Hello beautiful, wonderful people. Welcome to Session Zero, recording of frequencies.
This horror actual play and audio drama is about fighting creative fears that manifest
in different ways. We brainstorm our characters and briefly talk about the show in this Session
Zero, but some character details and backstory stuff changes between this recording and our
canonical first episode. I also want you to know that the subject matter of the show is
so very personal and heavy to everyone in the cast. These creative fears are all things
that our performers actually brought that they themselves feel and they wanted to address
and think about in this setting when we're all together. So don't worry, we were checking
in with each other all the time and very consistently with very long debriefs and very extensive
building up into episodes. Everyone knew what they were getting into before each session.
And again, we all trusted and loved each other a lot because we brought things that we actually
thought was scary. We brought things that we ourselves were dealing with. Some of the
content warnings that you should all be mindful of whilst listening to frequencies are violence,
self harm, anxiety, loss of agency, depersonalization, capitalism, oppression, claustrophobia and
helplessness. This story is a horror, it's a frightening tale, but it is so incredibly
cathartic. We hope, anyway, and it was to us. So please take care of yourself as we
did to each other. If you need to put the show down for a little bit because the episode
is heading particularly close to the home, please do. But then also know that this was
an experience of us all kind of working through these. So maybe that in itself might help
in some way. But regardless, I hope you enjoy the show.
Yeah.
Hello, beautiful, wonderful people.
Thank you so much for coming to the session zero
of our new show, Frequencies.
We are gonna do some character building,
we're gonna do some character questions,
but first, let's start by introducing our,
oh my god, so beautiful star-studded cast,
starting with myself.
The most important star.
The most important star, the person who matters the most.
The most beautiful star.
You're gonna do the stars, but first, let's talk about me.
Oh, so happy and just not dark,
but beautiful and terrible as the dawn.
Stupid.
It's giving Graham Norton a little bit.
It's giving Graham Norton?
This show's done.
Now, fuck you all, we're done now.
Now, we're done.
Graham, come back.
Graham, don't leave.
I cannot have this energy in this.
I cannot have a bit of Graham Norton.
I will die.
No, absolutely not.
Hello, beautiful, wonderful people.
Welcome to the last thing I will record with these people.
My name is Robin, my pronouns are they, he, he is grand,
but I have max level in they.
God, you're a nerd.
Oh my God, thank you.
Introduce yourself right now.
Oh shit.
Oh, you're in my house now, baby.
I'm sequential.
Hi everybody, my name is Sloane,
AKA Artpleeb on the internet.
My pronouns are they, them,
and I'm here to talk and maybe even do a little giggle.
Oh, there's probably gonna be dice in there too.
Maybe.
Yeah.
Nope.
No dice.
What have I been building to this whole time?
I'm excited to find out what's in store.
Beautiful, wonderful Dylan, my little one.
Oh yeah.
Introduce yourself.
Hi, hello, I'm Dylan or Super Dylan,
both of those are fine.
The pronouns you should use when you talk about
how much you loved this show,
but thought I could stay or go.
We'll be using she, he, and they pronouns.
And I'm just really, I'm really just be making this show,
these lovely people.
Beautiful.
Candice, do you want a little intro?
Sure.
Hello, my name is Candice.
You might've heard me around the internet
as Candice Magnificent.
Like Robin, my pronouns are mostly they,
but some she too, why not?
And I'm excited to get going.
And Kappa, my beautiful boy.
It's me, the beautiful boy.
Hi, my name is Kappa.
Christian is okay too.
Most well known on the internet as the Kappa Chris.
I use he, any pronouns, the he is there for your comfort.
Delicious.
I love that we're hostile to this audience.
Yeah, it's good.
Fuck those guys, I'm into it.
This is for us.
You can just hear along for the ride, dear listener.
It's an honor for them to listen,
do you know what I mean?
Did you even get ahold of this candid phone call
between me and my friends?
Yeah, we just introduced ourselves to each other.
How are you listening to this right now?
It's an honor for you.
What did you find us?
Delete this.
And then download it again,
cause I'm pretty sure that increase,
that helps out the audience.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's exactly it.
Please delete and redownload.
Five stars, don't ever listen to it.
Get out.
Five stars, absolutely unlistable.
Unlistable.
All the characters in the show,
this show, Frequencies, are here and know each other
because you all run and help make a radio show.
I don't know if we discussed video two
or just radio podcast.
Also, we have already had a little talk about our characters
and who they are.
This is just kind of fleshing them out more.
But is there video of this show, like little clips?
Oh, we're on TikTok, baby.
You're on TikTok, baby?
I like to think that it's an audio medium,
but then people on YouTube have latched on
and made animated shorts.
People on YouTube.
Candice's character came in and was like,
what the fuck are you doing?
You need to be marketing.
Get your ass on TikTok now.
Sit down and make some clips.
Absolutely.
Charlie does have a secret fan account on YouTube
that is where she posts little animatics and stuff,
but does not reveal that it's her.
And you all don't know that it's her either.
This is gonna be a major plot reveal in five weeks.
He's waiting for it.
Yeah, he's gonna be huge.
Yeah, but is it like a friendly account
or is it like where the fucking,
did they sell out is coming from?
Well, well, well, well, well.
It's of course usually been, traditionally been positive.
Oh, so you're just gonna stress me out.
Yeah, exactly.
Yes, I'm gonna stress that.
Got it, got it.
We're spoiling the whole show right now.
Yeah, actually.
This is like a pre-run down of the whole show.
Yeah, actually before we get into,
like fan accounts and all that stuff,
I wanna talk about the show
that all of your characters are making together.
So this show is like a fantasy kind of news show
is what we decided on.
It's a show where we take real world topics
and kind of put this fantasy spin on it, right?
As a way to talk about them.
So everyone collectively does this together,
but specifically it has this Midnight Gospel,
Tales of the Magic Tavern kind of spin on it.
And specifically, so Sloane, your character,
who's the host.
Yes.
Yeah.
Some of us.
Yes, yes.
So we all made this show in college.
Just asking about the origin of the show
and how it got started.
Yeah, exactly, the origin.
Who do we think is the first person
who came up with this idea
and pitched it to everyone else?
Well, I think it was a lot,
I think it was a little more organic than that.
I know that my character was in the radio club.
Cause you know how like,
at least where I went to college,
they have like, the college has a radio station
where folks who wanna learn how to DJ can go in
and spin for a little while at their time slots.
And I think my character was just like,
yes, of course I wanna learn how to do radio.
I love radio and was like super into it.
And just one night did a bit where they brought in a friend
and pretended that they were like
some sort of fantasy sage or something
and was just like, tell me about your studies
or something like that, something ridiculous.
Like, I heard that your carriage
crashed into the science building.
Like something that happened on campus
that they just wanted to like make fun of on air.
And then it kind of just got like a life of its own.
Like a bunch of people came up and were like,
that was actually, you know what?
I'm gonna make it more realistic
and say that it was like,
maybe like three people came up to them
and were like, that was so fucking funny, man.
You gotta do that again.
But for a radio, a college radio station,
that is everyone.
Yeah.
Three people's fame.
And then they just like kept doing it
and it kind of just got legs
and then they started spreading out.
And then with the help of other folks who came in,
say they spread more.
But yeah, that's probably, I think that's the origin.
Lovely, delicious, love that.
Yeah.
We have people coming up and saying,
oh my God, this is the best ever.
Dylan, we know that your person is someone who does,
you know, tech and all the sound and things.
Do you think you were like the second to join?
Before Candice, you think the pair of you
joined at the same time?
Yeah, I think, so I came,
so I do think I came on second.
We did go to the same college.
Yes.
And I did work at the radio station doing
behind, you know, sound tech and stuff like that
and set up and like, you know,
when you sign on to do the college radio station,
like I was the person that was like,
actually you do have to sit still for a minute
and learn how to operate this thing
because I am gonna have to leave you alone here.
And like you can't just do whatever you want.
But I think that it was just like sort of
the initial like feeling of the bit caught on
where like occasionally in the background of your show
where you were doing these bits with your guests,
you would hear me in the background,
like grumbling about some sort of tech issue or whatever.
And I like, like the techie became like a little bit
of a character almost on the show.
And then like became like a thing where like
the techie got like a fantasy flavor
and like the mechanic, you know.
Yes, artificial.
Of this.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly.
And so like whenever I was heard in the background,
that would stay in, that would get broadcast.
And so then when you decided to go off on your own,
I think I was probably the only sound guy you knew.
Yeah.
Well, I think we were friends.
No, we're friends.
Or at least we knew each other
even before we started like working together.
But you still made Charlie interview, didn't you?
Yeah, 100%.
Yeah, Charlie showed up to the interview like,
I got this in the bag.
This is one of my best friends in the world.
And then sat down on the chair and was like, my name.
My name?
Who would you ask that?
Charlie?
She gets super pissed
and starts just like throwing mics everywhere.
It's the reason why you had to go off your own
because the university was like, you have to leave, please.
She's wrecked it so bad.
Before or after this, Candice,
when do you think that you joined to produce the show?
So I think that Victoria knows Sloan's character
like just from being out and about.
Karaoke, very much a mainstay at karaoke
and like different parties across campus.
