Shadows in the Smoke S1E51 - "Primordial Waters"

Shadows in the Smoke S1E51 – “Primordial Waters”

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]

[The Limehouse Lurker’s theme fades in]

Kim
Miss Thanero, this tiny vampire looms ominously in the doorway, their long hair hanging over their face.

Limehouse Lurker (Kim)
You aren’t supposed to be in here.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
That might be true, but you’re probably not supposed to be here at all.

Limehouse Lurker (Kim)
I go where I please.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
As do I.

[Unsettling ambience]

Limehouse Lurker (Kim)
One should speak with respect when speaking to their elders, child goddess.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Surely you didn’t come here to have a war over age with me.

Limehouse Lurker (Kim)
You smell delicious. What would your blood taste like, I wonder?

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
I don’t know that I’ll give you the opportunity to find out. Surely we can handle this with civility, as opposed to spilling blood all over Mrs. Brathwaite’s immaculate carpet.

Kim
This vampire quirks its head, and as it does so, Miss Thanero, you are lifted into the air and then suddenly dropped.

Cassandra
Given her athleticism, she lands on her feet, but she’s startled.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
A delightful parlor trick. How long did it take you to master that?

Limehouse Lurker (Kim)
Only a few years. Wouldst thou like to see another one?

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Oh, why not? Show me what you’ve got.

[Skittering, eerie music]

Kim
The Lurker grins at you, flashing its sharpened teeth, and then it bites into its wrist, letting a couple drops of its blood drip onto this sapphire blue carpet. And then the Lurker vanishes, traveling through this small portal of blood, out of sight. A few tense seconds pass before, Miss Thanero, you start to feel hands moving through your guts, threatening to tear you open from the inside. Make the Night Move. What are you afraid will happen if you fail?

Cassandra
I’m afraid this ancient vampire is going to eviscerate and disembowel me, ripping me in two in a way that I cannot put myself back together, but I can’t die.

Kim
Miss Thanero, it’s worse than that. The Lurker will feast upon your guts and entrails, and achieve new levels of power, now that it has supped from divine blood.

Cassandra
[sarcastic] Great.

Kim
Night Move with Vitality.

Cassandra
[rolls dice] Alright, that is a 5 and a 4 on the dice, plus my 1 of Vitality, which is a 10.

[Rain. Distant birds]

Kim
Miss Douglas, aboard The Revenge. You head downstairs, down to the gun deck, where Mrs. Brathwaite keeps her cannons and weaponry. You’re looking for a way to sabotage this ship, should you need to. And while, perhaps, Mrs. Brathwaite did not intend for these materials to be used in such a fashion, you do find barrels of gunpowder and explosives down here. That is a Clue for the Mastermind Confrontation.

Theodora Brathwaite (Kim)
And have you found what you’re looking for?

[Theodora’s theme]

Kim
Miss Douglas, you turn and see Theodora Brathwaite regarding you with amusement.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Umm, big ship. It’s very… big.

Theodora Brathwaite (Kim)
Why, thank you. It is an old heirloom of a previous life.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
So you must be very old, then.

Theodora Brathwaite (Kim)
Perhaps, but I intend to live many, many years more.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
In a boat?

Theodora Brathwaite (Kim)
Perhaps. Are you enjoying skulking about my manor?

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Yeah, no, it’s been illuminating. We figured we should come visit you for once.

Theodora Brathwaite (Kim)
Well, three of you.

Natalia
At that, Maesie drops the snarky teen demeanor and just kinda goes silent and more somber.

Theodora Brathwaite (Kim)
I’d think you’d welcome the future I wish to usher: a Britain under water.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
There’s a difference between choosing to go into the water and having the water forced upon you. I enjoy the water because it gives me the option to go back on land and see what there is to be found among people.

Theodora Brathwaite (Kim)
Come, child. Let us leave this place of memory. We shall return by the evening’s end. If you intend to stay, I might as well arrange a room for you. Follow.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
[confused sputtering] In the— a what— sorry? A room?

Kim
Mrs. Brathwaite leads you off of the ship and through the grounds of Brathwaite Hall, where she motions to her butler, Elmore.

[Classical music and partygoers]

Theodora Brathwaite (Kim)
Elmore, could you see that Miss Douglas is settled in a room?

Elmore (Kim)
Of course, Your Ladyship. Follow me, girl.

Kim
And he starts heading up the stairs.

Natalia
Maesie just, as she walks away with Elmore, turns to Theodora and goes:

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
My mistake, you’re not that old.

Natalia
And just points at Elmore.

Kim
Miss Douglas, you get a broad smile from Theodora at that comment, and she regards you with something close to fondness as you head up the stairs. Miss Douglas, Elmore leads you down a long hallway past various guest suites before pulling out a large brass key and opening one door at the end of the hall.

Elmore (Kim)
For you, Miss Douglas.

Kim
And ushers you in, and closes the door.

