Episode 6 - Make Out Party Do's and Don'ts

## Summary

Is this the end of the Monster Hunters Club!? Probably not. But some cross words and suspicions get thrown around as Shamanda's backstory becomes more clear--as clear as the videos you can download to your iPod Classic complete with color screen and Clickwheel™. Krashlee and CEJ (who are JUST FRIENDS by the way) discover a new clue that points the gang in the direction of a majorly cool make-out party in the burnt out remains of Camp Onomatopoeia. Susan comes along as a chaperone--but is she herself a famous Onomatopoeia hazard?

## Previously On...

Hey guys, it's CEJ, here to update you on what the monster hunters have been up to lately. A name I don't love, honestly, because it kind of forces us to do a lot of dangerous stuff to merit the name. But, we'll talk about that later.

Um, first things first, I had to get out of A.D.'s house because I think she's smacking on that park ranger guy who was pretty useless. But, fortunately she gave me some food to bring to Adam and I found him and Shamanda hanging out in the infirmary doing, honestly, it looked like nothing, so I don't think I was interrupting. But I did get to teach them how to play euchre finally! Which is something that Adam's been avoiding, one on one. So, I'm not sure why he wanted to play with the three of us. Pssh, whatever.

Anyway that was the best part of my day, because the next day we had to go do monster hunter stuff, even though we're kids and we shouldn't be doing that, and some adults should be handling it. But, we went back to that cave hole, where we all almost died, great idea. And um, Susan did some kind of magic to get rid of a bunch of stuff on a body pile, and they were dead bodies, so my parents who are alive but missing, definitely weren't in it.

And, we got back because uh, someone was inside of the lair and we were worried maybe Adam went a little ham or like ate all his clothes and was running around the school naked or something. Which he used to do all the time when he was a kid. Not the eating the clothes part, but when he was young he would get in trouble for like, running around the neighborhood like with no pants on. And like, screaming and stuff about how he was a gorilla. Pretty funny. I think he likes to pretend that didn't happen, but I have proof.

Anyway, yadda yadda yadda, uh, I got stuck in a car with Susan, we patched things up and found a new kid at school, and I think he's pretty cool.

## Plot

### OUTSIDE THE LAIR

A shaken Shamanda is finalizing her newest deal with the Devil to recover her soul. Damon leaves in the form of Rider Strong, and Shamanda tries to compose herself before facing the other club members. Overwhelmed with *guilt* over agreeing to hand over Adam Miller's soul, Shamanda returns to her friends.

### THE LAIR

Having crawled out of the panic room chest, Adam Miller describes the ominous boy that had accessed the lair.

>
> "Oh my gosh, and what did you think of the ambiance in the panic room?" -Susan Wexler
>
>

A tangent of how to spruce up the panic room ensues before the conversation again focuses on Adam Miller and the intruder. Adam hasn't recovered from his harm and Shamanda says something fairly alarming to him.

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> "If you ever feel like you just want to like leave your body and just be done with this whole plane of existence...you know, check with me first." - Shamanda
>
>

Adam asks Shamanda *what is up with her* and Shamanda tells them about her deal with the Devil. At the time, she had made an unbelievably good deal to get an iPod classic, years before it was released in stores. Hearing that he may get an iPod out of this, Adam has to seriously consider the value of his soul.

Krashlee voices her concerns about Shamanda's intentions toward Adam's soul and Shamanda unsuccessfully tries to reassure her. Shamanda suggests that Susan may have access to information on soul bonding, or another way out of her deal.

A week passes and Adam is slowly recovering in the lair, with Susan tending to him.

Shamanda comes to the lair and Susan talks to her about the choices she has been making.

> "Everyone's treating me like I'm some sort of social pariah; I'm just doing what this very handsome man asked me to do!" - Shamanda
>
>

CEJ is disgusted with Shamanda's attitude, and tries to bar her from the club. Krashlee defends Shamanda, while also making a baffling statement that Adam probably eats moths because he is a Moth Man. Shamanda tries to convince CEJ that she isn't a bad person, that she has reasons, but he refuses to believe her. Too frustrated to keep trying, Shamanda falls back on biting remarks. Asked if he is okay with Shamanda's behavior, Adam really struggles with the fact that he isn't the one who gets the iPod.

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> "I mean, I don't condone that she's using my soul to keep her soul to keep her iPod, but, I think ***I*** should get the iPod." - Adam Miller
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>

Seeing that this is heading into a questionable direction, Susan steps in, telling the club that this is not a productive area of inquiry. Having researched in her lore library, Susan discovered that Adam was in danger of completely losing his soul if he transformed fully into a Moth Man. If Adam loses his soul to the Devil, he would fully become a Moth Man.

Adam reaches out telepathically to his Secret Master for guidance. He asks what happens in he loses his soul. In response, he feels compelled to go to the roof with all of his half-eaten clothing.

