Shadows in the Smoke S1E17 - "I Am Not Your Anything"

Shadows in the Smoke S1E17 – “I Am Not Your Anything”

Kim
Shadows in the Smoke is intended for mature audiences and may contain material that some people find disturbing. Please see the episode description for content warnings, and listen with care.

[Shadows in the Smoke theme]

Kim
As the morning creeps into the afternoon, Mr. John, you and Simon Piedmont take to the streets of Cheyne Walk, while Miss Douglas, you sit down for a tea with Miss Beulah Thrum. She is a pale young woman. Today she is wearing a very pretty flower dress. She has soft brown hair and doe-eyed brown eyes.

Beulah Thrum (Kim)
Well, my Simon said you were the most charming young lady. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Douglas.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
That is incredibly kind of your husband to be to say. Thank you. And congratulations.

Beulah Thrum (Kim)
Thank you! You heard!

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Yes.

Beulah Thrum (Kim)
Thank you very, very much. I wish you could have seen the ring. It was very pretty.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
I heard that it was whisked away, precisely by what I wanted to talk to you about. The fish creature of Cremorne Gardens.

Beulah Thrum (Kim)
Oh, yes. Of course. I mean, it all happened so quickly. I mostly remember being so scared for my Simon. When the creature leapt, he was completely shocked, poor thing. The color drained from his face entirely. I managed to wrench myself free from the thing’s grasp and shake Simon out of his stupor, and then the two of us ran away.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
I enjoy a woman who does stand up for herself. I would question, though. It was Simon who did say to us that he rescued you.

Beulah Thrum (Kim)
Yes, I have heard the story of him engaging in fisticuffs with my assailant. Let’s just keep that a secret between us girls, shall we?

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Why? Do you not want people to know that you are strong and independent and can fend for yourself?

Beulah Thrum (Kim)
You make some very interesting points, Miss Douglas. That isa  very modern way of thinking that you have. But I do love Simon very much. And if it comforts him to imagine that he protected me in my hour of need, then I’m happy to indulge him that small bit of fantasy.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Miss Thrum, I have a strange request.

Beulah Thrum (Kim)
Alright.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Would you dance with me?

Beulah Thrum (Kim)
Uh, here?

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Yes.

Beulah Thrum (Kim)
Alright. Yes. Let me see if I can, um, put some music on.

[A Chopin waltz]

Beulah Thrum (Kim)
Shall you lead or shall I? I’m afraid I don’t quite know how to.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Oh, don’t worry. I will lead you wherever you’d like to go.

[Birds chirp, wind rustles vegetation]

Kim
Mr. Lloyd and Miss Thanero, at the suggestion of Thomas Simpson, the two of you set off for Cremorne Gardens’ hedge maze. It’s quite large, this maze. There are towering hedges that seem to block you off from the outside world. As you move through this space, you see stone benches and fountains in little open courtyards, the occasional squirrel that darts through the hedges with a rustle. I have a Paint the Scene. Unbeknownst to people entering it for the first time, he hedge maze is designed to scare patrons. What frightening display do you see when you turn a corner?

Natalia
Around one of the corners of the hedge maze, it’s easy to miss if you move past it quickly, but the hedges have been trimmed to look like a gaping maw with sharpened teeth, ready to snatch up the next person walking through the maze.

T.
At one crossroads, there is a mastiff tied to a stake, and the chain just short enough that if you turn to the right, he will bark at you. But the chain is just short enough that he can’t reach you.

Cassandra
Throughout the garden, cleverly hidden around corners, are several stone statues of various non-native animals in attack position. So like a lion carved, looking as if its’ going to like leap out at the patrons.

Robert
There are hidden doorways amongst the hedges that the employees who are in the know can use to seemingly go down a dead end and disappear.

Cassandra
Ena steps into the hedge maze and walks to the first crossroads and looks left and right, and pauses to think strategically about which direction might yield their way best to the end of the maze.

Robert
Morgan was probably walking behind her, sort of taking her lead. But when she pauses to sort of think about, “Oh what is the best way to go through here?” He just keeps on walking forward past her, as though something else is leading him through.

Cassandra
Ena sees this, looks at him, looks at the direction she was going to go, and then gets up and starts to follow Rabbit instead.

