Dice Shame - 2-109 | 'Downtime: Hell of a Week'

Episode Date: September 26, 2024

Imagine your best game of D&D. The shocks, the twists and turns, the moments that can’t be caught because you just had to be there. That’s Dice Shame.Join our DM Jo, her husband Harlan, their brother Alex & their best friends Rob and Alex as they experience those unmissable, gut-wrenching, heart-aching, joy-filled moments.This legendary AP releases a brand new episode every Thursday morning at 1:20 am!Content Warning: animal death, swearing, violence, claustrophobiaPart of the Rusty Quill Network Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey, Toran, I made it back. How's the night going? You look as good as you smell right now. I know what he was going to say. Hot tub time is the time to share feelings. Red's a nice guy. You've been talking a little bit. Fah!

I surrender to the experience. What do I got to lose? Um, a couple inches of hair, definitely. Welcome back to Dyshame. This is Season 2, Episode 109, downtime. Hell of a week. MVP this week is Demelza, who is sometimes better known as Nerd Bird Studios.

Demelza has joined the ranks of Dyshame fans and very generously sent us a package of goodies. You guys, she makes the most adorable plushies. We got our hands on some goblin plushies and some little squishy potions. Check out her shop on Instagram and Etsy and wherever else. That's Nerd Bird Studios. Absolutely fantastic work.

And if you want to send us anything, we've got a PO box all set up. You can find the details on Discord. All right. Shall we do this? Yeah, let's play some D&D. Woo! The Copper Cup Fest Hall is a buzz of activity. tonight. Most of the tables are crammed with patrons sitting shoulder to shoulder and serving staff

flit around on the taproom floor serving ale and steaming plates of meat and bread. Jack, it takes you a minute to spot Torin amidst the clamor. He's off to one side of the bar, behind it, but leaning casually with his back to the room, talking with two other staff members. One of them seems to be telling an animated story, and they all laugh together. Hey, Torin, I made it back. How's the night going? Torin whips around, and that flash of recognition and excitement just appears on his face. Jack!

Jack goes in to give him a hug and a kiss hello. I'm welcome. I mean, hey. Happy to be here. I wasn't expecting you. This is a surprise. Well, I didn't know how long we'd be gone. It was kind of a sudden thing, right?

I sent you a letter to let you know when we're coming back. Yeah. I mean, I guess you've been out and around. Yeah, it's been really busy, actually, since your dad has been injecting himself into the business, I guess. Really busy. Yeah, how's that going? It's been good. And Torin sort of comes around the front of the bar and gestures for you to sit on a stool next to him. Yeah, no, I know I just sort of barge it in the middle of things. So if you've got to run around or if there's anything I can do to help tonight. No, listen, there's enough staff for sure. I mean, it looks really busy, but actually, yeah, we've been doing really well. Hey, let's talk some more quieter.

Sure. He leads you maybe to that back room, like a music room that's not being used right now. It's like a dark back room. There's a lit hearth, so it's kind of cozy and quiet back here. and Toren snags a bottle of wine from behind the bar and two glasses as you pass. And then when you enter this room, he sits down, gestures for you to sit opposite him, and he uncorks the bottle and pours each of you a glass. Oh, I love this one.

Yeah, right? Yeah, got such great taste, always. Thanks. So how are you doing? good i mean it's been it's been a crazy uh couple of weeks but i can't wait to tell you all about it but i don't you know we don't need to get in every detail but yeah in general uh great listen jack i've been doing a lot of thinking lately oh yeah yeah about my future about the copper cup, obviously. Like I said, your dad's been really helpful with rejuvenating the bar.

Yeah, it sounds like you're poised to make some big moves. I'm excited to hear what's next for us. I've been thinking about us, too. He takes a sip of wine almost to, like, give himself a minute. I thought maybe so. Redd had sort of let slip. You guys had been having some conversations. Yeah. I mean, Red's a nice guy. We've been talking a little bit. What has he said? said. You know, nothing terribly concrete. He'd mentioned there was a letter. I'd sort of seen a version of it that was pretty smudged, and that was sort of how it came up. You're reading my mail? Wasn't intentional, wasn't trying to spy on you or anything. It was just maybe not filed, as we'd all hoped it would be. The respect, the written word deserves.

