S3 E5: Casualties of a Case

Episode 5
49:44

About this Episode:

The investigators of Lamplight head to Westpoint Station to confront a ransom and hopefully save the life of a woman caught in the crossfires of something bigger than they could have anticipated.

The content warning for this episode includes blood, complicated family dynamics, fantasy violence, flirting, guns, kidnapping

This episode spotlight is Mage Hand High Five!

You can find us ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠

Lamplight Investigations is a Thirsty Sword Lesbians steampunk noir that stars ⁠⁠⁠Kenzie Tartaglione⁠⁠⁠ as the GM, ⁠⁠⁠Atlas Mathews⁠⁠⁠ as JJ August, ⁠⁠⁠Danielle Halen⁠⁠⁠ as Mama Amoretta, and ⁠⁠⁠April Consalo⁠⁠⁠ as Joanna Gilmore.

Episode recap performed by ⁠⁠Michelle Kelly⁠⁠.

This podcast episode as produced and edited by Kenzie Tartaglione with theme music by ⁠⁠⁠Lisette Amago⁠⁠⁠ and character art by ⁠⁠⁠Elsa Velasco⁠⁠⁠.

 

 

 

 

Episode Transcript:

Michelle Kelly:

For the detectives of Lamplight Investigative Services, it feels like the trail on the case of Viola Weatherby has gone cold. Trying to get in contact with Delia Weatherby has proven futile.

We finally meet Mama Amoretta’s son, Zion, who is all charm and swagger with a taste for odd cocktails. In a spurt of jealousy, JJ picks a fight with Jo, who storms off into the stormy night. JJ is quick to follow, finding her reminiscing about a night with Jack at the Circus. Though she tries to make amends, she is rejected by Jo, who wishes to keep the status quo.

Back at the agency, Mama gets a phone call from a scared Rose Weatherby, who arrived at her sister’s apartment to find a mess and a ransom note. Mama and Zion go to collect Rose and bring her to safety, and the detectives rejoin to consider their next moves. How will they save Delia Weatherby from the fate that has found her?

Kenzie Tartaglione (Game Master):

On the Nova side of Nova, just across the bridge near the west side of town. West Point Station is the biggest transportation depot in Nova. During the day, smoke and steam rise from the building incessantly. Airships and balloons take to the sky, trains arrive and depart. And at this time, a little bit later in the evening, the station isn't as bustling as it would be during the day, though it's still fairly busy. It's like, the last rush of people in and out of the city. This is not a secluded place. This is not a secretive place.

And as you pull up to park outside, the massive circular window that doubles as a clock looms above you, ringing in just after 8 p.m. You see through it, in the windows that are smattered across the facade, the warm lights of the interior station.

You get out of the car and walk up to the front doors and the immediate entrance of the station is covered by an extremely tall ceiling and it's super wide. So when you walk in, it's just a massive space that you're in. And there's a circular desk right smack dab in the middle of it all where you can buy tickets, exchange fares. And above it is this just constant shifting and clicking tiled board that shows the ever shifting schedule of departures and arrivals.

Platform 11 reads as under maintenance.

Atlas Matthews:

JJ will turn to Mama.

Danielle Halen (Mama Amoretta):

Let’s just see how under maintenance it is.

Kenzie (GM):

You guys make your way through the station towards platform 11. Platform 11 is a train platform specifically. And so you find your way down there. Platform 11 is in a weird location. It's a little bit cut off from the rest of the train platforms, more secluded. And coming upon it, you see that the entrance has been blocked off and the platform is empty. And there is not a train on the tracks, but it is covered in construction equipment.

Danielle:

But there's like no one here really?

Kenzie (GM):

So it's situated between like two walls of the station. And there's one track between these two walls and there's two sides. So, you assume one is the arrival, one is the departure side, but there is no one on the tracks and there is no train.

April Consalo (Joanna Gilmore):

This makes me very uneasy, but... Do you think we should go in there?

Kenzie (GM):

Part of the track is underneath like an alcove of the station, but then there is like an outdoor area that it goes. So the entire platform, the lights are on.

Kenzie (Zion):

I guess it could be a trick, but that would be strange.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well, I guess we got to make sure we're to get a bit closer to figuring out what the heck is going on here.

April (Jo):

After you.

Kenzie (GM):

Zion puts a hand on the barrier and like bolts over it.

April:

Jo follows. And she's still pretty graceful. She's starting to sober up a little bit.

Danielle:

Mama’s gonna hop over the barrier too with like a little heave.

Kenzie (GM):

As you make your way down this platform, about three quarters of the way down it before you reach the outside, there is a door.

