[Theme music plays]
(Floating Cities - Kevin MacLeod)
Narrator:
This is the part I love. The dash towards
danger, the risk and thrill of the unknown.
Surely no trouble the Occult Club cannot handle,
but I won’t prattle on - let’s find out
together.
[Theme music plays]
(Floating Cities - Kevin MacLeod)
[Electronic synth mystery music plays]
(nightWalk - airtone)
Vincent:
Could I get an Athletics roll from everyone, please?
Will:
Gross. [dice shaking] Starting out with one
of these, huh? [dice roll] No thank you.
Kirsty:
Oh I have plus 4 to Athletics, that’s great.
Will:
Oh shit, you got more than me.
Kirsty:
[dice roll] But it only added up to a 10.
Will [Crosstalk]: 17.
Kirsty [Crosstalk]: I rolled a 6.
Vincent:
17, damn! Alrighty. Your two compatriots did
pretty well. You are out of this room, [running
footfalls] and you are out into the hallways,
to try to find the source of this noise. You
see running up the front is Theo, who has just...
Kirsty:
A clue! [giggles]
Vincent:
Parkour! You see, running out the front is
Theo, who just has this really determined
gait about him, and Jordan is following quick
behind with Reese and Noah at the back.
You end up going down along [large door opens]
the music room corridor, which is saying something,
because these rooms are somewhat sound blocked.
Not at all proofed, they don't have the budget
for that. But, you see him leg down this corridor,
are all of you following very closely behind,
and you see that there is an ajar door that
he runs to first, and pushes open.
Kirsty:
[giggles] What’s up?
Vincent:
I'm tossing up whether or not he would say
some cheesy one-liner about like the Occult
Club being here to help.
Kirsty:
Yes, he would. I'm sorry, you have to flip
for it now. [dice roll. Vincent laughs] This
is Reese's Squire. Yes, he would.
[dice shaking]
Will:
Jordan- Jordan's just right behind him like-
Vincent:
[dice roll] Okay, I’m- I'm rolling to quip.
So...Theo has arrived at the door first, [door
pushes open] pushing this open and valiantly
standing chest forward, presence known.
Reese, you and Noah hear, as you are coming
up the corridor behind as Jordan arrives at
the door. You just have Theo addressing the
room.
Theo [valiantly]:
Where is the danger?
Kirsty:
I love it.
Vincent:
Jordan, you look in the room to see that Theo
has successfully scared the shit out of the
two people who were in here. They were not
expecting a Dragonborn boy to suddenly come
in screaming. You actually hear another small
scream from one of the room's occupants, who
looks a little stressed.
You see before you, you have a Goliath guy
and an Elven girl, and the two of them are
looking so confused and perplexed by like,
people suddenly arriving. Reese, you and Noah
being the last to arrive, see people absolutely
poking their heads out of rooms. You hear
like one person, or should I say, you see
on their lips as they say-
Student:
Are they practicing scream-o in there? I didn't
know that was kind of their genre, but like,
nice to see they're branching out.
Vincent:
You see some people, like, stirring, but no
one's arrived to help because they're not
sure if it's, like, an artistic choice.
Kirsty:
Yeah.
Will:
I will pat- I will pat Theo on the shoulder and be like-
Jordan:
Good work, bud.
Will:
Before I turned to the two, I’m like-
Jordan:
Are you two okay?
[Tonal mystery music plays] (Homeroad - Kai Engel)
Vincent: Could I get- I'll take from the group now
a Perception check, please.
Kirsty:
[dice shaking] I'm good at those, but I think
the dice, [dice roll] like, physical dice
hate me. [dice roll] That's a natural 1.
Will [Crosstalk]:
They do for sure.
Kirsty [Crosstalk]:
I'm going to stop using...uh...natural dice,
‘cause I don't think they like me at all.
Let's see what I would have gotten if I rolled digitally.
Will:
That was uh, 14 for me.
Kirsty:
I would have gotten a natural 1. 
[Kirsty and Vincent wheeze]
Will:
You were supposed to fuck this up!
Vincent:
You were destined to ne- you were destined
to never see what was going on.
Will [Crosstalk]:
You were- You were too busy reading lips.
Kirsty:
I was too busy reading lips. [Will exhales in awe]
Vincent:
There you go. Yeah. You were too busy paying
attention to the people around you. You're
trying to get a look in on like, ‘Who's
around? Who could be perpetuating this if
it's a prank by someone,’ like, ‘Oah,
I have to- I have to get, like, eyes on the
people out here to verify if anyone's- Who's
got pink paint on them?’ [Kirsty exhales
a laugh] Need to verify- [laughs]
Will:
You heard it here, first. The dice gods are real.
Kirsty:
The dice gods are real.
Vincent:
[laughs] I really like that. I like the idea
that, that ‘1’ sort of interprets that
you don't get to get a look in on the “crime
scene”, but that you're kind of paying attention
to what's going on outside, and around. So
you're occupied doing that, as Noah's moved
past you to enter into the room with Jordan.