Listen, over the past 10 years or so, you and I have shared some really incredible experiences together. Some of my most fondest memories feature you in them some way or another. And in the past, I know that I told you that I was happy with the way that you and I arranged our lives together, that they are, you know, overlapping in some places and separate in other places and I supported you when you took your extended field trips off to far off places knowing that I could never join you obviously my place is here with the family business for sure this is really fucking hard to say but I don't think that's enough for me anymore more, Jack. Yeah, it definitely sounds like we need to, to make some, some changes to make this work

for us, you know. I am a human man, Jack. I don't have the centuries that you do. I'm, what, halfway through my life. And I don't want to spend more summers away from you. And winters, now, too. I need to not be here waiting for you. I need to not be on pause while you are away. I asked you to stay a while ago, and you said no. I mean, this, for sure, this winter has been really weird compared to the rest of life, right? Like, it's, You know, ever since the stuff at Nightstone. But, like, I don't know that this is the new normal or anything. It's just a weird winner.

I think I've got to see this through to the end, and then we can, you know, maybe figure out what life looks like on the other side of it. So how long is this going to be? I don't know. I feel like this is just another flavor of archaeology, you know? Well, no. listen toren you mean the world to me you are the best spice the best flavor you are that you are a thing that you are a person constantly on my mind you are adding richness to the whole world and i i want to

do that for you as well i'm i'm sorry that my work keeps me away and that we're i know that's hard and it's hard to be away from you. Is it? Is it hard for you to be away from me? Yes. From what I've experienced, it seemed like the easiest thing in the world for you to trace back into water deep whenever is convenient,

assuming that I'll always be here, just waiting for you. I need someone who is going to be here with me. I want that. I deserve a partner who knows what's going on in the day to day, who I can wake up next to you in the morning. Maybe that's selfish of me, but I loved you so deeply and desperately that I spent the better part of my 30s into my 40s with. wishing that I wasn't alone. And maybe you never felt it like I did.

Love is in past tense. Is that not how you feel anymore? I love you, Jack. I loved being yours. But I need someone who can be here and grow old with me. And I don't know if you can ever do. do that. Nothing is an unsolvable problem.

You're not listening to me. I'm sorry that I've chosen a life that that takes me a field and tears me into every year. And I know that you know, you tear a place over and over again. Maybe that leaves a scar that doesn't bounce back, doesn't heal. But I can't stay here when I know there are lives at stake and I can save them. And I love you.

and that keeps me going. We've got to find a way to work through this. I'm sure that having a partner waiting around for you back in water deep is a source of great comfort. But I don't need a hero in my life. I need a partner. And I hope that one day

a traveling bard will set up on that stage right there and sing an epic ballad about the hundred ways that Johan's page saved Fyroon, saved water deep. But until then, I can't see you anymore. It's been a couple of days since Jack and Torrin ended things. And Jack has been kind of unresponsive. Sun shoots through the windows of Troll Skull Manor. It is entirely too late in the day to still be in bed.

But that is where we find Jack Page. Jack, you in there? I'm alive. It's fine. Leave me alone. Jack is just face down on his bed, staring into the pillow, like a corpse almost, fully dressed face down on the bed. You got to get up. That's not an answer.

That's not an answer. And she goes and she sits down right on the bed beside him. You're going to have to leave the room at some point. I know you're hurting, and I can't say that. I would act any differently in the situation, but I also know that you've been in a funk now for two days. And when was the last time you took a bath? Prestigitation when I can smell it. Jack sits up and sits against the wall and sort of puts his hands around his knees. You know, his eyes are red. His kid fucking believe it. I don't

know. I know. to love is a gift and to have it taken away it's it's been 10 years nothing changed and like the last five months i feel like i've done more and and better things than i have in the entire 50 years previous to it and that he can't stand to be beside i just like the last since we saw him we we hunted down winter wolves we found a lost city we saved Slate fell from the midnight carnival, we slayed Calithica, got goatee out of Scarborough, released the souls of the Eternal Order, and I'm sure he had trouble finding coverage for those shifts and finding today's specials was hard too, but fah!

Jack, I wish I could make you feel okay in this moment, or even pluck a memory from your head so that you could enjoy that moment of blissful ignorance But everything I know about you, you would never want that because you want to know. No, it's just not fair. It's not fair. I'm not being fair to him either. I know. I just don't know what to do.

It's fine to be mad. And she, like, looks at Jack's hands and she gently takes one. She's like, even biting your nails? Oh, my God. And she, like, pulls a nail file out of her pocket and just starts, like, fixing them. It's like, Jack, oh, Wizards. I'm going to say this as succinctly as possible. You look as good as you smell right now.