Natalia
Does he lock it?

Kim
No.

Natalia
Okay.

Kim
Hunters, all of Mrs. Brathwaite’s guest rooms feature a particular unique theme. Miss Douglas, you find yourself in the children’s suite.

Natalia
[hearty laugh and a snort]

Cassandra
Not the kid’s table at Thanksgiving. [chuckles]

Natalia
That’s funny.

Kim
There is a small bed. We see faded dolls resting on bookshelves, a rocking horse, and hand-painted storybook murals of fairytales, all of which hint at laughter that has long vanished from these halls. I have a Paint the Scene for you: what curious detail here hints at a secret past? This is just a Paint the Scene for Miss Douglas.

Natalia
The doorframe has markings on it, as if to indicate the growth of a child, but the name next to it is not one that Maesie has ever come across in relation to Mrs. Brathwaite.

Kim
And resting on the bed is the silver-wrapped box from Mistress Beaumont.

Natalia
Oh. [surprised laugh]

Kim
How are you feeling in this moment?

Natalia
Just in this instant of being mean to her about her age, I feel like I have found my equal in that she’s like, “You’re gonna call me old? I’m gonna call you a child.” [Kim chuckles] So it is a little bit funny, even though she doesn’t like it very much.

Kim
Miss Douglas, take the Condition: An Honorary Member of the Brathwaite Family.

Natalia
Jesus Christ.

Cassandra
Oh, wow.

[Quiet, echoing halls]

Kim
Mr. Lloyd, beneath Brathwaite Hall. Your fingers find the hidden catch to open up this secret passage, and you descend these worn stone steps down, down, down into a vaulted chamber that seems older than Brathwaite Hall itself. Indeed, maybe why she chose to build her home here in the first place. This room is carved from the bedrock beneath Brathwaite Hall. Rough-hewn columns line the space like cathedral aisles, and at its center stands a long wooden table, scarred by centuries of use. Faded banners and rusted candelabras hint at forgotten rituals and solemn gatherings. A single shaft of pale light pierces the darkness from a distant oculus, high above your head.

Paint the Scene: What here makes you think this is a place for secrets, sacrifice, and mythic remembrance?

Robert
Despite the fact that there is an oculus opening this room up to the elements, there is no water, no rain, on the floor of this. And if you were to look closely, that is because there are grates on the floor to allow any liquid spilled in this room to slide out easily.

Cassandra
In the center of this room, we see a funeral pyre, and there is burnt ash encircling it. But fresh sticks have been laid on it in preparation for a new fire.

Natalia
And hewn into a corner of the cave is an alcove that is almost like a confessional. And when you go into that corner, the sound seems to dampen as if in this section of the cave, anything you say will not be heard elsewhere.

Kim
Mr. Lloyd, you’ve seen this room before. You dreamed it in your vision of the dark feasting hall and Theodora presiding over a vast table.

Robert
It was established in the Paint the Scene: this is a place of ritual and secrets. So Rabbit is going to try and lift the veil on some of those secrets, attune himself to the magic, open his third eye, and try and find perhaps the strongest point of power in this powerful room.

Kim
Sounds like an Information Move with Sensitivity to me.

[Magical, dreamlike ambience]

Robert
Rabbit pulls a small cone of frankincense out of his pocket, striking a match and lighting it up, allowing the scent to fill his nostrils and the smoke to fill the room, enhancing his magical abilities, and allowing him to really sort of sense where this is. I’m going to use one of my Personal Quarters items on this roll: frankincense.

Kim
Okay. Information Move with Sensitivity with Advantage, please.

Robert
[rolls dice] That is a 12 on the dice, plus my 3 for a 15.

Kim
Mr. Lloyd, as you light this bit of incense and let it fill your nostrils, you are briefly transported to the vision that you saw previously: Theodora Brathwaite presiding over a feasting hall from the Middle Ages, a fiery crown atop her head, and a book of knowledge pressed to her breast. And as the smoke clears, and you return to the present day, you see resting on this long wooden table, the one that once held plates and plates of delicious, extravagant food, one single object: Theodora Brathwaite’s book of knowledge. That is a Clue for the Mastermind Confrontation.

[Skittering, eerie music]

Kim
Miss Thanero, threatening to be torn apart by the Limehouse Lurker, how do you extricate yourself from this situation on such a successful roll?

Cassandra
Ena feels the vampire’s hands coming through her body from behind. She reaches around behind her back, trying to feel for the vampire’s body, which currently is mostly air. But finally, it begins to solidify, and she grabs the vampire by the hair and twists, pulling it in front of her.

[Ominous, rumbling music]

Cassandra
And given that this vampire is so small, she holds it by its hair, dangling in front of her face, and with her free hand, grabs it by its jaw and begins to squeeze. Its jaw begins to crack, leaving fingerprints where her fingers are literally indented into its face. And when she is nose to nose with it, she says:

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Now, now, darling. Let’s save the fight for later, shall we?

