Episode 103 - Crossroads

## Crossroads

A black background with a simple thing white border that cross overlaps in the corners and has seemingly random diagonal lines running off it. Within the border large white cross meant to represent a road with small white vertical lines on it meant to represent people (three in the bottom left, two in the top left, one in the top right, and none in the bottom right) can be seen bellow a rectangular multi-storeyed structure - depicted in red and nested into the cross's top angle. Bellow this image but still within the border the words "103.CROSSROADS" can be seen depicted in white.

### Guest

 Saph the Something as Angela ‘Angie’ Burns

Polly pontificates, Penny's luck changes, and Mort wakes up. The theme of tonight’s episode is Crossroads.

> ***Content warnings**:* *Suicide mention, local woman eaten by giant flies, animal death (Bert the seagull as usual), Abuse, Violence, Kidnapping and abduction, Death + Injury, Blood, Birds, Gun Mention, Strangulation/suffocation, Emotional Manipulation, Drowning, Bugs, Body horror, Alcohol Use, Alcoholism*
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## Intro - Soul For A Future

Nikignik tells the Dreamers of someone who had come to a crossroads, where they found themself when they could walk no longer. What little they carried was worthless, their past in a ruinous heap - the one thing they desired was a future. They meet a devil and hand over their soul, and he offers them the road, a rout out of 'heaven' and to a true self.

Nikignik scurries in the routes of a framed map of the U.S.A and Cannada in Yaretzi's office, showing all the locations of the Grand Crossroads Hotel as stars. There was only one star, below him Yaretzi and Polly were on opposing sides of a desk and fought about the future.

## Story 1 - To Live With Disappointment

Polly paces Infront of Yaretzi's desk in her office at the Grand Crossroads Hotel, recounting to her the events from Story Two Episode 102 - Decadences, that Diggory Graves had told him that they'd wait outside for Mx. Morrell and Percy Reed and left politely. She asks why he was pacing then; he tells her that it was because he thought they were safe, every day he'd been waiting for something horrible to happen, and every day he reminded himself that they were finally allowed to have a life together, and then this had happened. She asks if he wanted her to fight on his behalf, or if he wanted her perspective on the situation.

He tells her that he wanted her perspective, and she asks if Polly saw Diggory's invitation as a threat to their family, or if he disliked it because he thought Mort could not fend for himself. Polly is unable to answer but knows that it was because Mort leaving meant their family would be broken up, that Mort would be in a position where Polly wouldn't be able to help if something went wrong. He tells her that he wasn't afraid for Mort, but if something were to happen to him, he'd never be able to forgive himself for letting him go. She asks if he'd asked Mort what he wanted to do. Polly hadn't, but still didn't want to let Mort wonder into the wilderness with the first group of people who extended an invitation. He tells her as much, as well as that they hadn't even had a year together yet, that he'd like longer with him. Yaretzi calls out to Mort, who is revealed to have been standing outside her office listening in to their conversation, but he runs off without answering. Yaretzi offers to Polly to talk to Mort and smooth thigs over, but he tells her that Mort was going to have to learn to live with disappointment.

### Interlude 1 - One Road

Nikignik tells the Dreamers that it could be said metaphorically that there were many roads that leads to the Hallowoods, literally however there was only one. From there, there was a narrower path called the Northern Artery that connected the few established settlements—Webequie First Nation, and the Dry Market, and Scoutpost Two. He tells the Dreamers that if they found themselves in the road that led to the road that led to the Hallowoods they should remember that they could always turn back and should. But if it called them, and they had no place left to go, the forest would greet them as it did all others, with no intent of letting them go. It was for them to decide if this was for better or worse.

## Story 2 - Four Grey Walls

Penny Rescher sits in the cassino of the Grand Crossroads Hotel, sitting at a separate table from Mr. Raven and Mr. Writingdesk (see Episode 102 - Decadences), and reflects on her past, and the strangeness of the environment around her. She observes Raven and Writing desk at their table, finding that they looked laughable in their grey suits contrasting the far more interesting characters sitting with them, Percy Reed, Mx. Morell, The Quilt, The Countess and Ricou Chapman. She's sure that they all had a good hand, her presence making that a guarantee as Raven displays his hands to the rest of the table and announce that he had once again won, asking if anyone cared to go double or nothing. The Quilt accuses him of cheating, with The Countess translating for it, but Writingdesk tells her that this was preposterous, they simply had a knack for the game. Morrell tells them that a knack was two or three rounds won, they were at four in counting, but Raven accuses them of being drunk. Both Percy and Ricou announce that they didn't want to play anymore, and when Ricou attempts to shove his chair back from the table he instead shoves the able forward into Writingdesk. Writing desk pushes it back and tells him there was no need to get violent. The Countess observes that Raven and Writingdesk were normal humans, and insinuates that she may eat them, Ricou agreeing to this notion. Writingdesk takes the hint and announces that they'd take their winnings and leave.

