Original subtitles

TALIESIN: Knowledge of the Flare

is not exclusively held by Candela Obscura.

There are many in the Fairelands who try

to exploit the magickal bleed we work to quell.

In the gilded halls of the Varnish,

the wealthy gather to celebrate

their collected avarice and gluttony,

but beneath their revels,

sinister plots cast shadows of the past onto the present.

When Newfaire's most powerful

find themselves in competition,

it is those who work in their shadows

that suffer the consequences.

The Circle of the Crimson Mirror:

Assignment #4316,

The Gilded Graveyard.

♪ (tense mysterious music) ♪

LIAM: (Irish accent) "You want to give up.

"I can see it in your faces,

"and I get it.

"I do. I've been there.

"(joyless laugh) You're asking yourselves,

"why on earth did I choose to do this,

"to go stick in my nose in places

"it's better to steer clear of?

"(sighs) To Tottergrass of all places, coming here.

"And that's valid. It's a harsh fucking world.

"You can sometimes feel like you're mad

"doing the things we do for Candela.

"The monsters of this world will come looking for us

"without ever lifting a finger.

"So why should we be seeking them out, right?

"No one, not me, not anybody would judge you

"for walking away.

"Except, I know why you showed up to begin with.

"You're doing it for yourself, sure,

"(sighs) but you're doing it for all of them, too,

"for the people you've already lost

"and for everybody else who stands to lose just as bad.

"We do this because we owe them.

"What we do, it's taking a stand.

"We're not just throwing up our hands and saying,

"well, what can you do?

"That's just how it is.

"We want something better

"for Tottergrass,

"Westecklyn,

"your homes, mine,

"for every person under the sun.

"And for fuck's sake,

"all that pain's got to be good for something.

"You can let it overwhelm you

"or you can take hold of it and use it for something.

"Use it to make the world better,

"and yourselves better for it.

"Anyways."

Grimoria.

Edgar.

Leo.

Decklan Murphy lies before you

on a plain brass bed,

unmoving,

draped in perfect white sheets.

You're staring at him through a large round window

in an adjacent room.

He lies still, his chest rising and falling slowly.

His shoulder, neck, and face, misshapen and mottled,

crusted over in growth as white

as the tiles that surround him here.

You three now stand within the twisting walls

of the Fourth Pharos,

Candela Obscura's lighthouse stronghold

that resides beyond the mundane world,

floating somewhere in the Flare.

With you now are your lightkeeper, Zora,

and another doctor, a shorter man, about five feet.

Bespectacled, bald,

wearing slacks and a white shirt

with the sleeves rolled up

and a smock tied back behind his waist.

This is Dr. Hector Aguilar.

Dr. Lycoris, you have been working with him

for the better part of a week.

"I am sorry.

"He has fallen into a coma

"while you all were sleeping.

"His respiratory functions have been improving somewhat,

"but right now we are concerned most

"about brain inflammation.

"We can't know more without going in.

"(sighs) The only positive change

"is that the level of bleed

"we've been monitoring on Mr. Murphy

"has actually been dropping.

"Dr. Lycoris,

"I think you should step away for the time being.

"Your help has been appreciated.

"But if we are not prepared to put him under the knife,

"I really think at best you should step away

"from a case so personal to you, in my opinion."

ALEXANDER: (sighs)

I understand.

AIMEE: Can I ask, why?

Why are we not prepared to operate?

LIAM: "Well, we don't know enough

"about what we're dealing with.

"A little nervous of making matters worse."

Zora Manning interrupts.

(Zora) "Yes, well, we are also hoping to get word

"from Decklan's other circle,

"hoping to learn something more about the circumstances

"of this affliction or whatever it is.

"They've been away on their current assignment,

"but are due back any day now.

"So for the moment,

"we feel it is better to wait, at least for now.

"The good news is,

"I'd like us all to swing by and find Malcolm this morning.

"We'd like to send you all home.

"(sighs) Well."

ALEXANDER: You--

You will keep us updated if anything changes?

LIAM: "Of course.

"Of course, but right now,

"I think at best you all get back to your lives in Newfaire.

"It's been a week, I'm sure

"that there are logistical problems for you at home.

"Since you all seem to be

"in good health,

"Malcolm as well,

"for now, we trust you all to look after your own.

"You of the Crimson Mirror.

"Come.

"We can pick this up with Malcolm."

You leave Decklan Murphy

in this isolation chamber within the Fourth Pharos

and step out into a long hallway.

Even though you've been here a week,

even though you've become accustomed to it, it never--

The jarring-ness of this place never goes away.

As you walk down a long curving hall,

your view of it, imperceptibly--

AIMEE: Hmm.

LIAM:-- rotates.

Spins. Perspective is funny here.

You make your way down a long hallway.

At a certain point you see a door,

one of many doors running down both sides of this hallway.

One opens on a man in a peacoat and a beard quickly,

and in a huff storms across the hallway ahead of you,

closing the door behind him,

opening one across the way and disappears.

AIMEE: Hmm. LIAM: You continue on.

Certain point crossing an actual screen on the wall

that has a woman in a dark blue robe

with a wide flat belt tied around her back

and she's wearing sandaled feet,

slides that screen out of the way.

As you're passing,

you see three more people dressed similarly

in a wooden room with a wide immaculate mat on the floor

and a low, squat table.

In the middle of the table a peacock stands

and there is a ring of little glass crystal beads

placed around the bird.

The three people and the woman opening the screen look up

as you pass, nod.

Then the woman who was in the hallway with you

slides the screen, and you travel on

for several minutes.

You eventually arrive at a door.

Zora stands before it

and reaches her hand out to the knob.

She twiddles her fingers for a second and waits

and then turns it, and you step in.

In a similar room to the one you came from,

you find Malcolm.

Malcolm, you've spent the last week

in an isolated hospital room here

within the Fourth Pharos.

You've been run through a barrage of tests

every one of those days

as Edgar and the medical staff here within the Flare

have tried to ascertain what, if anything,

has happened to you,

as well as tending to that knife wound

you acquired on Serenity.

Opinions have been tentative to be sure.

Every day the mantra has been the same:

"Let's see where we are tomorrow."

There's a knock outside and then you see Zora

and your friends enter the chamber, the antechamber.

You see them through a large round window,

which is convex.

The image of them is skewed, they seem--

You know how close they are,

but they seem so much farther away,

barely rotating in space in your view.

(sighs) Like so much of the Pharos.

Zora closes the door behind them.

"Hello, Malcolm. How you feeling today?"

IMARI: Well,

I've stopped feeling like a human pin cushion.

Now I'm feeling like a human bandaid, but I'm doing good.

ALEXANDER: At least you're human.

IMARI: (laughs) AIMEE: (laughs)

IMARI: For now.

AIMEE: (laughs)

LIAM: "I'm sure Dr. Aguilar and Edgar here

"have been taking good care of you."

IMARI: They have. They have, they have.

They've seen every inch of my body.

I'm sure you'll never forget that, will you Edgar? (laughs)

LIAM: "How are your ribs?"

IMARI: (coughs) They're--

It's a little sore. It's better.

I can actually cough without feeling a little bit of pain.

It's a little sore now, but it's good.

It's healing quicker than I thought it would.

LIAM: "That's good to hear.

"Now, I have what I hope you'll feel

"is some good news for you.

"You've been given the okay to leave."

AIMEE: Oh, wonderful. IMARI: Oh.

I'm not sure if I want to,

I'm a little scared to go outside after-- (laughs)

LIAM: "Well, we can't put you up forever

"and honestly, your circle will monitor you.

"We put our trust in them.

"Just if you could stay in town."

IMARI: Of course. LIAM: "We'd appreciate it."

IMARI: I'll be over at the Glass Cat getting mended.

(laughs) LIAM: "Of course."

AIMEE: Grimoria blushes.

IMARI: (laughs)

LIAM: "Yes. Well, quite.

"For the moment, please just return

"to your day-to-day lives.

"We will be in touch.

"Mr. Murphy is not doing as well as you, I'm afraid."

IMARI: What's his prognosis?

LIAM: Zora opens her mouth to speak for a second,

but catches herself and--

IMARI: It's that bad, huh?

LIAM: You can tell that she is on the verge of tears a bit.

ALEXANDER: He's asleep for now.

LIAM: "You know, I don't know

"if Decklan ever mentioned this, but,

"I was in his first circle

"when he was a much younger man,

"shortly before I retired from field work myself.

"So I have to admit this feels a little more personal

"than these moments sometimes can.

"But we put our faith in each other

"and I put my faith in you,

"just like I know he would put his faith in you.

"We will hope for the best.

"I was telling the others,

"once the Circle of the Wyrm returns from their latest work

"down in Oldfaire,

"we are hoping they have any information.

"We haven't spoken to them either in,

"oh, almost two weeks.

"But we expect them back soon, so."

IMARI: Do they think what has attached himself to Malcolm,

"to Malcolm, to Decklan is what's attached to me

"or what I could have breathed in

"with what was blown in my face or?

LIAM: "Quite possibly."

IMARI: (sighs) Delightful.

LIAM: "Sure he's all right, doctor?

"Seems a little out of sorts still."

IMARI: What do you think, Edgar?

Anything you can detect inside me?

ALEXANDER: From this distance? No.

IMARI: Well, I mean from a week of examination.

ALEXANDER: You seem as fine as your--

(sighs) You seem to be healing normally.

TALIESIN: That's code for you look terrible.

ALEXANDER: Everything else,

there's no sign of anything else happening to you.

IMARI: Hmm.

ALEXANDER: So either this thing is very insidious and subtle,

or you're fine.

50-50.

IMARI: Guess we'll find out one way or another, won't we?

LIAM: If I can slide into the game mechanics lane

for a second, I will let everyone know watching at home

that before we started rolling today,

we did take advantage of our circle resources.

So people are doing a little better than they were

when we last saw them on the island of Serenity.

Leo, you took Stitch and Train.

TALIESIN: Mm-hmm.

LIAM: Malcolm took a Stitch and a Train.

IMARI: I sure did.

LIAM: Grimoria took Refresh and Train.

Edgar, you took Refresh and Train.

So everyone hopped to onboard the Train.

(laughter)

LIAM: "Now back into the Fourth Pharos.

"All right, well, I have a lot of paperwork

"to work through today, so

"if you will let me escort you back home."

She walks to the door separating these two rooms.

Other than food being delivered

and doctors coming in to stick you with needles

and take your blood,

Zora opens the door.

"Mr. Trills, if you will."

IMARI: (sighs) Well, here we go.

(sighs)

LIAM: You leave solitary confinement

for the first time in a week

and begin to move down this long, curving,

slowly rotating hallway

floating in the Flare.

You walk for a good 15 minutes in silence,

just footsteps clicking down this hallway

and eventually she stops

and stands in front of a door

and reaches out her hand to open it.

But before she can, it actually opens up into the hallway

and a blast of icy cold air spills into the room.

A woman with a parka

and goggles lifted up over her eyes comes walking in.

"(pants heavily)" Her breath steams.

She looks around at all of you.

"Oh, I'm sorry.

"Wrong door." She shuts it behind her.

(Zora) "Very silly person.

"One moment."

She waits a beat,

turns the knob and opens the door.

Now instead of the airplane hanger

somewhere in the world that you just saw--

AIMEE: Was it Amelia Earhart?

LIAM: You instead see--

(laughter)

LIAM: Leo Amicus' flat in the Red Lamp.

Now, Leo, I could describe this apartment,

but I think you're better equipped

and I would really love to hear it.

TALIESIN: Oh boy.

Okay, let's begin at the beginning.

Leo's apartment is in the Red Lamp District.

It's on the second floor of 802 Tivery Lane.

It's one of those pie-shaped buildings,

a very, very thin wedge.

It's right above a coffee shop,

which is at the bottom floor

of the building called The Endless Well.

His apartment is very opulent.

It's cluttered, but cluttered with impeccable taste.

The apartment itself if it where empty

is Art Nouveau in design.

It's got detailing and painted edges

all over the ceiling and walls.

It's packed with photographs on the wall

and a very well curated collection

of local artists in the, what you would say,

Impressionist style quite a bit.

It's quite a bit.

Most of the windows, most of them have stained glass in them,

including a central large round window in the living room

that really dominates the room quite seriously

with the lights and color

of the red light gleaming through it.

There's beautiful velvet curtains around it

draped in an asymmetrical organic style,

expensive rugs, beautiful glass lamps in every room.

He owns, among other things, a record player,

a radio, some beautiful small music boxes,

a wax cylinder player, anything of that sort.

He's got a grandfather clock because you must.

(laughter)

AIMEE: Why not?

TALIESIN: Each surface and each shelf is filled with oddities

detailing less of the Memento Mori

of a lot of people who are part of Candela.

More of a love of opulence,

a love of travel of seeing what one can

and of adventure and taste.

But most striking in there

is a vanity table in the living room,

which has a beautiful big mirror,

except the mirror glass itself is crimson red

and it is sitting precisely opposite to Leo's bedroom door,

which he usually keeps closed

because there are areas of the apartment

that are very messy on occasion.

Next to the door is a small round table,

almost a plant table,

but it's got a nice vase of fresh flowers

and a little silver tray.

At the moment, since he wasn't expecting company

at the moment, instead of his normal dining room table,

he's got a couple couches and some chairs

sat around for company.

It is a very comfortable bohemian reality.

Welcome in.

We are actually stepping in oddly

from the bedroom door, which is strange.

IMARI: Oh. TALIESIN: Not the front.

LIAM: As you enter and see this red-tinged mirror

across from you, you can see yourselves obviously,

and Zora in the hallway slowly rotating behind

in the Fourth Pharos.

Before leaving you, Zora with her shoe--

She sort of knocks with her toes

on a little crate next to the table.

LIAM: "Leo, the vintage I mentioned.

"I've left you a couple of bottles.

"Cheers to being home, darling."

TALIESIN: Thank you.

Thank you very much.

This will be very useful in the coming hours.

IMARI: (laughs)

LIAM: "All right, well--

"We'll be in touch. You know how get ahold of me.

"Fingers crossed. Fingers crossed."

IMARI: You should get some rest as well, Zora.

If you can.

LIAM: "No rest for the wicked.

"All right, enjoy the sunshine.

"Get back to your lives.

"Try at least."

She shuts the door.

Now, the mirror just reflects Leo's bedroom door

and those bottles, by the way, there's three of them

in a small crate and the labels on them are in a language

that you do not read and do not recognize.

TALIESIN: Oh, thank god that's fucking over.