Cassandra
And she chucks this thing across the room towards a fireplace. Just for a little added fear.

Kim
Fortunately enough for the Limehouse Lurker, the fireplace is not lit.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Just a good reminder of what could become of you.

Kim
It slams into the stone of this fireplace and crumples to the ground. And then it stands, brushing its long hair out of its face. Already, you can see the cracked jaw beginning to repair itself. It looks at you and screeches this painful, animalistic, ancient squeal at you, and then scrabbles like a lizard up the chimney and out of sight.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Well, that was rather unpleasant.

Cassandra
Ena dusts her hands off, straightens her shirt, and having found nothing in this room, is going to go find herself a drink. [chuckles]

[Distant music and partygoers]

Kim
Miss Douglas, in the children’s suite. What are you up to?

Natalia
Considering that Elmore didn’t lock me in here, I would like to use some of the fae magic we’ve been privy to and make myself look like Theodora Brathwaite, and move about the house [chuckling] as I see fit.

Kim
Interesting. Interesting. Alright, I’m down to try. So this is going to be using Draw the Veil: When you invoke the powers of the fae realm to obscure the true nature of a person, object, or situation, roll with Presence. I am going to put this at Disadvantage because you are Drained.

Natalia
The last time Maesie used the Sculptor’s ice pick was in her fight in the Cult of Moc’h, so it has felt like a trusty thing to carry with her. And she now pulls it out and—ironically, considering that the Sculptor is a servant of Theodora Brathwaite—Maesie uses it to cut a line open in her palm and draw blood for this spell to become Theodora herself.

Kim
Alright.

Natalia
[rolls dice] So it’s a 6. [laughs uncomfortably] So that’s not gonna work.

Kim
On a Miss, you unknowingly violate an obscure aspect of fae etiquette. Take the Condition: Trespasser until you make amends.

Natalia
I think it’s only appropriate that we remark the Mask of the Pig.

Kim
That feels correct to me. You were just talking about the Cult of the Pig. And it’s been a couple nights since we last spent that mask, long enough for all of you to have fresh new dreams of Moc’h. Let’s go ahead and give the Mask of the Pig another read to refresh your memory: Each Hunter narrates a dream about the pagan swine god Moc’h. Did Moc’h demand a sacrifice of riches, status, or blood? What did they each sacrifice?

[Dark temple ambience]

Cassandra
Ena has obviously been experiencing some very complex feelings about Augustus. And it manifests in dreams where he is either saved or destroyed. The night that she dreams of Moc’h is a particularly angry dream where she herself drags Augustus, his most prized worshipper, to the feet of Moc’h and slits his throat, sacrificing him to the god he chose.

Robert
Morgan still cannot enter the realm of dream under his own power, but down here in this ritual chamber, as he reaches for and grabs Theodora’s spellbook, a dreamlike state enters over him as he sees the many sacrifices that have been performed in this space to empower this dark magic, and chief amongst the deities that things were sacrificed to is the ancient pagan swine god. But Morgan doesn’t have time for him right now, so he tears a few pages out of Theodora’s book, balls them up, and throws them directly into Moc’h’s face.

Natalia
Similar to the last time Maesie dreamed about Moc’h, she finds herself in the last place she encountered his presence. The first dream she had took place in the larder, and this one finds her back in the abattoir, hanging from a meat hook over a foot of water. Moc’h appears as this swirling mass of blood, congealing in the water below her. And given that she’s already sacrificed blood in the name of him, blood for him, he deems this type of sacrifice no longer worthy from her, and instead asks for something more. Something more personal. Unable to do anything other than speak in this trapped position, Maesie gives up that which gives her power, and she gives up the name of She that she serves. Maesie gives up She of the Primordial Waters.

Kim
Excellent. Miss Douglas, describe this transformation.

[Theodora’s theme plays backwards]

Natalia
As Maesie drags this ice pick across her palm, from this cut in her skin, as the blood starts to pool and drip onto the carpet, her skin starts to darken, she starts to grow taller, and her clothes become sapphire blue (of course), a big jeweled pendant at her throat. And she goes to the door and throws it open.

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
Elmore, we have much to discuss.

Kim
Elmore looks at you. You see a bit of confusion cross his ancient face before his expression settles. Mayhaps he simply did not notice you follow Miss Douglas in. This worries him. He’s been Mrs. Brathwaite’s devoted servant for so long. Is he perhaps losing his touch?

[Distant classical music and partygoers]

Elmore (Kim)
Yes, of course, madam.

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
Remind me, um, where are the preparations taking place?

Elmore (Kim)
Ah, yes, of course, madam. There is so much to juggle, what with the house guests. I have arranged everything just as you suggested. The main event, of course, will take place upon The Revenge itself.

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
Ah, yes. The big, stupid boat.

Elmore (Kim)
Yes, madam.