April (Jo):

Well, shall we?

Kenzie (GM):

You open the door and you find yourself in a maintenance hallway. Behind the scenes of this station per se. The decoration of the outside has been discarded for utility. So it's fairly dark. There's enough light that you can see, but not clearly. It's dim and there are still some parts of the hallway that are in shadow. At the end of the hallway is a double swinging door and you push through that and you enter into a larger room. It's not like super big, but it is larger than the hallway you were in. There are storage crates here, tarp covered shapes. There are a couple of doors in this room directly across from you, one that mirrors the double swinging door that you just came through. And then there is a one single door on the right side of this room.

Danielle:

Interesting. Where's that door go to?

Kenzie (GM):

Everybody kind of goes over to this door. As you get closer, you realize that there is a light coming from underneath the door. And it is also unlocked. You push it open. And as you do, you're met with a boiler room. It's very warm in here. And then you hear...

Kenzie (Jack):

(heavy breathing and coughing) Are you a sight for sore eyes.

Kenzie (GM):

And looking at the source of the voice, you find kind of gnarly sight. You see Jack, hands tied above her head to a pipe, blood tricking down her temple, out of her nose, a split lip, a black eye, a bruise burgeoning on her cheekbone. And their skin shines in the light from a thick sheen of sweat. Hair just as wet, sticking to her forehead, you see her famous smirk on her face. Though her tired eyes and heaving chest announce the facade for what it is.

April:

Jo immediately just goes to Jack and like starts checking out the things that are that are binding her, going through like her pockets for anything that could potentially break this.

Kenzie (Jack):

Well, I'm fucking glad see you. You were never supposed to get mixed up in this.

Kenzie (GM):

And you can see as you get closer that there are like chains tied around her wrists that are tied to the pipe. They're made out of metal, but it's like they're knotted. So like you could probably undo it. It's going to just take a lot of effort.

Kenzie (Jack):

Yeah, I mean, if you can get me the fuck out of here, I haven't been able to do it.

Kenzie (GM):

And you can see that like her wrists are kind of rubbed raw from the - where they've been pulling on the chains.

April:

Jo kind of like half squats down is like,

April (Jo):

Well, get comfortable.

April:

Jo lifts Jack off the ground and like wraps Jack's legs around herself. Jo is much taller than Jack and it kind of allows for some slack in the chains just enough that Jo can start to try to unravel them from her wrists.

Atlas:

JJ does pull out her gun and is just kind of like checking around.

Kenzie (GM):

There is nothing in this room and in the larger room outside of the boiler room there is no one present either as you kind of do a sweep of the place.

Danielle:

Amoretta is just gonna ask Jack some questions then first of all.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I’m gonna guess then you know what happened to Delia? Already got some idea.

Kenzie (Jack):

Well, I mean, listen, I don't know what the fuck happened after the initial idea, okay? We found some shit the Velvet Rose thought we could leverage for more money. So we tried that. It was gonna be a little ruse. Delia would fork over some otezas and we'd be good to go. But that was it. That was the whole plan. A little threat and then all of a sudden, I'm blacked out, tied up to the fucking boiler here. The Roses wanted to bleed the Weatherbys a bit. I get it, they're fucking rich, but obviously something changed that I wasn't privy to. Because if it was actually the Velvet Rose, why the fuck am I tied up and blacked out, you know?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Right. So what do you know about Delia Wetherby then, and who she might have been associated with?

Kenzie (Jack):

Truly all I know about Delia Weatherby is that she came to us, and she had a proposition which was to figure out who ransacked the lab. Same prospect as you had. I don't know anything else about her. I don't ask questions. We were offered money, we took it.

April (Jo):

Who is offering you the money?

Kenzie (Jack):

Well Delia, cause she hired us. But when the Velvet Rose found out there was more money to be had, we were gonna ask Delia for more money. That was the plan. That was the whole thing. We were just gonna threaten her a little bit, get some more money out of her, and that was gonna be the end of that. All I know is that I don't know the whole deal. Someone owed something to someone else. I was just told to get some more money.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well, her apartment was ransacked earlier, and now she's missing. And the only thing left was this note.

Kenzie (Jack):

Oh, no, no, no, sorry. Sorry, no. She ain't missing. She's here.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Where the fuck is she?

Kenzie (Jack):

Well that would be a good question, because I'm fucking tied up. But she was in here a few hours ago. I mean she was always supposed to be here, so that wasn't a surprise. But now I see that she's probably being used for a reason that I was not aware of.

April (Jo):

Was she with anyone?

