Hey everybody. It's me.
Katie asaurus and welcome to the very first.
Maybe I can't honestly remember bonus Tuesday, episode of
infinite Quest. What is a bonus Tuesday,
episode? You might be wondering.
Well, I'm glad you asked Eric and I have been absolutely
overwhelmed by the response of the community to infinite Quest.
We are having an absolutely wonderful time with it.
But one of the things that we've kind of, honestly, been
struggling with is finding a balance between providing mental
health content and those Kind of discussions but also finding a
place in space for some of the other stuff that we wanted to do
Eric and I both have a wide range of outside interests and
hobbies and activities and like, weird stuff that we do.
And we know about the Christmas, carol turkey episode is a great
example of this. And so we decided rather than
having to choose between sort of our mental health, educational
content, and some of the more sort of experimental or fun
stuff we would just give you both.
So right now, the plan is this infinite Quest is still not our
day job, so we can always promise you Tuesday content.
But when we have bonus episodes or like weird stuff that we just
want to try to get your feedback on, it's going to be released on
Tuesdays or regular episodes about ADHD and depression, and
mental health, and all that good stuff will come out every
Thursday like usual. Bonus episodes are just going to
be kind of whatever we feel like doing that week.
So, with that being said, this week's episode requires a little
bit of explanation. Not a lot of people know this
about me, but I am a professional magician for the
pandemic. I was part of a magic duo called
Never and more investigators of the Arcane.
My character's name was Evelyn more and she is a time-traveling
mortal Victorian librarian because of course she is.
Also, I promised a story is going somewhere.
I love old timey. Radio dramas.
I think they are a fascinating piece of Culture.
I think they're really interesting in terms of how
stories used to be told before like the internet and
television. And so I thought it would be
really fun to write a series of radio dramas about never and
more. Unfortunately, my grand plans
for having a hit successful radio drama were thwarted by the
fact that it takes a very long time to edit a radio drama
podcast and I knew nothing about podcast editing at the time.
And so I just kind of gave up however, I recently got a new
computer and in the midst of transferring files over from my
old shitty laptop to my new computer.
I realized that I still had a bunch of the scripts and a bunch
of the original sounds. And so honestly for really no
other reason than I just was really proud of the writing that
I did on this and I really had fun putting these stories
together and Eric and I kind of wanted to do some acting
together. We decided that it would be fun
to kind of put this together for you as a weird bonus episode.
So for the first, Time, it gives me great pleasure to bring to
you the never. Before published Case Files of
the Nevermore agency chapter 1, it was going to snow the city
knew somehow All Around Me, passerby hunch deep into their
collars and hats bundled up their coats and scarves armor
against an invisible blizzard that had not yet launched.
Its assault Alt I walked somewhat aimlessly spurred on by
a feeling frustratingly. Familiar yet altogether alien it
was like a lost sneeze or a definition missing its word
feeling I'd become accustomed to but never found any less
irritating. A man passed by me to close
clearing out from under his hat and I turned almost reflexively
and found myself wandering out of the Streamline business parks
of downtown and down a Street of Shops and Market stalls.
It was the darkest part of winter made darker by the
ominous clouds that circled the city.
It was that funny time of the year to too close to Christmas
for the day's to be of any practical use, but too far off
yet, for the anticipation to consume all.
But the most childlike Among Us the nearby shops, put up their
best effort at contradiction glistening with lights, and
Holly, and brightly wrapped packages and Parcels hoping to
catch the eyes of last-minute, Shoppers negligent and their
duties. It was one such window that
caught my attention. I do not remember the name now,
since, for many years, it has simply been Monty's place, but
then, at first glance in might have, well, been called the old
curiosity shop, and all its stereotypical Glory.
It looked like something out of a storybook, all small Dusty
window, panes, and a stark wooden door.
That looked like it once belonged to Scrooge himself,
seasonally appropriate, I thought Who is less than
respectable stuck? Have Hazard lie between a rather
dubious looking pie shop at a bank.
That somehow looked like it grown a bit, tired of banking,
and fancied, a change to something more, exciting like
mail or patent licensing, the front window is of the shop were
crowded stacked in jammed with Curiosities and antiques.
And Oddities most worthless. Some having been worth something
to someone once and some being objectively Priceless yet still
marked. The tasteful paper tag stating
what Priceless was going forward.
