Roleplay for One | The Phantom Train (Part 2)

You're about to listen to the first experimental season of our show, formerly called Nat One Presents the Podcast. For better audio quality and our current ongoing DD campaign, skip ahead to season two featuring the Daft Monks. On this episode of Nat One Presents. Because they know what they're doing, because I want to keep everything quiet so Megan can sleep in, and they're like, I'll do it. I'll yell. You get me a [expletive] bagel, or I'm gonna yell.

Be like, okay, I'll get you a bagel, man. I'll get you a bagel. I'll make a big one.

Like, I'll do it. And you'll be in big trouble by Ma.

Adventure. Heartwarming stories. Role-playing that could only be seen by the gods. Here at Nat One Presents, you get all that and more. Now join us as we start another epic tale of convo.

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Hello and welcome to Nat One Presents the Podcast. Heyny. Heyny. Uh what's been going on lately?

Not too much. You know, I was sick a little bit. Um thanks to our listeners. We we took a break um officially. Like we actually uh sometimes we take a break from actually trying, but we still record episodes. But we actually uh took a break uh like two weeks off. We didn't record. We for this is it for our first time in our entire history of the podcast. Yep. We took we missed not one episode but two. Yep. Um, but I just want to tell our listeners it is [expletive] okay to cancel on your friends, it is okay to take a mental health day, it is okay to skip uh like it's alright.

Like sometimes life is just like whatever, and even though we're about to go into not serious stuff in a sec, it's it's fine to just like disappoint people sometimes and just like recover. Like you're human, and so we needed a break. We just were like, we had a busy summer, we were having trouble keeping up with episodes, and but we're back. Reset. Reset. So probably you're gonna love it because our content will probably be way better now. Because we actually or and inspiration lasted a whole 30 seconds. Cancel the episode. We're done. We're done. We're back in the dump. Uh see you next month. Yep, sorry. Thanks for the dollar. Uh Nate, how are you doing?

I'm doing okay, you know. Just okay? Yeah, just okay. Um, there's a little thing I'd like to talk about for our little intro, but so I'm a big fan of video game streamers and things like that. I do only pay money for one streamer specifically, and he had a thing where if you're a subscriber, you can jump onto one of his open lobbies and play Apex with him. And I'm like, I gotta jump at this chance. You know, we just got back from a little mini family vacation, and I got back just in time to catch the tail end of it. So I hopped right into the lobby, and so I pay money to watch this guy and then to be a part of his subscription streamer process.

Notice me. Yeah, play with me, senpai, senpai.

So I got on, no problem. And then apparently, as soon as I touch my mouse and keyboard, my family loses their [expletive]. Everybody is just lost, nobody knows what's going on. Megan couldn't find the truck keys. Roscoe needed 20 million snacks, even though we just had lunch, and Corbin is wandering around aimlessly saying, What can I do? What can I do? And the whole time I'm trying to play this game, and Apex requires at least some focus on the monitor, yeah, you know, and I'm just playing like [expletive] and it's embarrassing. And so we played three matches, and all I only did good the final one after everybody apparently went to sleep and left me alone. But the whole time I'm like, man, it's so frustrating.

And I think that's why we haven't been able to stream for Nat One Presents, because as soon as I get on that computer, apparently that's when everybody's just like, Yeah, let's [expletive] anarchy.

And I bet you like Megan has that [expletive] on lockdown, like the hours you're like at work and like she's able to like run the household. Right. But I bet like just literally your presence like throws the kids in chaos. Maybe throws Megan in chaos, you know. Like, I don't know, just literally you being home. Like, even though they have a routine, they have a structure. Like, once you're there, it's like dad's home.

Yep, it's done. Let's break [expletive]. Yeah, riot. Yep, the dog's on fire. I have no idea what's going on, but that's just what they do. When and then as soon as I get off, everybody apparently calms the [expletive] down. They're like, Oh, okay. Oh, you're here. Yeah, cool, cool, cool. Let's watch, let's watch shows together.

Like, what the [expletive]? Do that first, right? God, it's irritating. It's impossible. Yeah, so maybe one day, Nat One streaming. Where's we're uh we we bought the to be honest, we bought the equipment. Thank you, uh patrons. You you help support that as well. But um, yeah, until we can deliver, we can barely show up for a [expletive] podcast episode once a week. Until we, you know, know we can get some kind of streaming schedule up then. Or if I can get some quiet time around my computer, impossible. Yeah, yeah. I was telling Nate before the show, I'm like, we could stream, but uh, buddy, I think uh I don't think you can do it. I just don't think you have the bandwidth right now. So, and that's that's important too, right?

Like, don't sign yourself up for [expletive] you can't do. Like, you're just gonna be more stressed about it, right? If I if we were like, we're gonna stream every Thursday and I'm like, hey Nate, you're gonna stream, then you cancel and you feel like a piece of [expletive] because you have a family, and that's totally a reasonable thing, but it sucks.

Yep.

So don't like don't don't overextend yourself.

I was stressing about this story. I woke up at four o'clock this morning just so I can put the finishing touches on it. And then Roscoe decides I'm gonna wake up at 4 30 and [expletive] this guy. So as soon as he wakes up, he's like, I want a snack.

I want to watch a show. Like, this is my time, [expletive].

Like and then Corvin decides to wake up at 5 30. So the meanwhile, I wrote probably two sentences down on the finishing part, and the whole time I'm trying to let Megan sleep in, and then these kids are bossing me around, like, because they know what they're doing, because I want to keep everything quiet so Megan can sleep in, and they're like, I'll do it, I'll yell. You get me a [expletive] bagel, or I'm gonna yell.

Be like, okay, I'll get you a bagel, man. I'll get you a bagel. I'll make a bag.

That's like a knife through his throat, like, I'll do it, and you'll be in big trouble by mom. So I make them the bagels, and they both take one bite out of it. Both of them took one bite out of two full bagels, and they're like, man, I'm full. And then so Corbin goes and throws it in the trash, and then Roscoe goes over and throws his in the trash. And I'm like, I didn't mean to get so mad, but I'm already frustrated. I'm like, what the [expletive], you guys? Like, I could have eaten those [expletive] bagels, man. Like, I don't want to waste food, but you both took one bite and I made them perfectly, just how I like them, because I knew this would probably happen.

And then before I even got a chance, both of them in the trash, and then they're full, apparently.

Not to get fixed on details, but so a few things on the bagels for cinnamon raisin, Nate. Cinnamon raisin. I love cinnamon raisin. Uh, I'm a big bagel fan too. Uh, you said cooked perfectly. What is the perfect and by cook you mean the toaster, right? Yes, yes. Okay, so you you toasted them perfectly, which I wouldn't consider cooking, but okay.

Right. Well, you know, tomato tomato. Now, I like mine a little bit on the really dark side, but on bagel mode. So that the bottom side is still soft. You know what I'm saying? But the top is like extra crunchy. Why are you laughing? This is serious business.

I'm not I'm trying not to spit my drink out. Like, this is crazy.

So now Corvin's has like extra butter on it because I like it almost black, but then like slab crap load of extra butter. And then Roscoe's, he wanted pumpkin cheese, he calls it. So it was the pumpkin spice cream cheese. And I was instantly like, ooh, I can't wait till he's like done taking his one bite and I'm gonna eat this [expletive] thing. And it just it almost broke my heart, too, that they just both went straight to the trash can with it. But yeah, I try to perfect it, you know, like time it just right. I pop it, I check the bagel a little bit. Ooh, that's not ready yet. I pop it back down and I wait.

I'm one of those guys where I'm making something, I'm waiting right there like a hawk above it because I want it to be [expletive] perfect sometimes when it comes out. Yeah.

