Latest / Dubious Creatures Presents / The Vampire With No Name 1.15 - Skulduggery

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The Vampire With No Name 1.15 - Skulduggery · Dubious Creatures Presents

1:16
The. A highway wanders through the
1:20
desert. A tumbleweed drifts past a dusty
1:23
dive bar. A coyote shrieks out to no one
1:27
in particular. Someone's bleeding out in a
1:30
bathroom stall. The stars tonight are bright,
1:34
but not nearly bright enough. This place does not exist, and
1:41
yet here you are. Welcome to San Arroyo Kindred.
1:48
We here at Dubious Creatures present to you the vampire with
1:52
no name. Meanwhile, downstairs really,
1:58
you see that familiar pickup truck all around the corner as
2:02
the two of you exit out onto the street.
2:06
Nix retrieved his satchel and his gun and the coat that goes
2:10
over both, which looks maybe a little comically bulky, but,
2:14
well, even even in an open carry state, you're not really sure
2:19
how anyone would explain that. That's extreme.
2:26
Yeah, well, I mean you saw your friend there tanked an AK47.
2:34
Yeah, yeah. Don't get me wrong, it's
2:41
definitely, I'm definitely compensating for something.
2:43
And the fact, and the fact is I'm compensating for the fact
2:46
that nothing under 45 caliber is going to make another licked
2:51
Lynch. Yeah, no, I'm, I look at a place
2:56
where I was probably shot last night and I poke at it and
3:00
think, yeah, that didn't slow me down all that much.
3:04
Yeah, fuck kid. You're telling me?
3:15
You could just grab Taylor and go.
3:17
I mean, nobody would blame you at this point.
3:19
I mean, I think about it on the daily.
3:22
I I suddenly have strange fucked up sense of loyalty to all of
3:28
these people. No, no, don't you?
3:31
Don't you dare throw the words I just used back in my face.
3:36
I had a good teacher. God, God, now you're going to
3:39
make. You were just talking about
3:42
death flags. You were just talking about
3:44
death flags. You've been in the business your
3:46
entire life. You know better.
3:50
Yeah, sometimes I have a bad habit of tempting fate.
3:56
You got to stop. I really do.
3:59
Young lady, if you say one more cliche.
4:04
I won't. It's going to be hard, but I
4:07
won't. Truck pulls to stuff and you see
4:12
Freda, this messy haired, muscular woman who looks like
4:16
she just stepped out of the back of a barn, glowering at the two
4:22
of you. Doesn't say a word, just reaches
4:24
over and opens up the passenger side door.
4:28
The casual little wave. She doesn't dignify it with a
4:33
response. Instead, she just said dial on
4:35
where you can see sitting between the two seats is this
4:39
big like suitcase radio sort of thing that you might see in like
4:45
an old spy movie, except this one's clearly not a prop.
4:49
Lights blink. Strange scratchy noises emanate
4:55
from the speakers. She just saw another dial on it.
5:00
Nick gets into the passenger's seat, shuts the door, but
5:04
leaning out to the still open window says All right, well, if
5:08
you'll permit me one more cliche, don't do anything I
5:12
wouldn't do. Take care of yourself out there.
5:16
Or they don't know who has the more precarious fucking task
5:19
right now. You know one of us does, and I'm
5:25
not sure which one it is anywhere.
5:27
I feel real fucking guilty if you die, know that.
5:33
Well then, it's good that I'm not going to die.
5:36
Hold you to that. You can hold me to that.
5:40
I'll see you again soon I guess. Can we go now?
5:46
Says Freda. She's already shifting the
5:50
transmission. You hear the car's engine rumble
5:55
back to life. Going to hold you to that, he
5:59
says, pointing at you even as the car slowly beats to pick up
6:04
speed. Head down the street.
6:09
Round 2. Placate the love of my life.
6:16
I assume you're calling? Yeah, he picks up before like
6:21
even the first ring is done. Hey.
6:26
Hey. Hey, good news for once.
6:30
Yeah, what's the news? Done.
6:33
Oh, it's fucking done. We did it.
6:36
Holy. Shit.
6:38
Gas puck Samurai fucking. A amazing.
6:43
Yeah, wow. And all it took was several
6:46
years off our collective life band.
6:49
Oh, you've no idea. Yeah, well, so I guess where do
6:55
you want me to DoorDash those cheeseburgers to?
7:00
Somewhere. OK, yeah, I'm sorry.
7:07
I know it's late. I'm heading back to our hotel
7:10
room, looking forward to getting a good night's sleep.
7:16
I'll be back at some point tonight.
7:18
You. Got a department.
7:21
I mean, like, they have an airport here, but I don't know.
7:25
Like, I know it's really just about to call us that boy.
7:29
I just want to get the fuck out of here, lady.
7:32
I'm going to be perfectly honest.
7:35
I I do too. OK, OK, OK.
7:41
We're going to get out of here. I'm about to ask a real weird
7:44
thing, but you got to trust me. Oh yeah, I'm pregnant.
7:49
Are you? No, no, no, no.
7:53
Don't worry about that, OK? Great, because I've been, I've
7:57
been. No offense, I'd be really happy
7:58
if it wasn't the case. But no, this was like the last
8:00
fucking thing we need right now. It really is.
8:05
And I think there's a moment of sadness that crosses over my
8:07
face thinking that I will never actually get that chance
8:11
anymore. Then I I shake it off and I say
8:14
just need a couple more days. Just a couple more days.
8:18
I got something I got to wrap up and then we'll be gone.
8:24
Really. Yeah.
8:26
We've been doing pretty well thus far, avoiding any dice
8:30
rolls, but I'm afraid we've reached the moment where I'm
8:34
going to need to make a Charisma or Manipulation plus Persuasion
8:39
roll. Let's.
8:40
Do Charisma Persuasion. You know it is over a phone
8:46
call, but do any of my looks merits apply?
8:51
I think you know how heavily biased this man is.
8:55
I just wanted to verify for our listeners.
8:59
For those at home, surprising almost no one, Raleigh Asher
9:04
happens to have several looks merits, but it'll definitely
9:11
come in handy in this circumstance.
9:13
I'm going to spend a willpower. It is five successes.
9:18
There's a pause or eventually you hear that's OK, OK.
9:27
I mean. If you're sure.
9:32
I'm sure and I said trust me and I'll explain eventually.
9:38
I. Trust delay I just there's just
9:44
been way too many close goals. I I just really don't want to.
9:49
He doesn't finish but. I know, I know.
9:55
And as I said, couple days I finish up what I need to and
10:02
then we're fucking gone back to LA.
10:06
OK, OK, come back to the hotel room.
10:13
I'll be back tonight. All right, all right.
10:19
I might be asleep when I get there, I'm not going to lie.
10:22
That's OK. You're you've worked hard.
10:26
You know, I'll at least be there when you wake up.
10:31
I might be asleep, but I'll at least be there when you wake up.
10:36
Our circadian. Rhythms.
10:42
Yeah, then you know what the doctor said.
10:46
I'm now unfortunately rather nocturnal.
10:50
Yeah, I mean all the lifetime, right?
10:55
Yeah. Well, you know, we should, we
10:59
should take advantage of this. We should like see like they're
11:02
not doing anything with Underworld, right?
11:03
We can reboot that. I mean they would say no to
11:06
Queen Babylon. I still remember that fucking
11:08
Wrath party. Do you remember when we met?
11:12
It's really hard to forget. It was.
11:15
It was so fucking awkward too because literally my old man
11:19
introduced me to you through your old man.
11:23
Yeah, and I was playing your dad's ex-wife, which was
11:31
awkward. I mean, it was.
11:32
Only a voice role in fairness, but.
11:35
No, I never. I never actually met him in
11:37
person until that wrap party. Yeah.
11:39
Yeah, yeah. And like, you were, I mean, you
11:43
looked amazing, obviously, but I was just this hairy little
11:47
theater kid who's just so excited actually being near like
11:50
the fucking set of bills above. I might have been fanboying a
11:53
little bit over Travis Teague, I'm not going to lie.
