Episode 14: Zuse Needs a Leash

Gather 'Round the Trashfires

AJ must reach his mom to seek her help and check on her. The cohort comes along as support, but it's a race to the bottom to determine which one endangers the cohort the most with their antics.

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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: GCC Episode 14: Zuse Needs a Leash

Get your snack and beverage of choice ready.

It’s time to “Gather ‘Round the Trashfires” for a tabletop roleplaying story! I’m your host, Bek Andrew Evans.

Those of you who've followed the podcast will have noticed I haven't posted in a while, and also didn't announce I was going on break. I wasn't planning on it. It's a little cliche to say that nearly everything possible went wrong, but my lights did nearly get shut off, had to take point on getting new jobs for both my family members I live with, I had to repair my computer, and everyone got COVID. As much as I would have loved to keep putting out episodes through that whole thing, it's a little difficult to focus on much of anything but trying to solve whatever the most severe and immediate problems are - and the occasional game session itself.

And then, even when I expected to get back, my mental health had taken a pretty major hit for a while so transitioning back into working on tabletop stuff has taken longer than expected.

I plan to be back to my update schedule now since things are looking better. As always, you can get more between-episode updates and directly support me through my Patreon at Patreon.com/BekAndrewTTRPG. You can also see pictures of my service dog in training, Remi.

My current and main running story for this podcast is the misadventures of the cohort from the Deviant: the Renegades chronicle I’ve been playing in since early 2021. And I play Geri.

For those of you unfamiliar with Deviant, it’s a TTRPG about people who were formerly human but were irreparably changed in traumatic ways to the point their very Souls broke and they became something Other. They seek vengeance on those who made them, those who hunt them, those who seek to exploit them for what they are and will never leave them be.

As such, this podcast will feature heavy themes and content throughout. There’s an overall content warning for language, violence, criminality, homelessness, substance use, human experimentation, cults and religious extremism, mentioned torture, kidnapping, implied incest and incest-related comments, and abusive relationships. On episodes where there is a new content warning or a particularly notable instance of one of these, I’ll call it out.

There's an episode content warning for cancer mention.

I hope y’all enjoy hearing about my cohort’s antics and stumbling headfirst into the mysteries of the world as much as I have.

[Music Intro: "_violence" by Avantist]

Green Country Calcination Episode 14: Zuse Needs a Leash

The cohort begins to gather in the common area the morning they're meant to go out. Grant's freshly showered, wearing his normal sort of outfit and had already been awake for a while. Geri was awake at sunrise for a workout, took a nap, and woke up for the mission. She's fixing a last coffee before they head out.

Unlike his normal, AJ's actually up relatively early, ready to go with backpacks packed for everyone sitting in the living room. He also has a wrapped present about the size of a small toddler wrapped in snoopy Christmas paper. He's wearing his normal sort of bright-colored nerdy joke superhero graphic tee, a green and blue open jogging suit jacket with matching pants, and some running shoes. He's pale and tense.

Grant doesn't sit down, always seeming ready to go. He greets the other two and asks AJ if he's ready to go.

AJ nervously says he is and thanks them for agreeing to come along.

Grant figures the group's proven they're trustworthy after the last mission, and are helping him with Sophie. Besides, at least this one's a person.

Geri declares they are NOT rescuing any more cats.... unless the cat's not out of the way.

AJ gets into the plan when Grant asks. He says he'll call his mom once they're about an hour out and she'll tell them what area to meet her. Madison's already nabbed the floor plans. AJ explains they can cover the different access points on the way up be able to play lookout or be ready to make decoys for a getaway - with the present in his hands being one of them. He asks who wants to be a decoy and who wants to do lookout.

Just then, right after the explanation, Robert arrives. He's wearing an all-white jogging suit, hoodie hood up and a face mask with an energy drink in his hand.

Geri looks at Robert and... sighs. AJ takes Robert's outfit in and tells him they already have to get all this clearly metallic stuff past museum security without Madi's help since she's still doing hacker stuff.