If there's like a window, if it's like under two minutes, like I'm gonna stare at that [expletive] because I'm like, there's nothing I could do for 120 seconds that will not be this food. But anything over that, then I'll get distracted.

What else you do in productive that you're gonna walk away from the toaster or the microwave or something, and be like, well, I don't know, maybe I'll go change the show. No, because then you get distracted with Netflix, and next thing you know, it's like black.

Yeah. So interesting though, you talked about like I also like there is a perfect like cook to the to the bagel for me too. It's different for me. So lightly, lightly toast on the outside, and then I still like doughy on the inside. So you said the bottom, bottom too. I but like ideally anywhere on the inside, like it's so for me, like maybe like sometimes like 30, 40 seconds, like if that, like on a really light. I [expletive] hate like seeing like any burnt brown anything. Oh really? I do not like there's there's food like when I'm grilling, like I love that kind of [expletive], like on meat and stuff. But for like bread, no. Same thing with toast, like I just want it to start to harden and then stop.

And then I want the doughiness on the inside.

So you still want like the butter or whatever you're at to absorb it into it nicely. I can see where you're coming from.

Um second, so do you ever we're just gonna analyze you as a father. Um, do you ever like make breakfast like a bagel is like pretty much all right, put it in whatever you want to do. No, that was like a quick thing. That was like a quickie. So you can like make breakfast, right? You're not the dad that's like, all right, I made lunch and it's like, you know, like a I don't know. A bagel and like a go-gurt.

Like, no, no, no. They love uh when I cook, because I don't cook that often, but when I do, they really love it. Like I make Rubens for lunch, and those things also I cook those to perfection, but we get super fancy with it. So I'll go to Whole Foods and buy the pastrami there that's like [expletive] $40 a pound or whatever. Grab that, the like the fresh sauerkraut, but it's not really fresh because it's just pickled cabbage or whatever, but it's the nicer sauerkraut and the thousand island, and then like I'll make I'll whip that up and make it really nice, and they [expletive] will actually eat that or like breakfast. That actually sounds really good, right? Uh breakfast.

Uh, I'm a big fan of just like bacon and eggs or biscuits and gravy and things like that. So I'll make stuff like that. But the bacon, I like to candy the bacon. So while I'm cooking it, and it has to be cooked a perfect way because I like my bacon still kind of soft, not like super brittle and like break. I'd hate that in bacon. So it's still kind of soft, and then I'll throw in brown.

Is it chewy though?

Or sometimes it's the ends are still a little chewy.

Yeah, I like it more on the chewy side, but yeah, they're like there is like a like somewhere in the middle, right?

Because it still has to be cooked, but like while I'm cooking it up, I'll throw brown sugar into the oil after it cooks for a while and all that fat's in there. I'll throw brown sugar in there with it, and then it'll kind of caramelize a little bit. All right. And then so the bacon's really sweet when it comes out. Interesting. All right.

You are a little savvier than I thought. I kind of chalked you up. It's kind of weird because like viewers and listeners, like if if you like you've been listening, hopefully to Nate. Hopefully you've been listening to our episodes. Um, he he gets he comes off like kind of bato, um, which is the word my husband husband uses for just like whatever male, just like whatever, you know.

Like is that like a what's the other one that that one girl called me one time while we were playing DD. Sis Sis Sis Sim Sim? No. Was it S? I can't remember. I don't know. It was the one who made her own earrings and stuff, and she called me something like that one time. Oh, I don't know.

Well, anyway, you come off like pretty much like, yeah, whatever, I just put the shirt on and showed up. Which is which is also you. Yes. But you are a [expletive] super high maintenance, Nate. Like, like the more that's something like I'd say from the podcast, I've learned more is that like you are actually really specific. Like when you talk about certain stuff, I'd be like, wow, like if like David tried to pull some of that [expletive], I would [expletive] not like he asked for basic [expletive], and I'm like, nah, do it yourself. Like, so sometimes I definitely, I'm sure it goes both ways, but sometimes I'm like, man, Megan, like, like, and now I imagine like your kids are probably also gonna be super high maintenance.

So oh, it has to be done like a specific way, otherwise they're not having it.

Yeah, I believe that. All right, well, cool. Thank you. I always love when you share your family stories. You you know, it's it's uh it's fun. Um makes you seem like a real person. I am sometimes well balanced, you know.

I hope they're doing okay right now.

And then I wanted to share news that kind of shook me to its core. Uh as a spooky [expletive], I thought I I heard of this and I really just thought of you. Um, but Elvira recently just kind of I guess came out basically and just said that she's been with her female partner for like 20 years.

Why just recently, though? Like the gays have been going at it strong for quite a while.

Well, we've been going at it, man.

Like pretty much in your gay agenda. Yeah, like I can't.

I get my newsletter like every week of like, here are our top priorities.

I can't even turn on Netflix without like, hey, you want to watch this gay show? And I'm like, probably not, but then I'll watch the preview on it, and then I'm like, you know what? Maybe I want to watch that.

So here's my thought. Like, maybe, probably, right? She she always was, but you have to think about her role. She was meant to be a big tittied spooky [expletive]. Big title. They're like, you could watch Tales from the Crypt, or I think she came before that, but like, hey, you could watch these other shows in this format where we we like our serious guy introduced a scary thing, but she was meant to be the like, hey guys, like that was zombies. Am I right? Like, mmm. They really suck brain if you know what I'm saying. And so, like, probably for her and her career probably depended on her being desirable as a straight woman. Yeah, to know.

Yeah, I think uh old school horror fans were the first neckbeards.

If you're listening to the show, we've been talking about different mega cuts we want to put together. One I think should just be him saying neckbeards and talking about neckbeards. Uh so yeah, let me know what your favorite mega cut would be. Neckbeards, robot jocks. We yeah, um, but anyway, that's that's my thought is that her career for so long, and I still see her on stuff, but though she was starting to be more involved. I think like the gay community kind of knew because like she's been a guest on RuPaul's drag race like so many times. So uh, but she's she's still been doing stuff. She also looks really great for her age.

I don't know if she's had any surgery or like, and I always hate to like tell women, like, oh, you look good for age. That's kind of a [expletive] thing to do, right? But she looks good, she looks really great. Like, if you look at Madonna right now, I'm like, wow, you've done work, right? And yeah, um, you know, like I don't know, like or like Cher for a little while there.

Like, share.

Like she almost looks the same as like the younger, but you don't get that without having work done. Yes, you know what I'm saying?

Yep, yep, yeah. It's Cher is like an unnatural beauty, but she just looked like, oh wow, like you look really good. Uh, do you know her actual hair color? No, probably blonde. She's a redhead. Redhead? Yeah, yeah. Is it? I didn't spook you. I didn't peg her for that either. So it was just, I don't know. She just it was it was cool. It was uh it was an interesting story. Um, the kind of like a character we forgot about, but so many things follow her layout now, like the whole like host introducing different like stories. Like you see it referenced in it's more of like a reference now.

Not a lot of shows necessarily fall follow that format, but you'll watch an episode of The Simpsons, you'll watch an episode of Rick and Morty, and like they'll do they'll totally call back kind of things. They'll make a call back to that. So and I love that. Like my favorite like Scooby-Doo was I don't know if you remember this, but um the what's his name? Something Vincent Price. The Vincent Price Scooby-Doo, that [expletive] was bomb, and I don't think they finished it. Do you know what I'm talking about? They did he did like a 13 ghosts thing, yep, but I don't think they ever did the full 13 ghosts, did they? I remember seeing those episodes, but I don't remember being that into it where I was like following.

See, this is where we mean [expletive] Chris because does he talk? Not really, but does he Google the things I don't know the answers to? He has information and he loves Big [expletive] Gosh. I think he loves big [expletive]. He should have been on this episode. This this was the episode for him. Sorry, Chris. We owe you down. We owe you. Um, yeah, anyway. Well, anyway, um with that, with uh any anything else, spooky Halloween. Uh my husband had never he's an immigrant to this country, he's been here a few years though.