11:57
I mean, look, that man likes to have his ego stroked.
12:03
Yeah. Yeah.
12:06
It's, it's that was, I think, one of the best nights of my
12:10
life. I think it was for me too.
12:15
I don't think we actually slept that night.
12:17
I think we just talked all night.
12:19
Yeah, yeah. I just, I, I want, I want
12:29
another night like that. I don't think we've had one of
12:32
those in a while. When we get back to LA, we can
12:39
you, me, I don't know, maybe we throw on old episodes of Bills
12:42
Above just to reminisce all night.
12:47
Oh God, that outfit. It did actually take the outfit
12:51
at the end. It didn't stop me.
12:54
Oh, it's somewhere. It's somewhere in my fucking
12:59
closet. All the.
13:01
More reason to, you know. Get back to LA, yeah?
13:08
Yeah. But yeah, I'd like that.
13:13
Me too. OK, I'm going to.
13:17
I'm gonna pass out now. Yes, sleep well.
13:24
I love you so God damn much. I love you too.
13:30
Knee hangs up. I'm just going to spend a a
13:33
minute or two more out here just convincing myself that I'm doing
13:41
this all for the right reasons, that I shouldn't just take him
13:46
up on the offer and get the fucking first flight out of
13:50
Santa Royal back to LA. It's getting harder and harder
13:55
to convince myself that I'm doing the right thing by
13:58
staying. Surely that isn't a single tear
14:04
tracing its way down your cheek. That sort of thing only happens
14:07
in the movies. Only in the movies.
14:13
Unless there's anything else. Yeah, I collect myself and then
14:20
send a quick text to Aster just I'm the the other two have
14:25
gotten I'm OK text, but I want my own just because I'm like
14:30
that and then going up to join everyone else.
14:34
So what is the plan to reconvene?
14:40
Well, I want to do. I want to feed first because I
14:44
cannot do another night riding for hunger.
14:47
I just can't. Yeah, I'm at, I'm at 3 and I'm,
14:51
I'm, I've got some damage to heal, unfortunately.
14:56
I don't know what's resolved this Shall we?
14:57
Looks like people. Are going to be eating.
15:00
I so we haven't talked about the specifics of this yet, but I
15:06
have two dots of herd. You do.
15:09
I'm curious what you think the specifics of that two dot that
15:12
is. I, I, I don't, I don't want to
15:15
think that this is like, oh, in, in the like couple weeks that
15:20
ashes the dead has found stable partners.
15:23
I think that this is a couple people that Ash has some
15:29
leverage on and can sort of manipulate into a situation.
15:35
I was thinking a cop. Of course you were.
15:40
Well, your old man is a very generous contributor to the
15:46
Policeman's retirement fund, and there are a lot of cops out on
15:50
the street tonight for, well, I can't imagine what reasons.
15:55
Of course, you are at Hunger 4, so there is one role you need to
15:58
make. You need at least three
16:01
successes. 77 successes. So you're able to take as much
16:08
as you want. How much are you taking?
16:11
I I'm not taking, I'm not going down to hunger 0, but I am going
16:16
down to hunger one. Well, he's not going anywhere in
16:20
a hurry. Yeah, I think it is.
16:22
I think it is a thing of like doing a little bit of flexing
16:28
the the name, getting this officer into an alley and.
16:35
Yeah. The problem is the reason why
16:39
you know some of these guys is because you've gotten to know a
16:42
lot of the people who have responded first to some of
16:45
Emily's episodes in the past. And you've made yourself very
16:50
clear that if they in any way mistreat your sister, well, that
16:56
just doesn't bear thinking about.
16:58
I think that when I am done, I'm going to cloud memory on the
17:04
sky. Maybe for the best.
17:09
Which brings us to Raleigh. So Raleigh, unfortunately you do
17:13
not have the herd advantage, so I'm going to need a hunting roll
17:18
from you. Yeah, and I'm a siren.
17:23
You are. The good news is that the
17:25
difficulty is lower because you've been given directions to
17:28
areas where it is easier to hunt.
17:33
So let's see what happens or successes or successes is
17:40
sufficient. Yeah, and I will just be taking
17:43
2 little dots worth of blood. You also managed to get a
17:49
fleeting melancholy out of this unfortunate so and so maybe,
17:57
maybe you did head to the Red Roof.
18:00
It is patronized by individuals who themselves are part of the
18:07
world's oldest profession, so it's not terribly difficult to
18:11
find someone who probably won't report where they've been last
18:17
night to anyone particularly relevant.
18:20
And clearly, whoever this poor SAP is, he's not too happy about
18:24
the fact that he's at a point in his life where he has to
18:27
potentially pay for sex. Very somber, very defeated
18:32
essence. And you don't like the part of
18:36
you that revels and how good that tastes.
18:40
Yeah. Aster, do you tell Hygiia that
18:45
your friends are coming to pick you up?
18:49
No, no, no, no. Aster probably would have would
18:52
have asked to be like dropped off at a much more reasonable
18:55
place to not give away the meth lab location or sorry blood lab.
19:01
Well, it's about as suspicious either way.
19:05
Yeah. Aster.
19:07
Doesn't have a vehicle. I got to come get her.
19:10
I. Yeah, IG it doesn't either.
19:15
You both well after exiting from the yard at speed out of the
19:21
maintenance corridor kind of just ran in a direction and you
19:26
were running in the direction that she was running.
19:29
But as she lowers down the front shutter, the rattle slightly ill
19:39
maintained hydraulics, you can see there's this very small
19:49
blink and you miss it little scratched in symbol at the
19:53
corner of the shutter door as she closes it on the lab and
19:58
resets the padlock at the base. It looks like a very crude
20:04
Crescent moon. Astrid definitely makes a note
20:08
of that. Yeah, hi.
20:10
Jia just walks you down to a bus station nearby.
20:15
This is better than nothing I guess.
20:18
Yeah, well, you know, it's not all, it's not all impromptu
20:26
raves and children's play places and shootouts, bikers.
20:31
Sometimes it's just having enough pocket change for bus
20:34
fare. Where did we end up?
20:38
The yards in that direction, but the police are probably all over
20:43
it so I wouldn't recommend heading that way.
20:45
I'll. Figure it out.
20:48
Yeah. Hey, real quick, what's your
20:51
date, your number? I feel like we should definitely
20:55
keep talking. Yeah, for sure.
20:58
Do you have the app Signal and encryption?
21:01
We used it a lot for coordinating.
21:05
I'm not a fucking amateur. Well, great.
21:09
I, I don't know, gives her a number.
21:15
Yeah, yeah, Uncle Sam knows about us, by the way.
21:23
Fuck my life. Yeah, so, you know, I wish.
21:26
You hadn't said that. Yeah, well, you know, just one
21:31
more useful tidbit. Anyway, my ride's here and a
21:35
date a bus is pulling in through the station.
21:39
Waves, you're around. Don't be a stranger.
21:45
Or, OK, maybe do be a stranger, but be a stranger in a way that,
21:50
you know, maybe doesn't result in a massive firefight.
21:55
Yep, Yep, that's the goal. That didn't make any sense, did
21:59
it? But it did.
22:01
It really did. Cool.
22:05
You can see Peggia may have overindulged a little too much
22:10
or whatever was in that vape or. Yeah, so she's definitely
22:14
feeling perhaps a tad more relaxed than she reasonably
22:18
should be in the situation. Yeah, you wait at the bus
22:22
station till eventually the rest of your coterie pulls up.
22:28
Happily jump in the car. Hey friends, how you doing?
22:33
But you're all right. Everyone's looking very chipper
22:38
suddenly. Popped up on funny stuff but you
22:45
know, story for another day. What's the plan?
22:50
We have an address, we're going to go talk to some vampires
22:56
about finding some information about more massage junk.
23:02
Awesome. Yeah, same thing we do every
23:06
night, Pinky. I wish we were taking over the
23:09
world. Same honestly.
