About this Episode:
The investigators of Lamplight are dealing with a case gone cold, but the Weatherby sisters are still very much not safe.
The content warning for this episode includes complicated family dynamics, drinking, grief, kidnapping, and sexual themes.
This episode spotlight is Game Master Monday!
You can find us here
Lamplight Investigations is a Thirsty Sword Lesbians steampunk noir that stars Kenzie Tartaglione as the GM, Atlas Mathews as JJ August, Danielle Halen as Mama Amoretta, and April Consalo as Joanna Gilmore.
Episode recap performed by Michelle Kelly.
This podcast episode as produced and edited by Kenzie Tartaglione with theme music by Lisette Amago and character art by Elsa Velasco.
Episode Transcript:
Michelle Kelly:
After a rather tense continued investigation of Viola Weatherby’s lab with Jack (an ex of both JJ and Jo as well as a member of The Velvet Roses) watching over the proceedings, our detectives decided to drive by the estate of one Zeke Emory. Jo took the initiative to break in and soon found herself in a warm study conversing with Zeke about his relationship to the deceased- and the gadget which ended the life of her husband.
JJ and Mama Amoretta waited in the car as getaway drivers, where a note from Jack’s partner Tressa revealed that Delia Weatherby, Rose Weatherby’s sister, had hired the Velvet Roses to look into the theft at the lab.
Deciding to follow one last lead, the next morning the Lamplight Detectives sought out Arthur Winch, Viola Weatherby’s assistant (and a new lover, mayhaps?). The new questions on everyone’s mind are: what in the world is a Stabilized Chronometric Lance? And what was Viola Weatherby doing messing with time?
Kenzie Tartaglione (Game Master):
A couple days have passed in Cypher since the night that the Lamplight Investigative Services traveled to Nova and broke into the lab of Viola Weatherby. A couple nights have passed since Jo found a connection with a grieving man full of intelligence and patience. And a few days since JJ found themselves flirting with a possible theft themselves joined by Arthur Winch.
It happens sometimes. A case becomes stagnant, leads fall short, All the information is there except for the vital piece. Who did it? Rose Weatherby has assured you that she wants you to keep looking, that she'll pay whatever the cost is for prolonged investigation, almost as if she's keeping you on retainer.
It's evening. Darkness has fallen over the entirety of Nova, the street lamps that work flickering to light in the haze. The downpour started a few hours ago. There's no predicting when it will end. In the past few days, the office has become unorganized, messy. JJ's standards having been pushed aside in the flurry to find answers. And maybe she's also distracted by the fact that Arthur has not yet called. But, as all your leads, the information you have gathered, the threads you were trying to put together about Viola Weatherby's death, all began to fade. Mama Amoretta, as she often does, turned back to the investigation that she had been working on for years. The disappearance of one Dmitri Voronov. It was always too coincidental that two people Mama Amoretta knew of had disappeared, her husband and JJ's sister, April.
While the circumstances surrounding their disappearances seemed to have differed, they happened within the span of the same year. And now, she had another to add, Delia Wetherby. Though the connections end there, Delia had disappeared a couple years prior to the others, she had returned, and neither JJ nor Mama have seen the likes of their family members since they vanished.
But it's the only new information Mama has, and she's clinging onto it for dear life, ravaging their files, newspapers, to find any sense of affiliation, and coming up, as she so often has, in rumination on her husband's disappearance, empty-handed.
Boomy has found a bed atop a pile of papers that have been left on the floor. One of the many that have made walking through the lobby of the office an obstacle course. Empty coffee mugs, drained tumblers of whiskey. The couch has become a bed for both Jo and JJ, taking turns sleeping off exhaustion… or a hangover. Mama has had the good sense to remove herself for a couple hours every now and again, go home, make tea, sleep or not sleep. A change of scenery.
But, you are all here together this evening. Mama behind the desk in her office, JJ's turn for a quick afternoon nap on the couch, and Jo sitting atop the lobby desk staring blankly at the same pages she's been staring at for days.
April Consalo:
Jo, as per usual when Dmitri comes to the forefront, has stayed pretty quiet. Jo has had disappearances in her own life, though she doesn't talk about them. And when she thinks about men disappearing in particular, she's usually not surprised. Although she would never say this to Mama, as her love and respect is too great, she doesn't believe that Dimitri's disappearance has any nefarious background. She believes it is just another man doing what they do best, leaving.
Jo has also been irritated with the stagnation of the case, pacing around, drinking heavily, either coffee or whiskey or both. She doesn't like to sit still, and she hates even more when the information seems to go in circles but not come to any conclusions. She's irritable, overtired, and feeling quite stubborn.
Atlas Mathews:
JJ is not considering how similar and also dissimilar the disappearances are. She is trying to dive headfirst into the case, but having difficulty not feeling suspicious of everyone involved, whether that is because these people are behaving suspiciously or because JJ noticing similarities to her own life is just having trouble trusting anyone that they have spoken to about the case, remains up in the air.
They are very upset that Arthur hasn't called and also has a few other numbers sitting leaden in her pocket as she has not been the most responsible with people's hearts as of late. She's not really talking to Jo, avoiding some situations. Doesn't really want to talk about anything that happened that day. Kind of trying to hide her nose in papers and picking up after Mama, though she is very worried about Mama.
Danielle Halen:
Mama may not necessarily look like it, but internally, she is a bit of a mess at the moment because the case is going nowhere. There might be a connection to her husband's case, which is now also going nowhere. So she's, in a very simple word, frustrated. But she also understands that these things take time and that sometimes things need to wait a bit. But she's nervous because she knows some people in Nova proper kind of get finicky and upset when cases take too long. And so she's worried that Miss Weatherby might end up being dissatisfied with the length of their work and the investigation or maybe the lack of answers so far. Mama would have tried to reach out to Zeb at some point to update Rose on what progress has been made and see with that update what more information she might tell them if she knows anything else that with this information might trigger memory being like, “Oh! I didn't think this was important but now looking back on it with this stuff!”
So she's trying to get that meeting to help see if more context might bring more clues to light. But at the moment, she's kind of just staring at what evidence lies before her and knows that the answer lies probably with the two Weatherby sisters, whether or not they actually understand they hold answers. Mama feels kind of just, just, just in her gut that, that they know something.
Kenzie (GM):
And Rose during this time does get back into contact with you and that is when she reassures you that she is not in a rush per se. Of course, everybody would love a case to be quick and easy, done up tight, tied with a bow, but has been open and willing to continue to pay for your services. At the specific point that you called, was there any specific lead that you were intrigued by that you might ask her about?
Danielle:
Probably asking because I'll just say I've noticed this a lot, your sister's name has come up a lot. And I noticed some things happened a few years ago. Can you - I’m like, it may not seem relevant now, but if Mama might ask, what was it like with your sister? What, like maybe if Rose was open to the question, what happened when she disappeared? What happened when she came back?
Kenzie (GM):
Rose is able to give you some more information on this front. And she says,
Kenzie (Rose Weatherby):
Well, yes, my sister Delia, unfortunately, we are rather estranged at the moment. We weren't necessarily very close before she left, but even so, I thought maybe upon her return, something would have been sparked between us. But there wasn't really any warning. All of a sudden, she just wasn't there anymore. And we had the enforcers look into it. They had an investigation going, but they couldn't find her. And so we just assumed she didn't want to be found. And so she returns, years later, popping up out of nowhere and acting like nothing was out of the ordinary. None of us could really get any answers out of her. She simply said she needed to not. Well, she didn't want to be around us anymore. I don't know what the inciting incident was. She really won't speak to me outside of like casual conversation. And she acts like she was simply taking a vacation.
And since then… well it's become quite clear that we are motivated differently. I was welcomed into society where it is assumed that I will take on my parents' wealth and marry and live the same types of lives that they did, in that sense. Delia doesn't want any part of that. And to be quite honest, even when we were children, I knew that deep down, that we were quite different. She was always more motivated, more dedicated. So when she came back, she refused to live at our family home and got her own place and has been living there ever since. And the very few check-ins we have with one another are surface and rare.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
If it’ll be alright with you, might I ask if maybe I could get some contact information from your sister or you know, a means to reach out to her. I think it's good that you know, at least see what she might know. If she knows anything.
Kenzie (Rose):
Of course. Let me go find it.
Kenzie (GM):
And you hear the phone being set down. And a couple minutes later, picked back up.