I go and grab one of the bottles,

immediately move to the little table

with all of the necessary tools for this sort of work.

Quickly pop open the bottle.

I'm barely looking at it, pouring glasses.

Yes, yes, yes.

You don't have a choice.

That's all right.

Here we go, if you don't want it, I'll drink yours.

I'm collapsed in the bloody couch.

AIMEE: Well. TALIESIN: (sighs)

AIMEE: One little nipper before I leave.

IMARI: Everyone, cheers.

AIMEE: Cheers.

IMARI: Cheers, Edgar.

ALEXANDER: Cheers.

TALIESIN: (exhales) IMARI: Oh, that's good.

LIAM: So you find yourselves spit out the other end

of a very traumatic week and are home in Newfaire.

It is quite a few days past the time when multiple people,

you might be the exception to this, Leo,

were expecting you home.

So there may be some difficulty upon impact,

but it is hard not to savor the moment

and the little nipper here in this opulent retreat.

Leo's home, your chapter house,

the place where you meet at least once a month

to discuss your work.

(sighs)

It is hard to know what to do.

AIMEE: Well, I think I have to get going.

But, I look forward to regrouping.

Mr. Amicus, Mr. Trills, Dr. Lycoris,

thank you.

Takes another little nipper

and she's going to try to hail a streetcar

or whatever they have available.

LIAM: Sure. AIMEE: (laughs)

TALIESIN: The door's always open. AIMEE: In the red--

TALIESIN: Just please take advantage.

LIAM: You make your way downstairs. AIMEE: Thank you.

LIAM: Head off and find your way to a trolley car.

AIMEE: A street car, yeah, trolley car.

LIAM: Ride off.

Would you like to go somewhere directly at the moment?

AIMEE: Yes, I would like to go to my home

and work, place of employment in the Eave neighborhood.

Yeah, I think I've gotten as much as I can,

as far as flexibility from my employers.

So I'm worried about their reaction

and probably need to get back.

LIAM: You spend the next 30 to 40 minutes

returning to the Eaves, where the Foggs,

Oliver and Cynthia Fogg have their curio and curiosity

dealings from their home.

We find you eventually at the steps

of the four-story townhouse owned by the Foggs,

your employers, your wards to a degree--

AIMEE: Yes.

LIAM:-- after they took you in, after the war.

When they brought you in originally it felt

like a kindness or a blessing.

You quickly realized the strings

attached to that invitation.

They've kept you hard at work here,

and the work has been unique.

The townhouse is perched along

one of Oldfaire's many surviving ancient rooftops.

The Foggs aren't wealthy enough for any of the real estate

along the massive Oldfairen archway

that runs through the center of the Eaves.

But the Foggs and their new money

are at least successful enough

to have a good view of the city's elites.

You pause here, Grimoria,

hesitant to enter for obvious reasons.

It's been several days past your promised return now.

You're unsure of the welcome you'll receive.

As you reach your hand out to open the door,

it actually opens in front of you

as Mrs. Fogg, seemingly heading out for the day,

stops right in the doorframe, eyes bulging.

"Why you!"

She grabs you by the wrist

and drags you inside through the inner hallway

back into Oliver's study.

"Well, look who I found."

AIMEE: I'm so sorry.

I know I was due a few days ago,

but I've come from a really interesting place

and I think that I finally cracked the code.

I'm hearing voices and I'm ready to go back to work.

LIAM: Oliver is standing there at his desk

and he's got a bronze dagger that he's pulling

bits of stuffing and packing off of.

He's pulled it out of a crate

and he stares at you apoplectic for a moment and says,

"Three appointments.

"Three! Three appointments!"

AIMEE: I'll make up, I'll make up-- LIAM: "You missed."

AIMEE: Yes, I will--

LIAM: "Do you have any idea how much money

"you might have cost us, Alma?"

AIMEE: Well, thank you for using my real name,

but I will say, and she pulls out her little occult text.

I've got some new things I've learned

that might prove even more lucrative

in our next appointment, if you know what I mean.

LIAM: "Pitch me. I'm listening.

"This is going to improve our business, how?"

AIMEE: Well, I did get my hands on--

Well, not quite my hands on,

but a certain ancient set of bones.

Really ancient from Oldfaire.

I've got a kind of hieroglyphics

that now I know how to use

and I don't know, I can maybe--

Well, I think it's better if I show you

during an appointment.

LIAM: "You have bones?"

AIMEE: No, I don't have the bones, but I've seen the bones

and I've gotten very close

and I think that it might be impressive to,

I don't know, sort of bring up in the next appointment.

I think you won't be disappointed.

LIAM: "All right, well, I'll consider it."

AIMEE: What is that you have in your hand?

LIAM: "Oh, this is a knife out of antiquity."

AIMEE: Well, that's exactly what I've been handling

the last few days, antiquity.

LIAM: "Well here, get acquainted with it

"because we've got an appointment tomorrow

"and I need you to make up

"for everything we've lost this week."

AIMEE: Great, we'll sell this and something else.

Just find me something else that's ancient.

LIAM: Cynthia steps in,

"All right. All right.

"Go and get your face on will you, all right?

"Not another word."

She ushers you back out to the foyer

and this is a townhouse and she shoos you up to your room,

which you have to go up the winding stairs

until you get to a very small single bedroom

at the top of the entire building

with one of those little arched oval windows

and little round--

There's a round window and there is a simple bed in here

and a dresser and a desk.

It's not fancy, there's not much in it.

The few things you've been able to collect on your own.

They don't pay you so well.

There's a nice roof over your head.

Sitting on your bed with this bronze dagger in your hand

and you take a moment to look at it.

You've been doing this for a while for them

and looking at the grip of the hilt on this,

you're seeing a sort of a faded green leather thong

wrapped around it like a string, right?

A tie.

You know that you've seen

this material before, twice before.

You're fairly certain you're holding

a forgery in your hands. AIMEE: Yeah.

LIAM: So it'll have to be a bit--

When the customers arrive and you're expected

to get in touch with the other side for their benefit.

AIMEE: Yes. LIAM: It's going to be more

of a theatrical presentation than anything.

AIMEE: Yeah.

LIAM: You set it down on the bed next to you

and look at your desk where there

is a little picture postcard of Westecklyn.

AIMEE: Yeah, I think she picks it up, looks at it.

Maybe if she's got a small mirror or something,

looks into it,

and just briefly mourns her real self.

Maybe through a tear or two

smiles and starts at her work,

which is maybe fixing herself up,

working on the story that she's going to weave,

the narrative of this dagger.

Doesn't allow herself too much indulgence.

But Mr. Fogg's use of her real name

was definitely maybe more traumatizing

than the last few days.

LIAM: You sit there for a good 15 or 20 minutes

mulling all of this over in your mind

and eventually from the little heating grate

that keeps this fourth floor room warm in the winter months

as you have on many past occasions,

it's the way you heard about

the remains of Griffia in the first place.

You begin to hear a conversation bubble up from down below.

AIMEE: Hmm.

LIAM: (Oliver) "I need to talk to you."

(Cynthia) "Why? What is it?"

(Oliver) "Did you hear what she said?"

(Cynthia) "No. What? I'm busy."

(Oliver) "She's talking about bones.

"Bones, she can't be talking about

"the artifact that Tama-Kai--?"

(Cynthia) "Yes."

(Oliver) "Can she?"

(Cynthia) "No, that's not possible."

(Oliver) "I don't know, it doesn't make sense, but--

"It doesn't make sense.

"Tell you what we're going to do.

"When we go to that masquerade at the end of the week,

"we're going to get to the bottom of this.

"I'm going to talk to Aroha.

"It doesn't make sense, but it can't be.

"(laughs) I swear that guy is ruthless.

"Imagine, he sells half of a centuries old corpse

"to some rube and turns around

"and drives up a bidding frenzy

"over the rest of the bag of bones.

"He's double dipping on the same Oldfairen crone.

"Priceless."

(Cynthia) "Who was the first buyer?"

(Oliver) "Well, no one will tell me.

"I don't know, but what that kid said.

"Shit.

"Well, maybe we can dig it out of someone at the auction.

"Tama-Kai means to show it off to

"a few of his upper crusties guests in private

"away from the rest of the auction,

"probably in that overblown little museum

"he has on the third floor."

(Cynthia) "Oh, I've got those busts

"ready to send over for the auction.

"Did you remember to pick up our masks for it?"

(Oliver) "Fuck!

"That kid's more trouble than she's worth."

AIMEE: I think she's going to write a note

to be sent off to Mr. Amicus and in some sort of code,

a Candela code of sorts or something,

maybe requesting an impromptu sort of meeting

regarding past events.

LIAM: Okay. AIMEE: (laughs)

And I don't know if the Foggs

are wealthy enough to have those people,

like a butler or something that can go deliver it

or if she has to go do that, but she sends it off.

LIAM: They are very well to do.

I think you can get a messenger boy.

AIMEE: Yeah, she sends it off

and starts to plot a way to get herself

invited to this masquerade.

Maybe she will try to convince the Foggs

that in light of her absence,

maybe she can make this up to them

and put on a great show if they--

I don't know how she would do it, but

make herself available that evening maybe for free

and say that she's desperate to make up

for lost time if there's an extra appointment

or any extra things she can do to make it right.

She would love to do that.

LIAM: Okay.

Tell you what.

Let's put a pin here.

The letter's been sent off to Leo.

The Foggs are scurrying about the house,

readying for tomorrow's appointment

and preparing for a masquerade,

an auction, speaking about--

Just so we're clear,

the remains that you--

AIMEE: Yeah, fucked up.

LIAM:-- received, yeah. AIMEE: Yeah.

LIAM: Intimating that their,

that Aroha has more of this body.

Okay.

From there,

I think we will shift over to you, Malcolm.

I believe you wanted to make your way to the Red Lamp.

Out into the Red Lamp where you are currently,

heading to the Glass Cat Casino?

IMARI: Yes. Yep.

Malcolm, in his spare time,

he is sort of like a hero for hire.

Does odds and ends within the Red Lamp

for those who aren't so well to do

or can afford the protection of other security forces

who might be there, those who might not have the means.

Malcolm on his spare time does side hustles.

He works as a bouncer, different clubs.

But his prominent location that he's the security

is over at the Glass Cat

ran by Miss Cordelia Clask.

Glask, sorry.

Cordelia took him in, gave him a room.

So he likes to heal up there between missions

and so he's going back there

to get a little bit of rest, a little bit of attention

because it's sort of a house of fun.

He's going to make his presence known around the Red Lamp

and let people know that he's back.

LIAM: As you walk through the streets on the way there,

you can't help but smile

at the busy city streets,

alive with people going about their days.

After the Dandridge and Serenity

and the day spent sequestered in the Fourth Pharos,

the bustle of Newfaire is deeply welcome.

It's pretty early as you head over.

So all the lights and the delights,

that Red Lamp turns on at night

have yet to make their appearance, but busy all the same.

You pass the usual storefronts,

shops you see on the regular,

the same buskers out on their corners making music.

You cross that one street

where you took a shot in the eye last year,

breaking up a fight that ended up in a bar

with the two guys sharing beers and helping them bury the axe.

AIMEE: (laughs)

LIAM: You spot a few kids chattering and laughing

coming your way up the block.

You know these kids very well.

You see them all the time.

They call out and wave at your approach.

One kid throws up a hand for you as they pass by.

You know the people at Red Lamp and they know you.

Halfway down the next block,

you spot a disheveled older man you see from time to time

sitting on the sidewalk, a tin cup held out to passersby

and a faded old Halen military bag opened beside him.

You're pretty sure your family's company makes those bags.

You watch him for a while

and all the people who walk past him

without so much as a glance,

like they can't see him, or won't.

IMARI: We'll go over there and put my regular $1 in his cup

that I give him on the daily,

but this time it's a little bit more

because I've missed a few days.

He uses that to get food, although he won't tell me

because he's a proud army vet

and he won't let me know exactly how dire his situation is.

He always holds up a steady chin

and a valiant gaze whenever I talk to him.

LIAM: "Mother bless you."

IMARI: Of course. You get something to eat today?

LIAM: "Yesterday."

IMARI: Yeah. Enough?

You want me to go get you some food?

How are you feeling right now?

LIAM: "Oh, that's plenty, what you gave."

IMARI: Yeah? Okay.

All right. All right.

Well, I want you to make sure

that you get yourself fed today, all right?

LIAM: "Haven't seen you in a while."

IMARI: Yeah. You know how I am.

Here today, gone for a couple.

LIAM: "Yeah. Yeah."

IMARI: Anything happen when I was gone?

Anything I should be aware of, or--?

LIAM: "No.

"Same old, same old." IMARI: Mm.

LIAM: "Kids getting up to trouble as kids do."

IMARI: (laughs) Especially those two little pesky ones running about.

LIAM: "Not when you're around."

You pass on and pause outside of The Glass Cat,

looking at the red-hued lamps

ready to be lit for the night soon.

With everything that happened out at sea and on the island,

where's Malcolm at?

IMARI: Right now, Malcolm is healing and I've seen,

with Candela, I've seen the oddities before

and so I know that our missions can get out of hand,

but this one obviously took a toll on me physically.

Mentally, I'm still wondering what blew in my face,

but I'm trying to not be consumed with that.

Mostly thinking about Decklan and about how he's doing

and trying to really come to reality

with what transpired

and how close I came to losing my life, basically.

LIAM: You have a tickle in your nose

and you sort of sniff twice

and can't help but wonder

if you just had a tickle in your nose

or is it something more?

You don't know, but stepping into The Glass Cat,

all the house lights are dim.

It's not open for business really yet.

You find Miss Glask here, Cordelia Glask,

owner, proprietor, queen,

standing at the bar and she's actually counting out bills

and sees you coming in.

"Oh."

IMARI: Got a little bit of that pile for me, Cordelia?

IMARI and LIAM: (laugh)

LIAM: "You'll have to put in a few hours first.

"We've missed you a few nights. Is everything all right?"

IMARI: Oh, peachy, peachy.

You know how it is.

Little--

Life took me in another direction for a few days,

but now I'm back, healing.

LIAM: "Healing?" IMARI: Yeah.

Well, you know, I've got a little bruise, shall we say,

but I'm feeling fine now, especially being back in here.

How's everything going with business?

LIAM: "Just getting bigger and bigger every month."

IMARI: I could see by that stack of cash you have there,

aren't you?

(laughs) LIAM: "We do all right.

"Are you sure you're good for tonight?