Robert tells the others to complain to the lake if they don't like how he's dressed, he didn't choose to be allergic to the sun - or do the mission during the day.

Geri asks if he could get an umbrella or maybe just a ton of sunscreen, so he could be a little less conspicuous. Grant agrees and suggests he could say he has skin cancer.

Robert says his protection stuff is just for outside, he can put it away once he's inside since it's the act of being under sunlight that's bad, not the UV, which he's discovered through more trial and error. An umbrella could work, but people would get suspicious if he gets hurt from it moving wrong by accident. So the mask and hoodie helps prevent that.

Grant says all of it's suspicious and they're trying to help him workshop the least suspicious thing.

Robert says he can try it next time, but if he gets burnt, it'll be Grant's fault. Grant just shrugs at that.

Geri offers for Robert to wear a medical facemask instead to support the cancer ruse. Only a monster would question a cancer patient.

Robert says there's lots of everyday monsters around. He dismisses the idea of changing clothes for the time being and changes subject to his idea for the mission - he can be all the lookouts with his clones, switching between them a few times every minute. That way the others can use their powers to the fullest extent.

AJ thinks that's a good idea, but Robert needs to make sure he doesn't end up looking like a coordinated attack of hooded masked people. Then he hands out the backpacks he brought to everyone and explains what's in them. He tells Grant he's got a Smokey Boi and Shouty Gal, Geri's got a Flashy Gal and a Smokey Boi, Robert's got the Sugga Daddy, and AJ's got Party Boi.

Robert asks what Sugga Daddy does, and AJ says it's a people trap. He explains it's for getaways. You put it on the ground, flip the switch on top and run away. It'll activate five seconds after.

Grant asks if they'll talk in each other's heads again, Geri confirms and explains it helps for distance and communication security.

The four finish their last second preparations and head out the door, AJ leading the way. They wander through the park to the secluded parking lot where they store the vehicles. Zuse is already there with a former youth group van - he's got a black backpack, bare chest, black board shorts, flip flops, and a rubber duck floaty on his waist. He's holding a pool noodle and his hair's dyed bright purple. There's sunscreen that hasn't absorbed properly on his nose.

He shouts across the parking lot that they missed the beach.

Geri chuckles at Zuse's antics. Grant gives an overwhelmed and grossly underpaid for this experience look. Robert curses in frustration.

AJ smirks but then gets very serious. One by one he tells Zuse each part of his ensemble is unacceptable. And that he has to wear a shirt to the museum.

Zuse complains that he knows what museums are like, he's been to them before. He says he basically is one with all the internet he's experienced over the years. He starts tossing his water toys in the van.

Grant, Robert, and Geri start getting settled in the van, themselves.

AJ says if that's the case, Zuse can just wait in the van alone with his toys. Zuse sarcastically replies that he'll totally stay in the van the whole time.

Geri mutters that Zuse never stays in the van, and Grant reminds her last time Zuse was helpful and stayed put.

Zuse explains, much less suspiciously, that AJ's mother will be disappointed if he doesn't come say hello.

AJ climbs in his seat and pulls out one of the burner phones. He adopts a horrendous fake Australian accent and starts the classic 'refrigerator running' bit with whoever's on the other end.

The rest of the cohort stop what they were doing or looking at to stare in bewilderment, judging, and in Robert's case, mild awe, at AJ's accent... skills.

After a moment, AJ frowns and breaks character to quietly whine to his mom on the other end that she's supposed to say 'Yes, the refrigerator's running.' He grins, again putting on that fake terrible Aussie accent and finishes the bit, telling his mom that she better go catch it.

The cohort can hear AJ's mom exclaim 'Alexander Joseph' through the phone at the bad joke.

Grant rolls his eyes. Geri giggles. Robert chuckles.

AJ finishes up a very short check-in with his mom before hanging up and breaking the burner phone. He tells the cohort it's time to go.