This particular establishment, I found myself unable to remember
the definition of that particular word that meant the
opposite of what I was thinking or the replacement there of it
was right there on the tip of my tongue.
And so I said my hand on the door is heavy brass handle and
pushed inside. Hello, the interior was dark led
by a few spare fixtures, hung too high to be of any real use
glass counters and shelves, were shoved in tightly together.
Creating a series of strangely themed mazes here.
The blank eyes of a dozen Dusty porcelain dolls glinted in the
light. They are a pile of antique
billiard, balls and newspapers. Some from the last war rested.
Precariously on an old dentist's chair.
The room seemed to shift even as I moved.
One angle, I could see, Rusty farm tools, and wooden crates,
empty Coke bottles, and half of a gas pump.
From another racks of Dusty, fur coats, awaiting, a fashionable
Redemption, and a mannequin, missing, most of its limbs.
Hello, who's there? Yes, I'm going anywhere close.
Oh, I'm sorry. I was just walking by and I just
want to sit and you felt a sneeze coming on.
He was old and he wore a brown suit with patched elbows.
He looked as though a used car salesman had gotten very very
old and suddenly decided to take up antiquing maybe he had.
I thought it's a decent enough way to make a living.
Are you looking for anything in particular?
I didn't know what to say. So I glanced down at the case in
front of him hoping for inspiration.
I watched as he followed my gaze then suddenly reached without
looking in the impossible tangle of pocket watches and chains and
tie tacks in the bin before him. And retrieved a simple golden
locket. Try this.
He held it out to me and I gently let it settle into my
right hand. I suddenly remembered, an anti a
dromaeo, sorry, what an anti dromaeo but replacement of
something with its opposite. That's what I thought.
She's been waiting for. You who don't worry about it.
It's not important. Do you like it?
Yes, I mean it's quite beautiful.
I'll tell you what, that's been sitting here.
Fool what years? Now, when you're the first
person who's ever caught hurt, whoever paid it any attention.
Why don't you keep it? Are you sure?
Absolutely. Just just do me one favor.
Yes, keep it safe. Of course.
And maybe come by every so often he was.
You live it up the joy. I'm Evelyn, Monty Monty
Freiburg. It's a pleasure Monty.
We chatted for a while, exchanging pleasantries.
He insisted on showing me more of his collection of oddities,
but nothing caught my interest or attention in the same way
that the lock it had now snuggly placed in my pocket for
safekeeping, and that is how I met mom.
T, remember Monty. He becomes important later on as
I left the shop suddenly and without warning a chakra Through
my body and fear, pure unadulterated, fear by hand
seized around the locket in my pocket and I was paralyzed.
I felt myself. Falling unable to stop myself
from collapsing, from the pain and confusion.
And the sudden specific feeling of being unable to sneeze from
the side. I saw the brown trousers of
that. Sweet old man moved towards me.
I notice his socks peeking out from his shoes.
They were blue and yellow. Argyle carefully darned.
You all right, kid. Now, you just stay right here.
I'll go call for help as I lay on the cold asphalt.
I looked up and it seemed as though I was traveling through,
thousands of stars, is it quietly and finally began to
snow and then I died for the seventh time that year is over
unique histories of Nicholas ever and Evelyn of Antiquities
Anomalies and investigators of the arcade, welcome to the case
File. I sneezed myself back into
existence. It was exhilarating, I brush
some snow off of my face and looked up where Monty was
standing over me with a look of receding concern on his face.
Oh, Jesus kid, I thought you were bless you, I guess.
Thank you and I was but I'm better now.
How do you it's a very long story.
I got nothing but time. Come on, get up, you're blocking
my customers. There's always been something
special about Marty. Now writing this, I have a bit
of a better understanding of his more unique talents, but then in
that moment, it was simply the way he looked at me.
There was kindness in his eyes, but it was the spark of
recognition. In that Drew my attention.
And as quickly as I forgot the word that means to turn inside
out or backwards. I knew that I could trust him.
And so, I reached up my hand and Monty pulled me to my feet.
Monty offered me a seat and some coffee.
And I gratefully accepted both. I clutch The Battered mug in my
hands grateful for the small bit of warmth my hands.
I should note are always cold unless they aren't and that's
even worse. The snow continues to fall,
softly be Beyond the window transforming the world outside
into a miserable, Maelstrom of white.
I stared at Monte. Not sure where to begin baby.
