S3 E18: Wedding of the Year

Michelle Kelly:

All three investigators of Lamplight Investigative Services join Zeke Emory at the Nova Symposium: a massive and academically minded science and alchemy conference. Zeke Emory reveals that he knows Viola’s secret cypher and warns the investigators about the danger that can come with investigation too deeply into the Weatherby family. Jo seeks out an old fling, Benedict Buckle, who informs her that he had been threatened to stop associating with her. JJ has an awkward run in with Arthur Winch.

As the investigators entered the theatre to attend the Viola Weatherby Memorial Presentation they were greeted with a large covered contraption on the stage and none other than Delia Weatherby herself, as well as an inventor and a ghost from Jo’s past, Melrose Quagmire. But the reveal of Viola’s Weatherby’s last invention, the Stabilized Chronometric Lance, does not go to plan as Delia goes rogue, Jo goes unconscious, and Mama Amoretta is sent into a vision of her own.

Kenzie Tartaglione (Game Master):

I want all three of you to roll me Defy Disaster.

Atlas Mathews:

Ten.

Danielle Halen:

That's a seven.

April Consalo:

A four.

Kenzie (GM):

Mama, you find yourself in the Talisman Theatre. The last time the Talisman Theater looked anything like it currently looks was a couple years ago when they were doing a production of the Solar Light Opera. There are magenta and gold ribbons hung from the ceiling, crisscrossing in patterns, and just above the heads of the people walking underneath. There's a square arch set up on stage, laid in with gold, alstroemeria petals. The arch itself is metal full of gears and clockwork, which is a tradition in Nova. About time, about promises, and about how they shift over time but always work together.

As you enter through the back, the house lights of the theater are out. The only ones on light the stage. There are people moving about in this space, people who are familiar to you and others who are almost kind of faded into the background, faces blurred and unimportant. But you see Gwen on stage, turned from directing a young woman carrying a large vase of flowers. And as she turns, she sees you walking down the aisle.

Kenzie (Gwendolyn):

Ah, Amoretta there you are!

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well, hey there, Gwen.

Danielle:

And she'll just kind of still look around.

Kenzie (GM):

Gwen kind of bustles down from the stage, the frills of her skirt swishing as she walks towards you with a bright smile on her face. She grabs your hand and she says,

Kenzie (Gwen):

Your son looks dashing, by the way. He's in the dressing room backstage. You should go see him though, because I think Dmitri may be trying to sway him into adding something quite horrendous to his outfits.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well my husband wasn't exactly known for his fashion taste so I'll try and stop that disaster before it gets on stage.

Kenzie (Gwen):

I think that would be a good idea.

Danielle:

Amoretta, knowing her way around the theater, is able to easily, even in the dark, get to the dressing rooms.




Kenzie (GM):

And as you kind of walk up onto the stage and walk in the back you hear Gwen go,

Kenzie (Gwen):

Also if you see my husband tell him something is wrong with the violinist, they’re -

Kenzie (GM):

And you hear this horribly off-key notes strike through the air. A note that resonates from somewhere else. And Gwen winces.

Kenzie (Gwen):

They're horribly off-key!

Danielle:

Amoretta will give a thumbs up. Not sure if it will translate in the darkness, but regardless, continue on.

Kenzie (GM):

You stride off backstage. As you said, you've been here before. You know the layout. And as you get closer to where the dressing rooms are located, you hear some raised voices as you go back.

Kenzie (Dmitri Voronov):

It will complete the look.

Kenzie (Zion):

Dad, stop. No, I'm not wearing that.

Kenzie (Dmitri):

Come on.

Kenzie (Zion):

No!

Danielle:

Amoretta will just knock on the doorframe as she approaches the noise coming from the dressing room.

Kenzie (GM):

It is like swinging wood indoors when you knock it kind of like opens a little bit and you can kind of just like push your way in and you walk in and you see your husband and your son in a bit of a tussle. Dmitri trying to clasp this like choker-like necklace around Zion's neck that just has a large chunky piece of metal that would sit right at the base of his throat and Zion's arms are like shoved up to like shove Dmitri off. And you see just past them that Yarrow is sitting in the back with her legs crossed reading a book, not helping in any way. And she just flips the page.

Danielle:

Amoretta will just sigh, place her hands on her hips.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Now what exactly you boys are doing?

Kenzie (GM):

They both freeze as you say that. And look at you, both of their eyes kind of comically wide and their faces just frozen in the same exact expression, like father like son, and Zion says,

Kenzie (Zion):

Mama, tell him that's ugly, please. I do think Jo will kill me if I mess this up in any way.

Danielle:

Amoretta kind of pauses for a moment because she can't recall what he's talking about, and she looks briefly confused.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well, let me just get a closer look at it.

Kenzie (GM):

At this, Yarrow looks up and says,

Kenzie (Yarrow):

Oh! Is Jo here now? I suppose I should go find her. At least it would be more interesting than whatever this is. But Pop,

Kenzie (GM):

She says as she exits and turns back to the room,

Kenzie (Yarrow):

Leaves Zion alone. It's his wedding day and he looks dashing as is.

Danielle:

Amoretta’s starting to look more and more confused. She's just trying to look at this necklace while holding in the fact that she suddenly feels like she doesn't understand what's happening anymore.

Kenzie (GM):

The necklace is rather ugly. It is like really chunky and like it's hard for him to like put his chin down when it's on. And it's just this like metal piece on the front that looks like a bolt.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Dmitri, where did you get this?

Kenzie (Dmitri):

It was just in the bedroom at home.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Okay, well, maybe that's... He looks like he can't breathe with this on.

Kenzie (Dmitri):

Fine.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

So let's maybe... Maybe not. Let the man...

Kenzie (Dmitri):

Fine.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Who's getting married today have a harder time breathing than he probably already is.

Kenzie (Dmitri):

I've been outvoted once again. So be it.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well, I appreciate you being understanding.

Kenzie (Dmitri):

I guess then I'll just have to wear it.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

No! No, you will not!

Danielle:

Amoretta is now trying to wrestle the necklace away from her husband. As repayment, she will place a kiss on his cheek.

Kenzie (GM):

He doesn't have any complaints anymore about this necklace. And Zion kind of straightens up and tries to un-ruffle his shirt. He's wearing kind of this like cream, pirate-y type of shirt. So it's flowy and it's kind of like open in a V on the neck but it's stringed together and laced up. He brushes himself off and he goes,

Kenzie (Zion):

Well, I think that this looks fine without the addition. Whatever that is, Pop, and I don't know where you got it, I don't really care, but I don't think anybody should be wearing it. Ever, quite frankly.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well, according to him, it's from somewhere in the room.

Kenzie (Zion):

I haven't lived at home for a really long time. I don't know what things you own nowadays, but whatever that is.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Apparently me neither!

Kenzie (Dmitri):

I don't exactly know where it came from. Does it matter? No, because no one's wearing it. And it's just going to sit here forgotten and sad.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Maybe it can be remade or re-purposed into something else than what you were trying to do with it.

Kenzie (Dmitri):

Fine. I will just remove it from the premises. (Sighs) Okay, my boy.

Kenzie (GM):

And he ruffles Zion's hair and Zion's like,

Kenzie (Zion):

Pop!

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I'll fix it. I got it.

Kenzie (Zion):

Thank you.

Danielle:

And Amoretta will start fixing his hair. Making sure everything looks all nice and neat.

Kenzie (GM):

Dmitri has left the room. kind of sits down so you can do all of that. And he's looking at you through a mirror.

Kenzie (Zion):

So, big day.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Yeah. How are you feeling?

Kenzie (Zion):

Is it weird if I say normal?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Define normal, I guess.

Kenzie (Zion):

It doesn't feel different. It doesn't feel like... a big deal, even though I know it's a big deal.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Does it feel right, at least?

Kenzie (Zion):

Yeah. I think it's perfect.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Then I guess that's... that's all that matters.

Kenzie (Zion):

I know there's a big to-do out there. I don't really feel like we need to do all that, but I guess we're here now, so I guess we will.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I mean, kinda already went through that song and dance, we gotta see it through at this point.

Kenzie (Zion):

Yeah, yeah.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I mean, ain't nothing wrong with wanting something a bit more simple. Maybe…maybe afterwards we don't have to have a big ol' party. It can just be the few of us.

Kenzie (Zion):

I think that'd be perfect.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

By the way, you look wonderful.

Kenzie (Zion):

Oh, well, thank you. I tried. I am keeping this tied for looks only, even though know JJ likes it better when it's not.

Danielle:

Amoretta’s just grinning ear to ear now.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

You know, there's always later in the evening.

Kenzie (Zion):

Okay, Mama. Alright. Alright. That's enough of you.

Danielle:

And she'll just pat him on the shoulder.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I'll let you rest up now. Let me know if you need anything, okay?

Kenzie (Zion):

Of course. And JJ is next door if you want to check in on her at some point. I'm sure she'd like to hear you say hi at least before, you know, everything goes down.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I'll be sure to check in on her too.

Kenzie (Zion):

Thanks, Mama..

Kenzie (GM):

Leans his head over and places his like cheek on your hand briefly before you exit.

Danielle:

She’s gonna give him a kiss on the forehead before she leaves.

