Shadows in the Smoke S1E9 - "The Real Holy Place"

Shadows in the Smoke S1E9 – “The Real Holy Place”

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
Good morning, hunters. It’s a brand new day in London, and a brand new Day Phase. Some time has passed since you all visited the Exhibit and dealt with Sally No-Face, who turned out to be Vittori Clemenza in disguise. His soul trapped in a mannequin that is now in the rooms of Mr. Lloyd? Very interesting to see the ramifications of that.

Natalia
Oh god…

Cassandra
That’s punk rock as hell.

Kim
The first thing that I do at the top of the Day Phase is introduce a brand new Threat if you have fewer than three. This Threat is called The Creature of Cremorne Gardens.

[Prokofiev’s Autumnal Sketch, Op.8]

Kim
The Illustrated Police News, a tabloid notorious for carrying salacious, bloodcurdling tales of dubious provenance, has lately been carrying stories about the so-called Creature of Cremorne Gardens. Sometimes called The Creature of Cheslea Harbor, and, more rarely, The Creature of Cheyne Walk. The creature, described as a “fish-like thing” or “fish man,” has been terrorizing pleasure seekers from the shadows, giving a fright when glimpsed skulking about, but rarely making direct contact.

Men and women alike have been lured to the end of a nearby pier by a strange song while promenading, though with no memory of how they got there once the song’s spell ended.

All of this could easily be chalked up to hysteria, or perhaps some elaborate hoax by someone who resents Cremorne Gardens, if not for a physical attack upon a young couple, Simon Piedmont and Beula Thrumm. Mr. Piedmont and Miss Thrumm described how the creature leapt at them from a crouched position, like a cat, and tore at Ms. Thrumm’s coat. Scotland Yard is investigating.

I now get to direct a question to a hunter of my choice. I would like to ask this of Mr. John.

Mr. John, you have a connection to Thomas Simpson, the proprietor of Cremorne Gardens, having worked there one summer. What was your job, and what did you do to lose it?

So let me tell you about Cremorne Gardens, just as a little backstory. Cremorne Gardens was an actual place. It has long since been closed. I think all that remains now is like a plaque that denotes the location that it once was. Cremorne Gardens, and many other gardens like it, were quite popular in Victorian Era. They are… Kind of like early theme parks? No, like, rides or attractions, but like a lot of really beautiful gardens and dancing platforms… It has a location known as the American Bowling Saloon, as well as places to dine and a famous hedge maze.

T.
Thomas Simpson hired me to set up pins at the American Bowling Saloon. He thought it would be a real catch to have an authentic American setting up the pins. Wasn’t the best job I never did, but not the worse neither by a long shot. However, one of these bowlers I saw accosting a young lady who was less than interested in him. So I took one of those bowling pins, and the mysteries set in it, and I struck him in the jaw so hard that it is [with their jaw askew] set off to the side. Which I thought was fair play, but Mr. Simpson does have a business to run.

Kim
There are three questions associated with The Creature of Cremorne Gardens. I’m only gonna tell you the first one right now, though. We have what is called a threshold question. You must answer this question first, and then depending on how it is answered, it will then unlock one of two additional questions.

T.
Oh, word. I love this game.

Kim
The first question for the Creature of Cremorne Gardens is simply, is the creature real or is it a hoax? And that is a Complexity 4. Depending on how you choose to answer that – if the creature is real that unlocks its own resolution question. And if it’s a hoax, it unlocks a question of its own.

Threshold questions are unique in The Between, because let’s say you decide that the creature is real. Dice hit the table, and that is a miss. You do not get an opportunity to answer the question again. Instead, the opposite conclusion is true. The creature is a hoax, and we move on to the next level of questions.

Cassandra
All right.

Natalia
That’s kind of cool

Cassandra
That’s fun.

Kim
The Creature of Cremorne Gardens also has a unique mask associated with it. This mask is called The Mask of Revelry.

Natalia
Sick. We’re gonna be best friends.

[Laughter from the table]

Natalia
No one can take this away from me, please.

Kim
I also want to mention to Miss Douglas that you might perhaps know or maybe have heard that Cremorne Gardens is famous for having an enormous dancing platform, perhaps the biggest in London right now.

Natalia
Ah!

T.
She’s doomed! It’s a trap set special for her.

Natalia
I can’t stay away!

T.
“Hey, there’s a mystical sea creature, and dancing! Have fun.”

Kim
So, the day is yours to do with as you please. We have two Threats that we are working on right now, that being the Creature of Cremorne Gardens, as well as The Demon of Kilburn Abbey. Some of you also have a couple Conditions that you must content with, but I will pass control over to you. What is it that you wish to do today?

Robert
Let’s have a breakfast table scene, to just talk a few things out before we break out and go our separate ways.

