Transcribed by Michelle Kelly.
[theme music plays]
Josie: Welcome back to Miami, everyone. Not much to talk about this month, just a reminder our merch store has gone live at CleverCorvids.net. Also, City That Never Dies is back from hiatus. Season 2 has started and we’ve started the season off with a couple bangers. Next here’s Rhi to talk about this month’s featured charities.
Rhi: Next, I’d like to tell you about this month’s featured charities. Trans people are facing continued assaults on their rights and their lives from right-wing bigots in government and on the streets. In the UK, trans youth may be forced into conversion therapy. In the us, armed neo-Nazis are assaulting bars and civic infrastructure in an effort to prevent queer people from existing in public. All of us, especially cisgender people, have to fight back against this violence. Search for local trans rights orgs to make an impact in your community, or check out the TransCrowdFund hashtag on Twitter to donate directly to trans folks in need. You can also support larger national orgs like Stonewall UK or the Stonewall Community Foundation in the US. Organizations fighting on the legal front are important, but it’s just as important to make sure that trans people have money to eat, pay the rent and sleep somewhere warm and safe. Many, many trans and queer people are in pure survival mode and have been for a long time. We have to do what we can to step up and make sure that they can flourish, thrive and live.
Josie: Speaking of donating to trans people, I just wanted to put a spotlight on my friend Indi Tan. They run the Dice Comics podcast, which is a great Masks actual play podcast about their own version of the DC universe, playing young heroes. Indi is trying to raise money to move out of Australia to escape an abusive family and really intense anti-Asian violence, so it would mean a lot to me personally and as a fried of the show to look them up @itsmrmask on Twitter, find their Kofi or Paypal, or whichever one they have posted, and throw a little money their way to help them get out of that situation.
Now let’s get on with the show.
## Story continues [00.03.06]
Josie: Fabby, what are Luz and Jordan doing?
Fabby: I… hmm. What time is it?
Josie: 6pm.
Fabby: 6pm. I think they are getting ready to go out. They’re gonna go out dancing, but the club doesn’t open until 8. Then you don’t really wanna be there until 10. So it’s 6 right now, so they’re probably like… maybe they got together early to go like, to a café or something to talk about what happened today and then they’ll get ready. They’ll go to Luz’s place to get ready to go to the club tonight.
Josie: Yeah. So, y’all are chilling at a café for a bit before Jordan speaks up.
Josie (as Jordan): So, was that whole thing earlier weird for you too, or…?
Fabby (as Luz): I don’t know if weird’s the right word. It was… it is— hmm. Is it weird that I say I kinda enjoyed it? Like, all of us talking and like, even if we were arguing or disagreeing with each other, it was kinda nice?
Josie (as Jordan): Oh. Yeah, I mean, yeah, I’m really glad we got to that stage. That was like letting out a huge breath, you know?
Fabby (as Luz): Yeah. Was it weird for you?
Josie (as Jordan): I… I just, um… I kinda… I just, I don’t know. I kinda understood where Belial was at, a little bit. I wouldn’t— I would never, ever, ever, ever go that far about it—
Fabby: Hey.
Fabby: I think she like grabs her hand like,
Fabby (as Luz): Hey, hey. It’s okay. I can understand missing Them, but… I don’t know. Maybe I’m naïve, but at least to me, if you try to get Lucifer’s attention, if They’re still out there, I think that’s just gonna make Lucifer not wanna pay attention to you. If that makes sense?
Josie (as Jordan): I mean, ouch. But I guess you would know, huh?
Fabby: She like, looks down, like,
Fabby (as Luz): Yeah. Yeah. I would know.
Josie (as Jordan): But don’t you want Them back?
Fabby (as Luz): Of course I want Them back, but… if it’s an eclipse and it’s really dark out, you want the sun back because it’s gonna help you be able to see more. In this metaphor there’s not like, electricity. Just go with me for that.
Josie: [laughs]
Fabby (as Luz): But you can’t control when the sun comes back. The sun’s gonna come back when the sun comes back. And that’s kinda how I feel about Lucifer? They’ll come back if and when They want to come back. I don’t think I or anyone can change that. And I— yeah.
