Code Crimson is the sixth episode of season 23, Misfits and Magic Season 2.
Recap[]
"You were all once again on Seegenpelater. You had a couple important conversations, paired off. Jammer and K, staying by your hoopty, had a little heart to heart, and our darlings taking to the sky to get a view on the lay of the land and this strange island, since the storm seemed to have been abjured by the nature of the magic of Seegenpelater. Some really sweet conversations were had and lining up some standing stones on the top of a cliff face, you were able to see a terrible creature in the distance, away, that moves with the storm and is somehow of it.
After you communed with Tabby, you were given a little bit more intel on where to find your old friend, the wizard killer, Tad, but also being pointed towards another island, a place flaring with red energy. And following that, you made your way to a place near Weugan, but not Weugan. There was a hospital, St. Dotto's, and upon entry, you found yourself in what could best be described as a soap opera, a medical procedural, where K was healed and the rest of you have been swept up in the melodrama and nonsense, culminating in whatever is a Code Crimson. And that's where we pick up."
Synopsis[]
Code Crimson[]
K reacts to the announcement of the Code Crimson as the other medical staff do, mimicking their vibe, and Winnie takes their hand, assuring them that they’ve been trained for this, albeit that the hospital has never truly encountered one before. K assures her to trust her instincts, and Evan chastises them, but Winnie takes K’s hand and sprints out of the room. The other three watch as the rest of the staff vacate the cafeteria, and Evan decides to follow after K, concerned that they shouldn’t split up in the ensuing madness. However, Jammer still hasn’t eaten, desperately wanting an endive salad, and stays behind, as he notices the kitchen staff putting out new entrees. Sam suggests that the food attendants seem fairly calm, and might better lend to answering questions, including that the salad does look very good. She calls to Evan that they’ll catch up, to his chagrin, and she and Jammer stay behind.
Jammer walks up to the counter, his energy intense as he says he needs a salad, and asks what a Code Crimson is. The woman behind the counter, Marla, serves him a salad, and then shaves parmesan and freshly grinds pepper over it, and Jammer takes it and begins gorging himself, noting that it’s real parmesan. She asks if Sam wants anything, and Sam asks for a salad as well, and some answers. They both note that the amplification of their emotions doesn’t seem to affect Marla, who answers them very calmly as she explains a Code Crimson is an explosion-level threat, that could be from a deity or monster. Sam observes that Marla isn’t American, which is odd since most of the workers at the hospital they’ve met so far have been, and Marla mentions that she normally doesn’t “have much of a speaking role.” Both Sam and Jammer ask what she meant by that, and Marla says that she doesn’t often have conversations with the workers. Marla explains that she’s always had a passion for food, and always wanted to figure out how to increase the enjoyment of a meal, which seems to feed into the theme of the island. Rapturously enjoying his salad, Jammer asks if the alarm ever stops, and Marla says it will stop whenever the situation is resolved, for good or for worse, worse being death, or whatever the person is worried about happening. Marla offers them a coffee so that they can wait out the emergency in the cafeteria, but the two decline, and wonder what their roles are in the hospital. Marla doesn’t personally know, but says that since Winnie brought them in, they must be important. Marla excuses herself from the conversation, in order to go read a romance novel in the corner, reading it by the siren’s light.
Sam questions if being important means they have to go solve the emergency, and realizes that they’re both special guest stars. They take Sam’s salad as they walk, trying to finish up her plate, and Sam declares herself the president of the hospital, and Jammer decides to be chief of staff, and worries about the budget, and Marla applauds their performance from afar.
Meanwhile, K and Winnie are running together, Evan following close behind. Other doctors swarm around them in other directions, looking worried. K asks what the emergency is, and Evan reminds them that the last time they tried to “play doctor,” they killed him. K brushes this off as “messing around in a hot tub,” and Winnie sympathizes. Evan incredulously asks if there’s a hot tub in the hospital, and Winnie responds that it’s for physical therapy, which pacifies him. Winnie then addresses K’s question, that there’s some kind of explosive event, but it’s unknown where, and that they must find it. Another doctor joins them, Dr. Galen Hyssop, the one that Jammer had seen having sex in the closet earlier, and Winnie asks him if he knows what’s going on. He answers that he doesn’t know, but that if it comes across his operating room, he’ll do the surgery “no matter what.” The pair stop suddenly, and Evan and K don’t notice, slamming into the pair, pushing the two doctors into each other, very clearly agitating the sexual tension between them. K reminds them that there’s bigger things to worry about, and Galen asks them what department they’re from. K explains that they’re just an intern at the moment, or possibly doing their residency. Evan shouts in alarm, realizing that this is what K has wanted their entire life, which K confirms, that this is their chance to be part of something bigger. Evan continues to shout, warning that their LARPing is going to kill them. Exasperated, K places their hand on their head, telling Evan that they’re sick of his attitude, and that if he’s going to be out of character, he needs to put his hand on his head. Evan replies that he’s not going to do that, since he isn’t participating.
