RQ Original Feed Drop - Neon Inkwell: Welcome to Fosters #1 - Pets

Summary

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The Magnus Archives: Feed Drop – Neon Inkwell: Welcome to Fosters #1 – "Pets"

Podcast: The Magnus Archives (Feed Drop: Neon Inkwell – Welcome to Fosters)
Date: March 27, 2026
Episode: Welcome to Fosters #1: Pets
Host: Rusty Quill
Main Cast: Jill Foster, Mark Wilson, Mrs. West, Spirit (various), Sylvia Price, and others

Episode Overview

In this special feed drop, listeners are introduced to "Welcome to Fosters," a new Rusty Quill short series set in a magical, alternate modern-day Sydney, Australia. The series follows Jill Foster, a small-time private consulting wizard, and her apprentice Mark, as they attempt to keep their faltering magical detective business afloat. In the debut episode, "Pets," Jill and Mark's seemingly simple job to retrieve a lost cat spirals into encounters with powerful fae spirits, bushland mysteries, and a lesson in magical etiquette. The episode deftly mixes humor, contemporary urban fantasy, and gentle world-building, setting the tone for the rest of the series.

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Key Discussion Points & Plot Developments

1. The Lost Cat Case & Introduction to the Magical World

• Setting: Jill and Mark are hired by Mrs. West to find her missing cat, Mittens, who has wandered into the local bushland—a national park.
• Local Rules: Jill reminds Mark (and the audience) of strict regulations about pets near bushland, hinting at deeper magical dangers.
• Magical Realities: As they hike off the official trails, Jill explains Sydney's layered magical ecology, touching on:
  • The relationship between imported European fae spirits and Aboriginal spirits ([06:44–07:39]).
  • The complex treaties and agreements between the physical and spirit realms.

2. Encounter with the Spirit

• Ambience Change: Magic intensifies as the pair enter an older, more "haunted" area ([06:44]).
• Spirit Appears: Jill addresses a territorial spirit to negotiate Mark's release after he gets magically trapped.
  • Spirit’s Dialogue:
    "Your Latin is terrible. It is what brings you to my domain, Jill Foster?" ([12:15])
• Negotiating with Spirits: Jill bargains for Mark’s safety, respecting the spirit's rules and customs, and ultimately pays a (light) price for their safe passage ([14:07]).
  • Spirit’s warning:
    "The dead are restless, Jill Foster. The dead are uneasy in their slumber... You should be wary." ([15:43–16:01])

3. The Fate of Mittens

• Spirit’s Verdict: The spirit declares the cat now belongs to its domain—Mittens has chosen to stay, and will not return as a pet ([13:52–14:02]).
• Returning the News: Jill and Mark return Mittens' collar to Mrs. West and carefully break the news of the cat's fate.
  • Mrs. West reminisces fondly, exemplifying mundane grief even in a magical world ([20:10–21:37]).

4. Everyday Struggles & Character Dynamics

• Mark's Driving Lessons: Interspersed comedic beats occur as Mark tries to learn to drive, exasperating Jill ([22:44–25:11]).
• Agency Finances: The tenuous state of the detective agency is noted; Jill hopes Mrs. West will pay her bill promptly ([22:05–22:20]).

5. World-Building: Other Characters and Subplots

• Oliver Long and Son: Cutaway scenes introduce a new character (possibly Jill’s or Mark’s family connection) preparing to move to Sydney for work, reinforcing themes of migration and struggle ([16:37–17:36]).
• Sylvia Price & Shadowy Dealings: At a corporate office, we meet the calculating Sylvia Price, overseeing magical logistics and orchestrating hires for occult tasks ([29:03–32:34]).
  • Sylvia is introduced as powerful, ambitious, and willing to use Jill Foster’s reputation for her own ends.

6. Foreshadowing Future Mysteries

• Teaser Call: A voicemail reveals Jill’s next case — a haunted flat, signaling future supernatural investigations ([25:27–25:58]).
• Corporate Conspiracies: Sylvia and her staff discuss secure magical storage and potential problems with "shipments," leaving open ominous storylines ([30:36–32:34]).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jill on Magical Realms:
  "Unlike our colonialist ancestors, Mark, the spirits actually treated with the aboriginal tribes, helped them out a few times as well." ([07:01])

• Spirit’s First Words:
  "Your Latin is terrible. It is what brings you to my domain, Jill Foster?" ([12:15])

• Jill to the Spirit (on lost pet):
  "It's a pet. It belongs to a woman who asked us to retrieve it for her." ([13:24])

• Spirit’s Philosophy:
  "An animal a human thinks to own." ([13:42])