They always have flyers.
They always used to have flyers.
Whenever you'd see them, they'd have a flyer
for some new shit that they were trying to like
get people to go to.
Like they eat, sleep and breathe promotion.
So I think that's like who Vic is.
So like the second that Victoria like hears
like the buzz starting on campus,
I feel like they were like, I know those jerks.
What are they doing?
Trashing studios?
You guys need to rein it in.
You need to get a grip.
No, no, this will not do.
You have something good.
I haven't listened to it yet, but I will.
And what I do, you have something good
and you need to tighten up.
And I think like, I feel like them being like,
you need to tighten up was a joke
because they're that person that comes to class
with like cigarette smell in their hair.
And like, we'd smell lingering on their person,
but they get straight A's.
Yeah, yes, yes, yes.
Delicious.
So yeah, so I think that's who they used to be.
And now they're like, well, I'm trying to like
tighten up who I am too.
I'm a TA, you know, I've got to get, you know,
my act together.
I have responsibilities.
Yeah, and by the time I think we get to,
yes, by the time we get to present day.
So I feel like Victoria started as like 100% fun,
0% business.
Like, and then I think that that like pendulum
is starting to swing where they're like now 60% business
and 40% fun.
When we see them in this setting,
she is now 40% fun.
Yeah.
So Kappa, when did you come into the show?
Oh.
Cause you are, are you like a very new person?
I came in very late.
I basically, before the show was picked up by the studio,
I never even heard of it.
And, but the reason why I'm involved is because
at the radio station, I'm like the guy at the radio station.
And so I know Sloan's character.
Yeah, I know Charlie, I know Vic,
just cause they've all been around and I've, you know,
been DJing, have my own segment at the radio station.
And then when the studio picked up the show,
they were like, you need one more person.
Like you need some, someone, someone else.
And I don't know who would have approached
This guy.
DMC.
Yeah.
Vic was like, you need to get this person.
This guy approached you.
Not me.
No.
Yeah.
No, not you.
Not I.
Yeah.
So knowing Vic and how, you know,
how tight of a ship Vic runs, I'm like, okay, cool.
You, if you're behind this, I'm behind this.
I'll lend my talents to this and see what's going on
and slot in.
I have no idea what this is all about.
I know that the show is on my schedule
and I have to promote it sometimes,
but I don't know what's going on here.
Let's fall a little bit into character sheets
and like mechanic things.
So we are playing kids on bikes and, you know,
people who listen to the animalist,
which I imagine is some people,
you would know that I always mess with game systems.
I mean, the animalist, we barely play it.
So there are some things that we're not gonna use,
some things that we are gonna use.
So one of the, you know what?
No, let's start, let's start early.
Do we have like a basic character description for people?
Yeah, yeah.
So Devin Michael Corus or DMC,
as most folks are asked to refer to him as.
That is a perfect name.
Yeah, is 22.
Maybe a little bit on an accelerated path
in his studies as the show is coming out.
So he's on track to launch his career
right after whenever the next semester ends or something.
He is a little, kind of short, not gonna lie.
He's kind of short.
He's got a bit of a, not short guy complex,
but he definitely projects his personality to match the,
to compensate his height.
He's definitely a little bit self-conscious about it.
But looking at him, he seems pretty average.
It's not anything out of the ordinary
to see him in jeans and a hoodie most of the time.
His hair is short, cropped to the skin,
and his facial hair changes every now and again.
Sometimes he's rocking a chin strap.
Sometimes it's just the mustache.
Sometimes it's the five o'clock, sometimes clean shaven.
Yeah, yeah.
It's because he wants to practice
with those sponsorship shaving commercials and all that stuff.
Delicious.
Yeah, so whenever he's offered a new product package,
he's like, all right, I'm gonna try this out,
make a new facial hair.
Manscaped.
Loves this guy.
Wow.
But Devin Michael Kors uses he, him pronouns.
As I said before, we're using the Kids on Bikes system.
The Kids on Bikes system has like an age range bracket
of child, teenager, and adult.
And we've already established that since this is a
pretty heavy horror game,
and there'll be a lot of horror themes,
we've decided that everyone is playing an adult.
So everyone is at least 22 and above.
However, I'll say because this is also,
we're just playing a game,
people can pick the child or teen boons.
Child has quick healing,
and the teenager has rebellious ability.
And adult is you're skilled in one task.
And there will also be,
there's also like a stat boost that comes,
with child, teen, and adult.
But then after that, everyone picks two strengths,
and they get one floor.
DMC, do we have an idea of strengths and floors?
Are?
Or do we even have a trope actually, a trope?
Yeah, yeah.
So Kids on Bikes has archetypes.
And I felt that the popular kid archetype
sort of just matches DMC's whole shtick,
mechanically and flavor-wise.
Beautiful.
Do they have strengths?
Yes, under the archetype,
lists lucky as a strength.
And so I'm going to go with lucky.
Beautiful.
And I believe you get one extra as well.
So you get two. Oh, okay.
You get cool under pressure, easygoing, loyal,
skilled at blank, or healthy.
I'm going to say skilled at games of chance.
Oh, enough of that.
I'll say dexterous, skilled at whatever involves him.
Okay.
How else is he going to manscape his face
and the rest of his manscape?
Exactly, yeah.
Landscapes by juggling knives.
Yeah.
It's so fascinating, I didn't even notice.
Fucking Sonic Speeds just squeezing out theirs.
It's how the beginning of every single one of the ads start.
It's, you don't want to be pulling out, you know,
one of each individual hair, do you?
And then it's DMC doing that.
And you get one floor.
What did you pick?
I'm going to go with cutthroat and vein.
Ooh, delicious.
That seems pretty on.
Like, I think mechanically we'll go with vein,
but if it comes up, cutthroat.
Ooh, and there are, under each of the tropes
are two character building questions that we will ask after.
Oh, actually, I will ask one of them.
Okay, okay, okay.
Because I am interested.
So, beyond people wanting to impress you,
what do you like about being popular?
I can just say shit.
I can just say stuff and the consequences are diminished
by the fact that I have social capital.
Like, people look at, people fact check me less,
people will take recommendations more.
Yeah, there's just this ease
that comes with having popularity
when you communicate just stuff.
It's horrible.
It sucks.
Fact check, people, everyone, please.
Diver Michael Kors is a popular kid.
And I imagine from that, you know, you love being popular.
I'll never admit it though.
Yeah.
No.
How did it feel that there was another show
that got more popular than you?
And now, you know, you've become the new host.
Honestly, it wasn't an issue
because I was brought on before, sorry.
It wasn't so much of an issue
because I was asked to come on
before any of this news of the studio picking up the show
became public.
But if the opposite had happened,
the inverse had happened,
I'd be trying my best to like copy the formula,
come out with my own show,
try and find sponsors and try and snipe sponsors.
Yeah, no, it would have been messy.
It's all about like the perception
because I imagine at the minute
you were brought on in secret.
Well, I mean, you know, in secret,
there was this big studio thing.
So it kind of seems public perception wise,
you know, you got added and then the show got picked up.
Is that how you believe most people see that?
I'll just let people believe that
because it's to my benefit.
It really builds my image, which is terrible.
I hate this guy.
This guy fucking sucks.
He does suck, he's the worst.
The Kits and Bikes game is about fear
and confronting fear and specifically this story is about,
confronting fear about being a creative.
What is Devin Michael Kors's fear about being a creative?
The worst thing is if I come on and episode one happens
and everyone hates me,
that all the work and talent that I've garnered
up until this point means nothing
because the audience of this show cannot abide by my being here.
It's like the new companion in Doctor Who Syndrome.
Yeah, like Martha Jones.
I don't think my ego can take that boost.
Brand new character, you know, Rose is her favorite.
And then everyone, exactly, exactly.
Just absolutely unbastard, the worst.
Yeah, so that will absolutely wreck me.
I don't think I'll ever be able to recover.
Well, speaking of hosts, Sloane.
Yes.
So the most important thing,
well, not necessarily about making the character,
but do we have a name for your character
or are we gonna keep the name Nebulas
and then decide it later on?
Honestly, I feel like you should have stuck with saying
like the most important thing is having a name
because then I could come through
with my absolutely hilarious joke of not yet having a name.
We'll get it in post.
Yeah, just like edit, edit,
yeah, just switch those bits around, perfect.
No, I don't have a name for this character yet,
which is uncommon for me.
LOL, this is me being like,
I swear this doesn't happen every time.
I do usually have names for my characters by this point,
but this one is evading me.
And I don't yet have pronouns for them either.
I'm using them just as a standard right now,
but I've decided to make your life very, very difficult.
So you all have to say Sloane's character.
Perfect.
Instead of just a single name, so sorry.
No, I love it, it's great.
I love the mystery of it all.
Thanks, it's my curated aesthetic.
Now, without a name pronouns,
do you have an aura or a description
of this Nebulas character?
Or is it more at the minute,
you know, they're this shadow of someone?
They're definitely a shadow of someone at the minute,
but I was able to find one of the,
oh gosh, what are they called?
Archetypes tropes within the Kids on Bikes books
that I liked.
And I am actually playing the one that is listed
right above Cappa's.