And you see, Jordan, that he's mostly filming
yourself, regarding these individuals. But
you and Theo look around the room. You don't
see anything. There's no third presence here.
There's no [spookily] ghost, or anything like
that. As far as you can tell.
Will:
Theo scared the ghost away, the ghost was
like, ‘Justice? Oh, no! I’m out.’ [Kirsty
and Vincent giggle]
Vincent:
Theo’s just like, ‘I am not Justice. I am Theo.’ 
[William wheezes]
You approach these two individuals. And you
would presume these two to be in junior years;
you certainly haven't interacted with them
very much. The two of them seem to be what
you would assume to be a band, like a duet
sort of situation.
The Elven girl has a guitar in front of her,
and the Goliath guy is ah- he doesn't look
nearly as stressed out as she does.
Jordan:
Are you two okay?
Vincent:
The Elven girl looks over the group of you,
sees Noah filming, sees Theo there, sees you
approaching.
Alex:
Who are you?
Jordan:
I'm Jordan. We are the Occult Club, and we
want to know who just screamed.
Vincent:
She nods. The Goliath guy takes a step forward-
Cam [extravagantly]:
Well I’m Cam Alberts! And I am going to
be the next Argentia Academy star.
Vincent:
He looks off in several different directions
as he says this, and gestures over to his
bandmate.
Cam [extravagantly]:
And this! Is Alex Yunai, the most talented
guitarist you will ever meet!
Vincent:
Named after Cam on Facebook, and Alex is named
after Rednexela for that fanart.
Will:
I would like to just do a quick Insight.
Vincent:
[laughing] Sure.
Will:
Are they performing for the camera, or is
Cam performing for the camera? [dice roll]
That's a 6, it's real bad.
Vincent:
With a 6...Um, I don’t think there's too
much you need to read into here. Noah is very
intentioned with where he ends up putting
the camera, and usually unless he has permission
from people he tries very much to not get
them in shot without, like, some kind of agreement.
Because he hasn't had the chance to do that,
he's been really focusing on you guys.
But you see, like Cam has like, stepped forward
and is like, ‘I will insert myself into
the frame. Hello. Hi, I am here’. You suspect
there is an element of performance here. Absolutely.
You get a look at Alex, who does seem the
most disheveled of the two. And while she
doesn't seem bothered by Cam's antics, you
would hazard a guess- it doesn't take much
to see that she's the one that maybe saw-
Vincent & Will:
-something.
Vincent:
Mm. Theo looks to you, and back to Cam, and
back to you, and-
Theo:
Would you like me to...question our witness
here, and...you question the other?
Will:
Yeah, internally Jordans just like, ‘Ah,
yes. Perfect. You can both chew on the walls
together.’ [laughs]
Jordan:
Yeah, sure, why not Theo? Uh, hey, Noah, do
you want to back on out for a bit?
Vincent:
Noah takes a look at the both of you, and
just like nods. Yeah, he gets ya. He puts
the camera down, and walks over to Reese,
who’s sort of in the doorway, currently.
Kirsty:
I poke my head through and ask-
Reese:
Hey, are there any open windows in here?
Vincent:
You take a look around. There is not.
Kirsty:
Awesome.
Will:
I'll go to Alex.
Vincent:
You walk over to Alex. She uses the guitar
strap to move the guitar to her back, and
is standing, watching the group of you kind
of listening in.
The conversation between Cam and Theo is a
lot. They are both very loud personalities,
it would seem. And when you get to look over
to Cam even with the camera down and out of
action, you start to think maybe that's just
Cam, because it does not like dial down, it
does not- it does not go away.
Will:
I'm just gonna quickly- I'm just gonna turn
to Alex after looking at this, and say to
her-
Jordan:
Yeah, that seems about what I thought would happen.
Alex:
Sorry. You said your name was Jordan?
Jordan:
Yes.
Alex:
Of uh, the Occult Club?
Jordan:
Mhm.
Vincent:
She looks off for a second, and just kind
of mumbles herself-
Alex:
I didn't even know we had an Occult Club.
Sorry. Just very, um- it's a little weird
that you guys happened to get here, ‘cause
[embarrassed noise] there was a ghost here
like a second ago. But um, Cam’s upset that
I scared it away.
Jordan:
What did you see?
Alex:
I saw [small sigh] a, uh, girl, just in the
school uniform. And she was just here in the
room. She didn't do anything, but Cam, like,
noticed her first, uh, ‘cause I was tuning
my guitar.
And when I looked up and saw her- I didn't
mean to scream, I just kind of did as a reaction
to, um, ‘Holy shit, there’s a person here’.
She looked like she'd been doused in like,
flour, like what a person's idea of a ghost
would look like. Does that make sense?
Jordan:
Like, stereotypical, pop culture ghost?
Alex
Yeah. Yeah.
Vincent:
Reese, do you want to be privy to the conversation
between Cam and Theo?