• Spirit’s Warning:
  "The dead are restless, Jill Foster. The dead are uneasy in their slumber." ([15:43])

• Mark’s Wit:
  "Who keeps photo albums full of cat pictures? Doesn't she have the Internet?" ([22:00])

• Jill and Mark on Driving:
  "I'm not your chauffeur, Jill. Yeah, with a few bumps and pics along the way." – Mark ([23:03])
  "You're 25 years old. You should know how to drive." – Jill ([24:45])

• Sylvia Price’s Ruthlessness:
  "No, better to wait, I think. We wouldn't want her discovering too much too quickly, after all." ([31:43])

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:17] – Opening scene with Jill and Mark on the job
• [06:44] – Discussion of magical ambience and spirit ecology
• [12:15] – First appearance of the spirit; negotiation begins
• [14:34] – Resolution of the spirit encounter; Mark saved
• [20:10] – Jill breaks the news to Mrs. West
• [22:44] – Mark asks to drive, hinting at their day-to-day struggles
• [25:27] – Voicemail from new client about a haunting
• [29:03] – Switch to Sylvia Price and her corporate magical dealings
• [32:53] – End credits and production notes

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Tone & Character

• The episode combines dry wit, banter, and Aussie colloquialisms with a grounded sense of melancholy (especially in Mrs. West’s scenes).
• The magical is seamlessly blended into the mundane; jaded, improvisational professionals like Jill treat deadly fae and bureaucratic hassles with equal weariness.
• Socio-political references (aboriginal spirits, council regulations, economics of wizard work) add depth.

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Conclusion

"Pets" introduces a world where the strange is ordinary and ordinary problems—the loss of a pet, job hunting, the frustrations of teaching someone to drive—play out against a rich supernatural backdrop. The episode neatly balances comedy, pathos, and genre-leaping urban fantasy while quietly planting seeds for future mystery and intrigue.

Highly recommended for fans of genre-bending audio drama and magical realism.
For more, listeners are invited to check out further episodes on the Neon Inkwell feed.

Transcript

[Billy Hindle]

Billy Hindle here the voice of Alice in the Magnus Protocol and I'm here to tell you about from the Library of Jurgen Leitner, an upcoming novel available for pre order right [e-mail] novel Return to the World of the Magnus Archives in From the Library of Jurgen Leitner an official prequel novel written by Nebula, World Fantasy and Aurora Award winning author Preemie Muhammad. With the help of the Magnus Archive's own writer and lead voice, Jack Jonathan Sims, from the Library of Jurgen Leitner explores an infamous organization from the Magnusverse for the first time. The perilous private library of the enigmatic collector Jurgen Leitner, where occult books are guarded and researched at a fatal cost. Leitner's library keeps the dangers of these books in check and the would be readers safe, or so Lightner claims. For two of Leitner's employees, the risks are worth it for For Hugh Franklin, the library is a place to belong. For Sebastian Everett, the library is an opportunity to indulge arcane ambitions. Though their 10 years at the library were years apart, Hugh and Sebastian's stories unfold in parallel and their footsteps echo down the same eerie aisles, caught in a web spun long before either ever heard the name Jurgen Leitner. Will they find a way out? Or will the library consume them before it's too late? From the Library of Jurgen Leitner will be published on October 27, 2026 and is available for pre now. Visit rustyquill.com novel for more information. That's rustyquill.com N O V E L

[Lori]

hi there, it's Lori. Today we are sharing the first episode of a brand new Rusty Quill short series. Welcome to Fosters. Set in a magical alternate version of modern day Sydney, Australia. Welcome to Foster's follows a small time private consulting wizard struggling to keep her failing magical detective business afloat. In this opening episode, she and her new apprentice must contend with powerful fey dark energies, a feral cat, and the complexities of learning to drive. You can find the rest of the series by following the link in the description or by searching for the neon inkwell feed. Wherever you find your podcasts, enjoy the episode.

[Jill Foster]

It's not the body all the time. It's not that hard.

[Mark Wilson]

Guess that I know it's mine.

[Jill Foster]

Rusty Quill Presents welcome to Foster's Episode one Pets.

[Mark Wilson]

Sam.

[Unknown Male (possibly a magical or occult figure)]

Tenebrarum Creatorarum Sagittae Spiritus servite mi mae square Sagitti Spiritus. A little messier than I would have hoped, but I suppose it'll do.

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

It's bloody dead. What'd you expect?

[Unknown Male (possibly a magical or occult figure)]

Well, quite.

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

You could give us a hand mite.