Kenzie (Rose):
I will say, this is the number I have for her. She rarely often picks up. So try a couple times. Don't leave it on one go. But she's not easy to be in contact with if she doesn't want to speak with you.
Kenzie (GM):
And Rose will give you the number for Delia's personal phone. You haven't been able to contact Delia or at least you've called and you've left messages but you have not received a return call from her in those couple of days.
Atlas:
JJ would first follow whatever Mama's inclination was, but if Mama's inclination was not to be looking deeper into Rose and her relationship with her family, then JJ is also looking into that.
Kenzie (GM):
I think that throughout the years of newspaper clippings, magazine articles, just living in Cypher, like even though you guys are in Cypher and not Nova, the news of the wealthy and the established and the quote unquote elite makes its way to your ears. They live in such a strange bubble that you may not understand, but that doesn't mean that you are free of their influence. And so, everybody knows the Weatherby name. I think that there have been a multitude of occasions where Rose is actively seen in public with her family acting, if not believing in, being the dutiful daughter. There aren't any specific things that stick out to you that would make it feel like she is in any way estranged or different from her family. But a lot of the stuff still leaves a focus on Viola specifically because she was the most prominent person in the family.
Delia, on the other hand, there's not a lot about her. She is noticeably missing from many of these stories where the focus is on the family and it mentions Lemuel, Viola, and Rose, and a lot of it misses Delia. And there isn't anything that you can find a specific story of her actual disappearance. It feels like it was all kind of hushed up.
Atlas:
JJ is worried about how Delia was treated and whether or not she may agree that her mom… not deserved it. like, you know when something happens and you're like, I wouldn't do that, but I get it.
April:
I think Jo is really focused on like the genius, invention, like jealousy aspect of it. She had a lot of people close to her that kind of didn't really know what was going on, but maybe they did. The crystals that she found at Arthur's house were like very unnerving. I think that that aspect of the investigation while like aligning with her interests, she also sympathizes a lot with Viola of being this sort of like misunderstood genius who was maybe betrayed by someone close to her that she thought like understood her. So I think that her idea is still on someone was trying to get the invention or stop the invention from coming out or claim it for themselves. Like she thinks that the invention is at the root of it all.
Danielle:
I think maybe Mama would ask, if Jo was up to it, to see if those two inventions are at all connected or if these are two totally different things. And if they are connected, then we know that missing item and that mock-up is the thing that was supposed to be presented at the symposium and was the object that was stolen. So then we need to find who has that object.
Kenzie (GM):
It would be very hard for Jo to figure out if the plans that she found could be connected to that because there were no plans found for that specific machine.
Danielle:
We need to find people who would have known about this device, possibly would have reasons to steal it. And that leaves a very small pool. And also we still need to investigate the lecture people because they might have actually known something. We have no clue how much they actually know about the invention as well.
April:
Thinking in like an even bigger sphere. Who would want to be able to adjust time? Like so many people.
Danielle:
Besides Viola's lover, who was like her main, who were her main investors? Because even looking at the companies that might've been investing in her are definitely worthwhile because they definitely would have motivation to probably have a vague idea of what's going on and yoink it.
Atlas:
If they're investing in her and she's about to come out with this massive thing, they're about to get a massive kickback.
April:
But do they think that it should be accessible to the common folk, quote unquote?
Danielle:
Why was she making this in the first place?
Kenzie (GM):
I think if you want to look into funding, you find out that for many, many years, publicly at least, in the public records, Zeke Emory was Viola's only funder. What he told Jo pans out, that he started giving her money for things in school. And then, ArcTech started having a bit of more of an interest in Viola. And the school, Arcadia, started having a little bit more of an interest as in, like they would not necessarily give her money, but they were creating grants for students. And you actually find an article that Arthur Winch got his position with Viola through a grant that the school put up. She also comes from money and her husband is rich as well, so it's possible that even without Zeke's funding, she could have kept herself afloat.
April:
I think that this is some research that Jo does over the course of the few days where things seem to have been petered out. She doesn't really know what to make of this information. Again, there doesn't seem to be any major leads jumping out at her. She really does trust Zeke and thinks that he is not a suspect.
Kenzie (GM):
Outside of the heart that did not work out, everything seems above board when it comes to Viola. That was like the one thing that seems to be done wrong.
Kenzie (Zion):
Hey ma!
Kenzie (GM):
And in walks a familiar figure. Tall, broad shoulders, tall furry ears atop his head, twitching at the sounds in the building. He looks little bit bedraggled. Brown hair, wet, plastered to the sides of his face, water dripping down the skin of his torso because for years Zion hasn't known what it means to button his shirts all the way. His boots leave water prints on the carpet as he shuts the door.
Kenzie (Zion):
Brought you something from Comida del Corazon.
Kenzie (GM):
He holds up a bag.
Kenzie (Zion):
Figured you guys haven't been taking care of yourselves.
Kenzie (GM):
And his eyes kind of scan the room and his eyebrows quirk in a way that suggests he believes himself to be right. He sets the food on the desktop next to Jo. And he points up at you he says,
Kenzie (Zion):
Your bags are darker than usual. You know, per my uncle's professional medical advice, you need to sleep more. When was the last time you had more than like three hours at a time?
April:
Jo grins and kind of like ruffles the top of his head.
Kenzie (Zion):
All right, all right.
April (Joanna Gilmore):
Oh, sweet boy, never. But thank you for the food.
Danielle:
Meanwhile, mom was scrambling to get up out of her chair and she's like,
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Hold on one sec, one sec.
Danielle:
And then she just kind of scrambles over and then pulls her son into a big old hug. Does not give a shit that he is wet and then realizes he is wet and she goes,
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Baby, I'm gonna get you some clothes to change into, hold on.
Kenzie (Zion):
I forgot my umbrella, Ma, I'm sorry.
Danielle:
She immediately rushes back and has a bunch of spare clothes for everybody in the office and then gets some spare clothes that he can change into and also a towel. And she's drying his hair.
Kenzie (Zion):
Yeah, all right, all right.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
That’s what you get for going out without an umbrella.
Kenzie (GM):
He has no issue in the middle of the office in front of everyone stripping his shirt off. Dries himself off, puts the new one on, pants are still wet, has a little bit of propriety about the pants situation.
Kenzie (Zion):
Alright, I'll be right back.
Kenzie (GM):
Goes into Mama Amaretta's office instead of the bathroom and shuts the door and leaves you all in the lobby for a minute. I think in the commotion of Zion coming into the office, JJ awakes from her slumber.
Atlas (June July August):
(yawns) Wait, what?
Atlas:
And I think she like just barely catches as he like shirt off, shirt on, and then he just like walks away. JJ like looks at her like wrist for a watch that is not there. Shrugs, looks outside like at the window.
Atlas (JJ):
Afternoon. Any leads?
Atlas:
And I think there's papers like on her almost like she kinda was like, no, I'm not gonna go to sleep. Like I'm gonna keep, I'm gonna keep working. And then she like dozed off and she just kind of lifts whatever was on top of her last.
April (Jo):
Nothing here. Nothing more than prior to your nap.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Well, Zion here brought some food from us from his shift, so sweet! And I think maybe the best person we got to talk to is Delia about this whole situation. feel like-
April:
Jo slams some papers down and says,
April (Jo):
I agree. I am so sick of walking around this office, I swear to god I'm going to blow my brains out. When can we see her?
Kenzie (GM):
The door to the office opens and Zion comes out and says,
Kenzie (Zion):
Well, Jo, that would be kind of a mess to clean up, so.
April (Jo):
I would not do it in front of all of you. Don't worry.
Kenzie (Zion):
It would still make a mess.
April (Jo):
I would do in the loneliness of my own apartment.
Kenzie (Zion):
Oh, okay.
April (Jo):
In my apartment.
Kenzie (Zion):
All right. All right.
April (Jo):
Don't worry. I think about you all.
Kenzie (Zion):
Well, how about we don't do that? How about you guys eat some of this food?
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Yeah, let's all take a minute. Eat. Help clear our minds for a moment. And then reset.
Atlas (JJ):
Zion, are you staying for eating?
Kenzie (GM):
Walks over and plops down on the couch next to you. And just very casually, as if it's just how his body works, spreads out his arms in one. So one of them is kind of around you.
Kenzie (Zion):
I think you got a few hairs out of place here.