[Electronic synth mystery music plays] 
(nightWalk - airtone)
Kirsty: I specifically asked about the windows, because
I would like to investigate the hallway for
any scales, or to possibly find some tracks
to see if this- we've already kind of theorized
that this might not be a ghost specifically,
so I'm kind of just looking for any signs
in the hallway that something has come this
way recently, considering that the students
are in their rooms.
Vincent:
Sure, um, I'll get a Survival check.
Kirsty:
Excellent. I'm good at those. 11.
Vincent:
With an 11. You take a look around the hallway,
and you see people are kind of moseying back
into their room [a door closes. Distant voices],
seeing that you guys have arrived and there's
no more screaming, and you have a couple of-
you have a couple of nosy nellys, [Reese’s
footsteps] who are watching the situation,
but aren't including themselves in the situation.
And as you walk around the hallway, and you
kind of casually mention, like ‘Oh, did
you see anything?’ That kind of stuff. No
one saw anything leave the room. They just
heard the scream, and when you look around
the room, you don't find any scales. This
area is carpeted, so it's not exactly like
there's much to see in the way of tracks.
But, you don't get any indication that something
has come out of this room. [footsteps stop]
Kirsty:
Are there any...? Okay. Is it- is it possible
for me to ask a question about, uhm, senses
other than sight, like smell? Are there any
unusual smells that stick out?
Vincent:
No.
Kirsty:
Okay.
Vincent:
That's a ‘no’ in answer to any strange
smells, not a ‘no’ in a ‘you're not
allowed to use your senses’. You take a
big ol’ whiff of the air. And you do not
sense anything out of the ordinary.
Kirsty:
Okay.
[Tonal mystery music plays] (Homeroad - Kai Engel)
Vincent: Jordan, you're speaking with Alex, and she
thinks on this and she's just like-
Alex:
I don't know if you've seen that classic,
you know, the one with, like, girl who comes
back to haunt, uhh, her boyfriend because
like- it's real schlocky, I don't know. There
was like a movie night a while ago, the seniors
put it on. It's more of like a hack and slash
em. I don't know if you've seen that one.
She looked kinda like that, but in the school
uniform?
Jordan:
Hmm. You didn't recognize this person at all?
Alex:
No.
Jordan:
Okay. Did you guys leave your uh, door ajar intentionally?
Alex:
Yeah, we hadn't started practice yet. So it
wasn't- it wasn't closed.
Jordan:
Hmm.
Vincent:
You hear from Theo's conversation-
Theo:
Could you describe the ghost in question?
Vincent:
And Cam responding-
Cam [dramatically]:
She was an angel, destined to bequeath her
gift onto me, and then Alex scared her away!
And now I will never have the crowd I deserve.
Vincent:
Alex takes a breath in, and just-
Alex:
Cam seems convinced that, uh, she was an apparition
of...Okay, so like every club has their little
ghost story.
Jordan:
Mm?
Alex:
The Music group has one of those classic,
‘On the night of the performance, she mysteriously
died’. It's not real, like, it's been debunked
like, so many times over.
There are some club members who think if you're
visited by this apparition before performance
night, and you give her something, you're
going to, like, have the best night and people
are going to love you, and, you know you're
going to see fame later in life, and Cam was
super sure that that's what this was.
I wasn't, and so I was really screaming at
him to stop ‘cause he wanted to touch the ghost.
Jordan:
I'll be honest, I probably do too.
Alex:
You want to touch the ghost?
Jordan:
Yeah. Make sure it is a ghost. Thank you.
Good luck with your performance. Uhm, if you
think of anything else, you can find us in
the Occult Club room.
[Tonal mystery music plays] (Interception - Kai Engel)
Vincent: She nods. Reese, what are you getting up to?
Are you still outside or have you entered
in?
Kirsty:
I've entered in. [door opens] Hmm. I think
I'm just going to continue trying to investigate
the room.
Vincent:
Could I get another Perception roll. [stammers]
Yeah, actually I'll get a Perception roll
from you entering this room, actually.
Kirsty:
18.
Vincent:
Sweet. You enter in, and you see, as you go
to step where you imagine Alex would have
been, and while standing there you take a
look...You see someone behind the instruments,
like, the kits in the corner of the room.
Kirsty:
Uuh, I cast Hold Person.
Okay, Hold Person. Choose a humanoid that
you can see within range. The target must
succeed in a Wisdom saving throw or be paralyzed
for the duration. At the end of each of its
turns, the target can make another Wisdom
saving throw. On a success the spell ends
on the target. The DC would be 14.
Vincent:
[dice roll] You very subtly take out your
wand, and utter under your breath this incantation.
You see the person lock and freeze in place.
Jordan:
Reese? What the hell?
Reese:
Can you check that out for me, please?
Jordan:
What did you just do?
Reese:
Well there's a person in that corner.
Vincent:
Jordan, you see Mina. Your mate.
Jordan:
Reese, put that away right now.
Kirsty:
I drop the spell.
Vincent:
You drop it and-
Jordan:
Oi, ding dong. What are you doing here? 
Vincent:
Mina unfreezes and stands, like stretches
out the limbs and is like-
Mina:
Oh that was really weird...Y'all hear that scream?
