives, are all neatly laid out in an organized form.
You know this already for, like, the potatoes, collard greens, and the leeks. Like this already, especially the leeks, there's already, like a little bowl of, like, the leeks already been prepared, the potatoes have already been washed and things like that, and they're all kind of separated and put into their very specific containers already. But at the corner of the battle station of this kind of, like, main desk area, Varun has a stack of stickers that he has designed and purchased for the kids. For the kids that complete this program, get a cute little sticker that they have done one of these fun recipe classes with him. So there's that feeling of accomplishment for when they complete this task.
And I think the rest of y'all see Varun of with his hands gripping his tight curls on his head as he looks down at the ingredients and goes, every week, every week, I feel like I'm on the episode of Chopped, and I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing with any of these ingredients.
As he stares at the potatoes, the collard greens, and the leeks, and you already see him kind of like, furiously looking at all three of them and trying to come up with ideas. That's the scene you all embark on as soon as you see him.
[00:04:44] Speaker A: Everyone has adorable aprons, by the way. The aprons are for children.
[00:04:49] Speaker B: Yeah, he is wearing an ill fitted apron, and he's wearing these very light blue shirt and very plain trousers and this tiny apron that only covers probably just his torso, if that, around him.
[00:05:09] Speaker A: I think I interrupted you, Donna. Sorry. Go for it.
[00:05:12] Speaker D: No, you're totally fine.
[00:05:13] Speaker B: No worries.
[00:05:14] Speaker D: I love the apron detail. It's so cute.
Ren's apron is, like, too large, and so her knees really knock against it as she approaches Varun, who is clutching his hair. Clutching his hair. Hey, Varun, why are you clutching your hair like a chimpanzee whose habitat that's getting destroyed?
[00:05:40] Speaker B: Oh, my God.
Voru, like, just lets out this defeated side.
I'm trying to find a way to make green sound appetizing and exciting for kids. Like, look at this. And he holds up the leek like it's a little sword. Look at this. How am I gonna make this interesting for kids? Kids see something green and they go, ew, that's disgusting. What's that? A leek. Hate the name. Not gonna eat that.
And he, like, sets it back down to the chopping board.
I might. Okay, be a defeated man today. I need to come up with something quick. Oh, and you see him kind of like, rushing towards, like, the pantry and picking up a couple of these canned products, like canned meats to try. And he, like, steps forward again, saying, maybe if I make this with potatoes and then saute these and the gestures to the vegetables, something can happen.
[00:06:41] Speaker A: Arjun and Chloe, also.
Chloe, for you, I think just throughout, just walking, literally past the community center every day, every time, is this thrum between you, the world and the void that reminds you that there is a great battle won in all technicality. But there is a draw for you to still be around the community center. So whether or not, like, a group chat proper necessarily has been made or whatever, all of you might even just be surprised to see Chloe as she approaches.
[00:07:20] Speaker E: Yeah, I think Chloe certainly does not have an apron designated for this task because she has possibly never helped with this before, but she has borrowed one from someone that is also far too large and I think very personalized to them. So there's like a different name written on the little ties.
[00:07:39] Speaker A: Richard.
[00:07:40] Speaker E: Yeah, the little ties just say Richard. And she has had to fasten it around her waist two or three times to get it to sort of stay, I think.
[00:07:50] Speaker B: Yeah. Varun sees Chloe losing on over with an apron that clearly says Richard and tries to crack a joke as he points finger guns at you and just says, ah, richard, here to help us out.
Help me. Put me out of my misery.
[00:08:15] Speaker E: What exactly are you doing, anyway?
[00:08:18] Speaker B: Cooking class. And he has his arms outstretched as you see. See the potatoes, the leeks and the collard greens on the chopping block?
And also, like, a smattering miscellaneous collection of canned beans.
[00:08:37] Speaker E: Oh, you're making cool cannon.
[00:08:41] Speaker B: I'm trying to find a way to make vegetables interesting.
[00:08:47] Speaker E: For kids.
[00:08:49] Speaker B: Yeah, I know how bad it sounds, okay? But this. The community center really needs these out, and they don't keep very well anyway, so we should clear them out today if we can.
[00:09:04] Speaker E: I mean, my mom used to just cut up the vegetables really small and hide them for me, but I think that probably doesn't work if you're the one showing them what you're doing.