Kenzie (GM):
And like starts trying to put hair back into barrettes.
Danielle:
Mama is gonna go fix Zion his favorite drink. And meanwhile, she's smiling to herself because she knows exactly what her son is doing.
Atlas:
JJ is gonna like turn up, have a slight blush and just kind of like elbow him and be like,
Atlas (JJ):
I’m sure - probably - we’re not even - what'd you get for dinner?
Kenzie (Zion):
There's a bit of everything in there. Just something I cooked up little quick before I left.
Atlas (JJ):
Anything interesting happen today?
Atlas:
And I think JJ will like pick like a straight like string off of like the side of his shirt and just like drop it.
Kenzie (Zion):
I mean, Lucia and Ernesto got in a little bit of a fight, but nothing more than usual. Just a disagreement between father and daughter about something or another. I don't know. It was in the front. I was in the back. Couldn't really hear it all. It's not my place, anyway.
Kenzie (GM):
What is very clear and has been noticeable to all of you as people close to Zion and also investigators is that whenever he is around Mama specifically his accent gets a lot stronger.
April:
Jo is definitely digging into the food already and with her mouth full she's like,
April (Jo):
Zion this is brilliant.
Kenzie (Zion):
Well, I try.
April (Jo):
Thank you. Thank you for staying for eating.
April:
And she kind of like looks at JJ like making fun of her.
Atlas:
JJ is gonna take that as her cue to,
Atlas (JJ):
Ugh, well save some for me.
Atlas:
Tries to stand up and then she like kind of falls back down on the couch and then like basically hoists herself over like the arm because now she's like I didn’t -
Kenzie (GM):
You feel a hand pressed into your back as Zion like helps stand you up.
April:
Jo throws the bag of food at JJ and winks at her.
Danielle:
Mama’s got plates and utensils for everybody and also gives Zion his favorite drink.
Kenzie (GM):
I think Zion's favorite drink is kind of surprising to most people and I think that it is the only reason it is kept in the fridge at Lamplight Investigative Services. And it is gin and grape soda. He cannot explain why he likes it or even why he fell into it, though he thinks there was possibly a night late at Comida del Corazon when they ran out of tequila. And you sit down and spread it out and as he himself takes a bite,
Kenzie (Zion):
Alright. So what has kept you all from your homes this time around? If you can tell me, of course. I get it. I get it.
Kenzie (GM):
Boomy jumps up onto the couch and goes along the back and starts rubbing his head against Zion's ears.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Yeah, well we're looking into the business that's been on the news lately, I'm sure…
Kenzie (Zion):
I’ve heard the radio reports. Playing all day.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
We've been paid to look into that by some people rather close to the whole affair, so that's been what's going on at the moment. Taking up priority.
Kenzie (Zion):
There was a big to do about that memorial. If you guys saw it.
Kenzie (GM):
I think all of your eyes are kind of like, what are you talking about? And he goes,
Kenzie (Zion):
Oh, maybe you missed it if you've been sitting in a quiet office for days. Yeah. Apparently there was a big to do cause the daughters didn't show up.
April (Jo):
Neither of them?
Kenzie (Zion):
The scandal around town now.
Atlas (JJ):
I knew it. I knew it. I knew it.
Kenzie (Zion):
Knew what?
Atlas (JJ):
Nothing about whether or not the person that hired us is also the culprit.
Kenzie (Zion):
Ah, so you got a sister involved here.
Atlas (JJ):
I didn't say that out loud. You said that out loud.
Kenzie (Zion):
It was heavily implied, JJ, but that's alright. I don't really care.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Zion, I’m sure you understand the discretion. Not to be spreading this around.
Kenzie (Zion):
100%. I will not be talking.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Thank you, baby.
Danielle:
She'll squish him on the cheek and give him little
Kenzie (Zion):
Alright, Ma, alright.
April:
Jo looks at Zion and says,
April (Jo):
Actually we're working with two. Well, not personally, but within the case.
Kenzie (Zion):
I mean, listen, I get it. People grieve differently. It's a big... I mean, it was a stupid big and public type of thing, so... If they didn't want to go, I'd guess I understand.
April (Jo):
That doesn't seem like Rose, though. Dutiful daughter, high society, very polite. Why wouldn't she show?
Kenzie (Zion):
Well, you'd know more about her than I did. Simply going off of what I heard on the radio.
April (Jo):
She does seem to be what she seems to be. Can't say for sure.
Kenzie (Zion):
What do I seem to be?
Kenzie (GM):
And he kind of like pushes himself back into the couch and like definitely man spreads across this couch and takes up the whole space.
April (Jo):
No comment.
Kenzie (Zion):
Really? You have nothing to say about me, Jo, because you have an opinion on everything.
April (Jo):
I have more of an opinion on that horrendous potion you're drinking, which is just an affront to all the senses.
Kenzie (Zion):
You want to try it?
April (Jo):
I've already tried it with you that one time and I told you never again, I have never had a hangover like that in my life.
Kenzie (Zion):
It was quite bad. They're always quite bad, but that's why you only drink like one of them.
April (Jo):
I never drink just one of anything.
Kenzie (Zion):
Well, I know you too much to disagree with that.
Atlas:
I think JJ will like carry Boomy's food over to wherever it is. like, as she's passing Zion during this interaction, it's just like,
Atlas (JJ):
To me, you seem to be ridiculous. You spilled on your shirt.
Kenzie (GM):
And he looks down and there's like a little wet spot on the, on the chest of the black shirt and kind of wipes it out. like,
Kenzie (Zion):
It blends in. It's not a big deal. And by the way, JJ, you did not think I was ridiculous in school. I very much remember you wanting to be my friend.
Atlas (JJ):
Maybe I like people who are ridiculous.
Kenzie (Zion):
Well, there we go. Two peas in a pod, right?
Atlas (JJ):
I mean, look at Jo.
Kenzie (Zion):
I mean, I think it would be kind of out of pocket to call Jo ridiculous in the same sense that I'm called ridiculous. Jo is ridiculous in a completely different manner.
April (Jo):
Please enlighten me.
Kenzie (Zion):
Well, I'm ridiculous because I drink this funny concoction, as you like to call it. You're ridiculous because you sleep with everyone you meet and sleep for three hours a night.
April (Jo):
I actually think that that adds up to a full night's sleep if you really think about it.
Kenzie (Zion):
So during the sleeping you're sleeping?
April (Jo):
Exactly.
Kenzie (Zion):
Ah.
April (Jo):
I find it more restful.
Kenzie (Zion):
Well, I've never been able to perform when I was closed eyes and unconscious, so good on you, I guess.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Y’all, I'm right here.
Kenzie (Zion):
Sorry, Ma. Sorry. No, you're right. You're right. Jo brings out the worst in me.
April (Jo):
Yes, let's behave, shall we?
Atlas:
I think during that interaction, JJ was starting, like, was facing away, like, fiddling with like, Boomy's thing, like, yeah, Jo's talking to another guy, like, but whatever.
Kenzie (GM):
In the past few years of working at Lamplight Investigative Services, there is a very sibling-like quality to Jo and Zion that JJ and Zion have never acquired because of something else. And I would like to think that JJ at this point has become privy to such knowledge.
Atlas:
It is a right now. It is a in this moment, I have four feelings and I hate it.
Kenzie (GM):
If your feelings track reaches four, you can't hold it in anymore. Tear off the mask and scream what you've been holding in. Do what you've been afraid to do and damn the consequences. You can give anyone present a string on you to gain a string on them. Stop when the consequences catch up with you for good or ill.
Atlas (JJ):
Yeah, Jo, you are a little bit ridiculous, actually. I agree. I really think that in the middle of an investigation that you're complaining about it being nowhere, it's going nowhere when we've all been sitting here, all working hard, but you, of course, have been working the hardest because you've been out flirting with everybody to get information instead of going through all of this paperwork that now I have to put away because we took it all out. And so now you're continuing to flirt with anybody that walks in here because why should we focus on anything? We have to go get Delia in like 10 minutes, but why don't we just sit on the couch and we'll have a little drink and we'll have a little laugh? No! You know what? I'm gonna go talk to Delia. I'm gonna go talk to Delia right now. And if anyone wants to join me, they are free to meet me there.
Atlas:
And then sit down in the hallway because she doesn't know what to do and she's very, very, very afraid.