Jordan:
Yes, we did.
Reese:
Oh, is this one of yours?
Jordan:
Yes, also what's up with you just casting
spells at students?
Reese:
I thought that was the ghost, if I'm honest.
Jordan:
[To Mina] How did you get in behind the fucking
instruments then? You come through the roof?
Mina:
No I- I-
Reese:
Are you the ghost?
Mina:
No!
Jordan:
No.
Mina:
No, I like to spread the rumors. I don't-
I don't prank people with ghosts.
Jordan:
Mina tells the stories, I do the pranks.
Mina:
[mutters] It would be cooler if the ghosts
were actually around, but like, you know,
whatever...
Jordan:
Come on, dude. What's up?
Vincent:
Mina points to behind the racks. Whether intentionally
sort of like hidden behind here or not, you're
unsure, there is in fact, like, a very small
kind of ground vent, which leads sort of inside
and outside of the room. It's meant to act
as some kind of like, ventilation in. This
has had its grate knocked off, and Mina points to this-
Mina:
I was seeing if I could fit through, and I did.
Kirsty:
I think Reese just narrows her eyes, and is like-
Reese:
I'm vibing with you but also...
Jordan:
Also why are we only learning about this now?
All these- all the stuff we could have gone
through already, and we didn't try this?
Mina:
Fitting through a vent? I mean if you want
to try, you can. I don't think you're gonna
get through. You and your chonky ass.
Jordan:
Look, I'm saying we could have pulled off
more stuff in the intervening years if we
knew you could have gotten through a damn vent.
Mina:
It's not my preferred method is all I'm saying.
But, someone screams ghost, I'm thinking,
‘What's up with this not having its vent cover on?’
[Electronic synth mystery music plays] 
(nightWalk - airtone)
Reese: Oh, okay. So to be clear, 
you did not open the vent.
Mina:
No.
Jordan:
Hey, Reese.
Reese:
Yeah.
Jordan:
Do you want to Mittens up?
Reese:
Yeah, I do. [Vincent giggles]
Kirsty:
And I- and I do. [laughs]
Vincent:
You turn into this black cat. This uh, fluffy?
Fluffy cat, or sleek?
Kirsty:
Uhhm.
Will:
Aria-style?
Kirsty:
I think fluffy to reflect Reese's own body type. [chuckles]
Vincent:
Yeah.
Kirsty:
Obviously got a little bit of pudge on ‘em.
Vincent:
Cute. Alright, you merge into this black cat,
and you walk through the entryway you see
here, and at this closer vantage point literally
like inside the space, you can tell that the
covering that was here has been knocked off,
like very much been pulled away from it. And
when you step through, you find yourself on
the outside of the Arts building.
Just out here, it's just sort of like a grassy
kind of area. There's the fencing around the
school that wraps around here as well. It's
more so a quiet spot. It doesn't really see
much activity from anyone at all.
You have a little bit of rubbish left here
from where people might have just been hanging
out and not paying attention to like, actually
cleaning up after themselves, but otherwise
no one else is around here as far as you can
immediately see.
Kirsty:
Can I make an Investigation check out here?
Vincent:
Absolutely you can.
Kirsty:
Alright. Uuuh- brrrr...23. [Will gives a low whistle]
Vincent:
You start to mosey around kind of getting
a look at the perimeter, and around the outside
of this building. You do see from this point
that the Arts building is likely one of the
most refurbished from the original foundations
kind of building. It still has the same core
foundations that were there originally.
You don't see any other covers that have been
removed, but you definitely know that they
are around here, and that it likely would
give you a lot of ins to multiple rooms on
at least this side of the building, as far
as you can see.
And as you're walking around here and paying
attention to this, you see out of the corner
of your eye, a slithering. A sleek, dark coat
of a snake, and as it kind of notices you
and takes its- its face into the air [low
hissing] to kind of like look out its tongue
to get a sense of you, you see that familiar
red scaling that comes down on the underbelly
of this creature giving it its name: the Red-Bellied
Black Snake.
Kirsty:
And unless I fucking provoke it, I'll be fine.
Vincent:
This snake is seeing a large kitten in front
of it. So it is definitely wary of you, but
it does not exactly go to strike you.
Kirsty:
Uh, I'm gonna, I'm going to turn around and
go back into the building.
Vincent:
As you step away, there's a moment where the
snake kind of rears itself, like, [hiss] ready
to- just in case shit starts to happen. But
as you step further away, the snake chills
out, kind of turns back and moseys on its way.
You do see it, in fact, slither on out and
underneath the fence of the school. It's built
in such a way that it's not exactly difficult
for these guys to get in or out. It makes
its way out at about the same time that you
mosey on back into this building.
Jordan you're in there with Mina, who's like
still kind of feeling out the weird tenseness
that's kind of in their muscles, and is just
kind of stretching out the weird like Hold
Person spell that they were just under.
Jordan:
So, you came through this vent because you
heard a scream. Did you at least find something?
Mina:
I didn't see a ghost, which I'm disappointed
by. But uh, nah. Just a vent, and since someone's
going around trying to steal our title as
the prank masters...I mean, I have to know
how they're doing it.