[Unknown Male (possibly a magical or occult figure)]

You seem to have it well under control.

[Mark Wilson]

Yeah, yeah.

[Unknown Female (assistant or colleague)]

Get it in the first try.

[Mark Wilson]

No gaze.

[Unknown Female (assistant or colleague)]

Put the ramp down first.

[Mark Wilson]

Don't.

[Unknown Female (assistant or colleague)]

Don't

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

you reckon the room will hold it?

[Unknown Male (possibly a magical or occult figure)]

Luckily, we will be able to test it incrementally. I don't imagine there'll be any problems. However, just as predicted, they are hardly very useful in their present form.

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

Stink like a dog's breakfast.

[Unknown Male (possibly a magical or occult figure)]

Though, as you pointed out, they're dead.

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

You coming, sir?

[Unknown Male (possibly a magical or occult figure)]

I'll be there in a few minutes.

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

It's a nice statue.

[Jill Foster]

She someone important?

[Unknown Male (possibly a magical or occult figure)]

Only insofar as she can help us.

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

Help us do what?

[Unknown Male (possibly a magical or occult figure)]

Anything we want, my friend. Anything we want.

[Mark Wilson]

Big kitty, kitty, kitty.

[Jill Foster]

You've never actually owned a cat, have you?

[Mark Wilson]

What?

[Jill Foster]

It's not gonna come if you just call it so.

[Mark Wilson]

Says you. I never was a fan of hiking.

[Jill Foster]

You're a city boy.

[Mark Wilson]

And proud of it. What is even up here for a cat? Possums.

[Jill Foster]

At least to start with. Mrs. West shouldn't have been letting it outside. This is a national park.

[Mark Wilson]

Where did she go? To us first for a lost cat too. Is she the type that thinks fairies are to blame for everything? Conspiracy theorists.

[Jill Foster]

Mrs. West, despite her willful ignorance when it comes to the rules regarding cats, knows what else is up here. Animal Rescue wouldn't take this job.

[Mark Wilson]

Oh,

[Jill Foster]

Notice how we're not on an official hiking trail? Those are all going in the opposite direction. Even though we're heading up to what's a pretty good view of the city.

[Mark Wilson]

So.

[Jill Foster]

Okay, stop for a second and feel. Remember your training about magical ambience?

[Mark Wilson]

Yeah, that's. That's. That's a lot.

[Jill Foster]

Yeah, some spirit made its lair here a while back. Probably before they started building houses.

[Mark Wilson]

Never could get my head around why the spirits should get away with settling land here. Didn't they come over with the convicts? Surely the.

[Jill Foster]

Well. Well, unlike our colonialist ancestors, Mark the spirits actually treated with the aboriginal tribes helped them out a few times as well.

[Mark Wilson]

What about the. Well, the aboriginal spirits.

[Jill Foster]

Now I know they covered this. Insert one.

[Mark Wilson]

I might have been sick that day.

[Jill Foster]

Fine. Well, the spirit realms aren't the same. See, the fae, the European spirits occupy a plane of existence. Oh.

[Mark Wilson]

Oh, yeah, yeah, now I remember. So we all have the different types of spirits from different cultures, existing simultaneously but separately in their own realms. But.

[Jill Foster]

But our realm, the physical realm, is constant. So the fae only really had to make deals with the people who were living here. Although from what I understand, there Are agreements on the spiritual level as well. Just not ones that any of us were in on. The Fae are very used to doing deals, as you well know. And when you catch them on a good day, they're scrupulously fair about it.

[Mark Wilson]

Hasn't been my experience you've been on

[Jill Foster]

the wrong side of a summoning. What'd you do?

[Mark Wilson]

Usual stuff.

[Jill Foster]

No, really. What did you do? Ask a pixie to get booze for you?

[Mark Wilson]

I was 16. Where is this cat, then? Puss, puss, puss, puss, puss, Kitty, kitty, kitty. Really? What the.

[Jill Foster]

Okay. Well, then. Kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty,

[Mark Wilson]

kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty. You've been here before, right?

[Jill Foster]

Oh, a couple of times. Not really by choice. It's a hell of a hike. And not getting any younger.

[Mark Wilson]

You could do with a bit more. It's healthy.

[Mrs. West]

Exercise is.

[Mark Wilson]

What were you here for anyway?

[Jill Foster]

First time. A dare.

[Mark Wilson]

A dare?

[Jill Foster]

I was your age once more as a dare to try to contact one of the old spirits.

[Mark Wilson]

Did it work?

[Jill Foster]

Not once my uncle discovered what I was up to.