May I just kind of start to clean you up a little? There's an element of like a cranky cat that you've somehow gotten to let do whatever anyways. And, you know, he lets you take his hand and start to clean up his fingers that are getting a little grody. Wizard's main tool is their hands. And I have to say, yours look like shit. Ouch. I think we should get you cleaned up. Get you out of this room, get you cleaned up, fix all of this.

All of what, Jack says, with the worst bedhead he has ever had in his life? Smash cut to the busiest place in Waterdeep this time of day. There is a bustling clothing store to our left. To our right, there's a salon. People go in looking like shaggy dogs and come out quaffed and beautiful. Mari, where are you dragging Jack first? to the salon because we're not going to the high-end clothing store with him looking like that right now. It's marvelous.

Yes. So she's like, do you trust me? I surrender to the experience. All right, let's go. What I got to lose? A couple inches of hair, definitely. You enter in through the front doors and there is a wall of mirrors, much like our modern-day hair salons. Although the chairs, the people working there, it's a little bit more.

like a saloon almost but with a scent on the air that tells you that there is something alchemical happening behind closed doors for sure maybe in the shampoo booth, hard to say a witch who's sitting behind a counter gives the two of you

a once over and says we do have some appointments available for next week. I think this needs to be handled now. My friend is going through a thing and I think he needs a bit of a change. Oh my God, what kind of thing?

He left me. Honey. And she escorts both of you over and says, And for you as well, something. She touches your hair, Mari. I mean, I could definitely take some weight off. It's a lot. All right.

Both of you sit down side by side in these chairs. You get hiked up an extra foot. and magic begins to happen as shears buzz around both of your heads and you are pampered and lathered within an inch of your lives we flash forward a couple of hours jack you leave the salon smelling great looking great with your pockets a little bit lighter marie also looking fantastic one more thing and she pulls him into the clothing store. Jack drags his feet following Mari across the road. Oh my God, it's like dragging a small child across the mall. She sits them down and gives them one good look up and down and goes, wait here for a second. And she takes off and then reappears suddenly with just like

this stack of clothing and goes, try this on. What am I wearing? Well, I was thinking that you need to shift your look a little bit. So we have a darker, brown leather long coat. It's got a very nice little capelet attachment. There's some finer work on the buckles. This shirt and the leather vest that goes over top, the lacing is lovely. And it really stands out. And also these boots. And she points to the boots and they're like way taller than his previous ones. And they're like, wow. I can't fix this. But I can give you some distance if need be. Well, thank you. You've put more thought into this than I ever have.

And these boots are fucking great. Yeah. You're definitely paying because you're carrying all the money. Jack, you are looking fucking fantastic. It's the day after Mari took you out for your makeover and you are in the middle

of Waterdeep's most happening Market Square. Jack's walk out. around he looks like a million bucks but he's still like dragging his feet you can see big scuff marks behind him almost from these these big new boots he's getting used to you know just kind of dead-eyed looking all the all the things going around not nothing really catches his eyes just moving because he can't lay face down on the bed the whole time and you know he doesn't want to wreck the new hair it looks great you catch sight of someone beside one of the market stalls

and for a second you think it's torn and then he turns around and it's not him. Well, yeah, there's almost even on that potential that maybe it was and I made a mistake, Jack just turns down the next street he can and starts walking until he kind of comes to a dead end,

looks up and it's a music store. And he walks in and starts looking around. There's some really nice pieces in here. I mean, considering it's in like a super back alley, you'd have to know that this was here to come looking for it. And yet here you are. There are all manner of instruments, magical and non. Jack reaches into his pocket and hefts his bag a little lighter after the clothes shopping, but still plenty of coins in there and just kind of says, fuck it. Smash cut to later that night, a bar. It's quiet.

in here. But it's not empty. Many patrons sit at tables, with their faces all trained in the same direction toward a stage where a spotlight illuminates Jack Page. You know, he's on stage, just wailing away on a crystal flute like that one Lizzo had, just like belting out his every soul and feeling into the notes. Are they the right notes? I'd probably not. I don't play the flute. But they are getting a reaction. What song is it? It's kind of an improvisational piece. You know, he's exhausted his songbook he bought.

And it's just, you know, he's at least confident enough to play what he's feeling. And so it's, you know, at times a little bit jaunty, at times a little bit sad. And at times just kind of jagged and trying to get his umbra sure right. or whatever, but he, you know, he keeps going at it. There's a, there's a determination to, like, do this, to, you know, be a person who can stand in front of people and play a song. Roll a performance check for me, please. Three.