"We can always call Dutch or Grace."

IMARI: Nah, nah, I think tonight will do me good.

You know, it's nothing like getting back to it

in order to get your mind off of things.

LIAM: "Okay. Well, you don't have to bottle it up.

"We're always here and if anything is ever bothering you,

"you don't have to soldier through it all."

IMARI: I know.

I appreciate you, Cordelia.

Nah, I just need time

to get back into the old swing of things, so to speak,

and being within your presence, my queen,

is doing me a good amount of good, fair amount of good.

LIAM: "It's good to have you back."

IMARI: It's good to be back.

LIAM: "Well, as you can see, I have a bit of accounting to do.

"So why don't you go see Shirley?

"She's not busy at the moment."

IMARI: Oh, Shirley here. Hmm?

I think I will.

LIAM: "Very good."

She goes back to her work.

With that, I'm going to shift over to you, Edgar.

We find you now after you have returned

to the Grand Halen Hospital over in Silverslip.

There's a bit of an awkward return to work for you.

Feathers were definitely ruffled by your absence,

but you took the blowback with your usual quiet dignity.

You slide right back into your work at the hospital

on your same schedule,

putting one foot in front of the other like always.

Your first day back,

we find you in the operating theater surrounded by eyes,

despite everything that's happened in the last week.

Your first patient,

a worker for the Halen West Railroad Company.

A horrific accident

over by the foundry station in the Steel,

railroad spike blown through the roof of the mouth

and out the top of the skull.

The body is rolled in

and placed before you.

You shave the scalp around the spike's exit,

clear out the coagulated blood

and small fragments of bone,

slide a finger in, probing for foreign bodies,

and then replace the sections of skull that were detached

and use adhesive straps

to hold all of your delicate work together.

All the while,

you look down on this man and his ruinous injury,

you can't help but see

Decklan Murphy's face,

his mother's, his sisters',

and ultimately, your sister

staring back at you from the past,

always with you,

all these 18 years since that day in Regent Park

when you watched Elizabeth blow away

like so much dust on the wind.

Do me a favor and roll for Control.

ALEXANDER: Five.

LIAM: You stand above your patient in a fugue state,

barely hearing your colleague's voice.

"Patient is stable.

"Excellent work, Dr. Lycoris."

ALEXANDER: Good.

LIAM: Moments later at the washing station,

you scrub your hands, staring at yourself in the mirror,

feeling some of that residual ache in your jaw

from the run-in with the Murphys.

Tell me, what is running through your mind?

ALEXANDER: I'm having a hard time

equating the thing that I've spent my life doing

outside of Candela

with what I just recently did while working for them.

I seem to not match.

I've...

spent my whole life helping people

that I could fix.

I can fix problems when they are presented to me.

When I was not in my normal place,

when I was out of where I was comfortable,

the minute something went wrong,

I killed someone.

(tearily) I'm not supposed to do that.

I'm supposed to--

(steadily) I'm supposed to fix and save people.

I'm supposed to fix what's wrong.

I instead flipped my knowledge on its head

and used it to end a woman's life

who may have just been sick,

may have just been confused.

LIAM: Self-defense to be sure, but--

ALEXANDER: (short laugh) It doesn't matter.

LIAM: It doesn't matter.

ALEXANDER: I watched

this poor old woman's head explode

and I just sat there

while all of my companions

jumped into action and I sat

and I looked at her and I didn't know what to do.

I did nothing until my immediate life was in danger,

and I spent the entire two hours we were on that island

telling everybody it was going to be fine

and they were just normal people,

and I was spectacularly wrong.

That is what I am thinking

while I wash my hands in a hospital.

LIAM: "Doctor, are you all right?"

ALEXANDER: Yeah, I'm fine.

I have been having trouble sleeping, you know?

I'm just tired.

LIAM: Look down at your hands, which are red and raw

in the near-scalding water pouring out of the faucet.

ALEXANDER: I'm fine.

LIAM: With that, we will turn our eyes over to you, Leo,

alone for a time in your flat,

comfortably so, thankfully so.

What do you want to do with your time alone?

TALIESIN: Well, first thing I'm going to do

is set up the dining table

since I clearly haven't had time to do that.

Push away the couches,

push the table back where it should be.

Bring it out, set it up.

I put a very nice tablecloth on it.

I set it up for two, wine glasses,

everything somebody needs, candelabras.

I'm going to go cook.

I sit down, see what's in the cabinets.

I see what I have saved.

Cook a chicken, some potatoes, asparagus.

It's a nice,

a small strawberry custard pie for dessert,

a little bit of cold pasta on the side.

It's just beautiful plates.

I make these two plates

and I put them down at the table.

I've put on a record.

It's the music maker that's close enough to the kitchen.

I have a little pile of them

and they sort of move and flip from one to the next.

I'm almost at the bottom of this particular pile.

I set the whole thing up, dish out everything,

and I sit at one end and I listen to the record

and the record ends.

Then I'm going to sit up and flip the record over

and I'm going to pick at my food

while the second side of the record plays.

Then I'm going to take a second

and walk over to the mail slot in the front door,

pick up everything that's collected,

go through one day, two days', three days' worth of mail,

three days' worth of mail.

Three days. Three days.

I'm going to put three days' worth of mail in the dresser

and I'm going to take,

I have a wonderful little calendar that's made of brass

and you give it a little click

and it goes one day at a time and moves forward.

And I'm

going to take a second to remember what day it is

and

I just raise my glass to the empty plate of food

that's getting cold.

LIAM: As you stand there in your reverie,

you notice out one of the windows in this room,

the barest bit of glow from downstairs.

You can tell,

you're reminded that The Endless Well

is open right now.

TALIESIN: I put my glass,

(sighs) put my glass down.

I go stand next to the window and I look down.

The record ends

and I count to 10 in my head.

Then I quickly move to the front door

and I head my way straight down to The Endless Well.

LIAM: Oh.

You approach the door of this coffee shop, The Endless Well,

which has a well-lit sign

with the name of the establishment.

There's also a simple painting of a well

that all of you in the circle are familiar with,

most people in Newfaire are.

It is a well that has survived from the ancient times

that is in Groundswell that supplies water to that area.

Push the door open.

It's not too busy.

There's maybe six or seven customers in here right now.

It's a dark wood interior. It's very charming.

Simple carvings of Oldfaire

and architecture in the panels of the wall

with lapping waves accenting the paneling.

Charley, the woman who runs the place,

spots you as you come in.

"Leo!"

TALIESIN: Charley! Oh, I'm so sorry.

I've missed the last couple days. LIAM: "It's been a bit!"

TALIESIN: I know.

I would say they've brought me out for work,

but of course, that's ridiculous.

My work can be anywhere when your work is nothing.

AIMEE: (laughs)

LIAM: "How's that life of mystery treating you?"

TALIESIN: The life of mystery has been mysterious,

a little wrought with danger,

a little bit of fun, a little bit of fun.

LIAM: (laughs)

TALIESIN: Do you have anything,

I'm looking for something--

Let's start with something complicated,

anything that you think would be interesting,

and then something I can take upstairs

and maybe mix with something that young pleasants

brought over to my apartment a couple days ago.

LIAM: "Can I surprise you?"

TALIESIN: Oh, please.

LIAM: She begins to move about behind the counter,

adding syrups and different shots of liquids

that she has in bottles back there.

"So you found somebody--"

TALIESIN: Well-- LIAM: "-- over the week, eh?"

TALIESIN: Somebody.

I found something, at the very least, over the weekend.

AIMEE and LIAM: (laugh) TALIESIN: It was very, very,

it was short, brief, exciting, deeply anonymous.

(laughter)

TALIESIN: You know, (excited stammering)

I will give you a hint, at the very least.

You know how they say that a sailor

has a lover in every port?

Well, a lover in every port has a sailor on every ship.

LIAM: "Ah. (laughs)"

TALIESIN: Somebody wins in that equation.

LIAM: "Love must be in the air. I met a girl."

TALIESIN: Oh!

In here? Somewhere else?

I assume you leave here on occasion.

LIAM: "I do. No, it was over in the Varnish.

"We went out on two dates this week. She's really great.

"I kind of feel like

"I could spend the rest of my life with her."

(laughter)

LIAM: "I'm being silly, but." TALIESIN: No, no.

LIAM: She stops, and bottle in hand,

stares out the window.

She's been smiling this whole time,

but then she drops it.

"Yeah, it's just been real tough since '04, you know?"

TALIESIN: Yes.

LIAM: "I know the war ended,

"but it hasn't always felt that way.

"But maybe it doesn't have to be like that.

"Maybe things can be better.

"Maybe I am in love."

TALIESIN: Not to be cheap, but love is special.

Love is wonderful.

Love is always different.

It's honestly a dull word,

we use it for far too many things.

I wish I could love someone, love my friends,

love a cheesecake all in different ways.

But unfortunately, we've been given one word

for all of this.

Enjoy it.

It will always be different,

but it's the first and easiest thing to begin,

and it makes the sound

of whatever happened to you before

quiet just a bit for a little while.

LIAM: She knocks twice on the wooden counter.

TALIESIN: Mm.

LIAM: Finishes making your drink.

You hear the bell ring, jingle on the door behind you

and you see Felix,

Felix the music shop owner from a couple blocks away,

stumble in, comes up behind you.

(Felix) "(laughing) Well. Hello, stranger."

TALIESIN: Hello.

I know I missed our appointment.

I know I have probably a pile of things to purchase.

LIAM: "Look at this guy. Where's he been?"

(Charley) "I don't know. He won't tell me.

"Just on a ship, I think."

TALIESIN: A bit of a, I would say a cruise, but actually,

if you've ever been on a cruise, it was a cruise.

It was awful.

LIAM: "Oh." TALIESIN: As they are.

LIAM: "Well, I'm getting conflicting information

"because he just told me he had a lot of fun."

(Felix) "What kind of fun?"

TALIESIN: Well, that fun,

I had that kind of fun,

but that was really only a small section

of the whole event.

Honestly, the most eventful and most interesting,

but these things can be very dull.

The company was a bit dull, but--

(quiet laughter)

LIAM: (Felix) "What's the news?

"Got any scuttlebutt?"

TALIESIN: Mm.

Nothing particularly interesting at the moment,

but I don't know.

It's been odd.

My friends outside of this place

are a little disjointed right now.

I suppose it's going around.

How have you been, out of curiosity?

LIAM: "Fine. I'm fine.

"Hanging in.

"Shop's doing all right, I suppose."

TALIESIN: Oh, it'll be doing a bit better.

I'm pretty sure I have a pile collecting right now.

I do apologize.

I was not expecting to be away for quite this long.

LIAM: "No, don't worry about it.

"Maybe we can get ourselves into that masquerade

"happening in the Varnish later this week

"and knock back a few."

TALIESIN: I had completely forgotten.

If you're interested,

do you want to be my plus one or should I be yours?

LIAM: "(laughs) I don't have tickets.

"It's a little higher than my normal rung on the ladder."

TALIESIN: Interesting, interesting.

Who owes me a favor?

Do you know who's throwing this little shindig?

LIAM: "Well, it's being had at the Hayden House

"in the Varnish." TALIESIN: Mm.

Interesting.

LIAM: "It's some sort of an auction,

"if I understand right.

"Someone told me about it in the shop yesterday."

TALIESIN: Hmm. LIAM: "Then I heard somebody

"on the trolley, too,

"talking about the same thing.

"But, you know, talk of the town."

TALIESIN: Auction.

LIAM: "So you're the one with the connections, not me."

TALIESIN: Vintage, like antique auction,

that sort of thing?

LIAM: "I don't know.

"I know vinyl."

TALIESIN: Well, I will start

with the most interesting person

and slowly make my way up to see what's available.

If it does happen, let's see.

Charley, god forbid if I get tickets to this,

can you help me dress this man?

LIAM: "Dress me? This isn't good enough."

(Charley) "Well, I mean, it's okay for here."

TALIESIN: No, it's not good enough. Absolutely not.

If I'm your plus one, you have to look better than I do,

and if you're my plus one,

you have to better look than you do.

It's just inevitable.

LIAM: (Felix) "I leave myself in your hands."

TALIESIN: I am always excited

to bring out the best in someone, clothing-wise.

LIAM: "(good natured grumble)" (laughter)

LIAM: Let us put a pin there--

TALIESIN: Mm.

LIAM:-- and return to you, Grimoria.

So you sent off a messenger.

You have made it known to Mrs. Fogg?

AIMEE: That I sent a messenger?

LIAM: No, no, no. I'm sorry.

Remind me, because I might've been juggling in my head.

You mean to proposition Mrs. Fogg,

say that you could be of help?

AIMEE: No. So, yes. LIAM: Did I misunderstand?

AIMEE: Well, quickly, I sent a letter to Leo in code,

letting him know that we needed to meet.

LIAM: Yes.

AIMEE: Our whole team. LIAM: Right.

AIMEE: Because something was afoot.

And then I feel like

either through our appointment, the next day,

I can sort of, I don't know.

I'm trying to find a way to pitch the Foggs to get me in.

LIAM: To get you in. AIMEE: And I think

I might be able to do that

through tomorrow's performance.

LIAM: Right.

Well, maybe let's workshop it with the circle.

AIMEE: Okay. LIAM: Let us--

That letter would've arrived

by the time you'd had your coffee

and talked within The Endless Well,

so I'd say you'd find that letter pinned to your door,

actually, upon arrival.

So now you have this information.

I think we don't need to get bogged down in the details.

Let's say that the very next morning

is the soonest that all of you have gotten word,

first from Grimoria to you, Leo,

and then word finally reached you the morning

after your fun and J-O-B,

and you after I'm sure a very restful night of sleep.

AIMEE: (smirks)

LIAM: By about 11:00 or so the next day, you sneak out--

AIMEE: Yep. LIAM:-- of the house

in the Eaves.

We find you now gathered,

your dinner from the night before cleared away,

sitting in the reflected light of this Crimson Mirror.

AIMEE: I'm so sorry. Forgive me.

I don't have a lot of time.

I have to make it back for an appointment,

but I thought it was important we meet.

I overheard a conversation between my employers

about an auction or a masquerade,

it's unclear, where they are going to be either,

I don't know, auctioning off something of high value.

I want to say that it's related somehow

to Atia's bones

that we delivered to the Red Hand,

or maybe not to the Red Hand.

Who did we deliver that to?

LIAM: You delivered to the Red Hand.

AIMEE: We delivered it to the Red Hand.

IMARI: There possibly could be more of that out there.