[00:09:17] Speaker B: Yeah, you see? You see the problem, huh? Can't really hide them like I usually do if they're seeing what's happening right before their eyes. Unless I make it into some sort of magic act.
But I'm going to need a volunteer to make it seem like it's magic. Like, ooh, look, the vegetables have disappeared.
[00:09:38] Speaker E: I think that that is a. Everyone looks at Arjun because if you.
[00:09:42] Speaker D: Need someone for showmanship, like, oh, an actor.
[00:09:47] Speaker A: I mean.
[00:09:48] Speaker C: Okay, don't all speak up at once. Fine, I'll do it.
[00:09:54] Speaker B: Oh, my hero. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. And he rushes over to you, ill fitting apron and all, and has already begun fasting an apron over your head and put it on you in the time that he took to shake your hands.
[00:10:10] Speaker A: Oh.
[00:10:15] Speaker B: Hey, stop.
[00:10:19] Speaker A: And all of, you know, kind of, like, as you're sort of, like, processing and, like, lamenting, you all now realize in game, you have about seven minutes to come up with a recipe.
So I want to ask all of you, what is sort of the vibe? What is. What are you going to make and help make for these children? I could do it.
[00:10:42] Speaker C: Uh huh.
[00:10:44] Speaker D: We could do a frittata.
[00:10:45] Speaker B: A frittata?
[00:10:47] Speaker D: A frittata.
[00:10:48] Speaker A: Oh, lots of eggs. Totally. Lots of eggs.
[00:10:51] Speaker B: Yeah, kids love eggs. Kids love frittatas.
[00:10:55] Speaker D: Kids love.
I love eggs, and I loved eggs when I was a kid.
[00:10:59] Speaker E: And if you put the collard greens in there, then it's, like, green eggs and ham, the collard greens and the canned meat.
[00:11:06] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:11:10] Speaker C: Let's do that.
[00:11:11] Speaker B: We can make them. Oh, we can green eggs and spell. We can also make it really green eggs, and we can actually make it really fun.
And this is where the super specific activity that art, that Varun's gonna make our June do, where we can make. We can make it fun for the kids because they like to, like, use their hands and make it fun by, like, slicing the frittata in such way that you can roll it around, like, the, like, flavored spam that we've got, and they can eat it in, like, one bite. So, like, Varun's gonna, like, have Archer, like, help with the rolling up of all of these things. And as he's demonstrating it, he's like. He's. He's demonstrating you, like, you're a mannequin. He's like, all right, here's the food. As he, like, flies the little morsel of food into your mouth and feeds you.
Look, it's delicious. Look at your big brother, Archer. He loves it so much.
[00:12:17] Speaker C: Archie just puts, like, a thumbs up.
[00:12:19] Speaker D: Ren has.
Ren has one hand recording it, and then the other hand is covering her eyes. She's so embarrassed.
[00:12:31] Speaker C: You know? Red, delete that immediately.
[00:12:35] Speaker B: It's going on the community center Instagram page. I don't know what you're talking about.
[00:12:39] Speaker C: My brand.
[00:12:44] Speaker D: Red, makes, like, a fan edit where it's, like. It just zooms into, like, pop music.
[00:12:58] Speaker B: Sorry about your audition. Hope they don't google your name.
[00:13:04] Speaker E: No, this is great for image.
[00:13:10] Speaker B: What? Is my cooking that bad?
[00:13:11] Speaker C: No, it's my.
[00:13:19] Speaker A: It's just, like, pain.
[00:13:23] Speaker C: This is not conducive to my brand.
[00:13:25] Speaker B: Image.
[00:13:28] Speaker A: The children all like, clap and just sort of cheer. Who, like, would there be repeating children with a repeated attendance that know and recognize who some of you are?
[00:13:43] Speaker B: Well, yeah, I think so.
[00:13:45] Speaker D: Yeah. Not Richard.
[00:13:46] Speaker B: Not Richard. That's confusing for some kids. And I'm sure some kids would make it very known to you about how confusing that is, because I have kids, like, kids who hung around me and they were like, you have a beard now, like, something as small as that.
And I'm like, congratulations. I do.
[00:14:06] Speaker A: One of the kids who is covered in raw egg and, like, flour somehow.