23:13
I really wish we were taking over the fucking world.
23:17
Be better, be easier. I've already tried to get into
23:24
politics once. I don't want to try doing it
23:25
again. Ash, no offense.
23:27
I don't want to see you in politics.
23:29
That's terrifying. I know I was too powerful for
23:33
Sacramento and that's why they killed me.
23:37
You know what is your death story?
23:41
Don't. Don't worry about it.
23:43
They threw them off the building.
23:46
Yeah. Oh, that's fun.
23:49
Lovely. So the address that Nick
23:57
provided you with, well, it's directions to a truck stop, one
24:04
of those large art diner, part convenience store, part weigh
24:10
station type truck stop. The kind at any point in time
24:14
might have several big rigs lined up like massive building
24:20
blocks in the oversized parking area.
24:24
San Arroyo, for better or worse, does see a lot of freight travel
24:30
through, if for no other reason than because it sits on a major
24:34
Nexus on the way to, well, on the way to everywhere else in
24:40
California that isn't towards Mexico.
24:44
Pulling in these places, well, they're expectedly busy even at
24:50
night. Lots of people heading in,
24:54
heading out, taking advantage of the showers before heading back
24:59
on the road or taking advantage of the other amenities.
25:04
As you can see, some women kind of off to one side near 1 of the
25:11
parked rigs that seemed to be in a rather animated conversation
25:15
with a guy who's leaning out the window of his own cab.
25:20
Have an address? No idea what to look for though.
25:27
Tired of this vague? Shit.
25:30
Well. You and me both.
25:32
I bet we go in, order some coffee, sit around and let bad
25:36
stuff happen to us. It's our usual plan.
25:40
Yeah, it's worked pretty well so far.
25:44
How's it though? How's it?
25:47
People up you guys. How many people have you 2
25:49
killed in the last like 4 days? 1.
25:55
Oh, I think I. Preface it in four days.
26:00
Anyways, let's go inside. Let's try to figure out where we
26:04
can go find some old junk that belongs to.
26:10
Well, yeah, we're going to get somewhere public and we grab, I
26:14
don't know, pair of sunglasses or something and a baseball cap.
26:18
Try and be low key. Don't put any particular elbow
26:23
grease into creating an impromptu disguise.
26:25
Or are you going to trust in your ability to avoid eye
26:29
contact? I had the red hair and it'll do
26:35
a lot of it. I'm wearing a hoodie, so, you
26:39
know, tie the hair back, pull up the hood, pair of sunglasses if
26:44
I absolutely need like, you know, need anything else, you
26:48
know, classic baseball cap. But I think I'll really just
26:51
stick with tying the hair back, putting up the hood and
26:55
sunglasses. Yeah, good.
26:57
Give me just a composure plus subterfuge chick.
27:01
All right, EW. I mean, maybe if they're at a
27:10
very, it's a big place, you know, so long as they're at like
27:14
a respect the distance. Take the lead on anything right
27:19
now. On that note, Astor will
27:24
absolutely grab Raleigh and like, throw up her hood and keep
27:27
her head to the floor and just be like, can you come up with me
27:30
at the bathroom? Yeah, yeah, yeah, we can do
27:35
that. The the others can, I don't
27:37
know, pretend to drink coffee. Yeah, the bathrooms are in of
27:43
themselves, kind of. They're a whole facility.
27:45
Again, this is like a full on trucking station, not just a
27:49
rest point or all the needs and amenities of people who spend
27:55
very, very long hours mostly on the road getting things from
28:00
point A to point B across the United States.
28:03
Naturally, of course, there is a men's section and a women's
28:06
section. The people who are here at this
28:09
time of night are the sort of people who honestly probably see
28:13
five different flavours of suspicious crossing the
28:17
blacktop, so don't really pay you too much mind.
28:21
Once in the bathroom, Master is going to start like waving off
28:24
the lust of like the little crusty blood tears.
28:28
Gives yourself a little like birdbath.
28:34
OK, straight with me. What really happened in that?
28:38
Like what happened? What happened in plan?
28:42
Like, what were you told? Because I'm, I'm going to be so
28:46
honest, I'm freaking out. I just found out that everyone
28:51
wants to kill me. They want me dead like.
28:55
Dead, dead. OK.
28:58
I mean, Nick kind of gave us a bit of a, a rundown on things
29:04
that Anson was lying to us the whole time.
29:09
Yeah, I figured that. And that, you know, had we gone
29:16
to the court, there wouldn't have been any actual order for
29:19
us to, you know, hunt down Masaf.
29:23
But now that we've thoroughly stuck our noses into it, we it's
29:27
now bring him in or they're going to pin this whole thing on
29:31
us, you know, and that and some has some sort of fucking grudge
29:37
against the some people in the court and just saw us as a thing
29:41
to use to, I don't know, possibly steal some sort of be
29:46
petty and get revenge or steal power.
29:50
I don't know. OK, Yeah.
29:54
Well, Nick didn't say it like, you know, didn't say anything
29:59
about you really, other than didn't know anything about you
30:05
because, you know, you weren't like reported to the court.
30:09
Of me, of what I like, vaguely gestures at yourself.
30:15
Just. Yeah, you know, I mean, he, he
30:19
said personally, he doesn't he, he doesn't care what you are.
30:26
So what I'm really hearing is no matter if I help, help I.
30:30
I think if you help, I think if you help, it will if if we can
30:36
do this, it will give us power to leverage because we shouldn't
30:42
be able to do this. It's think of it like a big
30:46
game, like we're big game hunters and we can bring back
30:50
the biggest fucking trophy. It's not the best map for but oh
30:55
man. I've Raleigh doesn't know this,
31:00
but Esther spent some time in the Bahamas cutting like fishing
31:06
Nets for illegal poaching. She just kind of was like, ah,
31:12
big came hunting. Yeah.
31:14
But it's, it's the idea is if we we do this, we can we, we can
31:21
make some demands of them. Demands.
31:28
And they're much less likely to kill us.
31:31
If we don't do this, they will most definitely kill us.
31:36
I hate all of this. Did the two of you give me wits
31:41
plus awareness please? Only two and three days.
31:45
It's. Pretty good, 2 successes.
31:50
I mean, this conversation like near the lockers, near some of
31:54
the showers, the showers, the showers are very affair.
31:57
There's dividers, there's a level of privacy, but it's
32:01
basically one step up from a prison shower to hear someone
32:06
else yell that fucking thing. You hear the stamp of a barefoot
32:11
against dirty linoleum and you see scampering away between the
32:17
two of you is this little Gray lizard.
32:24
I mean, listeners are very common to Santa Rosa, right?
32:29
Pretty common to these. Biome, yeah, I mean, all over
32:33
Southern California, really it. Scampers away underneath one of.
32:38
The lockers, before you can get a better look at it, but you see
32:41
this one woman, still clad in a towel, kind of walk out
32:49
muttering about how damn things coming up through the goddamn
32:52
plumbing. Well, that rings, no?
32:55
Bells for me. Well, I.
32:58
Will kind of tactfully switch the conversation to something
33:02
that sounds very innocuous and just be like, so tell me about
33:10
you and Zach. I am.
33:14
Actually going to meet up with him once he gets back from
33:17
whatever trip he's doing, that's exciting.
33:20
I text him I. Texted him the other night.
33:24
Last night it probably. Wasn't the best decision.
33:28
But I was. I wasn't really thinking in my
33:29
rational brain. Look, look.
33:33
You know, life is short, you kind of go.
33:38
Is it though? You kind of just got to go for.
33:41
It like you know if he makes you happy you got to go for it.
33:48
Trust me as. How's.
33:52
Your situation, I Taylor and I are good.
33:58
It doesn't. Sound like a person who's
34:01
confident. In their relationship I should
34:03
know. I will be a lot better once we
34:08
once we get out of here. Yeah.
34:12
And I will still have to lie, but.
