S3 E10: Brawl at the Neon Star

Michelle Kelly:

In the aftermath of a troubling night at the Arclight, Lamplight Investigative Services upgrade their unofficial investigation of the goings-on during the Night of Gilded Birds into an official investigation. Mama Amoretta finds herself at the Cypher City Clinic, haunted by the ghost of a previous case that may be connected to the new runic language Yarrow discovered, while Jo rendezvous with Yarrow to discuss whether or not Arthur is a figure they should be trusting. Joining forces, the two young women find themselves on Arthur's doorsteps, only to discover the Wetherby name is involved yet again.

Kenzie Tartaglione (Game Master):

As the afternoon rolls on, clouds begin to roll in. At first just covering the sun, then turning gray, and now growing darker and darker, the impending night storm bringing a chill to the air of the city. You've been gathering leads, all seeming to drag each of you in a different direction, pulling your resources tight across Cypher and Nova. But you have one job to focus on right now. Rosalind Glynne, hired you to find out who had ruined the art that was to be presented at the night of Gilded Birds. You push back your other theories, the moving runes, the missing crystals, lingering in the background, the masks of the Faceless. For that one job, you have had one lead. A paint store that a little artist boy pointed you toward that night.

You find the street you were directed to by the young boy. There's a shop with glass windows in the front through which you rows and rows of art supplies. Neon star, the name buzzing in a neon pink and yellow sign above the door. You stand across the street, mama's car parked farther away, cars passing by as the streetlights begin to slowly flicker to life.

Danielle Halen:

Amoretta’s gonna lean on her cane a little bit and look to the other two and say.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Now remember we're gonna want to be searching for a paint brand with the letter G. I think we don't want to be wasting too much time here. Otherwise they might get ideas that we're trying to do something besides purchase artwork, which technically we are. But might get the wrong kind of idea.

Atlas Mathews:

I think JJ's like, not not being obvious. She's not trying to be obvious, but she just keeps looking at Jo and then be like,

Atlas (June July August):

I don't -

Atlas:

Turning away suddenly and then looking back at Jo and then being like,

Atlas (JJ):

I don't know, we're going to go to a paint store and we're going to look for a G.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

And if y'all want to have a conversation, I recommend you to take it outside.

April Consalo (Joanna Gilmore):

Oh, I don't have anything to say.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Of course.

April (Jo):

: Do you?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Nope! Well, of course, y’all don’t.

Danielle:

And she'll just walk across the street.

Atlas:

I think JJ like opens her mouth when Mama says, do you have anything to say? And then Jo says no, and she just kind of closes her mouth.

Atlas (JJ):

Yeah. (Clears throat)

Atlas:

And is walking but is in the back of everybody.

April:

I think Jo kind of like glances over her shoulder and is like,

April (Jo):

: You all right? Did you sleep well?

Atlas (JJ):

I guess. What about you?

April (Jo):

: Me.

Atlas (JJ):

You disappeared and we didn't know where you were and I- that's always something that I don't like.

April (Jo):

: JJ, were you worried about me?

Atlas (JJ):

People were worried about you and I mean you could have just been at your apartment.

April (Jo):

: I do have one of those, yes.

Atlas:

And think JJ will drop her voice.

Atlas (JJ):

We both know how often either of us is at our apartment.

April (Jo):

: It's just, you know, it seemed like recently you needed your own space, so...

Atlas (JJ):

I could say the same for you. Which is... maybe why I was worried.

April (Jo):

: Well, I can take care of myself.

Atlas (JJ):

That’s not (groans).

April (Jo):

: You know, I always wanted to be a painter.

Kenzie (GM):

As Mama pushes the door in and you follow a little bell dings announcing your entrance. The inside is filled with stacks of art supplies arranged in neat rows on metal shelves. The walls covered in hanging things, paper to canvas, paint brushes to inks. You make your way towards where it looks like the paint supplies are located and doing a quick periphery. There's a few different brands here, but not many and only one with a G: Gattersole.

Atlas (JJ):

I think this is it.

April:

I think Jo picks one up and examines it and is like,

April (Jo):

: Gattersole. It's kind of a mouthful.

Atlas (JJ):

I don't think you're supposed to eat it.

April:

I think that that stupid Jo kind of breaks through something and she looks at JJ and grins and then takes the screw top part of the paint tube and puts that in her mouth to carry one away, just between her teeth.

Kenzie (GM):

You hear heavy footballs coming down the middle aisle of the store from the back. A face appears around the corner who looks to be a middle-aged man, pot-belly, ginger mutton chops that cover skin that looks more scaly than fleshy. He wears a blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and has an off-white apron on it that's covered in paint stains and the like.

Kenzie (Shop Owner):

(Clears throat) Hello! Anything I can help you with?

April:

Jo drops the paint tube out from between her teeth into her hand.

Kenzie (GM):

You watch his eyes follow that movement.

April (Jo):

: We’re doing okay, actually. We found what we needed quite swiftly. So thank you for having an organized shop.

Kenzie (Shop Owner):

I pride myself on it

Atlas (JJ):

I was actually, I have a question. You seem like you might know something about painting.

Kenzie (Shop Owner):

I do indeed.

Atlas (JJ):

Excellent. I have just started a new work and I was thinking… so I broke my - I broke my watch the other day and there was some crystals in there and they glowed with this like very, it was, I don't know. It's, it's very difficult to describe, which is why I was thinking about mixing, perhaps with some paint. I was just wondering if you knew anything about, do you have to - is it like watercolor where you have to like grind it or is there - has it been done? Ooh! Maybe I'm on the verge? They never think I'm on the verge. I'm always on the verge.