Robert starts driving, and it's busy the whole way there. At the very least, there's no accidents or too much police presence.

AJ asks Zuse to mess with the metal detectors when they get there. Zuse excitedly says he'll try, but doesn't make any promises. He's also intent on hearing a new Ariana Grande song, so he keeps switching the radio back to the local pop station no matter who changes it. The cohort just have to deal with it. He'd found a tee-shirt stored in the van - an 'I'm with stupid' shirt that points in both directions.

It takes the cohort a bit over an hour to make it to the planetarium, but once they get there, the rain's let up. The parking lot at the planetarium is super packed and Robert looks for a spot like an irritated sit-com father on a road trip. Geri impatiently tries, with little luck, to point out a spot for Robert, but it takes him a while longer to find a suitable spot for the large van.

Robert parks and tells the others they should go to the entrance nearest to the elevators so they can head up to the second floor right away. Grant asks where they're meeting AJ's mom, and AJ clarifies they're meeting at the planetarium - which is only a section of the museum - and they have tickets already reserved. They're supposed to be youth counselors coming to meet Ms. Holt.

Zuse decides, on hearing the plan, that maaaaaybe he should change his shirt. He throws on a tee shirt from the thrift shop pile with a giant neon pink graphic print design of a cross on the front.

Geri complains about the new shirt, and AJ assures him they're all just glad he's actually wearing a shirt. Zuse compromises by wearing both shirts at once.

Robert struggles to avoid getting any sun on his skin while he's getting out of the van, even covered up. He refocuses the group from the Zuse shenanigans, asking where he's supposed to watch and if AJ's gonna tell him when he's supposed to transform.

AJ pulls out a paper map of the museum and a marker and starts marking out locations for the others. Geri, meanwhile, boots up the Mindcraft Server.

Grant remarks he's not sure he'll ever get used to the telepathy and takes a look at the long line to get in. He notices why it's so crowded - it's law enforcement appreciation day at the museum. Officers and their families have free admission.

When the cohort realizes this, they all have a moment of 'are you fucking kidding me?' Except for Zuse. He seems completely oblivious to why the rest of the cohort is suddenly in a very sour mood and instead comments on how happy all the families look.

AJ tells everyone, through the Mindcraft, to act normal. Maybe they can use the crowd to their advantage?

Geri asks Zuse to be on extra-good behavior as the cohort trek forward. Zuse doesn't understand what she means, so AJ explains to pretend to be a normal, boring person and just walk inside.

Zuse wonders if that means they don't need him to fool the scanners anymore. They still do. But otherwise need him to be boring.

There's a lot of flashes of binary code in the network, right as they get up to the front of the line. The acne-pocked young worker, 'Elijah' from his name tag, smiles awkwardly to the group, stammering as he speaks. He stares at Robert and his overly-covering outfit and asks if it's hot.

Grant smoothly slides to the front of the cohort and sincerely confides in the poor worker that Robert's got real bad skin cancer, but he came to see the planes... cuz it might be his last chance.

Robert nods solemnly. Geri tears up a little at Grant's explanation, apparently able to cry on demand.

Elijah looks away like Robert's turbo-cancer might be contagious via line of sight and immediately changes the subject to ask how many tickets they need.

AJ takes the lead and says they're youth counselors from Camp 'Touch-a-Star,' and they have tickets reserved to meet Ms. Holt inside.

Grant, meanwhile, keeps up the act pretend-consoling Robert in front of the ticket worker and makes sure it's real awkward, saying things like 'it's okay buddy, we're gonna make sure you get to see that crop-duster.'

The cohort doesn't get too many weird looks, only the occasional child - who promptly gets a scolding from their mother. It's downtown Tulsa, after all.

Elijah looks the tickets up on the computer, appreciative to be free from awkward conversation for a moment, before printing them out and ushering the cohort through security.

