Episode 105 - Dependencies

## Dependencies

A black background with a simple white border Within the border a shape that resembles a VR headset with thick cables attached is depicted in red. A thin ,closed hardcovered book depicted in white with a noneligible title and cover art lays bellow the headset, and on either side of the top of the headset a pair of boardgame pieces resembling dragons are depicted in white. Bellow these images but still within the border he words "105.DEPENDENCIES" are depicted in white

### Author

William A. Wellman

Polly chases after his friend, Diggory learns from the past, and Clementine says goodbye. The theme of tonight’s episode is Dependencies.

> ***Content warnings**:* *Animal death (Bert as usual), Abuse, Violence, Kidnapping and abduction, Death + Injury, Blood, Birds, Emotional Manipulation, Body Horror*
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## Intro - The Singular You

Nikignik narrates to the Dreamers someone who has been conjoined with another individual for - in not their whole life - a very long time. They cannot see a future without them, do not have an identity for they are all they are, invented to fit their shape perfectly. It was only when they were torn apart, and alone, that they had to confront what was left of them, a sickly half formed thing, having to stand by themself for the first time.

Nikignik stands in the boiler room of the Grand Crossroads Hotel watching as Polly paces.

## Story 1 - Better Or Weaker

Polly paces in the boiler room of the Grand Crossroads Hotel, ranting about all the things he planned on doing to Diggory Graves for 'kidnapping' Mort (see Episode 103 - Crossroads) while being observed by Yaretzi. Yaretzi doesn't take him seriously in this, and he asks her why she didn't seem concerned in Mort's kidnapping. She tells him that it was because Mort hadn't been kidnaped, because he'd gone willingly. She asks if he was angry with Diggory for inviting him or angry with Mort for going despite Polly saying he couldn't. He tells her that she was advocating for splitting up their family, that Mort wasn't safe and could get hurt. Yaretzi takes offence at this and tells her that he was putting words in her mouth, but Mort needed to do this for himself. They couldn't protect him forever. Polly comments sarcastically that this way of thinking had worked out well for Yaretzi's last family (see Yaretzi). Polly realises immediately that he'd gone too far and apologises, but the damage is already done, and Yaretzi takes on her wolfen appearance to physically intimidate him. She tells him that this was more difficult to her then it was for him, because she knew what it was too loose. If Mort was with those who wished to bring him harm, she would already be there to tear them apart, but Mort had gone willingly so she sought peace in his decision. She asks what he was planning on doing, and he tells her he didn't know, but it wouldn't be pretty.

Polly opens a vorpal and leaves the hotel to some distance way at the edge of the treeline of the Hallowoods. He tells the trees to fear him, though they do not respond, so he looks into the darkness of the forest and knows that Mort was in there, somewhere. He could find him in a matter of hours, tell him to look away while he incinerated those he'd left with, and brought him back to the hotel. But doing so would make Polly no better than Tiff (see Polly). He calls out to the trees again, that they were lucky that he was better, or weaker, he wasn't sure yet. They still don't respond, and he tells them that he'd be keeping an eye on them. Polly opens a vorpal back to the hotel.

### Interlude 1 - Needs The Rain

Nikignik tells the Dreamers that the forest needed it rain, and so did farmers with increasingly strange crops. The Dry Market needed their goods, passing off supplies to the needy few. Scoutpost two and Webequie First Nation and the Blackwood Coven all needed the Dry Market, for foraging was doubtful and hunting dangerous. He asks if they ever wondered if it was useless to persist in their way of life as their hour for humankind grew late. They did not know it, but that needed Nikignik if that hope was to make a difference in a dying world. And he needed the forest, to give him strength and comfort and reassurance for what he must do.

## Story 2 - Old Bones

Diggory Graves walks with Mort and Percy Reed through the Museum of Broken Promises (see Episode 104 - Communions). They stand in a room full of children's toys, Percy reads aloud the plaque labelling a picture book that says "*Things That Watch Me Sleep, An Alphabet of Nightmares by Mary Strix, daughter of Margaret Strix. Promised her daughter there is no such thing as monsters,*" he remarks that he had no idea what the criteria was for a museum worthy promise. Mort tells them that he'd broken a promise when he hadn't told his family that he was going to go (see Episode 103 - Crossroads) but Percy tells him it was good to sneak out every now and then. Diggory tells him that they wished they'd gotten the chance to speak to Polly more and was sorry if they were reconcilable for their separation, but Mort reassures them that it had been his decision, he just hoped they didn't worry about him while he was gone.

Diggory sees a Dreaming Visor on display and reads out the plaque, the promise broken being Oswald Biggs Botulus's to always be there for his son (see Harold Botulus). They states that they had not known Oswald had a son, asking Percy if he was aware of this, but he lies and says he wasn't (see Episode 87 - Boxes). He changes the topic by pointing out some Dungeons and Dragons figurines, saying that they were from the game Walter 'Walt' Pensive had liked, and explaining that his parents had though D&D was evil. Mort points out a toy brontosaurus and asks if it was a dinosaur, it's plaque reading "*Toy Brontosaurus gifted by Ruth Esther Barnes, promised her nephew that he would grow up to be a great explorer."* Diggory mentions that on one of their past lives they'd been an archaeologist, that they'd found joy in these discoveries despite the uncovering of these bones from melting ice meaning was coming, wondering it it'd been wrong to do so. Percy tells them that if they couldn't change it 'why sweat it'? Diggory reminds him that they could change it, they were changing it. Mx. Morrell interrupts them to announce that they'd be arriving at Scoutpost Two soon.