[Mark Wilson]

Oh, sounds juicy.

[Jill Foster]

That's all you're getting. We've got a job to do.

[Mark Wilson]

What do they want with a cat, anyway?

[Jill Foster]

Oh, could be a lot of things. Doesn't much sound like Mrs. West's poor little kitty, does it?

[Mark Wilson]

No.

[Mrs. West]

What the.

[Unknown Female (possibly assistant or colleague)]

You know, Tim used to say that

[Jill Foster]

no one studies history anymore. The Taronga incident. Should have warned Mrs. West about this place.

[Mark Wilson]

Hang on. What? Taronga?

[Unknown Male (local or older resident)]

The zoo.

[Jill Foster]

Don't tell me you didn't study it. That's mandatory.

[Mark Wilson]

I had a few days off here and there.

[Jill Foster]

There's nothing worse than possessed wombats, let me tell you. People thought the emu war was bad.

[Mark Wilson]

What the. Oh, God.

[Jill Foster]

Mark, stay very, very still.

[Mark Wilson]

I can't. I don't.

[Jill Foster]

No. Mark, don't run. It's what it wants. Idiot. Mark, don't move.

[Mark Wilson]

Do you think I'm gonna move?

[Jill Foster]

I'm gonna call for the spirit. Mark, just give me a minute.

[Mark Wilson]

Just use a spell.

[Jill Foster]

We're in a national park, Mark. There are fire restrictions. It's been raining for six days straight.

[Mrs. West]

Shut up.

[Mark Wilson]

I think it's gonna eat me.

[Jill Foster]

It can't without permission. Just. Just hang on.

[Mark Wilson]

Christ,

[Spirit or supernatural entity]

your Latin is terrible. It is what brings you to my domain, Jill Foster? What is it that you require?

[Jill Foster]

I think it might be a little bit obvious what I'd like right now, actually.

[Spirit or supernatural entity]

What is obvious to you is not always obvious to us. And vice versa, of course, Jill Foster.

[Jill Foster]

Sure, sure. But right now I'd like it if. Hang On. How do you know my name?

[Mrs. West]

Ralph.

[Mark Wilson]

Is this really the time?

[Spirit or supernatural entity]

You are familiar to us.

[Shahan Hamza]

That's not a good thing, right?

[Unknown Female (possibly assistant or colleague)]

Exactly.

[Jill Foster]

How am I? Fine. Right now I need your friend to let my friend go. Oh.

[Spirit or supernatural entity]

My trespasser. The tiny hunter.

[Marie]

Tiny?

[Jill Foster]

We call them cats.

[Spirit or supernatural entity]

A small word for something far larger.

[Jill Foster]

It's a pet. It belongs to a woman who asked us to retrieve it for her.

[Mrs. West]

A pet?

[Jill Foster]

Yeah, you know, an animal you look after in return for comfort, companionship.

[Spirit or supernatural entity]

An animal a human thinks to own.

[Jill Foster]

Something like that. It belongs to someone we're trying to help.

[Spirit or supernatural entity]

It does not belong to her any longer. He has found a new place. He will not return.

[Jill Foster]

Well, then I suppose there's nothing we can do about that. But.

[Spirit or supernatural entity]

Yes, but you wish your companion to be spared.

[Jill Foster]

Please.

[Spirit or supernatural entity]

Are you willing to pay the price?

[Jill Foster]

Should be fine to move now. Mark.

[Mark Wilson]

I think I'm gonna be sick.

[Jill Foster]

Easiest payment.

[Mark Wilson]

Thanks

[Mrs. West]

humans get.

[Spirit or supernatural entity]

Thanks so much. The trespasser will not bother you again. But I suggest you leave my domain.

[Jill Foster]

No chance you'll let it go?

[Spirit or supernatural entity]

It is not mine to release. But I will not send you back empty handed. You might wish to tell the owner of that collar that Any animal wandering into my domain gets a choice. Performer.

[Mark Wilson]

Cat.

[Spirit or supernatural entity]

Chose wisely. Most do not.

[Jill Foster]

Understood.

[Spirit or supernatural entity]

Jill Foster.

[Jill Foster]

Yeah.

[Spirit or supernatural entity]

You have been respectful and paid the price for your intrusion. I feel that you deserve a warning.

[Jill Foster]

Really? All I did was.

[Spirit or supernatural entity]

The dead are restless, Jill Foster. The dead are uneasy in their slumber.

[Jill Foster]

The dead, huh?

[Spirit or supernatural entity]

It bodes none of us well to have them walk. You should be wary.

[Jill Foster]

Thanks.