Josie (as Jordan): Wow, you really think of Them as the sun, huh? I mean, I guess They are the Morning Star.
Fabby (as Luz): Yeah. They… when I think of Them , my memories and my— when I close my eyes and think of Lucifer, all I can feel is this warm light covering me like a hug, like an embrace. It’s a light that loves and cares and loves. But it’s also… it’s also fickle in the way that you might be under the perfect sunbeam and then a cloud passes by and you no longer get that warmth. You can’t control that, it’s a force of nature.
Josie: She kind of thinks about that for a while and like, puts her chin on her palm. It looks a little bit pouty.
Fabby: Kind of adorable.
Josie (as Jordan): I… is it weird that I kind of wish someone looked at me that way?
Fabby: I think Luz is gonna smile and—
Josie (as Jordan): Oh no. Don’t. Don’t say it. That’s too much, even for me.
Fabby: I think she’s not gonna say anything, just smile and then lift her face up to see her with a finger and say— and shrug. Not even say anything, just shrug. Lift her face up from her chin with a finger and shrug.
Josie (as Jordan): Ugh, you’re so cheesy.
Fabby (as Luz): I know, but you love it.
Josie (as Jordan): Yeah, I do.
Fabby (as Luz): Mm hmm. That’s why— honestly that’s… I’ve been really enjoying hanging out with you recently. I um, I was kinda in a bad place when we first met and being able to spend time with you has, uh, really made my life better.
Josie (as Jordan): Yeah. I… I don’t know. This is the first time I’ve been really able to connect with someone like me. You know Emma, she’s a little distant and we really didn’t know each other.
Fabby (as Luz): You only knew each other, yeah, because you were both demons.
Josie (as Jordan): Yeah. Yeah, exactly.
Fabby (as Luz): Yeah. I’m glad I get to spend time with you. Not only because you’re a cute demon girl I have lots in common with and I enjoy spending time with, but also cause you’re cool. You’re like, funny and interesting and incredibly like, adorable?
Josie (as Jordan): Stop it. Stop saying things about yourself about me.
Fabby (as Luz): No, it’s true! I’m—
Josie: She sticks out her tongue. Like, ‘nyeh’.
Fabby (as Luz): Nyeh!
Fabby: She sticks out her tongue back.
Fabby (as Luz): See. You’re adorable. You make me act adorable. You’re doing this! I would be nothing with you, I would be a rock outside.
Josie: She boops your nose.
Fabby (as Luz): Ah!
Josie (as Jordan): You’re making a scene.
Fabby: I know. But it’s okay, it’s a queer bar, it’s a queer café. Everyone makes scenes here, they’re used to it. The other day I saw this, uh, gay dude propose to his boyfriend in full drag with like, a full mariachi band? It was a whole thing.
Josie: [laughs]
Kris: Yes!
Josie: I mean, I’d say yes.
Fabby (as Luz): Yeah, they’re having the ceremony in the patio next month. I wasn’t invited, I don’t know them, I was just happened to be there for that. But, you know.
Josie: [laughs]
Fabby (as Luz): It was nice.
Josie (as Jordan): Yeah. Question.
Fabby (as Luz): Mm hmm, answer.
Josie (as Jordan): Do you like, have anyone on the human side of things? Because Emma’s done this thing where she’s like, bonded with them. And I haven’t done that because it feels weird. But I know we did that back then.
Fabby (as Luz): Yeah, I… I tried? I’ve only tried once. Um, they— they’re a couple, it’s two of them. They’re very important to me. I tried bonding with them and I kinda told them about me and my whole deal? I don’t know, I felt like being honest was important.
Josie (as Jordan): I mean—
Fabby (as Luz): Uh…
Josie (as Jordan): How’d that part go?
Fabby (as Luz): Uh, I would say it went 6 to 8 in the clock?
Fabby: [laughs] Sorry.
Josie: [laughs]
Fabby: I was making a joke. I’m a dork.