Kim
Yeah, sounds good to me.

[Birds chirping, a fireplace roars]

T.
I’ll come in, clutching the Illustrated Police News. Say..

Mr. John (T.)
You know, normally I think the tabloids are just that, and they’re showing us things of fancy. But they’ve led us right once or twice towards something more supernatural. This one I can’t make heads or tails of. It might be the genuine article, but also might just be somebody causing trouble. Or the fancies of a bored writer.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Well, I’m not sure. I mean if you ask me, sea creatures are around. You know? Um… Not that I would know anything about it, but it’s just, um… I’d like to think that we shouldn’t mistrust creatures when they present themselves to us.

Mr. John (T.)
Not saying we should mistrust the intent of the creature. I mistrust whether or not it’s a  creature at all. There’s foundation for it. I mean, I ain’t a well-educated man by no stretch of the imagination, but something in this story smacks of the sirens of old Greek mythology, with the singing and whatnot.

Cassandra
I think at this point, Ena is just now coming downstairs. Her hair is just kind of all over the place. She’s just in, like, a loose dressing gown. She takes the Illustrated Police News out of Mr. John’s hand and looks at it.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Sirens? I know a bit about those.

Mr. John (T.)
I’m not the last bit surprised that you’re well-read in the classics, Miss Thanero.

T.
And I think you also notice that when you descend the stairs, whether or not you’ve noticed this before, but Mr. John does stand when you enter, which he does not usually do.

Cassandra
I love that.

Kim
I’m clutching my pearls.

Cassandra
Oh my god, my pearls!

Natalia
I think Maesie sees that and also stands and is like, “Yes. This is what we do.”

[The table dissolves into laughter]

Cassandra
And I think in this moment, Ena kind of looks at both of them and like just raises an eyebrow. And then, like, taps Mr. John with the paper and walks over to where the coffee is to get the cup, because whatever is happening here, whatever this is this morning, she needs some caffeine in order to deal with it. But she’s still got the paper and she’s looking at the article.

Robert
So I think Morgan comes into the room last, as usual.

Kim
No one stands for him.

Robert
No one stands for him.

Natalia
Well, we’re already standing!

T.
As a matter of fact, Mr. John sits when Rabbit enters.

[Laughter]

Robert
So yeah, I think Rabbit also, like, wordlessly goes down, sits at the table, grabs a cup of tea probably, and starts sipping on that while he takes the paper from Miss Thanero and starts reading it himself.

Mr. Lloyd (Rabbit)
Is this, uh, what we’re after today?

Mr. John (T.)
Personally I think we’ve got a lot on our plate. I’ve been following some leads about that girl at the church, and I’d like to stick to that, myself.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
I did make a promise that I would, uh, visit our friend at the morgue and do a bit of my work there.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
I rather think I’m gonna go down to Cremorne Gardens and see what’s afoot.

Mr. John (T.)
Wish I could accompany you there, Miss Douglas, but I don’t think I should be showing this mug around them parts.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Well, Maesie love, I can definitely come along with you, seeing as I have some familiarity with this type of creature.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Lovely.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
Just, uh, before we all, you know, split up and go our separate ways. I wanted to mention something. At the party — is that what we’re calling it? The other night…

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
It was a party, for sure.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
It was definitely a party.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
I know that I was meant to be the bait and didn’t exactly end up that way. But there was maybe someone who was paying some attention to the blue pocket square you gave me. A woman, all in blue? Seemed to radiate power. Confidence.

Mr. John (T.)
I noticed you talking to her, but she didn’t seem like anything threatening to me.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
To me, she looked like a deep pool. Might seem calm and safe on the surface, but you never know what’s lurking underneath.

Mr. John (T.)
Hmm…

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Well Rabbit, I do remember noticing when you were talking with her. She did look remarkably like the woman outside the modiste in that absolutely incredible carriage. And she had that same sapphire blue on, and she picked up a gown from the modiste, and I believe it might have been the one she was wearing.

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
Well, that means two connections to the late Mr. Clemenza. So maybe that in and of itself is enough reason to keep an eye out for her.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Do you think she was also investigating?

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
Maybe? I mean Hargrave is always recruiting, is my understanding. So maybe we have another ally coming up. She also said some… said some things, made me think she knows more than she had any right to. Maybe even knew who we were after that night.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Well I think a woman of her status, if she knew who we were after, she’s likely no friend of Hargrave House’s.

Mr. John (T.)
But she didn’t do anything to stop us.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
That’s also true.

Mr. John (T.)
Something to keep an eye on, I think for now. But until the snake starts rattling its tail, best to give it a wide berth.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Right. Well, be on my way.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Oh wait, Maesie. I’ve got to go change. I’m not nearly dressed and ready to go out yet.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Oh, wait! I, um…

Natalia
Maesie kind of looks, because she only has a gift for Ena and not anyone else.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Can I, um… Can I follow you, maybe, and help you choose what to wear?