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
Well, go forth. Do your job. I have much to attend to.

Elmore (Kim)
Very good, madam.

Kim
And he bows very stiffly, and then walks away. Miss Douglas, on a mixed success on Draw the Veil, your deception goes unnoticed. You may roll with Advantage when acting to maintain it. However, an unknown fae entity takes interest in your actions.

[An eerie, rising tone]

Kim
So I believe we see, but you, Miss Douglas, do not, some of these hand-painted fairytale murals in the children’s suite start to shift slightly, the figures turning their heads to watch you leave the room.

Natalia
[sucks in a breath] Ooh, scary.

Kim
Where all are you going? I don’t think that there’s much for you to find right now upon The Revenge itself. But you are the mistress of the house. You may go where you please as long as you avoid the real Mrs. Brathwaite.

[Classical music and partygoers]

Natalia
I would like to go to her bedroom, the one place where really only she is allowed to go.

Kim
Mr. Lloyd, are you remaining within this underground ritual chamber?

Robert
Having found Theodora’s magic book, Rabbit quickly looks for the egress. As he heads upstairs and loses himself amongst the crowd, Rabbit is looking for his allies, but he’s also keeping an ear out for anyone who might be gossiping about Theodora or, you know, wondering what they’re all doing there so that he could maybe try and eavesdrop a little and pick up some more information that way.

Kim
Mr. Lloyd, each of your arms are looped by these identical twins that Miss Thanero saw earlier. When you look to your right and your left, it’s almost as if you’re looking at a mirror image. These are two young men, impeccably dressed in matching silk waistcoats, silver watch chains, and peacock feather boutonnieres.

Robert
I, Robert, know what that means.

Kim
Robert, what does a peacock feather mean?

Robert
It’s a little later in the Victorian Era, but peacock feathers were used along with green carnations as a way for gay men to secretly signal to each other.

Kim
They lead you through the foyer, the two of them walking in perfect synch.

Prescott Woodsboro (Kim)
Well, now, where did you slip up from?

Loomis Woodsboro (Kim)
Oh yes, why didn’t we notice you enter? Of course, we’d notice someone such as you wouldn’t we, Prescott?

Prescott Woodsboro (Kim)
Yes, of course, Loomis. Oh, sorry, our manners. Might we have your name, dear chap?

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
My name is an awfully big ask, but I’ll be more than happy to let you call me Morgan for the time being.

Loomis Woodsboro (Kim)
[soft gasp] Morgan… such a workman name.

Prescott Woodsboro (Kim)
Oh yes, Loomis, and such workman attire.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
Well, I have been told that I’m excellent with my hands.

Kim
[laughing] The two of them titter in laughter.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
Now, two gentlemen such as yourselves surely know all the goings-on about here. What is it that Mrs. Brathwaite is up to?

Prescott Woodsboro (Kim)
Ah. Our dear lady of the house. I say, Loomis, was it you or me who last hosted Mrs. Theodora Brathwaite? Oh, no matter. We’ll drink to her again, won’t we, chaps?

Kim
And the two of them pull out two crystal champagne flutes and then hand you a third.

Loomis Woodsboro (Kim)
To the good health of Mrs. Brathwaite!

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
To a life as long as it deserves to be, and the reward that she’s getting in the end.

Kim
You all clink your glasses. Go ahead and make the Information Move with Presence. I like invoking the Condition: Drunk with Magic, especially as you are cheering with champagne glasses. I’m wondering how long you can maintain this cheery, mundane facade.

Robert
Well, the magic that is pouring through Rabbit, he does feel the burning of the St. Benedict’s medal that he keeps in his pocket, and that absorbs just a little bit of the extra energy that he is giving off. So, I will invoke that and roll neutrally. [rolls dice] It’s a 11 on the dice and with my plus 2 in Presence, that is a 13.

Kim
Where were these throughout the entire first season?

Robert
Look, Rabbit was just holding off, and now he’s in his magic, he’s really feeling himself. And so the dice are reflecting that.

Kim
Miss Thanero, you have left the private suite of Theodora Brathwaite. There was nothing for you in there. And you have headed downstairs towards the most populated room in Brathwaite Hall, that being the Sapphire Ballroom. Every surface in here glows with shades of blue. Mosaic tiles shimmer like lapis beneath your feet. Walls are draped in sapphire velvet, and pale blue damask curtains filter the afternoon light. Massive gilded mirrors reflect the midnight blue ceiling, spangled with tiny crystal lights that evoke a starlit sky. Even the chandelier here is made with blue crystals.

Paint the Scene: What about this space makes you think no one is going to escape Brathwaite Hall tonight?

Cassandra
While the entrance to this ballroom currently remains open, any other exits that one might take to escape are guarded by men in dark sapphire blue livery, and the doors are also tied shut with sapphire blue cord.

Natalia
There is an attendant by the door with a list of names of everyone who is present at this party, and as they enter the room, they slowly begin checking off every single guest.