He had never been to a spirit Halloween, so yesterday we stopped at one and I was just like, all right, like I wasn't gonna buy anything, but uh he was I I know I I have friends, so Chris's girlfriend, and honestly another big to do golf girl, um, who's super sweet and also a cool person. Uh, she she loves, she like buys like decorations for her house there, like not just for Halloween, for like year-round. Yeah, like are you where do you fall on the spare Halloween like zero to one general?

I love spirit Halloween. I love going in there and hanging out and checking out stuff, but most of the time the stuff there is kind of like cheaper looking, you know? And I won't even probably put that for my Halloween decorations, but I do love that. But usually Megan's pretty like hoity-toity when it comes to decorating, and she gets that from her mom and her older sister are both like it's crazy, man. But she'll make her own stuff. And I I told her to send me a picture, I'll have to show you to you later, but she made uh Enderman that it's outside in our front.

Uh I don't know what that is, I'm sorry.

It's from Minecraft, it's the creepy uh black, all black, but with the purple eyes looking guy, and he steals blocks, but he only attacks you if you make eye contact with him, kind of deal. So she made one for Corvin because we're trying to find a common ground because Corvin hates Halloween, and me and Megan love Halloween. Yeah. So if we can find somewhere in the middle, like I would decorate September 1st for Halloween, yeah. And just keep rolling it in. But because Corvin is a stickler, we're not allowed to decorate until October 1st, and then that's the day the first decoration come out.

There is so many like levels to Halloween, like you yeah, I'm sure you just have to like find it, like the balance. There has to be though, like the Minecraft stuff. So how's that working out? Is it uh he loves it?

Okay, uh, because the thing's like seven foot tall, and it's just a big old Enderman out there in the front, and then so now she's kind of trying to build around that. And as far as the inside decorations, it's all just like ravens and pumpkins, and but it's nice, like eclectic stuff.

It's not like look at that. I'm right there with you. I didn't get too much into it with my husband because like sometimes like it's so funny, but like part of him being an immigrant is that sometimes I explain like more of our culture here, right? Just like he does when we go into Mexico and visit his family. And so sometimes I'm sure couples walk by us and think I'm so derogatory, like like mansplaining things to my husband. But I basically was kind of saying, like, spirit Halloween is cool, but like you said, it is the more like mass-produced, cheaper, like they have Halloween costumes there.

I would never buy those costumes because like I like to be more unique and like a little bit more like if I put it together, I want it to look a little bit more quality, not like a one size fits all. Right. I want to wear something necessarily that everyone else is wearing. So so I was trying to explain that to him, like, yeah, this place is cool, but like I actually wouldn't shop here, I'd shop somewhere else.

It's a great place for inspiration for other things. Be like, ooh, I could do that in that.

Not with this [expletive], yeah, but with other [expletive]. I I I was really happy. I liked how I like how mainstream anime is becoming, honestly, in our culture. It's not just a neckbeard to quote Nate thing anymore. Um, so they had a bunch of costumes from like famous anime, obviously Naruto stuff and some other stuff, and I was like, that's cool. Like, I don't know, I I I dig that um, like seeing that, right?

I hate going in there and seeing the steampunk stuff because it is so cheap. And like that is not what steampunk is.

Yeah, it's what you think steampunk is, right?

Yeah, it is a lot, it's very stereotypical. Honestly, it's like I'm gonna put a lot of plastic cogs on some goggles and call it a day on top of a derby hat, and like that's steampunk.

This is not, yeah, this is why we need to get you to I can't wait for Phoenix Fan Fusion whenever the [expletive] that happens because they pushed back till May. But because I actually think you would really be a huge appreciator of of like cosplay and stuff. And I I mean, I guess you said you've done uh what the the one that used to be in Tucson, um the Steam The Wild Wild West con.

Yes. I've uh been there for the night concert stuff, but I've never been for the day stuff or any of the extras because they do all kinds of crazy stuff for that one, like uh tea, how to properly drink tea, but like you gotta do it like fast, like you're having a race, but like you have to follow the proper method of. Oh, yeah. We need to see if that's coming back.

I didn't think to check that one.

That's usually in like April, I think.

So everyone's schedules though, is way [expletive] off, I would say though. So if it even happens, let it happen. I don't know. I think I think you'd be uh, I don't know if you'd do cosplay, I think you're way too lazy, but I think um like I think you'd appreciate seeing like a really good when you see like a good steampunk cosplay. Like I think I'd be a great judge, be like, mm-hmm.

You put a lot of hours into this, I can tell.

Oh my god. Maybe that's us another panel because we already we're gonna have like uh kind of launching your own podcast panel, but maybe we can do like uh a cosplay one or like what are your credentials? And I'll be like, [expletive] none. None. Let me see it. Yeah, and then I'll make a PowerPoint that will look amazing, and they're like, You got it. Yep, you're in. Totally. All right, well, let's get started. Uh, we are going to do so. We had so much fun right actually right before I got sick, we did part one of I called it uh we're calling it the Phantom Train. Ooh. Um so uh do you want me to recap? Can you recap maybe what happened part one for those who missed it?

You should recap.

That way it's from your point of view because the story is technically from your point of view as your character. Sounds good. Um, I was starting to get sick that episode and very exhausted, so we'll see what I remember. Yep, you were delighted. Uh basically, I am a Vagabond um called Gru. Uh basically, the whole backstory I tried to put together, I don't think it comes through very well, but um basically he's just like uh he's kind of like this hippie tree hugger. I mean that in a good sense, um, but who like is just trying to like also a freeloader and trying to find a place he can just like set up camp and like stay permanently. Yeah, exactly.

And so uh he's like, we didn't really get into this, but he's like he's like been a stowaway on trains before. He's like a lot of uh I'm from areas where there's a lot of just like old abandoned [expletive] like trains or like like the like what what do you call the the cars? Yeah or like storage containers that are just like left on the side. So he's been bouncing between those, but he's looking for one where he you know eventually he gets found, he gets kicked out. So long story short. Uh in the episode, he hears about uh a death from a child. Um something Montgomery, and I don't remember. Billy. Billy Montgomery. I was gonna say Benjamin. No, Ben, sorry, it was Ben. Little Ben. Okay. Oh, I was right. Benjamin.

Yeah, you're right. Little Ben.

Um, so a young child who uh dies uh on train tracks, uh seemingly struck by a train, except those train tracks have been abandoned for a very long time. So Groo is thinking, this is interesting, like maybe this is like there's something here that I can freeload off of or whatever. So he finds a hitchhiker, hitchhiker picks him up, drops him off on the way to town. Won't bring him in the town suspiciously, but drops him off uh on the entrance. Um and then my character goes into town. Um, it's like cute tiny white picket fence. Uh he meets with the church and uh the the priest or the father there, whose name I also don't remember. I'm ribbat names. Jim. Uh Jim. Hard of hearing. I remember that. Jim Young. Jim Young.

Uh who old wax and hair in his ears, and uh kind of just kept following me around screaming as I tried to have characters or conversations with other NPCs. Yeah, also went to the schoolhouse, met with the teacher, started to do some digging, and found that a small family had recently moved there. Um and nobody was really aware of this death. They were almost in some kind of like time loop thing. Did some research, looked into those houses, found a mystical stone in the basement of the church that might have been a meteorite.