Robert
His left hand is sort of brushing along the hedge as they walk through, occasionally plucking a little bit of a leaf, or like an insect will crawl out and crawl across his fingers. But he really doesn’t seem to be paying attention to what’s going on. Morgan is walking as though in a daze, and just sort of wandering through the maze.

Cassandra
Ena notices the change in demeanor and quickens her pace to catch up to him.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
You’re walking awfully fast there, Rabbit.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
Oh. I was in my own head for a moment. Sorry. Out of it now.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Are you alright?

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
There’s a trick to mazes, they say. That if you leave your left hand on the wall and you just never let it leave, then eventually you’ll either find your way to the exit, or back where you came from. Now, in my experience, not exactly true. That relies on the maze to stay in the same place. But I figure here, it’s a safe enough way to sort of navigate this space.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Do you often encounter mazes that change while you are inside them?

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
Well, it’s been a few years. But yeah, the best ones always do.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Well, let’s hope it’s not one of those, then.

Robert
So yeah, just walking through, not really thinking about anything, just kind of blank look, just feeling his way through the maze… Rabbit continues on.

Kim
This feels like a Day Move to me, with… I’ll give it to you for Sensitivity, since you’re relying on other senses to navigate the maze. What are you afraid will happen if you fail?

Robert
He’s afraid that they will lose the rest of their afternoon to wandering through and getting lost in this maze, and will have trouble getting back to the house at a reasonable time to prepare for the dark, necessary work they have to do tonight.

Kim
I’m going to put this roll at disadvantage because of A Voice In Your Head. You are relying on your other senses to navigate this maze, and there is an entity within you that is very keen on wasting your time today.

Robert
I have a +2 in Sensitivity. So the fact that I rolled a 5 in total is pretty embarrassing.

Cassandra
Oh, no…

T.
Oh, no…

Natalia
Ooh…

Cassandra
That’s bad

Natalia
[Sucks teeth]

[A London street]

Kim
Mr. John, walking with Simon Piedmont down Cheyne Walk. It is a lovely little promenade down this street. You notice that the painter who was painting on the balcony is still up there. He’s glancing from his easel to you and then back to his easel, as if you have now become a subject in the street scene that he is painting.

T.
I give him a little wolf whistle. [Wolf whistles]

Kim
The man on the balcony – who has a head of curly hair, he’s quite handsome in a rakish way – like nods his head to you and continues working on his easel.

T.
John mulls something over to himself, and then looks over at Simon with a kind of sheepish grin.

Mr. John (T.)
Mr. Piedmont, I have a strange request for you. Cigarillo?

Simon Piedmont (Kim)
Oh, yes. Just don’t tell my Beulah, shall we?

Mr. John (T.)
It’ll stay between us. I think the sea air’ll keep the better part of the smoke off your clothes.

Simon Piedmont (Kim)
Thank you, sir.

Mr. John (T.)
So you’re a fan of the states, are you?

Simon Piedmont (Kim)
I have a fascination. Yes, sir.

Mr. John (T.)
You ever been?

Simon Piedmont (Kim)
Quite a long ride across the ocean. Can’t say I’ve ever had the money or the means to do it myself.

Mr. John (T.)
Sometimes it’s not having the money that give you the means. I’ve only made the destination once and I wouldn’t recommend it as a pleasure cruise to anybody if they can help it. At least not until ships get a little bit faster, or the food gets a little bit better long term.

Simon Piedmont (Kim)
[Chuckles] So have long have you been in our fair country, sir?

Mr. John (T.)
A few years, now. I actually used to work up at Cremorne Gardens when I first got off the boat.

Simon Piedmont (Kim)
Did you?

Mr. John (T.)
You’re not the only one who was pleased to see a genuine American.

Simon Piedmont (Kim)
[Laughs] Did they put you to work at the bowling saloon?

Mr. John (T.)
That they did. Tom’s a good sort. Well, he couldn’t keep me on, you know. I don’t like to stay in one spot too long.

Simon Piedmont (Kim)
Ah, I see. A adventurer at heart.

Mr. John (T.)
I mean, I traipsed all over the US before I came over here. I’ve been to Pittsburgh, myself, I spent most of my time actually in Allegheny. It’s in Pennsylvania as well.

Simon Piedmont (Kim)
I see.