34:22
I don't know. Because what I've got, I don't
34:26
know what I'm going to do about that.
34:31
I was. Recently asked what my.
34:32
Plan was and now it's got me thinking what everyone's plan
34:35
is. Yeah, I've been.
34:37
Thinking a lot about my plan as well as this person is this
34:43
person. Still moving?
34:44
Around. She's.
34:48
Headed off to retrieve her stuff from her the logger.
34:52
She doesn't seem to be paying attention to either of you in
34:55
the slightest, which is good. Hopefully joining the boys.
35:00
Again. Yeah, give him a minute.
35:05
Hey friends, Sorry. Yeah, Jeremy.
35:08
Is I'm getting Jeremy doing. I do worry about.
35:14
Him so much. Gang's high horse because.
35:20
He's morally superior. To the rest of us, he.
35:24
Thinks he's morally superior. Yeah.
35:29
Or at least he's acting like he's morally superior.
35:33
It's like I, I dealt with enough people like that in LA.
35:38
And you know what? I kind of tired of it.
35:44
You're tired of it, and I really.
35:45
Appreciate him. Yeah, well, I don't.
35:50
Know how that works? Yeah, it's I.
35:54
Think it's more of just I worked to protect everyone last night
35:59
and and it's just why did you do it?
36:03
And I'm like, because I didn't want people to get shot.
36:07
He did, actively. Text I saw.
36:11
That after the. Fact.
36:13
Like way after the fact. Yeah, but that's why I thought I
36:15
needed. Message him and I'm.
36:17
Like, I'm OK, I'm alive. Yeah, that's better ways to.
36:21
Do it rather than just ditching us and then being like, why
36:24
didn't you check your phone? And I'm like, because we were in
36:27
the middle of a thing and we were in the middle of doing.
36:31
We should really not do drugs in in situations like that anymore.
36:35
Probably not. Yeah.
36:39
It was really. Nice and I.
36:41
I said this is somebody who hasn't gotten high for seven
36:43
years. I don't know, maybe I.
36:48
You know, is there a safe environment, a safe environment?
36:52
Is it also just like, do I have to deal with things like
36:57
dependencies and addictions anymore?
37:01
Oh, that's. Pretty good question.
37:02
I don't know. I don't.
37:05
Know I guess another thing. I need to ask.
37:06
Nick, think about that. Even when I was.
37:09
Alive. I didn't.
37:10
Yeah, suffer from. Addiction.
37:12
Much. Yeah, I.
37:15
My agents managed to like, mostly bury my six months in in
37:19
rehab, so a lot of people weren't completely aware of it.
37:26
I expect everyone in Hollywood to.
37:27
Go to rehab at some point, yeah. Yeah.
37:30
Well. I had only had a couple of big
37:32
things that are my belt and luckily it was it was very
37:36
voluntary and there were no police involved.
37:39
So everyone was able to kind of keep it mostly under the radar.
37:44
He got out later, you know, after I had left rehab that had
37:47
been in rehab for six months. But you know, yeah, it's, it is
37:52
what it is. And I, I don't know, it's last
37:57
couple of this week or two since everything it's, it's been, it's
38:05
been a lot, yeah. You said you.
38:09
Woke up in a in a tub. Yeah, I was attacked in my hotel
38:14
room. By the.
38:18
Producer on my last film. It's awful.
38:25
Yeah, at least I. Can still don't trust the people
38:28
around me. I don't know what I would do.
38:30
If I couldn't. Do that basic thing.
38:33
Yeah, well, there's there's a good.
38:35
Reason why Henry is not in charge of me because I almost
38:42
took that fucker out in my hotel room Yeah, I've.
38:47
I, I don't know, it was my dad always likes to say I'm
38:53
incredibly stubborn and I don't know, I managed to snap myself
38:59
out of whatever he was doing and 10 years.
39:03
Of fight. Training came and clutch and and
39:10
part of the reason why they're not letting him be my, you know.
39:17
Hampton and she like finger. Quotes and does the whole head
39:20
waggle because if they're worried.
39:23
If they put me in a room with him, it's going to happen again.
39:27
You know, I full support that though.
39:29
Yeah, well, he. At least he made me work myself
39:35
to exhaustion and then, you know, was praying on me in the
39:40
hospital. What the?
39:45
Yeah. Yeah, if you, if you were paying
39:48
attention to it like TMZ like 2 months ago about me being
39:53
hospitalized for a heat stroke and then the fact that I was in
39:57
the hospital for a month and 1/2.
40:02
Was you? I was like this.
40:06
No, he I was I was being treated as a juice box.
40:13
You know, also fuck that term. Yeah, I think it.
40:17
Was the most applicable term. Oh that's terrible.
40:21
Honestly, if it wasn't for Nick, he would have probably just just
40:26
do the the just the slice across the neck motion.
40:30
I've just done that to be in the the hospital and I would just
40:32
spend, you know, another tragic story of, you know, actress who
40:39
worked herself to death. Astor pulls.
40:42
Up the. Very poorly written suicide
40:45
letter that. Her.
40:48
Her. Killers wrote just like this is
40:51
what was written for me. You can get a chuckle out of it.
40:54
Jesus Christ. It's bad.
40:59
Like God, these people really just need to take like fucking
41:04
lessons in writing. Oh, it's so.
41:08
Glamoratically wrong. It makes me angry.
41:13
Yeah, no, you said we should get out there.
41:15
Sorry, I I haven't really had someone I can bitch to about
41:19
this. Can't tell Taylor and I Nick is
41:27
busy. Nick is honestly I.
41:31
I had some girl talk. Today.
41:32
And I was like, oh gosh, I really.
41:35
Need more girl talk in my life. Yeah, how?
41:40
I'm. Around if you ever need.
41:42
More of that, absolutely. I bet she's like Aster, who's
41:47
going to link her and go there and be like, all right, we're
41:48
going to walk out of here like we're bad bitches.
41:51
Yeah, the. Baddest bitches get up.
41:55
Room You 2. Says the lady who's still
41:57
shuffling through a locker. Why does that keep happening to
42:02
me? I love this is going on.
42:12
Ash, Jeremy, could you also give me a Wits plus awareness rule?
42:17
Sure, sure. Sure. 3 successes. 3 successes.
42:25
Well, first of all. The two of you said you were
42:27
heading towards the You were heading in to get a cup of
42:30
coffee, so assume you're heading in towards the sort of diner
42:33
area. Yupper.
42:36
And it does feel like a. Diner.
42:38
It feels like the sort of place that was built in the 50s and
42:41
no, no additions were needed. It's basically just sat like
42:44
this for the last 75 ish years or so and it's really starting
42:49
to show its age. But none of the patrons seem.
42:53
To be complaining, not that there.
42:55
Are a ton of. Patrons, again, most of them
42:58
appear to be here for the exact reason you are cheap caffeine
43:02
and privacy and to sort of looking around observing your
43:06
environs. It's not like there's a wait
43:10
staff or anything. You have to sort of go up to the
43:14
very. Sticky.
43:16
Bar area Order your coffee. Does he select a relatively
43:23
unobtrusive booth? Jeremy, you're looking around
43:29
and but. You don't see anything out.
43:32
Of the ordinary, The music has changed.
43:36
Sounds almost. Mischievous like the.
43:41
Backing track to the. Pink Panther, like Inspector
43:45
Clouseau, is about to bumble his way into the diner, presumably
43:49
to great comedic effect. OK, is there a Dropbox?
43:54
Is this like a diner Indeed? Is it like one of the old style
43:59
ones? That takes quarters.
44:01
Oh, extremely. You can actually see like it has
44:03
one of those old lever action things that actually shows you
44:07
how it selects the cassette and then sets it in OK.
44:13
Jeremy's going to look at it, tilt his head like he's
44:15
listening, look around and then look at Ash and say I need a
44:19
couple quarters. OK, but.
44:21
No, Tom Jones, Ash says as they they reach into their wallet and
44:26
like, shake out a couple quarters and head them over.