Kenzie (Shop Owner):

I don’t make a habit of getting involved in crystal work.

Atlas (JJ):

Do you - is there anyone else that works here that might know a thing or two?

Kenzie (Shop Owner):

Just me. Store runs in my family.

Atlas (JJ):

This stores run by -? That is amazing! You keep it immaculate. I simply I could not even - I could not even imagine running this up by yourself.

Danielle:

Amoretta will pick up, guess, a few bottles of the paint from that brand and bring it up to the counter.

Kenzie (GM):

He walks behind it. There's a little swinging, like half swinging door to enter behind the counter. And you lay them all out in his kind of thick, meaty fingers, pass over them, flipping them over to see the colors.

Kenzie (Shop Owner):

Not to guess anybody's hobbies but none of you really seem like the painting type to me.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well, it's a gift from my daughter. She's the artist. And she's real particular about the paint she kind of likes.

April (Jo):

: She loves this brand in particular. Is it popular?

Kenzie (GM):

He slowly brings the paints closer to like write down like the little number on them for inventory reasons.

Kenzie (Shop Owner):

Well, that’s interesting to hear.

April (Jo):

: Why?

Kenzie (Shop Owner):

This brand is new on the market, there's not really any way somebody could already like it like that, I suppose.

April (Jo):

: I believe that she just tried it the other day and just immediately thought this is my new favorite.

Atlas (JJ):

She's verging as well.

April (Jo):

: Yes.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well, I mean, she usually has a habit before committing to some kind of painting to just try and get some test tubes out. So I imagine she just liked this brand a lot and said, get more. I mean, she just told me to get more of this brand. I don't, like I said, I ain't no artist. She seemed to really like it. I didn't know this was new. How new is this?

Kenzie (GM):

He has these reading glasses hanging around his neck from a silver chain and he looks up and pulls them up onto the edge of his nose, appraising you all.

Kenzie (Shop Owner):

I've also never seen the likes of you in my store before.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Like I said, my daughter usually gets this stuff. I'm just doing her a little gift today. Thought I might surprise her.

Kenzie (Shop Owner):

Alright.

Kenzie (GM):

Continues writing the rest of the numbers down.

Kenzie (Shop Owner):

What type of painting does your daughter do?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I mean, she kinda does all sorts of stuff. She does lot of landscaping, portraiture. She does, I mean, like I said, most of this stuff's beyond me, but a lot of pretty landscapes, a lot of pretty faces.

Kenzie (Shop Owner):

Alright, sounds interesting.

Kenzie (GM):

And he pulls out a little paper bag and drops the paints in.

Kenzie (Shop Owner):

Alrighty.

Kenzie (GM):

On a little calculating machine, types in some numbers, presses a button, you hear a click and some paper feeding through and he says,

Kenzie (Shop Owner):

That’s gonna be thirty otezas for the lot of it.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Thank you so much, I don’t know if you’ve got any other recommendations. I know this brands kind of new and everything. But I guess my daughter got her hands on it somehow. I don’t know how she gets most of this stuff.

Kenzie (Shop Owner):

This is actually not one of the brands that I really do recommend a lot for specific things. Sawyer is a better brand for just in general painting.

April (Jo):

: Do you have any complaints with this brand in particular?

Kenzie (Shop Owner):

None that have been formally lodged to me directly. Have you had issues with the paint? I'd like to know so I can fix the problem.

Atlas (JJ):

The only experience we have with it is what, Mama's daughter has said and she loves it. So if anything, we are here to sing praises. However, maybe I will get a tube of Sawyer paint from my... vergining.

April (Jo):

: Is that what that means?

Atlas (JJ):

I don't know.

Kenzie (GM):

JJ, can you read the mask as you lie to this man?

Atlas:

That’s seven plus one, eight.

Kenzie (Shop Owner):

Well, I love to help out new artists here. That's what a lot of my work is doing. So, why don't I throw these in on the house for ya?

Kenzie (GM):

And he brings out three little wooden campuses for you as well.

Kenzie (Shop Owner):

Alrighty, that'll come to 12 otezas.

Atlas (JJ):

Thank you so much, and I'm really sorry, I get nervous. It was very, very nice to meet you.

Atlas:

And JJ just puts on an entirely different - entire posture changes.

Atlas (JJ):

I’m - thank you. I get - you know, when you're starting something new and you want to seem like you know what you're doing and it's just - thank you.

Atlas:

And she'll pay and take the bag.

Atlas (JJ):

And if I have any questions, what's your name again?

Kenzie (Shop Owner):

The name’s Ora Mills.

Atlas (JJ):

Pleasure to meet you again.

Kenzie (GM):

As Mama had turned as JJ was buying stuff, you see that there are three individuals across the street that are very obviously watching this place of business.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Hey, sir? Are you- do you have people who tend to loiter this place a lot? Because I think you got three of them across the street.

Kenzie (GM):

His back has turned at this point as he’s organizing a shelf behind the counter. And as you say that, he pauses.

Kenzie (Ora):

They're not here for me.

Atlas (JJ):

I don't like what you just said, sir.

Kenzie (GM):

He kind of slowly turns his head to look over his shoulder.

Kenzie (Ora):

You have funny stories and you ask questions. It's not my fault. They said nobody would find out. They promised, but apparently somebody found out.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well, it is your fault if you’re a fucking snitch.

Kenzie (GM):

And you watch him reach across the counter and he grabs this pair of scissors and he turned around to you.

Kenzie (Ora):

It was a test to see if it would work, to see if they could shape it to their needs. If you're here asking questions, I assume it worked.