His shouting interrupts Winnie and Galen, who were on the cusp of kissing once more. Evan asks if Winnie is playing, and she responds that she’s a doctor, and Galen is a doctor, but Evan points out the strange things being said, and asks if a Code Crimson always means that surgery is involved. Galen says no, and then Evan asks what the code even means. Galen explains that it means there’s explosive danger, somewhere in the hospital. Evan grows more and more frustrated with K’s acting, and asks if they know where the danger is, but Galen says that they’ll have to run around until they find it. Reaching his limit, Evan leaves, wishing K well, and that whatever the situation is, be it naiads or spirits, will eat K, or whatever the trap is, listing various movies about similar situations. Winnie asks K if Evan is “with” them, and K dramatically replies, “He was, once.” Galen finds a nametag on the ground, offering it to K, who takes it, the nametag now reading, “Dr. K Tanaka, Orthopedics.” Triggered by this due to K’s earlier attempt to fix his bones, Evan leaves, warning them that they’ll be trapped forever, and he bids them goodbye. K and the other two doctors run down the hallway together, sighting other workers in full hazmat suits, followed by a dog. Workers stop to thank K for their bravery, who assures them the feeling is mutual. K smacks an orderly as they rush past, who apologizes for getting in their way, and tells K that they’re brave, and cries a single tear, before telling them to “come back to me.” K, Winnie, and Galen continue running.
Evan busts back into the cafeteria, announcing that K is dead. Jammer expresses concern for the budget, and Evan screams in fear, shouting that the world outside is real, and that they are in a spell about TV. Sam and Jammer agree, saying that they’re just special guest stars, but Evan refutes this, saying it’s not an episode at all, they’re simply on an island in a magical storm. Sam agrees, aware of their location, assuring Evan that he’s not crazy, and points out Marla, still in the corner, and she asks Evan if he’d like a salad. Jammer points out that Marla’s temperament is probably the most accurate to where it should be, were it not for the amplification spell. Evan asks if the behavior is an enchantment or mind control, as they seem to be participating in a reality based heavily on tropes and fiction. As he wonders about everyone’s mental state aloud, a heavily pregnant woman grabs onto his arm, putting her hand against his forehead to check for a fever, noting that he seems distressed. Evan declines her concern, saying that he isn’t participating, putting his hand on his head. Sam and Jammer mimic the motion, wondering if that’s what they’re supposed to do when they break. Evan asserts that this is the worst island, and far more stressful than cannibal island. Jammer expresses disbelief, but Evan doubles down, as at least on Seegenpelator, they just had to fight cannibals, but he doesn’t know what’s real on this island.
The pregnant woman pulls up a walkie talkie, and reports Evan as a psychiatric event. Unwilling to be pulled into the narrative, Evan sprints out, and jumps into an air duct, as it’s a place “the cameras can’t fit.” Jammer turns to Sam, suggesting that now it’s up to the two of them to save the day. Sam agrees, saying it reminds her of the shows her mom would watch, and Jammer points out that means at the end of the day, they should be fine, just like TV, since they will have to do six or seven more seasons. It’s at that moment that Sam realizes that being special guest stars, this means they can die, because special guest stars get Emmys by dying on medical dramas. Jammer begins to say a cliched line before a supposed death, and the pregnant doctor appears and holds him. Worried, he pushes the doctor away, and tells Sam that he will go find Evan, and that she should go find K. Sam assents to the plan, and gives Jammer pointers on things he should avoid saying that could trigger death scenes. As they’re discussing strategy, the doctor in front of Jammer doubles over and her water breaks on the floor. She asks for help, throwing herself onto Jammer, who tells Sam to continue on with the plan to find K, while he helps the woman give birth, calling to Marla to get supplies, who begins preparing. From the air ducts, Evan screams that they aren’t doctors.