Kenzie (Jack):

Well there's some people, but they're all wearing fucking masks of some sort of fucked up gang. I don't know. Never seen them before. I don't know who's under the masks. They think they're really terrifying. I think it's fucking stupid. But obviously I was wrong. I'm fucking... useless here.

April (Jo):

How many of them were there?

Kenzie (Jack):

I saw three.

April (Jo):

Three others? Or three including Delia?

Kenzie (Jack):

Three others. So they came in at some point and they grabbed her and took her. I couldn't help her. I was already... By the time I came to again after being blacked out, I was already tied up, so... There wasn't much I could do.

Kenzie (GM):

I think at this point you've like undone the chains and got her out of it and she's kind of like shaking her wrists out and cracking them and moving her fingers around to get the blood flowing again.

Kenzie (Jack):

I thought maybe they forgot about me. Good and bad, because I couldn't wiggle out of this. I tried to, believe me. But you know, good thing, ‘cause, you know, they weren't fucking punching me in the face anymore.

April (Jo):

Good, god.

Kenzie (Jack):

Oh, I’ve had worse.

April:

And Jo just kind of like gently touches the bruise

Kenzie (Jack):

Ahh!

Danielle:

Amoretta has the first aid kit.

Kenzie (GM):

Yeah, I think you can kind of like, maybe not stitch up a bandage, wipe up the blood a bit.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Did you happen to see, somewhat recently -

Danielle:

And she's, Amoretta is gonna describe Zeb.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

-that kind of individual passed through here?

Kenzie (Jack):

Yeah, I mean, if they did, they didn't come in here. She did say something that, like, was kinda, I didn't think it was odd in the moment, but I've been sitting here for, like, a couple hours, and so I've thought it was odd since, as I've mulled it over in my head, but she said, “They told me I'd be safe.” And I mean my initial response was no one's safe sweetheart, especially not pretty things with money. Believe me, I've bashed a man's face in for a few thousand otezas and he was a pretty thing. But I've had some time to ruminate as I sit in the sauna of this room. And who the fuck is they?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

It's a very good question Jackie.

Kenzie (Jack):

Alright well I don't know if Jackie is the right name but I appreciate the sentiment. Yeah so I think my ankle's fucked up but I can limp let's just get the fuck out of here

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well hold on, I need to check this place out. We're still looking for somebody else that might have gone down here.

Kenzie (Jack):

See, you gotta fucking save the day. I'm out. I mean, I'm in because I don't have a fucking way out of here right now. But I want you to know I don't agree. But alright.

April (Jo):

I’m sort of with Jack. Why do we need to find Zeb? He obviously is doing fine on his own.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Y'all don't have to stay if you don't want to.

April (Jo):

You know I'm not going to leave you. I just don't- I don't trust him. I- where is he?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

That's- that's what I'm trying to figure out, y'all!

April (Jo):

Alright. Jack. Here.

April:

Jo will like sort of take something to stabilize her ankle out of the first aid kit and like quickly wrap it. And then we'll like kind of stand close to her and be like,

April (Jo):

Be safe and please let me know when you get somewhere that's not this at some-

Kenzie (Jack):

All right. No, no, no. Okay. I see. If you're fucking staying here, I'm not fucking leaving. You just got to help me. All right.

Kenzie (GM):

And she kind of like throws her arm around, like up around your shoulder and it's like kind of picked up a little bit just in that simple act.

April:

Jo like kind of grins to herself and is like,

April (Jo):

It would be easier for me to carry you honestly but if you insist.

Kenzie (Jack):

I can walk on my own.

April (Jo):

Barely.

Kenzie (Jack):

Alright so I need I can walk on my own with a little bit of help you don't have to point out the semantics.

April (Jo):

Alright Mama which way are we going now?

Danielle:

So the only other door was that double door into the other storage room right?

Kenzie (GM):

As you get up to it you see that there is light, a little bit of dim light coming through it and you can hear some voices. But when you look through the door, you see that there are three people standing near each other in masks. These masks are black and gold. They cover every part of the face except for some holes for eyes. You see that there is a girl tied to a chair with something tied around her mouth like a gag. And then on the floor sitting with his hands tied, you see Zeb. But what you hear muffled through the door is,

Kenzie (Masked Individual #1):

Be patient. She'll come. We've got two things she loves now.

Kenzie (GM):

And then Zeb speaks up and says,

Kenzie (Zeb):

She knows I can handle myself.

Kenzie (GM):

And then one of the other people yells,

Kenzie (Masked Individual #2):

Shut up!

Kenzie (GM):

You hear and see this THWACK and a groan as they smack their hand across Zeb's face.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Delia and Zeb are literally in that room. Once we go in, we're charging in, y'all.