Kenzie (GM):

And then he dashes out, slams open the swinging door and threw a door into the back of the shop. It's another swinging door that swings wide and open as he runs. And you see the three people across the road start slowly walking towards the entrance across the street.

Danielle:

Amoretta is gonna turn to one of them and say,

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

One of you call the Enforcers right now. Send them after that man that’s running off. Right now, we’ve got a situation on our hands. Let’s see if we can get outside, get in our car, and if we can’t we’ve gotta fight on our hands.

Atlas:

JJ will go call the Enforcers.

Danielle:

Amoretta in her old age. The cane sword is maybe a bit for show, maybe a bit for also practical use. She can try run after the guy. She's not nearly as fast as the other two. She'd have better luck in her car, but she doesn't know where he'd be going at that point. So I think given the circumstances, knowing that these two are possibly in danger with the three approaching, her priority is making sure that Jo and JJ are gonna make it out okay, and that the Enforcers, at least with an identifying face and features, are able to track this guy down.

April:

Draws her sword, gets her dagger out of her boot and puts it in her belt.

Kenzie (GM):

JJ, I'll say that you, as you scramble around this store, it doesn't look like there's a phone out in the front of the store. So you go into the back and rushing into this back room, it looks like extra stock: box piles, some shelving. There's light in here, but it's not immediately apparent that this light isn't coming from the lanterns as per usual in shops. And you kind of like stop, you see a door on the back open, that's like, it's been pushed open. You see that there is a phone like right to your left on the inside wall, but the light in this room is pulsing. A color for glow emanating from the walls. And as you look painted across the surface in a rainbow of colors are those strange ruins that keep coming back around.

Out in the front as one of the individuals brings out this device in their hand, like clicks it together, whips it apart, throws it under their feet, jumps on, and a hoverboard lifts them up and over the top of the art store, and the other two continue forward.

Atlas:

I don't know if JJ would call the Enforcers upon discovering that this would be the biggest lead we have had thus far in anything that we have done. Also, she doesn't like ‘em. Check out the back door, can I still see the guy that's running?

Kenzie (GM):

You run over to that back door and you see that he has backed himself against the brick wall behind him and he's looking up and you can see hovering, starting to come down into this short alleyway, is somebody on a hoverboard. Their face is covered by a white and gold mask.

Atlas (JJ):

What the fuck is that? Who the fuck are you? What the fuck is going on?

Kenzie (GM):

You watch as his handle on the scissors flexes and there's a click and the metal moves clicking out of place and coming apart so that he's wielding two short swords, the end of which are still like scissors in his fingers.

Atlas (JJ):

This isn't what people mean by scissor.

Kenzie (GM):

In the front, those two have walked across the street and as they get into the light of the art store shop and the neon sign out front, you can see pink and yellow glinting off white masks.

I’m going to have you roll a defy disaster.

Danielle:

So, that’s a seven.

Kenzie (GM):

I think that you can do this but you're not sure if they're gonna get there in time to attack you before you complete the task.

Jo, what are you doing in this time as mama kind of rushes to the door to start putting the paints down?

April:

I have like this little medallion amongst my normal necklaces and I like press a little button on it and it expands into this like wide circle that's almost like almost like a breastplate sort of thing. It doesn't cover my whole chest but it covers my heart and that's really the and I like kind of tuck it slightly into my shirt.

Kenzie (GM):

And they open the door and come inside. And one of them rips open a sword that is electrified like we've seen before. And the other one pulls out a very much hacked and changed revolver. The sword is pointed outwards towards Jo and the revolver is pointed outwards towards Mama. And the one with the electric sword whip it up and across Mama's side. And Mama, you feel this burn and this searing of heat as your side is split open from the sword. But it's not bleeding because it's immediately cauterized as the sword goes through it.

April:

I think as the one raises their gun hand, Jo has already launched her dagger directly at their hand.

Kenzie (GM):

Roll me a fight.

April:

That’s an eight. I want to create an opportunity for an ally.

Kenzie (GM):

As you throw your dagger, the gun is being brought up and your dagger like hits right in the hands of this individual and the gun, they almost fling it away as they try to get out of the dagger's path. They drop it and it skitters over across the floor next to one of the metal shelves that is fairly close to Mama who would be able to just very swiftly sweep it up off the ground. You hear from behind this mask, as they kind of get over the fact that they've lost their weapon and kind of hunch their shoulders.

Kenzie (Faceless):

<p You too scared to fight that you're doing it from so far away?

Kenzie (GM):

And they start bearing down on you and they're gonna take a string on you.

April:

Jo just rolls her shoulders back and she's like,

April (Jo):

: Well come closer then.

Kenzie (GM):

Outside in the back the hoverboard is slowly descending and while Aura has these two swords out, one towards you, one up towards the sky, you also see that he is terrified.

Kenzie (Ora):

No! Please! I did what she asked of me! I believe. I believe.

Atlas:

Can I throw my shoe at the guy and try to knock him off the hoverboard?

Kenzie (GM):

Yes, please roll me a fight.

Atlas:

That’s two fives and plus one, so 11. So I get something, he gets an opportunity and then they have a condition.