It is the Over-Eager Enthusiast,
which is heavy on charm and very light on flight.
Yep, that's my guy.
Perfect.
Yeah, because I think the vibe is that this person
got into radio because they just like suddenly became
very, very interested and then took like some of their
previous loves, like improv and also probably no small
amount of like fantasy book and movie intake,
and just smashed them all together one night with a friend
for the laughs.
Beauty.
Yeah.
So for suggested strength.
Yes.
You can pick two.
You have gross, intuitive, lucky, skilled in blank,
treasure hunter, or you can pick any of the strengths
that exist.
You have two to pick.
It is so funny to think of a high charm character
having the gross suggested strength,
but I think for this one, I'm going to go with intuitive
and also treasure hunter.
Intuitive lets you spend an adversity token to ask,
I get to ask you a question about a person or something
in my immediate surroundings that you have to answer
honestly, and that I think is because I just imagine
this character being somebody who definitely a goofus,
big old goofus, but also like is a goofus because,
is an effective goofus because they pay attention
and are like very aware of all the things that are happening
around them.
That's why their show mirrors things that are happening
in real life and not just like are completely made up.
Yeah, I think that they definitely pay attention
and care a lot.
Yeah, that's great.
I also think that connected, it's connected to their flaws,
but I think that they're constantly looking out
for what other people are thinking.
And then treasure hunter I chose because I get to spend
adversity tokens to find a helpful item,
and I think that kind of falls in line with like,
this person is sharp, they're perceptive.
They absolutely, and they're a little scrappy.
Little scrap.
They're a little scrappy, little scrap-ums.
Does that come into the flaws of like insecure ones?
I don't know why you would say that.
Yeah.
Why would you say that?
I'm just saying random words.
I'm just throwing facts at them.
Why would you even say, no, that's absolutely 100%.
They are very insecure, and I imagine a little bit
oversensitive, big, lots of big feelings.
Lots of big feelings.
Lots of very big feelings.
With that, I would like to ask,
when is a time that your flaws have directly,
negatively affected you?
More times than can even be counted on all the digits
on a human body.
I think to this character, like their life is kind of like
a continuous string of missed opportunities because of-
Hate that.
Yeah.
Because they're very passionate about things,
and they are consistently picking up new
and widely varied interests.
Sure.
And sinking a bunch of time into them,
kind of on that constant sort of ADHD cycle
of just finding something that's interesting,
honing in on that, spending hours and hours and hours
looking into it and getting good at it,
and then kind of stepping back and being like,
oh God, I suck.
What is everybody else thinking of me?
And then putting it down because of the voices in your head.
Awful.
So I think just, there's so many times,
and this show actually stands out to them
and is critical to them because of that.
They spent one night doing a stupid thing.
It wasn't a thing that they had worked particularly hard
to make.
I mean, it was formed based on skills that they had acquired,
but it wasn't something that they worked super hard
to script out.
It was just like, oh, we'll just do this thing.
And then it just blasted off.
So to them, it's like, there's so much pressure
to maintain that.
Which brings us to our second question.
What have you ignored to pursue this passion?
I mean, when you get them in their zone
and they're trying to just think about this project
specifically, they will ignore everything.
Like won't do the dishes, won't do their schoolwork,
won't call the car company to be like,
hey, please get back to me, please get back to me.
Yeah, this is an attack, like, on them.
It's rough.
I don't like it, yeah, you're not wrong.
I'm in this picture and I hate it.
But it's so real, like, yeah, it's very real.
I'm gonna sprinkle a little personal stuff into this
and say that most of the reason that they are bad
at getting back to people's messages
is because they have message opening anxiety.
Which leads them to send screenshots of funny memes
or funny messages that their family sent them
to their friends and their friends going,
why do you have 441 unopened text messages?
Actually, terrible.
Dylan is shrinking in his chair right now.
If you're asking why that specific number,
it's definitely not because that happened to me today.
God.
I hate it, I love it and hate it.
We can actually easily cut to a small section
about Bleed here.
Bleed, I don't know her.
So with this nebulous hero,
what is it that they're scared of?
Oh God, fucking up.
Just like every single second is a new opportunity
to do whatever it is that brings the curse of like,
dropping something and not being able to do it anymore.
It's like, it is so pervasive in their life
and they're so like, they're kind of ill-equipped
to kind of metabolize it in a healthy way.
And so it takes on almost like a supernatural element
where it's like, this is just a curse that I have
and I will never ever break it.
But I finally found something and I'm doing it,
but oh my God, at any point, this thing could fall apart
and I could run out of ideas.
I could like say something that causes everybody
to just leave.
Just like an endless string of things
that would spell the end for the one project
that they feel like has actually gotten them somewhere
that people respect.
Yeah, I think it's just like running out of ideas,
running out of anything, having that curse, that thought.
Truly horrifying, like incredibly devastating to hear.
You're welcome.
Yeah.
Candice, so with Victoria Vick, do we have a trope that,
or is it like a, you know, more of a custom thing?
So I kind of started with a trope
and then rearranged my dice accordingly.
Victoria is the stoic professional archetype,
but that's like who they are, that's who she is now.
Brilliant.
Who she used to be, who they were
when they were still a teenager,
cause stoic professional is an adult only archetype
in Kids on Bikes.
And I think it's one that she's proud to have adopted.
But they feel very kind of unsure, I think, within it.
Like they know this is what they wanna do.
They feel good about promotion and getting the word out
in PR and like having, you know, their friends backs.
But at the same time, like when they dream,
like about the old days, they're this like mess
that wakes up at three o'clock in the afternoon.
Yeah.
You know, what's on the same outfit from yesterday,
looks just as good, looks their hair better when it's dirty.
You know, that person.
Oh, the dream of wanting to not be a professional.
Oh.
Oh, that's so deeply.
They get manicures now.
They don't have chip black nail polish.
They don't.
They don't use crackle polish anymore.
They do not.
They use a gel polish.
How dare you.
And they pay money to get it removed in preparation.
To get it removed and put back on.
That's correct.
How dare you revive crackle nail polish
from the dusty corner cabinet
that it was shoved into the back of.
Why the hell did you make it in Davy Jones' locker?
The crackle nail polish.
I don't have a bottle that's like a million years old
just sitting in my nail polish collection.
Jesus, you put it on and it just like turns into dust.
It does, it falls off immediately.
But you know, it's nice.
You throw on your Fallout Boy album
and you listen to that while you paint your nails
and it's just fine.
Oh, wow.
You're coping, okay?
You're coping with your life as an adult.
Oh, it's okay.
Listening to Fallout Boy in your new pantsuit.
Yeah.
Exactly.
The dream.
Listen to a secret song on the walk
to big fancy corporate work.
Putting it back to.
I'm on my walk to work
pretending I'm meeting my friends halfway.
Yep.
Oh.
At the mall.
You can get by like that.
At the mall.
Okay?
Yeah.
So what strengths does Vic have?
You know, is she good under pressure,
heroic, loyal, always prepared?
I chose loyal.
And I chose cool under pressure.
And then I'm also, because I'm an adult, skilled at.
And I chose.
Oh, beautiful, yes.
Beautiful.
Oh, very good.
Very nice.
What is her flaw?
Oh boy.
The two that I chose for Vic are flippant and blunt.
Interesting.
So a very easy to deal with, lovely person.
That's full of under pressure.
And never hurts anyone's feelings by accident or on purpose.
We're fine.
Yeah.
Now, these questions that the game is asking you
is interesting, I like.
I am gonna add like a small caveat to one of them though.
What is Vic's full-time job?
Because with this, we've established that this gig,
this show is going to get you,
is gonna pay you enough to be able to do this full-time.
You know, it might not be a perfect amount of money,
but it's almost like if you do your job right,
you know, you can just do this full-time.
You know, is she trying to pursue that
or is she still gonna work somewhere else just in case?
So Vic, I think has always been someone
who holds down multiple jobs.
There's someone who can juggle a lot
and still like live that life
without it kind of catching up to them.
So she was a TA from 22 to 24.
She didn't, she went to,
she started to get her graduate degree in business,
like her MBA.
I think like when all of this is kind of coming down,
this is what she's trying to go into full-time.
They do odd jobs and stuff too.
Like they still promote bands on the side.
They do like booking for clubs
and things like that here and there.
And probably some social media stuff too,
like just posting and calendars and things like that
for people who need them.
But this is really what they're trying to do full-time.
Like she's really trying to go out there
and make this happen, you know,
not just for themself, but also for their crew.
That actually leads pretty seamlessly to the next question,
which is to what extent do they enjoy the work they do?
Yeah, I think for Vic, like she loves what she does.
Like she eats, sleeps and breathes promotion.
It's something she thinks about all the time, you know,
where some people might have like daydreams or fantasies
about like being the rock star,
being on the cover of the next issue
of whatever magazine or what have you.
Vic is like, Vic's dreams are all about
like behind the scenes stuff.
Vic is shooting for a Forbes 30 under 30.
Correct, yeah, she's very much like into that.
But like, even though this is their dream,
she's also like, is this it?
Yeah.
Like I'm working for other people, how do I work for me?
Is this also for me?
Right, I'm not really a part of this.
I'm not really on the show, right?