Jordan:
Mm. I don't like- I don't like my throne being
approached by anyone. I mean you will- you
will come and tell me if you find something
I don't, yes?
Mina:
Yeah. Oh, yeah dude, this is totally your
guyses bag. I ain’t here to step on y'all
folk's stuff. I just want to see a fucking ghost.
Jordan:
Well uh, let's leave these two to their practice.
Besides, I need to speak with you.
[Jazzy sax, guitar, and piano music plays]
Vincent: Reese, you are walking in at exactly this
point where Jordan mentions this to Mina,
and they've moved a little bit, like a couple
steps away from the entrance, and Jordan you
see from the corner of your eye this fluffy
black cat traipsing on in.
Theo is still talking with Cam in the corner,
and Cam is still lamenting the fact that he
was not blessed by the angel of music, the
angel of the night.
Kirsty: And I turn back into myself-
Will [Crosstalk]: Hey Cam, think of me. [laughs]
Kirsty:
[sings] Think of me. Think of me, fondly.
[Will and Vincent chuckles] I turn back into
me.
Vincent:
Yes.
Kirsty:
It's all me. I just turned back into human.
And I say-
Reese:
I don't think it's a ghost.
Vincent:
Mina looks visibly disappointed. [laughs]
But also like, she kind of knew this was coming.
Jordan:
It doesn't mean it's not something rad, Mina,
don't worry about it. We can discuss this
back in the club room, I think.
Vincent:
Theo has been very patient and very much compassionate,
with like his listening to Cam’s woes, and
has steered the conversation into-
Theo:
Well, I- this has been very instructive and
I will endeavor to find this ghost for you,
and we'll see what we can do about that. But
I'm all the glad to hear you are safe, and
I'm certain the two of you shall have a, just,
riveting performance on the performance night!
Vincent:
And Cam, just very dramatically-
Cam:
[sigh] We’ll persevere. We'll find a way...out of here.
Vincent:
And then looks aside and-
Cam:
That's very good.
Will:
I've never had a character, I've just wanted
to go ‘Hm. Hm. Can we just record him instead?’
[Vincent chuckles]
Kirsty:
Record him.
Will:
And then just cut it down to get the information we need.
Vincent:
[laughs] Yeah. Just get the bite size pieces we need.
Will:
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Vincent:
I mean, you know for every second of it, Cam
would be living for it, so like-
Will:
The 30 seconds out of the 5 hours.
Vincent:
[laughs] Yeah.
Reese:
Squire!
Theo:
Yes!
Reese:
We are finished here. It's time to regroup and debrief.
Vincent:
He gives you a thumbs up, and he turns back to Cam.
Theo:
Thank you very much for your time. Both of
you be well, and if you ever need any assistance
of the occult kind, you can look for us, the Occult Club.
Vincent:
And Cam, just as dramatically matching the
energy, just-
Cam:
And if you ever, I don't know maybe, needed
a host for that little T.V. program you're
doing over there, you know where to find me,
Cam Alberts. I also do voiceover work.
Kirsty:
As everybody's leaving, I just stick my head
back in, and I'm like-
Reese:
Hi, I'm Reese, by the way. I'm the President.
We're in the History block.
Vincent:
You introduce yourself, as well as say your
goodbyes, with your calling card of where
to go if they should need you. The group of
you collect together outside of this music
room. [door closes] Mina has just kind of
tagged with you guys, but now that you're
outside is like-
Mina:
Hey, so I- I kind of gotta go back to help old mate-
Jordan [Crosstalk]: Yeah.
Mina [Crosstalk]: Over there.
Jordan:
I’ll go with you. I need you- I need you for five minutes.
Vincent:
She nods to you, and the two of you split
off to walk together, heading towards the
Dance Club rooms.
Jordan:
I'll meet you back in the room.
Reese:
Okay. [To Theo] Squire, we have much to discuss.
Kirsty:
As we walk.
Vincent:
Yes. As you walk, you just get-
Theo:
Yes, I had much information. Not all of it
terribly useful, but, er, something certainly
to glean from it.
Vincent:
And the three of you walk together; Noah switching
back on the camera to get a little bit more
of your investigation-ings right now, as you
walk to the History Block, and back to your
club room.
Jordan, you're walking along with Mina. [footsteps]
Jordan:
So...how’re things with you and Sean going?
Mina:
Pretty good. It's weird that you're not in
the club anymore, but, I think he's adjusted
fine. Uh, it's kind of- I mean- I'm worried
about him. I'm worried that like, he's got
a lot to think about, being the President,
you know? And just like, people compare you
guys a lot, and he's a really good sport about
it, but, I think it gets to him sometimes.
Jordan:
I don't like that at all.
Mina:
Neither, and I make it very well known that
I don't appreciate it. He's doing good. Like
he's really good at uh, this Club President
stuff, so he'll get through it.
I think just getting through the first performance
night, and really putting his stamp on the
club to make it, like, known what his whole
deal is, and how this thing is gonna run now
without you in it, is just like- this is the
first real checkmark.