Kenzie (GM):

You take off your platform and you chuck it up into the sky and it hits the edge of the hoverboard and shoots it out from underneath the individual standing on it. And the hoverboard stays hovering, but the person falls backwards off of it and tumbles. And you watch as they kind of hit the side of their head against a railing on nearby fire escape until they fall to the ground, kind of in a crumpled heap. As they're distracted in that, Ora looks at you, hesitates, and then takes off to the right, starts running down this alleyway. The individual who'd been crumpled on the ground you watch, like, start to move. And I've interpreted this a little bit jankily, because you don't necessarily get this thing from them, but you have taken it from them. In the sense, as they pick themselves up, you watch porcelain pieces of this mask that has been cracked upon getting hit on the side of a building drop to the ground and as they kind of put their hands over their face for a second and let out a cry of pain and like trying to scramble to get the rest of it off, as you can see it's kind of dug into portions of their skin.

JJ, you stand there in shock looking at the face of a ghost, light blue skin, blonde mullet, eyes a very familiar shape to yours looking at the face of a girl whose picture last smiled up at you from the obituary section of The Nbebula. The face of someone who you left when you ran away. The face of someone you most recently saw in a nightmare. April August.

Atlas (JJ):

I… I'm... my god, I threw you into the side of a building!

Kenzie (GM):

As you speak and her eyes kind of connect with yours, there is a snarl of anger on her face and there is no recognition in her eyes.

Atlas (JJ):

I'm sorry, I... Do you not? First of all, stay down! You just got launched into the side of a building! Are you... You're trying to stand up, you're trying to... Of course you're... It's you, so of course you're... Why are you trying to kill... Well, I guess I never saw you try to kill, but he was really scared. You... I don't like this.

Kenzie (GM):

Slowly drags her leg up so that she can like kneel and push herself up and from beneath this like cloak of a jacket she has on, she pulls out this blade that is like jagged edged and also shining a light blue and she whips it towards you and like kind of directs you towards the wall and says,

Kenzie (April August):

Stay.

Atlas (JJ):

I am older than you, first of all. Second of all,

Kenzie (GM):

And she shoves you and the blade goes right under your throat at your neck.

Atlas (JJ):

I don't have anything else to say!

Kenzie (April August):

Stay!

Kenzie (GM):

And she turns and runs after or Ora Mills.

Back inside, we have an individual clomping towards Jo and Mama, you saw the revolver slide across the floor and land pretty close to you if you wanted to grab it.

Danielle:

So she'll just pick up that revolver and just chuckle before turning it towards the unarmed motherfucker and being like,

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I appreciate you giving me a helping hand.

Danielle:

And she will fire into the back of their thigh so that they cannot run, they cannot walk.

Kenzie (GM):

Alrighty, roll me a fight.

Danielle:

That's a two.

Kenzie (GM):

I don't think Mama is unskilled in guns, but I don't think that they're her preferred weapon of choice.

Danielle:

She’s also in kind of a world of pain right now.

Kenzie (GM):

And so you kind of like try to quickly whip around to shoot and your side just shooting pain through your entire core and your arm just kind of drops. Luckily though, the other individual with the sword who's coming in through the door, boots steps on the paint, just perfect physical comedy. Heel slides up, falls, flips right onto his back and slams his head against the closing door.

April:

Jo doesn't even flinch when mama shoots at the approaching assailant. She's ready for a fight. She's been itching for one actually for a while. And with just a huge grin, she cracks all of her knuckles with each of their metal rings and just goes in for like a brawl essentially.

Kenzie (GM):

I want you to roll a defy disaster.

April:

Got an eight.

Kenzie (GM):

Jo enters absolute brawl hand-on-hand combat with this other individuals. Punches are being thrown from both sides, kicks, and a lot of them are hitting. Jo, you are getting bruised and bloodied, but so is this other individual. Mama, as that is happening, what is your reaction to this other individual who's like slowly picking themselves up off the ground, paint covering their clothes and sword still in their hands, electrified.

Danielle:

Is there a way that like, because they're on the floor still, is there a way that Amoretta can like kick them upside the head so that they get knocked out?

Kenzie (GM):

As they see what you're gonna do, quickly out of their mouth,

Kenzie (Faceless):

<p Go ahead, kill me. Another face will just take my place soon.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I ain't killing you yet.

Danielle:

And then just kicks them upside the head.

Kenzie (GM):

And you hear like a crack as your boot collides with the side of their face. And it doesn't break entirely, but there's a sliver of a crack in their mask.

Danielle:

Once we're done with that fight, I'm gonna take one of those masks as evidence.

Atlas:

She’s gonna look up, she’s gonna look where they just ran off to, she’ll look back to where she came from. What do I see?

April:

Jo has really been needing a fight and she's just like throwing her whole self into it. Her sword literally just at her side. She's been needing to be hit to like feel the like bodily contact sort of deal and she's sweating, the blood is pumping, she's like pinning this person down and they're like rolling together and then the assailant gets an advantage and slams her up against the wall. And in that moment, both of their chests heaving together.

April (Jo):

: Wow. Quite good at that.

Kenzie (GM):

You see like their head move like they're taken aback by this sudden switch in direction.

Kenzie (Faceless):

<p Yeah, good at lot of things.

Kenzie (GM):

They're gonna take your hands and spin you around and press them into your lower back and shove you up against the metal shelving so that your face is now kind of smashed into it.

April:

Jo kind of like lets out a grunt as her face gets slammed into the wall, licks her bottom lip and realizes it's bleeding and then just grins.

I think I want to use one of my moves which is Repartee which is when you figure out a person during a physical conflict.

Kenzie (GM):

Alright, well then I need you to roll to Figure Out this Person.

April:

Four. Ask the extra question for repartee, right? Because it says even on a six or less, I get to ask one of these questions.

Kenzie (GM):

Yeah.

April (Jo):

: Where did you learn to fight?

Kenzie (Faceless):

<p I was self-taught.

Kenzie (GM):

And you're shoved again into the metal casing.