AIMEE: Yes, and I don't know if it's half.

He said something about someone selling

half of the bones

for a really cheap price, or something like that.

So I just have a feeling. LIAM: For clarity.

AIMEE: Yes. TALIESIN: Mm.

LIAM: You heard him say that a man named Aroha Tama-Kai--

AIMEE: Yes. TALIESIN: Tama-Kai.

LIAM:-- sold half of an ancient

historical figure's remains

to one party--

AIMEE: Yeah. LIAM:-- and kept the other

and is now trying to sell the remains

of what Candela believed they were in full possession of.

AIMEE: Right. So she relays that.

(laughs) LIAM: Yeah.

AIMEE: I think that we have to somehow make it

into this masquerade. Mr. Amicus,

I think if anyone can, it could be you.

I have a plan to persuade my employers to let me come.

TALIESIN: Well, let's take a second

before we busy ourselves with the frogs.

What was the name of the person throwing it?

I didn't write it down. I was flirting.

LIAM: Aroha. TALIESIN: Aroha.

LIAM: Tama-Kai.

TALIESIN: Oh, that was the name

I heard as well when--

LIAM: No, no. TALIESIN: Thank you, no.

LIAM: You didn't get a name. AIMEE: Right.

TALIESIN: Okay. I thought there was a--

ALEXANDER: Was it a location, I believe.

TALIESIN: Oh, it was a location. LIAM: The Hayden House.

AIMEE: Hayden House TALIESIN: Hayden House.

AIMEE: Yes, because in our first chapter of this--

LIAM: Yes.

AIMEE: You mentioned Aroha Tama-Kai.

LIAM: Yes, I briefly mentioned

a high-level contact

within the Red Hand.

AIMEE: Yeah. LIAM: Which you all know,

being part of Candela Obscura--

We're in our Mind Palace, no worries.

A high-level member of the Red Hand who are traffickers

in ancient relics, artifacts, curios, expensive art,

and occasionally dangerous things.

Candela learned of the Red Hand's possession,

contact was made, and the Red Hand agreed to sell.

AIMEE: Mm-hmm. LIAM: Candela often goes,

sends people off to find things, secure them.

This time they weighed the pros and cons

and decided that forking over a mountain of cash--

AIMEE: Yeah. LIAM:-- was worth it

because of the significance and danger of these remains.

AIMEE: Right. So I'm afraid we've come into possession

of only half of the remains.

IMARI: Oh. TALIESIN: That is unfortunate.

Would I know Haven house?

Would I know of it, also

would I assume it was in Haven Hills? LIAM: You have heard of it.

No, it's actually in the Varnish.

TALIESIN: Okay. LIAM: Am I remembering

that correctly? Yes. AIMEE: Yeah.

LIAM: It's in the Varnish. It is in the eastern portion

of the Varnish.

You've actually been there once or twice

because it is a very expensive, opulent home,

a large home in the Varnish

that is used for galas and events.

You've never known that it was in any way tied to this man,

Aroha, or the Red Hand.

But it's hard to know who owns what in this city.

TALIESIN: That's fair.

LIAM: There's a lot of grease and grift.

TALIESIN: Well, it's funny that you should mention all this.

I was already trying to get tickets to this event.

AIMEE: Oh.

TALIESIN: So that is quite a coincidence.

I heard about it last night.

AIMEE: Oh.

I don't know the rest of the plan,

but I think that we should try to somehow,

I don't know, disrupt this auction

and make sure that those remains are safe.

IMARI: Disrupt it indeed.

ALEXANDER: I think the best course

is to just let Candela know

and they can decide.

It's not necessarily our job

to go getting something we weren't asked to get, is it?

IMARI: Well, we should definitely get

this information to Zora.

Have you contacted her yet?

AIMEE: I haven't, no. I should've.

LIAM: The way that you customarily do that

is in this room.

There is a small little side table next to the door

to Leo's bedroom with a silver tray on it,

and notes are left there and they just seem to disappear

and sometimes notes just appear there.

TALIESIN: Edgar, if you wouldn't mind,

for some bizarre reason,

you seem to have the best handwriting in the group

despite the clear stereotype, if you wouldn't mind.

ALEXANDER: Sure.

TALIESIN: Pen's on the vanity.

ALEXANDER: Yes, yes, yes.

I'll write a note conveying all the information

that we've heard,

adding that may or may not be true,

and then send it off.

TALIESIN: Still, since I was already going

and you were already plotting,

it wouldn't be out of the ordinary

to do some reconnaissance,

not get involved, necessarily.

Just to take a look around.

ALEXANDER: There's nothing to starting the process

of trying to find tickets.

I just don't think we should necessarily mean

to disrupt an entire gala.

IMARI: Edgar, are you worried about wearing a mask to a gala?

Not your style?

ALEXANDER: I don't need to worry about that.

TALIESIN: I'm worried about jumping

two feet forward into something again.

I think I've had quite enough of that for a while.

AIMEE: Well, I guess I just--

I don't know.

My eagerness was only meant to prevent anything

like what happened on the ship to happen again.

IMARI: This is valuable information.

If there's any kind of,

any inkling that these bones might be out there

and what we went through on that ship

could be here in Newfaire,

we definitely need to investigate this

and we need a report what we find back to Candela.

ALEXANDER: I didn't mean to imply that your impulse was wrong.

I just--

AIMEE: Oh, no, that's okay.

ALEXANDER: Just want to exercise caution

so that we don't all get beaten up again.

AIMEE: Yes, you're right.

You're very wise.

LIAM: Edgar, you look past Grimoria's shoulder

and notice that the note you left in the tray

has already vanished from the tray.

TALIESIN: Well.

IMARI: I guess we sit and wait, huh?

TALIESIN: Well, I'm certainly not going to sit and wait.

I have people to talk to

to see if I can make this happen.

I have my ways of procuring some tickets.

I assume you have your ways of procuring some tickets.

IMARI: Oh, of course. TALIESIN: Although, obviously,

you can't mention my name

and I certainly can't be any plus one of yours.

That would go very poorly.

IMARI: Well, I don't think I can be a plus one

under my family name either, but you know,

we'll figure it out.

TALIESIN: That's very fair. IMARI: (laughs)

TALIESIN: Doctor, do you have any notions of anybody

who owes you a favor in this direction?

ALEXANDER: I don't go to parties,

if that wasn't clear already.

TALIESIN: Oh no, it's very clear.

I would hate to imply that it isn't.

It's just that there's nothing more enticing,

especially to someone who has enough money

to be consistently bored,

than a person who refuses to ever speak to them

suddenly having a moment of weakness.

ALEXANDER: I'll do my best to find a ticket.

TALIESIN: I'll do my best to make sure you don't have to.

As quickly as possible.

IMARI: I think you should make him squirm a little bit

and ask someone a favor, but that's just me.

AIMEE: I think I have to leave now.

I have to make my appointment,

but thank you for meeting at such short notice.

TALIESIN: Always. IMARI: How are you doing back with

the family, Grimoria?

AIMEE: Oh, terrible, but I think it'll be better.

IMARI: Are they too hard on you for missing those days?

AIMEE: Not too much.

IMARI: Let me know if I need to--

AIMEE: (laughs) Yes, thank you.

TALIESIN: Let me show you out really quickly.

AIMEE: Okay.

TALIESIN: Once we're out of earshot of the other two.

My dear, I know, and you have a very good idea

to go through your employers to find a way into this,

and I think the way that you're looking to go in

is very clever.

If I can find something first, I'd let you know.

The least that we can involve those dreadful,

dreadful people would be best for all of us,

and definitely you as well.

AIMEE: I agree.

But will they see me there and question why I'm there?

I mean, can a mask really do so much?

TALIESIN: I'm honestly a bit irritated that they even

could get into something like this.

They're so awful and dull.

AIMEE: This is their line of work.

TALIESIN: Well, you are sadly the most interesting thing

they have to talk about, so you are always

the thing they will put forward.

AIMEE: (laughs) TALIESIN: Dreadful

fucking people.

AIMEE: Thank you.

She gives him a kiss on the cheek.

TALIESIN: Do what you can, don't take them too seriously,

and just be careful, be careful, be careful.

AIMEE: I will. TALIESIN: Call if anything

happens, send a note.

AIMEE: Yes, I will.

TALIESIN: Oof, all right.

Let's get to work.

IMARI: I think what I'm going to do, I'm back in the room.

LIAM: Mm-hmm.

IMARI: What I think the best course that I should take

is utilizing maybe, to take another cover

than as someone who's invited to the party,

maybe I should be a worker at the party.

I have some connections

with those who might be catering the event.

I might be able to slip in.

Maybe I hear something

from behind the curtain so to speak,

that might be beneficial to us.

Or maybe some whispers in the background

that I might be able to pick up--

LIAM: Okay. IMARI:-- and report back to you.

I'm going to see if I can investigate that.

TALIESIN: It might have been long enough now that,

you know, especially with the mask,

no one will remember your face too terribly.

There's a wonderful line where they even stop

remembering what you look like.

It's very helpful.

IMARI: (laughs)

TALIESIN: That takes care of that.

Doctor, if you think of anyone.

If not, I will try and think of somebody.

ALEXANDER: I feel like there's a--

Well, I'll do my best.

TALIESIN: Excellent.

And yes, I will let you know.

Yes, we will discuss options,

hopefully soon.

ALEXANDER: Okay.

TALIESIN: Very good, very good.

LIAM: Well, which one of these threads

would we like to pull first?

AIMEE: Well, we can jump right into Grimoria's performance

if we'd like. LIAM: Sure.

IMARI: (laughs)

LIAM: So you scuttle out of Leo's apartment,

quick as you can, trying to get back home.

Again, it takes at least 30 minutes

to get there from here.

Hopefully before you're missed.

And you do, you use the rear entrance that deliveries,

food, and other things are made

and hear them in discussion in his study

and glide into the house.

AIMEE: To the show room? LIAM: Mm-hmm.

LIAM: Now, it's still about an hour before

the man in question is here to have his viewing

and be pitched to this "ancient" brass,

excuse me, bronze dagger

from, it's probably two weeks old.

What do you do to prepare?

AIMEE: Well, I think maybe I do a little bit

of a dress rehearsal for the Foggs.

I think it's, you know, she's made up,

she's got this beautiful robe

and a lot of rouge trying to look,

I guess as medium-istic as possible

considering that she is an 18-year-old girl.

IMARI: (laughs)

AIMEE: So they've got the,

he set the dagger in front of her and

I think she starts the performance.

It's very different than how people

perceive Grimoria.

I think she slips right into

a sort of accent

which is maybe mysterious to some.

To us, it's a version of something

(fortuneteller-esque) that sounds like this, you know?

She starts the performance with the dagger

and she says:

Betrayal.

Traición.

This dagger.

Very powerful dagger.

It was used in the ultimate act of betrayal

to stab

a high priest.

She is thinking

of the man she channeled on the boat.

She's got a party trick

where you bite into something

and it could be cyanide, but instead it's blood.

She chokes up-- (gags) LIAM: She's got a little squib?

AIMEE: (gags)

ALEXANDER: It could be cyanide, you don't know.

LIAM: (laughs) AIMEE: I mean, it could be.

He served ancient gods and died for it

in an act of betrayal.

Or maybe it was a sort of revenge.

Mr. Fogg, give me that vial

you showed me yesterday.

The ancient vial.

She winks.

LIAM: This is during a performance,

or, a rehearsal? AIMEE: This is the dress rehearsal.

LIAM: The dress rehearsal. AIMEE: (whispering) Mr. Fogg,

give me the vial.

LIAM: "What the fuck are you talking about?"

AIMEE: The other vial you showed me the other day.

LIAM: "The vial?"

AIMEE: Yes. LIAM: "Oh.

"Shit, I'm sorry. Hold on."

ALEXANDER: (laughs) LIAM: He leaves the room for a second.

You hear drawers opening and closing

and something knocks over.

AIMEE: She looks at Mrs. Fogg.

Hopefully this will be worked out

before the gentleman comes.

LIAM: (Cynthia) "Well, once we have the lights down--

AIMEE: Yes, I understand. LIAM: "-- and I go down

"and work the pull that makes

"the table do the thing."

AIMEE: Yes, this tastes very bad so the sooner

we can do it the better. LIAM: "I got it, I got it.

"(grumbles) What are we doing?"

AIMEE: Oh, thank you.

You see,

these two artifacts go together.

This vial--

(sniffing)

Ugh!

Contained a poison.

Yes, an act of betrayal.

They must not be separated.

They must come as a package, you understand?

I am sensing an ancient high priest

was killed

because he poisoned someone named--

Oh I,

I can't get her name.

A very,

very powerful alchemist.

How was that?

LIAM: "(laughs)

"You know, even when she's full of shit, she's brilliant!"

AIMEE: Well, I think if we could sell two,

you know, at once. LIAM: "Yeah! A two-fer."

AIMEE: A two-fer.

You know, and it's ancient.

So, I don't know,

I feel pretty good about that.

I was thinking--

LIAM: "I'm still a little ticked off."

AIMEE: I know. LIAM: "I've got to be honest."

AIMEE: I understand, and as a way to make up for it,

I sort of overheard that you might

have had some plans pretty soon.

An auction of sorts?

What if you bought some of your artifacts

and I could sell them for you at this auction?

LIAM: "Were you talking about the thing?"

(Cynthia) "I don't think so."

AIMEE: Maybe I heard one of the servants talk about

you being gone or procuring

some sort of masks or something.

I just guessed.

I just wanted to make myself available to you.

We can move some product.

LIAM: Mrs. Fogg looks stricken and says,

"I'm going to kill that maid.

"She's out. Get another one." AIMEE: Oh, it's not her fault.

I just want to be of service

and I feel so terribly about not being back in time.

LIAM: (Oliver) "I don't know.

"It's a little irregular.

"This is not a party for everyone.

"You understand. I mean--" AIMEE: I understand.

LIAM: "We love you."

AIMEE: Yes, well I can work on it.

I mean, I think I just sold, hopefully,

two for one.

LIAM: "The proof's in the pudding, kiddo."

AIMEE: Yeah. LIAM: "Proof's in the pudding."

There is a ring at the bell

and Mrs. Fogg gets it.

(Cynthia) "Oh, Gerald, come in.

"We have been waiting for you!"

She ushers in a very, a rotund man

in a jacket with tails

and a pocket watch

hanging off to the side.

He has got a walrus type mustache.

AIMEE: Hmm. LIAM: (Gerald) "I--

"I am very excited about this.