That feels right. A couple of people get up around the midpoint, and then the audience continually leaks members out of the tap room until a staff member is standing at the edge of the stage like pleading with you to please get off. As Jack finishes, he sort of looks up at the room and tries to holler to the people who move to the other space and sort of says, hey, everybody, next round's on me.

There's like a smattering of quiet applause and a couple of hollers as people acknowledge the free beverages and a few people come back into the bar to collect their beers. Yeah, I mean, Jack goes and sits down at the bar and, you know, keeps the drinks running for himself for a while. And just to anyone nearby just starts, you wouldn't believe what happened to me last week and just starts talking about Zozenboffler. You know, you guys hear about that thing in Goldenfields, you know, last fall? I was there and just starts telling any story you can about the cool shit that the Nightstone Four and Reds Rovers have done.

Just desperately looking for anyone to stop and give them a little bit of attention, a little bit of, like, like, oh, that is cool, you know. Oh, absolutely. As long as the drinks are still flowing and not being paid for, a couple of people are hanging around, not so much hanging off of your every word. They're kind of talking over you at points, but there's a couple people who definitely decide that they're going to take advantage of this person who's clearly not doing well. Can't take advantage of me if I'm taking advantage of their ears and Jack orders another drink for everybody and just laps up the attention even if it's not, you know, earned or the most positive. At least it's something. It's late and the bar is closing now.

And the hangers on have gotten voraciously loud and greedy, not for your attentions, but for, I don't know, some kind of affection. These are lonely people. Jack tries to find the barkeep to rent a room upstairs and, you know, starts heading up with whoever wants to follow him up. Yeah. And you do. Maybe you collect a dude who follows you and the two of you spend the night together.

And in the morning, he's gone before you even wake up. Just rumpled sheets. Look at him, move on. Good for him. it's been a few days jack maybe you've been avoiding troll skull manner maybe you've found another similar in some place to carve out a little corner of water deep that's entirely your own and you're making your way from point a to point b in the afternoon the days are all running together it's so strange that doesn't happen for you and your head is in the clouds

probably thinking of Torin when you're crossing the street and you get almost fucking hit by a carriage. Whoa, watch it, I'm walking here. A man turns around off of the back of it and flips you the bird. Fucking guy. And then they're gone.

Jack sort of stumbles around and can't stop looking at that shiny cart and the big white horse pulling it and this guy so smug turning around to flip them off. and starts to like hatch a plan. And we see Jack go and buy a scroll of something and find somewhere a bench in a park

to start scribbling in his spellbook for a minute and then stand out in a quiet side street for a moment with his starflower staff and sigils and rooms start to peer in a circle around him and he slams it into the ground and there is his own perfect black horse breathing smoke with a golden chariot behind it. Almost satisfied.

Jack looks at it and then snaps his fingers and flame decals show up on the side of it. And he steps on the back of this machine and just fucking gives her flying down the streets. And you do. People leap out of your way. Some slimy man on the corner like shout something that you can't even hear

as you rush past. and a lovely couple is crossing the street almost exactly the way that you were and you barrel straight past them. And as mud splashes up behind his tires, Jack looks back at him and just sees the look in his eyes as he goes to shield her from the splash and they go to clean each other off

and they're laughing at the stupidity of it all and they're not even paying any attention to Jack. He's already gone in there mixed up of care for each other. other and like just in that moment the car starts to fade it just starts to go translucent and translucent and slow down until jack is walking and he finds a park and just sits down on a bench and cries we see red jack and dark in the hot tub at a bathhouse not the same bathhouse that they were in previous in water deep, because they were barred from ever coming back to that place ever again. This is a different bath host entirely, and yet we see some of the same

shenanigans seem to be happening as there are at least a couple of empty bottles strewn around on the floor. And another reason why the other place is worse. Bit stunk. It was Stinky. It's clearly stinky. And Red, would you please stop waving your hairy arm over top of my head while you're talking to me because it keeps getting in my eyeballs. Anyway, how did I get on this tangent?

That was your third drink and you spilled it. That's all. All right. I can't even believe it, Jack. Yeah, I know. Can't believe it. Listen. How did he leave you?

What the hell? And like a week or two after my dad bought into the business it's, uh... Yeah, that's the other thing. Hard for him, I guess, I don't know. Oh, yeah, he's... That's gotta be awkward for Torin

when your dad hears about this. Oh, pooh to Torin, I'll tell you this. I never liked him. Huh? Never once. Since I've met him, did I like him? Really? Red and I just Doran.