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Of course, love.

Natalia
And Maesie follows Ena to her room. And I’ll let you describe, if you want to, what you’re dressing in.

Kim
I would also love to hear a description of the rooms of Miss Thanero. We have mentioned the large bathtub.

Cassandra
Yes, there is the large white marble bathtub in there.

As they go upstairs and leave the boys at the table, she opens her door. And I think it is very fair to say that her rooms are by far the most ornate and largest that Hargrave House has to offer. Inside, we see on the windows there’s like a large, like, bay window that’s like rounded and like every window, and hanging from most of the points in the room you see these flowing, white, semi-sheer curtains. And the room is just elegantly draped in these. So the room is very light, kind of in contrast to who she normally is. It’s like she’s trying to find something opposite of who she is and who she’s become with this like lighter kind of design.

The room is huge. There’s a large headboard that is appointed with curling olive branches and gold, but it’s a white headboard. All of the fabric on the bed is very luxurious, but also not heavy. Like, everything in the room feels lifted.

As they walk in there’s kind of like a sitting area, and then there’s the bedroom, the bathroom, and this huge bay window that adds in a great deal of light to the room. And then she walks off into where her immaculate collection of clothing is. And then just starts getting dressed in that room.

Natalia
Maesie sort of sits in the little seating area, like giving Ena her privacy while she’s changing. Calls out to her…

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
So, um. Ena. I, um… I was really touched by the fabric that you got for me, from Vittorio’s – May he rest in peace. Or not. I don’t know.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
I don’t know exactly that he’s resting, dear, if he’s in Rabbit’s chambers.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Right. Yeah. That’s why I’m not sure what to say. Hopefully he’s not, I don’t know… Uncomfortable? It doesn’t seem like it would be very comfortable. This is not about him. Strangely enough, I went to Vittorio right before this happened. Before we knew he was Sally No-Face. And I asked him to help me with a little gift for you. And so I wanted to give that to you. But please do not tell Mr. John or Mr. Lloyd because I did not get them anything, um… And I feel that it would be rude.

Cassandra
I think Ena just kind of like still in a state of undress and getting dressed – because obviously, it’s Victorian fashion. It takes a second to do. Pokes her head around and gives Maesie a wink.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Your secret is safe with me, dear. Give me just a moment.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Right. Course.

Cassandra
While the dressing is happening, I think Ena just calls out.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
How was your swim the other night?

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Oh, it was… It was nice. It was, um… It’s been a while since I’ve been in the water, um… in full form. Um… Having the pelt fixed a little bit, even by Vittorio was… It was better, um, than it’s been in a very long time. And I felt probably happier than I have in a very long time, to be swimming. Even though the Thames is quite gross. And then to have Sally No-Face throw an invitation at me, and it was all very stressful. And Mr. Lloyd was talking to river, but I was in the river, and… I don’t’ know. It was weird. But it was a little bit like going back home, so it was good.

Cassandra
Ena comes around the corner, dressed at this point.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Well, my love. I think we definitely need to find you some better waters to swim in, don’t you think?

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
I would hope so. Hopefully going to, what was it, Cremorne Gardens today, being near the harbor, might be a little nicer. But anyway. I wanted to give you this.

Natalia
And she produces a string of pearls that is threaded with gold thread that’s very similar to the cords that she’s seen Ena wearing before. And it’s sort of like the way Ena drapes those cords around her shoulder, the pearl chain is long enough to do that as well, and sort of has a chandelier affect where there’s like tiers dangling. And she says…

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
I went fishing for these, so they are the real deal. Um, and… Back home, when we want to thank someone and show them how loved they are, I like to give people pearls. “Maesie” is sort of derived from the word for pearl, and it’s sort of my namesake. So I just wanted to give you these to tell you that I… I like you, and I like being around you. And you make me feel better and safe. And I, at the same time, had this. I also had this made.

Natalia
And she holds up her wrist, and it’s just like a very simple chain of pearls that is in the same style as the one that she gives Ena.

Cassandra
Ena’s holding a pair of gloves, and she just sets them down and walks over to Maesie and takes these pearls in her hands, and runs her fingers over them. This is probably the first time in a long time that Ena’s received a gift just for the sake of it being gifted, of it being given. And I think she just runs her hands over them, and is just like very quiet and still for a moment.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Maesie, it’s beautiful. Thank you so much. I don’t think I’ve received anything so fine in a very, very long time. Would you help me put them on?

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Of course.

Natalia
And she takes the pearl chain and sort of drapes it over your shoulder and places it delicately, like adjusting it so it’s hanging exactly right.