Atlas:

Can I throw my other shoe?

Kenzie (GM):

Crashes into the metal casing right next to where Jo is being shoved up against and the masked individual turns to look at you giving Jo a bit of an opening.

April:

Jo takes her sword out with one hand and with her other hand grabs the back of the masked person's hair and then flips her into the position that Jo was just in, except that she has the sword blade pressed against the back of her neck, just enough that she can feel it. She's not trying to actively harm this person.

Kenzie (Faceless):

<p I thought we were getting somewhere, doll.

April (Jo):

: I don't know, kind of like this better. JJ? How's it going over there?

Atlas (JJ):

I’m gonna be... I might not be right. You should check out this back room. I will be... Don't... Or tell Zion I'm not running, okay? That's very important.

Atlas:

And then JJ runs away.

Kenzie (GM):

You watch JJ slam back through the swinging door into the back room away from where somebody's unconscious and Jo has the other one pinned pretty tightly up against this. You can see like below the mask, like some trickles of blood dripping out of it.

April (Jo):

: Alright darling, how about you remove that mask for us?

April:

Ooh, can I use heat of the moment? When you taunt someone into doing something they want to do but find unwise? Got an eight!

Kenzie (GM):

You’ll take a string on them.

They slowly lift their hands in a surrender-ish type of thing and then move their one to like their face to take the mask off and they say,

Kenzie (Faceless):

<p Doesn’t matter, I'll have a new face soon anyway.

Kenzie (GM):

And pulls the mask off and you see like an orangish skin, probably like woman in her late 30s has like sweat dripping down her forehead and like this green hair plastered to her skin underneath a hood. And these like weirdly shining orange eyes.

April (Jo):

: Great. And what's your name?

Kenzie (Faceless):

<p I don't think you've earned that yet.

April (Jo):

: I have a blade against your neck. Have I not earned it?

Kenzie (GM):

She turns her face to the side and spits and then wipes her lower chin with her other hand.

Kenzie (Salade):

Salade.

April (Jo):

: Now that wasn't so hard, was it? Why don't you put your hands together behind your back?

Kenzie (Salade):

Fine.

April (Jo):

: Mama, you wanna tie her up?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Got it.

Danielle:

Mama will go after she’s finished tying up the other one and tie up Salade.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I think I'm gonna go make a few calls real quick.

April (Jo):

: I think I can watch these two.

Kenzie (GM):

You come out the door in the back and you notice that the hoverboard isn't where it was anymore and you can see it flying down the street almost as if it's leading you somewhere. And you sprint down, it turns a corner really sharply, you get down there, it turns another one and you see two figures at a dead end. There's like a chain link fence between two brick walls and you hear again,

Kenzie (Ora):

Now I said I believe. I did what you told me to Okay, I promise I gave this for you guys

Kenzie (April):

And we appreciate it.

Kenzie (GM):

And you see a spray of blood smack the wall and a blade come up dripping.

Kenzie (April):

I said, “Stay.”

Atlas (JJ):

Would you believe me if I told you I forgot?

Kenzie (GM):

The hoverboard finishes its trek down and lowers and she turns her head towards you and the hood falls back and off of her head.

Kenzie (April):

I don't think I'd believe anything you said to me anymore.

Kenzie (GM):

And she steps on the hoverboard and it lifts up and flies off.

[ad break starts]

Tatiana Gefter (Tessa Whitlock):

My name’s Tessa. Tessa Whitlock. Really, I’m fine.

Mike LeBeau (Nate Sutter):

You’re a terrible liar, you know that right?

Dorian Scott (Austin Frazier):

You are a threat. You aren’t one of us and you know it.

Tatiana (Tessa):

I don’t remember anything.

Mike (Nate):

It was you! It was all your fault!

Tatiana (Tessa):

I’m not alone.

Lucas Martinez (Killian Walker):

Look can you just tell me what the hell is going on?

Tatiana (Tessa):

There’s something wrong here.

[robotic sounds]

Tatiana (Tessa):

You hear me? I’m leaving. I’m not playing this game anymore.

Michael Blundell (Dean Sutter):

You should tell them.

Addie Nofal (Anisha Amin):

Tessa, you need to get out of there.

Tatiana (Tessa):

I’m done.

No.

Angie Min (Jenny Park):

I don’t even know myself Tessa.

No.

Crystal Storm (Sandra Mclain):

(Sighs) Look after her.

Angie (Jenny):

All I know is that I am here.




Dylan Griggs (John-Michael Cassidy):

You’re all right now, I’ve got ya.

Mike (Nate):

Help! Help us please, Anisha!

Tess. (Gasps)

Soul Operator will return January 13th, 2025, wherever you listen to podcasts.

[ad break ends]

Kenzie (GM):

By the time JJ makes her way back, slowly walking through the alleyway, trying to process what just happened, back into the main store and you see that the scene has drastically changed. The two other cloaked individuals are tied up, masks off. One of them very much bloodied, starting to bruise. The cloak has fallen off her shoulders and you just see these like really thick rippling muscles. The other one seems to be a little bit more lanky and a little bit more not in charge of the situation. You see that Mama and Jo are in there and that there are now Enforcers kind of swarming the place and Captain Slate specifically striding through to talk to you all.

Atlas:

There’s no way for me to like, block the door, right?

Kenzie (GM):

I'd say that there's a window so you could have seen this through the window before coming through. It is a swinging door, but like you can try to pull something in front of it. It will make a noise.

Atlas:

Does it have a lock in any way or like a doorstop?

Kenzie (GM):

Like a little rubber thing on the ground.