Kenzie (GM):
And there is silence in the office as the door slams closed behind JJ. Zion's eyes are kind of wide, surprised at this outburst.
Kenzie (Zion):
Jo, just to make it clear, I wasn't flirting with you.
April (Jo):
I was not flirting with you.
Kenzie (Zion):
Alright, just checking.
April (Jo):
No, no.
Kenzie (Zion):
Good to know.
April (Jo):
I think, JJ's a little stressed.
Kenzie (Zion):
Should I?
April (Jo):
No, well...
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
I mean, you could.
Kenzie (Zion):
I don't want to make it worse.
April (Jo):
I don't think it's possible.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
I feel like if either of us, I mean, Jo and myself goes out, we're a bit too involved at the moment. maybe you should, you know, just reassure JJ a bit or just do whatever you feel like is best, because you know, JJ quite well. Y'all have been friends for a while.
Kenzie (Zion):
Alright. I guess I will go.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
And also bring them this.
Danielle:
And she'll just fix a plate.
April:
When Zion stands, Jo also stands, finishes her drink in like one go, and says,
April (Jo):
I’m also leaving.
Kenzie (Zion):
Alright.
April:
Walks past JJ, does not look at her, does not react in any way, seems very unbothered.
Atlas:
JJ is gonna be like,
Atlas (JJ):
Jo, I am so-
April:
Does not look behind her.
Kenzie (GM):
The apology drips into the space behind Jo as she leaves. And Zion says to Mama Amoretta,
Kenzie (Zion):
I didn't really come here to try to start a fight, so I'm gonna go try to fix one, I guess?
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
It's not your fault, baby. They had a... Those two have been having a whole thing. This was kind of inevitable, unfortunately. You just happened to be the thing that popped it of, I guess.
Kenzie (Zion):
Alright, well, let me go see if I can clear the air a little bit, I guess.
Kenzie (GM):
Walks out the door with the plate of food, closes it behind and looks down at JJ sitting on the floor.
Kenzie (Zion):
Well you didn't get far?
Atlas (JJ):
My mouth may have gotten ahead of my brain. Again.
Kenzie (GM):
He walks to the opposite side of you and slides down the wall to sit on the floor and holds out this plate of food.
Atlas:
She’ll like take something off it but won't take the plate.
Kenzie (GM):
He sets it down on the floor.
Kenzie (Zion):
Well, that was quite the outburst. Unexpected from my end of things, I guess.
Atlas (JJ):
It was, it wasn't about…
Atlas:
And I think this is a side of, have not seen of JJ. I think their shoulders are much more relaxed and like their hands are like still fidgeting, but more just in an absent minded way rather than a, I've forgotten something. I know I've forgotten something. She just leans against this wall and like takes a bite and she smirks because it's her favorite. And then she frowns again because she remembers everything she said about Jo and every possible…Nope! Doesn't want to think about every possible way it could have been construed by everyone involved. Gonna ignore it. That part of it, at least.
Kenzie (Zion):
See, when I make fun of Jo for sleeping with a lot of people. I'm making fun of her. Your comment sounded a little too pointed to be all in jest.
Atlas (JJ):
I don't care. No not that I - I care! I care that I said it and I care that I - Jo didn’t deserve that. On this case there have been several times and several people that have caught Jo’s eye and who’s eyes have caught on Jo.
Kenzie (Zion):
Sounds like a familiar tale.
Atlas (JJ):
I just… I’m tired and I’m frustrated and I took it out on Jo. The rest of it doesn’t matter. Thank you for doing a nice thing, I’m sorry that, you know…
Kenzie (Zion):
Ah, don’t be apologizing to me. I'll live. I've seen worse. If that helps at all. She'll come around. And you'll come around.
Atlas (JJ):
If she doesn't, I won't blame her.
Kenzie (Zion):
I think what you gotta do then is initiate the apology. At least that's what my mama always taught me. If it's your wrong doing, you gotta step up.
Atlas (JJ):
God knows where she went. But I'm a detective.
Kenzie (Zion):
Also, JJ, you made it two feet outside this door. I have a high guess that she might have made it two feet outside this building. You don't have to do it now if you don't want to.
Atlas (JJ):
You were raised too well.
Kenzie (Zion):
Well, you can go yell at my mom if you want to.
Atlas (JJ):
I would sooner combust.
Kenzie (Zion):
Wouldn't we all? Wouldn't we all? Listen, you guys have known each other for a bit and you're friends in a different way than we are and that's all good. There's gonna be a clash in your personalities at some point. Maybe this was just the catalyst. Maybe you just reached that point. Surprised it didn't happen earlier. You guys are quite different.
Atlas (JJ):
We've had a few cat fights. No, I mean, she... I gotta go catch her.
Kenzie (Zion):
All right, well, I'll be here if you come back empty handed or not.
Atlas (JJ):
Tell your mom I said sorry.
Kenzie (Zion):
I think she'll understand.
Kenzie (GM):
You watch in this bustle of movement, JJ rush in the door, grab her skates, Zion kind of like holding the door open for her, and then she runs out and Zion walks in and says,
Kenzie (Zion):
Well, we'll see if they make up.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Well, seems like you did good though.
Kenzie (Zion):
Listen, Mama, I can only do so much. The rest is on her.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
I know. But I appreciate what you do,
Kenzie (GM):
JJ, you rush down the stairwell, strap your skates on at the end of it, and go outside into the downpour of rain. You see the bike turning the corner as you come outside in your skates.
Jo, helmet in the rain is just rough. You are consistently taking your gloved hand and trying to wipe the rain from the helmet. I think that you have considered or drawn up plans for making some sort of device that will like windshield wipe a bike helmet in the rain, but you just haven't quite gotten it to it yet. So it's blurry. Your vision is blurry through this helmet and you're just already a tumult of emotion, from JJ's words, your very quick decision to go try to find somebody at the Circus. And so you kind of pull up outside the bar almost like without realizing that you've gotten there. It's almost rote, this route that you've taken. You see John the bouncer standing outside. He's just standing there under the overhang, keeping dry.
April:
I think Jo takes her helmet off, platinum hair like pasted to her skin, buttoned down, drenched, looking very badass and hot. As she takes the keys out of her bike and like, you know, parks it, she takes the keys and just tosses them to John and just says,
April (Jo):
Don’t give those back to me.
April:
And goes directly into the bar.
Kenzie (GM):
You walk into the bar, it is kind of the beginning of their busiest part of the night. So people are flooding in around you, the music is blasting. There are people pretty much taking up the entirety of the bar and you can hear the music from the back room kind of blaring through the wall.
April:
Are there Roses here?
Kenzie (GM):
Tonight specifically, there are two that are familiar to you. You know them through Jack, but they were never necessarily Jack's closest friends.
April:
I think that I go to the bar and I get two doubles back to back and drink them.
Kenzie (GM):
In the midst of getting your second drink.
Atlas:
It’s very, very loud. JJ prefers the diner. But I think she's definitely been a few times. Like she's come with Jo before. I think Jo probably brought her for the first time, was like, you've never been to the Circus? And JJ was like, I just never had the reason to go to the Circus.
Kenzie (GM):
It's super loud. There's a lot of people in here. It's kind of like an overwhelming audio situation happening. But as you glance around, you see Jo is like throwing back this tall glass and like downing a drink.
Atlas:
JJ cringes openly at the fact that she knows why Jo is upset and now she has to go deal with the consequences of her own actions, which is not something she prefers to do. However, they have a job to do and she'd hate to actually admit it to Jo, but JJ does consider her one of her closest friends. Especially because the other person she sees that often is Mama. Mama is not quite a peer in the way that Jo is. JJ will order her another drink. She'll put money down for three of them.
Atlas (JJ):
And a Shirley Temple, please.
April:
She kind of like gives the barest of like side glances.
April (Jo):
You know, I don't even pay for my beverages here. Unless I want to.
Atlas (JJ):
It’s a metaphor.
April (Jo):
It's a good start.
Atlas (JJ):
It was about me, it wasn't about you, I shouldn't have said any of it, and I was fucked up and wrong and I'm sorry.
April:
Jo kind of like sets down her second drink and takes the third one that's served with the Shirley Temple.
April (Jo):
Do you really see me that way?
Atlas (JJ):
No. To be honest. To be honest about how I was feeling. I was a little...