Robert
And beyond the servants in their blue livery and the doorman checking the list, hiding towards the corners, in the shadows where people are less likely to note them, there are a large number of young men dressed in all black.

Kim
Miss Thanero, you make your way onto the lapis tiles of the Sapphire Ballroom, and you hear a familiar voice call out amongst the throng.

Miss Sylvia Bellerose (Kim)
Oh, Miss Thanero! Oh, Miss Ena Thanero, is that you?

Kim
And when you turn your head, you see a young woman, statuesque, taller than you, wearing extravagant jewelry, heavy eyeshadow, carrying her signature silver cigarette holder. It is Miss Sylvia Bellerose, the socialite, who you invited to Tyrnavos-upon-Thames to discuss the Spidersilk Seamstress.

Cassandra
Ena sees her, and knowing this woman is a gossip and someone that she can get information out of, puts on her most genial smile and crosses with an outstretched hand to greet Sylvia.

Kim
Sylvia kisses the air near your cheeks.

Cassandra
Ena does the same.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Darling, it is so good to see you! I’m so happy you’ve chosen to come out and weather the storm.

Miss Sylvia Bellerose (Kim)
Yes, well, when I received an invitation from Mrs. Brathwaite, I could hardly refuse. It’s such a pleasure to see you here. Now, I’ve been here several days now, and I’ve been looking all over for you. I figured that, of course, you would be in the place that is to be seen. Tell me, how have you been doing, dear Ena?

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Oh, I have been so well, darling. I have just been flitting about London, making my own preparations. One cannot arrive on time to a party such as this. Fashionably late felt rather appropriate given the circumstances.

Miss Sylvia Bellerose (Kim)
Why, yes, of course, although you’ve arrived just in time. How wise of you, fair Ena. We are going to be gathering rather shortly for a toast led by our hostess in this very ballroom. And then, a grand masquerade upon the deck of a pirate ship! Isn’t that delicious?

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Oh, it absolutely is, and I am so relieved that I have arrived in time for the hallmark festivities. But tell me, Sylvia, what are we toasting to?

Kim
Sylvia Bellerose, an avid occultist, raises her eyebrows and smiles a little secret smile.

Miss Sylvia Bellerose (Kim)
Why, we are toasting to a new England, of course. Surely, you know?

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
I have been so very busy with so much business that I seem to be a little bit out of the loop. But I know you’re always good for the most delightful and delicious of information.

Miss Sylvia Bellerose (Kim)
Well, it is rather secret, my beloved Ena. There are those here who believe we are gathering simply to wait out the storm, but I’ve been allowed into the inner circle, of course.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Of course.

Miss Sylvia Bellerose (Kim)
I, for one, welcome this new Atlantis.

Cassandra
Ena links arms with her and starts to scoot them over to a table with alcohol, thinking if maybe she gets a little bit of libation in her, she’ll loosen up those lips a little bit.

Kim
Go ahead and make the Information Move with Presence.

Cassandra
Ena, knowing that this evening ends in a masquerade, has brought along the Venetian mask that makes the world more colorful until you wear it too long, that it causes temporary blindness. So I will be invoking that to roll with Advantage.

Kim
I love that.

Cassandra
[rolls dice] Ooh! Okay. We have a 5, a 5, plus my 3 of Presence, for a 13.

Kim
The disguised Miss Douglas, you are walking very confidently towards Mrs. Brathwaite’s private suites when you hear a young voice calling behind you.

Tatiana Brathwaite (Kim)
Mama!

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
Oh… my darling Tatiana.

Tatiana Brathwaite (Kim)
I say, Mama, are you feeling well?

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
How could I not be? What a festive day is this!

Tatiana Brathwaite (Kim)
Well, I wouldn’t forgive you if you weren’t. Mama, I believe that the Hunters of Hargrave House are here!

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
Yes, I stuck the seal girl over in the children’s quarters.

Tatiana Brathwaite (Kim)
Oh, really?

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
Mm, yes.

Tatiana Brathwaite (Kim)
I have had an angling for that pelt ever since you stole the American from me.

Kim
And she starts heading in that direction.

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
No, my dear! It is a party! Let us dance. It is a ballroom. There is music. Come!

Tatiana Brathwaite (Kim)
Well, I suppose it would be proper if the hostesses of the party were seen enjoying it before the real festivities begin?

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
It is only fair to our guests to give them the illusion of joy.

Tatiana Brathwaite (Kim)
Quite right, Mama.

Kim
She offers a hand to you.

Tatiana Brathwaite (Kim)
Shall we head downstairs?

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
Yes. Let us go.

Natalia
Maesie takes her hand, very hestitatingly [laughing] cause she does not want to touch Tatiana.

Kim
Mr. Lloyd and Miss Thanero, both of you from your corners of the Sapphire Ballroom, see Tati Brathwaite leading Theodora Brathwaite onto the floor, and they begin to dance.

