Episode 80 - Courts

## Courts

A plain black background with a simple white lined border, the corners of which possess depictions of Jackalope skulls. Within the border three spread out wings can be seen, not visibly attached to anything. Infront of these wings depicted in red is an amputated left hand, a ring upon its ring finger. Below this image but within the border the words "80.COURTS" are written in white

### Author

William A. Wellman

Percy surveys the landscape, Riot goes to dinner, and Mort makes some progress. The theme of tonight’s episode is Courts.

***Content Warnings:** Abuse (mention), Animal cruelty or animal death (Bert as usual, but unfortunately a fish, some roasted jackalopes, and a quantity of wolves don’t do too well either), Self-harm (questionably a reference), Violence, Kidnapping and abduction, Death + Injury, Blood, Anxiety, Birds, Emotional Manipulation, Drowning, Bugs, Body horror*

## Intro - One Less Sun

Nikignik speaks to the Dreamers of a Vampire as he walks into a saloon, finding the smell of the place to reminding them of 'the old days', but more than old memories there was the scent of animal, of iron and earth metal, the ever-present hum of blood in veins that sang like a sun in darkness. They look up and match eyes with the Starwolf behind the bar, the two clearly knowing each other. He asks them what he could get them, but they both already knew what they liked best. They are both still for a moment, and then it is all over, and they drink of his blood, another sun snuffed out so that the emptiness between worlds may flourish.

Nikignik sits onto of the RV (see the RV gang) as it drove, joined by Percy Reed as he thought of Solomon Reed, the scissor, and his relationship with Diggory Graves.

## Story 1 - No Burden

Percy Reed sits on the roof of the RV and thinks that in some ways he felt he would be forever alone. In some ways he knew this not to be true, but he still couldn't help but feel it. He knew he should feel happy, given their successful rescue missions (see Episode 72 - Errors), and thinks to himself that Riot Maidstone and Olivier Song had been acting Stange towards each other, concluding that this is in no little part to their interaction in Episode 78 - Runaways, which apparently, he had borne witness to. He still hasn't figured out Other Riot, who he kept getting mixed up with Riot and who kept a distance from her look-alike with the exception of brief physical fights. Diggory Graves opens the skylight of the RV and climbs onto the roof to join Percy. He asks them what they were doing, and they tell him that they wanted to spend some time with him. He quips back that Diggory must have everyone else happy and taken care of if that was the case. Diggory simply tells him that this wasn't that case, as Percy wasn't happy and Diggory felt that something bad was happening very far away and if they ran as fast as they could they wouldn't get there to stop it (see Episode 79 - Kingdoms). Percy tells Diggory that he had anxiety too, and that he knew it sounded bad, but he was happy that Solomon Reed was dead (see Episode 47 - Regrets) because now he didn't have to worry about him anymore.

Diggory tells him that they understood, Percy lived in fear of his father for so long, it was only natural to feel like he'd been freed from a burden. He tells them that he knew it wasn't how he was supposed to feel about how own father, bringing his head to rets in Diggory's lap. He knew that his dad was awful, and absent, and a serial killer, but all of a sudden, he was dead and so was his mum (see Abigail Reed), and Percy was the last of his family. He still heard music, when he let his mind wonder, he could still hear cello's. Diggory tells Percy that they loved him, that this journey wouldn't be teh same without him. Percy tells them that he loved them too, that they'd literally carried him though so much. Diggory tells him that it had not been a burden but is cut off by the sound of approaching motorbikes.

### Interlude 1 - Justice

Nikignik tells the Dreamers that Justice was dead, that she slept on a layer of silt and sometimes opened her eyes to watch the sunbeams on the surface of teh river above her (see Sleepers). When she dreamt it was of the world to come, the final calamities tolling like a bell, resounding over all she once ruled. Justice was dead and Democracy with her, as well as Avarice and Economy and Greed. It was so peaceful beneath the black tied that she could barely dream of the world that used to be, and why would she. There were no courts, no trials, no prosecution. The only due process was the great transformation. And yet, sometimes, she pulled herself from the silt, and rose to the edge of the water, and looked out for the shore. There was one who had not joined her, one who did not yet sleep, and it was Hope.