Atlas:

I’m gonna put it so if you try to push the door open it might stop it for a moment and then I thinkJJ will walk around the building to the front like once I get to the corner I'll pick it up to a jog to like be like

Kenzie (GM):

Some enforcers out front stop you.

Kenzie (Enforcer):

<p Hey, halt, halt. This is a crime scene, active crime scene. You can't go past.

Atlas (JJ):

I - okay, my mom's inside.

Kenzie (GM):

This is right at the front of the door and Captain Slate turns around and notices and says,

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

<p Let ‘em through.

Atlas:

JJ will salute and walk inside.

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

<p Well, it would be disingenuous of me to say that I was surprised to see you all here. Cause you always seem to be, depending on your point of view, the wrong place or the right place.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well, I mean, dealing with snitch ain't no fun.

Danielle:

Amoretta says as she kind of just goes to, she's like,

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I'm just gonna find a place to sit down. Oh God.

Kenzie (GM):

I think there's a stool that you can definitely pull up.

Danielle:

She’s clutching her side. She's trying to hide it from the captain that she's probably worse off, but you know, she can pass it off as hi, I’m old and I'm winded from an altercation.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well, I mean, we were just trying to look into some of the paint we saw at that crime scene and turns out the person running this shop was a part of this association, you know, the last time. Faceless. Guess they were involved with this too.

Danielle:

She says holding up the mask in her hand.

April (Jo):

: They just keep popping up.

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

<p They're starting to creep in everywhere it seems. Where is this proprietor of this shop?

Atlas (JJ):

I tried -

Atlas:

And JJ jumps in very quick on this.

Atlas (JJ):

-I tried to chase after them that he ran out the front doors when the other person was trying to get in and I just chased him down the street. That's why I had to come back. I couldn't locate him anywhere.

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

<p We have a physical description of the man?

Atlas:

And then JJ will give a physical description of the man.

Kenzie (GM):

He turns around and he points to a couple officers, gives them the description, says,

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

<p Make some rounds, be on the lookout.

Kenzie (GM):

And they walk out the door.

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

<p Well, it looks like you've found the - if we can get our hands on Mr. Mills, then we might have more information about what went down at the Arclight last night, but it does seem like this is a… almost the end of the line for this.

Atlas (JJ):

That was last night?

April (Jo):

: I feel like I've lived a million lives since then.

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

<p Because we have the report that we have. I'll give you 10 minutes with these guys until we have to take them down to the station. Sound good?

April (Jo):

: Sounds fair.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well, I'm at least going to get the names of them so I can present it to our client who would like to know the people responsible.

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

<p We'll finish taking stock of this place and you can be on your way.

Kenzie (GM):

He starts to walk away towards where there's a larger group of his fellow enforcers and begins to delegate orders.

April:

Are they still like on the ground tied up?

Kenzie (GM):

They've been like pushed together next to one of the shelving units.

April:

Jo turns on her heel to face the two Faceless and with a slow boot tread approaches them and then she squats down so that her face is on the same level.

April (Jo):

: Well, sorry to have to hand you over to them.

Kenzie (Salade):

I think it's only fair that I know your name.

April (Jo):

: I’m Jo. I would shake your hand, but they're occupied.

Kenzie (Salade):

Indeed.

April (Jo):

: Can I ask you something?

Kenzie (Salade):

You haven't held back so far.

April (Jo):

: That man earlier, the man who works here, he said he is a believer. Do you know anything about that?

Kenzie (GM):

A genuine smile comes across her face, but it reads creepy to you.

Kenzie (Salade):

I might have an inclination. Yeah.

April (Jo):

: Are you going to tell me?

Kenzie (Salade):

But I don't really think you're willing to learn.

April:

Jo gets even closer to her face and kind of like tilts her chin up with like one finger.

April (Jo):

: I'm a fast learner.

Kenzie (GM):

Leans forward as much as she can with her hands tied behind her back.

Kenzie (Salade):

You can't stop it. An immovable force and all.

April (Jo):

: Consider me the immovable object, because I will find out.

April:

And Jo stands up and goes back to Mama and says,

April (Jo):

: Your turn.

Danielle:

She’ll just stride up to them, open up her notebook, point it to the list, she's like,

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

What's all this? Care to explain? Your little art project?

Kenzie (Salade):

I had nothing to do with that. I mean, I know of them, but I had nothing to do with them. They're a language of sorts, but I didn't draw them anywhere.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

So, why exactly are you trying to target younger folks? Seems like a pretty strange demographic for what y'all are trying to do.

Kenzie (Salade):

Malleability, longevity, but we aren’t stuck o one demographic. A friend who ran away was of an older age. I'm of an older age. We do what we’re asked.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Right, well, how exactly did you fall into this type of business? Doesn't seem like something you just casually do.

Kenzie (Salade):

Oh, it’s not a falling, it's a calling.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

So how's one called, then?

Kenzie (Salade):

Everybody has a different way to find their way here. People who need it the most will get it. And if you believe enough, that's all it takes. But some people aren't susceptible to it, don't want to hear it. Couldn't fathom.

April (Jo):

: What sort of people?

Kenzie (Salade):

You.

April (Jo):

: Hmm. Thank you. I take it as a compliment that you don't see me as weak-minded enough.

Kenzie (Salade):

Oh, there's nothing weak-minded about it. You just refuse to see past the boundaries of science.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

And what boundaries of science are we trying to see past?

Kenzie (Salade):

The biggest ones? Space and time.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

You’re just trying to mess around with space and time?

Kenzie (Salade):

I'm not trying to mess around with anything. I am simply a servant that's creating a path.

April (Jo):

: And who do you serve?