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
So, my dear, you seem to have a penchant for hunting things?

Tatiana Brathwaite (Kim)
Yes, Mama. It has been a bit since you’ve taken an interest in my extracurriculars.

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
I do apologize. I have been busy.

Tatiana Brathwaite (Kim)
Yes, of course. Are you sure you’re feeling alright?

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
Yes, yes, just, um, just nerves.

Tatiana Brathwaite (Kim)
I suppose it is important that tonight goes well.

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
[stuttering] How are you feeling about it?

Kim
You see on Tati Brathwaite’s face a mix between openness and hesitation. She’s never heard her mother really talk to her this way.

Natalia
Maesie sees that and doesn’t know much about their relationship, and sort of just speaks from a place of human understanding.

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
My dear, you need not be afraid. Please, how are you?

Tatiana Brathwaite (Kim)
I… I’m quite well, Mama. I’m a bit curious about what things will look like after tonight. I see you’ve been making several preparations, but I don’t know if I’m always one of your priorities when you are making said preparations.

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
Oh, my dear, of course! You are my daughter. I always consider you in everything.

Tatiana Brathwaite (Kim)
I see. So last week, when you called me rather cruel and stupid. That was what?

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
Oh. Um, uh, you, uh, you know, I sometimes, in moods, say things I do not mean. This is the case with all mothers and children, is it not?

Tatiana Brathwaite (Kim)
I suppose so. Perhaps you were just very cross at losing Teddy.

Kim
She sort of rolls her eyes at this. There was no love lost for the youngest adopted Brathwaite.

Tatiana Brathwaite (Kim)
And I suppose, more to the point, the loss of Mr. Hutchinson. I know you gave up a lot to secure his allegiance before he went rogue.

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
Yes. He will be missed.

Tatiana Brathwaite (Kim)
Not for long, Mama. I shall hunt him down.

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
Well, we can only hope someone will find him.

Tatiana Brathwaite (Kim)
I suppose it’s been quite some time since you and I have really talked. Mostly, you just talk at me.

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
I do find that I place myself in a position where it is easy to speak at people, so that I don’t have to feel things, I suppose. It is difficult to let people see you for who you truly are. Even your children.

Tatiana Brathwaite (Kim)
I suppose that’s correct. You’ve always been such a mythic figure, looming so large over my childhood, over all of England.

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
That sounds difficult for you to bear.

Tatiana Brathwaite (Kim)
I suppose difficult for you as well, Mama.

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
Yes, well, I suppose it means we cannot always be obvious with our intentions. So many eyes.

Tatiana Brathwaite (Kim)
Yes.

Kim
And Tati momentarily breaks the dance to hug you and kiss your cheek.

Tatiana Brathwaite (Kim)
Well, we shall have much time to get to know each other better. Right? Many lifetimes.

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
I wish for you to have a better relationship with your mother. It is difficult once they are gone, as I well know.

Kim
Alright, so this has been an interesting Vulnerable Scene. It was a lot of Tati being vulnerable, but you got there eventually. Fascinating. Fascinating, fascinating. Very complicated.

Natalia
Hard to talk about your feelings when you’re pretending to be someone else.

Kim
Indeed, yeah, but you found a way. So, go ahead and clear a Condition.

Natalia
I feel like it should be An Honorary Member of the Brathwaite Family now that I’ve stepped into being a literal member.

Kim
I like it. And you get to define a Clue for me.

Natalia
In the ballroom, there is a table laden with food, and there is an ice sculpture, carved by you-know-who, of several horses galloping out of a cresting wave.

Kim
Lovely. However, Miss Douglas, because you’ve made the Vulnerable Move with Tati Brathwaite, who I must say, lest the rules lawyers come after me, technically you’re not supposed to be able to do a Vulnerable Move with a servant of the Mastermind. But this opportunity was so delicious, I had to let it happen. So, know that I am purposefully ignoring the rules for this single moment.

Natalia
It is known.

Kim
So I’m gonna need you to make the Day Move. The good news is that you have Advantage because you are utilizing Draw the Veil.

Natalia
I love it.

Kim
This feels like a Day Move with Composure, literally to maintain your facade. What are you afraid will happen if you let it slip?

Natalia
I just feel like Theodora’s gonna walk in here at any moment, and then there’s gonna be two of us.

Kim
I like that. Day Move with Composure with Advantage.

Natalia
Alright. Let’s go. [rolls dice] Good. Good. 11.

Kim
Tati Brathwaite ends the dance and bows a little to you.

Tatiana Brathwaite (Kim)
Well, Mama, this was a rare treat.

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
I hope that you insist we do this more often in the future.

Tatiana Brathwaite (Kim)
I shall keep it in mind.

Kim
And then walks away.

Natalia
Maesie lets out a massive sigh of relief that that went over well. And then regains cause she’s still in a room full of people.