"I've heard a lot about you."

AIMEE: Welcome. LIAM: "Grimoire, is it?"

AIMEE: Grimoria. LIAM: "Oh!

"Oh, she's lovely.

"Do I sit here?"

AIMEE: Yes.

LIAM: "Excellent, excellent. Okay."

AIMEE: Before we start.

LIAM: "I have to get back to the bank in like 20 minutes.

"Is this quick?"

AIMEE: Very quick.

I'm getting-- Is there--

Where is your mother?

LIAM: "Uh, well.

"She was in the Silverslip."

AIMEE: Yes.

She wants you to know she is here with you, too.

LIAM: Mrs. Fogg has dimmed the lamps in this room

and quietly closed the curtains around you

and now it is very dark in here.

AIMEE: We start with: Betrayal.

ALEXANDER: (laughs) IMARI: (laughs)

AIMEE: She does the performance.

LIAM: Absolutely, absolutely.

AIMEE: (laughs) IMARI: (laughs)

LIAM: About halfway through,

as you go into your performance,

to your very skillful bullshit,

Mrs. Fogg disappears and goes down

into the, there's a pantry down below

and a hole has been drilled into the ceiling of that room

into the floor of this one.

You know, as you continue

and start to spit blood on the table,

the table starts to slowly rotate in the room

and the man is like, "(gasps)

"Oh!

"Oh my gosh.

"This is magick.

"I've always wanted to see some magick!"

(laughter)

AIMEE: She makes sure to cough a little more.

Maybe some spills right in front of him,

right on the table in front of him.

(coughs dramatically)

LIAM: "Whoa."

AIMEE: Wait, Mr. Fogg.

The vial.

LIAM: (Oliver) "Oh, I've got it right here."

AIMEE: Yes.

These two go together.

Oh, you must not separate them, Gerald.

You must not.

LIAM: (Gerald) "I-- I will never!

"I'll take them both!

"I'll take them both.

"Do you take checks?"

(Oliver) "Of course we do, sir.

"Of course we do.

"Do you have a hanky, Grimoria?

AIMEE: Of course.

She hands him a hanky-- LIAM: Hands it to him.

AIMEE:-- that she spritzed with some perfume.

LIAM: (Gerald) "(coughs)" IMARI: (laughs) Oh, nice touch.

AIMEE: Before.

LIAM: Shoves it in his pocket,

and they head out of the room into the study

and you can hear them signing the deal

and a check being written.

Mrs. Fogg is left in the room with you.

She's sort of judging you.

AIMEE: I'm cleaning up the blood.

How was that?

LIAM: (Cynthia) "Okay, okay, that's good.

"That's good.

"All right, I'm sure we can work out a ticket,

"but you have to be glued to us at this event."

AIMEE: Absolutely. LIAM: "This is not

"a place to misstep.

"If you say the wrong thing,

"it's over for us--" AIMEE: It's over.

LIAM: "-- in this crowd, okay?" AIMEE: Yeah, yeah.

LIAM: "So just keep your mouth shut

"until it's your time to act."

AIMEE: Okay. LIAM: "All right?"

AIMEE: Whatever you say. LIAM: "We're bringing

"a couple of busts to the event."

AIMEE: Fabulous. LIAM: "Those are going to

"be auctioned off."

AIMEE: Okay. I'll work on those.

Who knows? One of them might be--

They're both going to be great.

LIAM: "Party starts at 7:00 and then

"the auction kicks off at 8:00.

"Just, this, you've got a little--

"Did you have a spill or something?

"There's a ghost of a--" AIMEE: Oh, yes.

Well, I thought maybe we could work it in.

LIAM: "You want to go for a smudgy look then, all right?"

AIMEE: Yes, yes, of course.

LIAM: "Okay. Okay, okay."

AIMEE: Thank you, Mrs. Fogg.

I won't disappoint.

LIAM: "Hm.

"Okay."

Then we shift over to Leo Amicus.

TALIESIN: I am staring at a small Rolodex.

LIAM: Mm-hmm.

TALIESIN: Deciding how much I'm going to hurt myself.

LIAM: It is bristling with many, many names.

AIMEE: (laughs)

TALIESIN: How important is this?

Hm.

LIAM: Leo, as you're looking at the Rolodex

for what feels like five minutes

unsure of where or how to proceed,

you notice an envelope, a new one,

with a very beautiful calligraphy,

letter Z in the silver tray by the door.

TALIESIN: (sighs)

I get up, I turn off the current thing

that's playing on the wax cylinder

of my little wax cylinder player.

Because I hate listening while reading.

I open it up and I quickly blaze over it.

LIAM: Okay.

(thinking noises)

It is a note from her that says,

"Looked into it.

"Tama-Kai has played us.

"We need to meet tonight. Possible?"

TALIESIN: Shit, that solves everything.

I write a overly fancy "Yes"

on the same piece of paper.

(laughter)

TALIESIN: Thick enough to bleed through the page.

LIAM: Mm-hmm. TALIESIN: Fold it back,

put it on the silver tray,

turn around, stare at myself in the mirror,

straighten myself.

The things I do for you fucking people.

LIAM: (laughs)

TALIESIN: I think I'm going to go try and corner,

get a nice little corner table at--

Well, first I'm going to write some quick notes.

Did this seem like it was just for,

was it me or to the circle?

Did it seem to be the more--

LIAM: It was for the circle.

TALIESIN: Okay. That's what I thought. All right.

I was trying to remember the wordage.

I'm writing three quick notes.

LIAM: Mm-hmm.

TALIESIN: One I take a little longer with,

I take a little longer with yours than the other two.

Write them down, distribute them.

Well just, I have a service.

LIAM: Mm-hmm.

TALIESIN: This money, my god.

LIAM: You are still ridiculously wealthy.

TALIESIN: If it's a problem money can solve,

it's not a problem.

I have someone come to pick it up,

make sure that the--

It is taken care of. LIAM: They are whisked away.

TALIESIN: I'm going to go find--

Dress a little more inconspicuously

and I'm going to go find a corner at a restaurant

that I know

Aunt Leanna frequents.

LIAM: Leanna is your angle.

TALIESIN: They cut down the amount of time I had,

didn't they?

AIMEE: (laughs) LIAM: Okay.

Was one of those messages sent off for Leanna?

TALIESIN: No, it was one of each of theirs.

LIAM: Each of them. TALIESIN: I just know

this is a place she likes to eat

and I'm giving myself an out to reel into Walter

if I don't see her over lunch. LIAM: Okay.

TALIESIN: I'm just letting fate handle it.

LIAM: Okay, so you head off

and in under an hour, you are walking in the door

of this restaurant and you do a quick scan across the place.

Sure enough, in a back booth,

in the best seats in the house,

you see Aunt Leanna in her sixties.

She has a small dog in a purse

next to her on the bench

and a wide flower, an orchid coming out of the lapel

of her fancy jacket and a wide brimmed hat.

She is on her own

drinking a midday cocktail.

She looks up and--

TALIESIN: I sit down quietly.

Just to get it out of the way, you look fantastic.

LIAM: "Hmm." AIMEE: (laughs)

TALIESIN: That's as much small talk,

obviously, as we need.

LIAM: "Are you all right? Have you burned through the money?

"Is there anything amiss?"

TALIESIN: Oh, the temptation to burn through the money

is very powerful,

but no, I've actually been relatively conservative with it,

especially considering my taste.

LIAM: "Hmm."

TALIESIN: Ah, this is not about money.

This is about a friend who needs help.

LIAM: "Charity case."

TALIESIN: Well that, and also I may actually--

I'm working.

I'm working on a man, putting some feelers out there.

It's two birds with one stone.

LIAM: "I sense a long story coming.

"Have you spoken with your father?"

TALIESIN: You've got to be fucking kidding, right?

Has he spoken to me?

AIMEE: (laughs)

TALIESIN: You know the answer to that.

No.

Honestly, I don't know if I have the stomach

for it right now, it's been a bit difficult.

LIAM: "You know, at some point

"one of you is going to have to bridge that gap

"and your crank of a father is too stubborn for that.

"It is really going to have to be you, Leo.

"I know it's a lot to ask."

TALIESIN: I'm not saying I can't be bribed,

but what I'm asking for is not enough for that.

He, I should point out,

could very easily put the word--

He wouldn't even have to put the nice word out.

He could send bloody Arty down to talk to me

and that would be enough.

Even if it were just to argue

about the amount of money I was spending.

LIAM: "All right, all right. I thought maybe I could

"work out a miracle. I have to try.

"I still care about you both, Leo.

"It pains me, but fine."

TALIESIN: I do appreciate it, but-- LIAM: "Downstream it goes.

"So tell me, what is it

"that you need from your Aunt Leanna?"

TALIESIN: There's an auction happening.

Tomorrow, I believe.

LIAM: "You want to go to the Hayden House?"

TALIESIN: I do. I would love a plus two,

but I would take a plus--

I would love a plus two,

but I will take a plus one, if I have to.

LIAM: "Plus two.

"So you need three tickets total?

"You want to go to the Gilded Garden

"tomorrow night for charity?"

TALIESIN: Most likely I only need two,

but three would be--

It's for a good cause, I swear.

LIAM: "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm." TALIESIN: I really do.

LIAM: "All right, I can do three.

"There will be strings attached to that, though."

TALIESIN: I know.

LIAM: "I am championing

"the Hallowharbor Women's Society right now.

"They're doing amazing things for that district.

"You should come with me and see what they're doing.

"It is really quite, quite phenomenal

"what the people in that stratosphere have to deal with

"and they're very brave, these women.

"So if you would care to make,

"you know, a contribution in the ten-ish region,

"I can acquire you

"as many tickets as you want within reason."

TALIESIN: I swear I will not ask for five.

LIAM: "Make it 15 and it's done."

TALIESIN: For you? Absolutely.

Why can't they all be like you?

LIAM: "(sighs)

"Well, it's not about winning,

"but if I get to be your favorite aunt

"and pull in the biggest haul for my charity of choice,

"I'll take that win."

TALIESIN: Ah yeah. LIAM: "Give us a kiss."

AIMEE: (laughs)

TALIESIN: You don't know what this means to me.

LIAM: "(sighs) You are going to need--

"Do all of your pluses have the formal attire required?

"Do they have--

"You're going to need masks, all of you."

TALIESIN: Oh yes, I can shop.

It's one of the things I'm best at.

LIAM: "Hm, it's amazing

"you have not burned through all that money."

TALIESIN: I've been trying to be frugal on occasion.

I don't eat out anymore, except right now, really.

LIAM: "All right, well, I'll run a young man past your place.

"What time is it?

"I can get it over by the evening, I think.

"Your auction, if you're looking to make a bid on anything,

"is at 7:00 tomorrow."

TALIESIN: At 7:00.

Auction.

That will do very well.

Haven, yes.

LIAM: "All right, now have a drink with me

"and tell me about this man

"and then I'll be off.

"I'm having my cheeks worked on."

(laughter)

TALIESIN: Oh yes, it's about time, isn't it?

LIAM: "I'm going to give them a good beating.

"Rub on some liniment oils."

TALIESIN: Well, Felix--

LIAM: "You can join me if you want."

TALIESIN: Oh, let me know when.

I may take you up on that.

It's been a bit busy with my side projects,

which I will only talk about when it's time.

LIAM: "Well, it's here to there.

"So if you have to be somewhere soon, I would--"

TALIESIN: Sadly, I do have a quick meeting to take care of.

LIAM: She waves to the waiter who comes over

and fills that drink and you spend the next hour gossiping

with your aunt about the family

that you spend so little time with now.

We had a thread here, I believe.

I would say that from your time in the service,

you definitely knew a mess hall cook

who in the years since

has ended up in the catering business.

You can find him in the Sidle.

He works part-time in a bar down there

when he's between gigs for catering.

So I think you would follow that thread

and we'll make our way into sort of

the middle class sprawl of the Sidle.

As we get later on in the night,

there are electric lights warming up the neighborhood.

As we get darker around here, you walk past an old bookshop

that reads The Antiquarian in the window

and look in and can see a man wheeling by,

pulling a book off the shelf

and a little dog trotting out behind him, a puppy.

You walk on past.

At the end of the block is this bar, Skiffs.

Sure enough, you walk in and see your guy,

your friend Gail working the bar.

IMARI: Gail? LIAM: Mm-hmm.

IMARI: Hello, sir. How are you?

LIAM: "As I live and breathe. What do I owe the pleasure?"

IMARI: Well, you know, little bit of mischief.

A little bit of, you know--

Little bit of inquiry, if I may.

LIAM: "Oh, we're talking business.

"All right, I'm all ears."

IMARI: Listen, I know you--

I know you have a catering business going on right now

and I was happen to wonder if you heard

about a certain event

that's going to be held recently for the,

shall we say, upper crusts?

LIAM: "Well, that's going on

"almost every night in this city.

"There is the Caribou Club."

IMARI: I'm looking for more of a select group of individuals.

Maybe something that might be a little more hush-hush.

Something-- LIAM: "You're talking about

"the Hayden House."

IMARI: I'm talking about the Hayden House.

LIAM: "What kind of trouble are you looking to get into?"

IMARI: No (scoffs).

AIMEE: (laughs)

IMARI: Nothing too big.

I just wanted to stick my head around.

It's such a mystery, that house.

You know, I want to

hear if there's any whispers of--

You know how my side business, I put,

keep my ear to the ground, make sure that you know--

LIAM: "I do. That's why I'm asking the question.

"I don't want anything to lead back to me,

"and I'm not working that one.

"I know a guy.

"I know a guy who is part of that outfit."

IMARI: I guarantee that if you help me with this,

nothing will get back to you,

and I will definitely not use your name

in passing, in conversations.

What I'm trying to do is simply gather information.

Nothing more. Not trying to cause trouble.

You know that'd be bad for my business, too.

Want to keep to the shadow. Something innocuous.

A server job. Yeah.

LIAM: "Yeah. Yeah, We can do that."

IMARI: Oh, because we're--

LIAM: "All right.

"Well, you were always straight with me

"and I owe you a lot more than that, so."

IMARI: I might be willing to wet the whistle, so to speak.

"If you want me to have a little conversation with my--

Back at the club, maybe I might be able

to get you a little extra time.

Just saying. I mean, I know.

I know you have a girlfriend-- LIAM: "I'm not going to say no."

IMARI: But I'm just saying.

You know the offer's there-- LIAM: "I'm not going to say no."

IMARI: The offer's there if you want it, hush-hush.

