Episode 77 - Rebels

## Rebels

A black background with a thin and uneven white border. Within the border a heavily graffitied RV is depicted, discernible tags including the words "StoneMaiden", "RV-Lution", "Start a Riot", and "Ethel suxx", decipherable images include several musical instruments and a skull over crossbones. Above the RV a flock of birds flies, the leader of which is coloured in red, as well as visibly being a different type of bird with a longer neck. Beow this image but still within the border the words "77.REBELS" are depicted.

### Guest

Harlan Guthrie as Dashiell Spade

Nolan goes house shopping, Riot talks with her reflection, and the Omen returns to the north. The theme of tonight’s episode is Rebels.

***Content Warnings:** Ableism, Violence, Death + Injury, Blood, Birds, Gun Mention, Torture (brief mention), Emotional Manipulation, Bugs, Worms, Body horror, as usual Al has no skin*

## Intro - Something Left

Nikignik speaks to the Dreamers of someone who'd hoped that the end of the world would have bright a kind of katharsis (see the night of black rains), it all be laid to a final, if tragic, rest. But still there was no sleep. For others, perhaps, imprisoned within the Dreaming Boxes, rest for those who walked north under the spell of the first rains (see sleepers), or perished in the early devastation. But there was no rest for them. It was not just because they refused to die, or to sell their soul to the Botulus Corporation, it was because they still had hope, that there was a future them can change, that if they fought hard enough there would be something left to care for.

Nikignik sits in the same tree that they did in Episode 1 - Keys, however the lack of ravens this time around. Unlike its past residents (see Zelda Duckworth) the cottage in the distance was not able to escape the rising waters, defy destiny and search for another future.

## Story 1 - Cleaning House

Alice shows Nolan Thair the partially sunken remains of Zelda Duckworth's abandoned home (see Episode 7 - Nightmares and Episode 59 - Friends), telling him of how the house had seen better days, but its foundations were alright, and explains to him how it'd used to belong to one of Winona Carline's friends [Zelda]. He comments that he house didn't look very inviting, but Alice asks him if he could build a house himself before winter. When he admits he probably couldn't, she tells him that he'd probably have to make some compromises. They step inside and Nolan remarks on the house still having furnishing, Alice tells him that she liked it when life gave them 'little treasures' and Nolan tells her that he hoped one of those treasures wasn't a dead body. She tells him that there was no guarantee it wasn't, but she'd help him dispose of them if there were. She tells him that she'd thought a house half submerged would be to his liking given how he'd described Ricou Chapman, and Nolan thinks on this for a moment, before telling Alice that he'd take the house and he asks her what he owed her for the house, if she even technically owned it. She tells him that she wanted him to pose for a few portraits, that him being invisible would make him interesting to paint. She also tells him that the house had lake worms, but all he had to do was make alot of noise and they'd go away.

He asks if Zelda would be back for any of her things, but Alice tells him that if she was she'd be glad to see someone else finding joy in the old home. He comments that Zelda must be quite the character based on her furnishings, and she tells him that she thought living as an act of defiance, every day telling the universe that one was still there and had so much that they could change. He tells her that he thought life was loud, and he was kind of scared of it. She tells him that life was killing him already, if he was going to be here, he might as well enjoy it. Life's bark was worse than its bite. He tells her that he supposed it was time for him to start cleaning house.

### Interlude 1 - Ongoing Battles

Nikignik asks the Dreamers if they could feel the battles being fought for their futures. In Botulus Corporation conference rooms, in dark rooms underground, in the north and in the forest itself, recognising humans a its masters no longer. He tells the Dreamers that all these battles were still ongoing, and he could not say on whose side victory would land. but he did not need to, most had already been lost, for their world sliped into a tormented and brilliant madness. But there was one more battle, and it was theirs, and they waged it each morning, choose to rise from their beds instead of dreaming and waiting for the end, spending their days beneath a cold sun, searching for a little hope out here where the world could still hurt them.

## Story 2 - Doppelganger Values

The Clone of Riot Maidstone sits watching Riot Maidstone make an entry in Walt's Almanac about her, providing criticism where she sees fit and arguing with her look alike. Diggory Graves tells them to be pleasant to one another lest they upset Danielle O'Hara, Danielle tells Diggory that she was immobile (see Episode 76 - Lungs) not a baby, and that she was 'enjoying the drama', which cause Valerie Maidstone to speak up, announcing that she wasn't enjoying the drama, that one daughter was enough to get on her nerves while she was driving, let alone two. They press on with writing the almanac, Riot asking her clone questions about how dangerous she might be, and Clone Riot begins to complain about doing a 'stupid interview'. Riot shows her Democracy's page in the almanac in an attempt to make her understand what she was trying to do, Clone Riot asks if Riot was making things up, but Riot reassure her that she wasn't. She asks Other Riot if she could be reasoned with, what she valued. Other Riot tells her that she valued Valerie and Ralph, this confuses Riot who asks if Valerie had told Other Riot about Ralph, but Other Riot tells Riot of how she'd met Ralph.

Riot stares at her for a moment, re-stating that Clone Riot had met her father, asking what he was like. Other Riot realises that Riot hadn't met Ralph, saying as much. Riot tells her that she'd seen pictures of him. Other Riot tells Riot that Ralph was nice, if a little too nice, and how he kept messaging her despite her having only just met him. Riot looks like she'd about to cry and asks what they'd talked about. Other Riot tells her that it'd mostly been about her time in Dreaming Box Andromeda, how he'd met Valerie, of his health (see Episode 55 - Threats), and of how he'd been the one who let the reunion organisers find the Bunker. This last bit of information comes as a shock to both Riot and Valerie, who brings the RV to a screeching halt.