Kim
Mr. Lloyd, the two men at your side, Prescott and Loomis, the Woodsboro twins, have been chattering incessantly in your ear about all manner of salacious things that have been happening at Brathwaite Hall. But all of their chatter has become somewhat muted, I believe, ever since Theodora Brathwaite has entered the Sapphire Ballroom and has started dancing with Tati Brathwaite. I don’t believe it’s hard for you, of all people, to recognize a fae glamour.

Robert
It’s the eyes. No matter what she does, it’s still Maesie’s eyes.

Loomis Woodsboro (Kim)
I say, chap, are you even listening?

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
Oh, no, terribly sorry. Just, uh, the lady of the house just appeared, made quite a grand entrance.

Loomis Woodsboro (Kim)
Oh, yes. Well, anyway, as I was saying, we’ve been here for— how long is it, Prescott?

Prescott Woodsboro (Kim)
Oh, I don’t know, Loomis. At least a week or so. Or maybe just two days. Hard to keep track.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
The best parties are.

Loomis Woodsboro (Kim)
[titters] Quite right, chap, quite right. The wine has been flowing. All manner of substances we’ve been imbibing in. I say, Prescott, was it you or me who woke up with the most unusual tattoo this morning?

Prescott Woodsboro (Kim)
Loomis, I do believe it was the both of us.

Loomis Woodsboro (Kim)
Oh, quite right. I get it confused. Sometimes I look at you and can’t tell if I’m looking in a mirror or just looking at you.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
Don’t suppose I could see that tattoo, could I?

Loomis Woodsboro (Kim)
Here, sir? In the middle of the ballroom? What do you take us for?

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
I’m not opposed to finding a place a little more discreet.

Kim
They link arms with you once again and start pulling you to a more shadowy, secluded part of the Sapphire Ballroom, ducking behind one of the tall, blue velvet curtains. And both of these gorgeous dandies start loosening their bow ties and unbuttoning their shirts as they show you twin tattoos. Each of them has an ouroboros tattooed onto their chest— a snake eating its tail.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
That is remarkable. And you say it just appeared one morning?

Loomis Woodsboro (Kim)
Oh, well, I don’t think just by magic, dear chap. It’s just, neither Prescott nor I can quite remember when we got it.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
Well, I suppose, you showed me yours. I should show you mine.

[Magical, dreamlike ambience]

Robert
And with that, Rabbit unbuttons a little bit of his shirt. And he takes pity on these boys. Not every tattoo that he has is a nightmare. Some are actually quite pleasant dreams, and he releases one of those, putting these two to sleep, so that he can make his escape.

Kim
That is a Clue for the Mastermind Confrontation. The Woodsboro twins have tattoos they don’t remember getting.

[Classical music and partygoers]

Kim
Miss Thanero, on the other corner of the Sapphire Ballroom, you clocked Theodora Brathwaite (or Maesie disguised as Theodora Brathwaite) dancing with Tati in the center of the ballroom. I think you also spied Mr. Lloyd leading two identical dandies into a shadowy corner of the ballroom.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
[exasperated sigh] Priorities, my dear boy, priorities.

Cassandra
Just says it under her breath. [Kim laughs] I think Ena, having used this magic before that Maesie is now using to disguise herself, she’s also aware that it’s Maesie on the dance floor and just kind of marvels at what her compatriots are doing. Like, why have we chosen to do this now? I don’t know. I hope you’re still working.

Kim
[big laugh] Gradually, you key back into the chattering voice of Miss Sylvia Belrose.

Miss Sylvia Bellerose (Kim)
Well, of course, if you know what we’re really doing here, you’ve had the dream?

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Well, darling, I only just arrived, so I unfortunately haven’t had a chance to take a good rest in the accommodations of Theodora Brathwaite.

Miss Sylvia Bellerose (Kim)
I see. I myself had the dream before I even arrived, but I am very advanced at astral projecting.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
You are so much stronger at it than I am. I applaud your study.

Miss Sylvia Bellerose (Kim)
Why, yes, I am very well-versed in the occult, and it’s very good of you to recognize and say so.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Darling, I can only help but marvel at your skill.

Miss Sylvia Bellerose (Kim)
I would hate it if you committed a faux pas by not knowing the dream.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Well, please do help me then. I could use just a touch of your wisdom and protection.

Miss Sylvia Bellerose (Kim)
Of course. Well, if anybody asks, those who are in the know, all of us have had it. It is a dream of a beautiful sunken city, a place lost to myth, our very own Britannia becoming legend, like Camelot or like the continent of Mu. No longer a place for mortal feelings, the mortal realm, but instead descending into a place that exists in memory and fantasy, and thus, exists forever in story. The dream always ends the same way: a sapphire sinking into dark water.

Cassandra
Ena’s overly social demeanor falters a little bit at this information, especially the sapphire crown and the dark water. Dark water means ocean.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Well, my, my. That is certainly a fantastical vision to have.