Atlas:

JJ will crack her neck and pull out her pistol.

April:

Jo is going to literally set Jack down and be like,

April (Jo):

I’m telling you right now. Stay in this room.

Kenzie (Jack):

Alright, well, let me just know- let me just tell you that-

April:

And then she's going to take out her blades, dagger, sword.

Kenzie (Jack):

Don't you- you don't have to threaten me about it, I get it. One of them has my gun.

April (Jo):

Do you know which one? That would be useful information.

Kenzie (Jack):

They're all wearing the fucking same mask. I was like delirious.

April (Jo):

Alright. Alright.

Kenzie (Jack):

I don't know, I don't have my gun anymore, so I assume one of them took it.

April (Jo):

I suppose this will be handy.

April:

And she takes out of her pocket the gadget that she made, which is a little steam bomb, which will fill the room with steam and make it very hard to see.

Danielle:

Once you bust through that door, Amoretta kind of wants to make room for Jo to launch that grenade first. And then her priority will be to grab the tied up people and get them out of the room.

Kenzie (GM):

So, Mama Ammoretta pushes the door open, Jo tosses the steam bomb in there, it hits the ground and it explodes on impact and fills the entire room with this almost like a little bit hot fog. And you hear some coughs, you hear some,

Kenzie (Masked Individual):

Fuck, fuck, what the fuck just happened?

Kenzie (GM):

But you can't see anything in this room anymore either, because it's filled with steam. You clocked where the chair was. So I say that when the steam explodes, you can rush in straight to that spot and you feel yourself having reached the chair, reached this girl and you hear like a muffled gasp through this gag as you kind of lay hands on her.

Danielle:

I think because, you know, there's a sword hidden in her cape. She would actually have whipped out her sword as she was rushing and have used that, feel for the binds and immediately slash them loose.

Kenzie (GM):

You can get this individual free from the binds, but as you do so, you feel a hand hit your back. You feel this pulse. You feel this like force wave jut into you as you are shoved feet away, almost like taking flight a little bit before you kind of stumble to your feet. That causes you to Stagger.

April:

Jo is going for the masked guys because I think she knows like mama's first priority is going to be to save and Jo is like, I'm ready to fight. I want to like distract as many of these masked guys as I can through like sword play or more like elaborate fights so that JJ can maybe get in or Zion or someone in my group can go in and get Zeb.

Kenzie (GM):

As you get closer, you can kind of see through this misty smoke a little bit and you see that the person that you're coming up to has a rapier out, but this rapier is sizzling with electricity up and down the blade. And there's a few moments and JJ, you can kind of see this light flashing through the mist of Jo attacking and you realize that she has pushed this individual away from Zeb. And Jo, while you're in this situation, you are able to hit in such a way with the dagger that you kind of crush their wrist and are able to take over that electrified rapier. But in doing so, in just the desperation of this fight and that it takes you more than it should take you to get this weapon from this individual, you are going to gain the angry condition.

Atlas:

JJ probably turns to Zion and goes,

Atlas (June July August):

Get Zeb.

Atlas:

And then is gonna go in and try to get one of the masked guys with like her pistol behind them.

Kenzie (GM):

So you kind of grab them around the back. This individual also has two arms out, you notice when you grab them and both of their hands are holding guns. One is obviously Jack’s. And you kind of incapacitate their arms here. As you do that, you hear a voice say,

Kenzie (Masked Individual):

You really shouldn't have done that. Now things are just going to get a lot worse for you.

Kenzie (GM):

And you hear another voice throughout the room, a masked figure that no one has gotten hands on yet.

Kenzie (Unidentified Voice):

Oh, didn’t realize we were throwing a whole party. Maybe we'll forgive the intrusion if you hand over the crystals that we asked for.

[ad break begins]

Kenzie:

Pardon the interruption, but here’s another show we think you’d like.

[train horn]

Narrator:

The Badlands. A truly god-forsaken place. You'd have to be crazy to leave the safety of Threed for its sands. Legend has it that beneath this blighted earth, something truly powerful lies dormant, calling out to any traveler brave... or desperate enough to listen. One day, aboard a doomed train into the waste, three strangers heed that call. A shape-shifting bounty hunter -

"Strangers gone by many names, friend."

Narrator:

- a runaway socialite -

"Alright, girl, well you just did your mascara so... no more crying for today."

Narrator:

- and a former thief turned family man.

"I promise I will be back and do my absolute best to write you."

Narrator:

Will our runaways find what they're looking for?

"I mean we're already here, let's have a little fun."

"You really went in there guns blazing."

"I thought that was the plan!"

"My potions are miraculous."