Cassandra
There is a large mirror, and Ena goes over and takes Maesie with her to the mirror and is just looking at them. And then I think she reaches down and look at Maesie’s bracelet and just, like, takes her hand for a moment. And then looks her in the eye, and says…

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
I will always protect you, my little pearl.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Thank you, Ena. I will do the same, to the best of my ability.

Kim
That was so beautiful. Hunters, I would love to know how you’re spending the rest of your day?

Cassandra
Well I think Maesie and I are gonna go and do some work toward the Creature of Cremorne Gardens, since we’ve got this siren-like song that Ena would have some familiarity with, and obviously Maesie is very keen to be near anything that has to do with the water.

Kim
She read “fish-like thing” and said sign me up.

Natalia
Put me in, coach.

Kim
Alright. So the ladies are off to Cremorne Gardens. Mr. Lloyd, what about you?

Robert
I’m going to go visit Batholomew Gastrell, because I told him I would help him… sanctify might not be quite the right word, but at least prevent the evil that seems to be oozing from the corpse in his morgue.

Kim
Fantastic. And Mr. John, what about you?

T.
Despite the plans I told everybody at breakfast, I would actually like to go do a little indulgence of my vice in the dark and seedy underbelly of London, to clear a Condition if I may. I would like to go to Limehouse, which if I understand correctly from my notes is Victorian London’s Chinatown. And then if there’s time, I’d like to do a little shopping on my way home.

Kim
Let’s begin with Mr. Lloyd.

[A busy London street]

Robert
Morgan walks his long way down to the mortuary. And as he’s walking that way, he keeps glancing to the sides, as though he sees some movement or something following him.

[Mystical, ambient tones overlap with the sounds of the city]

Robert
And the audience could almost see, just glimpses in the background of flashes of black movement, dark movement, somewhere in the shadows and the alleyways of the London streets as he walks down there. And when he gets there, this time he’s not going to pretend to be something he’s not, but rather the representative of Hargrave House and the member of the cunning folk that he is. Rabbit will knock on the door and try and get Bartholomew’s attention.

Kim
Mr. Lloyd, you knock and there is no response. But the door does fall open.

Robert
He walks in, somewhat cautiously. And, not quite yelling but in a louder tone of voice than normal…

Mr. Lloyd (Robert)
Hello? Bartholomew?

[A Chopin nocturne]

Kim
Mr. Lloyd, as you enter, you hear that familiar music being played in the mortuary. But the lights are low. There are candles dotting the floors and tables of this mortuary. And you hear a man whispering.

Robert
Are the whispers saying anything coherent? Or is it just sort of the susurration?

Kim
You hear a man’s voice, that you recognize to be Mr. Gastrell. Whispering, saying…

[Dark, unsettling ambient tones grow louder]

Bartholomew Gastrell (Kim)
Now, there we are. Aren’t you a pretty thing? Yes. I think this will do very nicely. Yes, I do very much love this color. I’m so glad that you agree. Yes, I do think that pink is indeed your color, miss.

Robert
Rabbit clears his throat, in an attempt to not catch Bartholomew doing something that he’d maybe not to get caught in.

Mr. Lloyd (Rabbit)
[Clears throat] Mr. Gastrell? It’s Rabbit from Hargrave House? I said I might be coming by?

Bartholomew Gastrell (Kim)
Yes! Please do come in, Mr. Lloyd!

Robert
Uh… I walk into the room where he is… doing whatever it is he’s doing.

Kim
You walk in, and you see a delicate little tea service laid out on one of the mortuary tables. Bartholomew Gastrell is seated on a chair next to this table, and seated there as well on another chair is the body of the girl – dressed in a beautiful pink frock. It appears as though her skin has been delicately painted with some touches of makeup, a bit of blush on the cheeks. Her hair has been neatly combed and tied with a bow.

Mr. Lloyd (Rabbit)
Sorry. Uh… Hope I’m not interrupting anything.

Bartholomew Gastrell (Kim)
Oh, no, please do pull up a chair.

Mr. Lloyd (Rabbit)
Wonderful. Uh…  You mentioned that you, uh, were having issues with, uh… I was hoping to help make this place a little safer for both you and the little lady over there.

Bartholomew Gastrell (Kim)
I assure you, Mr. Lloyd. Thank you so much for checking back in on us, but any problems I was experiencing have passed. Yes, we have made quite a charming little home here, haven’t we? Me and the young lady. A delightful presence, and quite the charming conversationalist – if you know how to listen. Would you care for a scone?

Robert
Morgan isn’t’ spooked by this, but he is wary. So I think I’d like to look around and just see if I sense anything wrong. Other than the obvious, this is a man having a tea party with a corpse. If there is maybe something behind this, or if it’s just sheer madness.