Miss Sylvia Bellerose (Kim)
I myself can’t wait. I’ve grown rather tired of the mundane trappings of London.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
I can say I know a thing or two about that. I myself always aspire to be among the most beautiful of things.

Miss Sylvia Bellerose (Kim)
Are you alright, Miss Thanero? You look pale.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
It’s been a moment since I’ve been out among so many people at a fête so glamorous as this. I think I’m just going to go and refresh my drink, and then I will return to you and we can continue this delightful gossip.

Kim
And you leave her waiting for your return. The shared dream of the sapphire crown sinking into dark water is a Clue for the Mastermind Confrontation. Mr. Lloyd, leaving the Woodsboro twins to slumber behind the velvet curtain, where are you off to next?

Robert
Having gathered a few bits of information, Morgan thinks it’s time to reconnect with his allies, so he walks out onto the dance floor, where Maesie, in her Mrs. Brathwaite disguise, is still standing.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
Hello, my dear. I don’t suppose I could steal just a moment of your time? Take you away from this party that you’re hosting?

Natalia
Maesie leans over really close to Rabbit and just goes:

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
Rabbit, it is me. It is Maesie. I’m in disguise.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
I know, pet.

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
Oh.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
I could tell. I thought you might want an excuse to get out of here.

Miss Douglas as Theodora Brathwaite (Natalia)
Please get me out of here. I don’t— I can’t be her anymore.

Robert
And so Rabbit takes her elbow in his and starts leading them towards a balcony. And as he’s doing so, catches Ena’s eye and a subtle nod of his chin in the direction they’re going.

Cassandra
And Ena, having just finished refilling her drink with a sizable portion of spiced rum, brings this crystal glass with her and follows them to the balcony.

Kim
The three of you find yourselves alone on a secluded balcony overlooking the grand lake.

[Rain. The music grows quieter]

Natalia
Maesie heaves a giant sigh, pulls herself into a corner, and just sort of, everything that was Theodora melts away as she shrinks a couple inches and goes back to being herself.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Oh my god. Her daughter is so sad. [sad sigh] I feel kind of bad, but also not really cause she kind of wants to kill me.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
She kind of wants to kill all of us.

Cassandra
And Ena takes a very healthy chug of her drink.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
I don’t know exactly what you lot found out, but uh…

Robert
Rabbit pulls Brathwaite’s book of knowledge out of his shirt.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
I found her magic book. Whatever’s going on here, it’s old, it’s dark, and that means sacrifice.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
The ship is full of gunpowder and explosives, so that might be indicative of sacrifice as well.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
Well, we’ve got a few more hours before things seem to kick off. I think we should maybe devote ourselves to finding exactly where this is going to go down or how it’s going to go down.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
I do think we need to find out exactly what she is sacrificing and to whom. And I’ve got a pretty good idea of the whom.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
She did say that, when I was earlier on the ship, that we should leave because we would be returning there.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Yes, that sounds in accordance with what I’ve learned. My dear friend Sylvia shared that there will be a masquerade this evening happening aboard The Revenge. And I’d venture a guess that’s where she plans to perform her dark ritual.

Natalia
Maesie gets a little excited about the idea of a masquerade, and is like:

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Nope, this is serious.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Oh, come now, dear. The end of the world should have a bit of fun in it, shouldn’t it? If we’re going to go out, might as well go out with a bang.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
I like that we always end up at parties.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
I do too.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
Right, so, got a few hours before that masquerade then. I say we split up again, meet back at the boat at sundown?

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Alright.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
That sounds good to me.

[Theodora’s theme]

Kim
Inside the Sapphire Ballroom, you hear uproarious applause and whispered gasps of awe as Mrs. Theodora Brathwaite appears on the landing above the Sapphire Ballroom.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Well, she shouldn’t even get credit for that. I made that happen. No one clapped when I entered the room!

Cassandra
Ena just pats her.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
There, there, darling.

Kim
In her hand, she holds a crystal goblet aloft.

Theodora Brathwaite (Kim)
I thank you, distinguished guests, for gracing my grounds with your presence. It has been my sincerest honor to call you all friends.

Kim
And she makes special eye contact with a group of figures far off in the ballroom: a couple of guards in Buckingham Palace livery shielding a figure behind them.

Theodora Brathwaite (Kim)
A toast to the general health of the room.

Kim
And slowly, one by one, across the crowded ballroom, Theodora Brathwaite makes eye contact with all three of you, Hunters.

Theodora Brathwaite (Kim)
To the health of the empire. May the sun never set on Victoria’s reign.

Kim
And as the denizens of the Sapphire Ballroom raise their glass in cheers, a small earthquake shakes the ground beneath Brathwaite Hall.

[An earthquake rumbles]

[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 sexy singles in your area, our Kitten Marlowe patrons, in supporting artist-driven storytelling. Thanks for listening.