And upon contact of that, oh, I was also having these like flashes backs, not flashbacks, but like visions of like I'd look at the church and look beautiful, and then it would be on fire, and then it would be normal again. And upon touching the meteorite, I realized, oh, this place burned the [expletive] down. Um, this place is like I think uh abandoned even, or I don't know. It got spooky. Uh uh Jim Young, sweet little priest man, yeah, he was had a fire, what what he had like a hole in him, or he was like half burnt? Half burnt half burnt, he was half burnt chasing me, telling me like I shouldn't have come down there. It got real creepy, and I just booked it. I decided [expletive] it.

I was gonna try to basically my whole thing while I was in town was like, oh, maybe I'm moving that abandoned apartment. Um, but upon realizing that this place is a spoopy ghost [expletive] town, uh, I started to head towards the like the train station kind of uh and that is where we stop for part one. Yep, you got a uh ticket and you got on board the train. Oh, yeah, and there was some really creepy guy um who who gave me the ticket.

Yes, yep. And then so that's where we're gonna pick off, pick up off of from words. And so you're sitting in the train car now, you've already on, got your ticket punched, you're in. You did notice the flapper lady who looks awfully a lot like Kitty from previous adventures. And then there are a few other patrons around in this car that you are currently in. It's like a lounge car that you're in right now, just a bunch of uh easy reclining chairs, you know. There's fireplace over by the side. And there is one man in particular who is staring you down with like intent. He's got dark black circles under his eyes, looks like he hasn't slept in years.

Um, he's got a sweet derby hat and a trench coat, and he's just like he his eyes dart back and forth, and then they go back to you and they kind of just lock on you.

Um okay. Well, uh I heck, I'm gonna approach it because one thing I really was not able to determine from part one and in the town was the child the death the death of that child. And so um I'm pretty confirmed now, like this is the train that uh I heard about maybe in the in the story. Um, but I still don't know like did no one ever confirmed that a child died or anything like that. So I'm gonna um I'm gonna approach that suspicious gentleman and uh I don't know, just uh let me let me think of something like clever to say. Uh god damn it, I dropped a dice. It's okay.

Um I got nothing. Just like um okay, so he sees you approaching him and he uh kicks out the chair kind of in front of him and he's like gestures towards it like like sit. Like he's just nodding and stuff. Yeah, all right, we'll pause for quick. Oh, you're right. I could have got it on the fly. We need one of those clackers.

Yeah.

Tick to we had more patrons. I know, then it wouldn't matter. Sorry. Okay. Okay, so he kicks out the chair and kind of gestures towards you. He doesn't really say anything, he just points down, like please sit. Kind of you can see it in his eyes.

Okay. Uh well, thank you, thank you, sir. Uh tell me uh I gotta know. Like, something's up. I just came from a ghost town. This train supportedly, or supposedly there's been no trains on these tracks forever. Like, let's just call it what it is. Like, who are you? What is this train? What happened to Benjamin Montgomery? Um, what's going on here?

Uh I uh I'm sorry. I don't I don't know what you're asking of me, really. Uh I just got on this train myself. Just now? Just now. Just just right now. I don't D I did I see I don't recall seeing you. Probably not. Things work a little bit differently for me, but I can see the you've been touched by the folds as well. Um the folds? The it's hard to ex- Do you hear that? Do you hear that noise? Uh give me a listen check. Do I hear no? No, you don't hear [expletive]. Uh give me also uh like an inspection, like a medical or something. Like you can see it. Oh, zero eight, so yeah. Well, that's a pass no matter what.

You do notice that this man has like uh almost dog-like scratches on his face and on his hands. Uh any part of the skin that's not covered up, it looks like he's been basically attacked by some kind of monster and was able to flee in time. Like some of them are healed, but some of them are still a little bit fresh.

So good lords, are you okay? Are you uh when I have some herbs and I like start to like crush it up and like rub it on his face?

Um, yeah, thank you. Thank you so much. I'm just I'm so tired. I'm I'm tired of running. And that's how I ended up on the on this train. I running from what? Uh there's nothing. It's our it's hard to explain. It's it's the dogs, you see.

Like I the dogs are on the train?

Sometimes they're on the train, and sometimes they're behind me, and sometimes they're in an alley, and then he like shifts his weight and like turns around. He's like, I'm I'm sorry to to bring you into this. I I really am.

Did you bring me in? But I don't understand. I'm I'm so lost. Here, like, and you start I start rubbing my amethyst crystal that I wear around my neck when I get like uncomfortable or are confused. Right.

Um, let me see what else is this guy supposed to be doing. Um blah blah blah blah. Okay, yeah.

Um did how did you survive your encounter within the fold? How how how did you do that? Survive my encounter?

Are you talking about back of that town? Yes, yes, uh Father Young?

Sure, I don't know who he is, but I can tell that you've had that you've been touched by the fold, and I need to know if you can handle yourself.

Well, I am a Vagabond who uh I've handled some pretty hairy situations. In fact, I've been chased by dogs off properties many a times for uh just kind of squatting. Um, but I just something something's weird going on, man. Like that town, do you know that town we were just in, Amherst? Uh it looked like it had burned down and there was a guy half on like half burn. But the the town I got there was fine looking. Like, I just is something spooky going on here. Like, am I am I dead? Just tell me.

No, you're very much alive. I wish I could explain. Are you dead? No, I wish I was, but I'm not. Oh wow. Uh there's very little I hear them. They're coming now. They're coming. I I wish there was more time for me to explain. Do you die? Do you uh he just goes like and grabs your hand and goes to shake your hand and then he grabs his hat and puts it back on, and he's like, I'm sorry, I wish I wish there was more time. But if there's anything I can tell you, it's just keep moving, keep moving. And then he like just turns and just starts walking out the door. And give me one more lesson check. Uh yeah, that's okay.

So this time you do hear very faint in the distance, like a howling. Ow, like kind of deal. And then you see like just this man like sweating now, and he goes for the train car and he opens it, goes inside, closes the door, and then you hear like him scream, and then that's it. And then the howling tapers off after that. And then you look down, and he left inside your hand with his sweet uh handshake business a skeleton key of some kind that has a little charm on it that tails off into a very ornate clock face. Okay, and that is what he basically left in your hand. Okay, and after all that, everybody else on the train is just sitting there having a conversation like nothing [expletive] happened.

All right. Um, I'm gonna roll a sanity because that was like that's pretty [expletive] spooky. Yeah, roll sanity. Um, I don't have a D4, we'll just count. Um, we'll do like half. So one. One, yeah, that's fine. Um, okay. Um a little spooked. Um, but also eager. Like anyone, I don't think I've ever owned a key to anything. Because I've never ever always been bouncing around. So I want to see what this goes to. Um, all right, and he went to the car behind me. Yes. Um, okay, something spooky is going on. I'm going to a car. I'm just moving up to the next car. I believe him. I heard the howling. Um I'm I want to uh enter into the next car. Okay. Anyway.

So uh you open up the next car and so I'm gonna try to explain this. You open up the next car and you walk through, and as you turn back and close the door, and then turn back around, you're no longer on a train. You are in a theater of some kind, and it's very hustling and bustling, and everyone's wearing clothes that are a little bit different, they're a lot older than what you're accustomed to, but it's still proper dress attire, and everybody's moving from side to side, and like like they're getting ready and in position to be like people are taking tickets and like they're going into this theater for a show of some kind.

All right, I turn behind me. Is the door or a door still behind me at all?

The door is still uh it's no longer a train door. It's like a theater door. It's a theater door, yeah. Like you kind of just walked through and now you're in this theater.

I want to go back to the door and just slightly push it open, peer through.

Uh you push open the door and peer through, and it's just the another room in this theater door.

Theater. Whoa. Um, I'm gonna look down. I'm gonna close that door for a sec. Seems like I'm in a safe place now. Do I do I hear any howling? Can I do a listen check?

Did you look down at the key or just look down?