[Unknown Male (friend or colleague)]

Bugger.

[Jill Foster]

Shouldn't have thanked it.

[Mark Wilson]

That's the cat's collar? Yep.

[Jill Foster]

Mittens. No wonder it ran away. Yeah, sure, mate.

[Mark Wilson]

Can we leave now?

[Oliver Long]

That's all you brought, Ollie? It gets cold down there. You know that, right?

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

Mum, it's March.

[Oliver Long]

I can send you down more once you're settled. Sure you don't want any money for your own place?

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

Dad says it's fine. Looney's in some more for at least a year. He's going to give me a room.

[Oliver Long]

If you need anything, though.

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

I'm going to get a job, Mum. That's the whole point of this.

[Oliver Long]

Plenty of jobs here. I don't know why you need to.

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

Mum, we've been through this.

[Oliver Long]

Tell. Your daddy should cook sometimes. For you. And for Looney, too.

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

Looney says he cooks a lot.

[Oliver Long]

Never did when we were married.

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

Mum.

[Oliver Long]

I know, I know. I just don't know why we can't get you something.

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

Eli's a tourist town. No one needs someone with my abilities. I'm no good at the jobs here.

[Oliver Long]

You could be.

[Unknown Female (assistant or colleague)]

Be.

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

I have to go. I'll call you when I get there. Okay.

[Oliver Long]

I love you, Ollie.

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

Love you too, Mom.

[Oliver Long]

I'll miss you.

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

You could come down for a visit.

[Unknown Male (friend or colleague)]

I could.

[Oliver Long]

I might even just do that. It's been a few years since I seen Sydney. Just maybe I won't come to dinner with your dad, eh?

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

You know, he wouldn't mind.

[Oliver Long]

I know. It's a pride thing. You'll understand when you're older.

[Mark Wilson]

Excuse.

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

Sorry. Just gotta get my bag up. Thanks. Thanks.

[Unknown Male (local or older resident)]

Holiday over, then?

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

Sorry?

[Mark Wilson]

What?

[Unknown Male (local or older resident)]

Your holiday. It's finished. Did you get out on the reef?

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

Oh, no, I wasn't on holiday. I lived here. Ah.

[Unknown Male (local or older resident)]

So you're going on holiday, then. Funny, isn't it? How everyone from down there comes up here and everyone from here goes down there. Like we swap or something. No one wants to have a holiday at home, do they? You gotta go somewhere new, somewhere different.

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

Actually, I'm moving, um, down to Sydney.

[Unknown Male (local or older resident)]

Oh, don't blame you, really. Nothing for young folks up here except surfing and drugs. Not that there's anything bad about surfing and drugs, mind you.

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

I don't surf.

[Unknown Male (local or older resident)]

Probably a good thing you're moving then.

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

Yeah.

[Unknown Male (local or older resident)]

More work down there in Sydney. Is that why you're going? For work?

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

Ah, yes, that. That's actually it.

[Unknown Male (local or older resident)]

Course, if you surfed, you could get a job up here as an instructor or something. All the jobs here are tourism. Tourism? Tourism.

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

Is that what you do?

[Unknown Male (local or older resident)]

Me? Ah. I'm retired. Used to be in beef.

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

In beef.

[Mark Wilson]

Beef.

[Unknown Male (local or older resident)]

You know, the meat.

[Unknown Female (assistant or colleague)]

Yes.

[Unknown Male (local or older resident)]

Good people in beef. Did a lot of travel. Spent a lot of time in Japan. So you going to university then, or.

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

No, I'm in. In Magic.

[Unknown Male (possibly a magical or occult figure)]

Cabin crew prepared for takeoff.

[Unknown Male (local or older resident)]

So, what is it you said you did?

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

I didn't. No. I'm a wizard, actually.

[Mark Wilson]

What?

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

That's really not important.

[Mark Wilson]

I've got mud up to my bloody knees.

[Jill Foster]

I told you we'd be hiking today. You should have.

[Mrs. West]

Oh, Ms. Foster, is there news?

[Jill Foster]

There is.

[Mrs. West]

Come in, come in. Just wipe your feet there. If you could take off your.

[Jill Foster]

Yeah.

[Mrs. West]

Have you found him? Have you found Mittens?

[Jill Foster]

Mrs. West, there's no easy way to tell you this.

[Mrs. West]

Oh. Oh, no.

[Jill Foster]

I'm so sorry. He went too far. We shouldn't have gone.

[Mrs. West]

Is he. He's dead, then?

[Jill Foster]

I'm afraid so.

[Mrs. West]

Oh, my poor little boy.