Fabby (as Luz): I would say it went not terrible, but not ideal. Um… they aren’t angry at me, they aren’t trying to exorcise me, but they kinda wanted space, so I’ve given space. That’s— when we first met, that had just happened and uh, I was in a really rough place before we started hanging out.
Josie: She kind of grips Luz’s hand.
Josie (as Jordan): Yeah. Don’t— if they need time, they need time. But like, don’t stress about it. If they can’t handle the demon stuff, they don’t deserve you.
Fabby (as Luz): Yeah. They’re great people but…
Fabby: I think she like, puts her hand on top of Jordan’s hand gently. That’s on top of her hand. The other hand. So we have a three-hand sandwich right now.
Josie: [laughs]
Fabby: And she says,
Fabby (as Luz): It is easier and nicer— I don’t know nicer, well, hmm. It’s more easy and comfortable to just talk about these things with you. And I don’t know if it’s because you are like me, you’re a demon like me, or if it’s because it’s you. But I’m not gonna complain either way.
Josie: She smiles and squeezes your hand back, a little possessively.
Fabby: I don’t think Luz minds right now. I think she enjoys being— she enjoys that someone is being possessive about her at this moment. We’ll see if she changes her mind later, but for this instance, she’s okay with it.
Josie: Okay. I think that’s a good place to leave this absolutely sugar-drenched sweetness.
Minna: [coos]
Fabby: Nothing bad will ever happen.
Kris: Good. Vibes. Only.
Fabby: Good vibes only.
Josie: [laughs]
Kris: Title drop.
Josie: I think we’re gonna cut over to Julia. How’s Julia spending her Saturday evening?
[pause]
Josie: I’ve got something for ya, I’m just asking for set dressing.
Minna: [laughs] Well, what do you have for me, so I can be ready for it?
Josie: I was thinking like a text or call with Julia’s Dad. Or even in person. Like, he’s just checking in.
Minna: Yeah. So I think for Julia’s Saturday evening she’s actually taking a minute to recover from the week that she’s had. Uh…
Josie: Yeah, so—
Minna: Getting some cleaning done, watching some TV.
Josie: So, I think you eventually get a text from Tim Summers, Julia’s dad. Just asking,
Josie (as Tim via text): Hey, haven’t worked yourself sick again, have ya?
Minna: [laughs] I think it takes her a minute to notice the text, and then she picks it up and smiles. Texts back:
Minna (as Julia via text): No, I’m fine, thank you. How’s your Saturday going?
Josie (as Tim via text): Oh, pretty good. Me and your mom are just planning a neighborhood potluck. It’s been a while since we did one of those.
Minna (as Julia via text): Oh yeah?
Josie (as Tim via text): Yeah. We can see you there, right?
Minna (as Julia via text): Yeah, I can bring something. You getting the smoker fired up?
Josie (as Tim via text): Yeah. Just gotta make sure the rust on the old girl isn’t too bad.
Minna (as Julia): [laughs]
Minna (as Julia via text): I’m sure it’ll be fine.
Josie: What would be, like, a good nickname that Julia’s dad calls Julia? Jules, maybe?
Minna: Uh, yeah. So before um, before she became what she is now, she went by Jules.
Josie: Aww.
Minna: So I think she could get called Jules sometimes, even though it’s not what she wants most people to call her.
Josie: Okay. So I think Tim texts:
Josie (as Tim via text): Jules, are you okay? Besides the sick thing. I mean, emotional wellness.
Minna: [laughs] I think she looks at it and just kinda laughs like, ‘God, how do you even approach this?’
Minna (as Julia): [laughs]
Minna: I think she’s actually honest in that she says,
Minna (as Julia via text): I’ve bene having kind of a weird time.
Josie (as Tim via text): How so?
Minna: …God. [laughs]
Josie: [laughs]
Minna: You know that relatable human experience of people that you knew millennia ago are coming back into your life and stirring up old feelings? [laughs]
Josie: Uh huh.
Kris: [laughs]
Josie: That feeling that everyone has had.
Minna: [laughs]
Kris: [laughs]
Minna: So… how do I respond to this? [laughs]
Josie: I think Tim will send another text.