I mean, yeah. Same. I also didn't like him. Yeah, he's the worst. No. Well, I mean, it doesn't... Come on, we didn't like him. That's right. Yeah, yeah. No. No, no, no, no.

And we'll never go to the cup a cup again. Not even when it's half-price wing Wednesdays. Not even when it's half-priced wing Wednesdays. His furniture will thank you, I'm sure, but... Well, you can go without me. I just, it might be awkward. I don't know. I mean, red, those wings are pretty... No, it's funny. Honestly, pretty unbelievable. I know it's really good. Honest, honest, no, listen, honestly, honestly, honestly, you guys have been...

You know what? It doesn't even... matter. We've got, we got big things ahead of us. Tomorrow's a big day. But I say, say, say what you're going to say. Well, I just... Say it. You know... Hot-up time is the time to share feelings, Jack. Deep, dark feelings

that you don't want to share with anybody else normally. I know what he was going to say. What am I thinking, Doran? Torin is completely selfish and he only wants he wants, and he doesn't recognize is all that you've got like your magic and your grace in battle and your and your and your smartness

and your memory and well your your kind nature what no i i you know thank you thank you for saying like i i i mean i appreciate being seen by you guys and i know you know the kind of stuff we've been through that's the stuff you see the real version of a person you're with there you know this kind of adventure no layer stays unpeeled for long you know you know you know this kind of adventure No layer stays unpeeled for long, you know? Like an onion. I feel like Doran in his overly hairy arms. He slinks his arm over you.

He just kind of like seats beside you. And Red puts his arm around as well. And we're on either side of you now. Yeah. And Doran sort of puts his hand out like he's painting a picture. And he says, I know, Jack, that things can look pretty glum right now. Yep. But you need to remember that you're a hero.

Yep. And you know what heroes do, right? Get Wiener. We just need to walk off into the sunset like a true hero, Jack. That's all we need to do. That's what we need to do, and he smashes his beer bottle just outside of the hot tub. You know what else heroes do? Another round for everybody in here.

That's what I'm talking about. On behalf of Reds Rovers. All three of us in this hot tub. Make it two rounds. Hey, but listen, we're just spouting off. You know, we never thought that negatively of Torin. I was lying here. Oh, yeah. Red Seds these spits on your face.

I know. I understand. I appreciate you guys are trying to find the best way to support me, cheer me up all of that, and you're doing fucking great. This is great. This is all... It's okay. It's okay.

We're off into the sunset, right, Doren? That's right. Yeah. Oh, my God. I think I just swallowed. Oh, Dorn. No, if you're going to do it, do it in the coconuts. I already threw up in there.

Oh, I love you, buddy. Doran lands a big fat kiss on Jack's cheek. To Reds Rovers, tomorrow being another day where I won't be hung over. It's the third of Chez when we see our heroes packing up to leave Waterdeep once more. The captain of the Waterdeep Guard, Sidiri Hanlar, heard you were in town and arranged a meeting where she gathered intelligence from you on the Giants' current organizations and movements, as well as sharing what information she could give you. As we're leaving Sidiri's office, Jack reaches into his pocket and says she also sped along the paperwork for us.

I took the liberty of registering us with the Waterdeep's Adventurer Guild. So here you are. officially guild registered Reds Rovers. Oh. Jack hands a little card over to each of you. Jack. Wow. Reds still hung over, tries to take the card from your hand and misses and then tries again.

Got it on the second. This is... How did you know my middle name? Is it danger? Divination. I bet it's danger. What do these cards look like? You know, I'm picturing they're a little, you know, metal card etched with little

runes and things on them. and it's got a current picture of your face that's just illusionary there and it's got your name on it and it's, you know, in good standing in the Waterdeep Adventurers Guild just in case somebody needs to know that when you're out wandering around.

Wow. This is really very thoughtful of you, Jack. Thanks, Jack. I've never been a part of a true adventurer's guild I've always just heard all about them. Thanks for setting this up. No, I know it's been lots of changes going on. but you know it's it's been a hell of a week and we got to hit the road

adventure calls you know hell yeah adventure calls let's get the hell out of here everyone jack you're welcome yeah like I said last night all you gotta do walk off into the horizon and a sunset let's do this don't tell him it's three peter the sun isn't even so fast I'm feeling a little woozy it's just don't get the hell out of my way I think I might vomit I think I'm Oh, God, oh God, oh God. Stay up my bag.

Yeah. It's been a hell of a week. Hey, wait up. I'm coming. All right. courageous patrons. Adam Frey. Abriel.

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