Before the cohort can leave, though, he tells them the elevators by the planetarium are out of order, so if they want to check out the new digital sky maps, they'll have to go to the food court to get upstairs.

While Zuse wonders in the mindcraft if the food court has tacos, the rest of the cohort express frustration their very simple plan has already been complicated again.

AJ quickly devises a new plan. He tells Robert to station a clone by the food court entrance instead of the planetarium elevator, but he also thinks they should watch the elevator in case it's a lie that they're nonfunctional.

The cohort approaches the row of metal detectors. Zuse gives them a grin and wink of surely being up to no good and takes his ticket from AJ before going up first. He runs his fingers along the device, and has to go through again because it popped up an error message. They keep passing him through different metal detectors. Three give error messages before security gives up and pats him down and clears him. He nonchalantly leans against the security desk equipment while he waits for the others.

The cohort pass through, one by one without issue - except for that the guards' faces keep getting redder and more clearly shocked and embarrassed with each one they let go through. They're VERY eager to end the interaction with the cohort.

AJ gives Zuse a questioning look, and Zuse explains he made anything illicit the cohort was carrying look like dildos on the security screen.

Geri thinks it's funny. Robert asks him why the fuck he did that. Grant's just glad it worked. Zuse points out who would stop and question a stranger why they brought their dildos to the museum?

AJ is already exhausted with all of this and just trying to herd the cats into the lookout locations already. Robert says he'll duck into a bathroom to transform.

They need another person to take the additional lookout spot of the "broken" elevators, since Robert only has three clones. Zuse offers, especially since he wants to see if he can get them working for an escape. Zuse wanders off then to go play with the elevators, or tries to until AJ tells him to stay with the group until they're on the Planetarium side.

Zuse cheers for the food-court and runs ahead, in the correct direction at least, like the hundreds of kids and teens already inside.

The food court is a massive structure within the museum - two stories with stairs, an elevator, and escalators connecting the floors. There isn't much of a floor between the second and first floors, instead the second floor is a balcony that opens into the restaurant stands and looks down to the first floor. Dozens of model planes from different eras and a NASA space shuttle are suspended from the high ceiling. The place has hundreds of people getting food from the dozens of restaurant stalls to eat at the many tables with children running around.

Zuse makes a bee line for a taco stand. Robert, meanwhile, heads to the second floor men's bathroom to start cloning himself in peace.

AJ spots Zuse, strolls over to him, grabs him by the collar, and leads him back to the cohort without a word. Zuse flails and pouts for a moment, but hangs his head and sadly returns without a fight.

The cohort surveys the area. AJ and Grant are able to confirm at least a few off-duty cops in the large crowd, but no one's on-duty except for the museum security guard chatting with a guy in a Tulsa PD t-shirt holding his baby.

Meanwhile, Robert is upstairs in the men's bathroom. He has to wait in line for a stall and then, when one does finally open up, it's the disability-accessible stall. The stall smells horrific from the visitor who just left it. They didn't flush.

Now hidden, Robert begins to transform. He becomes more slender and stretched out, deathly pale. He has a leaner, more wiry muscular build in this form with skin that appears thinner and stretched.

Thankfully, no one in the bathroom notices the transformation since he's in the stall. It could quickly become obvious, though, if multiple people come out since there's a line.

Robert updates the rest of the cohort over the Mindcraft about the situation, that he's transformed but there are people outside. He's unsure how to pull off duplicating himself unnoticed.

AJ suggests having the clones exit at 5-minute intervals. Grant suggests having the first clone tell people the toilet is out of order to discourage people from trying. He also notes there's a lot of police present.

Robert.... sort of does as suggested. He quickly kicks pipes behind the toilet until the pipes break and flushes the toilet until it overflows. By some freak stroke of luck, the sound of his banging is covered up by an extremely loud fart from the other stall. Dirty water has flooded the bathroom. He peeks his head out and tells the now extremely few people waiting that the previous occupant broke something. They don't argue, just rush out.