44:30
OK, I'm going to walk over to. The the jukebox I want to.
44:37
Queue up. Theme music that matches the
44:40
backing track of my head. So I want to queue up something
44:44
that sounds like mischievous and just make the best out of the
44:48
vibe that I could read from the room and then cue up the next
44:51
like four or five songs. Is that interesting?
44:55
Go ahead and give me call it either intelligence or composure
45:02
plus performance. 3 successes. Does your cat have a?
45:08
Mustache by the format. Oh, that doesn't sound vaguely.
45:13
Mischievous. You don't know what does you.
45:18
Put in the. Quarters.
45:19
Punch in your selection. Meanwhile.
45:27
Ash, as we're kind of looking over Jeremy is at the far corner
45:31
of the room, kind of absolutely glance down and you see
45:35
something scamper across The Dirty linoleum floor a.
45:42
Little grey lizard. Not something terribly uncommon
45:46
in San Arroyo, but it stops midway through the floor and it
45:49
looks at you, Ash. Feeling I don't.
45:54
Feel. Feel something?
45:55
Resembling absolute. Adoration.
45:59
And it's like, oh, hey there. Suddenly, something else.
46:05
Fills your vision as you see yourself staring into a large
46:09
flannel shirt and the abundance of chest hair they're in as a
46:13
hand slams down on the table in front of you.
46:17
Says hey, I got a question for you, OK?
46:22
Are you? A stud.
46:25
Ash, Ash. Ash looks looks up.
46:30
This is a very complicated. Question and I think you need to
46:32
at least buy me a drink before I answer that.
46:36
You look up into this. Grinning, bearded face.
46:39
You see, the thing that he slammed down in front of you
46:42
wasn't just his hand, but rather a flyer.
46:45
I'm flattered, man. But no, I'm talking about the
46:48
Southwest Teamsters United delivery.
46:55
Oh, he slides the. Flyer to you and indeed you can
46:58
see hey. Little poster.
47:03
With a almost like comically over muscled mascot flexing near
47:08
the acronym STUD looking to rustle up some supporters trying
47:14
to keep end drawn out of our wallets, if you know what I
47:16
mean. Well.
47:18
That's. Certainly noble, and frankly,
47:24
Endron can always stay out of San Arroyo, my man.
47:28
So you. Understand.
47:29
Yeah, we're looking for a donation support, anything and
47:32
everything right now, you know, just trying to keep the good
47:35
working men and and women of Yorkshire County on the straight
47:40
and narrow ash. Smiles and.
47:44
Says well. Neither hard working man or
47:47
woman but Ash like fishes out some of the bills and says.
47:57
And and slides them over. Because they take great joy in
48:02
spending Crawford money to in any like anti capitalist way
48:07
possible. That's that's much appreciated.
48:11
Man, that's much appreciated. All right, I tell you what, you
48:14
coffees on me, Thank. You Ash Flash is a like beatific
48:23
smile. All right, and if you see any?
48:27
Other potential studs out there. Don't be a stranger now, here,
48:30
of course, keep it in mind. Ash taps their temple and he
48:36
starts to. Walk off and you look to where
48:38
the little lizard was and it's gone.
48:41
Ash Hawk. It's the the.
48:43
Flyer Let's see pick up the flyer you.
48:47
Realize there's something written on the back?
48:49
OK, flip it over. Look at it lot number.
48:53
It's written on back in pan along with the words bring your
48:57
pretty friends. Well, OK.
49:02
Ash notes down the number. And we'll wait for everybody to
49:06
return before sharing this information.
49:11
Jeremy. Yeah, you don't know how you
49:15
know of this. You just know.
49:17
Almost as if the music makes it all makes sense.
49:22
Somebody's been watching you since the moment you've stepped
49:24
onto the tarmac, OK? And they've just made.
49:29
Contact and you turn around and you see Ash looking at this
49:33
flyer, or rather what's written on the back.
49:39
Three, we just be here. We be our fantastic selves.
49:43
Good things happen. Jeremy will walk over, popped
49:51
down in front of Ash. He actually, like, cracks his
49:54
neck for a second and, like, closes his eyes.
49:56
And then when he kind of opens them again, like, his eyes are,
49:58
like, bright and flashing and he's energetic and he kind of,
50:03
like, leans in and says, yeah, so things can be fun.
50:07
You're chipper. Yeah.
50:10
Get to hear the backing track. I even put it on for you guys
50:13
and he kind of points over at the jukebox, thinks.
50:17
About it, he's like, yeah. That's not my usual gym, but OK.
50:22
Yeah, it's. It's fun.
50:24
It's mischievous, good-natured. He'll, he's going to kind of
50:27
like lean in to Ash's ear and he's going to kind of say very,
50:31
very quietly, someone's been watching us since we got here.
50:35
And then he'll kind of lean back in.
50:36
Yeah, It'll, it'll be a thing Ash like.
50:40
Ash, like, shrugs a little bit. It's like, isn't that the whole
50:42
point? Yeah, yeah.
50:46
It's a. It's a.
50:47
It's a. Thing.
50:50
Huh. No, I mean, no, I don't know.
50:53
Get in. Goodbye night.
50:54
You know, I like the good vibe. And I think this could be fun.
50:58
It'll be fun. We're gonna have some fun
51:00
tonight. How does that sound?
51:02
I think I like this. Jeremy a lot more than the
51:04
previous nights so let's keep it rolling.
51:08
See what you. Did there?
51:09
Yeah, yeah, yeah. We'll see how this goes.
51:14
So eventually the four of you. Reconvene and with this missive
51:20
in hand, do you head over in that direction Let's.
51:29
Well yeah, we wanted this, so might as well navigating
51:34
through. The.
51:36
Essentially. Parking region, these massive
51:40
rigs, these massive freights attached to them, this
51:45
essentially forest of 18 Wheelers.
51:51
Not terribly difficult to navigate, but all the same, at a
51:54
certain point it starts to become a little bit of a maze.
51:58
The only real illumination coming from the large almost
52:02
flood like like street lamps that illuminate the whole space.
52:08
You check the scratched missive and check the slightly chipped
52:16
numbering the asphalt below you. It's definitely the right place.
52:22
That's where your voice coming from above you as you look up
52:30
and you see where there was none before.
52:32
A figure perched almost gargoyle like on top of one of the 18
52:39
Wheeler Wheelers looking down at the four of you.
52:43
Hey Stud, what's up? My night just got more
52:53
interesting. What are you doing here, Licks?
52:58
Well, we were looking for some information.
53:01
We got directed here and a very nice gentleman in the cat and
53:08
the diner directed us over here. Feel like it's important to ask
53:13
are. You a stud?
53:15
Yeah, you like that tagline? Came up with it myself.
53:19
He says that he's completely silly, waited from behind so
53:24
you're having a difficult time making out any physical
53:26
features, but as he slips down in front of you, comes into the
53:32
light, you kind of wish he hadn't.
53:36
His skin is. It looks like the desert.
53:41
After a drought, it looks scaly and cracked, like the world's
53:46
worst eczema or some kind of reptilian scaling rolled into a
53:54
nasty package covering every single inch of exposed hairless
54:00
skin. No one out here tonight but us
54:06
studs, that's for sure. Edge, you're having a good.
54:12
Time. Yeah, we're having a good time.
54:15
We're. All just having a good time,
54:17
although I don't know you. I mean, I think I might.
54:25
Know look sober at Raleigh some of you I got one of.
54:32
Those faces, it's a pretty nice face.
54:38
He's a stunt, too. Yeah.
54:41
It's won me a couple. Of words still though.
54:44
Don't know any of you from Adam. So all right then.
54:49
What are you doing? Here well.
54:52
Then I suppose we'll. Be courteous and introduce
54:55
ourselves. I'm Ash Crawford.
54:57
No, no, no, no, no, no. Let.
54:58
Me. Let me let me guess, Let me
55:00
guess, Ventru got. It in one.
55:06
Yeah, yeah. Has he got money?