[00:14:11] Speaker C: Oh, no.
[00:14:12] Speaker A: Goes over to Chloe, grabs your pant leg, not the apron, and just sort of says, is your name really Richard?
[00:14:24] Speaker E: That's what it says, doesn't it?
[00:14:26] Speaker A: That's my dad's name.
[00:14:31] Speaker D: Ren's gonna go, and she's just as old.
[00:14:37] Speaker B: In the distance, you hear clattering pants. As far as drop something.
[00:14:44] Speaker A: The child says, are you my dad?
[00:14:46] Speaker E: Yeah. So you better respect me.
[00:14:50] Speaker A: You're not my dad.
[00:14:52] Speaker C: You're not my dad.
[00:14:56] Speaker E: I don't know. How can you be sure?
[00:14:59] Speaker A: The child walks away in an existential crisis.
[00:15:05] Speaker B: Look at what you've done.
[00:15:06] Speaker A: Eats the frittata. Haunted.
[00:15:08] Speaker C: Oh, no.
[00:15:10] Speaker A: It is definitely a new energy and much appreciated from the kids. Once again, like, being able to eat after school. You're providing these children, at the very least, if they're not getting dinner at home, they're able to get this dinner or a much needed late lunch situation, an opportunity to eat.
There is also plenty of, like, like, not so much sugar, like, drinks for them to be able to also enjoy. And there is also a nap room that there is probably also other caretakers that are properly salaried or on some kind of wage situation that are able to take the kids off of your plate. Barune. And you are thanked so much. All of you were thanked again for making this such a fun, rowdy opportunity for the kids.
As the children are able to settle into their nap times before they are properly able to get picked up by their guardians.
There's something that catches the corner of your eye, specifically, Arjun. Everyone's either in the process of cleaning up or about to finish, but you're noticing someone has entered into your acting classroom that should be locked.
[00:16:31] Speaker C: He's gonna look to the others and just kind of at least look to Varun like, hey, I'm gonna be right back. Take off his apron and kind of head over to check on the classroom.
[00:16:44] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:16:46] Speaker A: And you will notice the door is left slightly ajar, but the room is left dark. Like, this person, whoever it may be, has nothing specifically turn the lights on, but has their own, like, phone flash on in the dark room. Unless you turn the lights on or find another, like, sort of light source. I don't. They're, like, farther into the room that you're unsure if you see the exact silhouette or identification of this person.
[00:17:19] Speaker C: See, I was gonna think about doing caution, but I mean, you know, nah, nah.
[00:17:22] Speaker A: Let's just.
[00:17:22] Speaker B: Let's. Let's.
[00:17:23] Speaker C: Let's bring him into the light for. So he's just gonna just straight up flip the light switch and just. Can I help you?
[00:17:30] Speaker A: Turning around, sort of fumbling, like a slight jump, is what seems to be this white woman.
And sure enough, a white woman that is very familiar to you. Natasha Sheridan, a bleach blonde. A person attempting to wear avant garde, an esoteric, but does not necessarily, like, have either the physical, bodily confidence to also pull off at the same time or certain makeup skill to really marry it all together, but is an annoyingly confident figure regardless, with a blue vibrant lipstick. Goes from a state of slight surprise to a gasp of recognition. Acknowledgement. And then something that you. A face that you have seen so shallowly on the faces of many of a reporter or paparazzi reporter that has stalked you before. Oh, my God. I had no idea that you were in today.
[00:18:37] Speaker C: I asked you a question. Can I. What are you. What are you doing here? Can I help you? Why are you here?
[00:18:42] Speaker B: Just.
[00:18:45] Speaker C: You can tell he's a little bit, like, just annoyed, essentially. Just like.
[00:18:49] Speaker A: God, not again.
Well, so I know you had, I think, one of your acting lessons before, so I have a client that apparently left some in very important.
I don't know what it was again, like a portfolio behind or something along those lines. I didn't want to bother anyone, so I just tried to see if I could make my way through, and lo and behold, here I am. Doesn't really seem like there's anything. I'm not really sure what kind of goose chase my client is trying to put me through, but I am. I'll be totally out of your hair if there's nothing.
I suppose there's nothing in here.
How have you been doing? Do you have any projects these days?