Josie (as Tim via text): It’s okay it you don’t want to talk about it. And I won’t complain about work going well. But it’s been a while since we’ve spent any lengthy amount of time here. I’m just saying we miss you. I’m not trying to guilt trip you. I’m not trying to be a dad, but I’m going to be a dad a little bit.
Minna (as Julia via text): No, sorry Dad, that’s my bad. I should come around more often. It’s just been really busy. I’ll definitely be there for the cookout, or the potluck.
Josie (as Tim via text): Okay. Thank you, Jules. I am glad that we still get to talk.
Minna: [laughs] I think that “still” is like a little knife in her heart. Like, ‘Why wouldn’t we still talk?’ [laughs]
Josie: I think the text comes through:
Josie (as Tim via text): Oh, that read kind of bad, huh? I just meant, I don’t know, it feels like a lot of the families around us, the kids go away to college or whatever and just don’t come back.
Minna: I think she texts back:
Minna (as Julia via text): I’m not going anywhere. It’s just been a busy couple of months. Maybe things’ll get back to normal soon.
Josie (as Tim via text): Okay. I will stop dadding at you and start cool dadding at you.
Fabby: Start daddio-ing at you.
Josie: Eyy! [laughs]
Kris: Can I pitch something for the end of that conversation, just cause it’s stuck in my head?
Josie: Sure.
Kris: Can Julia’s dad, like, final text just says, ‘Your mom says hi,’ and then two seconds later, Julia gets a text from her mom that says, ‘Hi!’
[laughter]
Josie: Yeah. 100%. [laughs]
Kris: Thank you so much.
Josie: So, I think you have a text conversation with your parents, but it seems like Julia is still feeling very weird about this, because she doesn’t seem to be telling them about it, but also isn’t ignoring them.
Minna: Definitely not ignoring them, but also how the hell do you tell your parents, ‘Hi, half of me is now extremely old and extremely conflicted’? And from their perspective, just, she changed her whole life path one day five years ago. To be clear, this was five years ago that she became a demon, but it’s just been like, weird since then? And it kind of settled into more normal and then like, lately everything’s been stirred up all over again. So she kind of withdrew a little and they’re kind of nervous about it.
Josie: Yeah. Yeah. I think we will leave Julia to her emotional conflict and go over to Remy and Jade.
Kris: Wah.
Josie: So, given that the two of you have been bringing it up back and forth all week, but your schedules just haven’t lined up, Jade knows what you’re here for. Do you think it happens in— where do you think this happens?
Kris: Um… this is probably like, at night, like Isaiah has gone to sleep, but probably still at Jade’s just in case he wakes up, cause like sometimes children will hear voices and be like, ‘Something is happening and I’m missing it!’ Just so that he doesn’t like, then emerge into an empty apartment and freak out.
Josie: Yeah. So, I think Jade has put on some tea, um, and you all are in the, um, living room into connected kitchen space because this is an apartment. Um, she says:
Josie (as Jade): So… is this the sort of thing where— alright, tell me upfront. Is this something I need to worry about legally?
Kris (as Remy): Not—
Josie (as Jade): Are you into something like that?
Kris (as Remy): No, no, not in a very long time. Uh—
Fabby: [laughs]
Kris (as Remy): That’s showbiz— no, this is not, um… it would be really weird if there were legal ramifications, cause um, I mean…
Josie (as Jade): Okay, phew, alright.
Kris (as Remy): It’s demon stuff and, you know, I feel like usually— I don’t really see how you would bring up, ‘Demons attacked my church where there is also a demon’, and get any traction.
Josie (as Jade): Okay. First of all, it’s been a while since we’ve actually said… demon out loud about it, huh?
Kris (as Remy): Yeah, sorry about that. Um, wild day. I just— kind got used to it. I’m trying to go with the flow, because otherwise I feel like I might stop and—
Fabby: Uh, you get a notification, you’re tagged in a picture that says, ‘Big gay demon brunch’ and it’s pictures of the event— of the event, of the brunch, that Luz took.