Kim
Mr. Lloyd, I will say that as you are looking about the mortuary and looking at the food, all of the little cakes have a slight undercurrent of sulfur.

Mr. Lloyd (Rabbit)
No, uh, I’m not exactly hungry. Just came from breakfast.

Bartholomew Gastrell (Kim)
Pity. More for us, then!

Mr. Lloyd (Rabbit)
I’m not exactly a doctor, but would you mind if I took a look at the young lady and just made sure she was feeling alright?

Bartholomew Gastrell (Kim)
I don’t’ wish to stand in the way of your work, Mr. Lloyd. But I do pray you do it quickly. We do have sandwiches next.

Robert
Spooked by the sulfur, all of the candles sitting around… This reeks of magic, whether knowingly or not. So I think Morgan is going to try and figure out if there is something magical going on here, and if so, what. But literally looking at the corpse as the way a healer or a doctor would look at a patient they were checking out. So feeling her pulse, looking at her eyes, all that sort of stuff. But in the meanwhile, just really looking for some sign of active magic.

Kim
Mr. Lloyd, please make the Information move with Sensitivity. I think I would like to put this at disadvantage because Some People Are Beyond Saving.

Robert
[Rolls dice] That is a six.

Kim
Magnificent…

Let’s go somewhere a little nicer, shall we? Let’s go to Cremorne Gardens.

[Pleasant birdsong]

Kim
Miss Thanero and Miss Douglas, off to Cremorne Gardens. Now Miss Thanero, we got a little hint of it in your earlier scene in your living quarters, but I need the full fit check, please. What are you wearing today?

Cassandra
Ena is wearing some storm grey moire silk that kind of has like a shimmery, like moonlight on the ocean waves kind of vibe. The gown itself is not structured from crinoline but it actually has hidden brass corsetry, so it’s like armor today – but disguised as fashion. Some black organza floats over the silhouette, and it’s embroidered with what seems like Victorian filigree, until you look a little bit closer and you’ll see some little small owls in there instead. We have some deep indigo velvet, courtesy of our dearly entombed Vittorio Clemenza peeking out from beneath it, trimmed with silver olive branches curling at the hem. At her throat we have a cameo that bears a striking resemblance to aegis, carved in stone, while oxblood gloves conceal her arms. She wears a fascinator of raven feathers and carries a fan of olivewood and lace that is hiding lines of Homer. And her black boots are adorned with brass soles, each step ringing out on the pavement.

Kim
Lovely. So, Miss Douglas and Miss Thanero, where about in Cremorne Gardens or around Cremorne Gardens are you going today? There are many lovely attractions to take part in. There is the dancing platform of course, there is the American bowling saloon – the place that once employed a Mr. John. The banqueting hall, there is the promenade, where you can walk along the water and by the gardens… the hedge maze, of course. And there is the neighborhood that is right outside of Cremorne Gardens, that being Cheyne Walk.

Natalia
Maesie wants to go to the Promenade that’s by the water.

Kim
Fantastic. Miss Thanero, are you accompanying her?

Cassandra
Yes, I believe I will.

[Gentle waves accompany the birdsong]

Kim
Off to the Promenade the two of you go. This is like a lovely little paved walk along the gardens. It’s walking by the water. The two of you are passing by well-manicured lawns, very neatly ordered flower beds that are near large, ancient, beautiful trees. I have a Paint the Scene for everyone, here. You see something truly beautiful along the Promenade. What is it?

Natalia
I think specifically for Maesie, she just sees the sunlight dancing on the ocean waves, and the little white crests as the ocean crashes on itself as it moves toward shore. And that is beautiful to her.

T.
The railing along the promenade is done with this intricate bronze statuework of prancing dolphins, waves, flipping seals and otters. So if  you were to see it as a giant statue it would be a more impressive piece to the less careful eye. But if you really take the time to appreciate that each one of these creatures was made by hand along its entire length, though it is simple, it si beautiful.

Cassandra
I think on a little knoll that is like next to this walkway, we see a father and a daughter with little wooden swords, like sword fighting. And the little girl is just laughing, and you see her, like, run her father through and he dies very dramatically. And then like gets up and gives her like a big hug, and it’s just this really beautiful empowering moment of both, like.. an interesting contrast of femininity and masculinity.

Robert
And there are several topiaries grown into the shapes of various circus animals. Lions, elephants, and whatnot. And while they are mostly made of this hearty, evergreen bush, there are these small white flowers all over them that give just the most beautiful perfume in the area.