Mr. John (T.)
The irony there is I met a Scot working at a telegraph office. How about that? You meeting an American up here in London, and I’m meeting Scots back there in Pennsylvania. He was a good sort. Took care of his little brother. Always reading, talking about investments and advancement. Really had an eye toward the future, that one. He thought he’d get a hold of enough money for himself, he’d set a better example for how it ought to be distributed. Most folks hoarding all that gold to themselves? Well, they’re dragons. I liked him. We went for a couple walks after I’d sent my telegram, and… I don’t suppose you’ve ever had the fortune of seeing a porpentine?

Simon Piedmont (Kim)
I don’t believe so, sir. What is that?

Mr. John (T.)
Funny little creatures, wadding around all covered in bristly spines and pokey like a cactus.

Simon Piedmont (Kim)
Oh. Sounds quite dangerous.

Mr. John (T.)
The irony is they don’t actually do much danger themselves. They look mighty dangerous, but it’s all just a façade. It’s a defense, you see, to keep folks away so they can get to the pinecones, or whatever it is they eat. I don’t suppose you know the number one cause of death for a porpentine?

Simon Piedmont (Kim)
Can’t say I do, sir.

Mr. John (T.)
Falling. See, they’re so defended from natural predators, but they sleep in trees. And God didn’t exactly breed them to be excellent climbers. So if you find yourself a dead porpentine, they’ll be on their back. I learned this the hard way when me and Andre were walking underneath the bow of a pine tree, and one of them done slip to head right for him. I pushed him out of the way, and I got this for my efforts.

T.
And I take off my shirt jacket and undo my shirt, and I’m just standing there now, shirtless. I glance toward the man on the balcony, and display for him a constellation of pin pricks on my upper back.

Simon Piedmont (Kim)
Oh my word, that’s quite the scar, sir.

Mr. John (T.)
Not the worst I have. Not by a long shot. Listen friend, I understand the importance of trumping up your successes in front of the ladies and whatnot. My ward there, she’s taking the wrong kind of attitude toward this fish creature, authentic or no. I’d appreciate it if you would dissuade her from returning to the scene looking for trouble, rather than encouraging her flights of fancy.

Simon Piedmont (Kim)
Yes. Of course, sir. It’s very dangerous for a young lady to go hunting for that creature by herself.

Mr. John (T.)
Absolutely. It’s dangerous for ladies of all sorts. Even one as brave as your fiancé, or even one with this bricky protection as you and I.

Kim
Mr. John, go ahead and roll Tall Tales for me

T.
Please and thank you.

6 and 4 is 10, +2 is 12.

Kim
Alright. Son a hit, they fall for your charm and do as you wish or reveal a clue, your choice.

T.
I would like a clue, Kim, because I don’t actually need him to try and convince Maesie to do something she’s not going to do.

Kim
Yeah. [Laughs] And on a 12+, they also give you a keepsake to remember them by. Ask another hunter what it is and then write it down in your Personal Quarters. So what are we getting from Simon Piedmont?

T.
Nat, you wanna take this one?

Natalia
Upon your passing beneath the balcony of this artist, he leans over the edge to show you the sketch that he’s made of Mr. John, and Mr. Piedmont very kindly offers to buy it for you.

Kim
I love that.

Mr. John (T.)
Mighty kind of you, Simon.

Kim
The artist, at hearing you, speak, he lights up.

American Artist (Kim)
It’s been several years since I’ve heard another American.

Mr. John (T.)
Well, ain’t this your lucky day, Piedmont?

T.
And I kind of knock him in the chest.

Mr. John (T.)
Two Yanks for the price of one. Where you from, friend?

American Artist (Kim)
Massachusetts, friend. What about you?

Mr. John (T.)
I’ve been up to your neck of the woods, but I don’t necessarily claim it. Truth told? Georgia, born and bred. Though you wouldn’t know it by my dialect.

James Whistler (Kim)
It’s a pleasure. James Whistler, sir.

Mr. John (T.)
Whistler? An absolute pleasure. This your studio, or your place of residence as well?

James Whistler (Kim)
I have been living here for a couple years, sir.

Mr. John (T.)
Well, you do mighty fine work, Mr. Whistler, if you don’t mind my saying so. And it has been far too long since I’ve heard the dulcet tones of a proper accent. Meaning no offense, Mr. Piedmont.