Kenzie (Salade):

You don't deserve to know. You're not worth it.

Danielle:

She’s gonna bring out a sketch of Dmitri and ask,

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Does this guy look familiar to you at all?

Kenzie (GM):

The individual that you're talking to doesn't seem to recognize it, but the individual that hasn't said a single word does like a subtle double take. Kind of wilts under your gaze.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

When and where?

Kenzie (Faceless):

<p Always and everywhere.

Danielle:

Leans in like a little close and she just goes.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

And what the fuck does that mean?

Kenzie (Faceless):

<p It means... Exactly what it sounds like.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

So you see him always and everywhere. And why is that?

Kenzie (Faceless):

<p I wish I fucking knew.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Where was the last time you saw him?

Kenzie (Faceless):

<p If I could narrow it down from the vague concepts of always and everywhere don't you think I might have by now?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Yeah, but it's a little, vague? For my liking.

Kenzie (Faceless):

<p Well, join the club.

Danielle:

She just places her hands on her hips and just... she has a smile on her face, but it's the smile a mom has when a teenager has just said some shit.

Kenzie (Salade):

Means something to you though, it sounds like.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Means a lot. It means absolutely nothing at the same time.

Kenzie (Salade):

Quick learner?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

In my kind of job you gotta be.

Kenzie (GM):

Looks away from you and doesn't look back.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Thanks for your time. I hope whatever issues that got you into this mess in the first place get sorted out for you.

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

<p Alright, Amoretta, times about up?

Atlas (JJ):

Mama and Jo, we should go and we should walk this way.

Atlas:

And JJ will point to the front door. And this entire time has been like nervously standing behind the two of you not looking at the door that is in the back of the store and looking at all the cops and seeing if they are going to the door at the back.

Kenzie (GM):

They are starting to move that way.

Atlas (JJ):

We should go very fast.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Okay?

Danielle:

Amoretta will kind of stand up and wince a little and start shuffling off towards the car.

Kenzie (GM):

The enforcers kind of open the door for you, part the way. You can walk out into the brisk evening chill and make your way down the sidewalk towards where you parked the car.

Atlas:

As soon as we are near the corner of the building, JJ is like,

Atlas (JJ):

We need to go.

Atlas:

And is trying to get them to the back and is just like,

Atlas (JJ):

Ora is dead and many things happened. There's rainbow runes in that back room and I would like us to see them first. Well, I saw them. You didn't.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Okay, well you can just-

Atlas (JJ):

But also I didn’t call the -

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I did.

Atlas (JJ):

How did you know? Anyway, there's... it's...

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well, look, JJ, we can describe what you saw and put it in our records. Right now, should probably... I was going to say meet up with the client, but given our current state of affairs, I don't think she'd appreciate our look too much.

Atlas (JJ):

It's like glowing, like there's like crystals in the walls.

April (Jo):

: I’d personally like to take a look.

Atlas (JJ):

If you ask me to describe it later, it won't matter. Jo needs to see it.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Fuck. Fine. Okay, you two go take a look. I'll be in the car.

April:

Jo kind of like glances down at where she knows Mama's wound is. like,

April (Jo):

: Are you going to be all right?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Got a first aid kit in the car.

April (Jo):

: Perfect, we will meet you in there.

Atlas (JJ):

Why do we need a first aid kit?

April (Jo):

: JJ, don't worry about it, don't you have something to show me?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Y'all are busy with something. Go, go, go.

Kenzie (GM):

You lead around the building and when you get to the prop door, you can hear boots inside the back room.

April:

I think Jo peeks through the door, cracked.

Kenzie (GM):

JJ, you see your shoe in the middle of the alleyway. You see the broken porcelain mask still there. And Jo, as you look through the door, you see that all of the walls are covered in a glowing paint that is marking out certain ruins, like completely covered.

April (Jo):

: Holy fuck. They're actually bonkers. They're like, truly crazy with this, right?

Atlas (JJ):

Yeah, that's what I thought.

Atlas:

JJ’s like slowly backing up like trying to grab the shoe and the mask. I do not want the mask to be visible.

Kenzie (GM):

Jo's looking through the door so you can grab it and put it in your pocket.

Atlas (JJ):

No, it was like... weird. Oh I should- Oh

April (Jo):

: What?

Atlas (JJ):

They’re gonna find a dead body.

April (Jo):

: Are they? This is news to me. Whose exactly?

Atlas (JJ):

Ora is dead.

April (Jo):

: He did kind of give me the creeps, I have to say.

Atlas (JJ):

He just kind of seemed like, you know, like I run a paint store. I'm an old guy, you know?

April (Jo):

: I mean that is like an exact description of him, yes he was an old guy who ran a paint store, I don't think that really covers his entire aura.

Atlas (JJ):

I don't know his blood. There's a lot of it, and it's somewhere else. That is not inside of him and that is what counts when you're trying to be alive. We should go to Mama, why does Mama need a first aid?

April (Jo):

: Are you freaking out?

Atlas (JJ):

I've never ever.

April (Jo):

: Did something else happen? I mean, you've seen people die before. You have seen people die before.

Atlas (JJ):

Yeah, but he fell off of a fire escape and then got up and ran away and that's a weird thing to see.

Kenzie (GM):

Okay now I'm gonna have to ask you to roll that lie.

Atlas:

5 and a 3… oh, okay. Plus 1. 9! The lie I've crafted is unexpectedly perfect. However, Jo doesn't believe me. Like, I've led her astray as to why I'm freaking out. But she still knows I'm freaking out.

April (Jo):

: Well, Jesus, JJ, I feel like you have to stop getting used to this.