Penny expects that Raven and Writingdesk to be able to calm the table down and walk away with their stolen winnings, only to feel a shift in the environment, and an intangible pull on her, feeling that she could decide where to direct her ability in that moment. Immediately the luck inside the Grand Crossroads changed, as a brawl amongst the card players broke out. By the time the first few punches had been thrown Penny was already gone.

### Marketing - Nice Glasses

Lady Ethel Mallory interrupts Nikignik's broadcast with her 'marketing' segment. She starts by describing the road she was on (see Episode 94 - Milestones) but is interrupted by Angela ‘Angie’ Burns, who tells her to stop what she was doing, and observes that her glasses looked alot like Lady Ethel Mallory's iconic heart shaped glasses. Ethel tells her that this was because she was Lady Ethel Mallory. Angie tells her that she didn't believe her, and that she was robbing her. Ethel re-iterates that she was Lady Ethel Mallory, and Aggie tells her that she did actually recognise her voice, and chastises her for broadcasting into people's dreams, that some had killed themselves just to get away from the noise. Ethel tells her pet flies (see Episode 13 - Stars) to sic Angie, commenting as she was mauled that she reminded her of Valerie Maidstone in her disrespect.

### Story 2, Continued - Four Grey Walls

Penny didn't run as she left the Grand Crossroads Hotel, feeling instinctively which doors to take to get to the main entrance. She knew that her luck had not changed, that what lay ahead oof her would be an awful life, but the thing causing her to fall headlong into this pull was that there was something new. Something worse than Raven and Writingdesk, something that could hurt her more, and she followed its call, but at least she wouldn't die alone, and wouldn't be in captivity anymore.

She walks past the receptionist desk to find it empty of Mort, but doesn't say anything, and out the glass revolving doors of the hotel into the night. She finds Diggory waiting outside, they wave to her, and she waves back before continuing to walk in hope that whatever she faced Friday Rescher would be waiting for her at the heart of it. For better or for worse, she was free of her own decision.

### Interlude 2 - Wake Up

Nikignik tells the Dreamers of how in that moment he was having difficulties in deciding which moments to share with them. He was beginning to wonder if he could actually avoid being complacent in the narrative, if just by the act of sharing it, was he already altering the outcome? He was with the Dreamers, and he was with Angela Burns as she bled out and Lady Ethel Mallory walked away, and he was with Percy Reed, and Cindy Lockheart. With Diggory Graves, with Polly as he tried to break up the fight in the cassino of the Grand Crossroads, with Mx. Morrell as they returned to the Museum of Broken Promises with Percy and Diggory, and with Mort as he was curled up sleeping in the laundry room of the Crossroads. He slept as the Museum began to depart, dreamt of fish and going north.

Nikignik then speaks to Mort, that what he dreamed was his future and it was getting away from him, and by the time he woke it would be long gone, and opportunity briefly mourned before the past was forgotten and he resumed with his duties. That although Nikignik did not know the future he knew that by the time Polly and Yaretzi were ready to let Mort go it would be too late. He asks if Mort would want to wake, if he knew what was slipping away from him. Perhaps it was best he dreamt, as Nikignik could not guarantee that the journey would end well, but he was certain it would fail should Mort not accompany it. Despite that, Nikignik concludes that he was incapable of watching the expedition become lost to Mort and interferes in the narrative, telling Mort to wake up, and run.

## Outro - Crossroads

Nikignik laments to the Dreamers about the decision he'd just made. He'd done much as a narrator, as an observer, a reporter, but now he'd placed a hand on one of the many pieces on the board and pushed it a few inches to the left. He hoped he would not come to regret it. Because in that moment, Mort was waking up, and running through the hotel halls, hesitating for only a moment before leaving through the front entrance to see the Museum disappearing into the night. Mort thought to himself that he'd show that he was grown up, that he would find out who he was in life (see Bartholomew 'Barty' Chum), and help Diggory on their mission, and when he came back Polly and Yaretzi would be so proud of him. He's joined by Bert as he clambers up the dangling ladder on to the Museum, breaking his promise to be a good employee and a good son. By the time Polly and Yaretzi realise that he was missing, it was already morning, and all that was left was a bellboy cap and a note promising that he would be home soon. Nikignik laments on what he'd [Nikignik] done.