Simon Piedmont (Kim)
No, not at all, sir. I understand completely.

Mr. John (T.)
Don’t’ suppose I might come calling on you one of these days, just to reminisce about a proper country?

James Whistler (Kim)
I… would like that very much.

Mr. John (T.)
You know? Something tells me I might like that as well. If you’ll excuse us, we have to return to…

James Whistler (Kim)
Yes. Yes, of course.

Kim
Mr. John, you can go ahead and add a sketch from James Whistler to your Personal Quarters.

T.
Hell yeah. And Simon and I head back toward his residence, and I steal a glance over my shoulder at the balcony.

Kim
James Whistler gives you a little wave, and continues his sketching.

[The sounds of the city fade away, and grow sinister]

Kim
Mr. John, as you and Simon Piedmont are walking back to Mr. Piedmont’s flat, you and you alone notice something. I think you feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as you cast a glance down a shadowy alley. And from the darkness, you see large, glowing eyes peering at you with interest.

That is a clue for the Creature of Cremorne Gardens. That is also, I want to mention, a clue that is exclusively available if a hunter is Most Beloved.

T.
I don’t say anything. But looking down at it, I growl.

Kim
The eyes widen. And then you hear the clatter of debris as it disappears further down the alleyway.

[The sounds of the city fade back in]

T.
[Sniffs] Sniff, and readjust my jacket, which I’ve just returned to my person.

Before we get back to Simon’s flat…

Mr. John (T.)
One more thing, Piedmont. I don’t do nothing for nothing. I appreciate that sketch. Maybe you’d take this from me, for your lady.

T.
I’d like to give him Dolly Merryweather’s engagement ring. It’s not one of my Personal Quarters, but it is something that we have.

Kim
You took it off of her severed finger.

T.
Mmhm.

Kim
I like it!

Mr. John (T.)
To replace the one what got took.

Simon Piedmont (Kim)
This is beautiful, sir. I hope it was not yours, or belonged to a lady friend of yours.

Mr. John (T.)
Friend of a friend.

Simon Piedmont (Kim)
Thank you. My Beulah will be overjoyed to see this.

Mr. John (T.)
I hope so. Call me a softy, but I still do like encouraging young love when I can.

Kim
Let’s go within the apartment of Simon Piedmont.

Natalia
I was gonna say. Cut to Maesie, just dipping her dramatically.

Kim
Maesie “Steal Your Girl” Douglas, what is happening here?

[A Chopin waltz]

Natalia
Maesie is delicately heading Beulah in a waltz, and is a bit quiet at first, but then says to her…

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Beulah, if I may…

Beulah Thrum (Kim)
Yes, Maesie?

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
I know it’s a bit unorthodox to dance with another lady, so I appreciate your grace in this moment. I simply wanted to show you how I live my life, and remind you that there are people who would see your strength as a strength, and not as a weakness or something to hide.

Beulah Thrum (Kim)
I suppose I was not raised to be as free-thinking as you, Miss Douglas. But I do admire how much fun you seem to be having, and how independent you are.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
It is rather fun to just do what you like, without worrying about what others think of you.

I used to know a girl. You remind me very much of her, and I… I suppose this was more for me than it was for you. But I just wanted to ask you more, I suppose, about the creature that you saw. We heard a little bit about it from Simon. He said that it looked like a fish, attacked you, specifically took your engagement ring.

Beulah Thrum (Kim)
Yes, that all is correct.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Do you believe that it’s real?

Beulah Thrum (Kim)
The creature?

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
There are those who say that it is a hoax, that it’s simply someone pretending.

Beulah Thrum (Kim)
Hmm. Well, I’m not ordinarily the sort of person who believes in fairy stories. But I imagine there’s a lot about the ocean that many people have never seen. Who knows what sort of creatures might be lurking beneath the water? Do you think it’s real?

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
I hope so. I like to believe that there is more beneath the surface, as you say.

Beulah Thrum (Kim)
I see that.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Maesie’s quiet for a little bit, and just sort of holds Beulah a little closer an dances with her silently throughout the room.

Beulah Thrum (Kim)
The girl you know who reminded you of me, how is she? What happened to her?