Jordan:
Yeah? What about personally?
Vincent:
Mina like, scrunches her brow at you, and
is just like-
Mina:
We're all mates, like, what do you mean?
Will:
I just raise my eyebrows at her.
Vincent:
She raises her eyebrows at you, matching your
energy and just-
Mina:
Are you two dating? Are you telling me now?
Jordan:
I'm asking if you two are.
Mina:
No! God, no.
Jordan [Crosstalk]: No?
Mina: No.
Jordan:
Never?
Mina [Crosstalk]:
No. Never?
Vincent:
She- She shrugs.
Mina:
I don't know, man. Why are you asking all
of a sudden? It’s kind of weird?
Jordan:
I don't know. I thought I may have noticed
a few things, but, maybe I didn't.
Vincent:
She kind of looks to you, and then just kind
of, like, looks away in the direction that
you're both walking in. She kind of shrugs,
and looks back up at you, and just-
[Soft piano music plays] 
(Awakening Dew - Keys of Moon)
Mina: I mean I don't know- what- like, did he say
something? Did he say we're dating?
Jordan:
He wouldn't do that if it wasn't true. You know that.
Mina:
Yeah, just like, it's been the three of us
for a really long time. It's just kind of
weird that you would bring it up now is all.
Jordan:
Well I have been gone for a good while, so
maybe I'm just missing a few cues that's all.
Need to get back into the swing of it.
Vincent:
She looks off towards the Dance Club rooms
as you are both approaching. She doesn't really
have much more to add; she just kind of continues
to stretch out those limbs, and ready herself
for going back into work on the club activities.
Jordan:
Well, I don't know how much further we're
gonna go tonight, so I might see you later.
Vincent:
She nods, and you see that as the door is
opened, [door opens. Students talking] and
the club see that Mina’s coming back in,
you see Sean look up- I immediately forgot
exactly what [laughs] voice I gave the boy.
[Will bursts out laughing] BAM! and the Sean
is gone. Uhm-
Sean:
Did it- is it fine? Is everyone okay?
Vincent:
And Mina just gives a nod, and a-
Mina:
Yeah, no ghosts, which is like devo, but,
you know...there’s always a chance.
Vincent:
And pointedly looks at Vicki, who just like
flips her off and is like, ‘Fuck off.’
Mina laughs and heads on back in, and you
see there’s kind of this like physical posture/body
language change, because now Mina’s like,
‘Alright gotta get back into like the- the
groove of what I'm doing here,’ and walks on in.
You get a little bit of a wave acknowledgment/goodbye
from people in the group, as you head on out
and off towards the club room.
[fade out]
Vincent:
Hiya, folks. Vincent here with a quick thank
roll. First up, we wanted to give thanks to
our Argentia Alumni Tier Patrons: Aiden Jolly,
Sinclair Hughes, and Gavin Rutherglen.
We would also like to thank our music providers:
Kevin Macleod, Airtone, Kai Engel, AdmiralBob77,
Keys Of Moon, Whitesand, and Johnny Easton.
For details on the tracks, please check out
the transcriptions to the episode.
Thank you to all who review and rate the podcast,
it is hugely helpful for giving people an
audience perspective on the show, and also
a chance to have your name featured, like
Cam and Alex, whose names appeared earlier
in this episode. Argentia Academy is a full
school, and we’re hoping to source many
more names from all of you wonderful folks.
Lastly, for more details, bonus content, social
links, and the like, check out our website:
heroesinprogresspodcast.com, or our Patreon
at patreon.com/heroesinprogresspodcast.
And that’s the whole thing for this August
update. Thank you all for tuning in, and until
next time, stay safe, and I will catch you
on the flip. Bye.
[Soft piano music plays]
(Awakening Dew - Keys of Moon)
Kirsty:
I'm gonna- I'm gonna go ahead and say that
was really smooth, but also very bold!
Will:
It's his best friend. What did you expect?
Kirsty:
That made me very intrigued and anxious at
the same time for how it was gonna turn out.
Vincent:
Yeah, for people tuning in, and who cannot,
like, have the joy of these two on webcam:
the entire time Jordan was talking to Mina,
Kirsty just had her hands over her mouth in
a, [gasp] ‘Hoah!’ [Will chuckles] kind
of posture.
Will:
It was a wonderful energy to have in the room
with me. [Vincent giggles]
Kirsty:
Okay.
Vincent:
The group of you are together again, it's
nearing the end of club time for sure. I mean,
you guys are technically staying back a little
bit late all things considered what with-
Vincent:
-traveling around the school and how much
time has been spent. You arrive back at about
club finish, but everyone is there together.
You see that Elijah has returned with some
books as always, and is seated, being a little
bit debriefed by Theo and Reese and what has
happened, and Jordan, you walk in.
[Electronic synth mystery music plays]
(nightWalk - airtone)
Kirsty: I pick up a whiteboard marker and start writing
out stuff. [marker on whiteboard]
Reese:
Okay, as far as I can tell, this thing is
not a ghost-
Kirsty:
-and I write ‘Not a ghost’-
Reese:
-and it's using these vents to get around
the side of the building.