[laughter]
Josie: Jade says,
Josie (as Jade): Second of all, attacking church? What?
Kris (as Remy): Right. Okay. So um, you remember how I just said there’s a demon in the church? Okay, wait. Um, have you— wait.
Kris: You know, it’s the sort of thing where Remy is now realizing, oh, I didn’t figure out how to start this.
Josie: [laughs]
Kris: You know, I didn’t plan any of this despite having lots of time to. I just sort of figured it’ll work out and now that they’re actually having to explain themselves—
Josie: Hey, it’s me trying to GM. [laughs]
Kris: [laughs] Oh, it’s me trying to talk to anyone. Anyway, eventually they get to:
Kris (as Remy): Okay. Let’s start here. You’ve heard of the Tower of Babel, right? Even if not from church stories, just generally?
Josie (as Jade): I mean, yeah, just in general. I went to church with my parents when I was little.
Kris (as Remy): Okay, okay, so. First of all, it was real.
Josie (as Jade): [sighs] Okay? Alright.
Kris (as Remy): And… secondly, um, you know, it fell. And I— [sighs] I feel like if I start getting into the specifics of what happened exactly after it fell, one, I don’t know all of them and two, that could take a while and I could get side-tracked again, so I’m gonna try to stick to what I know and stick to what matters now. Um, Babel fell but it wasn’t destroyed. Pieces of it apparently still exist. And for whatever reason, some of them are here. Miami, not your apartment.
Josie (as Jade): Okay…? What… Remy, what the hell does that have to do with anything?
Kris (as Remy): Babel was… I mean, depending on who you ask, it was kinda the center of everything for a lot of us back then. And when there’s that kind of belief in a place, when something or somewhere means that much to people, there’s a lot of power in it. And there’s still a lot of power in those shards. At least, enough that people want them. And enough that, um, well, they’re apparently willing to go to some pretty extreme ends to get them.
Josie (as Jade): I see.
Kris (as Remy): So, we found out about it and tried to stop them and that’s when we got into a fight in a church, with another demon. We’re not all friends.
Josie (as Jade): This wouldn’t happen to be the thing I saw on the news, would it?
Kris (as Remy): Probably, yeah.
Josie (as Jade): Fuck.
Kris (as Remy): I mean, we weren’t— I know there were some guns involved, and we weren’t there for that part but… uh, I can’t really say it got better after that point, you know? I mean, I don’t think they called the police at that point because, again, demon powers are really hard to explain for legal situations. But um,
Josie (as Jade): [faintly] Okay…
Josie: I think at that point the teapot squeals and she goes to pour it. She’s very clearly processing all that.
Kris: Yeah. Remy is trying to take this moment to figure out like, ‘Okay, how do I bring this around in a I’m not trying to bring harm to you and your family kind of way?’
Josie (as Jade): I know you’re not trying. I just… when you first sang, it was… beautiful. And is helped Isaiah out a lot. And you know, you said demon, but it didn’t seem like there was that big a difference between demon and angel and fallen angel and all of that stuff. And…
Kris (as Remy): That part’s still there.
Josie (as Jade): Yeah.
Kris (as Remy): But, yeah, there’s a lot of— there’s… [sighs] there’s a lot of darkness there, too. I mean, you know. Angels don’t fall without some darkness. And… some of that’s coming back into the world. Heck, I don’t know if it ever left. I kind of only just got here.
Josie (as Jade): I see. I— I don’t know how to feel about all that. Because on the one hand, I’m really worried for you. You’re stuck in what looks like a pretty nasty situation. I’m glad you’re fuckin’ alive. But also, I’d kinda gotten used to my life being safe? And it was partly safe because of you. And now that’s shaken a little bit, I guess.
Kris (as Remy): No, yeah. That’s… that is not untrue, yeah. That is fair. And if I need to keep my distance, that’s also super fair. I mean, you know, as much as I can literally, living next door. But I am still trying to [sighs] you know, wanting to say all this is just trying to keep everybody safe, but… I’m doing what I can to minimize the amount of people getting hurt, but I— I don’t know much about this Father John guy, so I really can’t quite tell what he will do. But I— I don’t know that I can guarantee that he won’t make it personal.