Miss Doulgas (Natalia)
Um, the truth is I don’t really know. Um, she was taken from me. Um… and I haven’t looked for her since I got to London.

Beulah Thrum (Kim)
Oh no, I’m so sorry if I’m bringing up a bad memory.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
It’s alright. I did bring it up myself. It’s been difficult to believe I might be able to rectify things with her. And so I haven’t tried.

Beulah Thrum (Kim)
Did the two of you have some sort of argument or disagreement?

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
No. Her father.

Beulah Thrum (Kim)
Oh! I see.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
It’s just, um… He had other plans.

Beulah Thrum (Kim)
I’m very sorry to hear that, Miss Douglas.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
But I hope that everything works out wonderfully for you and Simon. Clearly you love him very much, and he seems to feel the same.

Beulah Trum (Kim)
Thank you. I do hope that you find your friend, should you want to.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
I think I would.

Kim
So, Miss Douglas, after a vulnerable scene, you may clear a Condition of your choice. What do you think makes the most sense here?

Natalia
I think Unsupported.

Kim
I like that.

Natalia
Feel like this is a moment where she feels very seen and supported by someone who doesn’t really know her.

Kim
Yeah. And like, quite literally held as you’re dancing. Finaly, because you engaged in your vulnerable scene with a Side Character, we are going to be rolling the Day Move, here. What are you afraid will happen if things go wrong in this moment?

Natalia
I worry that Simon and One-Shot John are gonna come back and they are gonna see this, and Simon’s gonna be mad at on or both of us. And get a little… Possibly physically angry, considering his claims.

Kim
Interesting. Okay, interesting. Let’s roll it. Gosh, what stat will this be with? I feel like it’s Composure to, like, know when to end this dance right before Mr. John and Mr. Piedmont come in.

Natalia
I like it.

Kim
I’ll go ahead and invoke Hesitant, here. I feel like the reaction time may not be as quick as you’d like it to be.

Natalia
Fair enough.

Kim
A little hesitant to let go of Beulah.

Natalia
Lord. Alright, here we go.

Okay, that’s gonna be a 6. So I’ll give you a mask and we’ll bump that up to a mixed success.

Kim
Oh, lovely! Are you going to be giving me a Mask of the Past, a Mask of the Future, or the Threat mask, the Mask of Revelry?

Natalia
I’ll give you a Mask of the Past.

Kim
Magnificent. Go ahead and read that prompt for us.

Natalia
Narrate a flashback to your childhood when you met a human for the first time.

[Ocean waves, tense harp music]

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
The first time I met a human being, I don’t remember exactly how old I was, but definitely to young to be going anywhere without my mother. We were communally raised, so I guess it was really everyone’s responsibility to watch over everyone. But I had a habit of getting lost on purpose, or by accident. Who’s to say? And I swam away, chasing a group of herrings, bursting through their swirling bodies and trying to bubble up as many of them as I could before my mom tried to stop me.

Distracted, I swam further and further away from our beach, through the rocks, and into the bay. I barely had time to notice the large body overhead, casting a shadow on the sea floor, or the fishing net scooping up my prey – and me with them.

I found myself yanked into the brisk sea air, crushed between the writhing slippery fish, and promptly dumped onto the wooden slats of a small fishing vessel. Fish floundered beside me. Drowning, or the opposite of drowning.

I opened my eyes and saw an old, salty, wind-blasted, sun-soaked raisin of a man looking down at me. I had never seen a man before. Instinctively, when he reached out his hand, I tried to run, get over the edge of the skiff and back into the water. But he had legs, and he was bigger than me. He wrapped his blistered hands around my middle and lifted me up.

I looked in his eyes, and much to my surprise, there was a kindness in them. And he spoke to me. He said I was much too small to be wandering off on my own. Said I shouldn’t be in the open waters, it was dangerous. And he lured me gently back into the sea – and even dropped a fish in after me and told me to take it home for supper.

I turned tail, and I did not stop swimming until I reached my mother’s side.

Kim
Let’s go to the hedge maze, please.

[Birds chirp, wind rustles vegetation]

Kim
Robert. On a miss, as you are leading Miss Thanero through the hedge mazes, I’m gonna rely on you to help me GM This. Because I feel like what happens here is that the farther you tread into this maze, the demon is taking control of your words and your actions, and is going to pose a danger to Miss Thanero. What all is happening here?