This isn't for me.
It's just something I am tangentially related to almost.
Like if I claim this as my own,
when I know it wasn't my idea,
like doesn't that make me a poser, right?
Sure, absolutely.
To what extent is this mine
and do I have ownership over this?
Can I live my dream and give other people
their dream at the same time?
Like, is there a way to kind of take away
that kind of cognitive dissonance?
So with the second question,
what would you rather be doing?
Is that what it is?
You'd rather, instead of having a show
that was bought by someone else,
you would be the person to buy it.
I think taking ownership in some way
is something that's absolutely her dream.
And I feel like she's kind of stuck
between understanding if it's, I wanna buy the show,
I wanna fund the show,
I want this to be like my project proper.
And I think they toyed with that a little bit
in appointing David, right, to the staff.
Yeah, sure.
I feel like that was their first kind of foray
into like putting their foot into it.
But I also think that there's a part of her
that's like, it'd be great to like not be pitted
against my friends and be one of them.
Like, would it feel good to be on the other side
of the microphone, right?
Like, would it feel good to like be in that seat
and to like join them and be with them?
Instead of having to be this person
that like doesn't really get their experiences
other than as like an outsider.
Do you think that she believes
because of this ownership idea
that if Vic wasn't there, that the show wouldn't exist?
Yeah, I think when they approached Charlie
and our nebulous character to have a conversation
about like inserting themselves into this, like at Jump,
I think it was very much a conversation about,
you need me, trust me, you need me.
You don't know it yet, but you need me, right?
Like they gave like a good bitch.
And now all these years later, they're like, you need me.
Yeah.
If you didn't have me, you would still be floundering,
doing the same old shit, right?
Like you wouldn't have been able to branch out
and make this happen without me.
And like it or not, hard ass or not,
you've changed so much or not,
I'm here and we're doing this and like, listen to me, right?
Like I think that there's very much,
now that everybody's older and everybody's coming together,
Victoria is 24, so she's the eldest.
And I think like there's a certain amount of,
shut the fuck up and listen,
but these are also people that knew her
when she was a disaster.
So I imagine it's probably very hard for them
to see her as an authority figure,
even though they're working real hard to get that done.
And you're right, they do have a punk rock inspired
business wear collection that they wear each day.
They have a very sensual vape thing.
Beautiful.
Okay, their THC pen that they use all the time,
even though they're never late
and they always get their shit done,
they're usually a little jazzed.
Right, last but not least,
what is Victoria scared of?
Selling out.
Selling out to the man specifically.
The man. Selling out overall, for sure.
They're at a place now, they're in the NBA, right program.
There's a bunch of like dude bros in every class with them.
They're horrible.
Like she keeps getting invited to like strip clubs
with like, she likes that.
They wanna go, but not with those guys.
Right?
It's horrible.
Wrong audience.
It's trash all the time.
Like it's bad, like she leaves class
and just like high tails it for her friends
and high tails it for the show
and is kind of at this place
where people are talking about like business ethics
and she's like in these classes
and she's learning about these things
and she's TAing for younger,
up and coming minds of business.
And a lot of it doesn't jive with who she is internally
and what their beliefs that they carry every day are.
And they're like, there has to be a better way.
But at the same time, like we live in a capitalist society.
So. Yeah, of course.
Do you think that she holds so hard onto that
because it's almost like one of the last remnants
of who she was is that kind of anti-capitalist-ness.
Sure. Yeah.
Yeah, and I think they very much feel like
when that like dignity is gone.
Cause to them that's their honor, right?
That's their nobility, that's their dignity.
And when it's gone, they're just a shill, right?
They're just some shithead that like wants all the money.
Right?
And that's the last thing that they wanna do.
Like it's more important to them to love what they do
than to make a lot of money.
But the more money they make, the easier their life gets.
And they're kind of like, ooh.
Yeah.
This kind of sucks a little bit.
But also look at this cool thing I just bought.
Isn't this awesome?
Have you tried my Oculus?
No, not the Oculus.
Wow. Not the Oculus.
I'm gonna close my cupboard that has an Oculus in it.
Oh my god.
Hello there, everyone.
We interrupt your show to bring you
this very exciting announcement.
The Between is a TTRPG that launched on Bacchit.
On September 24th, it's from the creators
of the award-winning Brindlewood Bay.
And it's focusing on a monster hunters
in Victoria era London, which sounds very delicious.
It's inspired by the TV show Penny Dreadful,
British horror classics and graphic novels
like From Hell and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
That their goal in the Bacchit is to raise money
to create three books.
The Between, which includes the cool rules for the game
and enough characters and scenarios
to run a full season of the game.
Shadow Society, which is an expansion book
with more material from the game's London setting
and Sons of Another World,
which includes three brand new settings.
Ghosts of El Paso, Unsinkable and Court of Wolves.
If you back early, you get access to a limited reward,
which is the glow in the dark mastermind dice.
Now, TTRPGs are fun because I believe that is something
that Our Riffle in Life, which is the show
that is just launching on this channel, is making
or they're doing something around it.
So I'm sure that they would find this very exciting news.
But thank you so much for this small announcement
and please enjoy the rest of our show today.
I know you asked me to.
All right, my beautiful, wonderful rat.
People are gonna think that you're actually
calling Dylan a rat.
And they should.
When you said it in the intro, I was like,
that's what I am.
Tell me about Charlie.
So Charlie, as we mentioned earlier,
worked at the radio station in college
and did sound tech and things like that.
But because of the nature of them,
of her always being in the background,
like futzing with things, making corrections,
her voice got caught on the microphone so many times
that she became a little bit of a character,
like in a way that she didn't plan to be.
And then when the show got picked up,
Charlie had become so accustomed to being
this bit character that she had begun playing into it.
So instead of just having people comment passive shit
about her, she would intentionally play a little character,
like the sound girl, the techie.
She was the mechanic, the Kaylee,
the Kaylee, this kind of role that she kind of would take
in all of these interactions,
depending on what the scenario was at the time.
And so then she became like a bit role.
And she actually loved that.
It's fun.
It was low stakes.
She didn't have to ever know any of the lore.
She just had to always know what was going on
in whatever scene and just like, we'll just adapt.
And so it was easy going.
It was great.
But like with the show getting picked up,
it's obvious that obviously they would ask you to do sound
because that's what you do.
That's what you've been doing.
But there's just like the tiniest bit.
That's like, why can't I be in it this time?
You know, why not let me be a real part of this?
Oh.
Have you got a trope for me?
Yes, a funny sidekick.
Oh, very good, nice.
So the suggested strengths are gross, heroic, et cetera.
Which one of those inspire you?
Yes, easy going and protective,
specifically protective about the show itself.
Because regardless of what I feel about my role in it,
this is the best thing to ever have.
Yeah, sure.
It will not allow it to go down.
It will not.
What are your flaws?
Tell me now.
Absent-minded and restless.
Oh, okay.
Restless in what way?
Just kind of like fidgety or?
It's more like she wants to be involved all the time.
All the time, she wants to be involved
to the max amount that she can be involved.
So like a sort of manic energy of like,
oh, that idea that you just said casually at brunch.
Let's, what if we do that?
Absolutely.
So we've kind of answered, you know,
when does being in the sidekick role like frustrate you?
But I want to expand on it a little bit.
Did you ever ask to be more of, you know,
someone with a microphone?
Is there ever any point that you were gonna rev up to ask
and then Devil Michael Chorus got the bit?
Neither, I never would have asked.
I never did ask.
And I shouldn't have had to ask.
Oh, damn, yeah, that's it.
You motherfuckers.
Absolutely.
I am your best friend.
Friend, capital F, friend.
Oh no.
Me, but internal monologue only is how that,
is where that lives.
Outwardly, like, no, I didn't ask.
Oh, dang, yeah.
Dylan, Dylan, leave me alone.
Leave me alone.
So you said, I'm your best friend.
You know, is that reciprocated?
And where did you get that idea from?
I want to ask Christian, Christian,
in our shared doc, you wrote a word
that I could have Googled.
And I didn't.
Incongruous.
What does it mean?
Incongruous.
Hold on, where do I?
I should have Googled it.
I require context because it could mean a couple of things.
But usually it's like, there's a little bit
like a disconnect there.
So the full thing is that in our little shared doc,
it's that Charlie has beef TM for being passed over
for the host slot that DMC has.
And the comment is that, is this one-sided?
Is the beef one-sided?
Yeah.
I would divert to what you would want,
but I do think it's more fun
if you don't have the same feeling.
Ooh.
Like, yeah.
Are you Charlie's biggest fan?
Like, have you heard the show
and you think that they're great?
Has DMC listened to the show?
Ooh, that's actually a really good question.
Yes, only one episode.
And the episode that I listened to,
the episode that DMC has listened to
was one of those, the classic ones
where Sound Girl comes up in the background
more so than other episodes.
And that was my favorite part.
And so my perception of Charlie is, Charlie's fun.
Charlie is a weirdo.
And I like that.
And it's probably, and I like Charlie a lot.
Delicious.
So both Nebula Sloan and Victoria,
what is your perception of Charlie?
Like, are you best friends?
This is at the beginning, right?
This is before we've even started.