Uh I was about to look at the key. Okay. Uh, but did I hear any howling before that? No, you don't hear any howling right now. Yeah, I want to look at I'm gonna look down at the key. And the charm specifically. Okay.

You look down at the charm, and um, so it is a clock face, and then the number 12 just be like started glowing.

Like there's no other numbers around it, but the number 12 just lit up on the is there um like hands at all, or it's no, not right now.

Right now it's just like the little slots, dashes that you would normally see, and then now it's just the number 12 at the top.

Got it. Like, hmm, look at this meat. What's going on? Like I've clearly encountered something, something beyond physical here. Like, oh my Krishna. Um, and then he rubs his amethyst crystal again as he ponders. Like, well, this is uh this is a test. This is a test of my faith. This is uh an an internal journey that I have to uh solve. Um, but I think something of great fortune. Give me a deck control. God damn it. Anytime I monologue, you make me do a [expletive] You're gonna make me trip, aren't you?

No, uh somebody's opening up the door that you're kind of standing right by. Uh yeah, I passed. I passed okay. Uh somebody who swings open the door in a hurry as you're uh talking to yourself and you dodge out of the way perfectly fine. And it's a two security guards escorting a very tall uh person, and they're like, Oh, right this way, Mr. President, sir, right this way, up to the top balcony for you, right this way.

Does that present have like a super top hat if I observe?

Okay. Um let me roll my education. I'm like a grifter. Oh, yeah. Didn't I say I was like a former like professor of like our economics or something? All right, so we said we established like I'm kind of educated, so of course I [expletive] know who Abraham Lincoln is. All right. Um, what was that theater call? Do you remember? Ford Theater. Was it uh so I want to like look quickly to see like a program. Uh is there a program for the show or something? Oh yeah, I'm sure it's like so it's like does it say can you just confirm? So is it like Ford Theater, like whatever? Do you do you even know what show? I don't I don't actually remember history-wise. What was he there to see?

I think it was one of the it wasn't a Caesar show. I should have looked it up, but it's something along those lines.

Like uh that would have been super ironic if it's like Caesar being it kind of is, yeah. Oh wow, okay. Okay, so everything's clicking, click, click, click, and now it's like, wow, what do I do? So I mean, on one hand, this isn't real, so there's no consequences. On the other hand, this could be real, and Abraham Lincoln has to die, and slavery. Wow, this is this is a lot more like I just wanted to stow away getting storage cards. Maybe you want more decks roll. I failed this one for sure.

99 out of You fail, and then uh a guy kind of rushing past you, kind of knocks you down on your butt as he walks by, and you turn down, he's got like the slick back black hair and the mustache and everything. And you notice like a little glint in his pocket as he's working his way up the stairs towards um the balcony where President Lincoln's at. Uh excuse me, sir. I call out to him. Oh, yeah, sorry, sir. Uh I'm just uh in a bit of a rush here.

Oh, you dropped your gun.

Oh, did and then he paused. And we would just both like make eye contact. Looking, he twiddles his mustache and then he's just he hurries up the stairs.

Okay, so confirmed. Uh what's that guy's name again? What's uh uh Wilkes Booth? I know. Uh I'm not a history buffer. People who know me, but uh all right, so confirmed it's Wilkes Spooth. Um, I'm looking around. Are there other security guard people? Uh I mean, I'm basically in like the like that you when you enter the theater, right? And then you're finding your seats, so just like ushers and [expletive] or something. Right.

And probably there doesn't seem to be anybody, like everybody's getting pretty much into their seats, and there's nobody left kind of floating around. You're kind of almost in the lobby area, kind of by yourself right now.

I'm gonna go follow. I want to go into the hallway or whatever like area he went to.

Okay, up the stairs to the to the balcony. Yep. Okay. Uh you work your way up the stairs, and then you can see him kind of standing halfway into the hallway and kind of leaning halfway out, and then you hear pop.

Oh, I missed it already.

Yeah, you got him. [expletive]. And then he turns and starts running towards you and he knocks you down again. And he leaves. I grab his leg. Can I grab his leg? Can I reflex? Go to grab his leg, yeah.

Go to grab his leg.

Uh yeah, I pass.

47.

Oh, perfect. You grab his leg and he trips and he rolls and he breaks his ankle. Uh rolling down the stairs. Uh then just now, one of the security guards comes out and he looks down at the ground at you and he says, That's him, that's him. No, it's this guy. No, it's this guy.

I want to fast talk. Okay, fast talk. Uh yeah, that should let me just double check here. Oh no, I have a lower score for fast talking. Um, [expletive]. No. I just try. I'm like, no, I caught him. I saw I saw it happen. He he shot him with that gun.

You lying scumbag, and now they're gonna try to and they're coming to try to get you right now.

Damn. Uh has has the rest of the now there are other screens in the theater and people are.

They didn't know what it was at first because it wasn't that loud of a gunshot. They thought it could be part of the show, but definitely the people around the president knew what was going on at this point.

Um, I need to think of like uh a distraction uh as like, wait, my accomplice, he's he's over that way. I don't know. Look over there.

You roll for it, roll for the look over there.

I don't like I don't know what no, it's a 92, regardless of what score.

Because uh, you're looking over there, telling them where to look, and then you see like John Wilkes booth like I'm assuming he rolled down the stairs a little bit, and you see him like he looks back at you and his eyes flash a glint of yellow, and then he jumps out of a window and he's gone. Damn.

You know, I was gonna yell fire as soon as I I saw him, but I'm like, well, let me at least like I thought I had more time. Um okay. Do I still have the key in my hand? Yes. Uh I'm gonna try to jam in the guy's eye, uh, whoever was holding me down.

Okay, stab him in the eye.

Uh fighting brawl?

Yep. Failed. Oh [expletive]. You go to stab him and he dodges it and misses, but he does fall backwards because he didn't expect you to have any kind of weapon or anything.

Let me try to dex. I am like as a Vagabond, I'm kind of like, whoa, springy. Uh yeah, that's a good one. Uh yeah.

So you're gonna dex roll out of it? Yeah, try not. You dex roll out, and then now you're up and running.

Yeah, sprinting out. Um, I'm going, I guess uh wherever the the the flow of traffic of people screaming and running is, like in that dirt. Oh, was the gun near me, by the way?

Uh no, it was gone.

No, it was gone. Okay. Uh yeah. So I'm gonna just go try to disperse into the traffic and get like confused.

And you are able to uh get in with the traffic as they're going out the front door.

As I go by, I want to grab, I want to try to uh sleight of hand and like take someone's hat or something or a monocle or some [expletive]. Um no, it's bad.

Oh, but okay. I like talking on someone's scarf, but it's like they're like but and then uh you make your way through the front door and then kind of like in a hazy vision kind of way, you blink and then you're back on the train. Wow. You have a little piece of scarf in your hand. Um not a whole scarf.

I want to look down at the key and the key chain, uh the charm.

Yep, and a number one edged into it.

A number one. Okay, so it's progressing. Yes. Okay. Like, well, you know, that was meant to happen. You know, what would have happened if Abraham Lincoln, like, they probably wouldn't have mobilized like the war, like, you know, slave, who would have known? Like maybe that maybe maybe I'm not here to change the past. Maybe I'm here just to observe, you know. So maybe maybe that was my mistake. Give me another sanity check too, because that [expletive] had to have been crazy. Yeah. Uh I'm doing half because I'm rolling a D10. I'm not supposed to. Uh it's gonna be one.

Okay, just one.

Excuse me. So I like take a breather. Uh, what's in this car around me?

Is it the same car I was in before, or now it looks to be in the exact same car you were in before, but now it looks a lot older. It looks like maybe it's progressed 20 some odd years, like things are rusty and dirty, and it's not the brand new pristine car that you originally boarded.