Atlas:
And JJ will reach out and take her drink and I think there is a little umbrella in it because it's JJ and she'll like take a sip.
Atlas (JJ):
I was jealous of you.
April (Jo):
Jealous of me?
Atlas (JJ):
Some would say that.
April (Jo):
Because I antagonize Zion. Who, to be clear, is my little brother.
Atlas (JJ):
I know. That night when, the night after we broke into the lab, where did you go?
Kenzie (GM):
It’s 3 a.m. The Circus might rarely close, but it does close at some point. 3 a.m. is simply not that time. Though the busiest hours may have passed by already, there's still a decent amount of people in the bar when you walk in. You've had an exhausting evening of investigating, talking your way into somebody's house, the discussion you had was Zeke. But you told Jack to meet you here at 3am. So you had to show face. There are plenty of seats open at the bar. You see that the majority of patrons that are still here are shoved into the back room or in private rooms somewhere or hanging out on the amalgamation of lounge sofas and booths that are in this front portion of the bar.
But the bar itself is fairly free at the moment. And as you look around and you scan the venue, Jack is not here yet.
April:
Jo goes to the bar and orders her drink and what she remembers to be Jack's drink and waits.
Kenzie (GM):
You do have to wait a little bit, but it's not so long that you leave. Maybe 10, 15 pushin it minutes. And the door opens. And you see Jack walk in in the same clothes you saw her in earlier that night, but a significantly less confident demeanor as she walks into - through the doors. Hands shoved deep into pockets, shoulders kind of curved and hunched. And she kind of looks around and she sees you, she looks down at the floor for a second, and she walks over.
Kenzie (Jack):
So do you want to like, maybe sit somewhere else?
April (Jo):
Sure.
April:
Hands her her drink.
Kenzie (Jack):
Oh, you remembered.
April (Jo):
Always.
Kenzie (Jack):
I think there's a booth around the corner.
Kenzie (GM):
And you kind of go around. There's a wall between the bar and the rest of this seating area and there is a little corner booth, secluded, kind of away from the rest of the bar and Jack leads you over there and slides into the booth and plops the drink down and kind of splays out in a way that is trying to take up room to make up for this nervous energy that she has.
April:
Jo slides in through the other side, but still kind of into the corner, close to Jack, needs the space that Jack is taking up because of her tallness, but doesn't really have it and so she kind of shifts a little uncomfortably.
Kenzie (Jack):
Sorry, um…
April (Jo):
No, it's fine. We can we can share it.
Kenzie (GM):
And kind of pulls herself in.
April (Jo):
Long night?
Kenzie (Jack):
Yeah, think you had the same.
April (Jo):
(Chuckles) I don't think I could tell you all of the things that have transpired since I saw you last.
Kenzie (Jack):
Wasn't that how we usually play it.
April (Jo):
Alright.
Kenzie (Jack):
That wasn't a dig, I'd also... I'm also not gonna tell you what happened, you know? Got secrets.
April (Jo):
We could... not talk about work.
Kenzie (Jack):
You're the one who invited me here, so... kind of... at a little bit of a loss, I'll say.
April:
Jo, like, kind of squints up at the ceiling and, like, screws her face up and then without fully turning back to Jack just says,
April (Jo):
I have missed you.
Kenzie (GM):
Jack leans forward over the table, grasps her hand around her drink.
Kenzie (Jack):
Well, I mean, that's the first I've heard of it in like the last eight months, so I don't really know what you expect from me.
April (Jo):
Well, I've been feeling it, but of course I didn't tell you. I don't know what you expect from me.
Kenzie (Jack):
Fair.
April (Jo):
You've been sort of... MIA.
Kenzie (Jack):
I'm busy, I got a job to do.
April (Jo):
Yes, and I do too.
Kenzie (Jack):
I'm not holding it against you. I'm just saying.
April:
Jo takes a big sip of her drink and sets it back down.
April (Jo):
And you showed up, so I'm assuming that you miss me at least a little bit.
Kenzie (Jack):
I mean, assuming makes an ass out of you, don't it?
April (Jo):
You and me? Isn't that the phrase?
Kenzie (Jack):
Well, from my personal preferences, I switched it up a little bit. Besides, I know what came on strong tonight. It's not that I didn't mean it. It's just, it was a lot, I think. I think it was a lot for me. I didn't expect it.
April (Jo):
What was?
Kenzie (Jack):
The back and forth that we had, you know? I know I initiated, I know I started it. I'm admitting to the fact that I couldn't finish it. I get it, I'm admitting a fault to you. Use it against me however you will.
April (Jo):
Well, traditionally, between the two of us…
April:
And at this, Jo leans in to Jack.
April (Jo):
You were always the starter and I was usually the finisher.
Kenzie (Jack):
Well then I guess we're on the same track as we always were. I do have a question for you. I suspect it's gonna put a little bit of a rut in this situation that we're in right now.
April (Jo):
Go for it.
Kenzie (Jack):
There's somebody else that I haven't talked to longer than I haven't talked to you. How's she doing?
April (Jo):
She's well. I think, in general.
Kenzie (Jack):
Well that's a whole lot of information.
April (Jo):
She got the numbers of like, two people tonight alone. I think she's doing alright.
Kenzie (Jack):
Didn't mean to bring it down, I just was wondering.
April (Jo):
Of course. No, I'm not- I don't want you to think, I like you, Jack, but we would tear each other apart.
Kenzie (Jack):
Well I think we do that anyway.
April (Jo):
In a bad way as opposed to the good way.
Kenzie (Jack):
I see, I see. Yeah, no. I'm not really one for relationships. They always get fucked up. So this is better for me anyway.
April (Jo):
Cheers to that.
Kenzie (Jack):
Also, though, not to say that I don't like you. I do like you. Like, not like. You know what I'm saying.
April (Jo):
I like you.
April:
Jo sort of like raises her glass.
April (Jo):
You know, I was never really interested in long-term relationships. I thought when I was older that maybe one day a switch would flip and all of a sudden I would want to be married with children and have a partner for years and years. But the longer I live, the less convinced I am that anything can last very long. So… just try to find the fun where I can. If you’re up for any.
Kenzie (Jack):
I think our philosophy's often align. Though I will say, if that's something you want, even just like in the tiniest little tiny tiny teeny tiny little back of your brain, maybe don't give up on it forever. You know, just like, put it on hold. Come back to it. Check in every now and again.
April (Jo):
Are you trying to therapize me?
Kenzie (Jack):
No, I'm trying to, I'm trying to make somebody not make the same mistakes I made by giving up on something they wanted.
April:
Jo clocks that, but is too overtired to really like tease out what it means and like the implications truly just thinks that Jack is trying to be like a good friend, in a way.
April (Jo):
All right, I will keep that in mind.
Kenzie (Jack):
All right, then I do have a proposition for you.
April (Jo):
Do you?
Kenzie (Jack):
I do. How about we get like a little bit tipsy and then I take you back to your place?
April (Jo):
You take me back to my place?
Kenzie (Jack):
Correct, you heard what I said.
April (Jo):
I think that would be the perfect ending to this night.
April:
Jo sort of spins the ice in her glass and here's the clink stalling before just giving a shrug and being like,
April (Jo):
I'm not sure what you mean.
Atlas:
I think JJ's gonna just take that nod and go,
Atlas (JJ):
Yeah, I was jealous.
Atlas:
She’s mad and like visibly is like trying to be like, I have no reason to be mad right now. I'm really trying to apologize. I'm going to... but she like just sucks really hard through her straw. So it's just like, with a very angry face as she tries to like maintain composure.
April (Jo):
If I recall correctly, you were picking up multiple people's numbers that night. I’m not sure why you would be upset with me.
Atlas (JJ):
I’m not upset with you. You did nothing wrong.
April (Jo):
That's true.
Atlas:
JJ will giggle at that and take like another angry sip of her Shirley Temple.
Atlas (JJ):
It's not about you. It's about me. I just need to get a grip on it. I just… I just, I need to get a grip on it.
April:
Jo is definitely clocking all of this and especially like the straw, like at some point she was kind of glances over like, is there something stuck in her straw? Is she like trying to drink the cherry?
Atlas:
It’s like chewed to hell.
April:
What is going on here? And then she glances discreetly as she can at her pocket watch. Jo knows that while Jack usually doesn't show up prior to 8 PM, what if she does? And she appreciates JJ's apology and while she's obviously very still visibly upset, she knows that this could blow over as long as Jack does not show up.