Current day, you've just been picked up.
You have yet to do your first episode
because that's where the show will start.
So this network has picked you up.
What are the pair of yours feelings toward Charlie?
Yeah, I think Vic thinks that Charlie is great
at what she does.
And I think Vic does reciprocate the best friendship.
But so much so that Vic doesn't understand
how deeply I think she feels, like the slight
Charlie feels, I don't think that Vic understands that.
Like, I think Vic is like, we're best friends.
She knows my intentions.
She knows it's not personal.
Charlie helps keep me loose in business.
Charlie grounds me and reminds me of who I am
and who I used to be and keeps me connected to that.
And I help Charlie organize her life and be less of a mess
and hopefully control that temper.
Vic has been doing that chill out for a long time
and I think Charlie's like, fuck you.
Yeah.
Hi.
We're friends, we're best friends.
Everything's fine.
I've technically known Victoria the longest,
but I've known Charlie the best for the longest.
Oh yeah, absolutely.
We're friends.
Like, Charlie's been there since the beginning.
And there, I mean, there literally has just like,
it has never occurred to my character even once
that maybe they might want to like look and see
if there was another sound person who would maybe be like
more skillful or more aligned with the show.
It is like never even once have they thought about that.
And I mean, part of that is just like,
they're not a business person.
They're not like optimize, optimize, optimize.
And I think that the other part of that is just that like,
fuck yeah, they're friends.
Like Charlie has been with them through thick and thin.
I do think that unfortunately,
my character is so in their head
that it probably didn't even occur to them
to like think about how Charlie would feel.
Didn't even think about it.
Like fully wasn't even on their radar.
I think that the best friendship is reciprocated.
And I also think that maybe my character doesn't do
a great job of being a best friend
because they're so in their own head about.
Yeah.
Their own shit.
Beautiful.
Can I add though to that, that Charlie,
Charlie is easy goingness and never bringing up problems
winds up being also a contributing factor to that.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
There's no victim here.
No.
It's just like.
We're all victims of ourselves.
Exactly, right?
There's no, there's this particular person being victimized.
It is just two best friends who super love each other
but have bad communication skills.
Oh yeah.
A mismatch of social anxieties.
Now here's the thing that I do wanna bring up.
This crew, this new group of friends,
new with DMZ coming in,
this feels like a group who get along really well
but also don't really talk about,
you know, the things that they're dealing with.
Do you think that if, for example,
Charlie brought up that they are a little mad that,
you know, that DMZ was cast,
how much of a schism in this friendship
do you think would be created?
Do you think this friendship is strong enough
to deal with that drama?
Shit.
Or do you think everyone's super happy
and, you know, they all love each other
because there's like no serious topic.
What an incredibly targeted question.
Has been brought up.
Oh yeah.
Interesting.
I mean, DMZ is like, you know, knows everyone
because we've all kind of revolved
around this radio station.
We all, you know, know of each,
at least DMZ is friendly with everyone here.
Being brought into this space,
it's kind of low stakes at this point.
I'd like to be friends.
If things do come up,
there isn't really anything for DMZ to be like,
oh, this ruins everything that we've built together.
You know?
So I think if something does come up,
especially with how we've established
Charlie and DMZ sort of rapport with each other,
it's not something that is going to shatter.
At least DMZ's perception of everyone
and willingness to stay in this group.
But that is a very, very different dynamic
than what everyone else has got going on.
Oh man.
This isn't even a question that needs to be answered,
you know?
It's more like something to mull about.
Yeah, you just want to put a little bug in our brain
so we can chew on it and just think about it and worry.
Would the friendship survive if something happened?
You know, like, for example, if a...
If this friendship group was put into a horror type scenario,
would they survive? Hypothetically,
how do you think your character would respond
when presented with a horrific situation?
Just because I want to know.
Right. I've heard enough of myself talk.
I'm sick of it.
Oh, I hate music.
I hate music.
Now, I would like you to ask each other questions.
On page 25, there are some questions.
It's a little...
I forgot we were doing this.
I'm so excited.
It's a little thing where you roll a D20
or you can just pick a question.
And normally it's you ask the person to your left,
but we can go in the order that we introduced ourselves.
So you will be asking a positive question to Candice DMC
and then, you know, so on, so on.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Okay. So a positive question first towards Candice.
I saw this question and I thought, this is really nice.
So between our characters, DMC and Vic,
what do our characters have a mutual love of
that no one else in this town seems to like?
Let's see.
You're the popular kid
and they're like a punk rock stoke business person.
So in my head, I'm like,
it has to be something that I'm either embarrassed by liking
or you're embarrassed by liking.
Oh, yeah.
I was going to say K-dramas.
What did you say? K-dramas?
Because of K-dramas.
I was thinking like K-dramas.
Like when you said embarrassed, I was like,
what is something that people are,
that you wouldn't expect at a DMC to like fucking love?
Yeah, I meant to that.
Or something.
Yeah, for sure.
Because I feel like Vic would love the drama of it
and like the romance and stuff.
Okay.
But they're also like not into what's popular
and what's cool and they're kind of having a moment
outside of our city.
And then I feel like for you,
you're like, you have something to prove.
You're too cool to be into any of that stuff.
Like that's nonsense.
You only watch indie shit.
But also K-dramas.
No one can ever know that I've been three seasons
of fucking all my life.
Yeah, definitely boys over flowers.
There's no way.
People can't know this.
Is that a thing that the pair of you know about each other?
Like was that like one of the first times you guys spoke
is like an offhanded comment and then you're like,
oh shit, they're into the same stuff.
Yep, I think that's how DMC got the job.
Like I think I was impressed.
Like I think I was impressed with you.
Oh shit.
And I was like, man, this person's really cool.
Like cool person.
I think the vibe's gonna be great.
And then you like dropped like a reference
and I feel like Vic was like, oh, okay.
All right.
Oh my God.
Yes.
Yeah.
I repeated a line that I don't think anyone has ever caught
on was from this show, but you did.
I was like, man, it's so much better than the anime.
Don't tell anyone I said that.
So I like that.
I like that a lot.
Okay, so now I ask the.
Now it's a negative relationship question.
Yeah.
Over to Dylan and Dylan's character, Charlie.
I think it would be, man, it would be so interesting.
A lot of these questions lend to what we've already built
between our two characters.
So I wanted to go with something that might be tangential
to that, but not necessarily informative
of what we've already built.
Dylan, Charlie is sure that DMC is hiding something
from them.
How do you feel knowing that they're deceiving you?
Well, of course they are.
Oh, but of course they are.
They swoop in here.
Your best friends are like totally smitten.
Yeah, it's all, it's all, it's all you,
you, you, you, you, you, you.
And that's great and everything for the show.
And I'm so happy for the show.
And I'm not gonna go to my best friends on a hunch.
You know what I mean?
Like I need like something.
Like I need a screenshot.
I need like a little smidge of an audio record, something.
And then, and then I can tell them
that their new perfect best friend
is not as perfect as they think.
Jesus, you do a great Robert De Niro.
That face was crazy.
The face you just made.
That was nuts.
The first question Charlie is here, like, fuck this guy.
I know it's something.
I also like the fact that Charlie
You know it's something.
Yeah.
Know what it is.
It's just like they have a vibe.
That's funny.
You know what I mean?
And you know in like a few years they're gonna get canceled
and you're gonna be so.
Like we need clips to promote the show.
Whatever comes to mind, whatever you feel inspired by,
you make them.
You make whatever you think is right.
Go with your gut feelings.
Amazing.
I don't need to give you guidance.
I trust you.
Well, now I'm gonna force you
to have a relationship question that is positive.
Fuck you.
Toward DMC.
Charlie knows that DMC will one day die.
And that's very positive.
What are you sacrificing to protect this character
and why are you so willing to make that sacrifice?
Getting rid of pronouns just for this question.
What is DMC sacrificing to protect Charlie?
Okay.
You know what?
I think this is a situation where
DMC with all of his popularity
and all of his connections and social networking
feels that Charlie has a lot of talent
and could leverage that talent elsewhere.
And so I'm leveraging some of my own social capital
to promote you towards other productions
so then possibly your own,
like sacrificing the quality of this show
to get you to a level where I,
like I think Charlie, you are so talented,
especially when it comes to that, you care so much
and it comes through.
You could absolutely,
you could absolutely make it
in a world-class AAA production.
And I'm sticking my neck out here for you.
I can set up these meetings.
Why?
Why stick your neck out for me?
Because I mean, as this industry, this space
eats people up, people have good talent because they've,
they're stuck.
Because they are stuck in the same sort of production,
same sort of shows that aren't serving them.
I hate to see that happen to someone that I consider.
We've got that relationship thing open, right?
The ship board, who is shipped with who, that's good.
Oh my God.
I need that open at all times.
And now we need a negative one for Nebula Sloan.
Yes, what does this character have
that you want to take from them?
What do you have that I want to take from you?
Their breath.
Get that ship board open.
It's going to sound positive at the beginning,
but I'm going to twist it, don't worry.
I trust you.
So I think that my character sees in Charlie
this sort of like massive, this massive aptitude
in just picking up skills at a quick pace,
but then also committing to them
and applying themselves continuously to these skills
to create a craft.