## Story 2 - Dinner With Destiny

Riot Maidstone looks up as Diggory pokes their head back into the skylight and tells her of how they were being followed. She tells them that they'd noticed. Percy tells them that maybe they were a friendly biker gang, and Valerie Maidstone brings up that she'd used to be in a biker gang, that they'd all been lesbians. Riot tells them that she didn't want to make assumptions, but the odds of these being friendly neighbourhood post-apocalypse bikers was slim. Valerie starts to speed up in an attempt to escape the bikers, but who Riot had picked to be the lead Biker speeds ahead of the rest and catches up to them quickly. Olivier asks if this was a lightning situation, and Valerie's looks out the window and sees the lead biker waving to her to slow down and poll over. She asks the rest of the group if they were equip the fight thirty to forty bikers, and Riot reminds her that Diggory was a Badass, Olivier piping up that she [Olivier] was a badass too. Valerie starts to slow down but doesn't stop, and winds down her window to talk to the lead biker. Riot notices that the biker had red bat patches sewn onto his jacket and the words "Denn die Todten reiten schnell" written on his vintage motorbike. The biker welcomes them to the kingdom of The Count, and Valerie thanks him, but tells him they' like to keep moving. The biker tells her that they had nothing to fear, that they were guests of the Count and would accompany them to his camp to join him for dinner. That they shouldn't refuse his hospitality less he take the news poorly. Diggory brings up how they'd only been invited to dinner, that perhaps they should oblige them as to avoid bloodshed. They accept their offer and follow the bikers.

Riot goes into the back of the RV and starts prepping Walter 'Walt' Pensive's tools. Other Riot asks her was she was doing "some stuff" in case they had to kill some vampires.

### Marketing - Lawful Land

Lady Ethel Mallory interrupts Nikignik's broadcast with her marketing segment. She tells the listeners that there was a time when America was a lawful land, and that even in the Prime Dream, they still saw the effects of the last chaotic years of life outside. The Stonemaids had done little to help build the Prime Dream yet were so quick to tear it down. And yet when she'd sat with Dashiell Spade (see Episode 77 - Rebels) she'd seen something in his eyes, something animal, something primal. And it made her wonder, were they responsible? they had put so much blame on the Stonemaids for their devastating actions, but the Botulus Corporation had let it go on too long. What could have led to this oversight, to so much pain for their happy dreaming family? Was the Botulus Corporation still doing the very best it can? What more could they accomplish? What stood in the way of that change? She tells the Dreamers that no matter they saw in their mutual future, she'd be fighting for it.

### Story 2, Continued - Dinner With Destiny

Riot has an argument with Olivier on the subject of whether or no Vampires are real. Valerie tells them to stop as they were distracting her while she was trying to not runover the 'stupid biker vampires', as Valerie referred to them as "kids" during this Olivier takes offense, telling her not to refer to her as 'kid' as she was older than Riot, and Diggory pipes up that they didn't know how old they were and that they should pick a birthday. Riot tells the group to be polite when they got there, as apparently vampires cared about manners, and she wanted them not to suspect anything when she went to kill them. They roll into the town of their destination, coming to a stop outside of a small bar. Th lead biker tells Valerie to step inside as his master would revive them shortly. The other bikers dismount and begin to crowd around the RV. Th lead Biker begins to walk away from the RV when Riot calls out to him, telling him of how Danielle O'Hara couldn't walk yet (see Episode 72 - Errors) and asking if they could have a chair for her, which the Biker oblige. Riot keeps her sword visible and her bag of Walt's gear on her as she helps Diggory put Danielle on the provided chair. She asks Danielle if she was okay, and Danielle tells her to wheel her in slowly, so she looked fancy. They enter the Bar, finding it mostly dishevelled.