Kenzie (GM):
I think that as the time maybe you guys talk about you finish your third drink, JJ's first, bustling through the door is Fiona. And you watch her kind of take off her jacket, hang it up, put this black apron on, walk behind the countertop, and start doing some prep for her shift, and then kind of like notices you and says,
Kenzie (Fiona):
Oh um, sorry, you're here early.
April:
Jo widens her eyes at Fiona a little bit, but also is quite drunk at this point, having had one drink at the office and now three doubles in a row. I think she thinks that she's communicating something, but she's probably just looking at Fiona. Fiona probably just thinks that she's checking her out a little bit.
Kenzie (Fiona):
If you're looking for who you're usually here looking for, I haven't seen her since the last time I saw you guys.
April (Jo):
Thank you, Fiona. I am actually just here with my good friend, JJ, tonight.
Kenzie (Fiona):
Oh! Nice to meet you. Fiona.
Kenzie (GM):
And reaches her hand across the bar to shake JJ's hand.
April (Jo):
JJ, this is Fiona. Fiona is, um, a friend.
Atlas:
I think JJ, like, for a moment, it is just like, mouth has dropped open, staring straight ahead. And then it's just like, like a quick glance at Jo. She smiles really wide.
Atlas (JJ):
Pleasure to meet you. I'm JJ August. Yep, known Jo a long time.
Kenzie (Fiona):
Wow, that's great. I will say whenever you see her, tell her we've missed her. Usually can count on her to frequent this place at least once an evening and it's been a few days. So, you see her, let her know. We miss her around here.
April (Jo):
We will do that. Thank you, Fiona.
Kenzie (GM):
Looks at JJ and says,
Kenzie (Fiona):
I think maybe...
Kenzie (GM):
And clocks the three empty glasses in front of Jo.
Kenzie (Fiona):
I think maybe, if you don't mind when you finish with yours, you skedaddle for the night.
Atlas (JJ):
I was just thinking that we had somewhere to be anyway, actually. But it was great meeting you again. Jo, we should - let’s head out.
April (Jo):
I don't... I'm not... We just got here.
Atlas (JJ):
We have to find somebody.
April (Jo):
I don't know if I can find anyone tonight. JJ, this isn't... Nothing’s working, nothing's happening, nothing is going anywhere.
Atlas (JJ):
Something's going somewhere and it's you and me and it's back to the office.
Atlas:
And JJ's like gonna literally two thumbs up and like a smile like a Crest Mint commercial.
April:
Something about Joanna Gilmore is that she really hates being told what to do. So I think she absolutely does not budge or move. And I think that actually something a little dark passes over her expression.
April (Jo):
JJ you are free to leave but I will not be dragged away from one of the few places I enjoy being on this earth.
Atlas (JJ):
I believe that our boss had plans for us tonight to follow the only lead we currently have.
Atlas:
And JJ will like drop her voice a little bit. It still is very urgent.
Atlas (JJ):
You usually love to dive head first into these things. I would love if you would for once follow us into it. I'm sorry again.
Atlas:
And JJ will stand up and walk out.
April:
She definitely feels guilty and feels shitty about herself. But also she feels in her sort of state that all of this is JJ's fault. And I think maybe actually as JJ like turns to leave that she grabs her clothes and like pulls her in a little bit and says,
April (Jo):
To be clear, I'm not following you.
April:
And kind of pushes her away, not down, but just away from her and also exits.
Kenzie (GM):
At the office, Zion has taken to laying on the couch, eating, laying down, when...
[phone rings]
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Lamplight Investigation Services.
Kenzie (Rose):
Hello. Thank goodness. I thought you may have all left for the evening. This is Rose. They took her!
[ad break begins]
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]
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Ms. Weatherby, I need to ask, who did they -
Kenzie (Rose):
Delia. She had left a message for me at the family house, which was odd enough. We don't speak often. It made me curious. And she was asking me to meet her at her apartment this evening, and she said she had something to tell me, something important that needed to be said in person. So I went. And I thought maybe the rips in our relationship could start to mend, but when I showed up, I knew something was wrong. The door was open and inside it was a mess. And then there was another note this time, and it wasn't from Delia, but it said, “Sisters should really not stay parted. But Delia's thinking of running again. We really wouldn't want this city to lose even a single rose, but you forced our hand by asking questions and snooping around. Bring us the crystals and your sister goes free.” I don't know what they're talking about. I don't even have any crystals.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Ms. Weatherby, where are you at currently? Are you somewhere safe?
Kenzie (Rose):
Well, I'm still in her apartment because I called Zeb and he came to look and said something about not negotiating and then took off and I'm sure that he went to get her. I'm sure he went. And I know this is stupid and I you said to call you if I found out anything else but I'm so used to him being my first call and now I don't know what's gonna happen to them.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Okay, Ms. Weatherby, get yourself to - either stay there, we're gonna try and come get you, get you to a safe location, or if you know of a safe place that you can get to right away. I recommend doing that.
Kenzie (Rose):
I- Well, I need to go. They- they- they want me, obviously. I- have to be there.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Let's make sure you get to a safe location. Let's figure this out. Let's not rush into any decisions right now. I know your sister is in immediate danger, but them making you nervous and act on your anxiety is exactly what they want right now. So we need to take a deep breath.
Kenzie (GM):
You hear over the phone, a deep intake.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
That's really good now. Slowly exhale. We're gonna find your sister, okay? We're gonna come get you. Make sure that you're safe. And we're gonna make sure that we help Miss Delia.
Kenzie (Rose):
Just hurry.
Kenzie (GM):
And she gives you the address to Delia's apartment.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Thank you. And if things start going hairy, do not hesitate to leave.
Kenzie (Rose):
Okay. Okay.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
That there's gonna be a little, code word of maybe canary's calling.
Kenzie (Rose):
Okay. Alright. I got it. canary's calling.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
I'm hanging up now.
Kenzie (Rose):
Okay, yes, yes, of course. I'll see you when I get here.
Kenzie (GM):
Zion can feel the energy coming off of you and as you turn around to get him, he's like right behind you standing up.
Kenzie (Zion):
Is everything alright?
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Yeah, we gotta go now.
Kenzie (Zion):
Oh, okay.
Kenzie (GM):
Opens the door for you to head out.
Danielle:
She’s gonna grab the keys and the cane and then make sure everything's locked up in the office. Gonna leave a note for JJ and Jo about where she went and the address. If she's not back with Rose Weatherby, there's something's happened with Rose Weatherby. I'm going to get her and ensure her safety. Here's where my location, my new location will be in case things go weird. Very quickly dashes off to that car.
The speed limit right now is a suggestion.
Kenzie (GM):
Zion's in the passenger seat going,
Kenzie (Zion):
All right, mama. All right. I get it. Maybe just like pedaling the brake a little bit, just a little bit.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Listen, your father has driven worse than I have right now, okay?
Kenzie (GM):
Speed over the bridge. There is still a bit of traffic at this time. It's not so late at night that there's no one on the road. And so it is a slower moving than you'd like it to be, but you try to speed around everyone. You get into Nova proper. You pass up the street where the Emory house is and you pass that and you go past the school and you go past the lab and then you get to the address that was listed and you jump out of the car and Zion is like trying to work the door but like the front door is locked and you watch him kind of just like smash the the door handle down and you hear the crack of a break in the lock and rips the door open for you to pass through.
Danielle:
And does it look like it's been re-broken into at all or anything like that.
Kenzie (GM):
As you're looking at this, it doesn't look like it was broken into at all. It's locked when you try the handle. Wood is not tripped or ripped out from it. The door seems to be fully functional.
Danielle:
So whoever broke in either had a key, maybe didn't break in. So now I'm gonna kind of pauses and she goes.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Someone needed a key to get in here.
Kenzie (Zion):
Well, I mean, I can break this door if we need to.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
No, no, no, no. Zion, this was supposed to be a break-in already. Nothing's broken.
Kenzie (Zion):
All right, well then we go in fist first.
Danielle:
Amoretta’s just kind of like now a little on edge because that's really weird. Because she said things were messed up and things are very clearly not messed up. So she... You can't reverse peephole, unfortunately, as much as Amoretta wants to right now. Is the lock set up in a way where one could look through it?