Sam sprints out, grabbing a clipboard to look as though she belongs. Looking for a pager, the nurse’s station appears in front of her, finding a group of nurses working furiously as they discuss the Code Crimson. One of the nurses acknowledges Sam’s administrative status, and asks her what she needs. Sam asks for the pager, but the conversation is interrupted by the head nurse, demanding to know what Sam needs with them, suggesting angrily that they’re already overworked. Sam tries to disengage from the narrative, spotting the pager and grabs it, paging Dr. K Tanaka, asking them to come to the nurse’s station for a Code Pink Pal. The announcement comes as K is berating Winnie, telling her that when she is in her workplace, she must give 110%, even “if your mistress is in that coma.” Clearly breaking down, Winnie is on the verge of tears about the situation, explaining that she cannot get through to her mistress, and that she is threatening her marriage. K attempts to assure her, but is interrupted by the page, and tells Winnie that they’re needed elsewhere. Winnie says it’s okay, but K grabs her by the face, firmly saying they will get through this. In that moment, Winnie kisses K, and everything around them slips into slow motion, and the view spins around. The page insistent, Winnie tells K to come back to her, and understands that “there’s always another crisis.” K takes off, and despite being separated by previous running, they turn a corner and are at the nurse’s station.
Sam informs them of her earlier discovery, that they can die, and that they need to resist the narrative until they have more information. In a moment of lucidity, K puts their hand on their head, and wonders if it’s Sweeps Week, which could mean the whole hospital dying. Sam then tries to pass on the rules to K, but in doing so, realizes that she is famous, which means that she would be the prime candidate to die. K stops her, as they thought she hadn’t actually gone into theatrical acting, but Sam says it’s only because the movie she made tanked, despite her best efforts. K grabs Sam, assuring her that it wasn’t her fault, it was simply the world that wasn’t ready for her. In doing so, Sam realizes that K is too far gone, and an earthquake rocks the hospital, lights flickering overhead.
Back in the cafeteria, Jammer attempts to coach the pregnant doctor through labor. He goes to check on the progress, but she stops him, asking if he’s from OB, as she hasn’t seen him in the hospital before. Jammer says he’s not, but that he will help her deliver the baby. She asks him if they’ll go to the maternity ward, and he expresses confusion, thinking that the delivery was happening immediately. She corrects him, saying that babies don’t just “shoot out.” Jammer then realizes that he isn’t qualified for the job, and tries to escape, but she has another contraction, grabbing onto his hand, and nearly breaking his fingers. She asks him to call her husband, but doesn’t remember his number, and Jammer helps her walk to find the maternity ward. In that moment, Evan busts out of the vent, shirtless, with a Coca-Cola label stapled to his chest, playing “Kiss the Girl” from The Little Mermaid, and shouts a string of censored phrases, in his attempt to keep his footage from airing. Jammer seems confused by the attempts, but Evan insists the storyline isn’t real as long as he’s around. The pregnant woman begins shouting for help, as she’s now crowning, and attempts to rip the label off of Evan’s chest. Evan dodges, and she pushes him away, begging them to find her sister. He tells Jammer that they need to get away, and Jammer hesitates, unwilling to walk away from a pregnant woman, but Evan reminds him that they aren’t doctors, and that since she’s in a hospital, she will either be helped, or if she isn’t, it’s because it isn’t real.
Jammer once more asks Evan if he wants him to walk away, and Evan asks him what he would do in normal circumstances, and Jammer says that he’d help deliver the baby if he had to. He and Evan argue, and the woman pulls Jammer closer, begging him not to leave her, as she can talk him through the process. Unwilling to keep going in circles, Evan karate chops her hand off of Jammer, singing It’s a Small World as he runs off. He runs towards the hoopty, unable to find the fun in the moment, as he feels his friends have all died, and the entire hospital is gaslighting their group, and it’s unclear if the people within the walls even remember being normal, or if they can break character.