[00:19:32] Speaker C: No comment.
[00:19:35] Speaker A: Oh, come on.
Really? Nothing?
[00:19:41] Speaker C: He's just kind of pinching his. Like, he's pinching his nose, honestly, just, like, all the things, like, in his mind, he's mainly thinking of all the things that I wanted to have to deal with.
[00:19:50] Speaker A: This is.
Oh, why did it have to be this.
How has specifically Natasha been a problem for you before?
[00:20:02] Speaker C: Natasha has been rather dogged, let's say, in her pursuit to get an interview from Arjun, even going so far as to follow him multiple times. So it very much a sore point of annoyance for him.
[00:20:22] Speaker A: Specifically. Even Tasha has been so interested in your projects, like your indie projects, anything that you have done. It seems like Caldera just constantly needs some kind of thing that she needs to pin some success to. So you'll find in very weird, strange ways that some people, like, give you credit for certain local things that, like, definitely leaves some sore.
Definitely leaves some kind of sore spots between you and other, like, acting figures in the community, which is definitely not what anyone ever wants to think is the case, but she's the one that puts out local magazine things and she is really able to just put out a bunch of garbage and make it sound decent or nice.
Natasha puts on this air that, like, what many other reporter might, we're in a. We're in the same community. You can speak casually to me or something along those lines, but you're putting up that very professional wall here, that barrier, that boundary.
Do you respond to that energy that she, like, the last thing that she said being, oh, come on, there's really nothing that you're currently working on. Just like between two people, in between jobs and gigs, he's going to keep.
[00:21:59] Speaker C: Up that, I guess, professional demeanor because he doesn't really, even if he did have something he. That he was working on, whether it be like terms of projects or gigs that he's landed or even films that he would want to promote, he doesn't. He wouldn't really feel comfortable telling it to her, of all people. Maybe another reporter who had, I don't know, who wouldn't, uh, be causing all this tension or just even, I don't know, causing, causing undue strife for his name on his name, he'd be comfortable telling it to another reporter, just not her.
He'll just repeat what he said before. Again, no comment.
[00:22:41] Speaker A: She kind of, like, shrugs, claps her hands together kind of very subtly, like, pointing her phone screen inwards towards her chest in that motion. Well, extremely excited for the next thing that you are ever a part of. I was actually going to ask you, maybe I'll shoot you an email, because obviously she has your email about what the next community theater play is going to be. I'm like, we really need another art piece, and we're just really interested in seeing what you have going on to develop here.
Okay, bye. And then just kind of scuttles out.
[00:23:23] Speaker C: I guess. Senior scuttle out. He's just gonna let out of the large, large, just size.
[00:23:30] Speaker A: God, that woman ever quits.
Would you like to use rebel eyes here to see what exactly she could have been looking for?
[00:23:41] Speaker C: Yeah, actually I would, because that actually would kind of catch urgent tension as to why was she even in here, because he definitely wouldn't believe the fact of her excuse of, oh, a client left a portfolio here. Like, he's not buying that for a second.
[00:23:56] Speaker A: Absolutely. So rebel eyes, when you spend time looking for information, say what you're trying to learn and check against heat. So heat, how aware hostile elements are of your interference in their activities. The more ticks, the closer the vassal and the rest of the castle's minions are to finding out your identity. So this next, you're in sort of the this in between stage here where it was clear who that next, who that, who that initial tier one vassal was. And that was Chloe and Chloe's claw. How y'all went through that intensifying levels of awareness is not quite bearing down on the, on your backs quite yet. Okay, so roll two and let me, what were your hits?
[00:24:50] Speaker C: Two sixes against two sixes.
[00:24:53] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:24:54] Speaker D: Heck yeah.
[00:24:56] Speaker A: On a hit, you'll have a clear idea how to get the information, but the architect may give you one or two of these requirements. It'll take until later today, tomorrow to get it. You'll have to put yourself in danger. You have to tick a gauge to get it, or you'll need blank to help you get it. Okay, so let me think.
I'm only gonna give you, I might not even give you any requirement because you got fucking twelve here or two sixes rather honestly. Let's just go ahead and say that on that hit you're going to get a clear idea how to get the information. And there are no specific requirements. You're able to get it within basically the amount of time it takes for everyone to finish cleaning.