Kenzie (GM):
Unfortunately, it is like a lever handle and then a deadbolt lock at the top. It's like a crack underneath the door that's wide enough to peer in.
Danielle:
Is there a crack underneath the door that’s wide enough to peer under there?
Kenzie (GM):
There is a crack under the door, I would say yes if you want to get down on the ground and look through the door.
Danielle:
Yeah, she's gonna...
Kenzie (GM):
Zion stops you as you try and goes,
Kenzie (Zion):
Mama, I got it, I got it.
Kenzie (GM):
And kind of push ups himself down to the floor.
Kenzie (Zion):
I mean, it's a little bit dark in there, but I mean, there's shit all over the floor. Like, I don't know, it looks like there's a chair on the ground. It looks like there's something broken on floor. Can't really see farther in.
Danielle:
And now because she's on edge, she's got a tighter grip on her cane. And she's going to take one look around and see if there's any indications of people hiding or waiting, like an ambush.
Kenzie (GM):
In the hallway, there's no alcoves or anything. You walked up the stairs into the hallway for this floor, and it's like the walls are completely flat with the doors. There is no place in this hallway for anybody to be able to hide.
Danielle:
So she'll just say, rap on the door three times and say,
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Canary’s calling.
Kenzie (GM):
There's silence. And then you hear a crash and you hear,
Kenzie (Rose):
Sorry, no, I’m - I'm coming.
Kenzie (GM):
And you hear the deadbolt unlock and then you see the door handle twist down and a slight crack in the door and Rose's face appear.
Kenzie (Rose):
It is you, okay, come in.
Kenzie (GM):
Pulls the door open and you and Zion kind of shuffle in and she shuts the door behind you and this apartment is a wreck. There is furniture toppled. There are plates that are like, cracked ceramic on the ground, a lamp has been pushed over, the light bulb shattered.
Kenzie (Rose):
I assumed this isn't how she lives.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
I mean, I’d hope not.
Kenzie (Rose):
And then the note.
Kenzie (GM):
As you go through the note, the only thing on it that she didn't mention was WPS 11. And you would know that WPS stands for West Point Station.
Danielle:
Amoretta will first just do a quick check up on Rose to make sure physically that she's unharmed and everything.
Kenzie (GM):
She is physically unharmed. She's very nervous, a little shaky, and she says,
Kenzie (Rose):
I didn't - I didn't mean for Zeb to go after. I just wanted him here to know what happened and then - and then he left and I don't know what he's gotten himself into.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Well, we’ll, make sure to go check on Zeb. Make sure they don't get wrapped up in anything that gets them too hurt. I'm glad that you're okay.
Kenzie (Rose):
He went after her, so… I don’t know what that means.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
I imagine to try to help, but right now I'm gonna need to figure out what happened.
Danielle:
Is there any indication about how this note was in any group that might be affiliated with this?
Kenzie (GM):
The only thing on the letter that has- that sticks out at all for like a group of sorts says we really wouldn't want the city to lose even a single rose. And you don't know if that is a double meaning if they're talking about a Velvet Rose member, if they're talking about Rose Weatherby.
Danielle:
I think it is a double meaning. It probably means that Delia was digging in somewhere too deep and maybe the Velvet Rose is not wanting to lose some members and also threatening her sister at the same time. And it looks very obviously like Delia was fighting back against these people.
Kenzie (GM):
Yeah, I mean it looks like there was a tussle in this space to get her out.
Danielle:
No blood spill or anything like that that we see?
Kenzie (GM):
There is no blood.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Do you know anyone else who might have had access to Delia's apartment to be able to get in because it was not- If this was an actual break-in they either had some really good tools or they actually had a key to this place.
Kenzie (Rose):
I don't even have a key to this place. I- I don't know who her friends are. I don't know anything about her anymore. If this is where they are, that's where Zeb went. We have to follow him.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
I want to get you to safety first.
Kenzie (Rose):
But wouldn't it help if I was there?
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
If things get a little dicey and possibly violent, do you think you can handle yourself in a situation like that? And be honest, it's okay to say you're not equipped for that sort of stuff.
Kenzie (Rose):
Well I'm not. I don't have any sort of... All my training was society, not anything like this.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
So what you can do in the meantime, we're gonna quickly pick up these files. You can sort through them, find out what personal connections your sister had to this place, anyone she might have given an apartment key to. You can do that at my office in the meantime. It is a safe place for you and you'll be doing a huge help.
Kenzie (Rose):
Okay. That makes sense. I'm sorry. I just want them to be okay.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
No, it’s- It is completely understandable in a situation like this to want to act as quickly as possible. I completely understand you care about your friends and your family. And that is an admirable thing. And because we care about them, we want to do this the right way.
Kenzie (Rose):
All right. Yeah, yeah, I'll see what I can find.
Kenzie (GM):
It has taken Jo and JJ enough time to stumble their way home that pretty much about the time that you're pulling up, they have just managed to unlock the door into the office. Stumble in completely soaked like wet rats. JJ is barefoot carrying their skates. They're just a mess to be seen as they stumble into a completely lit office. It is left exactly how you left it, minus the two individuals who are here when you left. The only difference is that there is a note on the desk.
Atlas:
I’ll pick it up and read it.
Kenzie (GM):
It is from Mama. It kind of details the phone call that Rose made, the fact that she went to pick her up, and the fact that if she wasn't back in this amount of time, which hasn't passed yet, where she would be.
April (Jo):
Well of course all the fun happens without me.
Atlas (JJ):
Oh my god, what if they're in trouble? I'm so stupid.
April (Jo):
JJ, do you really think I'm ridiculous?
Atlas (JJ):
Yes, but not for the reasons that I said. Like I said, I like people that are ridiculous.
April (Jo):
That's actually quite sweet. I have sort of a ridiculous idea, but I think you agree with me.
Atlas:
JJ looks up from like the note like a side eye like towards Jo.
Atlas (JJ):
What is it?
April (Jo):
Do you trust Rose Weatherby? Cause I don't.
Atlas (JJ):
Not in the slightest.
April (Jo):
I don't like that her and Mama are together by themselves.
Atlas (JJ):
The sister that she can't get a hold of, why is she at her apartment? Why? It’s again just a series of things that I could let slide if they weren't all adding up to guilty, you know?
April (Jo):
JJ, I'm going to tell you something. Me and my mother don't really get along. She... Perhaps you've heard of her, I don't know if you get that same sort of news over here, but Greta Gilmore, she's like a big - big shot in the entertainment world. Big shoes to fill, absolutely gorgeous, smart, genius, brilliant, funny. Everything you could want to be. I think that perhaps Viola is similar to my mother in that I will never shine as bright as her and I do wonder if Rose feels the same way.
Atlas (JJ):
I did not know that was your mom.
April (Jo):
Yes, yes, she's quite famous. I don't tell people because then they give me the same look that you're giving me right now. I know there's no resemblance.
Atlas (JJ):
Yeah, I would have thought your mom was way more beautiful to have a daughter like you.
April (Jo):
JJ, that's extremely sweet. But my mother is literally famous for being beautiful.
Atlas (JJ):
And you could have been too.
April (Jo):
Beautiful?
Atlas (JJ):
Famous.
April (Jo):
Oh, I never wanted to be famous. Seems like a lot of work.
Atlas (JJ):
Makes a lot more sense as to why you're not famous for being beautiful than thinking that it's because you're not beautiful.
April:
Jo turns her head and like tilts it and really like looks at JJ for a moment.
Atlas:
I think JJ was like saying this like looking down at the piece of paper and like trying - and like will just look up.
Atlas (JJ):
What?
Kenzie (GM):
Does Jo want to roll to Figure Out a Person?
April:
Yes, I would love to make a roll. I rolled a six, minus one, five. So if I spend two, then it'll be a seven.
Kenzie (GM):
You add a plus three for one string. You may ask two questions, but they may ask one of you.
April:
Jo looks at JJ and her eyes are a little red, but there's a clarity in them and she says,
April (Jo):
What are your feelings towards me?
Atlas (JJ):
Well… you're really smart and you're beautiful and well, I think you're really stubborn and really creative and I am glad that you're part of this and that we know each other and I think you're really good at karaoke even when you're being bad at karaoke. I like you. I like having you around.
Atlas:
And JJ will like head back down.
April:
Jo like keeps looking at JJ while she says all of this and she kind of like half smiles.