Robert
The first noticeable thing is that Rabbit’s hand that he has been dragging along the hedge maze catches an errant thorn or briar and tears open the palm of his hand, leaving a little trail of blood along the hedge itself.

[The sounds of the maze grow sinister]

Robert
Mis Thanero’s behind him at the moment, but were she in front of him she would see his eyes change color. Not going dark like they did when he absorbed a fae spirit so long ago, but rathe red creeping in from the sclera, as though his eyes were incredibly bloodshot. And those veins sort of slowly crisscrossing themselves over the entire eye, until the entire orbs are just these dark, deep red pools.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
Let’s keep going this way. I’ve got a good feeling about this one.

Robert
He says, as he turns a deeper corner. Breaking from his pattern of always going left, and turning right instead.

Cassandra
Ena notices this turn. Would I hear anything different in Rabbit’s voice? Does it still sound like you?

Robert
Well, Kim said the deeper we go in, the more the demon is taking over. So I think at this point, it still mostly sounds like Rabbit.

Cassandra
But I’m seeing a difference in your strategy, in how we’re supposed to be navigating this maze. So Ena takes a small step out of sync with Rabbit, and slows her pace ever so slightly, to allow a bit of space to build up between him. She is very aware that something is going on, and it is very likely the thing that we have been trying to prevent on this day. So she is trying to give herself time and space to prepare for what might be coming next. But she continues to follow him, because now not only is he a danger to Ena, he is potentially a danger to everyone in Cremorne Gardens.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
I see we’re going right. Change your mind, have you?

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
I had a good feeling. Come on. Let’s keep going this way.

Cassandra
And Ena just continues to follow him.

Robert
The next noticeable change that Ena would see is that Rabbit’s footsteps are no longer the careless but somewhat airy walk of a man halfway sleeping his way through a maze, but a sort of skip gets into them. As a joy, a happiness that you have not really seen that much in Rabbit, takes over the lightness of his feet. And he starts whistling to himself, a happy little tune. Something almost nursery rhyme-like, but slightly off-key.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
Such a lovely day, isn’t it? Such a wonderful day to be out and about with all these happy people, all these lovely families.

Robert
And I think at this point, the change in his voice isn’t a change in his actual timbre, but rather that same happiness that is in his feet starts to echo its way back up to his throat. And it is not just like happiness, it is joy.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
Come on, lovely. Let’s keep going this way. Let’s take a little stroll, you and I. I’m sure we can find our way out of here in no time.

[A soft Chopin waltz]

Kim
Miss Douglas, mask spent. Mr. John and Mr. Piedmont walk into the flat just as the two of you separate. However, the small photograph in this room is still playing, and I think the only complication here is that Mr. John, walking ahead of Mr. Piedmont, just spied the activity that was going on right before Mr. Piedmont entered and the two of you separated.

Mr. John (T.)
Hold up. Hold up, now. I don’t want to track my dirty shoes all over your nice, clean threshold, here.

T.
And I buy them an extra moment, and very loudly I announce that.

Natalia
Maesie separates from Beulah. Sort of straightens her clothes, and goes to sit back down and picks up a teacup and a saucer, and just pretends like that’s what they’ve been doing this whole time.

Kim
Beulah, as well.

Beulah Thrum (Kim)
Oh hello, gentlemen. How was your walk?

Mr. John (T.)
Mighty fine. You’ve got a lovely patch of property, here. And if you don’t mind my saying so, quite the gentleman that’s caught your eye.

Beulah Thrum (Kim)
Yes. My Simon is indeed quite the find. I was a very lucky girl.

Kim
She says as she sips her tea, but still looks at Maesie.

Natalia
Maesie just sips her tea and says…

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
We’re very excited for the wedding, of course. Hopefully the affair is wonderful and full of love, and time spent with family and friends.

Mr. John (T.)
Yes, we love a wonderful affair.

Kim
[Laughs] Mr. Piedmont clears his throat.

Simon Piedmont (Kim)
Yes, well, this has been lovely, meeting the two of you. If you will…

Mr. John (T.)
We’ve infringed on too much of your time already. Maesie, come along. Let’s give the couple their space.