Robert's free to duplicate himself and begin releasing his three clones. The clones go to their designated lookout points and the original meets up with the cohort again. He says he'll switch to his clones to peek in every 30 seconds or so, but the real him can keep walking around with the cohort - he's faster now.

No one's noticed yet that the clones are clones. There are too many people around, and the clones quickly spread out to different areas.

They cohort starts making their way to the planetarium finally, with Grant and Geri keeping a lookout for cameras. Zuse trails behind, having to retrieve the flip-flop he keeps accidentally kicking off. Geri flashes images of the locations she spots into the mindcraft. Grant subtly indicates camera locations with small gestures, keeping his face lowered so the camera can't pick it up with his ball cap. Grant notes the cameras seem normal, but two are trained right at the door.

Once they're upstairs, Robert switches to sentry mode and periodically switches between his clones to act as a living camera bank.

There's a crowd trying to get into the planetarium. Most of the cohort's able to blend in just fine, but a running kid smacks right into Grant and knocks them both over. When he glances up, his ball cap's fallen off and he's looking right into a camera. A guard comes over to make sure everyone's fine, and Grant graciously plays it off. He sends the kid on their way back to their parents, quick lets the parents know its no big deal, and catches up to the cohort.

AJ assures them that so long as there's no incidents, no one'll have reason to look at the tape ever, anyway.

The cohort have a moment of child-like wonder - even Grant - when they enter the Planetarium and experience the huge, extremely hi-def images of the night sky and Milky Way suddenly surrounding them. There's a pleasant recorded voice discussing space facts from speakers around them.

AJ's the only one not enraptured by anything around him. He's, for once, on task trying to track down his mom. He asks Zuse if the elevator's really busted. Then yells at him when Zuse is too busy drooling about all the tech in the room to immediately answer. After more insistent prodding and demands, Zuse separates from the group (and those tantalizing pieces of technology) to investigate the elevator.

Robert looks for anyone with a familial resemblance to AJ. Geri actually asks what AJ's mom looks like. It doesn't matter, though, because AJ quickly spots Rebecca Werner-Holt on his own. He's so excited to see her, he forgets to speak aloud and calls out to her through the Mindcraft at first.

Rebecca's sitting alone by a computer stand with bar stools. She's taller than average at 5'8 and holds her head proudly. She dresses pretty, but casual, in a white lacy button up short-sleeve top, jeans, and tennis shoe, her long dark brown hair pulled back in a loose bun. She keeps her small purse close under her arm and a grip on her phone.

She smiles with relief to the cohort when she AJ calls out to her and quietly beckons them over, greeting her son and addressing the chaotic tech-merger as... "Uncle Zuse."

He's just now returning from inspecting the elevators, and ends up behind the cohort in time for Rebecca to see him. He waves back to her as if he expected this.

The cohort's collective brain breaks. They ask in the mindcraft about why AJ's mom called Zuse uncle. Zuse explains technically he's her great-uncle, as if that answered what they were really asking.

AJ quietly shares his confusion with his mother and shouts his confusion in the Mindcraft.

Zuse thinks they're all confused because they don't know what a great-uncle is, so he sincerely explains he's the brother of Rebecca's grandfather.

Rebecca gives AJ a hug and asks him what's wrong.

AJ bemoans how complicated and tangled his family tree keeps getting in the Mindcraft and explains to his mom that he didn't realize Zuse was his uncle.

Rebecca gives her great uncle, who physically appears close in age to her son, a look but asks the cohort if he's been taking care of them all. Zuse asks in the Mindcraft for them to tell her he's been doing good at his job.

Robert keeps his comments about the cohort taking more care of Zuse than the other way around contained to the mindcraft. Geri and AJ cover for Zuse and assure Rebecca he's been helpful.

AJ introduces the cohort by saying they're his friends and they've all helped keep him safe. Rebecca seems happy to hear all this and greets the cohort, asking if they're all from the ward run by her "in-law in-chief", Gabriel.