LIAM: "I'm not going to say no.

"So if you want to work that out."

IMARI: All right.

LIAM: "Anyway, have a shot with me."

IMARI: Oh, of course. What are we having?

LIAM: Picks up two different bottles.

One brown, one clear and begins to mix them

in a glass. IMARI: Ooh, a concoction.

I like this.

Are we talking about an all night thing,

or we talking about just a little hair of the dog thing?

LIAM: "(sighs) I'm on work."

IMARI: Ugh, shucks.

I was hoping that we'd get into a little bit of trouble.

LIAM: Slides it across.

IMARI: To friendship.

LIAM: "And the ones we lost."

IMARI: Cheers.

LIAM: You guys knock back.

I'm going to slide over to you, doc.

Ask if you mean to, sounds like we're covered,

but I would love to see you squirm.

Is there anything you want to do here?

TALIESIN: Just the safety.

ALEXANDER: (sighs)

Having never really tried to do anything like this before,

but having spent enough time with these people,

the first thought that comes into my head

is that I should--

I've treated enough people

that I'm sure I've worked on someone

who is well to do in those circles.

LIAM: Mm-hmm.

ALEXANDER: So I'm going to call, I'm going to--

Well, not call, but I'll call upon one of them,

and ask if there's any way

I could acquire a ticket.

LIAM: Okay.

You actually

call upon the head of the hospital's board

who you saved two years ago,

when you removed a tumor from the man's brain

and he has been walking ever since.

He's not someone that you are friendly with, per se.

You work for him, ultimately,

but a debt is a debt.

You find him, or I should say you find his office

at the Grand Halen Hospital and approach Vera,

his secretary, who sees you coming.

"Doctor Ly--"

ALEXANDER: Lycoris. LIAM: "Lycoris. Dr. Lycoris.

"Hi, can I help you today?"

ALEXANDER: Is he in?

LIAM: "He is. He's busy. Is it important?"

ALEXANDER: Not desperately.

I wanted to run over something with him.

I had more of a question, really.

It's not desperately important. I can come back later.

LIAM: She swivels around in her swivel chair and looks back.

The door is like--

You can't see him, but she looks to look in the gap

of his office door.

"One second."

She trots over there and pops her head in.

"(mumbles)

"Yeah, okay. Come in.

"He says he'll see you." She takes her seat.

ALEXANDER: I walk in. LIAM: "Good day, Doctor."

You find-- ALEXANDER: Thank you.

LIAM: Quentin Gunner sitting at his desk.

He is a tall, thin man, not quite as thin as you,

with a graying white comb over and very thin beard.

He is wearing a white coat and a red tie,

and has a very auspicious golden pin

with the crest of the Halen hospital on it.

"Dr. Lycoris."

ALEXANDER: Mr. Gunner.

LIAM: "This is irregular, but not unwelcome."

ALEXANDER: I actually, I don't mean to bother you,

but, something's come up

and I want to say,

I wanted to ask you for a favor.

I've become aware, to make a long story short,

I've recently acquired an interest in,

or at least a desire to decorate my house.

I hear there's an auction happening at the Hayden House.

I've heard there'll be some interesting artifacts

or pieces there that I would love to take a look at,

but unfortunately I don't have a ticket.

I was wondering if you had any connections

or know about how I would go about getting one.

LIAM: "I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

"Didn't you just miss three days of work?"

ALEXANDER: Yes. AIMEE: (laughs)

LIAM: "Well. That is amusing.

"(sighs)

"Well, that aside,

"I have spent the last two years with my three grandchildren

"and I don't know that that would've been possible

"without you, Edgar.

"So as much as I want to laugh in your face, I'm sorry--

"So as much as I want to laugh in your face, I'm sorry--"

IMARI: (laughs)

LIAM: "I can't ignore the debt that I owe you.

"Many conflicting feelings here.

"Of course, of course I can.

"Just the one ticket?"

ALEXANDER: Just the one.

LIAM: He suddenly looks sheepish.

"Forgive me, forgive me.

"Our time in this world is precious.

"I'm grateful for every extra minute that you've afforded me.

"I didn't mean to write off your hard week.

"I hear you've looked a bit grim on premises, actually.

"So, apologies."

ALEXANDER: It's fine.

There was a lot of unforeseen

circumstances that happened.

LIAM: He's rubbing the back of his head,

which is where you operated on it.

"Yes. Life has a way of doing that, doesn't it?

"Never seems to stop.

"Well, this is tomorrow night.

"Is there somewhere where I can have,

"I actually have two tickets.

"I'm not going to go."

ALEXANDER: I'm sure there's a friend of mine

who would be happy to go.

LIAM: "I'll have them brought by your office."

ALEXANDER: That would be lovely. LIAM: "By end of day."

ALEXANDER: Thank you.

I am very sorry again

about the unexpected missing of work.

LIAM: "I was just busting your chops. I apologize."

ALEXANDER: I know.

But I also--

You don't-- As much as I'm very appreciative

of what you're doing,

you don't owe me for what I did.

LIAM: "That is not true."

ALEXANDER: That's not why I do this.

LIAM: "You're a fine doctor and we're lucky to have you.

"I hope you have a wonderful time and happy hunting

"for your home."

ALEXANDER: Thank you. I appreciate it.

I'll hurriedly leave the office.

IMARI: (laughs)

Throw up in the trash can.

(laughter)

ALEXANDER: As I go past the secretary I say:

Thank you again.

LIAM: "All right.

"Charmer."

You head down the hall to your office.

A little bookkeeping.

Remind me, Leo, your note to Zora.

The gist of that was one more time, to keep me on track?

TALIESIN: "Yes."

LIAM: Just yes? TALIESIN: It was to meet at what time.

LIAM: At what time? It was this evening.

TALIESIN: It was this evening. Perfect.

LIAM: Okay, I am going to sweep us forward in time

where all of you have convened at Leo's house.

On the table we have one, two, three, four, five.

TALIESIN: One's going to Felix.

LIAM: But currently you are in possession of five

and you are in possession of two.

We are looking down at seven dark green pieces of paper,

embossed silver filigree, and printed on them

It says, "Journey to the Gilded Garden,

"masquerade and auction of and for Hale's finest.

"Mask and ticket required.

"Hayden House, 632 Cornelia Street.

"Doors open at 7:00.

"Auction begins promptly at 8:00."

ALEXANDER: Before we proceed, I do have one question.

You sent three notes, one to each of us.

What did they say?

LIAM: That's a good callback.

TALIESIN: I conveyed to the two of you

that we have been asked for a meeting tonight at my house,

that we should convene.

Drinks and a light spread will be available.

(laughter)

AIMEE: Little charcuterie.

TALIESIN: A little charcuterie plate

just because I like to keep busy.

Yours

very quickly at the bottom

in slight handwriting said,

"I feel I know you well enough to respect

"that we should never know each other that well."

IMARI: (laughs)

TALIESIN: "But--

"I feel the pallor and if you ever wish

"to decompress at someone who will not yell back,

"my door is always open and relatively soundproof.

"Please figure out a way to unwind. L.A."

ALEXANDER: I get that note and I read it and I--

(heavy sigh) (laughter)

ALEXANDER: Okay. TALIESIN: That's exactly...

LIAM: So we're all met in Leo's apartment

trying to decide what to do here.

It isn't too long though before the door opens

behind you all and Zora strides into the room

holding a satchel in one hand and a mask in the other.

Closes this door behind her and she finds an empty seat

and says, "All right, we have some things to figure out.

"I have brought a few party gifts

"and I want to hear what you're thinking

"and I want you to know what I know.

"We need to act tomorrow night.

"I have sent feelers out as quickly as I can

"and it does appear that Tama-Kai has had us.

"and it does appear that Tama-Kai has had us."

ALEXANDER: Hmm.

LIAM: "I know that you have only just arrived back in town

"the other day, so forgive me,

"but this is your new assignment.

"I need the four of you in there tomorrow night.

"I need you to make sure

"that those remains do not get handed off to any other buyer

"and that they leave that place tomorrow night

"in our possession to be sealed within the Fourth Pharos.

"So you tell me what you are thinking

"and maybe I will add my two pieces."

AIMEE: My employers are, I think,

one of the lesser auctions before the big auction

and I can at least provide a distraction

for about five minutes or so

and maybe that will help.

LIAM: "Oh, I'm going to jump in already.

"That is not what I'm hearing is happening.

"There is a general auction for the night, but--"

IMARI: A secret auction is going on.

LIAM: "Correct."

TALIESIN: Oh! LIAM: "Correct.

"Aroha is going to be showing off his prize

"to a very select few away from the general auction.

"I believe that this party

"and the auction are a bit of a smoke screen

"for the real game behind the scenes."

IMARI: Do you know if we need to,

of course this is going to be a dumb question.

Will it be within the premises,

will be outside the premises?

It'll be within the property I assume,

in the secret location of the property and one that we know.

LIAM: Grimoria, when you were overhearing the Foggs talk,

Mr. Fogg talked about Aroha's little museum

on the third floor. AIMEE: Right.

LIAM: So it seems a logical conclusion.

AIMEE: I relay that.

ALEXANDER: Good to know.

IMARI: All right.

LIAM: "Are you all set for formal wear, or--?"

ALEXANDER: Yes. AIMEE: I go put on my costume.

LIAM: "Your costume?"

AIMEE: Yes. It's a robe.

I'll be going with my employers.

It's rather a shock, but try not to laugh.

TALIESIN: I've seen a bit of it.

I think it's quite good. IMARI: You look lovely.

Whatever you wear. AIMEE: Thank you.

TALIESIN: I would love some emergency formal wear for you,

for both of you, actually.

That might not be a bad idea in case chaos ensues.

LIAM: "Shopping might be in order if you all are not set."

IMARI: Well, I actually will be wearing something less formal.

Well, more of a workman attire.

I'll be with the servers behind the scenes, so to speak.

TALIESIN: Sure. But just in case we need to do a quick flip.

It might not have be bad to have an option B.

IMARI: Of course. Of course.

Always, always.

TALIESIN: Since we have enough invitations to make things work.

IMARI: You just want take me shopping.

TALIESIN: Really, this is--

I mean, it's wonderful. Please don't get me wrong.

You need more of it.

No, not at all.

IMARI: Functional, tactical.

LIAM: "All right. That sounds excellent."

AIMEE: Let-- LIAM: "Yes?"

AIMEE: What is the best course of action?

Should one of us pose as a buyer?

I don't know how to get the artifact out of there.

LIAM: "I believe the buyers have already been contacted.

"This is for a select few.

"Here is what I propose."

She takes the satchel and opens it up

and she pulls out a small clay wheel

with sort of the etching of a sun in it.

There looks to be some sort of chip of quartz

in the middle.

There are the lines of little alchemical glyphs

cut into the radius of it.

"So, these are hard to come by

"and they can only be used once.

"What I propose is that you find your way,

"acquire the item,

"and then you need only to plant this on the nearest doorway

"and it will bring you into the Pharos.

"It's going to be difficult to get to Griffia's remains,

"the rest of her remains.

"But once you have them, I don't want to create a scene.

"I just want you to be gone.

"So the challenge will be getting in,

"but thankfully not out."

ALEXANDER: Well, hopefully.

Considering what we acquired the other half in,

I'm assuming they have another secure box.

This time we are not on a ship in the middle of a storm.

So it'll at least be a little more stable.

IMARI: Yeah. Thank god.

ALEXANDER: So as long as we can get our hands on it

and get to a door.

Easy.

You sure those work?

LIAM: "They work. You need to press it firmly to the door

"as hard as you can and then turn

"whatever knob or latch is prepared.

"It'll only work once, a single time,

"so choose wisely."

IMARI: And we each get one? LIAM: "No.

"These cost a fortune." IMARI: Only get one.

LIAM: "Yeah. It's just the one." IMARI: Oh!

That's lovely.

ALEXANDER: So no jumping into the ocean while we're in there.

IMARI: Where's the fun in that?

TALIESIN: See, if there's somebody with a, you know,

someone's choking on a shrimp cocktail.

I just hope, you know, just let them go.

Just clearly they must have money. It's really not worth it.

IMARI: Not even a pat on the back, huh?

TALIESIN: Maybe a very hard one, but make it quick.

ALEXANDER: Okay.

AIMEE: Do we know who the buyers

that have been selected are?

IMARI: Good question, Grimoria. AIMEE: Thank you.

LIAM: "Only one.

"That is a member that I am friendly with in the OUP."

IMARI: Interesting.

LIAM: "They are trying to get it for--"

IMARI: Is there any possible way?

LIAM: "Sorry."

IMARI: I just thought of something.

What if we took the place of one of the buyers?

Is there a list that we can procure

to see if we can maybe, I don't know.

ALEXANDER: I'm going out on a bit of a limb here,

but I'm going to say that all the buyers are going

to be already known by the seller.

TALIESIN: Certainly by each other. ALEXANDER: And by each other.

IMARI: But they're going to be disguised.

Are they not? Masks?

LIAM: "Well, it's a masquerade."

IMARI: Masquerade. LIAM: "I think to keep things

"as anonymous as possible."

IMARI: We just need to find someone

who resembles some kind of body type.

My shade gives me away,

but maybe there might be somebody else

who might be of some (laughs).

TALIESIN: I practically guarantee there will be one

or two people of your family in that room.

Which is the problem, though, is that this is the sort of

place where both of us are going to have a difficult time

not being recognized. IMARI: Lay low.

ALEXANDER: I'm going to get a full coverage,

more of a helmet than a mask.

TALIESIN: Sadly, I have a very distinctive way about myself.

I even don't know how much mask it would take.

AIMEE: Well, no one really knows me, I can--

ALEXANDER: Me neither.

IMARI: My family is so above it all,

they would never notice a serviceman

or any kind of server.

So I think I'm pretty safe,

as long as I don't serve the dish directly to their table,

I think I should be fine.

TALIESIN: Or you know, yeah,

make too much of a scene in front of them.

But which is honestly, to the table,

not just you, to the table.

LIAM: "Perhaps,

"you'll want to wait until the auction begins."

ALEXANDER: While everyone is distracted.

LIAM: "Yes.

"That should increase your chances,

"at least have less eyes on you."

IMARI: Find out where they're storing the item.

TALIESIN: It would be a shame

if Mr. and Mrs. Frogg became ill

and couldn't go to the show

and had to send you all by yourself.

AIMEE: Wouldn't know how to do that.

TALIESIN: Hmm. ALEXANDER: I do.