Kenzie (GM):

Jo, you are on stage tinkering with some last minute fixes on this geared up arch that you designed and that now sits in the center of the stage. The lights beam down hot on you and the musicians right off stage are warming up with some not so pleasant notes.

April (Joanna Gilmore):

Jack, I swear to God if you bother me one more time...

Kenzie (GM):

Jack strides onto the stage wearing this black leather suit. The vest of it has an additional color of silver with these matching buttons and on her lapel she is wearing a very prominent red rose.

April (Jo):

Oh? You look nice.

Kenzie (Jack):

You said that with like a question in your voice.

April (Jo):

It sort of was a question because I didn't really notice before but something about the stage lights is really...

Kenzie (Jack):

Well, this is great, by the way.

April (Jo):

Thank you, I hope they like it. They deserve something beautiful.

Kenzie (GM):

She knocks her knuckles against the metal and it kind of rings out softly.

Kenzie (Jack):

And I mean, like, you know, you look great by the way, but I wouldn't expect anything less, even though it kind of felt like you expected less of me, but that's fine.

April:

Jo looks down from her like squat and grins and then looks up and stands to her full height and walks over to Jack,

April (Jo):

I wouldn't expect that of you.

Kenzie (Jack):

Because I like to think that I look nice a lot of the time.

April (Jo):

You do look nice a lot of the time, but you also sometimes look a little… um… disheveled. Which I like, but is not exactly wedding appropriate.

Kenzie (Jack):

Right, yeah, because I've been to a lot of weddings, so I know.

Kenzie (GM):

And there's a clanging sound from above and then the clicking sound of a wrench. And looking up into the catwalk of the stage, you see Everly finishing up hacking something onto the catwalk. She grins down, mischievously at you both and says,

Kenzie (Everly):

Heads up, I'm not known to have slippery fingers, but you never know.

Kenzie (GM):

And Jack just very quickly steps out of the way from directly underneath with a nervous expression on her face and she says,

Kenzie (Jack):

Is that a threat?

April (Jo):

A warning. Although, you're right to confuse the two.

Kenzie (Jack):

It sounded a bit like a threat.

April (Jo):

You're nervous!

Kenzie (Jack):

What?

April (Jo):

You are, you're-

Kenzie (Jack):

I've never- I've never like, I've never been in a wedding party, okay? So I don't know what to do.

April (Jo):

You're nervous about your speech, aren't you?

Kenzie (Jack):

Maybe a little bit?

April (Jo):

You talk almost more than anyone I know, except JJ possibly, and you're nervous to speak in front of people.

Kenzie (Jack):

Yeah, Jo, like when I talk, I talk in front of you or I talk in front of JJ or I talk in front of whatever his name is that she's marrying -

April (Jo):

You know his name.

Kenzie (Jack):

Yes, it's Zion, I know. But I don't talk in front of like crowds of people. You get it?

April:

Jo pulls her into a hug and sets her chin on top of Jack's head.

April (Jo):

I know. So if you could just pretend that you're just talking to me.

Kenzie (GM):

As she pulls back,

Kenzie (Yarrow):

Well, you know, our coffee dates lately have made you much easier to talk to, so I appreciate that.

Kenzie (GM):

And Yarrow is standing there, pulling out of a hug.

April:

Jo kind of like starts and shakes her head.

April (Jo):

Uh, yes, yes, I- Sorry, I- I sort of lost my train of thought.

Kenzie (Yarrow):

Oh, it’s fine. I was just coming from Zion's room. He's having a whole thing with our dad.

Kenzie (GM):

And then you see Dmitri like stalking across the back of the stage mumbling to himself, just holding onto this horrible choker looking thing.

Kenzie (Yarrow):

About that.

April (Jo):

That is the ugliest piece of jewelry I’ve ever seen so…

Kenzie (Yarrow):

Oh it was quite horrible. It really was.

April (Jo):

You made a good call.

Kenzie (Yarrow):

Yeah, I um... I don't... I love my brother. But I don't know if I've ever had to speak about him in such an official fashion. So... I'm a little nervous for that.

April (Jo):

Well, it doesn’t- It doesn't have to be official, I'm sure it can just be... honest. I mean, you love each other, it should be- Sorry.

April:

And Jo kind of like pinches the bridge of her nose.

April (Jo):

You’re giving us the speech for Zion?

Kenzie (Yarrow):

Yeah.

April (Jo):

Of course, not for... JJ, I- Sorry.

Kenzie (Yarrow):

No. I think that’s you.

April:

Like, her eyes go wide for a second and then-

April (Jo):

Right, I-

April:

And she like, puts her hand against her chest and she feels something weird under her jacket and when she reaches into the pocket inside her jacket she finds a folded up piece of paper.

April (Jo):

Right, my speech, which I have, I don't trust myself to memorize it.

Kenzie (Yarrow):

Maybe I should... Maybe I should write it down. Might be a good idea. Thank you. I'm gonna go do that actually. Go write it down.

April (Jo):

Sure, yes, good idea. Yes, I-

Kenzie (Yarrow):

Thank you for building this by the way, it looks great.

April (Jo):

Yes, it's... yes. It's sort of an odd shape, don't you think? I mean, it's what they asked for, but something about it is... a little... harsh.

Kenzie (GM):

She comes and leans against one of the arch sides and crosses her arms and you look over and Lucia is staring at you. She reaches into a fold in her dress and pulls something out and says,

Kenzie (Lucia):

You know, I don't know a lot about hacking and building and engineering as you do, but I have something for you that could help with your speech. Maybe take the nerves out of it.

Kenzie (GM):

And she pulls out a little packet. of a yellow crystalline powder.

April:

Jo kind of half jumps and,

April (Jo):

Sure, actually, I would truly appreciate that.

April:

She walks over to Lucia and kind of rests her hand above her on the structure and looks down into her eyes, but then looks back at her hand and the structure.

April (Jo):

I can't believe I built this.

Kenzie (Lucia):

Why?

April (Jo):

I don't know, I've never built anything like this before. Usually, my inventions, I hold them in my head for so long before I actually build them. This one feels, I don't know, so complete already. Sorry, what is this?

April:

And she picks up the little baggie.

Kenzie (Lucia):

It's new, it's good, it's clean. You know, makes everything smooth.

April (Jo):

I think I need some of that right now. How do I?

Kenzie (Lucia):

Any way, really.

April:

Jo opens the bag, dips a finger into her mouth, and then touches it to the powder. And she like goes to bring it up to her teeth, but then stares at it in the light.

April (Jo):

It’s beautiful.

Kenzie (Melrose Quagmire):

Well, I was going to say that about you, darling. You know, despite keeping most of your things in your head for so long, this is beautiful work of art. I know you're usually more into things that of utility, but you've outdone yourself this time.

April:

Jo looks from the sparkling crystal on her finger, the golden amber color, and looks to Mel's eyes, and they're the same.

April (Jo):

Thank you. I somehow feel like I can't accept the compliment. It doesn't feel like it came from me.

April:

She brings her finger into her mouth and rubs it against her teeth, and it tastes like nothing.

April (Jo):

Sorry, did you want... some?

Kenzie (Mel):

No, that's okay. Be careful with it though, you do have to give a speech later.

April (Jo):

I should be fine, I'm assuming. Sorry, I'm-

Kenzie (Mel):

Pre-wedding jitters?

April (Jo):

Yes.

Kenzie (GM):

And kind of like rubs your shoulders down and rubs her hands down your arms till she's holding your hands.

April (Jo):

You know, don't mind speaking in front of people, you know, something about today is...

Kenzie (Mel):

Well, I'll be right next to you the whole time.

April (Jo):

Right. For?

Kenzie (Mel):

Your speech.

April (Jo):

Right. JJ's speech. Sorry, could I - I want to see her actually.

Kenzie (Mel):

JJ? Of course.

April (Jo):

Do you know where she is?

Kenzie (Mel):

I believe she's getting ready in her dressing room.

April (Jo):

Do you think she’d mind?

Kenzie (Mel):

I’m sure she'd love it. Be waiting in our seats whenever you're ready.

April (Jo):

Sure.

Kenzie (Mel):

Are you sure you're okay?

April:

Jo looks at her face so full of concern and is moved to kiss her for quite some time before pulling away and saying,

April (Jo):

Yes, I'm just absorbing the energy of the day, I suppose.

Kenzie (Mel):

I'll see you in a bit. Go say hello to your friend.

April (Jo):

I’ll see you. I’ll see you.

Kenzie (GM):

JJ, there is a knock on the door to your dressing room. And without waiting for you to answer, May, who has been fawning over you and has been much to April's dismay for quite a bit of time fawning over you, yells,

Kenzie (May August):

You may come in if you're not Zion.

Kenzie (Yarrow):

It’s just me.

Kenzie (GM):

And Yarrow comes in.

Kenzie (Yarrow):

Oh, JJ, you look beautiful.

Atlas (June July August): Thank you! May I look beautiful? Can I stand up, please? Or go to the bathroom? Or do anything other than sit in this chair?

Kenzie (May):

Sure! I was just trying to make you perfect.

Atlas (JJ):

I came in perfect. You added glitter, it helps. It's time for me to fly.