Before they can answer, Robert quietly announces that they should talk outside. There's a moment of confusion whether Robert saw something, and it turns out he was being overly cautious. They decide to stay where they are in the dark and din of crowds and recorded voices.

The cohort as a whole is antsy and on edge while they're chatting. AJ answers belatedly that they're from the ward and emphasizes that he couldn't've made it without them. He asks if his mom's okay, and where the people watching her think she is now.

Robert has another announcement, this time through the mindcraft. Agent Knox is in the museum with a woman. He's off-duty. The mindcraft becomes chaos.

Oblivious to the mindcraft discussion, Rebecca answers she doesn't report where she's going, but Gabriel's friends have deep government pockets - so it's reasonable to assume she could be watched.

AJ confirms they are watching her, so asks again where they think she is. She says the salon.

Geri snoops on Knox from afar, reconnecting to him with telepathy. She makes extra sure this time to keep him fully out of the mindcraft server. There's still a small trickle of the Long Man Song that slips into the Mindcraft Server from Knox's idle thoughts when she connects, which makes AJ forget what he was saying.

Grant asks if Zuse can fix the elevator, and Zuse says he'll try, but it seems to be legitimately broken.

From Rebecca's point of view, her son visibly spaces out, takes a moment to recover, then tells her to not panic but they've got company. He starts apologizing that he knows she had things to tell him but they don't have a lot of time. He walks with her to the back of the room with his big wrapped present, placing it on one of the tables, then immediately changes his mind to get it back.

Meanwhile, Geri finds out that Knox really is just there on a date. Unrelated, he knows Rebecca Werner-Holt is AJ's mom and someone the cohort would be likely to contact.... however, he is extremely hesitant to do anything that would endanger her. He heard Gabriel murdered the last person who put her in danger. The wildest rumor he heard was Gabe ripped out a guy's heart with his bare hand in a board meeting.

Rebecca's immediately concerned and asks AJ how he knows that, that they don't have a lot of time.

Geri passes on the information to the cohort and has to assure AJ Knox wasn't actively thinking about his mom, Geri had just gone digging for what he knew about Rebecca.

AJ... carefully says he has 'eyes all over the place.' She glances over to the cohort members who aren't paying attention to the conversation between mother and son. Robert keeps spacing out every so often when his consciousness oscillates between his clones and Grant is keeping a watchful eye for danger, ready to pounce.

She skeptically accepts but doesn't press further. She says she wasn't expecting it to be Law Enforcement Appreciation Day.

Unfortunately, with no one checking on him in a while, Zuse has grown bored. And there's lots of technology around. He wanders over to one of the computer display stations. Right as he's about to do something ill-advised, AJ asks again if he can get the elevator working. Zuse freezes with hand outstretched toward the screen and pouts, reluctantly agreeing to try again.

Grant suggests if the elevator can't be fixed, they can pull a fire alarm to cover their escape. Geri thinks it should be a last resort given it'll alert Knox and the whole 'all the cops are there' thing.

AJ and his mom have a touching moment of reminiscing, share a hug, and Rebecca tenderly fixes her son's mane of curls. After a short bit, she asks what information AJ's looking for.

Meanwhile, the soothing informational voice is replaced with an Ariana Grande song. Some kids in the area get very excited with the change in background audio. Zuse proudly announces in the Mindcraft that he found the speakers! Also the elevator's broken, broken. But speakers!

Grant asks for an update on Knox's location. Robert says he's in the food court with his date, and Grant points out they'll have to sneak right past him when they leave. Robert also has to make that clone back off since it got spotted but since it didn't look quite like Robert, Knox didn't recognize him.

AJ had attempted to insert code in his reminiscing, but didn't feel his mother was properly picking up on it. So while he's still chatting, he asks Geri to check her to see if she's REALLY his mom. He asks Rebecca about their family history. why his dad really left.