They find a long table with mis-matched silver domes concealing what is presumed to be food beneath, and each of them take their seats. They hear a commotion coming from outside, and Riot asks Valerie if she'd locked the RV, Valerie tells her not to mother her mum, but fishes in her pockets for the keys and locks it. Other Riot asks how they were so calm, as they could be planning on killing them, but Valerie tells her that since they'd gotten out of Dreaming Box Andromeda, the only thing she'd been worried about was being captured again. Riot scolds Valerie for calling Other Riot 'Riot', but Valerie tells bother her and Other Riot that she saw her daughter in both of them, Other Riot was there for her in Box Andromeda, and she'd spent twenty years in the Bunker with Riot, but she was a different person to who she'd been back then. The Count appears, telling them that he hopped he wasn't interrupting anything personal, telling them that they should have no hostilities as there was a night to enjoy. Riot asks him what was happening, as he clearly wanted something from them, but if he tried to rob them or kill them, they'd kill him. The Count laughs at this and tells Riot that she must be the feisty twin, telling Valerie that she must be proud. Valerie asks how he knew her name, and he just simply tells her that the Maidstones running free was no secret. Riot asks him once again why they were there; The Count tells her that it was to have a little chat about their destiny.

### Interlude 2 - One Court

Nikignik tells the Dreamers that there was little law to be found in their world, and even less in the stars above them. The universe couldn't agree of simple rules, let alone guiding principles for living within it. And yet in their communities and in their hearts, there was some sense of fairness and justice still. There was still one Cout, the Cout of the Faceless King in the North, it was built long ago, awaiting a king, awaiting a crown. He tells the Dreamers to beware if they entered the Northmost woods, for their presence was a crime against the court and the heavens, for they walked on hallowed ground.

## Story 3 - There's Always Heartbreak

Mort finds himself failing in finding Polly after the events of Episode 73 - Retributions, bring no longer sure if he was heading in the direction Yaretzi had pointed in. He notices Bert cawing and pointing his beak at a toppled decaying billboard and thinking this might be the seagull trying to tell him that Polly was underneath it, Mort lifts it up, only to reveal a dead fish that Bert scoops up. He sits down on an iron grinder, thinking to himself that he was doing a bad job and Polly was going to get hurt, feeling like he belonged sitting amongst the garbage. Barb speaks up, making his presence known now sitting at the edge of the billboard, but Mort jus tells him to go away. Barb asks why Mort didn't want to see his old friend Barb, as he'd thought they were buddies. Mort tells him that they weren't fiends, as Barb had gotten rid of him so that Rick Round could hurt Polly and Yaretzi. Barb tells him it wasn't that simple, telling Mort that he had no ill will towards Polly, Yaretzi, or Mort, But Rick had strong armed him (see Episode 66 - Morals), and he'd though he could help them. Mort points out that Barb hadn't helped, but Barb tells him that he was help him now, because he had a secret for Mort: that Mort Could leave.

He tells him that he understood that Mort was hellbent on this group he'd made, but he [Mort] was pathetic. Barb tells him that he'd been where he was now, and he'd wished someone had told him that he could leave. There was a big bright future with Mort's name on it, it wasn't his fault if Polly and Yaretzi were suckers. Mort notices that Barb was pale and trembling and tells him that he wasn't scared of getting hurt, asking if Barb was. Mort tells him that the only thing he was scared of was losing his family. Barb tells him that he [Mort] was a better man then him [Barb]. Mort asks if Barb had a family, but Barb tells him that he didn't, he had customers, someday people would just go and they'd never say as much as a goodbye, which was what he was trying to tell him - there was always heartbreak. Mort tells him that he still cared about his family, and he knew he could still help them if he tried. Mort tells Barb that if he didn't have a family, he could share his with him. Barb tells Mort that if he wasn't going to listen to reason, then he could still help him kill Rick, if Mort let him. Mort tells him that of course he could. They hear Bert cry out again, having found something, and watch as it picks up Polly's severed hand (see Episode 76 - Lungs) and drops it at their feet.

## Outro - Courts

Nikignik waxes poetics about Courts, that he'd told the Dreamer once to cast out from their court all that displeased them. But to this he would add, for life is formed of little cycles, raze their enemies to the earth, gnaw on their bones, rid the horizon of ugly hills. But when all they saw had been reclaimed, when they were alone at last in a court of their choosing, what would they fill it with? What would they plant in the ashes of their old life? Would they fill the space with friends or flowers? Build a garden in which to hide, or a sanctuary for others? It was too early yet to know if there was a point to gardening when the sun may never rise again. But he believed it would rise, and with luck, it may yet rise on a world of flowers.