Jammer apologizes to the woman, and helps her to the maternity ward, which magically appears around a corner. She gets up onto a table, and points to a tray in the room for him to bring to her. She asks if he has a way to time her contractions, and once more asks for him to call her husband, but she doesn’t know where she left her phone, suggesting she might’ve left it in the changing room, and that her sister should be somewhere nearby. Jammer goes to find the changing room, despite not knowing where it is. He runs for a while, unable to find it, the sirens still blaring, flashing mostly red, but occasionally pink, and hears chatter about both the Code Crimson and the Code Pink, as well as the occasional hospital gossip. He stops to ask someone for help, although their nametag is blurred, unable to be read. The man is talking to two other people in scrubs, and declines to help, as he is busy. Jammer tries make out his name, but the man tells him that it’s “not a thing until later,” and asks what he needs. Confused by what he’s just said, Jammer explains there’s a woman in labor and that he needs to find her phone, but also asks what happens later. The man tells him that he should head to the locker rooms, which are just around the corner. He then turns away and apologizes to someone off-screen. Jammer asks who he’s talking to, and the man tries to brush it off.
Jammer looks at him, and asks him something that is censored, and the man answers that he doesn’t know. Jammer then confirms the direction of the locker rooms, but before he leaves, he hears the man talking with his colleagues again, saying that he’s not supposed to talk, since they’re just set dressing. Jammer turns back to confront this, and the man tries to distract him by reminding him there’s a Code Crimson, but Jammer pulls out his wand, and threatens him to tell the truth. The sirens start to blare blue, and the man starts shouting that it’s a Code Blue: magical shooter. The man begins to use negotiation tactics on Jammer, who asks what he thinks is happening. The man tries to empathize with him, suggesting that his insurance didn’t come through, and he can’t get a life-saving procedure for his mom, and that they can figure something out, but that he shouldn’t “make any hasty choices.” Jammer realizes that Evan was right, and runs off, singing It’s a Small World.
Evan stands outside the hospital, fully nude, arms outstretched. He acknowledges it’s the second time he’s been naked in the adventure, but that his nudity cannot be displayed on prime time television. Jammer says it’s okay, but that they need to find K. Evan reminds him that this situation is K’s dream, as they have always wanted to live in a scripted story, but Jammer is concerned, as they had just labeled him a magical shooter, and they need to rescue their friends. Realizing that Jammer is no longer under the spell, Evan is relieved, and explains that the emergencies in the hospital don’t have the tone for real emergencies. Jammer affirms that he was correct, and that they are both seeing clearly now, and they both go back in, Evan still naked, with his Coca-Cola label still stapled to his chest, blasting licensed Disney music, both of them singing It’s a Small World.
At the nurse’s station, there is a localized earthquake, both Sam and K taking minor wounds as they slam against the wall. Still under the spell, K calls for a doctor, which Sam declines, and realizes that the area has cleared out, as the overhead sirens go silent, and the lights stop flashing, now eerily quiet. K breaks character, admitting that the situation has actually gotten scary, and they both agree to leave the hospital. On the way out, they pass by an OR, and K spots Winnie, covered in blood, holding something inside of someone on an operating table, with Galen pacing and shouting. K notes that blood isn’t usually shown, realizing there might be a real person in danger, as they were both actually injured by the earthquake. They run in to get answers, with Sam staying outside to watch the door, as there is supposedly a magical shooter on the loose. Running in, K is now in full OR scrubs, Galen thanks them for being there, and says that Winnie refuses to walk away. Winnie tells K that she’s holding a bomb in someone’s chest, and if she lets go, he’ll die, and the hospital will explode, telling K that they should run. Looking down, K sees Fergus Ponst on the table, with a bomb in his chest, Winnie holding onto it. Confused by the sight, K pauses, stuttering, and Galen tells K to talk sense into Winnie, as there’s nothing left to be done, as the bomb will go off at some point. K steps up, telling Winnie that she needs to let him go, but she pushes back, and they have a dramatic argument. K tells Winnie they can run away together, telling her to put a clamp on whatever she’s holding so they can run.