Atlas:

And JJ will like pat her cheek and then stand up. And I think JJ is in a dark blue suit with no shirt underneath and like one button and so it's like a deep V. And then the pants kind of ombre into like black with white speckles that match her freckles, kind of like stars. And then her hair is slicked back and she has just black eyeliner on and is much simpler than we normally see JJ.

Kenzie (Yarrow):

You know, when you first came to our house for dinner when we were kids, I don't think I could ever have imagined this. But you look happy.

Atlas (JJ):

I know, I was thinking rainbow suit.

Kenzie (Yarrow):

I didn't mean the suit. I meant you look happy and I know he is and well, I suppose I should keep something for a speech later.

Kenzie (GM):

And April spins in the chair that she's sitting in grinning from ear to ear and she says,

Kenzie (April August):

And what about me? Do I look happy?

Kenzie (GM):

And Yarrow says,

Kenzie (Yarrow):

You look like someone JJ shouldn't have invited to her wedding.

Kenzie (GM):

And April sits up immediately and crosses her arms.

Kenzie (April):

What's that supposed to mean?

Kenzie (Yarrow):

It means that you look like you're up to no good.

Kenzie (GM):

And then May says,

Kenzie (May):

April, I swear if you even -

Kenzie (April):

I’m not gonna do anything. Thanks a lot, Row. Thanks a lot, Row. Aside from giving the best speech imaginable, but I don't think that's what you meant by that.

Atlas (JJ):

Listen, April wrote her invitation before anyone else got an invitation. So really, I don't see what all the fuss is about.

Atlas:

And JJ's gonna go lean over the chair, like two arms in a like, stop talking smack about my little sister.

Kenzie (April):

So really, it's kind of like it's my wedding, you know?

Atlas (JJ):

Okay, well I didn't say that. Those are words that did not come out of my mouth. But honestly, the way Jo's running things, if a firework is to go off, would it really be that bad?

Kenzie (April):

I think that would be great actually.

Atlas (JJ):

Jo threatened me if I didn't show up on time. Isn't that like- I get- I get to do that. I think she slept here.

Kenzie (Yarrow):

I think Jo is anxious. Give her a break.

Atlas (JJ):

It's kinda nice. I've never seen Jo worried about something like this.

Atlas:

And I think JJ then goes back to the mirror where a few of her pieces of hair have poked out and are dripping down her forehead.

Kenzie (GM):

She’s just like, in the mirror, you see May watching you. You see Yarrow watching you and you see April staring at Yarrow. Yarrow is oblivious.

Atlas:

JJ’s just kinda like, roll her eyes and then while looking in the mirror, there's something that's just a little bit off about everyone's reflection and then she turns and sees everyone and then just kinda shakes it off.

Atlas (JJ):

So, do I have to wait to have a drink after or -

Kenzie (April):

I think we should all have drinks now, actually.

Atlas (JJ):

I've never turned down a mimosa. I'm famous for it.

Kenzie (April):

Okay, I'll go get ‘em.

Kenzie (GM):

And April gets up and rushes from the room. And as she does that, the door almost swings open and hits Mama as she has crossed over down the hall to the other dressing room.

Kenzie (April):

Sorry, Mama Amoretta I gotta go get stuff for JJ. I'll back.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

All right, well, make sure you don't kill yourself on the way or anybody else.

Kenzie (GM):

Double thumbs up to you as she's running away.

Atlas:

Upon seeing Mama, JJ will run to the middle of the room and do a spin and then just put her arms in the air and be like,

Atlas (JJ):

What do think?

Danielle:

Mama places her hand over her chest and there's just like this sweet smile on her face and her brown eyes are kind of just lighting up and just so much like un-worded pride and joy.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Words fail to describe you, sweetheart.

Atlas:

JJ’s gonna throw her arms around you.

Atlas (JJ):

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to marry Zion. But it's not half bad that you're my real mom.

Danielle:

Amoretta is gonna look up, trying not to cry and absolutely failing and totally just being like, she just wraps her JJ up in a bear hug and there's a little bit of a… (crying).

Atlas (JJ):

No, stop crying, stop crying. If I cry then May has to do my eyeliner again and my eyes can’t handled that.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Okay, I”m sorry. I’m really emotional right now. I'm just, you know, I'm honored that you're saying that, you know, and you just look amazing and I'm just so happy that this day is finally coming. I have seen it since the minute you first came over. I have a good eye for these things. I got a good eye for these things. Just ask Gwen and my brother. They'll tell you.

Atlas (JJ):

I just wish I had that eye. Would've saved us a lot of trouble.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well, you know, these things take time. You know, it works out when it's meant to work out. If we tried pushing it any sooner, who knows? Things could have ended up crashing and burning. Not something I would have wanted to see.

Kenzie (Yarrow):

I don't know if Zion could have handled it to be perfectly honest.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

He's my son, and I raised him well.

Atlas (JJ):

He did handle it. My god, that night was so...

Atlas:

And I think JJ like freezes. And it's just like having like some memory of the... They were outside and there were police cars, but why... I just... It was so romantic what he did and when he did it and why.

Kenzie (GM):

The door to the dressing room opens interrupting your train of thought and you're trying to recall exactly that night and Jo walks in.

April (Jo):

Sorry, sorry, is everyone dressed?

Atlas (JJ):

No!

April:

Jo comes in with a hand over her eyes and then peeks when she hears JJ.

April (Jo):

I knew you were lying. I knew it! You wouldn't be so far behind schedule.

Atlas (JJ):

You forgot your pants. It was you that isn't dressed.

April:

Jo fights the urge to look down because she is so confused in this moment but…

Kenzie (GM):

You just see Yarrow from like behind shaking her head.

April:

Jo rolls her eyes but then kind of takes appraises JJ and says,

April (Jo):

You look really lovely, actually. Sorry, I'm sorry. I don't know why all of my compliments are coming out as as if I'm surprised today. I'm just sort of stressed and I when I was speaking to… earlier. Sorry, did - did you invite Jack?

Atlas:

JJ’s gotta look at Jo in horror.

Atlas (JJ):

Jack can't be here. my god, they can't know that Jack's here. Wait, what do you mean?

April (Jo):

Well, I... I don't actually think that I saw her. I was just thinking about her and thought maybe...

Atlas (JJ):

No, this is-

April (Jo):

No, don't! I don't want you to stress

Kenzie (GM):

May kind of speaks up.

Kenzie (May):

I don't think that name was in any invitation we wrote.

Atlas (JJ):

But if Jack's here, that means...

Atlas:

And JJ's going to, like, pull Jo down.

Atlas (JJ):

If Jack is here, that means that either I or Jack is going to die today. So I need you to be sure.

April (Jo):

I’m not, I'm not sure, I'm sorry, I'm just, sleep deprived and a little- sorry, my head's just a little fuzzy. It's not- Jack's not here.

Atlas (JJ):

Yeah, yes, Jack can't be here because Jack wouldn't... Are you okay?

April (Jo):

Ah, yes, sorry, I'm just trying to get today moving and you know everybody's just sort of like five minutes behind where they're supposed to be so you know if we could sort of wrap things up then we can all start moving.

Kenzie (GM):

The door bursts open.

Kenzie (April):

Mimosa!

Atlas (JJ):

Give me two.

Kenzie (GM):

She only has two. She’s only carrying two champagne flutes.

Kenzie (April):

Alright, I didn't think this one through, did I?

April (Jo):

Well, that... sure, okay, great. Well, I guess, you know...

Atlas (JJ):

One for J, one for J. Thank you.

Kenzie (April):

Alright, I'll be I'll be back out this time. I'll bring just like the things.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Yeah, bring the bottle and the orange juice.

Kenzie (April):

Okay, yeah.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Yeah.

April (Jo):

Yeah, the whole tray, please. Thank you.

Kenzie (April):

Jo, you're looking particularly well today, by the way.

Kenzie (GM):

And she walks out.

April:

She like leans towards the mirror and notices that her pupils are a little dilated.

April (Jo):

Well, you know, it's a wedding day, so I tried a little, Right, there's probably a million things that I should be doing right now, so I'm going to leave you all and, go check on-

Atlas (JJ):

I believe that I get to see you for some part of the day and I wish for it to be now with a mimosa.

April (Jo):

Okay, sure, sure. But I should probably tell my... Right, no it's fine. I have time.

April:

And Jo like sits down on the floor in front of JJ and grabs one of the mimosas and drinks whatever JJ has left in it.

Kenzie (GM):

April does eventually return with a glass of champagne and a bottle of orange juice, but no glasses.

April:

Jo just goes,

April (Jo):

Oh, perfect.

April:

And grabs both of them.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Okay, well y'all... Please? Make sure to temper your- Make sure y'all can walk down the aisle still.

April (Jo):

If JJ doesn't care.

Atlas (JJ):

Listen, I have my-

Atlas:

And JJ's gonna look at her, like, look at her hands, and then look at her feet.

Atlas (JJ):

I'm not- I- I guess- right, I forgot that I didn't have my crutches anymore.

April (Jo):

Did you hurt yourself?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

When did you get crutches?

Atlas (JJ):

You know, it was me and Jo that one case. God, I can't even remember how that case ended… or started… all the cases just blend together now.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I mean, maybe that's just a sign of how much you're working and it blends together.