Which that is their perception,
it might not be the actual reality,
but at least in the terms of being in the station
and watching, I think especially,
let's say this, there was probably one night
where my character wasn't doing anything
and they texted and were like, you want to hang out?
And your character was like, I'm at the station,
I'm going to be here for another two hours
because I'm doing this show and then I'm subbing in.
And this was after we had started doing the show together
and I hadn't really gotten the opportunity
to watch you do what you do.
And they were just like chilling in a chair
in the tech booth, looking at their phone
and then they like looked up and actually paid attention
to what you were doing and just immediately started
thinking like, wow, this person is so much more applied
and they're so much more consistent
and they're so much more intelligent than I am.
And I wish that I was more like that
instead of constantly picking things up
and then dropping them.
Maybe if I was more like that, I could be,
I wouldn't have this like curse.
It kind of sounds like a positive thing,
but it made them spiral.
It's a thing that there's like,
whenever they think about it, they spiral a little.
So in seeing how Charlie works and that passion,
it's kind of bad for your character.
Sloan, it is your turn for a positive for Dylan.
Okay, positive to Dylan, negative to Candace.
Okay, all right, okay.
Positive to Dylan.
Let's do something.
I wanna pick a good one.
I have to get a good grade.
You gotta get a good grade in picking questions.
Absolutely.
I also don't wanna pick one that's like,
oh my God, tell me about how great my character is.
I do that 100% of the time.
Yeah, could not be better.
Do it.
Stop, stop it, oh my God.
I think that this one is nice.
What bond do we share that can never be broken?
There was in the original days,
the days of the college radio station
before we got picked up,
before there was a show show established.
Radio station and tech theater.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
In that timeframe, the radio station was also
kind of just a place of debauchery and friendship.
It was just like, yes, especially on those night shift
radio show hours, it was just sort of a time where,
yeah, let's get high and say stupid shit over the air.
Because no one's really monitoring
and no one's really listening.
And we, I think that we had just like,
before this show was a thing,
there was just a time where there was just like a
confessional, a stoned ass confessional.
It was just you and I and the one creepy dude
who logged into the radio station to listen.
Oh my God, it was live?
Love that.
We had a chat.
There's no, no, I think it's more like,
one of those college radio stations
where it reaches about 50 people total.
And there's one guy who drives by campus
to listen to the radio show.
But we just had a chat.
It's just that that's where we've told each other
the things that we don't feel cozy with the audience
knowing now that we actually have an audience.
And it's like, yeah, we said those things on air back then,
but that on air was not really real.
It didn't feel real.
It didn't feel like there were actually any stakes
because no one was actually listening.
So yeah, like I know about the people you've lost
and you know about the people that I regret leaving.
And we know these things about each other
that could be really interesting stories,
but we're not gonna do it
because we know how brutal the space will be.
And now you have to have a sad question.
A sad negative question.
There are like five questions on this list
that I want to ask Candice about Candice's character.
But I saw one that's like,
yes, I would love to open myself up to be roasted.
So Candice, I wanna know,
how does Victoria think my character is self-sabotaging
and why can't they empathize?
Oh, delicious.
So knowing that like behind the scenes,
you're struggling with this fear
of like being out of great ideas.
I think for Victoria,
someone who has seen a million projects
and has supported a million projects
and has supported a bunch of creators
like in their short yet long career,
I think that they see you as somebody
who is ignoring your potential
in favor of getting caught like in the weeds
of like your own kingdom.
Like you're stuck on this one idea
and instead of recognizing that like,
you can go outside of this anytime, right?
The door is open in your jail cell, right?
It is self-made.
You can leave at any time, right?
Nobody has the keys.
You can just walk right out, right?
But like that's what they see.
They're like, you're brilliant.
You can do whatever you want.
Like you made this out of nothing
and like the things that you do are hits.
Like the people that you know are great.
Like you've built something out of nothing for yourself
and not everybody can do that.
All I've done is help polish it, right?
All I've done is help elevate it
and you can do the same thing again
but instead you're like sat there worried about,
well, what are people gonna think
about the new podcast?
Well, I can't make a new podcast
because the old podcast is still going on.
I can't do two things at once.
No, what?
I hate this conversation first of all.
How am I doing that?
How dare you?
How dare you say any of that?
I have created a lightning rod
which we may all stand under.
Yeah, I think that's the answer
is that like they see,
like if anybody knows bullshit, right?
It's Vic because like,
Vic can't take every job.
Not every job is worth doing
when it comes to promoting, right?
Some things are just never gonna get picked up
but this was something that was like already successful
when Vic got on the bandwagon.
Like when Vic jumped in, it was already a thing.
It wasn't something that like they helped create
which like is part of their anxiety personally
but also means that they have every faith and confidence
in you and they can't relate because for them,
they're still searching for something
that they feel is their own.
Oh, holy shit.
Fucking so delicious.
I am full.
My stomach cannot take any more of this greatness.
All right, Candice, it is on you, hun.
Sloane, you often feel the need to stand up for Vic.
Why are you willing to go so far for them?
Oh, man.
You often feel the need to stand up for Vic.
Why are you willing to go so far for them?
I mean, Jesus.
I just think that they like Vic so much.
Like I think that my character is very prone
to black and white thinking, not for any like malicious intent
or purpose but purely just because that's kind
of how they are.
And so like they kind of grew up with like these
very simplistic ideas about what kind of persons
there are available to be in the world.
And it was very like one dimensional
and it was very boxed in and very like dictated.
And then they went to college and they went to a party
and they saw this person who was like dressed
in this kick ass outfit, like rock and roll,
looks so fucking cool.
And then like a month later saw that same person
like just kicking everyone's ass in business class.
Like the biz class you gotta take when you first get
to college, like the gen ed class just like knocking
every single test out of the park,
like always had the right answers, like,
and always had their stuff together,
like getting to know her and getting to see the way
her brain works.
I mean, they just think that Vic is like one
of the coolest people ever and really like open their mind
to like the ways that people can be,
all the different fabulous ways.
And so like when people are like, oh Vic's so stuck up,
they're like, fucking what did you say?
Excuse me?
I don't think that they're a particularly like,
they're not like a fisticuffs kind of person,
but like fully, if you say some shit about,
some simplistic shit about Vic, it's like immediately no,
immediately no.
And actually you need to think about your simplistic ideas
about how people can be in this world.
Cause that was a lesson that I learned, et cetera, et cetera.
So they're so great.
Not to mention the fact that like,
Vic's helped them so much.
The skillset that Vic has,
in much the same way that like the skillset Charlie has,
my character can only dream of,
the skillset that Vic has, oh my God, same vibe.
Man, now we're doing it.
Love that.
Now be mean, negative.
Okay, DMC.
I think I want some problems.
I'm gonna go with something that talks about problems.
Oh hell yeah.
We can have sweet and spicy.
What dangerous behavior has Vic recently started
engaging in and how could it affect you?
Bitcoin?
I was gonna say, let me do it.
A little NFT trading?
I'm so tempted.
I'm pulling up my ears really quick.
Just to make sure it, you know what?
No, I'm gonna, this whole show is a commentary
on real life, right?
AI.
Shut the fuck up.
Okay.
Yeah.
I'm gonna take that sooner to my grave though.
Vic will never admit that they're using AI.
That's almost as bad, if not worse than the man.
Yeah, I forgot.
Like you're at the station one day
or you're at the studio one day
and I needed to come back, pick something up.
I've totally forgot like my earbuds or something trivial.
And I get back and you're working on something.
You don't know I'm around, you got your headphones in.
Over the shoulder, I see you on one of those,
I don't even know, training websites
where you train the AI and I'm just like, deflate.
I'll keep your secret, but from that point onwards,
I might be vapid and self-centered,
but I still respect art, you know?
So.
You gotta work smarter, not harder, man, okay?
Yeah.
Oh, shit.
Do you know what's terrible?
Is that because Charlie is so averse
to getting to know you, she will not find that out.
And it would actually benefit her to find that out,
but she just won't, because she's not.
It wouldn't benefit you to know the secret.
Stay in the dark.
Now, interesting add-on to this question.
What type of AI is it?
Is it voice-based?
Because the fact that you're a radio show,
and then having your producer using voice-based AI
to not like, you know, it's like,
oh, do you have time to do an ad?
And then they don't, and you really need it done?
You kind of use it anyway to take their voice?
I would imagine, please tell me if I'm wrong.
Vic, as competent as they are,
knows that one day someone's gonna get sick,
someone can't record, and we cannot afford that time.
Can I make it worse?
Yes, please make it worse.
I'm so sorry.
But I think that you were right about,
oh, you don't have time to make an ad,
but I don't think that it's,
do you not have time to make an ad?
I think that Vic has been asked by the powers that be,
to make an ad for something,
and I know y'all won't do it.
Like, I know you won't do it.
It's like for, it's like for like,
Bucky's food bucket or something like that.
Like for something that's like not aligned with our brands,
I know y'all will not put up with,
and I just, I make the ad, and like,
hopefully you'll not, I mean,
who wants to add to these things?
Everybody pays for stuff.
You're never gonna hear it.
And it's already done.
Yeah. Absolutely.