Jordan:
Was there one in the other room?
Vincent:
Thinking upon it, now that you know what you're
looking for, Reese, you definitely recognize
that there was some kind of vent thing that
led to the exterior as best you could tell;
because the art rooms are essentially mirroring
the music rooms that are on the other side
of the building, and have a similar sort of treatment.
Reese:
Okay, here is my theory: whatever is running
around, is either tapping into somehow, or
has heard the legends of these different ghosts
that all of these, you know, art students,
whatever they may be- Drama, Music, straight
up Art, Dance, whatever- and is mimicking
those specific ghosts.
For what end? I don't know. Maybe they think
that because it's the Arts Night, that is
the appropriate time to be doing this? Maybe
they're feeding off creative energy? Who's to say?
Jordan:
I mean, these- these legends revolve around
the upcoming Arts Night so, your original
theory would be providing that in for it.
Reese:
We have no idea of its motivations.
Jordan:
Mhm.
Reese:
We have no idea if it's intelligent or can
be reasoned with.
Jordan:
Mhm.
Reese:
It's certainly intelligent enough to understand
the stories that are being told, and mimic
that.
Jordan:
It could be being directed by something as well.
Reese:
Could be that. It's probably most likely lizard-like-
Kirsty:
And I hold up the scales.
Jordan:
Do we know what kind of scale- scales they are, or no?
Reese:
I could do a- I could do a more in depth,
like, research into it.
Jordan:
Hmm. Unless something else happens, I think
I'm going to go back to helping out the Dance
Club. Because I have a theory this thing has
done Art, now Music. So Dance would be next.
Reese:
Or Drama. I mean, we could split.
Jordan:
Yeah.
Reese:
If- it depends, if it's a person then I can
Hold Person it. But, if it's a creature then...
Jordan:
I mean, I don't- I don't think Theo can get
through that vent, so I don't think it's a
person.
Theo:
I am a person.
Jordan:
No, Theo...
Vincent:
The exact framing of, [laughs] ‘I don’t
think its a person, because Theo couldn't
fit through the vent’ was just a really
odd way to phrase it.
I understand what you're saying, it was just
very oddly phrased, and it sounded like a
causation thing like, ‘Cannot be person,
because Theo can’t’ and it's like, does
that preclude Theo from being a person?
Jordan:
Yes, you are a person Theo, for sure.
Theo:
Oh good, I'd rather not have a crisis as long
as I'm going through second, second puberty.
[Jordan exhales a laugh] That would be just
a whole lot.
Jordan:
Oh, you’re getting your Master's in puberty? Right.
Theo:
Mmhm. Double degree. So lucky. [Vincent laughs]
Will:
You've taken me right the fuck out, good job.
[Vincent laughs]
Jordan:
Is that even- Is that even possible?
Reese:
It might not be, I'm just saying we should
probably look into the possibility. [marker
on whiteboard] It's very possible that whatever
it was escaped outside. I didn't notice anything
other than a snake.
Vincent:
Theo puts his hand up.
Reese:
Yes, Theo?
Theo:
What if we put some kind of powder, or substance,
and then whatever goes through there...will
leave tracks.
Reese:
That is so very, very good, Theo. I like that idea.
Vincent:
He beams his happy bird ‘v’ smile.
Jordan:
Once we leave, this club’s gonna be in excellent hands.
Reese:
I agree.
Vincent:
Aah, he's just happy bird v-ing up in the
place, from one side to the next, whichever
one’s his good side. You decide.
Reese:
So…[Will and Vincent giggle] just to recap,
it's already been in the Art room and the
Music room.
Jordan:
Yes.
Reese:
So we're left with Drama and Dance. You want
to take care of your friends in Dance?
Jordan:
For sure.
Reese:
And I will go see- see the people in the Drama
Club. I'm also going to have a look at some-
I've got some personal books of like mythical
creatures in my dorm room. But I might need
to go to the library to see what is up with these scales.
Tomorrow- do we want to do this tomorrow?
Stakeout the rooms? Sit in the rooms?
[To Elijah] Do we have permission to stick around?
Did you manage to get that?
Jordan:
I mean, I already do.
Elijah:
Mmhm. It's being processed now. Uhm, I don't
suspect it'll take very long. Um, because
we're trying to kind of be around everywhere,
they just want to make sure that we're not
actually going to intrude on anyone's time.
But I mentioned it's a ghost to the Principal,
so hopefully, we'll uh, have some leeway there.
I should be able to find out tomorrow. And
until then-
Vincent:
She taps the stack of books next to her, and just-
Elijah:
-until then, I'm gonna assume these are useless,
because it sounds like it's not a ghost at
all.
Reese:
Yeah, so, I guess the question of ‘Are ghosts
real?’ is still doubtful in the minds of
you all.
Jordan:
Well I would say, how about we look into,
‘What's a thing that could have scales,
but can look like a stereotypical ghost?’