Danielle:

And Amoretta pauses. Because that's how it is for Dmitri. Because he's here. Why would she be doing any of the work? And that leaves her a bit confused.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Yeah, I mean, it's sometimes struggling pulling him away from his work sometimes. you know, since you’re helping out. I'm gonna go check on him, actually.

Danielle:

She’ll say very suddenly and walk out while trying to hide the fact that her mind is having very conflicting information.

Kenzie (GM):

You walk out of the dressing room and you push the swinging door open and as you do the backstage was dark, but it wasn't this dark. And it feels like you're being pulled forward to lights at the end of like tunnel vision. And your body feels like it's flying through this space of darkness. And all of a sudden you kind of like land almost back in the theater room at the Symposium. And you feel that JJ also has the same type of experience and is pulled back into this present moment. Shoe flies and as it goes to the air, Delia kind of steps forward onto the stage and it hits her right in the chest. It's a shoe so it doesn’t really do any damage potentially. But it seems to break this focus that she has had this whole time. She gets more angry. You can see it. You can see this like fierceness into her eyes. And Mel kind of turns to look out at where it came from and she turns to look back at Delia and she says,

Kenzie (Mel):

What are you talking about? When has this ever been for Nova?

Kenzie (Delia):

It's called putting on a show Melrose. But I think you know a little bit about that, don't you?

Kenzie (Mel):

I don't understand. I could have helped you. We decided together that it wasn't ready.

Kenzie (Delia):

It wasn't ready for your purposes maybe. I made it ready for mine.

Kenzie (Mel):

We had a plan.

Kenzie (Delia):

We? (Laughs) We, I trusted you to a point, but I knew from the start there was something off about you. This has never been a we. You were useful and I thank you for that.

Kenzie (GM):

And Mel kind of pushes past it and goes, starts towards her more and says,

Kenzie (Mel):

When you hired me, you told me what you wanted to achieve. And I told you we could do it. I promised you that, but it would take time. We had to be patient.

Kenzie (Delia):

Miss Quagmire, do you think I'm stupid? I may not be an engineer myself, but I grew up with two of the most prolific minds in Nova. I can tell when someone is lying to me and you were stalling.

Kenzie (GM):

Mel just kind of shakes her head.

Kenzie (Mel):

I wanted to make sure that it wouldn't hurt him. I wanted to make sure that it wouldn't hurt anybody else.

Kenzie (Delia):

You will not be successful if you don't understand there is collateral to progress.

Kenzie (Mel):

Turn it off.

Kenzie (Delia):

Your mask won't save you now Melrose. You can't hide behind what I created any longer.

Kenzie (GM):

Mel looks like actually sad.

Kenzie (Mel):

You've ruined your legacy.

Kenzie (GM):

And Delia smiles.

Kenzie (Delia):

I'm making my legacy.

Kenzie (GM):

And a bunch of the guards who you can see now are wearing masks of the Faceless turn and start to climb up onto the stage heading for Mel. But Mel instead jumps off the front of the stage, lightly shifting out of the way from one of the guards trying to grasp at her. She climbs over the seats kind of shoving the people who are sitting there and you can see everybody in the room is catatonic except for you two and Zeke and she finally gets to the row that you guys are in. Eyes on Jo and she reaches out and she puts her hand on Jo's cheek with a sad smile and says,

Kenzie (Mel):

You stupid, beautiful girl, why couldn't you just leave all of this alone?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Who the fuck are you and what the fuck are you talking? You know what? Not right now. We need to go. Zeke, grab Jo.

Kenzie (Mel):

I can fix this.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Good.

Kenzie (GM):

There’s a buzzing sound as you say we gotta go. Zeke is starting to like lift Jo and the buzzing sound is coming from the stage and you see the crystals start to pulse and as they do every single still unconscious person in the crowd except for Jo are pulled to their feet. And while it is a creepy sight, as you glance around, you also see that it has put a bit of a barrier between you all and the Faceless that are trying to get to Mel. And Mel says,

Kenzie (Mel):

You're right. We have to get out of here.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Yeah, I would love an explanation as soon as we get out.

Kenzie (Mel):

Well, I know where to go. Do you have a vehicle?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Yes.

Kenzie (Mel):

All right, I'll try to ward some of them off. You get out and I'll follow.

Danielle:

Amoretta is just gonna fucking whip out the cane sword.

Kenzie (Mel):

Or that! Wonderful.

Kenzie (GM):

Zeke has Jo and says,

Kenzie (Zeke):

Well, I'm right behind you.

Kenzie (GM):

And you come out, Mel kind of just like, hauls ass down this row and like, just starts like grabbing onto these people and kind of trying to throw them onto the ground. And kind of like races up the side. You've whipped out your cane sword. You're taking a few whips and slashes at them and you manage to get a couple who kind of stumble back injured as you follow. JJ, what are you doing?

Atlas:

I am swinging my crutches at them.

Kenzie (GM):

You managed to like smack a few in the face you're just like, (groans).

Atlas:

I think that she is able to keep up somewhat well with a few moments of like, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck.

Kenzie (GM):

And Zeke is kind of just quickly following in your footsteps, trying to like take whatever openings you make so that no one can get Jo. Ends up getting to the front by Mel as you guys exit this room of the Symposium into a space that is normal. There are people milling about. There are people just going about other aspects of the Symposium who hadn't been in this specific presentation and weren't witness to it.

Doors to it slam shut behind you as you all get out. And Zeke with Jo in his arms says,

Kenzie (Zeke):

I have a car. We can use it to get out of here.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Let’s keep moving. Probably start warning folks that something's going down in that room so they can get out before they get with it.

Kenzie (GM):

The limo that you guys came in is kind of loitering outside the building off to the side. Zeke gets in, gets over there. Mel pulls the door open. He kind of lays Jo on the seat in the back and climbs in and you guys all follow in after and are sitting down and taps on the little divider and it slides open. And he looks at Mel and he goes,

Kenzie (Zeke):

Well, where are we going? You know how to fix this.

Kenzie (Mel):

Right, the rose water, please.

Kenzie (GM):

And the driver pulls away, tires kind of skidding on the ground as he zooms out down the streets in Nova to The Rosewater. In the car on this ride Mel says,

Kenzie (Mel):

My name is Melrose Quagmire. I'm quite an old friend of Jo's but I know how to fix this. I know how to- I know it's structure.

Kenzie (GM):

And she's pointing at the goggles on Jo's neck that are kind of like stuck in place.

Kenzie (Mel):

I built it so I know how to fix it but I just can't do anything right here right now. As soon as we get to the Rosewater, I'll have my tools and my supplies. And I will make sure she's okay.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

How aware were you that this was gonna be the result? Did you know anything about the Faceless, the runes, anything like that?

Kenzie (Mel):

I know all about the Faceless and I know all about the runes. I did not know that this... I did not know the machine worked. It wasn't supposed to have.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

So you were working with them?

Kenzie (Mel):

Yes.

Atlas (JJ):

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. I'm sure what we just found out about you, Melrose, is diabolical, truly, and we should not trust you in any way, shape or form. What is the machine? What just happened to us? Like, you knew it was gonna happen, but I don't know what's going on. I was about to...

Atlas:

And JJ just kind of makes noises for like a minute.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

You also mentioned a man.

Kenzie (Mel):

I don't believe in what the Faceless believe in.

Atlas (JJ):

What does the Faceless believe in? What is happening?

Kenzie (Mel):

Like you said, JJ, you're not going to believe me because I'm diabolical, but the Faceless are also just people that - none of it is real, none of it is true, okay? Delia was trying to find a way to bring her father back, but it's not her father anymore. He's long gone and her grief has twisted into something unrecognizable. And I knew about it. And I was... The Faceless are not the only people who exist down in the sewers. There's a long, old, small now unit of rebellion. And the reason that all of this is happening now, than much sooner than it is, is because Viola passed, and Delia got her hands on this. And because the Faceless have been caught up for most of this time dealing with the people down there who were trying to stop them in the first place. So you might not believe me, but that is who I'm actually working for. But I had the skills to get close, so I did.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

So you're working with an underground group that's been trying to infiltrate this other underground group that Delia has been making to try and bring her father back in some weird cult ritual thing.

Kenzie (Mel):

That's... yeah.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

This is also gonna be a completely random question…

Danielle:

Amoretta is gonna pull out the piece of paper that she carries with her that is the drawing of Demetri and be like,

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Is this man related in any way?

Kenzie (GM):

Mel sits back and looks up at you and says...

Kenzie (Mel):

Oh, I know who you are.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

That doesn't answer my question, Ms. Quagmire, and you best start answering it.

Kenzie (Mel):

I know him. He's the one who sent me in.

Danielle:

Amoretta’s gonna bury her face in her hands and just start crying.

[ad break]

Kenzie:

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

[Game Master Monday promo]

At last I have reached the tallest peak in all the world, where the wisest person lives. Finally, I’ll hear the answers I seek.

Wisest Person in the World:

Welcome, I am the wisest person in the world, as me your question.

What is my purpose in life? What should I be doing to achieve pure happiness.

Wisest Person in the World:

You must stream Game Master Monday.

Come again?

Wisest Person in the World:

Game Master Monday, the bi-weekly podcast that plays a new one shot, in a new system, in a new setting, with a new cast every episode. Listening to their funny jokes and wild stories in the only path to happiness, my child.

Sick. I’m going to go home and binge the whole thing right now.