55:08
He's got money, doesn't he? He looks like he's got money.
55:13
Ash, Ash. Ash like does does like a hand
55:17
to cross the throat and jinx their head.
55:20
All right, so you're the money. Must make you the charm, looks
55:25
at Jeremy. Do you?
55:27
Find me charming stud. Call me Toad.
55:32
I like your other. Nickname More.
55:34
Yeah, all my friends call me. Toad, we're friends now, right?
55:37
And he holds out one of his wrinkled claws for you to shake.
55:43
Jeremy will actually do it. Without flinching, go ahead and
55:46
give me. It's called the say Composure
55:49
plus either Performance or Persuasion. 5 successes.
55:57
You. Suppress a bit of an A bit of a
56:00
flinch as you feel the skin is dry and yet somehow it's slimy
56:05
at the same time, like sandpaper that's been soaked and then left
56:13
out in the desert sun, you know? I'm gonna So this is I'm gonna
56:18
mean this entirely complimentary toad.
56:20
You know, you feel like a cat's kiss.
56:23
Wow. OK.
56:24
My ass must taste of ground beef and rainbows with that fun to
56:27
kiss. Oh, it's also a cat A.
56:30
Cat's kiss is No, I don't. Nice to meet you, Jeremy.
56:37
Raleigh. Pleasure to meet you well.
56:41
I mean, this has been fun, go got know each other, palling
56:44
around and all that, but the grin does retract by a couple of
56:49
molars. Still haven't explained why
56:54
you're. Here.
56:57
We're looking for. Information about.
57:02
Some old artifacts. That belong to that belonged to
57:07
Masaf and. You know, forgive me for being
57:11
curious, but what's your interest in the former sheriff?
57:21
It went nutso. We're working.
57:23
With Rafe Padim on some Ash tries to think of how to say it
57:32
sorcery, and that involves some symbolic ties to items from said
57:39
Masaf's past. Tremere I don't.
57:45
Pretend to understand magic. Nah, it's make my skin crawl,
57:53
you know what I mean? I don't even have that much skin
57:56
left to crawl. Or maybe I got too much.
58:05
Well, don't know what. It is you think I.
58:08
Do here, but not exactly a pawn shop, no.
58:15
But it sounded like. That you had information or
58:18
could from what it was described, you know, people who
58:25
might know things. Yeah, lots of.
58:28
Fellow studs out there, of course.
58:31
And one of those people might be Masaf's child.
58:40
Oh the fucking. White.
58:42
Bird. Nah, Nah.
58:44
Nah, you don't want to fuck around with her and why don't?
58:47
We want to fuck around with. Her, I know she's big shit.
58:50
In the in our. Community, but in light and a
58:53
lick, she's a. What's the expression, bitch?
59:02
Well, I. Mean I don't want to.
59:04
Say the B word in such a steamed company.
59:08
But yeah, she's a raging bitch. Still butthurt verb.
59:14
Some glorious revolution that didn't end up happening back in
59:18
the early 2000s, and now she's decided to make it everybody
59:22
else's problem. No, no, no, you don't.
59:27
You don't want to fuck around with that?
59:30
Well. Let's see.
59:32
If you're in the market for, you're working for Pat and then
59:38
you probably get your fair share.
59:41
Creepy crawly bullshit. Yeah, just.
59:44
About maybe we can. Help each other out?
59:54
Of course I don't. I didn't expect anything to be
59:57
free here, of course. Yeah, the only thing.
1:00:00
Free. Here is the view I'm afraid.
1:00:02
What? A view it is.
1:00:06
Yeah, I tried. Moisturizing, but you know the
1:00:08
new routine it just didn't take. I think it's the product I'm
1:00:12
using. There's some French.
1:00:16
Stuff you could try. Ash cracks his violence.
1:00:20
Then how about we discuss some mutual aid?
1:00:26
Mutually, yeah, you're definitely.
1:00:27
A blue blood. OK.
1:00:31
Well. What a mutual aid do you think
1:00:35
you can render upon me, kind Sir?
1:00:39
Well. Before not so warm bodies we
1:00:44
got. Plenty we, we.
1:00:45
Can do some legwork. We can.
1:00:48
I assume that, as I understand it, the coin of the.
1:00:53
Realm is. Favors.
1:00:55
We do something for you. You do something for us, you.
1:00:58
Catch on. Yeah, and there's definitely a
1:01:02
specific favour I've got in mind.
1:01:05
Can we help you have fun? Because it.
1:01:07
Sounds like that's what you have in mind, yeah.
1:01:10
Well, you know, fun is fun. This fun is fun but.
1:01:15
Mischief, let me put it this way.
1:01:19
What? Exactly do you want from me here
1:01:23
we sort of kind. Of need these things in the.
1:01:24
Saws and we kind of are running out of leads of people who like
1:01:29
he hadn't completely burned the bridges with in San Arroyo.
1:01:35
Like sort of kind of know somebody who might be able to
1:01:42
get you something that was once near and dear to the former
1:01:46
sheriff. Perfect.
1:01:48
We would. Arranging introduction or
1:01:53
getting, I mean, anything we can get to get closer to that.
1:01:58
Oh, Oh no, she's. She's not going to talk to you.
1:02:01
No, no, no, no. No, no, no.
1:02:04
No, no, no, no, no. But.
1:02:11
You. Have something that she.
1:02:12
Wants that being. Word travels.
1:02:17
Fast new fish stories about some coterie that popped up out of
1:02:24
the blue apparently went toe to toe with the old Man gang girl
1:02:28
himself and Lid the Dovetail live to tell the tale.
1:02:32
Sure. Yeah, there's a person who is
1:02:41
very interested in getting their grubby little claws into what's
1:02:45
left of Masab's carcass for spooky bullshit reasons, OK?
1:02:52
All I. And I'd be more than happy to
1:02:55
arrange an introduction, but I'm going to need something to
1:03:01
return. And what would that be?
1:03:06
This person that you're going to meet, I need a robber.
1:03:12
Oh, that's it, A. What?
1:03:16
She's got this. Old world jewelry looking thing.
1:03:21
It's like a fucked up rosary chain.
1:03:25
Essentially. Those weirdos at the church gave
1:03:29
it to her, supposed to keep her on the righteous path or
1:03:33
whatever. Honestly, I don't care.
1:03:36
What it is, so long as you know if it's what's keeping her from
1:03:40
going batshit, then I'd prefer that it get gone.
1:03:44
You want her to go batshit? Yeah, you'll understand.
1:03:47
When you meet her, so we're going so.
1:03:49
We steal this chain from her. Yeah, essentially.
1:03:54
All right, so long. As you.
1:03:58
You know, you know, respect the Dark Father and you know, mind
1:04:03
your PS and QS. You should be able to string her
1:04:06
on long enough to get what you need getting.
1:04:08
Because the church hoards all kinds of weird eclectic crap,
1:04:14
no. This might just be context here,
1:04:18
but I'm going to assume you're not talking about the Catholic
1:04:21
Church. You know, 6 of 1/2 a dozen of
1:04:27
the other. Oh my God, there's a.
1:04:29
Fucking vampire religion. I mean, come on.
1:04:33
Buddy, don't you know religions thrive in the desert?
1:04:36
I mean, there's nothing else to do but contemplate how fucking
1:04:38
miserable you are. Oh, that's true all.
1:04:43
Right, so we meet this holy lady Stringer, a log.
1:04:49
Get what we? Need and steal her chain.
1:04:53
Yeah, essentially. All right.
1:04:56
Sure, let's do it. What will happen if?
1:05:00
We take it. Oh, you know, she'll be.
1:05:04
Upset so by not. I recommend not being in the
1:05:07
immediate blast radius you know now, unless you don't like your
1:05:12
limbs and want them to be rearranged in interesting ways.
1:05:17
So you want her to go crazy? Like what's the what's the beef?
1:05:23
Let's just say there really should be a mandatory retirement
1:05:27
age for some licks I. I feel like the compared to
1:05:34
introducing us to her, that's like a big ask.