Okay. Huh. Um, but so same, like same, but old, just aged. Okay. Um, any people in here?

No, there's nobody on the train right now.

Um, any uh I'm gonna just spot hidden, anything useful? I I now feel like maybe I'm ill-equipped for whatever's going on here. So any like inventory, weapons, anything I could use, not a good spot hidden either.

Nothing. Uh you look around the train, and yeah, it looks old and used, and you feel like the train's not even currently moving at the moment. Like it could just be parked in a yard somewhere. Well, look, are there any windows or anything in this car? Yes, there are windows up and down the sides of it. Do you want me to do like a yeah? If you just want to go look out the window, you can just go look out the window. You're not spotting for anything. So you look out the window. Uh no, you're not moving. You look like you're in a a train yard of some kind, like a train junkyard kind of deal where like they have all the old used cars and everything.

You're kind of just sitting in a train car in a junkyard.

That sounds great. I want to uh ex try to go like exit this car and then in like the between area, see if I can like uh get off um the truck. Okay.

Uh you go to open up the door, and then uh you feel the key get warm in your hand again. And then hot or just warm. You feel warm. And then as you work your way through the door, again it happens again. But this time now you are in a wooden cabin of some kind. There's a uh weird deer thing on the wall, there's nice rug and stuff.

Okay, and uh you hear outside, oh man, I don't know if we can do that, man.

Um I'm going to uh Okay. Well uh I hear from outside. Yeah, you hear it. I'm gonna look at the window.

Okay, you look out the window, and this window's been broken for some reason. There's glass outside, uh, there's like gunpowder residue around, and you see like uh a younger boy jumping back into the water, and there's like a giant yellow glowing pillar of light coming from back up the top. And then you see that little boy die out there. He's not even a little boy, he's like just the man child, I guess. And then there's uh that's pretty much the scene that you're seeing. There's a car over there with the headlights on, yeah, and that's pretty much it, yeah. The little lake or whatever.

Uh so um, I always forget Chris's character's name. Bruce. Bruce. So Bruce didn't die at the end of that episode, right? So, and isn't he just like he starts walking back to the cabin? Like, isn't that kind of how we left? Yeah. So I want to go approach that man and be like, was that your friend? Like, I'm what happened? I'm so sorry. I don't have friends. Who are you? Nate being Chris, being Bruce. Um he pulls his gun. Yeah. Whoa, whoa, whoa, friend, I'm just here. Uh like I think you might be in danger. Um, I seem to only arrive when someone uh It's gonna get hurt. I don't have friends. I had two friends. Now they're dead. Oh now I don't need another friend. Now you got three.

Now you go to like he pulls back the hammer on the cable. Right, alright, alright, alright. Uh well, I just left something back in the cabin. I'm gonna then just go grab that. Okay. You go back to the I'm gonna lock the door.

Okay. As you lock the door, um, it kind of like flashes again the yellow light from the lake pulses and pulses, and it almost blinds you in a way. And then um you hear it really loud this time. The ooh, like the the dogs are coming. And then you kind of look back behind you after the light's phasing, and you see two like almost ethereal-looking hellhound things. They just look like huge, large wolves, matted, nasty, bloodied fur.

And then as it works their way back down, you can see their bones and the ribs are exposed, like they've been hurt in some kind of a fashion before, but it's not something that should be currently alive, and they make eye contact with you, and then another large flash from the pulsing light from the lake, and then you're back on the train. And this time um, you look around, and uh the train is in pretty good shape and it appears to be moving again.

What the [expletive] is going on, man? Sanity roll. Yeah, like this is really freaking me out. Oh, this is a big one, three. Um man, I don't I don't even know what to do. Like, so he said, keep moving, keep moving. Um, that's all I know. I I don't know. I don't know if I'm supposed to help these people, I don't know if I'm just supposed to observe, but uh I'm gonna just keep going.

I'm gonna not even what number we had uh two and three in blaze on the the key that you notice. [expletive].

Like, what does this mean? Like what happens if all the numbers I don't know what's going on? Um what if I no, that'd be crazy. Um okay, I'll just go into the next car. Is there anything with a keyhole like in this room?

Uh no, none of the train cars really have key holes or anything like that. And it's just there's one person uh sleeping kind of with their hat over their eyes in this train car, and like that's about it.

Okay. Uh I like shake him. Wake up.

No, what?

What's going on? What's going on in this train? What do I need to do?

You woke me up from a nap, is what happened.

What what what is this key for?

I have no idea what that key's for. I am a US Marshal and I am on my way to investigate a disappearance of 20 some on missing people, and I need to get there. It's some kind of freak show carnival thing. I'm already upset enough, and now one time I get to take a nap, you're gonna [expletive] me over like that.

Um, do I um I want to spot hidden? Um, this is me metagaming, but uh yeah, that's a good one. Any like black feathers or yeah, he's got something like stuck down in his shirt and [expletive]. Like, whatever you're gonna do, don't do it. Everything leads to death. Don't like it's a mistake.

Don't you tell me how to live my life now? You get out of here. No, get vagabond, homeless man smelling like poo.

Alright. Uh this is awesome. There's so much I want to meta now, but like I can't. So uh next car. I'm gonna keep running, gonna keep moving.

Uh, you open up the car and then uh same thing, flash, flash, flash. Uh you're back again. Uh the clock face has now gone to let's say six o'clock now at this point. Holy [expletive]. And uh you look around and you're inside a museum of some kind.

So it's it's all of our famous sessions and Abraham Lincoln. Is this I I think I can tell the point where Roscoe woke up.

Was it after Abraham Lincoln? It was uh before Abraham Lincoln. I had all this other [expletive], and I'm like, [expletive] it, I'm throwing in Abraham Lincoln.

All right, nice. Uh to help with the seeds of chaos. All right, so uh the museum.

Okay.

Uh where we're in the museum. You're down in the bottom lobby, and you can hear voices and chanting coming from maybe upstairs somewhere, but that's about it. Fire.

I I yell it really loud so I can be heard.

Oh man, did you hear that? I thought I heard something.

I'm gonna steal the gem. I'm gonna steal the historical stuff. Come get me. No, there's probably nothing, Harry. Let's get back to our business.

Alright, man. I'll try my best, you know?

No, don't do your business.

It's gonna be dangerous. It's bad. Nothing. You got nothing. If you want to keep talking to them, you gotta go upstairs.

Alright, I'm gonna go upstairs.

Okay, you go upstairs.

They run upstairs. Uh I'm thinking they're gonna die because that seems to be kind of the trend I see in some of the things.

Uh, you run upstairs and then you see a red light glowing from a certain room in the distance.

Um, I'm trying to recall the red light. Was that there was either the carnival room or there was the room where like the seance thing was happening? Um, I don't remember which one was what well, it doesn't matter because this character doesn't know at all. Uh, I'm gonna run towards the red light.

Okay, you run towards the red light and you see uh an elderly security guard gentleman kind of on the ground, and then you see a weird man child thing kind of transforming right before your eyes, along with several. Do I recognize the man child? Yeah, he looks oddly familiar, like he might have been that kid at the lake. Okay, maybe like but you but I heard the voice, right?

Didn't the voice sound kind of familiar?

Yep, the voice did sound familiar.

And I didn't see Rusty, right? When that happened, no.

Nope. And then uh you see him transforming and then uh and then as he's he's just starting to rip these people apart now. And didn't you fall in a box or something? Like the old didn't he fall in a box or just fell on the ground or something? Uh Rusty or not Rusty, um uh Harry was in a box and then he popped out and he transformed. But where were you like uh while everybody was being killed? I can't remember that part.