Beulah Thrum (Kim)
It was so good to meet you, Miss Douglas.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Likewise.

Natalia
And Maesie does take her hand and just kind of gently presses, like, her hands around it in a friendly handhold.

Kim
The way girls do.

Natalia
The way girls do.

T.
The way us girls do.

Kim
Miss Douglas, as you are leaving the scene, I do want to remind you that because you did a vulnerable scene, you do get to give me a Clue for any of the active Threats.

Natalia
Yes. As Maesie holds Beulah’s hand, she does notice across the back of Beulah’s hand is an iridescent pattern of fish scales.

Kim
Lovely! And the two of you are, once again, outside of Mr. Piedmont’s flat.

Mr. John (T.)
Come with me for a moment, will you Miss Douglas?

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Where else would I go?

Mr. John (T.)
I mean, not directly back to Har—girl, just follow me for a sec.

T.
And I would like to lead Maesie toward a railing overlooking the Thames, leading out into the ocean.

[The sounds of the sea]

Natalia
Maesie’s a little hesitant getting close to the Thames right now, but she’ll go.

Mr. John (T.)
Girl, you gotta learn to put a little bit of chutzpah behind your step.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Excuse me, is this coming from the man that I taught to dance?

Mr. John (T.)
Fair enough. And like when you taught me to dance, I’m getting off on the wrong foot. Listen.

T.
And he chooses his words carefully, which is not a thing he has been in the habit of doing.

Mr. John (T.)
Weren’t entirely dishonest to that couple back there. I know I ain’t got no rights to you, but you are my ward. I need you to understand. I may not know a lot about your world, but whatever your world is, I’m holding it sacrosanct, and it is precious to me. I’ll do everything in my power to protect you and it. I apologize for my gruffness, and for my clumsy tongue behind clumsy teeth. I want you to know that I’ve got your back.

Natalia
Maesie stares out at the river, not really looking at John during that, and grips the railing and finally turns to him.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
I understand that my being younger and my being a lady might make you feel like you need to take care of me. And while I understand that the sentiment is true, I would like to be very clear that I am not your anything.

T.
He goes to say something, and swallows his words.

Mr. John (T.)
Well, I hope someday you might be my friend.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
We’ll see.

Mr. John (T.)
We should be getting back. Sun’s getting low. And I, uh… Well, I don’t want to be out here at dusk. Not with everything that’s been going on.

Kim
Indeed, yes. Mr. Lloyd and Miss Thanero, the sun is getting low, and the exit of this hedge maze is nowhere in sight.

[The sinister sounds of the maze]

Robert
Having reached a dead end, Morgan turns around, his face cracked open in the largest smile you have ever seen upon it. His eyes that deep, bloody red, and he tilts his head slightly as he says…

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
What is it that you’re so afraid of, Miss Thanero? Afraid of being alone? Afraid that people will understand what you are, and why you’ll never be welcome? Surely you’re not afraid of little old me?

Robert
And with his bloodied hand, Morgan reaches into his pocket and pulls out a dagger.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
Come now, let’s have a little honest chat between friends.

Cassandra
Ena is watching this. And ever so slowly, while this version of Rabbit has been speaking, has been pulling off her gloves. Very slowly revealing that aegis-like tattoo on the palm of her hand. She tucks the gloves into the top hem of her skirt, and ever so slightly comes up and just pulls that gold military cord that she likes to wear and starts to run it through her hands. And as she does so, using that glowing aegis on her palm, she produces a gold spear from this cord…

[A metallic, ringing sound]

Cassandra
And a light version of Aegis manifests across her palm.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
I don’t think anyone here should be afraid but you.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
Well, that depends on what you’re afraid of.

Robert
And Rabbit takes the dagger and holds it to his own throat.

Cassandra
Ena lets Aegis disappear for a moment, puts both of her hands on the spear.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Now now, darling. Let’s not be rash. I have been around for eons and have power beyond all comprehension. Surely we can work something out.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
I think so. But I need a body. Yours might do just as well.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Darling, there’s only room for one in here.

Kim
Alright, I’m gonna step in here and say this sounds like a Night Move. What are you afraid will happen if you fail here?