You notice that in a kind of like storage cabinet, where a bunch of files are made and kept and organized of like previous people who have registered for the acting classes, or like new people for the acting classes, you've noticed that there are two new files that have been placed.
Okay, and specifically, let me pull up the names.
The two names that seem to be placed are from two people, one named Canzil and one named Cc, spelled s I s I. So two new names seemingly on these files, and that could mean a number of things that there are just two new people that have registered, or most likely because you are the one that goes through these files all the time, and you've been here even yesterday that have been placed.
[00:26:43] Speaker B: Yeah, this is.
[00:26:44] Speaker C: He's definitely feeling a little uncomfortable.
[00:26:47] Speaker B: He's.
[00:26:47] Speaker C: But he's. He definitely wants to take a look at the files, but he's not sure if.
[00:26:52] Speaker A: Why am I forgetting her name?
[00:26:53] Speaker C: He's not sure if Natasha.
[00:26:56] Speaker B: I don't know.
[00:26:56] Speaker C: Maybe either watching from either somehow or just might just be waiting to ambush him again. So I think he's gonna. I think he's gonna probably take the files and take them home to check out later on.
[00:27:15] Speaker A: Are there any interactions just sort of in this moment between Chloe, Ren and Varun?
[00:27:25] Speaker D: Could you imagine? It's just really tense, like they're all looking at each other.
[00:27:29] Speaker C: Awkward silence.
[00:27:31] Speaker D: Yeah, just.
[00:27:35] Speaker B: I think Varun is. Because the kids are napping now, right? I think there might be, like, a stack of notebooks or, like, little kids journals that are part of the community center. And he's got these angled tweezers, and he is setting stickers into each of these notebooks in their designated little square, uh, trying to avert the silence by busying his hands with something.
So how's everyone feeling?
[00:28:11] Speaker D: Ren's gonna go, I feel great.
How do you feel, Chloe Ren?
[00:28:19] Speaker A: Pleased.
[00:28:20] Speaker C: Oh, my God.
[00:28:22] Speaker E: Also just, like, gritting her teeth.
So great.
[00:28:26] Speaker C: The most barbed of questions.
[00:28:28] Speaker D: Oh, my God. So great. Why?
Did something good happen to you recently, Ren?
[00:28:36] Speaker B: I mean, we don't have to get that into everything to we.
[00:28:41] Speaker D: No, no, no. I think we should learn more about Chloe's life, right?
[00:28:48] Speaker E: I mean, I just met my childhood. And they point. She points down to her little Richard strings.
[00:28:57] Speaker B: You see? Faroon actually does chuckle.
[00:29:03] Speaker D: Ren is just.
Her face has not changed at all. And she's just kind of, like, big open eyes, like she's fanging ignorance, and she's just like, nothing else.
[00:29:20] Speaker E: I mean, I'd hate to monopolize the conversation. What's great that's happening with you? Why are you great?
[00:29:28] Speaker D: I think you love monopolizing things, so I feel like you should just let you have the floor.
[00:29:34] Speaker B: Okay.
And Varun finally finishes putting the last sticker in the last notebook and closes it shut and slides the books over on end and turns around on this chair to face Chloe and Wren. And it's just like, we know what has happened, and we have, you know, things happened, and we are just worried. Ren is just worried. Ren and I, collectively, probably Archun as well. Collectively.
How are you feeling? Really we know the process is always difficult and we are just checking in.
[00:30:29] Speaker E: Oh, is that what was happening here, Wren?
[00:30:33] Speaker D: Wren goes.
[00:30:34] Speaker B: Yes, that's what's happening. Right?
[00:30:35] Speaker C: Rent.
[00:30:39] Speaker D: Is wee in the room with us right now.
[00:30:43] Speaker B: Red, please.
[00:30:46] Speaker D: You know what? You're right. You're right. No, yeah, we're just checking in. How are you and Mithran doing?
[00:30:52] Speaker A: A knock on the kitchen door finally kind of like, comes in to potentially, like, oh, God. Thank God. Arjun. It is not Arjun. Unfortunately, it is Natasha.
Breaking through the considerable tension by adding her own. It seems she looks over and only puts her focus onto Chloe. Sort of says, and you've met Natasha before as just someone who has done an interview aplenty with you, certainly. But also is the name of the person that has written the magazine article about you. Knox. Kind of like on the inside of the room addressing Chloe.