April (Jo):
Thank you. I... Do you think all of that adds up to me being a good person?
Atlas (JJ):
I... I don't think that stuff matters in that calculation. I think that you are a good person. I think it's because you care about things.
April (Jo):
The wrong things, usually.
Atlas (JJ):
Only dumb people would say that when they're upset and they don't know why and they don't want to have to sit and figure it out so then they take it out on people that they know. Which I would never know anything about. What are you- What are the things about me that you think make me a good person?
April (Jo):
If I'm a good person for caring, you care a thousand times more than I do. You care about everything. You care that the files get put away correctly and that I get my shoes back and that everyone is taken care of. You are also smart but in a different way. You are able to make people feel comfortable, which, especially for someone like me, is a trait that I very much admire. I seem to make everyone uncomfortable. I think I really admire your hope.
Atlas:
JJ makes a mental note that those are the things that Jo likes about her. That is who she should be around Jo.
April:
Jo just kind of like squints a little bit and is like,
April (Jo):
JJ, you - we work together. You understand?
Atlas (JJ):
Yeah. I... I'm the one that writes the checks.
April (Jo):
That's not really... God. This isn't happening in any sort of... Do you know what I'm trying to say? I'm sorry, my brain is not um…
Atlas (JJ):
I thought we were... I thought we were going to meet Mama at Delia's house.
April (Jo):
We are! That's not...
[the office door opens]
April (Jo):
Oh, hello, everyone.
Atlas (JJ):
Oh, my god, you're okay. What happened?
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Miss Weatherby, you'd be so kind as to recall the events though I understand if it’s a bit too harrowing at the moment.
Danielle:
Amoretta’s gonna be fixing her, a drink and some biscuits as well, because Amoretta knows she liked that last time.
Kenzie (GM):
This time around, she doesn't even bother with her jacket, her shoes, her gloves, or the fact that the couch is a mess, she just sits down.
Kenzie (Rose0: My sister asked me to meet with her, which is strange, which made me curious, so I said yes, and I was going to meet with her this evening at her apartment, and I went there, and when I got there, the place had been... well, Mama doesn't think it was broken into, but it had been ransacked, and the door was open, and she wasn't there, and there was a note... you can read it.Danielle:
Amoretta will hold out the note for the other two to be able to read.
April:
I think Jo goes to make a cup of coffee, like in the the corner sort of, and like just kind of observes Rose. She wants to kind of sober up.
Atlas:
JJ will read it out loud in that case.
Kenzie (Rose):
And it's not in the note and I didn't say it yet, but Zeb went to what I assume is the station and to try to go after her and he- I just don't know what happened.
Atlas (JJ):
So Zeb is down at the station right now, in theory?
Kenzie (Rose):
He said something about not negotiating and took off and the only lead we had was the fact that they put the location on the letter. So that's my only assumption is that's where he went. He didn't even say, he just left.
April (Jo):
Just left. Left you alone. In the mess of the apartment, that's correct?
Kenzie (Rose):
Yes.
Atlas (JJ):
Mama, why don't you think it was broken into?
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Well, because there was no damages to the door or nothing like that. With typical break-in, there should be some damage to the knob or the frame itself in order to break the integrity of the lock somehow, and that was just not the case here. So, it means someone either had some really good tools or they had keys.
Atlas:
JJ’s gonna shoot a look at Jo.
Atlas (JJ):
Could… could we... convene the three of us that work here?
Kenzie (Zion):
Well we can't leave her alone. She just gone through something. You guys go take your meeting in the back office and I'll keep her some company.
April (Jo):
Alright. Shall we?
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Okay, just air your grievances out now. I know y'all want to say something you can't say in front of us. Just say it here.
Atlas (JJ):
What if she did it and this is a trap?
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
So let me explain to you why I don't think she did it. Her friend, her closest friend, her contact has now endangered themselves in this case, possibly, and her sister, who she was estranged from and has no access to her apartment - she only got in because it was already open beforehand, which means whoever did it, already knew Delia, and we don't know who knows Delia, not even her.
April (Jo):
Well, we know the Roses know Delia. She hired them.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Exactly. So I was thinking, I was thinking, we need to get in contact with the Roses and let them know that their employer has gone missing, because now they got a vested interest in finding them too. Or they're the problem. And I'm thinking based on how the note is worded, that could be the case. But first things first, we need to make sure that Zeb's okay, because Zeb is going to have some information on what the hell was at that station, if they're still even there.
April (Jo):
Do we have to check if Zeb is okay?
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
I- What do you mean?
April (Jo):
I just don't think he should be our top priority at the moment.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Just because someone may not be the most pleasant company doesn't mean they deserve to die.
Atlas (JJ):
Well, we don't even know that he's actually in danger, because why would he leave his best friend for this other person?
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
So when you're put in anxious situations that you're unfamiliar with, you act in ways that people go, why would they do that? They weren't acting in the right mind. You're right. They're not in the right mind. They're anxious. They're afraid. They're trying to figure things out. They're flustered. They're angry. All of these emotions coming out. So you're not acting your right mind, you're just acting on what comes first. And so his first instinct was, well, I'm not letting nobody negotiate. I'mma go and get Delia back.
Atlas (JJ):
But if they don't even care about Delia.
April (Jo):
So he's stupid.
Atlas (JJ):
I don't know. I feel like there's something-
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
Listen, you don't always need to be a sharp tool in shed to be effective at the job, you know?
April (Jo):
He knows that for sure.
April:
I think Jo like sees mama's look and just kind of like quietly goes,
April (Jo):
Sorry.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
I understand we've had a long couple of days, but if we're on guard, about Miss Weatherby’s intentions, that's totally fine. We're on guard. So that means we're ready for anything that happens. But that doesn't negate the fact that we should still go to that point that was mentioned in that note. See what happened to Miss Delia.
Atlas (JJ):
We should bring - well, we're gonna bring weapons. We should bring more weapons. I mean, Zion could come too.
April (Jo):
Each one of his arms is a different weapon.
Danielle (Mama Amoretta):
I don't think Zion would let us go without him coming with us, to be honest. Miss Weatherby's gonna stay here.
April (Jo):
Alright. Let's go.
Kenzie (GM):
So you start preparing to head out. What do each of you grab to take with you?
Danielle:
I’ve got my cane sword, my keys. Maybe Amaretta would have this given that maybe it's had been done multiple times with Dmitri - she probably has like a lockpicking set. First aid kit, just in case Zeb is not in the right way. So that we have something that can at least patch him up pretty quick.
Atlas:
JJ switches out her boots for ones that when she presses a little heart that's on the heel, a little blade juts out from the front of it. It's just a little fun, like hidden knife situation. And then she also gets a pistol, like just a regular little pistol.
April:
Jo has created this ring that has a little gem on the top of it. So whenever you like hit, make contact with someone or when you press it yourself, it links to like bracelet that has a tube that like runs down into a little thing of hot water essentially and so you can like shoot boiling steam like directly at somebody in like a sharp stream.
Atlas:
And then I think she puts that on her pinky and then on her other ones she changes out her rings and it just says fuck off and it's like brass knuckle-esque and then the last finger is the ring with the little knob.
April:
She also has her own version of the steam shooter dagger hidden in boot, hip. She has all these little like close range things, but she also has like a longer sword that would be for more intense combat. She always has her rings, but she switches one out for one that also has like a little point instead of a jewel. If she were to hit someone with that point they would be rendered unconscious because there is a fluid that is hidden in the ring as well. She puts one special new gadget in her pocket, but I don't want to reveal what it is yet.
Kenzie (GM):
Zion looks at you all preparing and doesn't grab anything and looks to Rose and says,
Kenzie (Zion):
We’ll get ‘em back for you, promise. But, you gotta stay here.
Kenzie (Rose):
No, I understand. I’m sorry I was hot-headed before. Yeah, I’ll be here when you get back, hopefully with everyone safe and sound.
Kenzie:
This series stars Kenzie Tartaglione as the Game Master, Atlas Mathews as JJ August, Danielle Halen as Mama Amoretta, and April Consalo as Joanna Gilmore. With Michelle Kelly performing our episode recaps. You can help us out by listening and sharing, rating and reviewing, or coming over to our Discord. Also, you can join our Patreon to get access to our episode talkbacks and more. Thanks for listening!
Meet your hosts:
Kenzie Tartaglione
Creator/Producer