And then- You're never gonna hear it.
Candice!
You're never gonna hear it.
That's- Don't worry about it.
That is devastating and just diabolic, diabolical.
But we got paid so much money, okay?
Look at all the new equipment we got.
Do you see?
You said food bucket.
Is that the name of it?
Like it's like an equivalent.
Right. Like something that's like,
like if it were Parks and Recreation, it would be-
Sweetums.
Yeah, Sweetums or a fad burger, Pond burger, right?
Something that's like really just awful.
Yeah.
Cause I don't think it can be anything
that's like overtly bad, right?
Like it can't be like, you know, shilling something like,
that's like, you know, gas or oil or, you know,
like big tobacco.
Like it can't be something that's like obviously harmful.
It has to be something that like people are willing to-
Yeah, it's like Nestle or something.
Right.
And the people are willing to like flex on.
I love that.
Yeah.
Discussing awful.
Yeah, it rips.
This is so good.
So, the company that reached out to buy or host your show,
what is it?
Is it a big company?
Like a general conglomerate,
like getting picked up by the equivalent of Spotify,
getting, you know, giving you money to do it.
Is it a smaller thing just in your city?
Is it like a public radio station there?
Did it buy the show fully outright
or is it paying you just to make it?
I feel like it's like an I Heart Radio type of thing
where it's like national.
But it has like localized versions.
Or it's like a Spotify,
but it's owned by like a bigger like M&M Holdings
or something like that.
And then they own like Nestle
and other like bullshit food brands.
Like something like that that has like a big papa at the top.
And then the innocuous one that bought us.
And so everything's fine.
You don't have to worry about it.
Oh, Jesus.
Cause it's baby.
So.
Yeah, it's AT&T is the holding company.
Right.
And then the company that,
there's a company that they have that bought us.
So if we went to play in the space that you got bought by,
or the show got picked up by a huge company,
who made the decision?
Because if it was Victoria,
then it's like,
oh, well we should do it.
Because it's this huge, huge,
it's almost like international opportunity.
And then maybe that's how this food bucket spawned in.
That's why I wonder if there's a middle guy.
Because I feel like confronted with going huge,
just hearing like what Sloan is saying about their character
and like what Dylan's saying about Charlie
and like, and everything with DMC.
Like, I don't know that all of us would just be like cool,
like giving into like the big dude right away.
Like I feel like there has to be like a cushion
that makes us feel comfortable, right?
And then like the overlord kind of comes through
and is like, hey, if you want that money flowing,
you gotta help one of our other brands out.
Our profits are low.
Yeah, I like the idea that it's like a Spotify
or like an XM radio or something,
because that feels smaller.
And very much like within the realm
of what our characters are trying to achieve,
not understanding that there are implications.
Something that's like a subgroup
that has like developed a reputation
for being kind of like, oh, indie, but it's like cool indie.
That's like really widespread.
And then it's like evil overlord.
Like I know. Yes.
Like I know they're not this.
I know they're not this, but like the one,
what's coming to mind is like Max Fun.
I know they're not evil,
but like something along that line of like a collection
of this industry that just happens to be owned by.
Instead of being worker owned,
it's owned by some dude.
There is a mechanic in Kids on Bikes called bonded actions.
Bonded actions, there's a few of them.
But they're abilities that two characters working together
can then do that thing.
They can get that ability.
So for example, if one character was a mentor
and the other one was a mentor E,
then they gained the bonded action,
which is helpful mentorship.
Where whenever the mentor E in the relationship
fails the role, then mentor can give them advice.
And then both of them get adversity tokens.
Now this of course can be discussed off mic,
but are there any bonded actions that leap out?
Like, oh, I think my character
and this character would have this bonded action.
There are lots, but I won't read them all out.
But for example, there's like best frenemies
and best frenemies would be incredible
for Charlie and Devil Michael chorus, for example.
Are there any that anyone is thinking about right now?
I think I would like to start with sworn protector
for Sloan's character.
Yeah, I think that, I mean,
there's no way for me to apply my like,
no better way to apply the like love
and protectiveness over the show
than to project that as like a love
and protectiveness over you.
Oh.
So it is.
So this is also, this is the thing that both of you share.
So both of you will be the sworn protector of each other.
Yeah.
I was also, my first thought was also a bonded action
with your character, except I was like,
I'm thinking about tech theater
and I was looking at either no look pass
or,
or I mean, it's just, it's really good.
Essentially you can throw an object to a character
and they can catch it without looking or making a check,
which I was like, I feel like we've thrown,
I was thinking in my head, like, I know for a fact,
I know for a fact that I have put you on a dolly
and fucking pushed you as fast as I could down the hallways.
Like so, like.
Oh, a thousand percent.
Let's see that.
I changed my answer.
But the sworn protector is also very sweet.
It is very like, it's powerful.
It's very sweet, but I like your answer better.
No look pass.
One character may throw the other player
an object that they can both easily lift.
The other character can catch it
without looking or making a check.
I also was looking at tag team for Victoria,
except instead of it being physical fights,
it's like if we're like shitting on someone,
like in a verbal argument with someone.
Tag team is when you're making a relevant fight check
together, use either character's role
then add an additional plus three to that role.
So essentially it's just like, if we're like,
like verbally fighting someone or just trying to like,
I don't know, coerce someone together, not coerce,
not coerce, but like, you know, influence.
A little charisma tag team.
Well, there is the ability sweet talkers.
So that one is sweet talkers.
Sweet talkers when making a relevant charm check,
either character can use their stats and then add three.
I skipped right past it.
Perfect.
Yeah.
I do love best frenemies for Devin Michael,
Chorus and Charlie.
Agreed.
After one of you succeeds a role and brag about the success,
the other one gets plus three on their next role.
And that is just Devin Michael being like,
I love Charlie so much, look, we're best friends.
I hate this guy.
One of them is purely inspired by the other one
and the other is driven entirely by spite.
I love this dynamic that like DMC takes
the vitriol against him as a fun little inside joke.
Yeah.
Oh yeah.
Coercing the two, but it's very weird.
Oh my God.
You have been, you've been welcome.
Everyone gets a little hazing when they join.
Just by the way.
I love that.
Yeah.
I'm so down.
Standing.
Stand up comedians could be good for DMC and Mike.
I was thinking that as like the hosts,
we have to have like an inherent like rapport
with each other.
Yeah. Back and forth.
So I like that.
Yeah.
That is cute.
I love that.
Can I have a mind readers with DMC?
Yo, we are all on like the same wavelength.
I'm looking at this list.
As like the two, I guess having the like professional
exposure, like we have, we can tell like we just know
within the GMs.
Oh yeah.
No, no reason.
You have it all.
I'm writing these down.
Right.
So in the, in the kids on bikes rule set,
there is a GM character,
which is referred to as the powered character.
This character can do powered things.
I don't know if we will use this in this game,
since I kind of prefer it being curated to you lot.
However, I may pitch that this in the station,
the powered character is your show.
So you can like invoke things that have happened
in your show to give yourselves bones in some way.
However, also using it in some way to, you know,
to stop or cause haunted things to happen to you.
Can I, hey, how, how supernatural is this gonna get?
This is gonna get pretty supernatural.
At that point, this will be entirely supernatural.
Cause I was just, I was wondering,
cause I didn't know how, if there was like magic
and other things, but if we're talking like,
the show is its own powered character,
that puts me in the mindset of like, oh yeah,
we're getting weird.
Oh yeah, we're getting weird.
Absolutely.
We're gonna be getting weird.
Doors opening into the like infinite rooms
and not fitting, like space is not fitting
with the geography of the building.
I wake up from doing mushrooms in the lounge.
That's it.
Damn.
And it's the best story ever told.
That's the end of it.
Vic, what did you do?
It's just a bonding exercise.
Whoever your plug is, we're never talking to them again.
No.
All right then.
Are there any other questions that you guys have?
Anything that, you know, you wanna have,
like, oh, I want this connection.
I wanna have this relationship.
I think Candice pitched another one that I love.
And I think we should allow the audience
to be in on this one.
Cause I think it's great.
Awesome.
Yeah.
Calming presence for the two of us
because like Vic has always had Charlie's back
and Charlie's always had Vic's back.
And like they listen to each other
and they understand each other,
which I think is why their tension is so profound.
So in like those moments of fear,
like the testing of that boundary.
And I think it would be cool to,
depending on what's happening outside of that,
if we're allowed to reject any of these.
Yeah.
Yes.
Like if there's a fight and something happens
and like we're not on the same page,
like I think it's, even if it kind of makes the story
a little bit more difficult,
like I personally am a big fan of things
that make the story more difficult
cause it gives this story.
So like I feel like.
This is our jumping off point.
Not a prescription.
Yeah.
Right.
Yes.
And I think it's interesting,
Charlie and Vic in particular,
we're going to be able to understand each other
in a way that like,
we're at the very least,
we're both not the talent.
You know, like we're both not the voices.
Right.
Charlie might be bitter about that,
but maybe when Vic is in the room,
maybe not so much.
Maybe it's, maybe the skill feels recognized.
Actually recognized in that moment.
And it's fine that I'm not, you know,
on mic all the time.
Yeah.
Or fine in quotation marks, whichever one.