Cassandra
I don’t feel like a god can necessarily be possessed, and she isn’t a mortal body. So I don’t think possession is necessarily on the table. I think given what we are trying to do later and that Rabbit has been put in her charge for the day to make sure he survives and this demon does not take him over, I think the biggest thing is that this demon will fully take him over. She will get the body she wants, and Rabbit will cease to exist.

Kim
Miss Thanero, it’s worse than that. The complication I’m about to express here is not really a material one so much as an emotional one. I feel as though just the knowledge of losing Rabbit and the knowledge of failing so deeply in the task that you set out to do today will haunt you for the rest of eternity that you walk this earth.

Cassandra
Sick. Shame is powerful.

Kim
Yeah. This is a Night Move with Vitality to try to be quicker and faster and stronger than Rabbit, here.

Cassandra
I feel like this roll is pretty high stakes. So I would like to use a Personal Quarters item to give myself advantage on this roll.

Kim
Lovely. What are you thinking of using?

Cassandra
I think in this moment, knowing what it would mean to fail in such a way. To fail Rabbit, to fail her fellow hunters, to ultimately fail in who she is – being a protector. I think in this moment, her mind goes back to that box in her quarters that holds the heart of a former lover who carved it out at her command. And this is definitely an instance where we’re seeing kind of a similar theme, a similar moment. Where a piece of her will be carved out, not at her command, but against her will if she fails Rabbit in this moment.

Kim
I love that. Go ahead and mark that Personal Quarters item and take this Night Move with Vitality with advantage.

Cassandra
I rolled a 6, a 5, and a 1. And with Vitality, that is a 12.

Kim
So Miss Thanero, perhaps with some collaboration from Robert, I’d love to hear the conclusion of this scene, which ends with Miss Thanero successfully subduing the possessed Mr. Lloyd.

Cassandra
So Ena, still being in this fighting stance with her spear pointed at Rabbit, very quickly and in a practiced maneuver slices the wrist that’s holding the blade. The blade falls to the ground and Ena, quick as lightning, runs over to Rabbit, pushing him down onto the ground. She holds up her hand. That light, almost string-like golden thread version of Aegis reappears and she grabs it and pulls it apart into a net, and slams it onto the ground. So she is now bodily on top of him, holding him under this net of golden thread that was Aegis a moment ago.

Robert
And with that holy presence on top of him, Rabbit lets out a loud, hideous cackle. There is a sudden burst of a sulfurous smell, and then his body goes limp as the demon is no longer in control.

[The sounds of the distorted, dark maze fade away into birdsong and gentle wind]

Cassandra
Ena is looking at Rabbit, concerned. She smells the sulfur. She knows that the demon has been handled in this moment. She lets go of that shield, sits back. She’s kind of sitting on, like, his thighs at the moment. And looks at him, takes her hand, her hand glows gold, puts it on his chest – much like what she did when she was comforting the dying man in the prison, much like what she did with Mr. John in the tavern. And her whole hand from underneath kind of glows with this golden light as she tries to revive Rabbit.

Robert
Can you feel the souls of the people who your Aegis is working upon?

Cassandra
I think, given that it was a 12 in this moment, I’m gonna say yes. And feeling all of these souls leaves Ena with some questions about how all of these souls came to be in here, where are these souls from, and what are you doing with all of them? But these are questions for another day.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
Well, I think getting rid of this demon just jumped up in the priorities.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
I would say so.

Cassandra
Ena stands up, offers him a hand to pull him off the ground.

Robert
He, using his right hand (his unbloodied one), grabs it and pulls himself up. Pulls out a little handkerchief, bandages up the wound on his hand.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
Right. Let’s go back to the house and get the other two. See if we can’t put a stop to this.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Yes. This can’t go on any longer than it already has.

Kim
And a second pair leaves Chelsea Harbor to head back to Hargrave House, as dusk falls over London.

[Shadows in the Smoke theme]

Kim
Shadows in the Smoke is a Kitten Marlowe production. This episode was edited and produced by Kim Dalton, and featured a theme song by Jake Pierle. You can find out more about us by visiting kittenmarlowe.com, signing up for our newsletter, or following us on socials. For Discord access, an exclusive behind the scenes show, and more, visit Patreon.com/KittenMarlowe and join Anthony Robin Stanley and all of our incredible Kitten Marlowe patrons in supporting artist-driven storytelling. Thanks for listening.