Kim
Beautiful. The two of you are walking. It is quite bright. It’s a beautiful, sunny day. On either side of the promenade there are lovely wrought iron gas lamps, with emerald green glass globes that are not lit right now, but the globes themselves are held aloft by statues of Greek gods. Artemis, Aphrodite, Athena…

Natalia
Maesie takes a second to take in the beauty of this place, and smell, like, the fresh salty air. And then she marches all the way down to the end of the boardwalk and sort of just like leans over the railing and is like…

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Hello! Fish man! Are you there! Ena, he doesn’t want to talk to me. What do I do?

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Well love, I think these types of creatures might not be too keen on conversation at this time of the day, when there are so many people about.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Do you think if I climbed down, would that be better? Like if I got like over the railing and went down into the water, would he talk to me then?

Cassandra
I think Ena is taken slightly aback by this question and is looking at Maesie. Like, do I let her be a child right now and have her moment of fun, or do I say, “No we can’t do that in polite London society?”

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Love, are you planning to change forms, or do you just want to…

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Oh, no, no, no, no. No, I just want to go talk to him. Like, he would be more connected if I was, but I know that it’s really not the time and the place for that, but I just…

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Well he might also not be here. He could be off enjoying the water, the afternoon, planning whatever he’s planning to do next… are we one hundred percent sure that this is where his home is? Like does he live…

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Well he’s a fish man. He lives in the water, does he not?

Mis Thanero (Cassandra)
Yes, but the water’s a large place, Maesie.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Well, I know that!

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
He might not live specifically under the pier, he could be off on a rock somewhere. We don’t know! Listen, I don’t want to get in the way of you having  a nice time. So if you want to climb down and try, I will support you in doing so.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Alright. I’m doing it.

Natalia
She starts climbing over the railing.

Kim
[Laughs]

Cassandra
And Ena I think just walks up and puts her hands on the railing and is just like leaning over, just waiting to see what happens. Like, we’re just gonna observe.

Kim
Alright, Miss Douglas. I love this very much. This sounds like an Information Move to me with Vitality, as you’re clambering over this railing and down into the water. I am gonna invoke your Condition: Defiant, here.

Cassandra
This seems really right for that, yeah.

Kim
So this will be made with disadvantage.

Natalia
Let’s do it. God, please.

[Rolls dice]

Ah, that’s a five.

Kim
Mr. John. So tell me what it is you are getting up to in Limehouse?

[A London street]

T.
Just because it’s the morning, doesn’t mean you can’t have a carnal encounter. And Mr. John is familiar with a woman who works at one of these, like, vaudevillian burlesque singing houses. And is seeking her out specifically to learn a makeup technique to cover his scar that is on his face, that he incurred at the hands of this demon. I’m gonna go make my way backstage before the show, and pay my respects to one of the girls in the chorus. Just kind of take the edge off.

Kim
Do you have a name for this girl?

T.
Her name is Philomena Fu.

[Backstage at a theatre. People are milling about. An orchestra tunes]

Kim
We find you going through the stage door into this little ratty theatre. It is crowded with young women going to and fro in various stages of undress, gossiping and giggling. There are big burly stagehands that are pulling ropes and arranging bits of scenery. A very frazzled costume mistress trying to frantically pin together garments moments before the show is about to begin. And you lock eyes with one Miss Philomena Fu. She is a young Chinese girl. She is currently dressed in bloomers and a corset and not much else.

Mr. John (T.)
Howdy, Mina. Figured I’d catch you before you got all the way dressed up.

Philomena Fu
[Giggles] Girls, this is the gentlemen I was tell you about. Hello, sir. Are you coming to the show today?

Mr. John (T.)
Thought I might catch a matinee, yeah. But I wanted to see if I could sneak a little conversation with you beforehand.

Philomena Fu (Kim)
[Laughs] Well, I do have to get ready, sir. But yes, I think we can find some time. If you’ll excuse me, ladies…

Kim
And she’s, like, frantically pushing the other chorus girls out of this cramped dressing room. They’re all, like, grabbing the last little bits of their costume pieces so they can keep getting ready in the hall.

Mr. John (T.)
Goes against my better nature, Mina, but I can make this quick for ya.

Philomena Fu (Kim)
So, what is it I can do for you, sir?

Mr. John (T.)
You may notice, uh... I’m not gonna be passing any auditions any time soon, with this trough cutting the side of my cheek, here.

Philomena Fu (Kim)
Oh, you poor dear!

Kim
And she goes and runs one of her slender fingers along—

Mr. John (T.)
[Winces] It still smarts a little.

Philomena Fu (Kim)
How did you acquire such a thing?

Mr. John (T.)
I made a fool’s mistake. Went back to church.

Philomena Fu (Kim)
Well, now you’ve entered the real holy place: the theatre.

Mr. John (T.)
Yes. Holy place is exactly what I was hoping to find, coming backstage here.