[Jill Foster]

Mrs. West, I know you're familiar with the regulations about cats near these bushlands. I just want to make sure you.

[Mrs. West]

He's such an adventurous little soul. Couldn't stop him from exploring. He always wanted to get out. And how can you say no when they look at you with those big eyes? My poor little boy.

[Jill Foster]

You know, it's just that it's. It's pretty clear in the council bylaws for this area that you're not allowed to.

[Mrs. West]

Last Christmas, he brought us a dead bat. It was such a sweet gesture. He really just wanted to be loved. We used to dress him up for Halloween. A little pumpkin suit. It was utterly adorable. I think I have some photos if you want to.

[Jill Foster]

Really, Mrs. West, there's. There's no need to.

[Mrs. West]

Yeah.

[Jill Foster]

I'm very sorry for your loss.

[Unknown Female (possibly assistant or colleague)]

We'll send you a schedule of fees.

[Mrs. West]

The album's just here, you can see.

[Unknown Female (possibly assistant or colleague)]

We'll be in touch.

[Mrs. West]

Here you can see. Oh,

[Mark Wilson]

crikey.

[Jill Foster]

I'm amazed that cat stuck around as long as it did.

[Mark Wilson]

Who keeps photo albums full of cat pictures? Doesn't she have the Internet?

[Jill Foster]

It's a treasure trove of old memes. She should start a blog. Oh, maybe not. Anyway, hopefully she'll pay the bill without quitting squibbling. Had to have done that hike for nothing.

[Mark Wilson]

She's just gonna get another cat, isn't she?

[Jill Foster]

Probably. And maybe the forest spirit will build an army of feral cats and let them descend on her for revenge.

[Mark Wilson]

Not gonna send them against us instead.

[Jill Foster]

I doubt it. We paid, remember?

[Mark Wilson]

You paid.

[Jill Foster]

You can cut yourself next time if you want. Or, you know, not get to the point where you need to be rescued.

[Mark Wilson]

Can I drive?

[Jill Foster]

Mark?

[Mark Wilson]

Look, the only way I get better is if I practice.

[Jill Foster]

Today. After all this, I mean.

[Mark Wilson]

Oh, my gosh. Today's as good a day as any.

[Jill Foster]

I'm so exhausted, Mark, I just.

[Mark Wilson]

So you don't have to drive. Perfect.

[Jill Foster]

Fine.

[Mark Wilson]

I'm not your chauffeur, Jill. Yeah, with a few bumps and pics along the way.

[Jill Foster]

Get in the car, Mark.

[Mark Wilson]

I mean, I want to. Yeah, it's been a right past year, to be honest. But if I leave without notice, surely there'll be. Well, I don't know. Wasn't her uncle some kind of bigwig with the council types? I heard that was why she didn't get any consequences after the Leichardt thing. I don't want to end up with. No. Oh, really? What's the pay? Aha. Well, yeah, it's not much more. And I've got an interview at Price and Boone's in a couple of days. Well, if you don't apply. They definitely won't take you, will they? It doesn't matter if you don't meet all the requirements in the job ad.

[Graham Edgar]

Yeah, but then you're working for Sylvia Pry.

[Mark Wilson]

Sure, she's an unprincipled megalomaniac billionaire, but we've all gotta work somewhere, right? Anyway, if that falls through, you say that you can probably get something for me at Dempsey's. Or at least. The Internet doesn't even work properly here. It's primitive, I'm telling ya. But yeah, if that's. Obviously not today, but we can. Hang on. She's coming in. I'll call you back.

[Jill Foster]

Oh, I swear you have no spatial orientation at all. This is like when you tried to get a bigger desk all over again.

[Mark Wilson]

Driving is hard. Also dangerous. That's why there's a test for it.

[Jill Foster]

You're 25 years old. You should know how to drive.

[Mark Wilson]

I never had to before now. Anyway, you knew I couldn't drive when you hired me.

[Jill Foster]

I figured it was just because you'd never gotten around to it, not because you were actively awful at it. I guess I'm gonna have to get the hubcap replaced.

[Mark Wilson]

What do hubcaps even do anyway?

[Jill Foster]

Check the messages, would you? Not on the speaker for quacks.

[Mark Wilson]

I like hands.

[Mrs. West]

Freeze.

[Unknown Male (friend or colleague)]

Hey, Jill, you left your phone again. I'll drop around this afternoon on my way to work.

[Mark Wilson]

Love you.

[Jill Foster]

I'll hush you.