Eventually, Winnie agrees, and releases her grasp on Fergus’ heart, Galen kicks open the OR door, and they run out. K grabs Sam, carrying her as they run out. On the way, they run into Evan and Jammer, who have just come back in. Evan has a fire extinguisher, and has been spraying anyone who tries to pull him into the narrative, but as they round a corner, Evan is thrown off kilter. Seeing this, Jammer realizes that he needs to play into the drama of the moment in order to save Evan, and grabs him as everything goes into slow motion, speaking in overly dramatic phrases. K expresses joy at finding their friends, and Jammer insists they have to get out, since it’s Christmas. Evan disagrees, but Jammer says that if it’s a holiday episode, no one can die. The group sees light, and dives through it, throwing themselves out of the hospital, where it’s now snowing, and there are carolers. They all land in the snow, and Evan screams, remarking that there wasn’t snow when they arrived. K and Jammer remind him that it’s a Christmas episode, but he exasperatedly says they can’t have made it a Christmas episode in the last ninety seconds. Jammer says that he’s not trying to play into the drama anymore, but that it was the only way to ensure their survival. Evan accepts this, and points out that they’ve gotten what they came to this island for, so they should immediately leave.
The group notices Winnie and Galen rolling around in the snow making out, and Evan points out that it’s not real, and K chastises him for ruining the moment. Evan acknowledges that he’s a buzzkill, but that clearly both of them on the ground didn’t just truly experience the bomb threat. Jammer asks him if he’d like to get dressed, but Evan says he will only do so after they’ve left. Sam is still bleeding, and Evan tastes the blood, remarking that it’s real blood and not corn syrup, so Sam is actually hurt. He helps her up and lets her lean on him for assistance in walking back to the hoopty. K stops to tell Winnie that they’re being transferred to another hospital, but that they’re glad that she and Galen will be happy. Jammer says that it’s too much for him, and Evan blasts them with his fire extinguisher, and Jammer agrees that it’s time to go. A woman approaches him, asking if he’s seen her sister, who is likely giving birth somewhere. Jammer confirms this, but then remarks that she isn’t real, and pushes her over in the snow, insisting to Evan that he’s “over it.” Sam unlocks the hoopty, and the group discusses their next moves, and agree that the Tadeshacourt is their best bet. Evan quickly gets dressed and jumps on the hoopty, fishing out a flashlight from the glove compartment. Using his stored magical potential, he turns it into a magical item that summons his shadow back to him, forging a new relationship with his familiar, allowing it to have the freedom to go away as it will, so long as he can get it back. The group, including Tabby, briefly freaks out as his shadow waves hello, but they quickly come around to it, and Sam apologizes for her reaction. Evan lightly berates them, stating that his shadow looks scary, but is harmless, whereas the hospital full of hot doctors was the truly scary thing, and Jammer answers by telling him that he’s bleeding from the staples on his chest, which Evan rips off.
Weugan[]
They take off on the hoopty, but they can tell something is wrong, their connection weak, as they realize how drained they are, and put together that the heightened magic of the hospital must’ve taken a lot of magic from them. The hoopty begins to falter; worried for their safety, Jammer makes the decision to land on the nearby twin of the island, still red, which they understand to be Weugan, as the hospital was not. As they set down, they spot the serpent in the sky again, and the island feels very different from the one they were just on. They feel the magic of amplification present everywhere, thick in the air, and the island itself is a series of jagged peaks. Jammer asks if Tabby can tell them anything about where they are, but he is silent. Evan pulls out his magical wrench, but without any stored up magic to pour into it, simply tries to use it like a normal wrench. While fixing it, he comes to the understanding that the hoopty wasn’t meant for such a long journey, and touching it with the wrench, he feels as though he’s been shocked. Trying to get a better feel for what’s going on, Evan reaches out to a tree limb with his shadow, and figures that since he’d just made a magical item, he is low on magic, but that might be a good thing, considering the properties of the island. He tells his friends to get back and cover their eyes, and pushes the tiniest amount of magic into the branch as he touches it. His instincts prove correct, as the moment he touches the twig, the tree shatters, exploding shrapnel everywhere. He explains to his friends that he had tried to scratch the tree, which exploded it, and that he couldn’t control it, warning his friends that whatever they’re good at, it will likely be amplified out of their control. K suggests they do some magic to understand what’s wrong with the hoopty, but Evan warns that a spell like that could knock them out with information overload, providing further examples of what could happen if spells go too well. He suggests that where possible, they should opt for non-magical solutions, as magic still seems very dangerous and unpredictable here.