Hi.
So sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything that was happening. Could I speak to you super quick, actually? Chloe.
[00:31:42] Speaker E: I'm so sorry. We have to finish the dinner or the food cleanup. Maybe some other time. You can make a call at my office and schedule an appointment.
[00:31:53] Speaker A: That's very interesting that you say your office. It's actually on behalf.
[00:32:02] Speaker E: On behalf of my office. Because last time I checked, you're not a city employee, you're a journalist.
[00:32:11] Speaker A: In between all of this, Varun, you're getting a phone call at the moment, and it is from Mithran.
[00:32:18] Speaker B: You also. Ren.
You see Varun, pick up the phone, look at the name, cover it as if whoever's on the other line can hear him. And it's just like, shit.
[00:32:35] Speaker D: Ah, shit. Shit. Ren's immediately go. Who is it?
[00:32:39] Speaker A: It's my brother.
[00:32:41] Speaker B: I. Oh, my God.
[00:32:43] Speaker D: Put him on speaker.
[00:32:45] Speaker B: I'm not going to do that, Ren.
[00:32:47] Speaker D: No, I feel like we were, you know, so curious about how Chloe's doing. Why not put Mithrin on?
[00:32:57] Speaker B: I do not want to get chewed out by my brother, Ren. That's why.
[00:33:01] Speaker D: Oh, but he's so nice to you. He won't chew you out. And it's been so long since I've talked to him. Put him on.
[00:33:08] Speaker B: Let me at least gauge what the conversation is. Maybe if I bring up the. Here, maybe he will. Actually, that might not be a bad idea. If I bring up that you're here, maybe he won't be as mad. So I think Varun answers the call and is just like, hi, Baya. In a very, like, cheerful voice to greet Mithran, who's on the other end of the line.
[00:33:38] Speaker A: Do you have a second to talk?
[00:33:41] Speaker B: You see Varun's like, I think he did click speakers. So you hear Ren, that mithrid says, do you have a sec to talk? And you see Varun's face fall.
Yeah. Yeah, I do. And then switches off the speaker, puts his head against the phone and starts scuttling towards, like, the edge of the kitchen where the fridge is, and just, like, hides in the shadow there.
[00:34:09] Speaker E: Oh, my God.
[00:34:12] Speaker B: Yeah, I can talk.
[00:34:14] Speaker A: As that conversation is happening back to Natasha, who continues to press you, basically.
Chloe, is there anything, is there any move that you would like to do at this point?
[00:34:28] Speaker E: There's one that I could do what is bad, and I think that I will use it.
So instead of make a stand, which forces someone to pay attention to you, I have dominate, which is when you make someone feel small. Mark Steen and the architect will describe how they back down, retreat, or give you what they think you want.
They'll retaliate when they feel safe. Except this. Retaliation is a crisis. Or Merc stain again, to have the crisis strike another rebel.
So I think that Chloe is going to try and continue to talk down to Natasha just in order to get her out of this room and out of contact.
Like, if we have to talk and I have to deal with this, that will be fine as long as Wren is not also in the room.
[00:35:31] Speaker A: Mm hmm. Yeah.
How do you speak to her right now?
[00:35:39] Speaker E: Natasha, I really don't think that you're here on behalf of the city or my job. I mean, why would they hire some two bit mutt raker to do this?
Surely you can go scouring long after Arjun or something that seems more your speed.
[00:36:04] Speaker A: Natasha will deflate here.
I think there does seemingly seem to be this urgency that she has, because what you also can put together is that Arjuna is literally in the room right next door, and Natasha just kind of goes. Getting hit with those words in front of other people as well. Not expecting this necessarily to be as difficult of a interaction between the two of you. Just sort of goes, okay, interesting. My apologies, counselor. This is where we're going to call in the other half of that shameless here, where one of your covenants are going to hear about the company you're keeping and that company being run.
Natasha continues. I just wanted to give my condolences for, you know, the rest of the deal not solidifying. I know that you were working still so hard recently on trying to make something work still. So I wanted to just offer, if there was anything else that I could do, any connects that you could still make. Just let me know you have my email.
She looks over, kind of eyeing wren, and then eyes varun again.