The beginning I must have reacted because he smiled at me,
then far more knowingly than I was comfortable with and said,
you're not the only one with an unusual.
Talents kid he smiled and patted my hand, a spark something like
static electricity. Ran through me a version I
muttered aversion. Version to turn inside out or
backwards that up that happen to you often constantly.
You die that often to know that is a much more difficult
question to answer. There is a particular loneliness
to the uniqueness of my situation, having grown up with
it, broke into it. I suppose I've become accustomed
or at least resign to this fact, but it never makes it any easier
to admit to myself. Even let alone, talk about it
with a stranger in a brown suit. It's just that.
Well, I suppose you might say that.
I have an unusual. Skillset that manifests, as you
dying and people's doorways. Not usually well on occasion
people who have known each other for a very long time.
Often tend to have a shorthand, half sentences glances across
the room that communicated entire paragraphs, symbiotic,
understanding with Monty. I found this instantly.
I looked at him searching for some way of articulating.
Something impossible, implausible at least and he
nodded, Almost, as if he'd expected.
Exactly this response. How long has it been like this?
My entire life, I expected him to laugh for scarf or react.
I suppose but Monty merely side and stretched and reach over to
scratch behind the ears of what I'd previously thought was a
pile of antique catcher's mitts but revealed themselves to be a
small unfortunate dog, who gave the appearance of being mightily
annoyed by the sign of affection, and with a great
effort, navigated off of the counter.
And into a makeshift dog, bed nestled between some crates in a
filing cabinet. Filled with what looked like a
mix of dog biscuits and accounting records.
Sorry about him that Stromboli I hate him.
He hates me. I'd fire him.
But he's an excellent accountant.
Yeah yeah you and your mother Listen, do you believe in fate
kid? That's a complicated question
for someone in my situation. Yes, oh no, I supposed yes,
good. I don't think you wanted in here
by complete accident. No, and I don't think this
locket is that here for 17 years because I'm a bad salesman.
No, and I don't think that girl that's been standing over your
shoulder. Since you came in, is a figment
of my imagination. You can see for an old man.
I'm a pretty perceptive. I can see that I get the feeling
you are you see a lot of things, don't you kid?
Yes, your whole life, huh? Yes, that has to be pretty
lonely. Yes listen I don't want to
overstep here but they're somewhat.
I think you should meet it feels.
I don't know. Important maybe give me a
minute. Monty reached over to his phone
itself. An antique and painstakingly
began to dial a number on. Its rotary front from memory, an
actual eternity later, he finished.
And from across the room, I heard a voice answer on the
second bring ever you. What?
Hey, Nick, I've got someone here that I think you should meet not
interested. Nick, no not after the last one
I waited for at least an hour and she never showed.
So it's not like side. You know how I feel about
redheads Nick? What?
This isn't about a date, you idiot, then just get over here
fine and put on a clean shirt. I do not often feel safe in
silence. There's too much emptiness, too
much space for the voices in the memories that haunt me to creep
in Uninvited. But Monty was then, and is now
an expert in companionable silence, wesak?
Then, and waited as the snow continued to fall outside, I
washed it swirl against the glass and sipped.
My coffee grateful, to have something concrete to, hold on
to. It had been a very confusing
day. Suddenly the door flew open
before us to the tall. Muscular man, slouched into his
pea coat, his face half covered in a garish wool scarf.
The other half covered by a fedora.
The old-fashioned kind one hand clutched.
His black pea coat to his chest, the other held a flask, which he
managed to bring to his lips twice before the door.
Swung, shut behind him. Stromboli yelped with what I can
only assume was joy and charge the figure who stooped.
His tall muscular frame too. Lift the dog and suffered
through a great deal of excited barking and licking.
As he shook a healthy covering of snow from his coat and hat.
All right, Monty I'm here. What are you as he pulled the
scarf from around his neck? I couldn't help, but notice that
he was dashingly handsome. The old-fashioned way like a
movie star over the noise, The Stranger locked eyes with me and
said, is that a lock it in your pocket, you just happy to see
me. And in that flurry of snow and
Stromboli and whiskey, It was then that Nicholas ever walked
into my life. These are the unique histories
of Nicholas ever and Evelyn more purveyors of Antiquities
anomalies and investigators of the Arcane.
Hey everybody it's me. Katie asaurus and we just wanted
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