Philomena Fu (Kim)
Well, I bid you, sir. Worship.

T.
And I very delicately undo the ties of her corset and let it just kind of fall to the floor. I think we see the mirror, the vanity bulbs around it. And this is a cheap, turn ‘em and burn ‘em kind of theatre. Girls are coming in and going out all the time. But the most permanent piece of it is this mirror. And we see her back as the corset falls to the ground, and an animalistic grin spreads over John’s face.

Kim
Go ahead and roll As Cruel as the Harlot’s Curse, please.

T.
4 and 6 is 10, +2 Vitality is 12.

Kim
So on a hit you can clear a Condition. And on a 10+ you may choose two from the list below: You don’t draw any unwanted attention, you befriend a Side Character, you gain some mastery over your curse – on your next Quickening roll, increase the success tier by one step, or you stumble upon a Clue.

T.
I would love to befriend a Side Character. I’m also, like.. I don’t know, I’ve got Masks to burn, so I’m not worried about the next Quickening roll. I’m not really investigating our mystery though, so I don’t think I need to do a Clue. I will avoid unwanted attention.

Kim
Fantastic. And on a 12+, you get to take a memento from this encounter. Ask another hunter what it is, and then put it in your Personal quarters.

T.
I would love to ask Rabbit what that memento is.

Robert
I think Miss Fu has a daguerreotype of herself in the dressing room that you pocket.

Kim
I love that.

T.
As do I.

Kim
Let’s go back to the mortuary.

[Eerie, discordant ambient tones]

Kim
Mr. Lloyd, you draw close to the corpse of this girl. And you start to hear this very small voice, whispering at you in that little place behind your eyes.

[Ghostly whispering]

Kim
Whispering knowingly. Tell me, of what does it speak?

Robert
Is it trying to tempt me, or threaten me?

Kim
It’s trying to tempt you.

Robert
Rabbit hears talks of all the pain of the mortal world. The hunger, the suffering… and he hears a promise to help him escape it. To go to a place where he will not have to deal with all of the hardships that he has had to deal with in his life. And be able to rest.

Kim
The voice of the girl continues.

The Demon (Kim)
Lie back, Morgan. Rest easy. I will take away all of your pain.

Kim
And you feel this presence, these fingertips grasping your wrists, gently tracing a line up your arm, up to your throat, to your lips.

I think this is going to be a Night Move to resist the demon trying to possess you.

Robert
A Night Move with what?

Kim
I suppose that’s a question for you, as to how you’re trying to fend off this demon’s advances.

Robert
Rabbit reaches into his pocket, where there’s a cracked silver hand mirror. And attempts to break the line of energy that the demon is putting through him with this mirror, and direct it back into the corpse.

Kim
Alright, so this sounds like it is going to be a Night Move with Sensitivity. With advantage, since you are invoking your silver hand mirror. What are you afraid will happen if you fail or lose your nerve here?

Robert
Rabbit is afraid that the magic that he is trying to invoke in this moment will backfire upon him, and the demon will take control of him, and he will be inside the mirror.

Kim
Mr. Lloyd, it’s worse than that. The demon will carry you with him, tucked in a little pocket. As the demon, wearing your face, walks to the local convent, and slaughters all of the nuns inside.

Robert
[Rolls dice] That is a 9.

Kim
I’d like to go back to Cremorne Gardens.

[Birdsong and gentle waves]

Kim
Miss Thanero, you just watched Miss Douglas hop the railing, scale down the little rocky, sandy shore of the harbor and go into the water. And immediately, you hear a voice call out…

An Officious Man (Kim)
Miss! Miss, I would beg you to get out of the water, please. Public bathing is not permitted within the grounds of Cremorne Gardens.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
I’m not bathing! Still wearing all of my clothes.

Cassandra
I just turn around and go…

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Does it look like she’s bathing?

Kim
Miss Thanero, you see a man wearing a spotless tweed coat. He has a very tidy moustache. As he is approaching you, he is tucking a pipe into his pocket.

An Officious Man (Kim)
Madam, I charge you, please tell your ward to get herself out of the harbor.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
On what authority do you tell me to do this?

Kim
He produces a badge.

D.I. Pettigrew (Kim)
On the Queen’s authority, madam. You are talking to one Detective Inspector Pettigrew.

Cassandra
Ena leans back, looks at him very slowly, condescendingly, just up and down.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
And I suppose I’m just supposed to bend over and defer to you, am I?

D.I. Pettigrew (Kim)
In matters of public safety, madam? Yes.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Does it appear that my ward is drowning, sir?

D.I. Pettigrew (Kim)
Well she’s causing a disturbance, madam.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
You’re causing a disturbance to me.

D.I. Pettigrew (Kim)
I would beg you to keep your mouths hut, dear!