[Graham Edgar]

Oh, hello. My name's Graham Edgar's and I'm calling about. Well, it's my flat. It's. It's haunted and I wanted to. Well, I needed some help with it. If you could. I mean, I'm free tomorrow morning and it's. It's a little urgent and I could send you an email, I suppose, but you could also call me on 0491-577-6801. That would be.

[Jill Foster]

Did you get that number down?

[Mark Wilson]

It's what you pay me for.

[Jill Foster]

Well, I'm obviously not paying you to drive.

[Mark Wilson]

Um, it's five o'.

[Unknown Male (possibly a magical or occult figure)]

Clock.

[Jill Foster]

I'm aware.

[Mark Wilson]

Did you need me to

[Jill Foster]

go home? I'll call Mr. Edgar's. Can you be here by 8:30, Tom? Tomorrow, though.

[Mark Wilson]

Oh, sure.

[Jill Foster]

Just, if we're going to a haunting, we'll need to.

[Mark Wilson]

8:30. No problem. See you then.

[Mrs. West]

Marie, Your toys are all over.

[Marie]

They're having a masquerade ball. Jelly, look. Actress and Helena are dancing.

[Mrs. West]

Why can't Helena dance with Octavia instead?

[Marie]

Octavia is married to the prince. I told you that before.

[Mrs. West]

Shit, Marie, that hurts.

[Marie]

You swore and you said donate.

[Unknown Male (companion to E)]

Curious.

[Mark Wilson]

And. Helena.

[Mrs. West]

Oh God.

[Mark Wilson]

Marie. Get back.

[Jill Foster]

Marie.

[Mrs. West]

God damn it.

[Jill Foster]

It's okay, hun. I'm awake.

[Unknown Male (friend or colleague)]

What are you doing, Ellen?

[Jill Foster]

It's 2:00am Busy tonight.

[Unknown Male (friend or colleague)]

Couple of customers decided to stay past closing, so I'm late. But no tips. Desmo. Why are you up?

[Jill Foster]

Needed a pee.

[Unknown Male (friend or colleague)]

Mm.

[Jill Foster]

Bring back anything?

[Unknown Male (friend or colleague)]

Sometimes I think you only love me for my food. Cheesecake snack it aside. After the second last piece went.

[Jill Foster]

Oh, you're right. I only love you for your food.

[Unknown Male (friend or colleague)]

How was your day?

[Mark Wilson]

Mmm.

[Jill Foster]

Cut. Got possessed. Mark knocked the hubcap off the car. Really? No, it's okay.

[Unknown Male (friend or colleague)]

Not a crash.

[Jill Foster]

No, he just took a turn too close to the curb. No big deal.

[Mark Wilson]

Our car though, I mean, he's got a point.

[Jill Foster]

I don't even know what they're for.

[Unknown Male (friend or colleague)]

They stop stuff from damaging the wheels.

[Jill Foster]

Do they though? Because the number of nails and screws we get in the tyres.

[Unknown Male (friend or colleague)]

Sure you just needed to pee?

[Jill Foster]

I'm okay. Gloria.

[Unknown Male (friend or colleague)]

I'm working brunch tomorrow. Should be home for late dinner. Wanna go out?

[Jill Foster]

Definitely.

[Spirit or supernatural entity]

Good morning, Ms. Price. Hmm.

[Sylvia Price]

Ms. Price indeed.

[Unknown Female (assistant or colleague)]

Ms. Price. Ms. Price, if I could have a moment if you're available.

[Jill Foster]

You're not permitted here, sir. I'm going to have to ask Ms. Price.

[Unknown Female (assistant or colleague)]

I'd like to get a statement about your paper's article on the rising need for social services in the Western cities suburbs.

[Sylvia Price]

Hold the lift, will you please, Ms. Price?

[Unknown Female (assistant or colleague)]

The public deserves to be informed, not misled. When it comes to.

[Sylvia Price]

Mr. Simpson, is it? You're obviously not an employee here, so that means you're trespassing. If you would be so kind as to.

[Mark Wilson]

Ms. Price, is this man.

[Sylvia Price]

If you would escort him from the lobby, that would be most appreciated.

[Mrs. West]

I'm so sorry.

[Jill Foster]

He had a jacket of his. I didn't know that he was until.

[Sylvia Price]

Indeed. Thank you for holding the lift.

[Mark Wilson]

I got bills to pay, sir. You know how it is.

[Sylvia Price]

Yes, this is Sylvia Price. Yes, have security run a check on Ashley Simpson, would you? Journalist. Not sure where from. He was lurking around the lobby asking idiot questions. I'm desperately uninterested in excuses. I simply requested a check. Look into him. Find out where he works. Shut him down. Indeed. I appreciate your understanding. Send the details to Brian, would you? And have lobby security briefed again on who is allowed access. Good morning, Brian.