Atlas (JJ):

That's… this is the beginning of that. I'm on the verge, some would say.

April (Jo):

: I would actually prefer if you would stop saying that because...

Atlas (JJ):

It felt good in the moment. I-

April (Jo):

: Not for me.

Kenzie (GM):

As you turn the corner, hear the enforcers push the back door all the way open.

April (Jo):

: God, I fucking hate those guys.

Atlas (JJ):

Yeah, I think... Wait, why does mama need a first aid kit?

April (Jo):

: Oh, the one with the electric sword kind of got her right in the beginning, but then...

Atlas (JJ):

Oh my god.

April (Jo):

: The wound, it's cauterized, it's fine. It's just, she’s, just…

Kenzie (GM):

As you're looking at Jo, Jo probably also needs a bit of a first aid kit.

Atlas (JJ):

Let's go to the car.

April (Jo):

: Sure you want me to carry you.

Atlas (JJ):

I was about to offer that to you.

April (Jo):

: Oh, JJ, don't you worry about me.

Atlas (JJ):

I don't think you know how to be someone I can stop worrying about.

April:

Jo kind of like half rolls her eyes.

April (Jo):

: That's pretty sweet.

Atlas (JJ):

I... I'm sorry for what I said... I... before... you know...

April (Jo):

: Me too. I think sometimes we both forget that we can't always be each other's punching bag.

Atlas (JJ):

You just make it so easy! I just-

April (Jo):

: Oh and you’re one to talk?

Atlas (JJ):

Seems like I can't stop talking sometimes.

April (Jo):

: I don’t mind.

Atlas:

And JJ will do a grin.

Atlas (JJ):

Did you recognize either of the people from the, the ones with the masks?

April (Jo):

: I didn't. I thought for a moment maybe I did, but no. Did you?

Atlas (JJ):

No. No, neither of them. (Clears throat)

Kenzie (GM):

I’m not gonna let you reduce your feelings by two, but you did make an attempt to open up to someone so I'll say you can reduce it by one.

April (Jo):

: Did something happened tonight that particularly threw you off, you seem shaken.

Atlas (JJ):

Yes, but there's a lot that we have to go over anyway. So I think for now we'll just get to Mama, make sure she's okay, make sure you get patched up, even if you want to do it yourself!

April (Jo):

: You know I do.

Atlas (JJ):

I know you can! I think that's the most important thing right now.

April (Jo):

: Alright, I'll take that.

Atlas (JJ):

What did you mean by you thought? You said you thought maybe you recognized someone and then... What did you mean?

April (Jo):

: One of the Faceless just had this sort of, energy, I suppose, reminded me of someone. That's all.

Atlas (JJ):

You seem to not want to talk about that someone.

April (Jo):

: You’re right.

Atlas (JJ):

If you ever do, I'm all ears.

April (Jo):

: Maybe. Maybe one day. But, there isn't much to say.

Kenzie (GM):

You are nearing the car you can see it just a few feet away now.

April (Jo):

: How would you feel if I stayed at the office tonight? I'm figuring you will also be there and I know we've been giving each other space but...

Atlas (JJ):

I don't want space anymore. And I may have broken the coffee machine trying to make hot chocolate in it. Well, it was half hot chocolate and half coffee. I don't know how Mama makes it, so I thought you could just put them both -

April (Jo):

: It's after, it's after the coffee is made. That's when you add the chocolate. All right.

Atlas (JJ):

Oh my god, because the w- it's warm!

April (Jo):

: The hot water, yes, yes. Wow, I can't believe I have to do everything around here. So yes, I will be staying the night then, brilliant, and I will be fixing that posthaste because I was really looking forward to a cup.

Atlas (JJ):

You can have one as soon as it's finished. I think that would be very rewarding.

Kenzie (GM):

Mama, you hear this, the semblance of a reconnection happening between JJ and Jo as they come towards the car.

Danielle:

I think Amoretta grins and kind of chuckles to herself hearing the conversation because it just, it sounds like just, you know, she's had talks with her brothers and kind of like stuff like that, where that reconciliation where there's still like that kind of nagging and that teasing in some ways. And so it's good kind of seeing that maybe for now things have passed.

And probably all she would have then is like maybe like a spritzer full of like water and she just has lifted up her shirt a bit to like probably take that and spray water all over it and then gotten some like - it's just some gauze. It's not the preferred thing she'd use because cloth on a burn wound is a not a great combination. So she knows she's gonna have to use water later on to remove the gauze fully and safely, which is slightly irritating, but…

Kenzie (GM):

Any thoughts about going to see your brother at the clinic or taking care of this yourself?

Danielle:

She’s trying to figure that out whether or not she wants to alarm her brother, because she knows he would fuss over her, especially as she's getting older. He'll probably emphasize that she can't be doing this. But also she does want to make sure Jo's okay, but also she knows Jo well enough to that Jo probably wouldn't want to go see her brother either. So I think for now, first aid is going to be the best option she has because there's also a client she needs to go who probably wants to go and see her in person. And so she's trying her best to also clean herself up, get a new shirt on, or at least, you know, something to - that's like not obviously cut and burned.

Kenzie (GM):

As you finish up with your little first aid here on the street and climb into your car, all of you, you pull down the street away from the paint shop, the art shop. Back to a meeting with Rosalind Glynne who is going to be very happy that you have successfully closed the case and her question on it.

Kenzie:

This series stars Kenzie Tartaglione as the Game Master, Atlas Matthews as JJ August, Danielle Halen as Mama Amoretta, and April Consolo 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. Thanks for listening.