Josie (as Jade): Yeah. I… I don’t know what’s safer, because… if we start putting some distance, that’ll… that’ll make Isaiah really sad, but he’ll get over that eventually. It’ll make me really sad, but it may be safer. Um, in case something comes back on you. But on the other hand, if something happens and you’re not here, I mean, I don’t have magical angel powers. I don’t know what I would do.
Kris (as Remy): Yup. [sighs] Yup.
Josie (as Jade): Also, this does kinda sound like the thing where I might need to worry about legal stuff. Not lawyers, but you know, cops?
Kris (as Remy): I guess there were cops outside of that church. But they left by the time we were…
Kris: Remy starts to think on like, oh no, you might have some point. They’re also, alright yeah, have been back on Earth for like, what less than a year? It’s like, I don’t know shit about legal anything. So it’s just like, ‘Oh, I hadn’t thought about that.’
Josie (as Jade): Also… would, would…. I mean, you wouldn’t be safe, because you wouldn’t have here to come to, and don’t you— wasn’t kind of the bond thing we did, don’t you need that?
Kris (as Remy): I mean, there’s probably alternatives? Again, if it— if it keeps you safer, I can leave. I’ve— I mean, I’ve left before.
Josie (as Jade): [simultaneously] Remy, I don’t want you to leave.
Kris (as Remy): Huh?
Josie (as Jade): I don’t want you to leave.
Kris (as Remy): I mean, me neither. I do like it here. And I do like spending time with you and Isaiah, but… [exhales] Oh. You know. Sometimes I, I get weird, like, uh, flashes or reminders of what Remy was like as a person. You know? I don’t know that I ever truly met them. I don’t know that they will again. Probably not. But they seemed like a very go with the flow, act first think later person, and I really wish I could just tap into some of that right now. Cause there’s a part of me that really wants to say, ‘Well come what may, I will face it. And it’s not like I’m alone, I’ve got friends, I’ve got neighbors, I’ve got people who care and can help.’ But I feel that part of me that ran before, and it’s… it’s getting jumpy again. I don’t know to what extent, but… that instinct is there.
Josie (as Jade): I mean… do you have friends? I mean there’s a couple more like you, but I’ve— you’re the only person like you that I know.
Kris (as Remy): Do you…
Kris: Remy is kinda like, half-squinting, like,
Kris (as Remy): Do you want to meet them?
Josie (as Jade): I just wanna know if all of this is on you or if there’s something between and you and me and the stuff you’re dealing with.
Kris (as Remy): I mean… if I didn’t want it to be, I don’t think any of it would have to be on me, but I did that once before and I’m trying not to again. It’s not all on me, but I don’t want to— I don’t wanna let anyone down again, not like this.
Josie (as Jade): Then please, going forward, if something like this happens that’s dangerous, just tell me up front.
Kris (as Remy): That’s enough?
Josie (as Jade): I don’t think it’s enough, but I can’t… I can’t make a decision for all of us right now. It’s a lot. I…
Kris (as Remy): Yeah.
Josie (as Jade): I’m… just please tell me that you’ll tell me if something like this happens to you again.
Kris (as Remy): Yeah of, of course—
Kris: I think Remy’s kind of like, that’s alright and— that’s not like, that’s it, just tell me and then then everything’s good and fine, but just like, I was expecting— again, they were expecting this to go worse. Um, or worried it could go worse. So, so, yeah.
Kris (as Remy): Absolutely. That’s the least I can do.
Josie (as Jade): Yeah. And I mean, it’s just not— it’s not just me worrying about you. I need to know if we do need to separate after all, or if I need to take Isaiah upstate or something.
Kris (as Remy): Yeah. Whatever keeps the two of you safest. That’s… that works for me. [laughs] Sorry, I’m not laughing cause anything’s funny, I just… I just keeping expecting things to be disasters and then they’re not, and I don’t know what to do about it.