Have a good night. And then she finally gets out of your hair.
[00:37:29] Speaker D: Wren is gonna turn to Chloe and go, oh, a deal? What deal?
[00:37:36] Speaker E: You're not going to listen to her, are you? I mean, her job is just stir up drama.
[00:37:43] Speaker D: Yeah, and what deal?
[00:37:48] Speaker E: Her information must be out of date. The deal that you all helped me see was wrong.
[00:37:57] Speaker B: Mmm.
[00:37:58] Speaker D: Mm hmm.
[00:38:01] Speaker A: As this is happening on the phone with Varun right now, you scuttle to the corner. Mithran just asks, do you have a second to talk? You say yes.
The two of you kind of, like, speak at the same time.
Hey, I am worried about Chloe, and I don't really know that the two of you have. I mean, generally hang out or speak to each other, but can I ask you something.
[00:38:41] Speaker B: About Chlori? I mean, we hang out sometimes at the house, and, you know, sometimes. Sometimes Chloe's over at the community center. He says community center very, very quietly.
[00:38:56] Speaker A: And, you know, I'm nothing.
I'm not unaware that usually, whenever she hangs out, it's usually initiated or predicated with my presence also being there, of course.
[00:39:10] Speaker B: So, yes, just the three of us hanging out like pals. Unless you two need to be alone. Then I.
[00:39:19] Speaker A: When Chloe tells me that apparently I have to worry about something that you said to her that made her change, something happening at her job, which was supposed to be huge for everyone, huge for caldera, huge for her. Do I have to be worried about something?
[00:39:42] Speaker B: Worried?
Why would you need to be worried?
What do you mean?
[00:39:54] Speaker A: I could be putting too much on you right now, and I am sorry about that, but she's not usually so off of everything.
It's not even something that I really knew the status of, so I just.
If there was apparently something that you knew over me in the situation, it's just odd.
[00:40:27] Speaker B: And if we see Varun biting his lips, he's kind of doing the asian squat right by the fridge of the community center kitchen.
And as he's biting his lip, trying to figure out how to. To get out of this mess that he's put himself in, he just says really softly and gently, well, whatever anyone could have said to Chloe, whatever Chloe had to do, for whatever reason, that's supposedly good for Caldera, good for this place, maybe.
Maybe she also has an opinion on that and that maybe she, too, had a change of heart.
No one can force someone to do what's right or wrong, right?
Maybe maybe she found a better way to make things better.
[00:41:35] Speaker A: I'm gonna ask you to make a move here.
[00:41:38] Speaker B: Yeah, I had a feeling.
[00:41:39] Speaker A: Please roll to connect.
[00:41:42] Speaker B: Yep, I had the feeling. I'm just saying to.
[00:41:47] Speaker A: When you connect, when you try to connect with somebody by. There are three different ways that we can go about this. Convincing them you're worth their time. Check against infamy. Making the vassal's threat clear. Check against heat, putting up a false front. Check against.
So is this coming from a place? Are you lying to your brother? Are you trying to convince him that your opinion is worth his time to listen to? Or that there is a greater threat here that needs to be heard?
[00:42:17] Speaker B: It's either him trying to convince that his opinion matters or that there is a greater threat. But I think in this moment, it's about. It's more about him. Right? Because it is. Mithran's coming into this with this idea of, like, you said something, and so Varun's not going to deny that. He may have said something, but maybe what he said holds some value in this moment.
Amazing. Let's see. I have not much in there, so we'll see how this goes. Where's the lose again?
[00:42:56] Speaker A: This is. You're rolling against infamy.
[00:42:59] Speaker B: Yeah, got it. So let's see.
[00:43:03] Speaker D: Boop, boop, boop.
[00:43:04] Speaker B: Okay.
Okay, that's great. That's fine.
[00:43:12] Speaker A: What do you need?
[00:43:12] Speaker B: To roll over, I believe, because I only have the one pip.
Yeah.
[00:43:21] Speaker A: Okay. So what did you roll?
[00:43:23] Speaker B: I rolled two ones.
[00:43:25] Speaker A: You're kidding.
[00:43:26] Speaker B: I am not kidding. I am so wild.
[00:43:38] Speaker A: We are absolutely.