Wisest Person in the World:

What a nice kid.

[screaming]

Wisest Person in the World:

Oh dear, he fell off the mountain. Now they’ll never know how good Game Master Monday is.

Kenzie:

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

[ad break ends]

Kenzie (GM):

You guys are rushing to the front doors from the limo parked in front of the rosewater. Not that you're paying much attention in this moment, but the front are these double glass gold gilded doors and there is an individual sitting outside entails the door person. And as Mel walks up, she says,

Kenzie (Mel):

Hi Mac, in a bit of a pickle, can you help us up?

Kenzie (GM):

And this person, Mac, eyes find the limp body of Jo being held up by Zeke Emory and goes,

Kenzie (Mac):

Is she okay?

Atlas (JJ):

She’s drunk.

Kenzie (Mel):

Right, yes, drunk. Can you run the lift?

Kenzie (GM):

And Mac says,

Kenzie (Mac):

They're not gonna like you coming like this through the front.

Kenzie (Mel):

Well, then they could take it up with Ms. Gilmore. I'm sure she'll be quite upset if the hotel lets her daughter die.

Atlas (JJ):

Of a hangover.

Kenzie (GM):

The door person's eyes widen and they scramble through the door, holding it open for you all. Luckily, while there are a couple people inside, the lobby isn't bustling. Massive ceilings, beautiful artwork. And she leads you through the lobby and to the lift and Mac gets in and it's a crammed fit. And Mac opens their mouth as if to say something, but the look on Melrose's face could kill. And they pull the door shut and start the lift moving despite their qualms about the amount of people in it at one time.

You go up to the eighth floor and unless Mama or JJ break the silence, no one is speaking in this lift.

Danielle:

The only silence that might be broken besides JJ would be the sniffling of Amoretta as she's recovering from crying.

Atlas:

I think JJ's just like quietly murmuring.

Atlas (JJ):

And there was... so that was that, and then... okay, so that makes sense. Wait, so then underground... wait, Mama’s (gasps)… Mama's husband...

Atlas:

Fully walking herself through the events that have just unfolded.

Kenzie (GM):

The lift stops on the eighth floor and Mac pulls the doors open and Melrose leads the way down this other hallway to a door that says Suite C. And she pulls a key from the inside of her jacket and twists it into the lock and pushes it open and just says,

Kenzie (Mel):

Follow me.

Kenzie (GM):

And leads you through this large living room with perfectly good couches to lie Jo on. And there's a grand piano sitting in the back of the room, but completely circumvents that and leads you into another hallway, turning the knob and pressing open a door on the left wall. Inside the room, it looks to have been meant to be a bedroom, but has been transformed a little bit. There is still a bed, but it's like jammed into a corner and the rest of the space looks like a makeshift workshop. There's drafting tables, bits of metal strewn about, tools and the like, and Mel looks at Zeke and says,

Kenzie (Mel):

You can lay her there.

Kenzie (GM):

And points to the bed before she starts rifling in drawers and compartments in the room.

Kenzie (Mel):

I know there's a lot to talk about and I know you don't know many things but...

Kenzie (GM):

And she pauses and she turns around and looks at you both and she says,

Kenzie (Mel):

But I have to make sure she's okay first.

Atlas (JJ):

Yes! Yeah!

Kenzie (GM):

And she grabs like a few things into her hands and goes over to the bed and kneels down on the floor next to Jo and begins to undo the top of the shirt so she has better access to her neck where the goggles are. Starts like pouring this liquid onto the skin around the crystals and kind of like rubbing it in with this towel. And she's kind of muttering to herself underneath her breath and she's just like,

Kenzie (Mel):

Right neutralize the crystals, all right.

Kenzie (GM):

And then she begins to like unscrew parts of the goggles and kind of like take it apart. So that all that's left now on Jo's neck is the outline of the goggles in crystals, but the goggles themselves have been taken apart and removed. She says,

Kenzie (Mel):

I don’t - I don't think this is gonna be a flawless removal. But I hope I can get most of it.

Atlas (JJ):

What does that mean?

Kenzie (Mel):

She just might have a permanent jewelry at her neck.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I mean I could maybe get my -

Atlas (JJ):

If I'm being completely honest, I think it's probably what Jo would want.

Kenzie (Mel):

But I do - I have to take some of it apart. I have to break the link so it doesn’t - so she can come out of wherever she is.

Atlas (JJ):

The link? Is it - what? Sorry, sorry save first, questions after.

Kenzie (Mel):

Okay, alright.

Kenzie (GM):

And she goes in and she takes some she has some more liquid that starts to like hiss as it hits the crystals on Jo's skin and you watch is like with tweezers she like pulls out specific crystals and you can see that they were like starting to dig into Jo's skin and there's a little bit of blood that comes out with them and she gets a lot until there's like there's a little line on the upper left of Jo's neck and a little line on the lower right of Jo's neck. She pulls back and she starts to put her things away and says,

Kenzie (Mel):

All right, we'll just give it a minute. I know what the goggles do. let you see -

Atlas (JJ):

Like rainbows. Well it wasn't rainbows, it was like beams of light.

Kenzie (Mel):

Yeah, they let you see the pool of people's dreams.

Atlas (JJ):

What the fuck is going on?

Kenzie (GM):

Jo, you watched mama walk out of the dressing room and when the door swung shut, the entire scene collapsed until you were just sitting in kind of a space of darkness. And then images started popping up of faces and people you didn't know. And you were just bombarded with like visions of life and visions of futures and visions of dreams that don't quite connect with you and were just starting to like speed up and get like just racing through your mind but you were kind of seeing them as if they played out on projections on these black walls around you. I mean you were seeing everything from full 100% joy to the worst grief you could ever imagine and you're just your body is just wracked with different emotion upon different emotion upon different emotion.

There's a point where it kind of takes over. Like you're not Jo anymore, you're just this thing that can feel. And then all of a sudden, all of that emotion, all of that feeling is completely ripped from your grasp. And you just feel completely and totally empty. And then gasp like air rushing into your lungs and your eyes flash open into bright lights in a room that you don't recognize but with faces you recognize.

April:

Jo immediately like, tries to push herself away from everyone. She's so disoriented, even as she's like, taking in that it's people that she knows, like the sense of danger is so strong. And she cries out,

April (Jo):

What? No, please, okay, stop, stop, stop, stop, who could? (Heavy breathing)

Kenzie (Mel):

You need to sit.

April:

Jo does so.

Kenzie (Mel):

And breathe.

April:

She takes a deep inhale through her nose and exhale through her mouth.

April (Jo):

Sorry, I, How long has it been?

Kenzie (Mel):

Maybe... I don't know. 20 minutes? Half an hour?

April (Jo):

Since we were in the dressing room.

Kenzie (Mel):

Oh, um…

Kenzie (GM):

She kinda looks at Mama and JJ and Zeke.

Danielle:

Amoretta, think, is going to grab an nearby blanket and just kind of plop it over Jo's shoulders. For, just to have that grounding weight. So that she kind of can orient herself a bit more.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

There was no dressin' room, baby. It wasn't real. It's all in your head.

April (Jo):

No. No, it... It was all very real. All of it. Every... Every person. All of them. There were so many. I couldn't... I couldn't... Not for all of them. Why are we in my mother's hotel room?

Kenzie (Mel):

She’s not here right now, if that helps.

Atlas:

JJ’s gonna look at Melrose and be like,

Atlas (JJ):

This is her actual room?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I thought this was your room, Miss Quagmire.

Kenzie (Mel):

This is my room. This is her suite.

Atlas (JJ):

Why are you in... Okay, you were diabolical, now you're evil. Do you want to test if those crystals can go back in a neck? Because yours is looking pretty empty.

Atlas:

And I think JJ's gonna reposition herself to like be in between Melrose and Jo.

Atlas (JJ):

Working with an underground... mafia? Gang? One thing that I don't understand. So really, who am I to judge? Working with someone's...

Atlas:

And JJ will like look at Jo.

Atlas (JJ):

Working with someone's... parent that has... Jo, I'm sorry. Working with someone's parent that is fucking asshole? And you two know each other? So you know! What the fuck is going on?!

April (Jo):

JJ, Mel and my mother have known each other for a long time.

Atlas (JJ):

Exactly! That's my problem!

April (Jo):

No -

Kenzie (Mel):

You're not wrong, JJ. But you don't know the whole story, so...

Atlas:

I think JJ's mouth is hanging open like someone who doesn't get told they're not wrong a lot.

Kenzie (Mel):

But the story is more for Jo than it is for you.

Atlas (JJ):

I don't know if I want you alone with Jo right now.

Kenzie (Mel):

You don't have to leave. I'm just telling you that it's for her to hear.

Atlas:

JJ will like look over at Jo.

April:

Jo is just staring at Melrose.

Kenzie (GM):

Mel kind of steps around JJ so that she can see you and she kind of squats down on the floor so that she doesn't feel like she's standing over you and then sits and then kind of drapes her elbows across her knees.

Kenzie (Mel):

I don't know your mother's reasons. I can guess at them. I'm sure they were partially misguided. I’m sure, they were partially meant to be good, but of course, in action never actually reached that goal. But once you left, your mother reached out to me and became my patron of sorts. There were a lot of rules, but her biggest ask was for me to come here to Nova, which I did, two years ago. And to attend Arcadia, which she paid for.