K examines the hoopty, and Jammer pulls out Spalding, examining him for strange behavior, but he seems normal, although the emotional response he gets is a very overblown assertion that he’s alright. Sam summons T2, as he has worked on cars before, and asks him to go ahead of them and check out the island. K warns him that there’s an upside-down-head wolf around, and T2 immediately grows fearful, but K assures him that pigs always outsmart wolves. T2 is skeptical, but remembers The Three Little Pigs, and heads out. Jammer expresses unease with sending the little pig out on his own, but Sam isn’t worried. Jammer looks around for high ground so he can check out their surroundings, and spots a tall tree. As he goes to climb it, Evan asks him if his non-magical abilities are heightened, such as his ability to jump. Jammer jumps, but it’s apparent that it’s normal. He goes to climb the tree, but it proves too difficult to do without using magic, so he resolves to do a tiny amount of magic, willing himself to have a tiny puff of air beneath him. As he casts the spell, however, his mind wanders to the branches, which are too dead and brittle to get a good grip on, and the spell shifts the branches together, allowing him enough stability to climb on them. He reports to his friends that a very small amount of magic is okay. Hearing this, Evan observes that this island makes magic easier, something that he assumes every wizard would want, but it’s immediately apparent that no one else is here, and that the people of Galamanis might enjoy it here despite the difficult terrain. K suggests that there could be a way to collect some of the energy here, and bring it back to the rest of the world. Jammer looks around to see if there’s a source for the magic, and sees a glowing red canyon that might fit that description, reporting back his findings. Sam suggests they head towards it, but Evan disagrees, and reminds them he knows what Hell looks like, and that their situation is rapidly approaching it. While the group discusses this, Jammer asks if he can come down from the tree. K feels that the magic of the island is pooling in the maw that Jammer has seen, suggesting there could be a magical spring. Evan capitulates, then points out that they hadn’t seen a double camel, the beast of Seeganpelator, so they may not see the wolf that represents this island.
K asks if the Tome of Nimble Working says anything about the upside-down-head wolf, but Evan says he hasn’t looked. Furthermore, he tells them that he has the desperate urge to open the book, specifically on this island, and hasn’t been able to stop thinking about it since they arrived. The desperation with which he thinks about it, makes him very suspicious, and thus he has resolved not to open it. Sam asks if it’s the island telling him to open it, but he dismisses it, saying he’s certain it’s the demons that possess him. In fact, in that moment, he feels the pull of those demons, in a way that he hasn’t felt them since Sam exorcised them from him back at Gowpenny, which try to force him to open his backpack. He manages to resist, but the image of himself opening the book is burned into his eyes, present every time he blinks, the image giving him relief and joy. He gives Jammer his backpack, telling him not to let him have it. Instead, Evan takes his broom, attaching the knife to it, and tells Jammer not to let him have it while they’re on the island. They discuss any circumstances where Jammer should return it, and Evan says not to listen to his logic, only give him the backpack if Jammer’s own judgment determines it to be the best move.
Suddenly, Sam hears T2’s panicked cry in her head, which is then abruptly cut off. She tells the group, and Evan tells his shadow to go save T2, detaching from him to get there faster, as Evan mounts his broom and takes off. Jammer takes a Band-Aid out of the hoopty’s glove box, and runs after them. K pulls out a baton from their pocket, and runs after them as well. Sam rushes in the direction of T2, reaching through their connection, and sees T2 cowering in front of a giant wolf. She sends comforting messages after her familiar, but notices that the wolf hears it as well. Sam warns the group that the wolf knows they’re coming, and that it seems to be the upside-down-head wolf that represents the island. They mount their brooms and fly through the air, the humidity increasing as they go, although as they continue, it becomes clear that the fog isn’t made of steam, but rather, concentrated amplification magic. Evan’s shadow surrounds T2 and covers him, pulling him into the ground for his safety. As they approach, they see Weugan, and he sends a blast of energy their way. Seeing it coming, Sam tries to land, but is blasted off her broom, slammed into the ground. Jammer tries to push through it, and manages to hold his ground, although he is moderately injured in the attempt. However, this does seem to please Weugan, who watches as he tanks the hit. Evan tries to roll with the attack, trying to use the force of it to roll up and away from it, but he is overpowered, and also slammed into the ground next to Sam. Wind knocked out of him, he calls to Jammer, suggesting that he be given the book back, but Jammer declines. K attempts to create a concave dish, in order to send the magic back at Weugan, but the magic they’re attempting is creation magic, not amplification, causing them not only to fail, but empower the blast, further damaging them and their friends. As they’re thrown into the ground, Weugan gives them a stern warning, “Wrong magic.”