Rebecca does not like where this is going. She gently asks what he means, because he already knows why his father left. AJ replies he knows what she and Gabe told him... and he asks who Brody is.

Geri asks Grant to stay with her while she switchboards between all the minds. He agrees and sticks by her side, subtly keeping watch over her and the area.

Geri connects, keeping Rebecca's mind separate from both Knox and the Mindcraft. In Rebecca's mind, she hears the Long Man Song and then... curiosity. Awareness. Geri doesn't get anywhere meaningful in her search before she hears Rebecca's voice in their link, gently scolding her that it's very rude to read minds without permission. She reminds the young telepath she's been around the Society long enough to be prepared and asks her what she wanted.

Rebecca repeats the name Brody aloud... and glances to Geri. AJ says he heard Rebecca say the name, and asks if his father left them for a man.

In the Mindcraft, Geri suddenly yelps oops! with no context... and is quickly too distracted by talking with Rebecca to deal with the shitstorm she accidentally creates.

AJ panics in the Mindcraft and mentally shouts for Geri to activate the flashy-gal so they can make an escape. And for everyone to cover their eyes. Robert covers his.

In the private conversation, Geri... has no idea how to deal with getting mommed by AJ's mom, so she explains with no guile that AJ was concerned someone might have replaced her and had asked Geri to check.

Rebecca acknowledges it was smart of the kids to try to verify, but also says Gabriel would kick anyone's ass who tried... so they don't need to worry about that. Geri thanks her and ends the very awkward-for-her conversation.

Rebecca tells AJ that Brody is AJ's brother. AJ stares at her and protests; he doesn't believe her.

In the Mindcraft, AJ is sounding the alarm even harder. He shouts to Zuse that it can't be her - he doesn't have a brother!

Geri's now focused on the mindcraft and yells at AJ to wait. She awkward-laughs and explains AJ's mom's been around the Society enough to sense telepathy, but that's definitely AJ's mom.

Rebecca very quietly explains they made him forget. AJ's conflicted - immensely relieved he's not in a trap, but also. What the fuck. He can barely get the words out to formulate a coherent question, he has so many at once, but settles on 'why?'

Her pain is audible and written on her face as she explains Brody's gone. So she allowed Gabriel to have their memories altered, so try to let AJ live a normal life.

By then, Zuse has stopped playing with the speaker system and wandered back to the cohort, shuffling around in his flip-flops he's terrible at walking in. Rebecca notices him and adds that perhaps it's not possible to try to be normal in a family like theirs.

AJ gets increasingly distressed and asks what she means by gone and why does everyone keep lying to him?

She says AJ's father took Brody, and admits that she tried to let herself forget, too, but Mothers can never forget their children.

Robert, meanwhile, updates the cohort that Knox and his girlfriend are heading up to the planetarium. Geri asks which direction he's coming from. Robert saw them at the escalators.

Grant says the fire alarm sure sounds like a good idea about now... and Zuse is WAY too ready to pull it, already halfway across the room as soon as Grant suggests it.

Robert shouts in the Mindcraft for Zuse to NOT. Geri reminds them the fire exit is the only other exit and asks Zuse to disarm the fire alarm on the door for them.

AJ is still with his mother - betrayed, anger boiling under the surface. He says he wishes people would just tell him the whole truth for once - and lets that go for now. He tells his mother she's not safe, and they all need to go.

Rebecca looks around the room for danger, asking what's wrong, and asks why her uncle shuffling away looks like he's up to no good.

The rest of the cohort is sneaking toward the back fire exit and then, Knox and his girlfriend enter the planetarium. Robert spots him and warns AJ over the Mindcraft.

AJ doesn't answer his mother, instead grips her hand and stumbles slightly when he blanks out momentarily for a vision. He very seriously instructs her to wait there in the planetarium, and then leave. Immediately when she gets home, contact Gabe, invite him for breakfast tomorrow, and tell him they'll have it together. He then instructs her to place the wrapped present he brought in the center of the room, open it, step back, count to three, and turn around. He doesn't explain why.