April (Jo):

Sorry, you've been here for two years.

Kenzie (Mel):

With the caveat that she would stop paying if I reached out to you. And so I didn’t.

April (Jo):

Good to know you can be bought.

Kenzie (GM):

She can't meet your eyes anymore and just stares at the floor.

Kenzie (Mel):

I don't have anything to say for myself in defense of that, but I wanted to learn and I didn't really have a way to do so otherwise and Arcadia is the best there is. I was hoping at some point she would get over it. Tell me it didn't matter anymore. I thought her coming here would be the case. But, that day you were meant to visit, she kicked me out for the time. And I wish I hadn't gone. But, I did. So, the words are gonna feel useless and meaningless when I say them, but there's not really much else for me to say. I'm sorry. And I've missed you. But, I didn't make many of the right choices regarding that.

April (Jo):

No, you didn't. Sorry, as confusing as it is to see you here, it was much more confusing to see you at the Symposium, on the stage.

Atlas (JJ):

Jo, you're not going to believe it.

Kenzie (Mel):

You probably really aren't actually.

Atlas (JJ):

There's a gang underground, but there's a different gang than the one with the masks.

Kenzie (Mel):

It’s not a gang.

Atlas (JJ):

There’s a group - there's a rebellion with out masks that's fighting the ones with masks and the ones without masks is Mama's husband, maybe, sorry I should have said that with more tact. And so your - this one. This person whatever the relationship may or may not have been to you because I will kick I don't care whose room this is I will kick her out. She was working with the Rebellion and so she was working with the Faceless and that's how the Faceless built the machine that did something to our memories. It's a lot of science stuff and really I'm just glad you're awake because I don't know what's happening.

April (Jo):

You built it. That thing.

Kenzie (Mel):

Yes.

April (Jo):

So all those things that I just saw, that was...

Kenzie (Mel):

No, I built the machine. It didn't work when I finished it.

April (Jo):

So then Delia or…

Kenzie (Mel):

Which I don't know how, and she wasn't supposed to. I was trying to... I had to stay in there as long as I could, so I was doing my best to make the machine not actually work, but she caught on to my lies apparently before I knew she had, and took matters into her own hands.

April (Jo):

Sorry, I think there's one more thing that I'm not quite clear on.

Atlas (JJ):

One?

April (Jo):

Make it not work. What was its job?

Kenzie (Mel):

Delia is under the wrong impression that she can bring her father back. And she thought that by using crystals to feed him dreams, it would return to him the will to live. She has, in lack of better words, reality a bit. Because it wouldn't have worked. It would have worked in the fact that it does draw people's dreams out. If you've put those goggles on, you've seen it.

April (Jo):

Oh, I have.

Kenzie (Mel):

But it won't bring somebody back from the dead. All it does is steal dreams.

Atlas (JJ):

Feeding her dead dad dreams? Is this a radio drama? Where's the microphones? That doesn't- wait, so- And they're steal- they can steal the dreams? Dreams are- why are all those people unconscious? Is that the machine or is that something different? Are there two evil people? Well there are, it's you and Delia, but-

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

So where are all these stolen dreams being taken to? If not for what Delia thinks it's being used for?

Kenzie (Mel):

No, they're... they're being funneled to... him. He's just... he's not... a man anymore. Dreams have made him into something else entirely. And she can't see it. So I was simply trying to... gather enough credibility and evidence for Dmitri to finish the job, but that obviously hasn't worked. So I think...

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Yeah, speaking of… how did you two ever meet?

Kenzie (Mel):

When I cam here I found out that about the Faceless pretty immediately and in a strange turn of events, was saved from their clothes by him. And that is when I learned he was leading an old rebel group who used to work to better the city, to take down things that were happening that were hurting those who live here. And he was focused so hard on them. That was an all-consuming focus for him. And he thought I could be of help. So that is how that came about.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Yeah, well, I could have helped too.

Kenzie (Mel):

I'm not gonna suppose to tell you things he should tell you himself.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I would really like to have conversation with him after three long years.

Atlas (JJ):

Where is he?

Kenzie (Mel):

I can take you.

Atlas (JJ):

What a- wait, how do- there's a lot of people who are... brainwashed? Dream-stolen? Where- I can't think about this too hard or my head hurts. What do we do about the auditorium full of unconscious people? Not because-

Atlas:

And JJ will look at Mama with the most earnest expression.

Atlas (JJ):

Not because I don't want to go see Dmitri right now, but because we were there and we're currently the only four that left.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well, we try and find a way to break or fix whatever that device did to people.

Kenzie (Zeke):

I can go back to the Symposium. I have some weight to pull.

April (Jo):

I’ll go with you.

Atlas (JJ):

Last I checked, security was chasing you from the building.

Kenzie (Zeke):

I think that that wasn't actual security. And I think that it's a risk. I mean, what would happen if you guys went back? The same thing, right?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

The same thing might happen to you, possibly?

Kenzie (Zeke):

It could. But people there know me better than they know any of you.

April (Jo):

Well you can't go there alone.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I mean people do need to be warned about this really big problem, but I don't think you should be doing it alone.

Atlas (JJ):

Because if you go and you get caught, then you're just adding to the numbers of people that are unconscious. And I think they're taking their faces. Oh god, they have so many faces.

Kenzie (Mel):

They’re not taking anybody's faces. The people who died just died. It was a lie Delia told them to get them to sign on.

Atlas (JJ):

But what about the- my god.

Atlas:

JJ’s like turning green. Like, I know that it's a joke, you can see the smoke, you can kinda see the smoke coming from your ears.

Kenzie (Mel):

She created a myth and brainwashed people into believing it by promising them things that weren't real. No one is getting new faces.

Atlas (JJ):

But, April.

Kenzie (Mel):

Who's April?

Atlas (JJ):

My sister.

Kenzie (Mel):

Okay.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

She was affected. Became one of them.

Kenzie (Mel):

Ah.

Atlas (JJ):

She doesn't she didn't remember she doesn’t -

Kenzie (Mel):

Yeah, if she got out that's unsurprising. She wouldn't. There was a lot of things that went on in those tunnels. It's not surprising for her to... There's probably just some block in her mind that needs to be removed in some capacity.

Atlas (JJ):

No, no, no, you don't get it. You don't get it. She wasn't... No, it wasn't. It was someone else. It was someone else. Someone else was using... I don't want to do this anymore. I think we should find a new case. I think we're done.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I mean JJ if you wanna rest and call it, that's fine. But I- I can't.

Atlas (JJ):

No, because this isn't happening, this is another one of those tricks. April wouldn’t- The real April wouldn’t have -

April (Jo):

JJ.

Atlas (JJ):

The real April wouldn't have tried to kill me. Right? Mama, we're in another dream. Right?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I mean, I don't know what was going on in her head at the time that maybe wasn't real for her. I don't think - can you call it the real person when you know for a fact they aren't in their right mind and don't know what's happening?

Atlas (JJ):

Yes, because it was my sister and she knew I was hers. My god, May. What if she's...

Atlas:

And I think JJ just stares for a minute.

Atlas (JJ):

You know what? Bigger fish. Are we going back to the Symposium?

April (Jo):

We have to. I saw all those people's... We have to go back. I know we have a lot of tragedy in this room, but there is just as much in that room, and we're the only ones that can help them.

Atlas (JJ):

Let’s go.

Kenzie (Mel):

Jo, are you sure you're alright? Are you dizzy or...?

April:

Jo’s eyes are like sunken, like black eyes almost. And her pupils are still wide like they were in the dream. And she definitely is struggling. But there's this like fire in the back of her chest that's just pushing her towards all of those people. It's as if by seeing all of those memories and dreams, that room is now like full of people she loves. And she, with the tiniest gesture, like, touches just the edge of Mel's sleeve. And she says,

April (Jo):

Let’s go. I'm alright.

Kenzie (GM):

As you all exit the suite, Mel disappears into the kitchen area swiftly and comes back, has a pear in her hand, and presses it into Jo's hand and says,

Kenzie (Mel):

Eat… something.

April (Jo):

My favorite.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

You also know if there's like whiskey around or something.

Kenzie (Mel):

One moment.

Kenzie (GM):

And she disappears back down the hallway. And she comes back... not with whiskey, but with a bottle of... Amaretto.

Danielle:

There’s so many emotions with the smirk that she gives. One of them definitely reads as pissed. And she knocks back her drink and then sets it back down just goes,

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Okay let's go.

Atlas:

JJ’s gonna lean into Melrose's ear and go, if that pear has crystals in it, I'm gonna kill you till you're dead.

April:

Jo definitely heard that and like makes eye contact with JJ and crunches into the pear and like shows her the flesh.

Kenzie (GM):

Mel also looks at JJ and says,

Kenzie (Mel):

If I wanted Jo dead, I would have let the sewer crumble on top of her. Let's go.

Atlas (JJ):

If I want you dead I’ll crumble a sewer on top of you or to crumble- fuck!

Kenzie (GM):

You head back out of the Rosewater into the limo back down the same streets the symposium and there's a tension in the car like no other. In the middle of the ride back Zeke sticks his hand across the car to Mel,

Kenzie (Zeke):

We didn’t exactly get introductions. My name is Zeke Emery. Nice to meet you.