### Marketing - Finally Raining

Lady Ethel Mallory interrupts Nikignik with her 'marketing' segment. She tells the Dreamers that it was raining, thanking God for this (see Episode 101 - Disciplines), that she was in a large tool shed and could taste the water dripping down from the roof. She knew it was bad to drink it, the way it would change her, and the little changes added up really quickly. She confesses that she'd killed a number of people that week, but she wasn't the only one, remembering Solomon Reed (see Episode 25 - Spiders). That he'd seen her with no context of who she was but hadn't cared. She wonders if he was doing okay (see Episode 47 - Regrets), if he might still be out there (he's not, he's dead), if he may still think she was beautiful. She considers paying him a visit, as he may be the only friend, she had outside of the Prime Dream.

### Story 2, Continued - Old Bones

Morrell delivers them to the Scoutpost with little funfair or complication to their goodbyes, although Diggory is unable to shake the feeling that it is more akin to a "see you soon" then a farewell (see Episode 39 - Promises). When they disembark from the museum and open the gates of the Scoutpost the find a crowd had gathered to receive them. They briefly make eye contact with Cindy Lockheart and think to themself that they'd used to love her (see Rizwana Mirza). That they'd loved her so much they'd left her behind, and they wonder if that had been a mistake, or if they were making a mistake now in bringing those they loved.

They are all whisked away further into the Scoutpost and given dinner in the cafeteria, sitting with Percy and Riot Maidstone, Danielle O'Hara, Olivier Song and Clementine Maidstone. Riot asks them where they'd found Mort and that she recognised him (see Episode 45 - Teeth), and Mort tells her that they'd found him at the Grand Crossroads Hotel (see Episode 102 - Decadences). Riot tells Diggory and Percy that they'd been gone for days (see Episode 99 - Sentries), that everyone had been stressed about the expedition (see Episode 96 - Harvests), but Mort cuts her off to say that his friend were freaking out about his absence, but he was ready to go, he could be helpful. Rot continues, telling them that Cindy was going to be having them leave at sunrise the next day, so she needed to know if they were coming along. Percy, Diggory and Mort all announce that they were going. Diggory announces that they'd see it through to the end and promises that they'd keep everyone safe. They wonder to themself if that would be another broken promise (see Episode 39 - Promises).

### Interlude 2 - Hard To Escape

Nikignik tells the Dreamers that they had experienced moments of dromomania, to go where no one would recognise his presence or know his history. But it was never so simple. Everywhere they went there were the footprints of another Indescribable, all-encompassing as there were. He would never truly be rid of them, and would pass them again someday, he would have to learn how to not shatter in their wake, learn how to encounter them with civility. He was a way away from that yet, as there was still a story for him to finish.

## Story 3 - A Quiet Knocking

Clementine Maidstone knocks on Riot's cabin door. Riot answers, clearly having been crying, and Clementine asks if it was a bad time. Riot invites her in, and Clementine tells her that she'd used to wish there was only one of them, (see Clementine Maidstone) that she'd lay awake at night hating Riot, wishing she could have Valerie Maidstone all to herself, and be the person everyone thought she was. But now she was terrified that it might actually be that way. She asks her to please not die, telling her that she didn't want to be the only Riot Maidstone around, and it would break Valerie's heart, even if she was trying not to show it.

Riot tells her that she was scared, she was trying to do what Walt would have done, and she knew that if she could pull it off it would be legendary, but she wasn't like the others as she was only human. But if she did die, she knew that Valerie was in good hands, telling Clementine that she trusted her. Riot gives Clementine Walt's cap (see Episode 40 - Graves), Clementine tells her that she wasn't going to be the grounds keeper, it wasn't her thing, and Riot tells her that she knew this. Riot tells her that as much as the Scoutpost needed people to keep it safe, it also needed people who fit in, she asks that Clementine keep the cap safe for her. Clementine tells her that she could do that, joking that the Scoutpost wouldn't be missing Riot's face while she was gone. Riot goes to respond, but by then Clementine had already left. Clementine lays wake until she hears the sound of the front gates of the Scoutpost opening, letting her know that the expedition was about to depart.

## Outro - Dependencies

Nikignik waxes poetics about dependencies, telling the Dreamers that he had changed. Not far, and not with grace, but he was different than he was a few million years ago. He tells them that they would not have known him, for he would not have humbled himself to speak to a kind like theirs. And he had been preoccupied (See Marolmar). His orbit had not been stable; it spiralled, and sometimes him and Marolmar passed so close to each other that he thought they might become irrevocably intertwined. He had thought at that time that they were two halves of a whole. But he had come to understand that Marolmar was whole already, and his trajectory never altered. Nikignik was never so heavy as he was.