"I thought we were being quiet."

"Oh, Stuhmp only has one volume, sorry."

"Wild roses grow out of his mouth having filled his lungs."

"What's happening out there?"

“Violence!”

Narrator:

Find out on Mage Hand High Five, The Badlands. And just between you and me, they ain't got a chance in hell.

Kenzie:

You can find the links to this show in the description box below.

[ad break ends]

Kenzie (GM):

And in the opportunity that JJ has provided with grabbing this individual, Zion launches forward, but as he does so, the individual that JJ is holding kicks a foot out and Zion goes sprawling across the floor. And the momentum pushes JJ and she turns trying to keep her grasp on this person she's holding. And the same individual who just spoke says,

Kenzie (Unidentified Voice):

Truly a shame we didn't get to go on our date before I had to do this.

Kenzie (GM):

You see a surge of light through the crystal on a gloved hand shooting out and hitting JJ right in the center of her back. It's a green beam and JJ cries out silently, muscles slackening. The individual in her grasp starts to slip as she falls to the ground and they quickly get to their feet and run from the room. As this green light hits, you watch as JJ's skin lights up a sickly color as her body glows with this energy. You can see all of the veins, bones in her body before it fades and she falls limp onto the ground.

Kenzie (Zion):

JJ!

Kenzie (GM):

Zion yells and scrambles across the floor over to her. This masked individual moves the glove towards Zion.

Kenzie (Unidentified Voice):

Now, you’ve seen what I can do. So why don't you hand over what we asked for? Ah, I see. Or I see what I don't see, the lack of Miss Rose Weatherby. Which I assume means you also didn't bring our simple requests.

Kenzie (GM):

You can't see exactly where the eyes are directed, but you can see the head slowly swivel and take in the whole room.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

You step away from my kids, right now. If you know what’s good for you.

Kenzie (Unidentified Voice):

Oh, it’s an easy trade. Give me what I asked for and everybody can walk here free.

April:

Jo kind of shifts her electric rapier forward and takes a few slow steps forward.

Kenzie (GM):

You watch the glow of the crystal start to light up again as the hand moves towards you now.

April:

Jo puts her hands up.

April (Jo):

All right. We don't have it.

April:

She looks around with kind of a sly look.

April (Jo):

Can't we all just get along?

April:

She keeps stepping forward with her hands up, moving very slowly, keeping her eyes directly on the glowing of the crystals, examining it for any particular gaps in metal.

Kenzie (GM):

It is a fully gloved hand. There is not any skin protruding between the metal of the glove and the sleeve of this individual's. This looks like it's a completely arcane device. And she's like,

Kenzie (Unidentified Voice):

Oh, we started as friends. This lovely woman here -

Kenzie (GM):

And she gestures to Amoretta

Kenzie (Unidentified Voice):

- offered up the perfect weapon. Rose Weatherby. Rose, who had started asking too many questions. We could bank on the fact that she wouldn't go to the enforcers. She obviously doesn't trust them seeing as she hired you all. Though I will admit, we didn't bank on her running to you for this.

Kenzie (GM):

As she says this, one hand goes to the mask and she pushes it up to the top of her head and you see the face of Tressa. And you just hear Jack go,

Kenzie (Jack):

If I didn't already have trust issues before.

Kenzie (GM):

And Tressa says,

Kenzie (Tressa):

If it helps, it was only a lie in the end.

Kenzie (Jack):

Betrayal is also a hard subject, so not really.

April (Jo):

Yeah, she's pretty sensitive about it.

Kenzie (Jack):

Alright.

Kenzie (Tressa):

I have to thank you for your help though. Cause you're such a good distraction. Jack's been off her game.

Danielle:

Would you say that if I were to raise my cane and then quickly slide out the sheath and basically knock them upside the head to quickly knock them unconscious?

Kenzie (GM):

You're going to roll Defy Disaster to try to avoid negative repercussions of her acting first.

Danielle:

That's a five.

Kenzie (GM):

You see her clock your movement so quickly, duck and shoot another beam out directly towards Jo. But as she kind of moved to duck your thing and shot at the same time, Jo, you feel a searing burn through the skin of your bicep. You just smell burning and you can see that your shirt has been, the sleeve has been ripped. It like, cauterized as it went.

April (Jo):

Ah! Shit!

Kenzie (Tressa):

I said, we could all go free. No one has to fight here. I just need what I asked for.

April (Jo):

I told you we don't have it.

Kenzie (Tressa):

Well, I think it was pretty stupid of you then, showing up here without it.

April:

Jo continues to sort of get closer to Tressa.