Oh no, I was cheering him up. No, so basically, like I was just I thought I kept seeing in the mirror that uh Harry looked like a demon. Yeah, so I trapped him in a box, and then I went to another room and saw Miss Summers or Miss Winters uh doing like a seance, and I was like, [expletive] it. I pulled out the transcription, I read it, and then I I didn't know what was gonna happen, but I just knew she was up to no good, and then it summoned Harry as a beast and he killed her. I was like, [expletive] yeah.

Okay, and that's it.

That's all that really happened.

Um that's what your vagabond is witnessing right now.

Um I'm just gonna I'm gonna roll Sandy Jack. Okay. Um three. I wanna say, like, I'm not doing so hot man. Like and like I'm not like really formulat as much anymore, as much as just reacting.

Right.

So I'm like, like uh man, child, kid, uh don't go to the lake. It's gonna be a trap.

You're gonna die. Don't do it. Uh you look over Adam and you can see that he is now this like skeletal headdress, like Aztec looking almost like demon form, and he has the red-headed lady in his hand and just breaks her neck as he's like looking at you and kind of like clicking sideways, you know. Alright, yeah, I'm gone.

I'm done.

I'm enough of that. Okay, so you head out and uh you're just running for the exit now at this point.

Yeah, or any direction, really. But yeah, I guess back to the exit. Okay, as soon as you get through a door, you're back on the train again. What time is it on my train?

Uh it's jumped up to let's say 11.

Uh, I'm gonna open a window and throw it out, throw the key out.

Okay, and as you throw it and you feel it leave your hand, you look down and it's in your other hand. Yeah, I figured so much.

Um like what does this mean? I don't know. I don't know what they want. He just said to keep moving. I I'm just gonna keep going. Okay. Panic now.

Okay. And then uh you walk through the the next door and same thing, flash, boom, boom, boom, boom. Uh, you're now inside what appears to be a large bank of some kind.

So I know, guys, that's one of my all-time favorite At One episodes. It's the bank heist. I've listened to that one the most personally. Um uh I'm inside a bank, daylight or nighttime?

Uh nighttime. Nighttime. Yep. You see uh one security guard dead on the floor, and you hear some shots fired, and you see this really disgusting, floozy looking woman laying on the floor. Beautiful woman. Are you are you okay? What did I do for her voice? God, I forget. No, she's dead. She's [expletive] dead. No, okay. There you go. She was stabbed in the back.

Is anyone here?

You don't hear anything. It seems like whatever commotion happened in this bank is already long gone. But you do give me a listen check though. Oh, you crushed it. Yeah, it's really good. Yeah, you crushed it. You do hear howling in the distance. And you see uh coming up from the stairs that were going downneath, you see one of these hellhound dogs come just walking out and then staring at you intently. Um I throw the key at it. Okay. You throw the key at it, and the key does not return back to your hand at this point in time. It just goes ding, ding, ding, ding, and lands right in front of the dog.

Fascinating. Um, I'm gonna run and but I'm also like looking over to see like what the dog's doing now.

Okay. And like he uh almost like pops in and out, kind of like nightcrawler from X-Men, you know, like he's like the dog.

Okay.

Yeah, and as he's getting closer to you, and then you feel uh give me a dex roll.

So they didn't go for the key at all?

No, he just ran right over the key. Horrible. Ooh, pass. Okay, so you feel his claws go right into the back of your skin, and you'll lose uh let's say four points, four hit points damage.

And now you're kind of bleating around. Yep, I'm in pretty bad shape. Um uh just gonna make a run for it. Okay.

Um back for the key or just a regular door? Um regular door. Okay, regular door. Uh you pop through, um to and now you're back on the outside, you're on the street down there. You were able to manage to go through the door perfectly fine. Awesome. Standard door.

Interesting.

And as you close it behind you, you hear like the oh, the wolf going again, and like the scratching and [expletive]. Okay. Um, do I see anybody outside? There is one man standing outside with a like trent dark trench coat on and kind of just standing like kind of like the old school movies, you know. He's standing under the one street light, like smoking a cigarette and snapping his fingers kind of deal. Sir, sir, where what year is it? Hmm, the year you say. I don't recall. Time comes and flows, but I'm sure you know that, don't you, Groom?

How do you how do you know my name?

And he uh lifts up his cap a little bit and you see like the hints of yellow like slit through his eyes. Where am I? What have you done to me? How do I get off this train? Oh, you're not on the train right now, are you, Groom? Oh, that seems to be the train was your only safe haven and you left it. What is this I don't I don't understand. I what do you want from me? Oh, some things are not meant to be understood, Groo. I just like to cause problems everywhere I go, and I saw your weak little life of traveling around, going from place to place, and I thought, how could I mess that up?

I don't I don't wanna I don't wanna I just wanna go home.

I just wanna go to my time, to my place, to my Oh well then come here, child, and then he kind of like reaches in for like a hug almost from you. He can see that you've lost sanity points and like are kind of all disheveled. And his trench coat kind of opens up and inside you can see a mass of tentacles like swarming around inside of him. And he like just goes and reaches to go get you a hug. If you like want to dodge, yeah, you can dodge. Pass. Okay, yeah, yeah. You dodge and duck and dip and dive out of the way.

I'm gonna I'm gonna run uh back to the bank door.

Okay. Uh the dog is no longer there, and then it's almost like emptied out. Like there's no more bodies or anything like that. It almost seems like it's uh like a vision kind of like it's being like slowly dissolving away as time progresses.

Okay. Do I see the key?

Yep, you see the key perfectly fine.

I don't know what to do. Uh but you said the the train was my thing and the key. So I grab the key again and I go for a door. And then you're back on the train. Okay. So I need this piece of [expletive]. Um, I'm gonna fasten it to like a belt loop or something, something I have on me. Okay. So I'm not holding the key anymore, it's like attached to me. Okay, perfect. All right, and I'm gonna I'm gonna book it on to the next thing. Okay. To the next door. Okay.

Uh as you go and approach the door, the door actually opens before you get to it. And inside is the same train conductor that gave you the ticket. Hey there, friend. What seems to be the problem?

I I I I I don't understand. I I I I'm trying to trying to leave the train, but I think it's also the only place I'm safe. Can I just stay here with you? There's no other cars, right? This is it.

Oh no, this is it right now. There's only the conductor car ahead of me, and uh that's about it for now. You're more than welcome to stay here with me as long as you like.

Oh, thank you so much, sir. Um what what is that over there?

Oh, what's what now?

And I try to [expletive] hit him over the head with something. Is there anything I can grab off of anything?

I'm gonna say there's like a little like lamp kind of thing.

I like to just try to grab a lamp and hit the connector over the head. Yeah, okay, go for it. Uh brawl?

Yeah, roll for it. Brawl. No. Oh, okay. So you swing and whiff and he's like, whoa there, little fella, you're gonna get hurt now. I suggest you lay down and close your eyes and take a little nap, and then we'll wake up when uh we reach our destination.

Yeah, yeah, maybe that's it. Maybe this is just all a dream. Maybe it's uh uh nightmare.

Somehow you're like sitting down in a chair now, and he's like got a blanket and he's like putting it on you.

Yeah, maybe I just just need to relax and uh no, no, I stand up. Oh uh you there was you said there's one more like the the car, the conductor's like thing ahead. I I make a run for it.

Okay. Uh you're able to dodge past him perfectly fine, and you run too, and uh you see that this is basically the main engine car, and you're inside of it now, and then nothing seems normal. Everything seems like almost fleshy, uh, and like uh there's the yellow glowing lights and everything like that, and there's a large fire where it looks like they would feed this engine, but there's nothing metal y anymore. It almost looks living and pulsing and technically and all the gross [expletive].

Well, first thing I want to try, even though I'm in like some kind of flesh cart, can I lock the door behind me or something?

I'm gonna say roll uh whatever you always like mechanical. Mechanical, see if you can figure out the flush, flush stuff.