Josie (as Jade): I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’m pretty mad that A, you got into what looked like a supernatural shootout and two, didn’t tell me until like, two weeks later. But um, I’ll get to the anger part probably around tomorrow morning.
Kris (as Remy): Sorry about that.
Josie (as Jade): But I just have this weird feeling that— listen, you’re… I don’t know the extent of your powers. Is it like the stuff you see in shows? Like, can you just blow things up? Or is it just singing and some light? Or… what? Because I’ve been taking a lot of safety in you, but I just realized I don’t actually know what you’re capable of, and that’s a little unfair to you.
Kris (as Remy): Well, I can’t blow things up. I think I used to be able to? But, you know,
Kris: Does like what they saw Ethan do, when Ethan was just like, ‘boom, and now I’m full of fire,’ right? Like, makes some kind of hand motion and there’s just nothing.
Kris (as Remy): I don’t… I think part of me can do that or could do that, but I don’t know where that part is right now. Maybe that’s a memory I’m just trying to keep repressed. Um… I got the voice thing. I’m pretty good with directions. Um… and I can lift stuff. That’s most of what I got happening right now. But if that does change too, you will be the first to know.
Josie (as Jade): Okay. Thank you. Um, I don’t know if we need to go our separate ways yet. I need time to think about that. Um, but I need to think about what would be best for Isaiah. At this point, us moving in with my grandma is on the table. It would be risky in itself for me to get a gun, but…
Kris (as Remy): I mean, if there’s one— I don’t know if positive is quite the word, but if there’s one thing I’m hoping it is that this Father John um, has enough um, uh, like, image awareness? To not make many overt moves, considering he is running for city something.
Josie (as Jade): Ah. Okay. He’s a politician too. Good. Great.
Kris (as Remy): Is that worse?
Josie (as Jade): I genuinely don’t know.
Kris (as Remy): Oh dear.
Josie (as Jade): The point is, Remy, thank you for telling me. Finally. I need some time to think.
Kris (as Remy): Yup. I will get out of your hair. Thanks for listening.
Josie: She nods.
Josie (as Jade): You can take the tea if you want.
Kris (as Remy): I’ll bring back the mug. I’ll just leave it outside of the— yeah. I’ll bring back the mug later.
Kris: Just sort of like shuffles out with, you know, like, that thing where you’re walking out of a place awkwardly? Looking back over your shoulder and doing, like, the small wave thing.
Josie: She just kind of gives a single wave and looks down at her tea a little bit. So, after all that, how’s Remy feeling? [laughs]
Kris: Oh Remy just like, yeah, goes literally next door, like, plops down on a couch and just sort of, you know that thing where you like, sit down and then half slide down?
Minna: [sympathetic moan]
Kris: Half staring at the ceiling? They’ve just done that and just like, let out a big exhale. Um, it’s again, you know, it’s not like ‘you’re a horrible monster, get away from me,’ but it’s the uncertainty of not knowing what happens next. All of that anxiety is back, all of that, like, uhhhh. I don’t like not knowing what’s going to happen next. I don’t like not feeling certain about where I stand with people.
Josie: Yeah. And it’s clear that Jade kinda saw Remy as kind of a guardian angel type figure and—
Kris: Yeah. And it definitely hurts knowing like, you know, I don’t know how much Remy was aware of that image that Jade had of them, but knowing that it was there and that it’s now gone and they’ve lost that, um, they’re like aww, I fucked up. I fucked up.
Josie: [sighs] Yeah. You had one last thing, Remy, you wanted to do before we wrap up tonight.
Kris: Yes, um, so while they’re in this slightly zoned-put, stare at the ceiling mode, I think they do start to like, focus back in on, you know, okay maybe I should stop thinking about what might happen. And I start trying to think about what might have happened? And they start really trying to like, focus in on their, uh, memories. Whatever they can make of them. From when they were, you know, just the Wandering Lighthouse, just endlessly shambling across the world in a haze of self-loathing.
Josie: Mm hmm. Give me a True Name roll, please.
Kris: This gon’ be really bad. Okay. Well this is 2d6 taking the lower one, because I have no dots in my True Name. [laughs] Oh man, that’s a 6 and a 1.