1:05:38
Well. Yeah, but so I was poking around
1:05:41
and whatever this business is, I mean, you got everybody's dander
1:05:47
up Anarchs Langford's on the warpath, everybody in the flood
1:05:53
tunnels is chittering and chirping away.
1:06:00
You know. You seem like a bunch of UN
1:06:04
upstanding individuals. I'm sure you'll be fine.
1:06:10
Yeah, she's just going to look. Back at all three of them and
1:06:14
give like a little shrug that says like, well, what choice do
1:06:17
we have? I'm trying.
1:06:19
To figure out the. The nice way to phrase this, but
1:06:22
OK. I see I.
1:06:24
Think I'd like the way you didn't say roll this guy.
1:06:25
Definitely that. I was wondering.
1:06:28
When somebody was going to do that, Yeah, go ahead and give me
1:06:32
wits plus insight. Four and I get hungrier.
1:06:39
You've. Never known the pink.
1:06:41
Panther theme to sound vaguely sinister, but that's.
1:06:45
What's creeping? Into the periphery, this toad
1:06:50
individual. Granted, it's your first time
1:06:53
making shady deals in the darkened expanse of a truck
1:06:58
stop, it seems like he's a little too eager almost to help
1:07:04
you out, despite the fact that you were a group of complete
1:07:07
strangers. Add that to the fact that he is
1:07:10
very clearly withholding information.
1:07:14
And he is, clearly. Clocked the fact that you don't
1:07:18
have all the information and he clearly is using that to his
1:07:21
advantage as well. Interesting.
1:07:24
You don't know how much of that is.
1:07:26
You just intuiting it and how much of that is the music, But
1:07:30
at this point, does it really matter?
1:07:31
He actually kind of. Smiles a moment and he he's like
1:07:36
staring at Toad for a SEC and he says so why are you helping us?
1:07:45
Then like why stick? Your neck out for us of all
1:07:47
people. Well, you know fellow studs in.
1:07:50
Need, yeah, yeah. Except, like, you know, you
1:07:55
don't feel like the type of person who's going to stick your
1:07:57
neck out for anybody. Especially not.
1:08:00
UPS. So either what you're wanting of
1:08:03
us is an absurdly complicated ass that you're just hoping that
1:08:07
we're going to say yes to, or there's something else here that
1:08:10
you're not telling us. So like what?
1:08:12
What's going on? Here.
1:08:13
The. Eyes narrow, or maybe just the
1:08:17
creases where his eyes are supposed to be.
1:08:20
Old. Slightly more.
1:08:22
You're not really sure. OK, maybe not as fresh as I
1:08:26
thought. Think Fan 15.
1:08:29
He gives it away. The what?
1:08:31
Exactly. Oh boy, you're.
1:08:34
OK, Yep, figured it out all right.
1:08:38
I may may have told a little white one she's my sire.
1:08:48
Mommy issues you. Know how it is?
1:08:51
Yeah. And this.
1:08:54
Fucking cult. Because it is a fucking cult,
1:08:57
believe you me. Has gotten up in her.
1:09:01
Head and made people believe that she can actually turn over
1:09:04
a new leaf. And I'm telling you, there might
1:09:07
be some licks out there that are worthy of a second chance, but
1:09:13
she ain't one of them. And I quite frankly am tired of.
1:09:17
All the holier than thou bullshit because not only does
1:09:22
she believe it, but now she's got some friends of mine
1:09:25
starting to believe it and honestly I'm getting tired of
1:09:28
the sermonizing. So I want in.
1:09:33
A nutshell to let. Everybody get a good.
1:09:36
Long look of what she really is like and.
1:09:41
Then maybe just. Maybe Langford will get off his
1:09:44
crusty ass and do something about it, trying to get her
1:09:47
killed, yeah. Killed is so final.
1:09:53
I'm trying to get her comeuppance so.
1:10:00
Then I guess to speak for Ganesh here, you agree that your
1:10:07
initial request from us is probably a little heavier than
1:10:10
the worthwhile. The meaning is because it's
1:10:12
basically we're doing everything that you want us to do and then
1:10:17
we're going to eat the consequences for stealing not
1:10:21
just one thing, but multiple things from her well.
1:10:25
When you put it like that, it almost.
1:10:26
Sounds like I made this rather one sided.
1:10:30
No, I think that's exactly what. You did, Toad.
1:10:33
Come on man. Sorry you seem.
1:10:36
You seemed new. You can't fault a guy for
1:10:39
trying. I think we can't.
1:10:43
I mean we. I mean as long as bygones are.
1:10:46
Bygones, like what are you actually offering?
1:10:48
Like obviously that was your first offer.
1:10:50
I'm sure you've got a better one.
1:10:51
Otherwise you wouldn't have led with the low ball, right?
1:10:53
OK, OK, OK, OK. OK, All right, clearly.
1:10:58
You're not as green. As I thought that's my bad but.
1:11:03
Believe it or not. I was setting you on the right
1:11:06
path, I just maybe wasn't giving you all the juicy details.
1:11:11
Here's what I do now. Harry told you that the church
1:11:14
hoards all kinds of weird crap. What you probably don't know is
1:11:19
that there's two places in the city that the Camarilla sends
1:11:25
it's weird crap. One is the Historical Society
1:11:30
downtown. Can you guess where the other
1:11:34
one is? This church.
1:11:37
Bingo. Just so happens that it was the
1:11:40
duty of the previous sheriff to deliver things that were
1:11:44
otherwise so interminably weird that they required an honest
1:11:51
approach. I guess I don't know.
1:11:55
Anyway, point is, besides, had plenty of dealings with the
1:11:58
church before he went off the deep end, so I'm willing to bet
1:12:01
that if you were to peer through the storehouses, you'd
1:12:04
definitely find something useful.
1:12:06
And I happen to know where they keep all the something's useful,
1:12:14
presumably how to get in. Well, I mean, I don't.
1:12:18
I mean, I don't mean to brag, but brag it's fine.
1:12:23
Very simple. Kleptomaniac tit for tat,
1:12:27
wouldn't you say? You steal something from me, I
1:12:31
steal something for you. And how do you know?
1:12:35
What we need? I'm good.
1:12:36
I will. Admit I was going to just grab
1:12:39
the shiniest thing, assuming you did pull it off and just deposit
1:12:43
to you. But you seem like you're not
1:12:45
going to fall for that sort of thing.
1:12:46
So maybe furnish me with a bit more detail like what exactly
1:12:50
you after here. It would have to be something
1:12:52
that. Massav actually cared about.
1:12:55
It was like important to him. I mean I.
1:12:57
Didn't get drinks with the guy perhaps?
1:13:02
A tool of his or think he carried around.
1:13:07
I mean, he had this big. Ass.
1:13:08
Handgun. I think it was mostly for like.
1:13:12
Ceremonial perps, I mean beats. The hell of a tin star, I guess,
1:13:15
but I don't know what happened to that.
1:13:17
Yeah, we're working on that one, but.
1:13:19
I don't know like. He's a fucking cowboy that he
1:13:22
have like a lucky coin, like a lucky deck of cards or like a
1:13:28
favorite hat Hat yes IA 100% believe.
1:13:32
That man had a hat but or a sheriff's badge, but that would
1:13:39
be way too trophy. All right, let me, let me think.
1:13:42
Let me think, got a notebook? A notebook would be good.
1:13:49
That's also good. I don't know if it was like.
1:13:52
One of those detective chicken scratch type things, or I don't
1:13:56
know, it could be a fucking pocket Bible for all I know.
1:13:58
But yeah, now definitely. Remember last Elysium?
1:14:04
Yeah, he was. Acting normal.
1:14:08
He was acting. Normal the last time you.
1:14:10
Saw him when was that normal? Is relative for a guy that old
1:14:15
this is maybe like a month back OK.
1:14:21
I remember because. They brought in these.