April (Jo):

I suppose now we know that Rose doesn't care for her sister, but…

April:

And then she glances over at the struggle happening between Delia and the other person.

April (Jo):

Do you care for anyone on your team?

April:

And changes her sword stance from a defensive one towards Tressa to an active one towards the struggle.

Kenzie (GM):

There’s a slow, menacing smile. Smirk more like.

Kenzie (Tressa):

They knew what they got into when they signed up for this. Please. Do what you have to.

April:

Jo smirks, drops into a roll to get behind the person in a mask. She tries to get the, like a slice.

Kenzie (GM):

Roll me a Fight roll.

April:

I got an eight.

Kenzie (GM):

I think because you got hit, you will take a condition. I think maybe guilty. No one needed to get hurt here today if you had just followed what was asked in that ransom note. And now JJ's on the ground, you've been hurt, Zeb has been hurt, Jack has been hurt. You're inflicting a condition. I think that this individual will be frightened as well as you like draw blood from their arm as you slice it open and slash at them. And in that process, you're able to kind of like pull Delia up from the chair that she was sat in and her bindings kind of fall to the ground and she like rips the the bind from her mouth and you can see that her face is streaked with tears and she looks scared but like also out of sorts.

April:

As Jo slashes at the individual holding Delia, she manages to pull her out of their grasp and away. As she pulls Delia away, she pulls her in into a protective stance. Jo's frame is much taller and broader than hers. And as she tucks her in on one side, she points her electric rapier down at the individual on the ground who is now cowering in fear and without looking away from him or from them she whispers to Delia,

April (Jo):

I’ve got you, don't worry.

Kenzie (GM):

I need you to roll Entice.

April:

Okay, that's just a plus zero, but I still got an eight.

Kenzie (GM):

You get a string on Delia. As you do that, Jack strides forward, elbows the person in the mask on the ground in the face, grabs her gun, points it up towards Tressa, and says,

Kenzie (Jack):

What the fuck are you up to? This can't be sanctioned by the Roses. Why attack their own?

Kenzie (Tressa):

The roses are small fish, Jack, small and inconsequential.

Kenzie (GM):

And you see that she has stopped pointing her hands in attack and has put them up as if to surrender.

Kenzie (Tressa):

We were home free at the start, but there was a missing piece, something integral. But we couldn't get back into the lab and I will say, she wasn't meant to die, truly, but it might have worked out for the best. Because if we had taken what she so fiercely kept protected, she’d want it back. It would have been too risky. But I had to get back into the lab, Jack. And you were my way in. The damn crystals still weren't there. And I thought that if anybody would know where they would have been, it would have been Rose.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

She didn't know nothing about her mother's projects. You're just barking up the wrong tree for no reason. Now look what you got yourself into. Who is interested in what was done? Might as well tell us now.

Danielle:

She’s gonna keep an eye on those gloves, and if they start glowing up, I want Amaretta to try and react. Redirect the glove towards Tressa's own face.

Kenzie (GM):

As she scans the room and realizes that one of her people have run, the other two are incapacitated. She now has Zeb, Mom Amoretta, Jo, and Jack all aggressive towards her.

Kenzie (Tressa):

I don't think I expected to be able to mater myself so soon. And you watch the gloves begin to glow.

April (Jo):

Oh, for fuck's sake.

April:

And I just take Delia and I roll her and protect her with my own body.

Kenzie (GM):

Mama Amoretta lunges out as her gloves begin to glow, grabs one hand and shoves it back on towards her face as it blasts into her face. The other one rockets up into the corner of a room as she begins to fall backwards onto the ground. This gives Jo time to hurry Delia out of this room. And Mama Amoretta, you are now standing above this individual sword cane out at the ready if need be. And you see that like almost a green shadow of her hand is emblazoned on her own face. The mask has clattered off into the corner. You see her chest is like very slowly rising and you hear rattling breaths.

Danielle:

She’s gonna point the sword directly at her throat. And also probably because I can remove, I'm removing those gloves. Gloves have been confiscated. You cannot be trusted with no gloves.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

So I think we have an understanding here, Tressa, I'm real disappointed in you right now. Now, I know someone that could get you fixed up.

Kenzie (Tressa):

(coughs)

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

And if you'd prefer to not be left in the state that you're in, miserable as it is, you could help us. Or you can continue to martyr yourself like you want it.

Kenzie (GM):

With the barest amount of strength she has left, kind of pulls herself up a little bit so that she can look you more directly in the eye.

Kenzie (Tressa):

You cannot defeat the faceless.

Kenzie (GM):

And she grabs your sword and plunges it into her throat.

Danielle:

She’ll just sink it in.