Sam stands, dusting herself off, pissed off, as Weugan has scared T2. She tells the rest of the group to cover their ears, and greets Weugan, attempting to use her natural charm magic. The ambient magic in the air responds to her, and Weugan regards her, and sits. She commands him like a normal dog, and tells him to roll over. Unfortunately, with the strength of the magic, only K is able to resist the spell, with Evan and Jammer also rolling over, Jammer still in the air. Sam apologizes, but K encourages her to give them more commands. Evan asks Sam if he can live in her house and be her dog, and Sam tries to tell him that it’s just the spell and he’s being controlled, but he says he’s never felt more free and true to himself. Sam continues to try and talk him out of it, but Jammer starts shouting that he’s a good boy, and Evan continues listing the dog-like behavior he would do. Realizing it’s a losing battle, Sam turns her attention back to Weugan, who asks her what she thinks he is. They speak, and Weugan reveals that he likes her very much, which she appreciates, but chastises him for hurting her pig, although he only scared him. Weugan says that he is scary, and that magic is scary, which Sam agrees to, and that the island itself is scary. She asks him how to get off of the island so that they can get to their next destination, but he tells her that she needs to answer his question first. Sam answers that she thinks he is the island, but he denies this, saying he’s what the island holds, what is collected there: the magic of increase. She asks if he’s not the source of the magic, what is? But Weugan seems confused by the question. Evan interjects, saying that he’s going to be the dog, not Weugan, and Weugan growls at him. Sam tries to calm him down, but Jammer starts barking, saying he wants to be the dog, and Evan barks.
Weugan is also made uncomfortable by this, and Sam insists they won’t be like this forever, although he says they could, if she wants them to. Sam denies that’s what she wants, as she wants them to do what they want. Weugan says it’s possible that she could make them want to, but she wants them to have free will, and that if they wanted to, they would do this without her charm spell. Weugan explains that they must want to, as he isn’t Seegenpelator, his magic can only increase what already exists, so they must want to, she’s only making them want to more. Sam explains their mission, to figure out the new system of magic, but Weugan rebuffs this, saying the magic is not new, just the rules are new. Sam asks why there are new rules, and he answers that something broke. For her final question, she asks what in magic broke, and Weugan answers, “Its well,” before disappearing. Evan stands up, showering Sam with praise for her questions. Sam asks if he’s only saying that because of the spell, which seems confirmed when Evan starts explaining how Weugan wouldn’t have been a good dog for her, unlike himself. K calls him a good dog, which makes him bark. Evan continues to praise Sam, and K reaffirms that he must feel this way genuinely, since it is only amplification, not convince magic. Jammer returns to the ground, also praising Sam, despite his headache. K, who did not succumb to the spell, agrees to the praise. Sam still insists on leaving the island, and Evan asks if she’d like him to carry her, and Jammer insists on carrying her instead, leading them into a shoving fight, which Sam tries to break up. Evan offers to let her ride him like a horse, but T2 pops out of the ground, and lunges at him. Aware that fighting him at all would upset Sam, Evan submits to his attack. T2 returns to Sam, who holds him and kisses him, and Jammer and Evan express jealousy.
The Funnel[]
Stepping away from the situation, K gets on their broom, still wanting to figure out a way of gathering magic from the island, heading towards where the magic is thicker. They take Sam with them, telling Evan and Jammer to stay behind to talk out their conflict. Evan and Jammer ask Sam if that’s what she’d like, and she says she wants them to do whatever they would’ve done before she cast her spell. When they still insist on asking what she wants, she tells them to walk. As Evan and Jammer walk, they continue to push each other, until Evan tells Jammer to stop, and he complains about the pig, but Jammer says he did the right thing by surrendering. They both continue to complain about how they didn’t get any affection from Sam.
As K and Sam continue, the magic gets thicker and thicker, obscuring their vision. Casting a spell to sense what’s around them, they get the sense that the ground has dropped out from underneath them, and what they had perceived as a red maw before, is a gorge, almost like a massive funnel.
Above the gorge, K whispers “hello” into it, only to be punched back by an echo of their voice, heavily amplified.
Locations[]
- St. Dotto's
Characters[]
The Magical Misfits[]