Ep. 22 - Getting Schooled, Mvt. V

Bed Races! Time signatures! Hair! Stargazing! More Hair! The Bards learn some new ways to get with the beat and have some serious fun in some of the other activities at Strumlotts . School Spirit! Bard! Fight! Win!

## Plot

It's about midday, and the bards are milling about. Raz'ul is accompanied by his animals Dr. Dog the dog, and the newly-named giant goat Michael Jordan and the rat Bo.

Suddenly, Symbol calls the bards up to the practice rooms. He wants to teach them a cool new music thing on the last day of the week. He also mentions that the bed races are tomorrow, which the bards will be participating in.

Symbol notices that Raz'ul got the bag of tricks. He explains that he can also summon an owl, a regular goat, a giant boar, a lion, and a brown bear. Yashee shows off the sponge, which is currently empty. Symbol explains his thought process on creating the sponge. Raz'ul asks if they can put things other than water in it, Splash says he doesn't know, so the bards spit experimentally into it confirming that it does. Symbol explains the Viewdoo doll to Randy, and that it only works once per day for ten minutes. As for material components, something touched by the person would likely work.

Symbol teaches the bards (and us) about meter and rhythm, including time signatures, such as 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 6/8, and 7/4. He gets the bards to write a song with his chord dice to try out a song with a time signature other than 4/4.

They write a song in 5/4. Symbol considers it 'a superb performance', noting how they defined it in sections of 3 and 2. Raz'ul brings up how the song is a bit of a vent for them after the past week. Symbol acknoledges their feelings. notes they need to take risks to find new knowledge. He says their words spoke to him, it's hard not feeling like you have a home especially when you've been away for so long. Raz'ul deflects by asking if they get an A, which Symbol confirms. Randy asks about the time signatrure having any magical effect on their music. Symbol says it's really all about the words, and says again their words about home affected him, and mentions he hopes they can return to thir homes, and he wishes he could return to his. Yashe says that this is like their home now since they have each other and splash. Raz'ul goes in to hug Splash, and he opens his arms for all of them. Randy and Raz'ul tuse the hug to try and take some of hair.

Symbol notices.

He makes Randy return all of the hair.

Symbol expresses disappointment and tells the bards to get out. Not unkindly, but disappointed.

Raz'ul asks if Randy managed to get any hair. Randy says he couldn't. Raz'ul says they could try to get something from Splash sometime else. Raz'ul incites Yashee, but she expresses doubt. Raz'ul pulls in the other two and says he's really curious about Splash, and how he seems to nonchalant about the traumatising experience in Basom. Yashee acknowledges that and says she doesn't want to help steal anything of Splashes. Randy agrees to be Raz'ul's accomplice.

The night is pretty normal.

It's the first day of the weekend Some kind of Spirit Day for Strumlotts or something, because there are many events and prizes. and the bards make their way to one of many rolling green hills for the Bed Races. The prize is tickets to the 'Critz Carlton' during the upcoming bicentennial.

While waiting for the bed races, they meet Cage - a portly human man with a clipboard, wearing mid-thigh black shorts, a blue shirt with cutoff sleeves, and a red sweatband that clings to a bald head with a horseshoe hairline. He's the practice room operator, event coordinator, and interim janitor.

Raz'ul says he doesn't understand any of the situation, which Cage gets annoyed at, calling him a 'wise guy'. He assigns Chaos Sauce to Bed One, North Stars to Bed 2, Radiant Dissonance to Bed 3, and The Golden Meanies to Bed 4.

There are several jobs on a bed-racing team - defenders, drivers, and pushers. The pusher determines speed, the driver avoids obstacles, and the defender can respond to obstacles or redirected things from other teams.

## Songs - "Miles and Miles" and "Stargazers Unite"

### Chord Dice (minor)

* C
* F
* A minor

### Drums

* Jazz 4
* Rock 6

### Lyrics

#### Wandering

*Wandering through the world,

For so many

Miles and miles and miles and miles

There's no home on the road,

Weary eyes and heavy loads,

But here we are immersed in song,

To find a place where we belong.

Now as one,

All the things we've done,

Feels like

Miles and miles and miles and miles

There's a home of our own,

For weary eyes and heavy loads,

And here we are immersed in song,

We found a place where we belong.*

#### Stargazers Unite (Tabitha single, Ukelele)

*Stargazers, Unite!

Stargazing all through the night.

And when you find your shining star, you'll know-ohoh

'Cause it will shine for you,

And I will wanna see,

'Cause if our stars are the same

We can learn to share,

It's just a game

But I wanna be fair,

We'll name it somethin' new

just me and you*