Or fine, fine.
Yeah.
I'm not, I don't mean it's fine,
but like it's fun.
Yeah.
I love it.
Yeah.
I love that.
I love that a lot.
That's great.
I do have to state for the record
because this hasn't come up yet
cause we've managed to not talk about it,
but I do just have to,
I do have to state,
my character hates DMC.
Oh.
No.
No way.
Yes.
Oh my God.
I twist.
Right at the end of recording.
Hates them.
Yes.
So.
Openly or secretly?
So secretly has, like shoves it down,
shoves it so far down.
And like, I mean.
Have you told anyone?
No, no, not at all.
Has not told a single person.
Has not told even Charlie or Vic.
Is this,
oh man.
Is this like a historical thing?
No.
Or like a first impression thing
or have you grown to hate DMC
for everything that he is and stands for?
No.
I think it's worse because
we did improv club together at least one semester
and we like vibed.
And my character really liked working with DMC
and it was like, oh tight.
Like I love being like casual friends with this person.
I love hanging out.
We have a good time.
We do a good performance.
And then like the news dropped
that to get picked up by the studio,
we needed another person
and that other person was going to be you.
It was like, like.
Yes.
I don't know.
Have y'all ever had the experience of like,
when you experience a moment of like abject fear,
it feels like there's ice that like starts at your heart
and then just moves through your whole body.
It was like that.
It was like a glass breaking moment.
And ever since then,
it just has been like a,
God, I fucking, I hate this guy.
No, I understand this.
It's like DMC is an arms length person for most people,
but now DMC is a little closer than arms length.
And that can never admit that you despise.
Did Vic, did Vic like do anything
to like calm their nerves about this?
Or like, because I imagine Vic had the deeps.
Vic does not know about the hatred.
No.
Oh, the nerves.
No, but had the deeps about, about.
Just like general nerves about doing another big show.
I mean, yes, I'm certain.
I'm absolutely certain,
but like my character was never fully truthful
about what the actual issue is.
And so like, even with all the best advice in the world.
God.
I just feel like Vic knowing that this person
was gonna join the show ahead of time.
I think Vic made the call.
Yeah.
Vic definitely made the call.
Was there any hint that you were anxious about it
whatsoever that Vic needed to manage?
Or did you totally pop it up?
If I can make a suggestion,
like y'all like as a team,
y'all know each other and you're friends,
you vibe together.
And so there was a call between two of you to be like,
Vic, we trust you to make the right decision.
It is in your hands.
I'm on board no matter what.
And Vic brings on DMC and you're like,
accept for that.
That's the worst call.
But on the outside, I think Vic was like,
oh, I saw you guys in that thing
that you made me go to last time.
That was great.
It was really good.
You made me go to the wrong Shakespeare.
And it was great, but Jesus.
The two best people are now on our show.
Isn't that awesome?
The two best people.
I did this for you.
I think when I like approached you,
I was like, so guess what?
It was like, do you want a treat?
I've got one.
Like that was the conversation.
Vic was like, you're never gonna believe it.
It wasn't even a conversation.
Are you ready for this?
And then opened the door to the recording.
Just a week later.
Boom.
Am I right?
Hey.
You had to react in a real time.
I feel like there was probably even,
knowing who Vic is and how they think
and their very quiet beef with Charlie,
I feel like Vic was like, you know what?
I got someone who's almost as good as you.
Isn't that exciting?
You're still the star of your show, right?
He's great.
You're great.
Gonna be great together.
This is lightning in a bottle.
I mean, like they sold you really hard on it.
Like guess, like just guess what we're gonna do.
It's gonna be amazing.
They were just like fully overwhelmed, checked out.
And were just like doing everything they could
to keep a smile on their face.
Which like, I imagine at a high,
like I imagine Vic is insightful enough
that like they would know that something was up,
but maybe it was just like the tension
of everything that was happening.
And for the record, this is like,
this is stemming from my character's flaws.
This is like, that is where it's coming from.
And that's also part of the reason
why they have not said it to anyone
because they know that it's shitty and they hate it.
If you're okay with that, Christian.
Yeah, I think Vic would see that smile.
Oh yes, 100%.
I don't know if I've been nodding hard enough.
Yeah, Vic would see that plastered smile and be like,
I know what you're worried about.
You're worried that you're gonna be a little less popular.
Everybody's worried about the new person coming in,
but don't you worry.
You're amazing.
I've got the misery.
Like Vic is not.
Like they see there's an issue, but very much.
I feel like while they're talking to you about it,
they're like half in their phone answering you.
Oh my God.
Oh.
My skin is pulling up my finger.
Oh, straight from the K-Drummers.
So anyway.
That's spicy.
That's good.
I love it.
I love our drop in the bottle.
That's so good.
Oh my gosh.
So stressful.
All right.
What is the name of the show?
By God.
Argument, one of the most important things.
I really like Iflin.
I think it's very, very good.
This fucking tab keeps telling me I have chats open.
Okay.
Now Iflin is this-
To Iflinity and beyond.
Insert fantasy name land, right?
We can't.
I just don't want to get, you know, I don't want like,
who's somebody who's done this American life?
Who's the guy?
Ira Glass?
Is that who it is?
Maybe.
Yeah.
I don't want Ira Glass like up our butts.
Oh.
She's going to use this.
Yeah, because they're the first people to be up our butts
when we release this.
Mr. Glass, please.
Mr. Glass.
Mr. Glass, I just want to make a podcast.
Okay.
So the current things we have is tanker tails,
mundane in the magic, arcane in the mundane,
mundane in the arcane,
and then insert this fantasy land name life
or this Iflin life, which is,
which I think rules pretty hard.
It's pretty good.
I think we just changed.
Iflin is the name of the world now.
Yeah, the world is Iflin.
For sure.
Yeah.
It doesn't stand for anything in the world.
What were you saying, Cappit?
I was going to say like, we could do, we could,
instead of, you know, this Iflin life,
we could say your Iflin life.
It's still, you know, just try and get slightly further
away from whatever that dude's doing, you know, like.
Our Iflin life, comrade?
Our Iflin life.
Our Iflin life, I love it.
Our Iflin life.
I feel like yours.
I like that.
I do.
Our sounds like it's us and the listener.
Cute.
Y'all, it shortens to oil.
I'm obsessed.
Yeah.
Yeah, the real oil.
Yeah, the oilers.
That's great.
I don't know.
Me as a person is already thinking of like merch.
I think, I think that the Tumblr girlies
who really like the show, they call each other slick.
Oh my.
Ew.
That's so good.
Ew, oh my god.
Come on.
I take offense.
Oh my god.
It's offensive.
Oh my god.
Real, real oil heads.
Only real oil heads now, Jesus.
We struck oil.
This is a horror podcast.
Ha ha ha ha ha.
Ha ha ha ha.
In my experience, it's always like this with horror.
It's.
I like it though.
We do.
I like it.
I think our if-lin life is extremely good.
It is pretty cute.
We could avoid oil by calling it like our little if-lin life
or something like that.
O-lil. O-lil?
I like oil though.
I really like oil though.
I like oil as the name.
It does sound like a stupid thing
that one would accidentally happen upon.
Yeah.
Which is exactly what literally just happened.
It's a bit that got taken too far.
Ha ha ha ha ha.
A bit that wasn't supposed to leave the room,
but like went out and brought friends back with it.
Yeah.
Ha ha ha ha ha.
Oil.
Our if-lin life.
Part two of a thing which we need to do.
Dylan.
Yeah?
What is Charlie's fear?
Oh, we did not say.
That's right.
I forgot to say that.
We just skipped right over that.
Cause I was too excited.
Yeah.
So my fear is Charlie's fear.
Not Dylan's.
Dylan's fine.
Oh no.
Is the version.
Definitely not my self-inserted fear.
The version of me that exists in other people's minds.
Horrifying.
Yeah.
Delicious.
We're not laughing anymore.
Ha ha ha ha ha.
What?
No chuckles now?
It's too real.
Ha ha ha ha.
I can't help but notice how quiet it got.
Ha ha ha ha.
I feel like this entire podcast is just gonna be.
All of a sudden I'm like confronted with four versions
of me on this call.
Like I just.
Ha ha ha ha.
It's hard.
It's tough.
We got it.
We did it.
Do you guys wanna put these people
that we made over the past two and a bit hours
through horrific circumstances
and see who they become on the other side?
I'm gonna too.
Who would DMC to suffer?
I need DMC to suffer.
I've created a monstrous human being
that needs to have his ass kicked.
You can't say that.
But also say, oh my God, they love Charlie so much.
They're just so, it's like they're so cute.
That's the redeeming.
We should love each other, but we don't.
Yeah.
And that's.
You just have to get trapped in an elevator together.
That's it.
You just need to get trapped in a radio station.
Why would you fucking say that?
Ha ha ha ha.
We need to cut that.
We need to cut that because we have to use it.
Ha ha ha ha.
All right then.
I'm corner, corner, corner.
Oh, corner, corner, corner.
Come on, you are pushing to your favorite tune in your bar.
Why try to change me now?
Done this for no time, why?
How did I find you scared to get to know?
I trust my mama.
You're no match for my bad karma.