As a reminder, the infamy stress game is, are you famed, tolerated or reviled? The more tics, the more you risk becoming shunned by society. And, you know, in general, thankfully, you only have one tick. But in this moment, it doesn't even matter.
There is no hit, not even a strong hit, not even a weak hit. Anything convincing that your opinion is worth his time, despite the fact that he even doubted himself, that maybe this was an opinion that was just all in Mithrans head.
As you say, your opinion, as you say. This thing about Mithrans girlfriend, despite all the years that youve potentially also known Chloe, his language is clear.
Chloe is an extension of Mithran in his own mind.
And Mithran just sort of says his breath picks up in kind of like a way that he isn't sure of whether or not to land with a certain amount of intensity or not. The intensity lands, however.
Are you trying to say something about Chloe that she had a bad opinion that what she's doing is nothing important or something.
[00:45:04] Speaker B: No, no, that's not what I'm trying to say at all. I'm just saying maybe people change their minds and see things in a different light.
[00:45:14] Speaker A: Something had to have happened to Chloe. And for some reason, you are not saying something about whatever it is that happened. And I'm.
We're gonna find out.
I'm not coming home for dinner, so just let everybody know. And then he hangs up.
[00:45:32] Speaker B: Mithran, I and Faroon sits there for a moment, still in that squat, staring at the wallpaper on his phone. That's a picture of himself and Arjun, and he is dragging behind both of them Mithran, who is cracking the tiniest corner smile, probably one of the few photos that exists of that Arjun, you.
[00:46:04] Speaker A: Come back into the room to Ren and Chloe yelling at each other. Not yelling, but essentially girl yelling to each other and what seems to be Varun growing mushrooms in the corner.
[00:46:22] Speaker C: Clearly, I missed everything.
[00:46:26] Speaker D: No, I don't think so. Chloe was just going to tell us about her deal, right, Chloe?
That's what you were going to do just now?
Going to share it with the rest of us?
[00:46:43] Speaker E: I already told you that I'm trying to fix the deal that I had made, that you stopped me from making. And if you hadn't done that, then things would be a lot easier and less tense right now. Oh, I'm fixing it.
[00:47:00] Speaker D: Really? You're fixing it? You. You're fixing it?
[00:47:05] Speaker E: That journalist wouldn't be scrounging around here if I wasn't fixing it.
[00:47:12] Speaker C: Arjun's gonna probably perk up at the mention of Natasha. Like, I'm sorry, journalist.
[00:47:19] Speaker A: Josephine at scary dog friend plays the architect and edits the show. The biggest thanks to Minerva Mick Janda for creating our system void heart symphony. You can find Josephine producing actual plays at badhouse RPG and nameless domain. Other podcasts you can find her include someplace to be, a system hopping actual play with an indie focus and monster fuckers anonymous rating and dating your favorite monsters everywhere you listen to your podcasts. Thanks again to Golpets and gaze for hosting us and all the music you hear today is from epidemic sound.
[00:47:48] Speaker C: Abhishek he him plays Arjun Kumar. You can find him voice acting as well as starring in other TTRPG AP's such as Zenith over at Sword and Key, premiering August 29, as well as Iron sworn the Valley season two over at Nerdland with Dice, premiering September 5. You can also find him being a huge tokusatsu nerd over at Neon Raiden.
[00:48:10] Speaker E: Twitter.com alyssa at a disaster queer plays Chloe Penitent. You can find them here on goblets and gays. Opt for our Pathfinder series Tyranny of the Dark Star, as well as on an unwavering force. A Star wars actual play Donna she.
[00:48:25] Speaker D: Her plays Ren Kong. You can find her voice acting, playing other rpg's and overall being a goofy gal at shabro on twitter.com Lianna Albany's.
[00:48:34] Speaker B: Any pronouns plays halcyon. You can find them acting, producing, and generally goofing around.
[00:48:41] Speaker A: Lianna Albany's on all platforms.
[00:48:43] Speaker B: Valiant Dorian at valiantdorian Ortso's spirit bear plays Varun Pillai. You can find him as a main cast member of Transplant RPG's the Chaos protocol, hosting his TTRPG talk show Dicey banter and designing wild hearted monstrous games like his in development. TTRPG the beast within a grungy action rpg with a were beast twist.
[00:49:18] Speaker C: Youre not my dad.