IMARI: (laughing) Oh!

ALEXANDER: Not that I condone that in any manner,

but I'm just saying there is a way

if that's the course of action we need to take.

I don't particularly want to, but--

TALIESIN: Or at the very least, once they're there,

we could get them to leave a bit early if we need to.

Which honestly, well, you've probably performed

for a few of the people in that room

I suppose, haven't you?

AIMEE: Yes, but they never really see me.

TALIESIN: Touché. Hmm.

Well, we have many options available to us, don't we?

ALEXANDER: My god, I got two tickets all on my own.

IMARI: Oh, Edgar, congratulations.

TALIESIN: I'm so proud of you.

IMARI: How did that feel? TALIESIN: You're a charmer.

AIMEE: Well, I genuinely think

that's very impressive, Dr. Lycoris.

IMARI: I do, too.

LIAM: "So I'm sorry, you have enough tickets or--"

TALIESIN: Oh, extra to be honest. ALEXANDER: I think we have more than enough.

LIAM: "Do you really?" IMARI: Here's our little--

TALIESIN: I'm bringing a date. LIAM: "Oh."

IMARI: Here's the money I owe you from our little side bet

to see if-- TALIESIN: Mm-hmm.

AIMEE: We sure could use someone like Decklan

on this assignment. ALEXANDER: I love how much

faith you all have in me. TALIESIN and IMARI: (laugh)

AIMEE: I do.

IMARI: You won that one.

ALEXANDER: Also, don't worry about the costume.

I also wear a costume at work. It's fine.

AIMEE: Thank you. LIAM: "Well, Dr. Lycoris,

"I know that I'm retired from the field--"

ALEXANDER: Mm-hmm. LIAM: "-- but perhaps

"I can be eyes and ears for you

"at this event as well?"

AIMEE: Oh, that'd be great. ALEXANDER: It's your decision.

You outrank me, it's your decision.

LIAM: "Well,

"I'm not good for a scrap, so

"if things go belly up--" ALEXANDER: Neither am I.

LIAM: "-- I'm going to fade into the crowd."

IMARI: Zora out in the field again, that should be fun.

TALIESIN: Now I want to see this.

IMARI: I do, too. TALIESIN: Mm.

LIAM: "You should have seen me in my heyday."

IMARI: Oh. I can imagine.

AIMEE: I think you look really elegant now.

You'll fit right in. LIAM: "I try."

All right, let us slide forward in time, then.

Help me understand,

I think I'm getting the picture here,

but you have a ticket and you have a date now,

and you have a ticket and you have a date.

Shopping will be done, I assume.

TALIESIN: Oh, I was hoping Charley

was just going to take care of that, but yes.

LIAM: Okay.

AIMEE: I think you have an extra ticket, too.

Don't you have three?

TALIESIN: I do have, I have more than three.

AIMEE: So maybe if--

TALIESIN: I have an emergency one for the two of you--

AIMEE: Yeah. TALIESIN:-- in case things go wrong,

where clearly you don't work here, you are guests.

IMARI: Mm-hmm. AIMEE: Right.

TALIESIN: So.

AIMEE: That's good. LIAM: You're going to go in,

Malcolm, through the back entrance, so to speak,

and you are going to go in with the Foggs.

AIMEE: I'm going to go in with the Foggs

and maybe I wouldn't be opposed

to maybe slipping a little something in their,

a little Visine-like product in their drinks.

ALEXANDER: Oh my god.

IMARI: A little dysentery for the evening.

ALEXANDER: (laughs) AIMEE: A little something

to get them to leave. IMARI: (laughs)

LIAM: I love it. The night before or in the hour--

AIMEE: Well, I need them to come in,

so maybe in the cocktail hour before the performance begins.

LIAM: Okay. AIMEE: I think

they have no choice but to leave me with the busts

and try to make a sale. LIAM: Excellent.

ALEXANDER: Ethically speaking,

I can't tell you how to do this,

but if I were to accidentally leave a book somewhere

that had that information in it,

I can't control what you do.

AIMEE: Understood. LIAM: I, Liam, will say

that you should totally do that, it's pretty great.

AIMEE: Yeah. (laughter)

TALIESIN: Oh no, they're going to get sick

in front of everybody

who vaguely pretends to respect them.

AIMEE: Yeah. I go grab their little champagne drinks

and just boop-boop.

I mean, nothing terrible.

Just enough to make it uncomfortable

and need to go home.

IMARI: Just enough to make a gurgle.

LIAM: It's just a little bit of the shits. It's no big deal.

AIMEE: Just a little bit of the shits.

TALIESIN: If that's all and if that's

what you want, that's fine.

AIMEE: Just enough to get them to leave.

TALIESIN: I just always hope for more.

LIAM: So.

ALEXANDER: Shits.

AIMEE: (laughs) Shits.

LIAM: Help me close us out

for this half of the game and paint this picture.

Malcolm, you arrive earlier than any of your friends.

You show up with Lou and his catering company.

You are all supplied with your garb for the night.

You are given black slacks, black shirt,

a black apron with gold lining all along the edges of it,

and a simple black mask

that really only covers your eyes and nose.

All the wait staff are going to be dressed in this manner.

It's a crew of about 20 servers,

and that doesn't include the people who hang back

and prepare the food.

You show up a few hours early

and find your way in

and see this place in advance.

It is, on the drive up, a gorgeous

and rare Art Nouveau style manor set on a small hill

on the edge of the Varnish,

just on the edge of crossing into the Shriveline, actually,

which is big time Ascendancy territory.

It is church town in that neighborhood.

But we are just on the edge of the Varnish.

There's delicate gold filigree

lining every edge of the building.

As the van that you come over in,

or I'm sorry, the truck you come over in,

you see a wide open terrace hovering above the entrance.

There's already people setting up tables

out front when you arrive.

There's large and elegant Nouveau stained glass windows

on the building. It's quiet now,

but you can see how this place is going to be

the bee's knees later tonight.

Anyway, you drive around to the back entrance

and begin to set up for the night.

You are in on the first and second floor

of this three story opulent building.

Later,

you and your date and you and your date.

Can you please describe for me the garb you are arriving in

and the masks you are wearing?

AIMEE and IMARI: (laugh)

ALEXANDER: Edgar arrives wearing a nice,

but plain black suit with a white shirt and a bow tie,

the most generic

and basic thing you could wear to an event like this

along with a mask that covers

the top half and has a sort of veil

that runs down the left side.

LIAM: A veil. Okay.

ALEXANDER: It's covering the left side of his neck.

LIAM: Mm-hmm.

ALEXANDER: It is plain silver

with a silver veil attached and hangs down

and has a sort of--

The left side arcs down,

the right side arcs up into points.

LIAM: You and Ms. Manning cut a striking pair

because she's also dressed all in black

and her shock of black hair with strands of white in it

are peeking out behind a raven feathered mask

that comes diagonally down across her face,

covering both eyes and coming down

in a tear curve around her cheek,

and it has the barest bit of a little beak on it.

She has a black gown for the night,

which also has plumed feathers going out

in a splay off of one shoulder.

You both march up the walk,

up the stairs of this building,

which is now glowing in the night.

That balcony has already got throngs of people,

and the stained glass windows are lit from outside.

So now there are beautiful colors

of red and green and blue.

There are, obviously, walking up and around you,

the most affluent people of this city.

You are awash in titans of industry,

and starlets, and what look like luminaries

in the scientific world.

All the movers and shakers hidden together

here at the Hayden House tonight.

You stride up and in.

ALEXANDER: I don't know if you would know this,

but I don't really go to parties.

LIAM: "It's easy, dear.

"Stay by me, fake it 'til you make it."

AIMEE, IMARI, and ALEXANDER: (laugh)

LIAM: She walks in.

A few moments later-- ALEXANDER: Easy.

LIAM:-- Leo, you and your plus one arrive.

I think you better describe both of you for me.

TALIESIN: Well, we'll start with Felix.

LIAM: Mm-hmm.

TALIESIN: Felix is dressed in a,

I don't want to quite say modern,

but certainly it's clear

that someone with some youth in taste

may have had something to do with this.

LIAM: I need that youth.

TALIESIN: Yes. IMARI: (laughs)

ALEXANDER: Give me your youth. LIAM: (laughs)

TALIESIN: It is a nice,

loosely cut suit in a deep green

that seams at the edges and with the tailoring

to almost straight and twist

into this nice painted copper.

Almost a reverse,

almost as if patina was slowly turning copper

rather than copper turning patina

at the edges. LIAM: You are too much,

Taliesin Jaffe.

You are too much. (laughter)

IMARI: Patina. That's a new, I'm going to have to always--

(laughs) That's my nickname for you.

TALIESIN: Patina green that goes into copper

rather than copper going to patina green.

LIAM: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

TALIESIN: A wonderful mask that is done up

in this very, very dark scarlet velvet

that just covers very, very nicely

and comes up into two points

revealing more of the face than is normal.

Felix has a bit of a,

definitely a bit of a silver fox thing going on.

LIAM: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

TALIESIN: No facial hair or anything,

just hair that's been allowed--

It would be a little shaggy

if it wasn't always very well sculpted up.

Very, very dignified.

I have gone, I don't want to say conservative,

but knowing that this is a crowd

that I might get recognized in,

I have a black suit

with a nice deep scarlet red liner.

The shirt itself is, depending on the light,

as either black or red.

It kind of changes at the time.

Open collar to,

the collar opens just to the edge

of a relatively high vest.

Nice shoes, and then the mask

is a half-face mirror mask

of gently cracked glass.

AIMEE: Good grief. TALIESIN: That completely

covers and goes slightly down.

Then small beads hang down that are black and red

that looks like drops of blood

that cover just the edges of the face.

LIAM: I think I just shifted into the Flare.

AIMEE: Yeah. LIAM: (laughs)

Amazing. TALIESIN: Do not fuck with me.

LIAM: Amazing, amazing, amazing.

The two of you walk, stride, own these stairs

as you march up

and into the Gilded Garden to see what delights await

and what danger.

We will end with the Foggs

and their ward as you step out of your ride.

The two of them flank you as you march up the stairs.

You are a fish out of water--

AIMEE: Yes. LIAM:-- Grimoria.

These are the wealthiest,

most dangerous people in the city.

But you cut an impressive figure,

small in stature though you may be.

As you stride,

perhaps somewhat nervously, up these stairs

to march into the wealth of Newfaire,

people stop and turn

and notice the weight

that this young survivor carries with her.

Some of it's theatricality, learned.

AIMEE: Yeah.

Best thing about putting on this performance

is that there is an otherness to her that she embraces

and can play on.

I think nothing rich people like more than intrigue

and a survival story.

So,

she sort of takes it in, wearing the mask of--

I don't think she's wearing a mask

because she's there to perform,

but I think she does have a lot of makeup

and she's taken Mrs. Fogg's suggestion

that she blend it all out.

So maybe it looks like a mask of makeup,

how they used to do in the twenties.

Just very, very dark shadow

that blends into her bruise

and makes it look intentional.

ALEXANDER: (laughs)

AIMEE: She takes in the room and clocks people.

I think part of the reason

why she's such a good performer

is that she can pick up on little details, right?

If someone's wearing all black, maybe they've lost someone.

She can use that.

If someone is there alone or with, I don't know,

a teenage daughter,

she might be able to: Well, where is your wife?

Is she passed on?

She might be able to use these little parlor tricks

in order to impress these people

that are not so easily impressed,

but easily impressed by this sort of otherworldness

that they are interested in.

So she uses that to her advantage.

But the first thing she does is say:

I'm going to go grab you two a drink. I'll be right back.

LIAM: Okay. AIMEE: She goes over

to a waiter holding, I would imagine, glasses

of champagne or something.

Very surreptitiously,

she is wearing these large sleeves,

puts a little drop and a little other drop.

LIAM: You look up and Malcolm is smiling down at you.

AIMEE: (clears throat) She hands them to the Foggs.

LIAM: (Oliver) "Oh!"

AIMEE: I look forward to a very lucrative evening.

LIAM: They take the glasses and cheers.

"To a successful night."

AIMEE: A successful night, indeed.

LIAM: They both knock back.

Mr. Fogg especially downs the whole drink.

As you turn away from them

and stare into the golden array around you,

which we will get to in a little bit,

you hear a voice off to your side say,

"Oh goodness, that's Grimoria."

You take in that little boost of confidence

and stride into the party. AIMEE: Yeah.

LIAM: And that is where we will take our break.

LIAM: As you take in your surroundings in the foyer

of the Hayden House,

handing over your tickets,

you find yourselves, at last, entering a resplendent

dimly lit garden of gold,

like some impossible Art Nouveau fever dream,

from the filigree on the walls

to a forest of sculpted metallic plants

and even some trees artfully placed about,

a series of interconnected chambers

full of freshly arrived party goers.

Also, two very large active bars on display down here

with guests crowding around them to swoop up libations

as well as roving waiters

and waitresses with trays of champagne.

Right by the entrance from the foyer,

a standing placard points guests

to the bars here in the front,

the actual auction hall in the rear of the first floor,

as well as an arrow pointing towards

a grand central staircase here in the foyer

to the second floor,

where one can get a closer look at the art

and curiosities in advance of the auction at eight o'clock.

As you're walking in, Leo,

immediately, you are pretty sure

you are coming within three feet of Walter Timley,

an older man in his seventies

wearing a lightly feathered mask,

an antique dealer you know, and he totters right past you.

Doesn't even pay you any mind,

goes right off into the crowd.

TALIESIN: I'm noting what he looks like.

LIAM: Mm-hmm.

It is starting to get crowded.

There's maybe 50 or 60 people here milling about

amongst the bars and here in the foyer.

You haven't been upstairs yet.

We're walking in at about, let's call it 7:10.

You have 50 minutes before this auction kicks off

and presumably everyone in the building,

most of the people in the building, hopefully,

all come downstairs and congregate

to go into the auction hall.

I'll also remind you

of Mr. Fogg, perhaps foolishly sharing details

about one of his business associates

and his third floor museum.

So you have that in the back of your noggins as well.

AIMEE: Is there a way to identify

♪ Do, do, do, do, do ♪

Aroha Tama-Kai?

Is he present in the room? Is he hosting?

LIAM: Well, all of you are masked

and everyone around you are masked,

even the wait staff and the barkeeps.

None of you have ever seen Aroha Tama-Kai.

You were told about him before setting sea

to go close that business deal that went so well.

So no, you don't really know what he looks like.

AIMEE: Okay.