[Unknown Male (possibly a magical or occult figure)]

Good morning, Ms. Price.

[Sylvia Price]

Any messages?

[Unknown Male (possibly a magical or occult figure)]

Anderson from logistics is having some difficulty with the storage facilities.

[Jill Foster]

Oh.

[Sylvia Price]

Walk with me.

[Unknown Male (possibly a magical or occult figure)]

He says the doors are going to need reinforcing, especially if we're expecting more shipments.

[Jill Foster]

Hmm.

[Sylvia Price]

Did he Seem overly interested in the.

[Unknown Male (possibly a magical or occult figure)]

No, Ms. Bryson. Better reinforcement would be an idea. Especially considering the next shipment is due tomorrow.

[Sylvia Price]

We only need the facility for two more months, but better to be safe than sorry.

[Unknown Male (possibly a magical or occult figure)]

Arrange it as you wish, Ms. Price.

[Sylvia Price]

Any progress on finding us a suitable magical investigator for our other problem?

[Unknown Male (possibly a magical or occult figure)]

Oh, yes, indeed, Ms. Price. I think you'll be pleased with who we've decided on. A Jill Foster. She has an agency in Annandale. Quite the checkered history, but respected enough that our choice won't be questioned.

[Sylvia Price]

Check it.

[Unknown Male (possibly a magical or occult figure)]

A few deaths. The Council has her under close eye, but she's made a name for herself in the industry.

[Sylvia Price]

Excellent. I knew I could trust you with this.

[Unknown Male (possibly a magical or occult figure)]

Should I engage her now?

[Sylvia Price]

No, better to wait, I think. We wouldn't want her discovering too much too quickly, after all.

[Unknown Male (possibly a magical or occult figure)]

As you wish.

[Sylvia Price]

Let me know if there are any developments, Brian. They are a little cramped in there, aren't they? You're certain they can't reach the glass?

[Unknown Male (possibly a magical or occult figure)]

They haven't tried so far, no.

[Sylvia Price]

That is reassuring. And they do no damage to each other, even when they attempt to get through the doors?

[Unknown Male (possibly a magical or occult figure)]

No, if we keep the temperature cold enough, they're quite docile most of the time. Arthur's seems to think it has to do with the amount of ambient magic in the area.

[Sylvia Price]

Would hopefully do something for the smell as well.

[Unknown Male (possibly a magical or occult figure)]

It's airtight, Ms. Price. We made doubly certain of that.

[Sylvia Price]

Excellent. Well, if everything is in order, I really do need to get some work done.

[Unknown Male (possibly a magical or occult figure)]

As you say, Ms. Price.

[Unknown Female (possibly assistant or colleague)]

Welcome to Fosters is a neon Inkwell podcast distributed by rustyquill limited and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non commercial share alike 4.0 international license this series is written and created by Imogen Cassidy and directed by Chris Magilton. This episode was edited by Elizabeth Moffatt, Loriann Davis, and Meg McKellar, with Tony title track and music from Sam Jones, and additional music from Nico Vitesse. The series features Nina Nikolic as Jill Foster, Tim Seffo as Oliver Long, Harrison Keane as Mark Wilson, Sabrina Thornton Walker as Gloria Foster, Hannah Aroni as Sylvia Price, Michael Bache as Brian Hewlett Smith, Isabel Houghton as young Jill, Alice Majilton as Marie, Zara Moffat as the Nixie, Shakira Searle as Amina Malouf, Fariel Jabbar as Rashida Bakri, and Chris Aliceo as Talelet. Additional voices by Lorianne Davis, Lee Davis Thalborn, Maya Harlap, Floyd Kennedy, Chris Magilton, Matt Malachite, Elizabeth Moffat, Cooper Mortlock, Hamish Plegmars Brooke Scobie and Dallas Tepo. The production would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which this series is set, the Gadigal people of the EORA Nation. We pay our respects to elders past and present. Neon Inkwell is produced by April Sumner with executive producer Alexander J. Newell and showrunner Elizabeth Moffatt. To subscribe, view associated materials or join our Patreon, visit rustyquill.com Rate and review us online. Tweet us thererustyquill visit us on Facebook or mail [e-mail] thanks for listening.

[Lori]

If you enjoyed this episode, you can find the rest of the series by following the link in the description or by searching for the Neon Inkwell feed. Wherever you find your podcasts, thanks for listening.

[Shahan Hamza]

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