Josie: Aww, so close.
Kris: So that’s a 1.
Josie: So close. I think… Remy is going to take a point of Torment. You can resist it if you want.
Kris: Ooh.
Josie: But I think you’re actually getting the sense of All Eyes on You.
Kris: Ooh…
Josie: As— well first of all, before I go into it, do you wanna resist the Torment point?
Kris: I do.
Josie: Okay. Uh… crap. I think it’s Angelic Epithet to resist it?
Kris: Yeah. I was gonna push for that, just being like, ‘No, no, no, I am pushing through this with the power of my spirit. In a good way.’ Okay, that’s a 4. I lose two Faith.
Josie: Okey dokey. So, you don’t take that Torment point.
Kris: Indeed.
Josie: Remy plumbs their memories of wandering the Earth for thousands and thousands of years. And you do see Lucifer. You see a lot of Lucifer. You see Lucifer everywhere. You have memories of walking down a dirt path, walking down a cobblestone road, walking down a paved street, and all the people there going about their business look like Them. And as you pass, they always look at you. And Remy was turned in one themselves, they didn’t see much of what was going on around them. But you get the sense this whole time that either Lucifer, or something else, or other people were watching you. And Lucifer is kind of an overwhelming presence. They’re beautiful in whatever kind of beauty hits you the hardest. For Luz, that’s a lot of different kinds of beauty, including the horny one.
Kris: [laughs]
Fabby: Luz somewhere, ‘I feel I’m being dragged.’
[laughter]
Josie: They were the first of you, once upon a time. So, it’s just, They embody whatever place They hold in your heart. And you can’t help but get the feeling of Them judging you as you walk. But you do get the sense that you maybe encountered Them before. You have no idea where. No idea how, no idea when. And it may not have gone well. And indeed, Remy needs to remember their past self, their own light at the Possessed Incandescent to banish that dark pall of judgement. But you do get the feeling that They’re out there.
Kris: Alright. I’ll take it.
##Credits [XX.XX.XX]**
Josie: Demon: Love and Hellfire is a Clever Corvids production. Find the show on Twitter @Love_Hellfire and follow @Clever_Corvids on Twitter for updates on the network and City That Never Dies. We also have a website, CleverCorvids.net.
Don’t forget to support the Clever Corvids Patreon. It supports all our shows, and you get some extra goodies each month if you do. I have a few more shows planned, so if we can get enough patrons to afford them, we can keep expanding our network.
Luz, aka Penumbra, is played by Fabby Garza. Fabby is a Mexican-American queer trans woman and you can find her voice in other Actual Play podcasts such as Eidolon Playtest, Moon Harbor Heroes, and Don’t Cast, Don’t Tell. You can find her and all of her work @Fabby_Garza on Twitter.
Remy, aka Orea, is played by Kris Allison. Kris is black, ace and tired. You can also hear them having anti-capitalist gay space adventures in the podcast Breathing Space: Fading Frontier. You can also find them on Twitter @knalliso, where they frequently retweet other people and sometimes draw swords.
Julia, aka Aigron, is played by Minna Reilly. Minna is an aro-ace Florida woman who doesn’t do anything wild enough to end up in a headline. You can, however, hear her elsewhere on Clever Corvids in The City That Never Dies. You can also find her on Twitter @mynaminnarr, where she is almost certainly talking about fanfiction.
The GM is Josie S. Josie is a literal, actual dragon and a thirsty trans lesbian. Hear her elsewhere on Clever Corvids in The City That Never Dies, or guesting on a bunch of other podcasts like Moon Harbor. You can find her on Twitter @DragonGirlJosie, where she is extremely gay all the time.
All music on the show is from Pixabay, used under their license, unless otherwise noted. Pixabay’s license grants the irrevocable, worldwide, non-exclusive and royalty free right to use, download, copy, modify or adapt their content for commercial or non-commercial purposes. Attribution of the artists is not required, but we have a page on our website, CleverCorvids.net, to credit the artists anyway.
Thank you for listening!