Kenzie (GM):

The smoke bomb that Jo had originally thrown out has mostly dissipated just hanging now low on the ground. Jack has quickly followed Jo and Delia out into the larger storage room and Zeb has followed as well. And Mama Amoretta as you turn around you watch Zion scoop JJ's limp form up into his arms.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Let's get everyone to the clinic.

Kenzie (Zion):

Yeah, um, she needs help as fast as she can. She's still breathing though.

Kenzie (GM):

There are some people looking warily at you and your disheveled nature. The unconscious body in somebody's arms, the bruised and bloody Jack. You notice as you get closer to the lobby in the atrium that there are glaring lights flashing through the windows of enforcers' cars. You also see enforcers in uniform have fanned out in the lobby seemingly asking questions, inquiring at the front desk.

And Mama, you see Captain Slate standing tall and proud in the middle of the fray. And as you walk forward, he notices you in turns, crossing his arms over his chest, and waits for you to get close enough to speak. This is a man that you have encountered previously in your investigations. It's hard to completely avoid the enforcers in your line of work.

Danielle:

Amoretta will just say,

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Good, I was just about to call y’all.

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

Once again, Miss Voronov, I don't know why you continue to work against us. We were on the same side on this one and now it looks like one of yours is hurt.

Kenzie (GM):

Looks over your shoulder to where Zion is holding. JJ.

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

There are medics outside.

Kenzie (GM):

And as he nods towards the door, Zion just immediately goes.

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

We've helped each other before, right? I see what you do and I understand. But you have to stop meddling in enforcer business.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Unfortunately, my client was rather insistent on privacy and the matter was rather close to the Weatherby estate so… as you can see, my hands were tied and I was just trying to do my business, Officer, same as you.

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

Miss Weatherby seems to have come to her senses and given us a call herself. Sorry we didn't show up in time, but we'll take it from here?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

It's alright. You got two suspects down there and a dead body.

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

Should I ask? Or should I assume... self-defense?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Definitely self-defense.

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

That's what I thought you'd say. Alright, we'll take it from here.

Kenzie (GM):

And he starts motioning other enforcers down the hallway towards the way that you all came.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Yeah, thank you, sir. Really.

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

Just watch yourself.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

You too. Be safe now.

Kenzie (GM):

You continue out the front of the station and coming out the front doors you're blinded by these flashing lights, ears overwhelmed by the sirens. You can see Zion laying JJ on a stretcher and climbing into the back of an emergency van. You know where they're going. Everybody up here goes to Heatherfield Medical. It's where Antonio is officially employed. And while you're not sure if he's on duty at the hospital this evening, it's the closest place for JJ to go. But as you walk out, you also hear

Kenzie (Rose Weatherby):

Thank God, I'm so glad you're all right.

Kenzie (GM):

And Rose is trying to force her way past an enforcer. And she pushes past and just flies into Zeb, hugging him hard. You see him wince at how strong she has hugged him.

April:

I think Jo glances at Delia, noticing that Rose did not run to her sister.

Kenzie (GM):

I need you to roll figure out a person. You can use the string to add plus three because you also have a negative for your condition. You have a negative two to figure you out because of your condition.

April:

It’s a nine.

April (Jo):

How could I get you to safety?

Kenzie (GM):

You watch her wipe the tears from her cheeks.

Kenzie (Delia Weatherby):

Think that you already have, but I know what you mean. I guess… my apartment's not the best state right now if I'm remembering correctly. So I guess my only option is a family house. I don't really have anywhere else to go.

Kenzie (GM):

And she is not making eye contact with you. She was looking at the sidewalk, eyes kind of darting around as she's thinking through this.

April:

Jo examines her face, looks around at the flashing lights trying to get photographs of the upset Delia and feels a wave of protection. She looks over at Rose who's holding Zeb with not even a tear for her own sister who almost died and Jo looks at her and says,

April (Jo):

How would you feel if I gave you somewhere to go?

Kenzie (GM):

She watches you look towards her sister and she says

Kenzie (Delia):

I didn't think that she would send for me. I told them that I was the wrong leverage I don't need a hug from her. I appreciate the offer, but I think maybe there are some things that need to be reconciled.

April (Jo):

Well if things don't go the way you planned, my apartment isn't much either, but you have another place to go. You have options.

Kenzie (Delia):

You're kind to somebody you don't even know.

April (Jo):

I know what it's like to grieve in public and I know what it's like to see your family pretend you don't exist.

Kenzie (GM):

She looks up at you and she says,

Kenzie (Delia):

How would you feel if I -

Kenzie (GM):

She kind of stops herself. And she’s shorter than you so she lifts herself up onto her tiptoes and plants a kiss on your cheek.