Shamanda leaves the lair to grab some food, and CEJ and Krashlee head back to the Denver Broncos Memorial High School, before their lunch break is over.

### THE ROOF

The flat, gravel topped roof of Queen Latifah's School for Gifted Girls and Average Boys is empty and silent. Adam Miller steps out into the fresh air and throws his bundle of rags to the ground. The urge to build a chrysalis returns, and Adam hunches over, regurgitating the half-digested clothes he had eaten onto the ground. Adam takes the thick, viscous liquid he purged and uses it to build a free hanging chrysalis over the edge of an industrial fan on the roof. He steps into it and contacts his Master.

> "What happens if I lose my soul and become a full Moth Man. Is that...is that bad?"
>
>

An overwhelming compulsion drives Adam to the edge of the building. He looks down over the edge, afraid of what may come next at this height. Without conscious thought, he tips over the edge and falls from the roof.

*RIP!*

Moth wings burst from Adam's back and catch the breeze, carrying him up and over the school. He soars over the baseball field, behind the school, and feels the unadulterated joy of flight. The wings start to tremble, and shrink as he descends to the ground and lands on his feet. The wings suck back into his body and Adam regrets their loss, wanting more.

As he walks back to school, he realizes, in the air, on his wings, nothing mattered. Not his friends, family, likes or dislikes. Nothing human at all. The only thing he thought about was his hunger.

### DENVER BRONCOS MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL

Driving to school, Krashlee starts to connect the dots about why the Devil wants Adam's soul. As per Susan, Adam losing his soul would immediately give him all the powers of a Moth Man, which seems to be what the Devil wants. She starts explaining her theories to CEJ.

> "We need to be on the look out for egg-bellied mother-fuckers at our school too." -Krashlee
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>

Over the last few weeks, kids at the DBMHS have been getting sick, although none appeared to have swollen bellies. Low grade fevers have been keeping kids at home.
CEJ uses his move Oops! and pulls the car over as it seems like he hit something. A small promise ring was kicked up into the undercarriage of the Sherwin Williams van. As CEJ pulls it out, Krashlee is not impressed.

> "CEJ this is not the time, okay, I told you at camp. This would be really cute if we were into each other, but like..." - Krashlee
>
>

Protesting that he was not trying to ask her out, CEJ notices an engraving on the ring. The letter W.

> "It's *well* do you want to go steady? I get it." -Krashlee
> "No!" -CEJ
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>

As more dirt is wiped away, a WV is revealed. CEJ uncomfortably tries to push the ring off on Krashlee, who is saying over and over how she does NOT want to go out with him.

> "Cause, you do the mystery stuff; I don't know what I would do with this!" -CEJ
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>

A note stuffed into Krashlee's locker seems to be engaging her in a new mystery.

*Meet me in the parking lot by CEJ's van when class gets out. - Dennis*

After school, CEJ sits in his van listening to No Doubt, waiting for Krashlee and Dennis to meet. Krashlee and CEJ have a brief awkward moment, but it is interrupted when Dennis Vargas approaches the van. Dennis was one of the survivors of the Camp Onomatopoeia fire that Krashlee and CEJ also experienced. He and his brother Wyatt were the last two to escape the flames.

Dennis is concerned because his brother has been noticeably different in recent months. Wyatt was a fairly religious, well behaved teenager, but something changed. He is planning a hookup party at the camp with friends and his girlfriend, Jordan Vincent. Wyatt's bestfriend Paul DeBello is also joining, with Serena Ladd.

> "I'm just really worried, because what if he gets attacked by Ah Eck?" - Dennis
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>

Ah Eck, the rumored homicidal mad man that haunts Camp Onomatopoeia, is a well known urban legend in Mystery County. Dennis theorizes that Ah Eck is who really caused the fire, to punish kids for misbehaving. Although, only adults perished in that camp fire, and Krashlee points out that Ah Eck only kills adults. As Wyatt is sixteen, Dennis is extremely worried that whatever killed the adults with the camp fire, is going to get his brother.

Agreeing that there is a problem, Krashlee warns Dennis that Wyatt should not be allowed to go to the camp. Unfortunately, Wyatt and his friends have already left, skipping school and heading directly to Camp Onomatopoeia.

When Krashlee asks if CEJ can drive them to the camp, CEJ asks if they are going to the hookup party as he has already been invited. As they are talking, CEJ gets a text from Shamanda, asking if he is going to the hookup party, and he responds affirmatively. No one tells CEJ why they need to go, so he is under the impression that it is just a party.

Krashlee tells Susan about the hookup party and the potential danger from Ah Eck. Susan, Shamanda and Adam all get in touch and plan to go together for a Club outing.