1:14:22
Vessels from Vegas, you know, like those showgirl types
1:14:26
basically bleed cocaine instead of blood.
1:14:28
That was it was a fun evening. Damn.
1:14:35
Yeah. Anyway, no, like that.
1:14:38
That about narrowed it down for you.
1:14:42
OK, so you you want. Us to take the crucifix from
1:14:45
her. I wouldn't.
1:14:47
Recommend just walking. Up to her and snatching it off
1:14:50
because you know, that's a great way to get your face rearranged.
1:14:52
But you know, I'm sure you'll get creative.
1:14:54
I don't have those types of. Mommy issues, I know.
1:14:59
You can't pick them. But you're stuck with them
1:15:04
forever. More or less.
1:15:08
But I guess until you're not. OK, well, until some you know.
1:15:12
Perhaps generous strangers come around and give this lonesome
1:15:17
stud chance to work out some deep seated problems with this
1:15:21
extended family. Or something to that effect.
1:15:27
It's normal, OK. So we.
1:15:29
Get her crucifix from. Her and you get us to solve
1:15:32
stuff. That.
1:15:34
Seems that seems actually sort of agreeable to me.
1:15:40
He's Jeremy's going to look at everybody else.
1:15:44
Seems fine by me. Works for me.
1:15:48
Call me old fashioned, but. I like the shake on things
1:15:52
Jeremy will. Offer him his hand again.
1:15:53
No, no, no, no, no, no. No, I want one of the two in the
1:15:58
back to shake my hand. Am I not pretty enough for you?
1:16:04
Oh, you're. Plenty pretty, you're just not
1:16:06
my type, sorry. Feels like when a cat licks you,
1:16:12
by the way. Good to know.
1:16:15
And I'm going to sort of move up a little bit and extend my hand
1:16:23
probably I need. A composure plus persuasion rule
1:16:29
and. I'm going to spend a willpower.
1:16:32
For four successes, well, you are an actress.
1:16:37
Yeah. Because yeah, this.
1:16:41
Is cold. And.
1:16:45
Damp and rough, and it skin on the palm of his hand shifts in a
1:16:52
way that skin is not supposed to.
1:16:56
Gives you a good hearty. Handshake.
1:17:00
But when you manage not to. Recoil.
1:17:03
Since you all been such agreeable studs, I'll even throw
1:17:10
in this tidbit for free end of each week they have.
1:17:14
I guess you called their version of Mass Saint Francis Garces,
1:17:20
but they don't conduct these sort of things in the main
1:17:25
floor, you understand? I mean, after all, church can
1:17:31
only get away with so. Much on a daily basis, am I
1:17:34
right? Yeah.
1:17:37
So what what you're going to want to do is you're going to
1:17:40
want to look for the guy who's on the night shift maintaining
1:17:46
the mission grounds, right? You can tell him that you're
1:17:51
here to be among your fellow brothers and sisters in Cain.
1:17:57
That should. That should.
1:17:58
Get you past the door. I know.
1:18:01
For a fact that she's. There every week like clockwork.
1:18:07
Trust me, you'll know her when you see her, I mean.
1:18:11
If you think I. Got a butter face then.
1:18:16
Yeah, well, sounds like. We've got a deal and a plan.
1:18:19
Do you want the crucifix? Or do you just want us to take
1:18:24
it? You can I.
1:18:26
Don't know. Mount it over your door for good
1:18:28
luck. For all I care.
1:18:30
All I need is a spot to drop off the ill gotten goods once the
1:18:36
deed is done. Mm hmm.
1:18:39
I don't look at me. I don't actually like.
1:18:40
Have a place to stay. So that's gonna be 1 of them.
1:18:44
Kind of. Look over at.
1:18:45
At Ash because they're the ones with the permanent residence,
1:18:51
Yeah. Shrugs Like all.
1:18:52
Right. Yeah, my.
1:18:56
Yeah, OK. All right.
1:19:03
Since you've been. Since you've been so magnanimous
1:19:06
with us, obviously stay well clear of Mustaf.
1:19:11
He's like gone full cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs I believe is the
1:19:15
term. And his skin is basically like
1:19:18
rock, so you can't even like. Hit him.
1:19:24
I mean, there's a reason why he was.
1:19:26
In charge of security for so long.
1:19:28
This is because of his sparkling personality.
1:19:30
He's also like piling. Bodies like they're.
1:19:34
Going out of style. Yeah, yeah, I.
1:19:38
I feel like that's more of a you problem than a me problem
1:19:41
though. I'm just it's just a friendly
1:19:44
warning. If you see him run.
1:19:47
Oh, I'm not. Planning on.
1:19:49
Getting that a that a country mile, that guy, believe you me,
1:19:53
a very good idea. Yeah, no the.
1:19:57
I leave all that fisticuffs shit.
1:19:58
To that sheriff in his posse. There is, Sheriff, also related
1:20:09
to this lady? Yeah.
1:20:11
Distantly, she's old enough that almost every sewer rat in the
1:20:15
county line is related to her in some way, shape or form.
1:20:20
We got a well, when you look like this, you really only can
1:20:25
bond with other people who are similarly visually impaired, I
1:20:31
guess you could say. So I'm not saying.
1:20:35
We all know each other, but we all know of each other, more or
1:20:40
less. Langford, though, you never.
1:20:44
Come to family reunions. Ever since he got that fucking
1:20:47
promotion, he thinks he's so much better than the rest of us
1:20:50
plebeians families like that. Sometimes they just you.
1:20:56
Know there's always that one family member, right?
1:21:01
Right. This guy knows what I'm talking
1:21:02
about. Ash makes a log.
1:21:06
Like stares off into the middle distance with just a haunted
1:21:11
look on their face. I mean, yeah, see that
1:21:16
somebody's. Got into a fistfight to
1:21:17
Thanksgiving, am I right? Feel like hindered spirits.
1:21:23
Oh yeah, never heard that one before.
1:21:27
We're not always as. Clever as we think.
1:21:28
All right. Well, thanks, Todd.
1:21:32
It was nice to meet you and expand our horizons meeting
1:21:35
other studs. Yeah, yeah, don't worry.
1:21:39
Don't worry about it. In the meantime, though, you're
1:21:42
going to be palling around. All I ask is that you know you
1:21:45
keep your fangs to yourself, of course.
1:21:49
Some hard working folks out. Here and you know they're
1:21:52
already a lot of them are already running on empty.
1:21:55
You know what I mean, I. Do right then well.
1:22:03
Remember. 1st every week. Brothers and sisters and Kane.
1:22:10
Thanks. Yeah.
1:22:12
Yeah. Go and pretend to drink the
1:22:15
Kool-aid. Well, I mean.
1:22:18
Don't actually drink the flavour aid.
1:22:20
Yeah, I, I. Didn't plan on it I've.
1:22:24
Dealt with enough cults. Of personality.
1:22:27
That I'm. I'm good.
1:22:29
Trust me, sweetheart. These guys make the
1:22:32
Scientologists seem positively conversational by comparison.
1:22:38
You'll see when you get there. Lovely.
1:22:48
But as he's he's been slowly backing up this entire time
1:22:53
later. Ted get you later, stud he.
1:22:59
He slowly. Vanishes.
1:23:01
Out of view around one of these rigs?
1:23:06
He goes. Well.
1:23:09
I actually have an idea by the. Way.
1:23:11
Not sure how relevant it is, but good idea I think for this.
1:23:17
That hopefully will involve nobody.
1:23:18
Getting married or killed or stabbed or violently
1:23:21
disnumbered. So let's, let's hope.
1:23:25
Yeah. And.
1:23:27
I'm I don't have. Sticky.
1:23:30
Fingers, so I wouldn't be good to take something from someone.
1:23:37
I'm really good at. It.
1:23:39
I just want to talk to her. Somehow that doesn't surprise me
1:23:44
that. You're good at that.
1:23:45
Aster stole a few. Key cards in my life.
1:23:50
All right, well. Music's going away, so let's
1:23:52
let's get out of here, all right?