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Alright. You can beg.

Cassandra
Ena turns and makes eye contact with Maesie, and just tilts her head a little bit to get her to come out of the water.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
I suppose we can get her to come on shore, but I hardly think she’s disturbing anyone. She’s simply playing in the water.

D.I. Pettigrew (Kim)
The last thing I need is that godawful paper telling a story of a young woman throwing herself off into the water, giving more fuel to this “creature’ nonsense.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Right, sir. See, I’m trying to help you resolve that issue, actually. I’m investigating currently as we speak.

D.I. Pettigrew (Kim)
Are you, miss? And on whose grounds?

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Mine.

D.I. Pettigrew (Kim)
And who are you?

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
Why... why… why do you care?

D.I. Pettigrew (Kim)
I care because it is my business to care.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
To care who goes in the water?

D.I. Pettigrew (Kim)
The details are what matter here, miss. The details of this supposed creature, the details of who goes about these gardens, the details of who is purporting to investigate this matter. Who are you, madam? And what outfit are you with?

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
[Sighs] My name is Sally McIntyre and I’ve taken it upon myself to do your job, clearly, since you don’t seem to be doing it. You know, people be attacked by a fish person? I don’t see you getting in the water to find the fish person, so.

D.I. Pettigrew (Kim)
Wait…

Kim
He looks at you, Miss Thanero.

D.I. Pettigrew (Kim)
I do think I know you.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Oh do you, sir?

D.I. Pettigrew (Kim)
[With venom] Hargrave House.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
And what if we are from Hargrave House?

D.I. Pettigrew (Kim)
I shouldn’t be surprised to see you all here, I suppose. You hear news of some horrible monster that’s plaguing London and decide to stick your noses into things that are best left to the Queen’s police.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
The Queen’s police doesn’t seem to be doing a very good job.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
Yes, if we left everything to you, nothing would get done.

D.I. Pettigrew (Kim)
Ladies, please do not force me to escort you off the premises.

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
I’d like to see you try.

Cassandra
Ena just crosses her arms. She is unfazed.

D.I. Pettigrew (Kim)
Oh fellows? I do believe I have two disturbers of the peace that I’d love for you to see out.

Kim
And coming down the promenade are two men, also wearing tweed coats, that have very intimidating-looking truncheons at their side.

Miss Thanero (Cassandra)
You’d really beat two innocent women, simply out enjoying a beautiful day in the gardens? How monstrous.

D.I. Pettigrew (Kim)
Madam, I may not know exactly who you are. But if you’re working for Hargrave House, I assure you, neither of the two of you are innocent.

Natalia
Can I use in this situation Curse of the Deep?

Kim
Let’s read it.

Natalia
Curse of the Deep says when you lash out at someone threatening you or your allies, invoke the magic of your kin and roll with Sensitivity. On a 10+ choose two from the list below, on a 7 to 9 choose one. And one of these includes “they are overwhelmed with fear and flee.”

Cassandra
Oh!

Kim
I… yes. [Laughs] Yes.

Natalia
[Laughs]

T.
With the water at her back? Are you kidding? Come on!

Kim
Okay. Miss Douglas. Please roll Curse of the Deep. I’m not going to give you disadvantage on this for Defiant because the rules do say, “When you lash out at someone.” So I do think your defiant nature is playing into this right now.

[The birdsong fades. The water grows more violent]

Natalia
Maesie wades into the water up to the shore, where she still has her feet in the water. She looks at his collection of men who are all trying to tell her what to do, and just goes…

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
I think it’d be best if you all left. Immediately.

Natalia
And now we roll. Lord almighty, I’m scared. It’s fine.

[Rolls dice]

Fuck! It’s a 6. Oh wait, no! Wait! I roll with Sensitivity. I add one! 7!

Kim
Alright. So on a 7 to 9, choose one: you have advantage on your next roll, they are overwhelmed with fear and flee, they refuse to harm someone of your choosing – including yourself, or they gain a deep fear regarding bodies of water.

Natalia
I do think in order to handle all of it, I do need to choose they are overwhelmed with fear and flee.

Kim
Miss Douglas, tell me what this looks like.

Natalia
The water at her ankles sort of starts to like roil and bubble a little bit. And Maesie’s eyes go like completely black, the way that seal’s eyes look.

[The sounds of rain and thunder]

Natalia
And she slowly makes eye contact with each of these policemen – particularly Detective Inspector Pettigrew. And in this voice that carries, like, that rumbling, echoey sound of underwater, she looks at him dead in the eyes and says..

Miss Douglas (Natalia)
I said go. Now.

[Thunder 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 Phoebe Seiders, Tatterpig Addict, Zaargh, and Lucie Allen in supporting artist-driven storytelling. Thanks for listening.