The others are sneaky-rushing toward the exit with Zuse in front. He merges his arm with the door bar alarm to... disarm it.

Rebecca takes the present and tells AJ he's worrying her. But then, she spots Knox wandering around and tells AJ to get his friends out. She kisses him on the cheek and moves to put herself between Knox and her son, and keep him out of view. She approaches Knox and his girlfriend.

As the cohort scurries out the back, Rebecca greets the couple like it's been ages since they talked and she's so eager to catch up. Knox is... distinctly less than pleased by his date being interrupted by someone he knows through work, but he's cordial.

Zuse is the last one out the door and loses one of his flip flops on the rush down the exit. He has to run back to get it and pause to put it back on. Robert masks back up to keep from getting burned later.

Once they're back on the first floor, they're headed toward one of the back exits, but some of them spot some familiar faces in the entry line - Jake and Serena wearing camp counselor outfits surrounded by a group of Vacation Bible School kids.

Robert warns everyone not to confront them. Grant asks who, since he hadn't seen. AJ tells him not to worry about it and leave. Robert tells him it's Jake and Serena.

The cohort is so close to a clean exit. Not a single one of the enemy conspiracy agents have recognized them the entire time so far. None of the many cops in the area have had their attention drawn to them. They got what they came here for, they JUST need to make it to the van and get away quiet.

Geri can't fucking help herself and telepathies Serena without telling the cohort.

Grant starts losing his shit in the mindcraft and demands to know where Serena is because he's never seen her before. And she's involved with kidnapping his daughter.

Geri gets nothing, except the distinct sense she was noticed. She suddenly psychically yells at everyone to leave. Serena has stopped what she's doing in line and is searching the area for a certain dipshit baby telepath.

Robert's psychically yelling at Grant that now is not the time. Grant's yelling back just as loud demanding to know where the bitch is.

Geri joins in the psychic yelling that they can't fight her here with all the fucking cops and Knox.

Robert has an idea to stop the yelling, to draw attention away from Grant, and Grant's attention away from Serena. He thinks they got spotted anyway.

Without warning, he suddenly runs at his clone form's full speed of about 26 miles per hour through the back exit.

In fairness, it does momentarily stop the bickering, because the rest of the cohort's in shock that this just happened. Then there's a chorus of 'WHAT THE FUCK, ROBERT' as the cohort tries to drag Grant out the back exit in the new chaos Robert unleashed. A ton of random people saw the obvious supernatural. A kid thinks he's the Flash, but sick and pale.

It takes Zuse mildly zapping Grant before he finally relents on his need to tear Serena into a million pieces and lets the others pull him out. He's still trembling when they're outside.

Serena and Jake don't follow the cohort with the crowd now condensing around Robert.

The cohort manage to make it to the van, but not without the crowd watching Robert's moves to the van. Grant and Geri are boiling with rage the whole time, but they make it home safe.

For now.

[Music Outro: "Time Will Fail Us" by Troigo]

Thanks for listening, This has been Gather ‘Round The Trashfires with Bek Andrew Evans. Please subscribe to this podcast for future updates and leave a review or comment, I’d love to hear what you think.

AJ is played by Roen,

Geri is played by me,

Madison is played by Syn,

Robert is played by Pandito,

And our Storyteller is Casey Grant.

The intro theme is "_violence by Avantist" from the Free Music Archive, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0.

The end theme is "Time Will Fail Us" by Troigo from the Free Music Archive, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0.

If you like the songs, I encourage you to check out more of their work. I've linked their Bandcamps in the description.

Until next time.

Follow my Patreon at Patreon.com/BekAndrewTTRPG Check out my other work at linktr.ee/bekandrew Check out the Intro and Outro artists' Bandcamps! https://theavantist.bandcamp.com/music https://troigo.bandcamp.com/ Remember to subscribe and see y'all next week!
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