Yeah, so I had to get under a 10 and I got a seven. Dang, perfect.

Yeah, you were able to close that door and then lock it, and now you're flesh locked.

Yeah. Um okay, I wanna so you you said I'm I'm getting a very like kind of blended flush reality vibe. So it's still a chain car, but like is there anything like um vital organ like maybe coming to mind?

Yeah, around the the fire area deep inside the hearth, you can see this kind of like pulse boom, boom, boom. And it almost looks kind of like that meteorite you found earlier in the town.

Okay. Um I'm I mean, I I've lost a lot of sanity at this point. So um I'm gonna what uh I mean it's not that kind of fire thing, but like fire poker, any kind of like tools, like uh uh there's nothing really around right now that you can see.

It seems like like what were they even feeding this fire with, you know, in your frazzled mind right now? There's no coal or anything like that around.

Um, so I mean, I wanna I wanna like go in. Um I uh I'm gonna look around, I'm gonna get desperate, and I'm gonna take the key off. I'm gonna I'm gonna throw the key in the fire. Okay. Not like far in the fire, but just like in the fire.

In it, yeah. Yeah. And then you see like uh the fire gets brighter, starts building up. And then uh you look out the window now, and you can see it's almost like small pinpricks of light in in pitch blackness is like just whirling by you right now. It almost looks like you're you're traveling at night underneath a starry sky, but there's nothing else around you. There's no foliage or anything like that.

Um I'm going to take off my amethyst crystal, hold it one more time, like roll it around in my hand, and I'm gonna just put it like on like a surface on some kind of whatever, and I'm gonna dive into the fire.

Okay, perfect.

Uh do I scream? Do I feel pain?

Uh you don't feel anything at all. You dive through the fire, and then you shake, and then you're awake, and you're back on the pickup truck uh before you got to the town of Amethyst with the guy talking to you, and you look down and you see that you do have your Amethyst crystal in one hand that you always had with you, and you have the key in the other hand.

Um and wasn't he a truck driver? It wasn't a pickup.

Oh, yeah, it was like truck driver.

I thought he was a truck driver, or maybe I misunderstood, but yeah. Um and this was like before we got to the town. Yep.

Um Hey there, partner, you alright? Yeah. You uh you fell you passed out on me for a second there. Are you okay? Uh didn't know I was that bad at keeping up a conversation.

No, no, it's not you, man. Sorry. Um, you know, I I think uh I I I think uh maybe I'm gonna change uh my tour or my route here. So uh what what's uh what's the stop after Amethyst you usually stop at?

Oh it's the town I live in, Newberry. We can just keep on going that way if you want, if you're not interested. Yeah, do you do you mind?

I I think actually um I just uh just change of plans. Uh I I thought I was ready for something, but I'm I'm not.

Oh, no problem at all there, sir.

I'm happy to I don't I don't have any really money or anything, but I'm happy to uh give you something of value or or just uh Oh no, no, no problem at all.

I'm already heading that way. Just uh if you're that tired, you just close your eyes and we'll be in town in no time. Thanks, thanks so much. And then the the truck picks back up, and then uh you kind of see standing over at the amorous sign, the man in the trench coat kind of like eyeballing you as you're driving away from there. Creepy. And I think that's where we're gonna stop it. Wow.

Okay.

I told you before we started, it was kind of a weird one.

Yeah, it's a weird one. Well, first of all, I love our content, so I love self-referencing our own stuff. I hope one day somebody goes back and like tries to like listen to older episodes to get the references and newer ones. Um anything, um, anything you you think I didn't pick up? Or I mean I definitely have questions like uh, was I really just experiencing uh was there anything I could have done, maybe like in those, especially those flashbacks? Like, could I have stopped Abraham Lincoln from dying?

Oh no, that was gonna happen regardless.

Either way, he was gonna do it. He didn't give me a lot of time. The minute I went to the hallway, he basically got shot. So I I was um okay, so interesting. Um was so I probably couldn't affect these time periods. I was just escaping through them or just traveling. Correct.

Okay, yeah, all right. Um, the meta outside the meta, my idea was that you were traveling through the points in time that Haster had a large effect on people.

Okay, that makes sense. Okay, and then that was like you kind of just threw in like not just in our fantasy realm.

Right, but like he's doing other stuff. Yeah, he's doing other stuff too. But I like throwback to ours more than anything.

I like it. Um, one thing I was just thinking about the other day, this is going on tangent, but I love um Harry and uh what was my Rusty? Rusty. I love Rusty and Harry episodes. And one thing I think we really missed an opportunity on, and you know, like we both love 80s and 90s stuff, is um I I have like a this is there's a place in my heart for the cheesy like body swap episodes, and I think we really missed out on like a Rusty Harry body swap uh episode. It could always so yeah, what we can time flip, yeah, exactly. Well, uh, I don't do you think is there any chance?

Um it seems like I just witnessed uh things that Hester's been a part of, but would uh telling Harry that maybe uh actually affect alter the timeline? Could we can we marvel that [expletive] and just uh infinity stones?

I think we totally could because uh the guy you originally got the key from was been running for quite some time. And you've had one run-in with a dog that you got scratched on, and this guy had scars all over his body. Yeah, so who knows how long this guy's been running.

Yeah, and I might like the train might not be the end of this, basically, right? Kind of the vibe we're getting. So very all right, awesome. It was a lot of fun. Um man, I I mean, I personally think roleplay for one is one of our most interesting. I have the most fun quality quality stuff there. Um, mister. One thing I thought you were gonna do uh when we got outside the bank and you said there was a guy in like the trench coat. I actually thought that was uh my guy. Um okay and I thought I thought like the monster was gonna be in the background, like and he wasn't gonna be noticing like that whole thing that happened at the end of the uh the heist episode. Um but yeah, good good times.

That was a little fun. Um if you're a listener, uh let us know what where would you like to see uh what's a theme or an event history or whatever. Where would you like us to go with roleplay for one? Um we have a pretty open, I mean I know Nate has other plans. I think the key now is like kind of the new box. Is that maybe the vibe I'm getting? Um so I like where that's going. But uh let us know if there's characters or anything you want to see. Um you can join our Patreon. Uh it's only a dollar. Just a dollar. We don't even say that anymore, but it really is just a dollar.

You'll get uh the video episodes, and then um for higher tiers, we have bonus episodes each month. We also have uh for the $10 tier, you can be a recurring character. That's that is uh that would that'd be pretty fun. Yeah, you could be just and I mean you probably will get [expletive] on a lot, but you'll uh yeah, how fun it would be to hear it would be a blast, dude. It would be a blast.

Do we have any in the 10 right now that we can use?

We actually do, yeah. So uh Mark, uh let's see, it's Mark, uh Zach, and oh my god, I'm gonna feel horrible if I don't remember this third person. Is it my mom? Um she's doing it. No, I don't think it's your mom. No. Um it's Mark, Zach, and I think I think it's all my friends of the $10 appearance. Um, and I I'm sorry, I will I will check for the next episode. Um, but yeah, and if if you are in the $10 tier, it's kind of a recent change we made-ish. Um, let us know. Let's let's do be on the lookout. We'll we'll either start just making you a character, yep, but if you also want to send us a message or a comment and have us some influence.

Yeah, you can like make a request.

We might not listen to it, but no. Uh yeah, we'll we'll work it in. It's a master, that kind of thing. So join the Patreon. It's uh patreon.com slash Nat N A T the numeral one presents. Um, and check out our website. We're on Insta or on Facebook, we have a group and all that jazz. So check us out. Just do it. Just do it. It's only a dollar. Oh, the social media is free, but the Patreon's a dollar. That's it. That's it. It's fun. And we will talk to you next week. Thank you guys. Bye.