Kenzie (Mel):

Melrose Quagmire. Pleasure.

April:

Jo just kind of like looks between the two of them. Like, it's trying really hard not to look at Mel, but then every few seconds still like glances over at her.

Kenzie (GM):

I want you to answer the Truth of Heart and Blade section on your character sheet. When you become smitten with someone, you answer the question, why would your romance never last? As you're looking at Mel in her glorious white suit.

April:

We care about different things. Different things are important to us.

Kenzie (GM):

Mel has started like during this ride fidgeting with the gears that kind of make up the front almost tie-like part of her suit and you notice as she does they do move. They don't seem to do anything they just seem to actually be like movable and so that you just hear every so often a click, click as the gears shift in circles. She doesn't even really seem to know that she's doing it.

Eventually you pull back up outside the symposium and you see that there are a bunch of enforcer cars on the street, kind of blocking it off, and so the limo has to stop before it can actually pull up. And the driver kind of calls back and says,

Kenzie (Driver):

That’s as far as I can go, it looks like.

April (Jo):

It’s alright, we’ll hop out.

Atlas (JJ):

What’s our plan before we leave the covered vehicle?

Kenzie (Mel):

I would like to know that as well.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well how the heck do we break this device?

Atlas (JJ):

What are we going to tell the enforcers that are outside of the car?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

That something weird is going on and that we know what the cause of it is and how to stop it.

Atlas (JJ):

I've never tried being honest with them. However, based on our caseload, I'm worried about that option.

April (Jo):

Perhaps we told them we left our bag.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Sure, I mean that could work, but I don't know how many we're dealing with here.

Kenzie (Mel):

Seeing as they weren't here before, I do think they know something is up now.

April (Jo):

Don't you have pull? Isn't that what you said?

Kenzie (Zeke):

I could talk to him. I have pull in the wealthy scientist community is kind of what I meant, but I can try to speak with the enforcers if you want me to.

Atlas (JJ):

Having pull with the wealthy gives you pull with the enforcers.

April (Jo):

That's true.

Kenzie (Zeke):

Okay, then I'll give it a shot.

April (Jo):

Zeke, be careful, please.

Kenzie (Zeke):

I don't think talking is gonna get me in any trouble.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

You’d be surprised.

Atlas:

And JJ's just like, nodding.

Atlas (JJ):

With the enforcers? A lot.

Kenzie (GM):

And he opens the door and steps out and closes it. You can see through the windows him walk up to the nearest officer that kind of puts his hand up to stop him and they say a few words and the enforcer calls somebody else over and says something to them and then sends them somewhere and Zeke kind of looks back at the car but is just waiting there with this enforcer.

A little bit later, not even a minute probably passes, and you see Captain Slate striding out of the Symposium building towards Zeke. And Zeke speaks to him, and then Captain Slate kind of looks towards the limo, and looks back at Zeke and they exchange a couple more words, and then just starts taking Zeke towards the Symposium.

April (Jo):

Right, I’m assuming that's our cue.

Kenzie (Mel):

I don't know.

Atlas (JJ):

As much as we will get one.

April:

Jo kicks the door open and like starts to sort of jog but like with her hands up and at the ready like I'm not I'm just jogging I'm just jogging he's like sorry we all with him actually

Kenzie (GM):

Zeke and Captain Slate stop and turn around and Zeke was like,

Kenzie (Zeke):

Why didn't you guys just come with me in the first place then? Let's go.

April (Jo):

Sorry, yes, Zeke Emory, my good friend. Long time, thank you. Sorry.

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

Jo, I know you.

April (Jo):

Slate, how are you doing?

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

We're gonna need some help on this one.

April (Jo):

Yeah, I'm assuming so.

April:

In front of the enforcers, Jo always adopts this, one of the boys sort of, like, you know, posture. Like, I’m just here to do your job better, old chap, you know, sort of deal.

Kenzie (Mel):

I'm also with them. I kind of know what's going on in there. That's helpful.

April (Jo):

Yes, she'll be very useful.

Kenzie (Mel):

I’ll try to be.

Kenzie (GM):

And as you guys are walking in closer you hear these thuds. The thuds that you hear are kind of metallic in tone and as you walk up you see that there are enforcers inside the Symposium with battering rams trying to bust open the doors into that main presentation room and it have apparently been locked or barricaded.

Atlas (JJ):

Does anyone have a saw?

April (Jo):

A saw?

Atlas (JJ):

Or an axe? We gotta cut out the middle.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Ms. Quagmire, do you know if there's- or Zeke, do you guys know if there's any other entrance into this specific particular room?

Kenzie (Mel):

I don't know about other entrances, I know how to get the door open, I just don't have it on me.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

And who would? Where is it?

Atlas (JJ):

What is it?

Kenzie (Mel):

Specific chime, but I need a specific crystal, and I don't- just carry that on me.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

So where would it be if not on your person?

Atlas (JJ):

Don't say in the room. Don't say in the room.

Kenzie (Mel):

The aqueducts.

Atlas (JJ):

What?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Okay.

April (Jo):

Oh fuck.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

That's real far. We don't have the time for that.

Atlas (JJ):

Would an axe work? Have we tried an axe?

April (Jo):

Unfortunately JJ was right on this one, I think that might be our best route.

Atlas (JJ):

Twice?! This happened twice today!

April (Jo):

Don't get used to it.

Atlas (JJ):

I’ll ta- hey, new record.

April:

Jo like starts patting herself down to see what she has on her that could be of use. She has her sword too thin, it's not really going to work as a battering ram. She has her rings that turn into various weapons, but nothing that would work in this scenario. She reaches into her jacket pocket and she feels a small baggy which she pulls out.

April (Jo):

I dreamt this. maybe I didn't. Is this the right one?

April:

And she places it in Mel's palm.

Kenzie (Mel):

Its not necessarily in the right form, but I might be able to make it work if I could get a couple other things. Zeke, is there any way we could get like a small metal plate? I need two metal cylinders as well, and then Jo, the use of your sword if you wouldn't mind

April (Jo):

Yes, of course, and actually, wait, one moment.

April:

And Jo drops down to her boots, which just have a bunch of metal bits dangling off of them as charms, but they're also useful.

April (Jo):

What size would you prefer of the cylinders?

Kenzie (Mel):

I need about both to be two to three inches.

April:

She starts to untie her boots and slides one off of the end of each side of her shoelace.

April (Jo):

Like this?

Kenzie (Mel):

Yeah, sorry, yeah, exactly like that.

Kenzie (GM):

And takes him from you, and then Zeke says,

Kenzie (Zeke):

I’m sure, in this place there is a metal plate somewhere. I'll be right back.

April:

Jo can't help but kind of like have a ghost of a grin.

April (Jo):

I'm useful sometimes.

Kenzie (Mel):

I don't remember you being that resourceful.

Atlas (JJ):

She is.

Kenzie (GM):

Mel just kind of like eyes dart over to JJ and loses the like smile, the small smile that she had on her face when she looks over at JJ.

Atlas:

If looks could kill, Mel would be vaporized.

Kenzie (GM):

Zeke eventually comes back only a little bit later and has like this like five by five, just like maybe half inch metal plate and Mel says,

Kenzie (Mel):

I am not entirely sure this is gonna work, but I got to give it a try.

Kenzie (GM):

And she like gets down on the ground in front of the door, places the metal plate right up next to like where the doors meet in the center, puts the two cylinders on either side, like sitting atop the plate and then like sprinkles the powdered crystals onto the two cylinders and then she reaches back and she says,

Kenzie (Mel):

Jo, your sword please.

April (Jo):

Right, here.

April:

And she draws it and hands it over to Mel.

Kenzie (GM):

And Mel takes it and like kind of gets up from her knees and crouches a little bit and then swipes the edge of the sword swipes against the crystal and the metal cylinders. You just hear this ringing tone ring out and at first nothing happens and she goes,

Kenzie (Mel):

I think it was off by just a little bit.

Kenzie (GM):

And she moves the cylinders a little bit closer together and then does it one more time and the ringing comes out and the door starts to push in to the amphitheater.

April (Jo):

Oh fuck.

Kenzie (GM):

And Mel turns around to you and looks up and says,

Kenzie (Mel):

And I'm quite useful sometimes.

April (Jo):

Yes, but you've always been useful. I only learned it in the past couple of years.

Kenzie (GM):

She gathers up the materials. You can see in the room now as the doors start to open, there's not a singular masked figure in this room anymore. There's no sign of Delia. The machine is still whirring on the stage and everybody in the room is still standing.

Atlas (JJ):

You’re useful, turn it off!

Kenzie (Mel):

Right, of course.

Kenzie (GM):

And then some of the enforcers kind of like push in and you just hear them going,

Kenzie (Enforcers):

What the fuck? What is this? What's happening?

Kenzie (GM):

Like muttering upon first seeing what's going on in the room. And Captain Slate comes up and says,

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

(clears throat) So this is not normal.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Yeah.

Atlas (JJ):

I think that's the first deduction I've heard you make that's a correct.

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

I do have the power to kick you out of here, so watch your mouth.

April (Jo):

Exactly. Sir, look, tell your lads, just can I please - if you could simply secure the border around here, make sure that people don't come in and disturb, alright? We're going to try to fix this. So, you know, tell your lads to just keep on.