Reese:
Well it's probably a shapechanger.
Jordan:
Could be.
Elijah:
That seems to match up with uh, the characteristics
at the very least.
Jordan:
Aren’t there several types of shapechangers?
Reese:
There are.
Elijah:
Mhm.
Reese:
I think that's all that we have to talk about
today. Other than the fact that...I forgot
to give out the gold stars from the last mission.
[Vincent chuckles]
[Piano and string music plays]
(Magnetic Way - Whitesand)
Kirsty: And I go up to our Gold Star Board, and I
put gold stars on everybody.
Vincent:
Nice. There's a uh, excited little clap from
Elijah, who's very happy about it. Theo looks
very proud. And Noah, gets a nice close up
on the board for you.
Jordan:
Oh, hey, Noah. What was the response to the
second video?
Reese:
Yeah! Tell us, tell us.
Vincent:
Let's roll. [dice roll. Kirsty laughs] Poor Noah.
Kirsty:
Only Zehra, Kurt, Leo...[Vincent giggles]
fucking Andreas. They’re only people who
saw it.
Vincent:
He looks to you all with just a sad sigh-
Noah:
It hasn't even hit double digits, guys. But
um, I'm gonna give it another week, and see
how it goes.
Jordan:
I'm weirdly relieved by that.
Noah:
It's there if people want to see it, but uh,
I'm still having fun cutting it all together,
so I'm not too worried.
Reese:
Well that's good. I need to go and start seeing
whether any of my personal books have anything
on this thing. I will see you-
Jordan:
Tomorrow.
Reese:
Club dismissed.
Vincent:
The group start to disband. Theo heading off,
and Noah wrapping up all of his kit and preparing
to ingest the footage that he got today. You
imagine he must have some kind of special
agreement with the- with the IT/Growing Medias
kind of section of the school, because he
seems to constantly have that tape deck on
loan, and he heads on off to do that.
Elijah collects the books that she has today.
She seems intent on still reading them, if
not just for the joy of ‘Oh! More ghost
stories, why not?’ So she collects those,
and heads on back to her room and the two
of you split off.
Jordan, I imagine you go back to assist with
the clubs.
Will:
Yes.
Vincent:
Terrific. You do so. And Reese, you head on
to your room to read your own personal library.
You...unlock a sconce on the wall, and it
shifts everything, [Will cackles] and your
personal library is there!
Kirsty [Crosstalk]:
We’re still not gonna let me live that down?
Right? [Vincent giggles] Never, right?
Will:
No.
Vincent:
No, never.
[door opens]
[Piano mystery music plays] (Exile - Jonny Easton)
Vincent: Could I get an investigation roll from Reese?
Kirsty:
Hoa, Boizy.
Vincent:
Hoa, Boizy.
Kirsty:
That's a 9.
Vincent:
With a 9. You take a look at these books that
you have. They're not an exactly extensive
library for you to walk from, and it's not
exactly like you have the freedom to just
kind of go into the library right now, since
it's mostly closed shop. So, you take a look
over what you have.
You are aware of some mythos and some speakings
of creatures that can change shape.
You end up having a lot of time spent on-
considering the first mystery you had dived
into, and the appearance of this Weretiger-
they’re more so specifically exploring ideas
of like, individuals who shape change that
aren't explicitly Druids, as best to your
understanding. Nothing really fits of the
variety that you're thinking, beyond someone
who might have a specific form they can change
into that happens to fit that of a snake-like creature.
When it comes to that, you kind of take a
second to really examine these books, and
you get a little bit more of the lore and
mythos behind how individual were-creatures
work, which you discover may in fact be a
misnaming characteristic. In your reading,
you find out that they're mostly known as
were-creatures, because they were mostly spotted
on nights with the full moon, but that may
just be a case of the fact that the Moon offers
some kind of light outside for people to see
them. Best you can tell, were-creatures don't
require the Moon to be able to change.
But that's really all you find. You don't
find much in relation to this- You read into
this- you read into these shapechangers, were-creatures,
and it doesn't really work for you, and you
sit on your bed, and you have these books
kind of scattered around you. Dana's working
on some homework in the corner of the room,
reading some more tomes of Artemis. And you're
just staring at these scales, looking at them
in your hand, seeing them reflect off the
lights currently on in your room. And you're
pondering what it could all mean.
Will:
And then you turn into the Weretiger.
Vincent:
[gasps] It was you! You were the Weretiger
we made along the way! [Will and Vincent chuckle]
Reese:
[page turns] What are you?
[Tonal mystery music plays]
(Interception - Kai Engel)
Narrator:
Well, seems the monster this time around is
a bit of a page turner for our Club President.
For every second that ticks away I do have
to wonder what our little creature is getting
up to as the Arts building bustles well into
the night [rattling hissing].
[Theme music plays]
(Floating Cities - Kevin MacLeod)
Stinger:
Hosted by the Gay Tea Network. [Tea pouring]
Home to some of the best brewed podcasts 
[stirring, spoon taps three times].
Pull up a chair and join us [cup clink].
