Kasumi: It’s time for Desert Bus for Hope!

Aquila: Okay...this is something new.  What is it we’re watching, Kasumi?

K: It’s a fundraising marathon on Twitch.  I used to love watching it back before we left for the story worlds.  They’re raising money for Child’s Play.

A: So, it’s money to help children play?

K: It’s money to help children in hospitals and shelters play.  Really, it goes towards making the lives of children and their families in a really bad place more bearable.

A: I can certainly get behind that.  So, when do they get to raising the money by driving a bus through the desert, instead of just looking at a little animation in the corner?

K: They, um, don’t.  They play a really bad video game about driving a bus through the desert.  That’s what you’re seeing in the corner.

A: Wait a moment...so there is no actual bus.

K: Well, there’s one in the game.  And it’s really bad, too.  It’s an eight hour trip going from Tucson to Las Vegas, there’s no cruise control, the bus is always drifting to the right, and if it crashes, it gets towed back in real-time.

A: But it’s not a real bus.

K: No...but they do a lot of improv to keep everybody entertained.  The entire thing is hosted by a comedy troupe out of Victoria, British Columbia.  They’re really good at it.

A: I get that...but the thing is called “Desert Bus.”  That seems a bit off when there isn’t a real bus.

K: It’s named after the video game.  The video game they’re playing is called Desert Bus.  It’s supposedly from some old game collection called Penn and Teller’s Smoke and Mirrors.

A: Okay, I see.  But, at least they’ve got an actual desert, right?

K: Um, no.

A: Seriously?  They don’t have a desert?

K: The desert is in the game.

A: So, let me get this straight – they want to drive a bus through the desert to raise money for children and their families in hospitals and shelters.  But, they don’t have a real bus, or a real desert to drive it through.

K: Correct.  They just play a really bad video game while they do improv to raise money.

A: That’s terrible!

K: I don’t think I follow...

A: Think of it, Kasumi!  They want to raise money by driving a bus through a desert, and all they’ve got is a bad video game that they have to play on a tiny screen!

K: I’m pretty sure the screen they’re using in the studio isn’t that small...

A: They must be suffering from constant disappointment because of that!  We should help them.

K: Absolutely we should help them.  I’ll bet we can figure out how to get a nice big donation to them from here in the story worlds, and...

A: Who’s talking about that?  Let’s give them a bus.

K: Well, I suppose we could do that, and...wait, what?

A: I’m serious.  We’ll create a bus here in the story worlds, and just deliver it to them.  It will be a surprise bus!

K: I really don’t think they’ve got the ability to wire a bus for streaming and donations at the last minute...definitely not in the middle of this year’s run.

A: So, you’re saying that’s not practical?

K: I’m pretty sure they’d prefer to stay in their studio.

A: Okay then, if we can’t give them a bus, let’s give them a desert – we’ll just fill their studio with sand!

K: We’re not doing that.

A: But it would be so easy!  We’d just create a bunch of sand, and teleport it into every room.  Make it just one or two feet deep, so that they’re not banging their heads on the ceiling.  It would add so much authenticity!

K: I think the phrase you’re looking for is “cleaning expenses.”

A: But they’ll have an actual desert to improv in – think about how happy they’d be!

K: I’m pretty sure they’d be happier with donations.  Remember, it’s all about the children.

A: I suppose that matters too...

K: It absolutely does.  So, we love Desert Bus, and everybody should watch it and donate!

A: And, Desert Bus, we can send you a desert!  All you have to do is ask!

K: For the last time, we’re not doing that!