### Marketing - Truth is Truth

Lady Ethel Mallory interrupts Nikignik's broadcast with her marketing segment. She introduces a guest on her show, 'Old Friends' in the form of Dashiell Spade, who immediately asks what the interview was about, talking about how the Botulus Corporation had been torturing him for the past two weeks. Ethel deflects this by telling him that the reconditioning program they were putting him through would be painful, but it wasn't easy to de-radicalise someone from a violent movement (see the Stonemaids). Dashiell tells her that the Stonemaids were not Violent, that they'd had nothing to do with the waking of Box Areas and their protests had been purely peaceful, that acts of vandalism within the Prime Dream didn't count as none of it was real. He tells her that if this was his attempt at making the Stonemaids look bad it wouldn't work as there were already thousands of people who had adapted their way of thinking. He also tells Ethel that she would cut off the broadcast in a second if he disagreed with her, that Botco had lied to its user base, that they'd never said they weren't allowed to leave. Ethel tells him that they should have read the fine print. Ethel tells him that if he left he would be putting himself in danger, that it was Botco's duty to protect their user base, but Dashiell tells her that if he left at least it was his decision, that he'd prefer dying outside then being trapped.

Dashiell announces Valerie's escape, and Ethel cuts him off from the broadcast. She tells the listeners that what they'd heard was the Stonemaids wild conspiracy theories, and that she expected Valerie to be returning to the Priem Dream in no time. Unless they didn't reappear soon. They did rely a lot much on word Botco's from upper management.

### Story 2, Continued - Doppelganger Values

Riot tells of how she'd thought she'd been the one who's given them away (see Episode 22 - Mountains), and Valerie expresses disbelief at Ralph having been the one to rat them out. Riot puts her head in her hands and begins to cry, relieved at knowing that what had happened to her mum had not been her fault, Valerie comforts her. Clone Riot tells her that her [Riot] leaving probably had something to do with them finding the Bunker, if it had of been Clone Riot in that situation she wouldn't have been so stupid. Riot glares at her, telling her that if she hadn't left Clara Martin would be dead (see Episode 2 - Dogs) and the Instrumentalist would still be alive (see Episode 47 - Regrets). Clone Riot tells Riot that if she had cared she would have gone with Valerie when the reunion organisers had come for her. Diggory speaks up, Riot tells them that now wasn't the time, but Valerie expresses interest in their opinion. Diggory suggests that they give Clone Riot the time to figure out who she was and what she wanted, relating their own experiences to this. Riot tells them that this wasn't the case when everything Clone Riot was finding already belonged to Riot. Valerie expresses continued disbelief and anger at Ralph, and Danielle tells the group that it was what they could expect form a man who met his long-lost daughter in a greasy diner (see Episode 55 - Threats), and Clone Riot comes to the realisation that Danielle had been the waitress.

Valerie asks Danielle how much she'd known about the situation, that she could have told her sooner, but Olivier Song speaks up reminding them of how they were trying to outrun Botco and asking if someone could keep driving. Valerie tells them that she was too tired to keep driving, and Riot offers to drive, climbing into the front seat and starting the engine again. Clone Riot curls up in the corner, hoping that no one would see her cry, and Olivier hands her a blanket, telling her that they knew leaving home could be alot, it had been for them when they had, but it'd be okay.

### Interlude 2 - More Conservative

Nikignik tells the Dreamers that as they grew older they would become more conservative, relating to this by sharing a time when he'd considered dabbling in omniscience, while now the thought terrified him. That even Zelkryzelk didn't keep that information in his head, but rather stores it all in the endless Grand Archives just for some fleeting semblance of sanity. Nikignik tells them that he would settle for his mere omnipresence, and be happily everywhere at once, for that everywhere included being with them.

## Story 3 - Bottlecap Soul

The Omen makes the return trip to The Hallowoods after its meeting with Olivier in Episode 67 - Silences, aware of how C. S. Blackletter had given them a task, items to collect (see Episode 57 - Edges), but yet still wondering what could happen if they simply flew away. They decide this though can be put off to a later date, and begin with their assignments, that first of which concerned Al. It arrives at the Scoutpost, finding it in chaos and disarray after the events of Episode 73 - Retributions, and The Omen panics fearing what the director might do should she discover that Al had come to harm from The Omen neglect in order to speak with Olivier. They search frantically for him, thinking amongst the violence that it was a bad place for a child. They are able to find Al hiding in the Radio tower (see Episode 64 - Stations) with Russel McGowan. They enter the tower and introduce themself; Russel mistakenly thinks that they are speaking to him, but they tell him t be quite as they were speaking to Al. Al introduces himself, and the Omen tells him that it was there to speak to him about his education.

Russel attempts to point out that they were in the process of being attacked, but the Omen tells him once again that they were not addressing him. Al asks the Omen if they could help him, as Zelda was outside, and he was worried for her. The Omen ignores this and tells Al tat education was very important, and Al was very important to the Director. Al tells it that he didn't understand what it was trying to say, that he was going to school at the Scoutpost. A member of Fort Freedom breaks down the door, but the Omen makes quick work of the intruder and kills him almost instantaneously. It turns back to the boys and asks Al if he'd ever considered becoming a student at Downing Hill Public Library.

## Outro - Rebels

Nikignik waxes poetics about rebels. That when the Dreamers woke, they would remember fleetingly the events of the nightmares that he had inflicted up on them, but not able to remember the specifics, as was the way of dreams. But when they woke they would have a choice, to face the world or go bac to sleep, like it keep turning without them. They were tired. He tells them that he hoped they would rise, scream to a slumbering world that they were alive, knock the planet off its course and send it spinning into hope and light and redemption.