Kenzie (Delia):

Thank you. Zeb was more like her brother than I ever was her sister so she is consoling family. I’ll be fine. I always am.

April (Jo):

It’s a good motto to have.

Kenzie (GM):

Rose does, eventually, make sure Zeb is fully okay and walk over. And there's like a moment of hesitation where it looks like she was about to grab Delia in the same way that she grabbed Zeb. And then you watch her like put her hands at her sides and then move them to the front of her body and just start playing with her fingers.

Kenzie (Rose):

Well, you're alright then?

Kenzie (Delia):

I’m always okay. Thank you.

Kenzie (GM):

And there's just a field of tension between them, of uncertainty and a little bit of distrust.

April:

Jo looks at Rose and like feels this tension and while she knows that you can't get in family business and that it's between the two of them and she knows all of this, she can't help but look between Delia's very disheveled state and Rose's pretty put together one. The only tears on her face shed for someone else.

April (Jo):

Quite a warm greeting for your own blood. But she is, alright. Thanks to me.

April:

And she shoots a grin at Delia.

Kenzie (Rose):

I did want to thank you all for helping me. You did more than I hired you to do. You got a confession?

April (Jo):

We did.

Kenzie (Rose):

Good. And you saved my sister, in the end.

April (Jo):

Of course. Anytime.

Kenzie (Rose):

How about we don't do it again.

April (Jo):

I’d prefer it. Now, if you'd excuse me. I'd like to get the rest of my family to safety.

Kenzie (Rose):

Please, of course.

April (Jo):

Are you coming?

April:

And as she looks to Delia and it's much gentler.

Kenzie (Delia):

Thank you for the offer. Truly, but -

Kenzie (GM):

She glances at Rose.

Kenzie (Delia):

I think we need to talk. And I know that if I don't do it now, I will never do it.

April (Jo):

Fair enough. You know where to find me, if you ever want to.

April:

She sort of gives like a nod, bow thing to both of them.

Kenzie (GM):

Before Rose had walked towards Jo and her sister, she had been right next to you with Zeb and had turned to you and had said,

Kenzie (Rose):

Thank you so much for everything you've done for my family. I- I came into all this not knowing you at all, and to be honest I was little skeptical, but I shouldn't have been. You were nothing but kind to me and trustworthy from the start, and thank you, truly.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

You know, just doing my job, but I think you should try and make good on this chance to reconnect with your sister, cause, you know, all you got is each other now. But, make sure y'all get to the hospital first.

Danielle:

She says “you” when she looks at Zeb.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

You and-

Kenzie (Zeb):

I don't know what you're talking about, I'm fine!

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

You literally got slapped upside the face and that seemed like something that-

Kenzie (Zeb):

I also think that I might have a broken rib.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Yeah, no, go to the hospital for that. That could end up puncturing a lung or something and you don't want none of that.

April (Jo):

Wait, where's Jack?

Kenzie (GM):

Jack is nowhere to be seen.

April:

Jo just rubs her face and says,

April (Jo):

Well… got a bloody arm that’s barely working right now so I'll follow you.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

You need to get that checked out. Just ‘cause it stopped bleeding, doesn't mean you can't get infected.

April (Jo):

You're always worried about infections, Mama. I don't think I've ever had anything get infected.

Kenzie (GM):

You both get into Mama's car that's parked on the curb where you left it when you pulled up earlier that day. Weaving through the enforcer cars that are parked all along the street, away from the sirens and the flashing lights, chests still heaving with the adrenaline of the fight, towards the hospital in Nova, where you know that JJ will be.

And you have once again solved another case. But this time, opened up whole new mystery.

Kenzie: This series stars Kenzie Tartaglione as the Game Master, Atlas Mathews as JJ August, Danielle Halen as Mama Amoretta, and April Consalo as Joanna Gilmore. With Michelle Kelly performing our episode recaps. You can help us out by listening and sharing, rating and reviewing, or coming over to our Discord. Also, you can join our Patreon to get access to our episode talkbacks and more. We want to start the new year off right with a little gratitude brought to you by a queer call that has been a long time coming. Queer call is the part of the show where we specifically take a moment to thank out patrons over on our Patreon for helping us make the pod. So, thank you so much to Brooke Fazakerley, Burke, Cheryl, Cristina, David Grzesik, Guggy, Riley Maness, Rowan M, Sky Ray, Lala West, and Jordan Vandiver. You guys are key to us making this show and thank you so much for the support over the years! We hope to make 2025 even better!

Meet your hosts:

Kenzie Tartaglione

Creator/Producer

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