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

You two, go with them.

Kenzie (GM):

And points for a couple of the enforcers to follow you and Mel. And then has others stand kind of at the door guarding. And then there are a couple who go in to like try to check on these people that are just standing in here.

So Mel starts walking down. She kind of puts one hand on the edge of the stage and like uses it to help herself jump up onto it. And then just strides right towards the machine.

April:

Jo follows and now that she's so close to it, she can almost feel the energy radiating off of it and it's frightening for sure. But the inventor part of her brain is buzzing because it's also a beautiful piece of machinery. It's elegant in the way it's shaped and she can tell there's something graceful about it.

And she turns to Mel and says,

April (Jo):

I should have known.

Kenzie (Mel):

You should have known what?

April (Jo):

It was yours.

Kenzie (Mel):

Really, we have Viola to thank for the design. I simply made it.

April (Jo):

Your work is always... There's something graceful about it. I could never quite do it that way.

Kenzie (Mel):

You have a much more improvisational mind than I do though when it comes to all of this. We both have our strengths. The problem is it wasn't supposed to fucking work.

Kenzie (GM):

She kind of goes over to the side where Delia had like pressed buttons or pulled a lever or whatever that you couldn't necessarily see from offstage and as you follow you look and you see that there looks to be like little panel box on the side of it that has a couple different levers in it and you see that each of them have been ripped out of this contraption and there are wires dangling out of it and the wires have been sundered on the edges so that there's no connectivity points anymore and Mel says,

Kenzie (Mel):

Fuck.

Kenzie (GM):

And like slams her foot into the side of the machine.

Kenzie (Mel):

There's no failsafe. She didn't build in a fucking failsafe.

April:

Jo goes around to the other side and studies it looking for anything of notice.

Kenzie (Mel):

I mean, in theory, what was supposed to happen was you would be able to power the crystals sporadically. You would be able to create a pool and you'd be able to shut off the pool. But by damaging her own fucking machine, I don't see a way to disengage the crystals from use. It's like she set it to run forever.

April (Jo):

On purpose. It makes sense, that's what she'd want.

Kenzie (Mel):

It wasn't necessary though. She could give these people back what was left of their minds. She didn't need to take that away from them completely. But I don't know how to stop this now.

April (Jo):

And if we were to just hack it to pieces, I'm assuming…

Kenzie (Mel):

I don't think we'd come out of it alive. The crystals would explode.

April (Jo):

Jesus Christ. fucking hell. You have to build such a perfect machine. I-

Kenzie (Mel):

What I built did not work. Okay? Whatever was added after that is not of my design.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Great, so now knowing that we can't fix this thing, what's our next step?

Kenzie (Mel):

Well, I mean, if we could remove all these people and no one cares about this building, we could, but I think the building wouldn’t be in great condition afterwards.

April (Jo):

Oh, you’re saying... explode the building, essentially.

Kenzie (Mel):

That was just an answer to the question. So no, no, I don't think we should explode the building.

April (Jo):

I'm for it, honestly.

Kenzie (Mel):

Oh, um…

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Is there any other option besides an explosion?

Kenzie (Mel):

Finding Delia.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I assume there would probably be in the aqueduct.

Kenzie (Mel):

That's where she stays, that's where we all stay. But I don't think she would be - she would be in the aqueduct somewhere. Again, I know where she's keeping him now. But it's a bit of a trek. It's the tunnel that goes far outside of the city grounds, so... but we could get there.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I'm not sure we can help these people unless we stop the source of where everything's going.

Kenzie (Mel):

If we can stop the pool of the dreams from elsewhere, because this is transp- this is mass... consuming them. So it- if we ends where- sorry, I'm problem solving as I speak.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

That's- that's fine, like a way to cut off their connection?

Kenzie (Mel):

Yeah, so if we somehow stop the connection on the other end, I don't know if it would turn the machine off or anything, but it could just sever the connection in general from the people.

April (Jo):

So we have to kill Delia's father, or whatever he is now.

Kenzie (Mel):

I suppose maybe that would be the case.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

And how well-fortified is this place? Is this something that we could do with just the current numbers we got, or are gonna have to bring more folks in?

Kenzie (Mel):

The Faceless are not well-trained. They're a bunch of brainwashed people who believe in something that's not real. Some of them can fight, some of them can't. There's numbers though.

April (Jo):

And they don't fear death.

Kenzie (Mel):

Because they don't think they're going to die.

April (Jo):

That makes them very dangerous.

Kenzie (Mel):

So, they’ll fight, or I could take you to Dmitri.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I, for one, am not opposed to that idea, but I might be biased.

Kenzie (Mel):

I didn't think you would be. We have not as many in number, but we do have, we do have people, and we have some people that we have taken from the Faceless as well, who we've brought back to reality.

April (Jo):

Last time I went down with no backup, except JJ. Well, it was a mutual effort, but it didn't go quite so well, perhaps we do go see Dmitri, go in with more of an army.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Yeah, I’m sure he would give us a good rundown of the situation. He has a lot of explaining to do.

Kenzie (Mel):

I can only imagine.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Yeah, you mentioned that you heard of me.

Kenzie (Mel):

Yeah, I didn't necessarily have daily contact with him, but your name was mentioned a lot. I've seen a photo of you before. If I can, I think he maybe... I don't want to speak for him. It's not for me to say.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Can't wait to hear what he's got to say then.

Kenzie (GM):

Captain Slate kind of walks up behind Mama close to stage and says,

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

(Clears throat) So, you can't help? Can't fix this?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Seems like the issue's at a different location. Or at least the source of it. According to Miss Quagmire over here, the device was destroyed in such a way, it can't be reversed at the moment.

Kenzie (Mel):

Yes. Exactly. And these people are in danger. Even if you remove them from the situation, they are still in danger, unless we end it, but this is not, fixable in its current state. Also, we're going to bring- be bringing some rather high-standing individuals in Nova to heed. So maybe prepare yourselves for having to arrest a Weatherby.

April (Jo):

Or two.

Kenzie (GM):

And Captain Slate is kind of like completely surprised and is just like,

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

What - what are you what are you going on about. They just lost their mother.

Kenzie (Mel):

Yeah no i'm aware. Wait Jo, two?

April (Jo):

Yes, you've only had to deal with half of the Wetherby sisters, but I've had the pleasure of dealing with both of them and something tells me that Delia might not be working by herself.

Atlas (JJ):

They both have evil in their eyes.

April (Jo):

Thank you, JJ.

Kenzie (Mel):

Never seen another sister. I've only ever spoken with Delia. I mean, I know of Rose just because I know of the family, but-

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

You're not sure if Rose is aware of any of this?

Kenzie (Mel):

I- I- I would say she wasn't. I've never seen her, but that doesn't mean Delia hasn't worked with her separately from me. She's hidden other things.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Either way, might be good to question Rose whether it be to at least see what Delia might have let slip?

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

Sounds like you guys know what you're doing. So we will take the job of looking into Rose.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Thank you, Captain.

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

And guarding this machine.

April (Jo):

Yes. Also, these people, is there a way that we could potentially move them to a safer location while they rest?

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

We've called emergency services. It'll take a bit. We only have so many beds, but we can start ferrying them out. And we will try to do that as quickly as possible.

April (Jo):

Right. Sounds good, sir.

Kenzie (Mel):

So, we are free to go then?

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

Listen, I know that we don't always see eye to eye, but I know that you guys are good at what you do. So I'm gonna put an arm out for you here and say I trust you on this one.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Thank you, captain.

Atlas (JJ):

I’m gonna politely decline the arm because we don't know where it's been, but we will solve this case.

Kenzie (Captain Slate):

It was a figure beat, okay. Like going out on a limb type of, okay, that's fine. JJ.

April (Jo):

JJ.

Atlas:

JJ will give like, Jo such a stink face back, like “What? Hmm? I'm having a bad day?”

April:

Jo’s kind of like, gritting her teeth like, We have to be nice to the shitty policeman.”

Kenzie (GM):

As you guys kind of walk up the aisle, Zeke stops in the middle and goes,

Kenzie (Zeke):

I think he's just a little bit above my capabilities.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Oh, yeah, no, um, I wouldn't-

Kenzie (Zeke):

I'm gonna stay here and deal with this.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

That sounds like a better plan.

Kenzie (Zeke):

You all come back.

April (Jo):

We will.

April:

I think Jo gives him a little kiss on the cheek as she leaves.

Atlas:

JJ’s gonna smile at Mel.

Kenzie (GM):

And Mel just looks at you with furrowed brow and confused expression.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Lead the way, Ms. Quagmire. You know where he is.

Kenzie (GM):

Right before she follows you out and starts leading you, she turns to Zeke and she looks up at him and she says,

Kenzie (Mel):

If we do come back, maybe we could have a talk about... But I need new support, I think.

Kenzie (GM):

And he looks at her and he goes,

Kenzie (Zeke):

I haven't... I haven’t, uh, helped a student out in quite some time, I think I'd like to have that conversation.

Kenzie (Mel):

Great, well, we'll see you then. Bye.

Kenzie (GM):

Looks back at you guys and she goes,

Kenzie (Mel):

All right, right this way.

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. Thank you for listening!