### CAMP ONOMATOPOEIA

The official story on the Camp Onomatopoeia disaster was that the fire started in the kitchen cabin. However, CEJ and Krashlee distinctly remember that the flames came from cabin thirteen. The camp counselor cabin. By morning, every camp counselor at Camp Onomatopoeia was either missing or dead. Of those recovered, the oldest had suffered the worst fire damage. Every camper under thirteen survived the fire. Two campers who were thirteen and fourteen years old were never found.

The high schoolers at the party crowd around a bon fire by the lake, drinking and getting close. Susan Wexler, dressed as always in her janitors jumpsuit, makes an attempt to blend in with the teenagers as she, Adam, and Shamanda arrive at the party. Shamanda sit by the bonfire and grabs a drink from Paul DeBello. Paul let's Shamanda know that the "hard make-outs" are going to start around sundown. Adam joins the two teens and pretends to take drink with them, unwilling to drink any alcohol, but wanting to snoop around. Tension is thick in the air, and Adam is surprised by how intensely people seem to be taking this hookup party.

A scream sounds from the mess hall and CEJ warns the teens that something bad is about to happen, asking them to *trust him*.

> "Guys, this make-out party is about to turn into a southward bound, horrible monster show, and I can guarantee it. Because whenever my friends are around something bad happens. So you guys need to get out of here." - CEJ
>
>

Paul tells all the teenagers to head to the lake, not where the club want them to go. A shock runs through Susan as she starts to understand what is happening. She runs toward the fleeing teenagers, yelling for the club members and tries to cut them off from the lake.

> "Goonches, lust! The Goonch attracted to the lust! Kids!" - Susan
>
>

Susan pulls the flame thrower out of her pants, hoping to scare the high schoolers. Paul stops short, asking if she is talking about the Gunch, but Susan doesn't really engage with him. When Dennis Vargas sees Susan wielding the flame thrower he absolutely loses his cool and starts screaming that Ah Eck is here to kill all of them, causing the other teenagers to scramble to their cars and get away from the mad woman.

Meanwhile at the mess hall, a young woman has been grabbed at the wrist by a tall, grizzled man. The teenager is screaming and trying to get away. Shamanda runs in to the mess hall, ready to fight. She pulls out her baseball and lays into the man, forcing him across the room, and gets him off the young woman. In doing so, he kicks the bat out of Shamanda's hand.

Susan comes in and is stunned as she recognizes Chet Gibbons, a ex-monster hunter. Her former partner...and former lover.

## Characters

**Main Cast**

* Rashawn Nadine Scott as Shamanda Felt
* Jeff Murdoch as Adam Miller
* Erin Rein as Krashlee Grenadine
* Claire Linic as Susan Wexler
* Alan Linic as CEJ
* Tyler Samples as Rider Strong, Dennis Vargas, Paul DeBello, Chet Gibbons, and everyone else

## Introductions

Tyler: Welcome everybody to Mystery County Monster Hunters Club a Monster of the Week actual play podcast. I'm Tyler Samples, your keeper of monsters and mysteries. Let's meet our players.

Rashawn: Hi everyone, I'm Rashawn Nadine Scott. My character's name is Shamanda Felt, the Crooked. And I don't want to admit how many times it took me to take the written drivers test, but it was *a lot*.

Jeff: Hi, I'm Jeff Murdoch and my character is Adam Miller, the Monstrous. But the only scary thing about me is my sick tech deck moves.

Erin: Hey, I'm Erin Rein. My character is Krashlee Grenadine, the Flake, but more like **F**eeling **L**eveled up over **A**ll other **K**ids **E**verywhere.

Alan: What's up guys, I'm Alan Linic and I'm playing Cody Ernst Jr. a.k.a CEJ. I'm the Mundane, but the magical thing about me is, yeah, I *can* do the worm.

Claire: Hi everyone, my name is Claire and I play the Expert, Susan Wexler. And the only men she can get to stay around, are monsters!

## Notable Quotes

* "Guys, look I know two things and I know them for sure. Number one: My Humps by the Black Eyed Peas is gonna be the number one song of the year. Okay. Number two, when people in your life are toxic, you gotta cut 'em out." -CEJ
* "The stakes feel pretty high already. It's like bingo night at the County Fair over here, every second." - Susan Wexler
* "We had trouble with like, some fat catfish, so that's a little above our pay grade." -CEJ
* "I mean, you are just a Moth Man, how much soul can an insect have?" - Shamanda Felt
* "Does Susan Wexler have also dungeons and dragons monster manuals on the shelves as well, just in case?" -Tyler Samples
* "That's bad. Losing your soul bad." - Adam Miller
* "Your brother is exhibiting disturbing sign of adulthood." - Krashlee Grenadine
* "We are monster hunting. No kissing!" - Susan Wexler
* "An absolute mess hall." - Susan Wexler

## Links

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