TALIESIN: Well, there would be two ways

to find him immediately,

which is either he's not in the room yet

because he wants to make an entrance,

or he's the person everybody's trying to talk to.

IMARI: Hmm.

ALEXANDER: Have we found each other yet in the crowd?

TALIESIN: Oh, I assume-- LIAM: Well, let me ask you,

Malcolm, what's your flight pattern?

You are keeping up with the job?

IMARI: I'm in the back.

LIAM: Mm-hmm.

IMARI: I was helping people with set up.

I'm making my way around the house

in areas where I could be expected,

but maybe looking at areas

I'm not supposed to be very quickly.

You know, I don't want to give myself away.

LIAM: Right, and they keep offering you trays of champagne

to go dole out-- IMARI: Yeah.

LIAM:-- when you show up back there.

IMARI: Yeah. So what I'm doing is I'm taking my time

with the platter of champagne. LIAM: Mm-hmm.

IMARI: Lingering around people, conversations.

LIAM: Okay.

IMARI: Leo gave me the idea

that the person of interest might be surrounded by people.

LIAM: Okay. IMARI: So I'm looking out

for that as well. LIAM: Okay.

IMARI: So I'm keeping my ears

to the ground, seeing,

also seeing if there's people going off

in different locations.

If there's maybe a bouncer

or some other person that's guarding a door.

LIAM: That's a good point to bring up.

There is security at this event.

The security are men and a few women

who are dressed in black suits with gold detail.

They're wearing black masks

with gold trim around as well.

They're unified in their aesthetic

and matching the aesthetic of the party.

There were several on the steps out front

and you notice one at the door

to the auction room in the back.

Occasionally, you see one of these men or women

walk through the bar area,

but they're not really stationed in there.

I guess give me a--

If you're trying to figure out

if you can spot Aroha in this crowd,

why don't you give me a Survey roll.

IMARI: Survey roll. Yep. LIAM: Mm-hmm.

IMARI: I want to burn a drive on this.

LIAM: Okay.

IMARI: Boop. I like this digital. It's nice.

AIMEE and IMARI: (laugh)

AIMEE: Ooh. IMARI: Candela.

LIAM: Candela.

("Italian" accent) That's a Candela.

AIMEE: ("Italian" accent) That's a Candela. LIAM: Okay.

TALIESIN: Blessed.

IMARI: Candela. LIAM: So you were here earlier.

You were here earlier than your friends

and you've made several loops.

I would say after you ran into Grimoria

and supplied her with champagne for her wards,

you did another couple rounds, always looking.

On the most recent,

as your friends who you've seen through the crowd

and they've been here for three or four minutes now,

you spot a throng of people moving up the stairs

from the foyer up to the second floor,

which you haven't even touched yet.

There you do see a man on the shorter side

of 5' 6" or 7" with black hair,

and you only catch him from the back in a black suit.

But he is surrounded by a bunch of people,

including a woman right at his elbow

who you can see for a second.

You only know this because she holds up a--

No, what's a placard? What's the--

AIMEE: Program? LIAM: What am I thinking of? No.

Clipboard, that's the word. English.

She holds it up to get a better look in the dim lighting

as she writes down some sort of note

and she walks up behind this man.

Then this crowd, maybe 10 or 11 people

disappear up into the second floor.

IMARI: Mm-hmm.

LIAM: Could be-- IMARI: Okay, I would like to--

I would like to investigate.

Also, what I want to try to also say

is that I might know some of these people

who are bouncing, since I am a bouncer myself

and work security sometimes.

LIAM: Okay. IMARI: It wouldn't be impossible

that I might know-- LIAM: It's not impossible.

IMARI:-- just want to throw it out onto the atmosphere.

I am going to find a new

because I've just handed out my last glass.

I'm going to find, I'm going to take a tray from a person.

Let me lighten your load a little bit

and I'm going to casually jaunt myself up to the second floor

and see if I might be able to offer them some champagne.

LIAM: Okay.

You trot up the stairs briskly

and you get up to the second floor,

which is your first time up here.

Let me see, let me see.

The Gilded Garden motif continues up here,

but now there are beautifully crafted glass lamps dispersed

amongst it all to better illuminate the prizes

that are up for grab tonight.

You can see in all of these different cubbies

and corners that have been made,

both from the rooms that they're in,

but also the placing

and displaying of all of these golden plants.

Just little areas that are highlighting paintings,

both modern and stuff that looks like it dates back

to the Halen Renaissance,

and objects that surely have come out of antiquity

that are here as well.

Modern sculpture.

You see a pair of busts off in one corner

of a man and woman who look they may be from

the 1200 or 1300s, that era.

You make your way around and you do see that gentleman

with maybe half as many people

making his way out onto the balcony right now.

As you pass through,

you're struck by the intimate vibe up here

of this floor especially,

the lighting and the lay of the golden forest.

All the couches and loveseats scattered about

make it really easy to break off in privacy

because it's really dim

and cozy in a lot of different spots.

So it is easy to get privacy here,

both conversational or otherwise.

You follow out onto the balcony

and you see the man stride out

and place his hands on the rail with this woman

and her clipboard walking up behind him

and he just stands there.

He shoos somebody away and stands looking out at the city

and you come up behind him with your tray.

You take in the view, too.

I'm going to let you know that from here,

when you look out up one way off this balcony up the street,

you can see to the north.

Not too far off is the Shriveline.

That's the area of Newfaire

that is where the Ascendancy resides.

It is church town, basically.

There are gothic architecture

and bridges going from tower to tower over there

and impressive cathedrals you can see in the distance.

If you turn to the left, a little farther off,

not much farther off, you see Silverslip,

which you're even more acquainted with

because that is where the Primacy resides.

IMARI: Mm-hmm. LIAM: The judges.

The courts, business, lawyers, everything.

The titans of the industry.

Your family reside in Silverslip

and it strikes you as you look from left to right

that you are tucked neatly between church

and state right now.

He is relatively unguarded at the moment

with his back to you.

IMARI: Does he seem like he's, when he's looking out,

does he seem like he's comfortable

or like it's a familiar sight to him?

Like it's nothing that would rattle him.

LIAM: He seems relaxed

and taking in the city.

IMARI: Okay. All right, okay.

He is with a woman with a clipboard.

Is he just, is he by himself?

LIAM: There's people all around you.

IMARI: Is he saying anything to her, I meant to say?

LIAM: He had on the way over.

At the moment, he is lost in his thoughts

and she's giving him deference,

which might lead you to think

that she's some sort of a underling or assistant.

IMARI: Gotcha.

LIAM: But you're not alone out here on the balcony.

There are many people who have come out here

to get fresh air.

IMARI: I don't want to approach him just yet.

I want to keep my eye on him.

I don't want to scare him off too much

because I am, after all, part of the waitstaff

and if I were to approach him,

he would definitely be snide with me, I feel.

I'm going to hand out some champagne casually,

have a perimeter around where he is

so I can still hear if he happens to say something.

LIAM: You're hanging on the balcony,

IMARI: Hanging on the balcony, lingering.

LIAM: Understood.

Let's put a pin there and return downstairs.

Below, you and the Foggs,

they gather you at your elbow, Mrs. Fogg does.

They're like, "Come on, we're going to go upstairs

"because that's where the magic happens."

AIMEE: Wonderful. LIAM: She takes you

under the elbow and they begin to march you

up this grand staircase up to the second floor

and you find yourself in this dimly lit,

very conducive for the kind of work you do--

AIMEE: Right. LIAM:-- space.

You guys float about,

looking at all the different things that are up for grabs.

The paintings, portraits.

Eventually, they hover you in front of these two busts--

AIMEE: Right. LIAM:-- that they donated

to the auction, or not--

Donated isn't the right word.

That they have contributed to the auction.

It is here for profit.

Aroha is the Red Hand--

AIMEE: Yeah. LIAM:-- which you all know.

Everything here is for profit.

AIMEE: Yeah.

LIAM: (Oliver) "Well, hopefully--

"Hopefully we can get a buyer.

"Is there anything you can do with these?

"I mean, normally--" AIMEE: Oh, yes.

I've already thought of it.

I have a whole performance ready for them.

LIAM: "What's the play? Tell me please."

AIMEE: Well, I think what--

You know, you said it was--

I'm talking to our game master.

LIAM: Sure. AIMEE: They're the 12th century

busts, you said?

LIAM: I think I was referring to-- AIMEE: Or these are just

a different--

Oh, a different bust? Okay.

LIAM: Paintings. These are busts, yeah. AIMEE: Great. That's even better.

I have a plan. LIAM: Yes?

AIMEE: I think that we acknowledge at the top of the performance,

you know, that these rooms are filled with antiquities.

What makes these two busts special?

Well, they floated up from the chasm, you see?

I'll put on a different voice as usual.

What's interesting about these busts

is that they witnessed the fall of a civilization

and they're imbued with the pain of two sisters

who were crushed to death, but not before trying--

Is this not working for you?

LIAM: "I don't know shit about history."

AIMEE: Oh, I do. LIAM: "But that sounds good."

AIMEE: Okay, great. Yeah, I could also throw in something else.

You know how in olden times, daughters would--

Fathers would, you know?

No? LIAM: "No, no.

"We're good. I'll tell you what."

AIMEE: Yeah. LIAM: "We're going to make the rounds.

"I'm going to find a mark, okay?" AIMEE: Okay.

LIAM: "I'm going to find us a fish."

AIMEE: Great. LIAM: "Stay close."

AIMEE: I'll be right here. LIAM: "You be ready to go."

AIMEE: Yes. LIAM: "When I get back here,

"I want to be able to see you."

AIMEE: Okay. Yeah, of course.

May I ask, who is that man on the balcony?

LIAM: "Why do you ask?"

AIMEE: Well, he seems pretty important.

LIAM: "Well, he's the one footing the bill for the party."

AIMEE: He's the host? LIAM: "Oh yeah."

AIMEE: Great.

LIAM: "Why do you ask? What do you know about him?"

AIMEE: I don't know anything about him.

Just in my line of work,

I learned to sniff out what's real and what's not.

LIAM: "You know, I'm happy to have you in my house."

AIMEE: I'm happy to be there.

LIAM: "But

"know your place, all right?"

AIMEE: Of course.

LIAM: "You work for us."

AIMEE: Absolutely. LIAM: "I don't need you

"asking a million questions.

"I don't need you listening on my conversations."

AIMEE: Yes. LIAM: "All right?"

AIMEE: Absolutely. LIAM: "We have a good thing going--"

AIMEE: A great thing. LIAM: "-- here."

AIMEE: I won't disappoint you.

LIAM: "All right, come on."

They wander off into the party

and you are shoulder to shoulder

with the luminaries of the city on your own.

Is there anything that you want to do in this moment

while you have your time?

AIMEE: Yeah, I would like to find a way

to catch the attention of the gentleman on the balcony,

but in a very sly way.

Maybe make some sort of an ooh and aah commotion

where he's forced to turn around

and see what it is.

I don't know if that's picking several people

and maybe doing a reading of some sort or--

With the reading, maybe doing a little magic.

LIAM: Okay.

AIMEE: Yeah. LIAM: So you want to maybe--

I'm going to suss this out with you.

You want to go out onto the balcony so that you are--

Because this is a big,

sprawling spot. AIMEE: Oh sure, if it's a big--

Yeah. LIAM: So you make your way

to the balcony. AIMEE: Yeah.

If you want to do a reading,

I assume you have cards on you

because that makes sense for you.

AIMEE: Yes. LIAM: Then the goal

is to just get his attention?

AIMEE: Yeah, I think the goal is to cause enough fanfare.

You know, if I'm there,

if I hear a "Ahh!" and maybe he turns around

and takes her in,

but not anything that she's willing

to meet his eye or anything.

Just to maybe see if he will take the bait.

One way she could do that

is while still staying close to the Foggs,

still staying close enough to them

where they feel like she's working for them,

find a group of people that seem receptive,

maybe a group of socialites or something--

LIAM: Sure. AIMEE:-- that are there

and are willing to have their cards read.

LIAM: Let's go give it a whirl. AIMEE: Yeah.

LIAM: Okay, you step your way out of the inside crowd

and out into the balcony and take in the city lights

and the distance and the stars overhead.

There are lots of little gaggles of socialites out here.

There is a younger table,

and a more antiquated, shall we say, group.

AIMEE: Spinsters? LIAM: Who you going for?

AIMEE: I think I'm going to go for the younger group

because I think they're probably easier to impress.

LIAM: Okay, they are a bunch of spoiled rich kids

in real refinery and great masks.

They are probably a little too uproarious

and laughing their asses off at some joke

that one of them just told.

They're there before you.

How do you get their attention?

AIMEE: I think I get their attention

by saying:

Hello.

ALEXANDER and IMARI: (chuckle)

AIMEE: I think you're going to find that I have information

that might be interesting to you regarding a husband.

LIAM: What was that last part?

AIMEE: A husband. LIAM: A husband?

AIMEE: Mm-hmm. LIAM: You're saying this

to a woman then?

AIMEE: Yeah. LIAM: Okay.

AIMEE: To any of the socialites there--

LIAM: Great. AIMEE:-- that might be of that age.

LIAM: Great. AIMEE: That might be interested

in marriage. LIAM: So

you come in and whisper this almost at the ear

of two of these people in this group, as this

laughter is dying down. AIMEE: I'm going to pick

the most homely looking girl.

LIAM: Okay. IMARI: Oh, nice.

LIAM: Okay.

The circle splits open

and a woman with sandy blonde hair

that is bob length turns around.

"You're going to what now?"

AIMEE: I have a sense about you.

You're so special,

and I don't think people treat you like you are.

LIAM: "(laughs)" She looks at the group around her.

There's a guy who looks clearly like

a young, finance hopeful guy

with close cropped brown hair.

Pretty handsome, square jaw. AIMEE: Hmm.

LIAM: (young man) "Oh, this should be good.

"Hey, check it out!

"We're about to see a little something."

AIMEE: Now who's brave enough to have their cards read?

LIAM: (homely woman) "Well--

"I'm not scared."

AIMEE: Great. Have a seat.

LIAM: She sits down.

AIMEE: Starts laying out cards.

(heavily) Oh.

LIAM: "What is it?"

AIMEE: I sense

a very deep

loyalty in you.

But no one sees it.

You're very underappreciated.

LIAM: She steals a glance at the

young banker and then back.

AIMEE: But not for long.

I sense a man has already come into your life.

LIAM: "It doesn't really say that, does it?"

AIMEE: It does.

The cards don't lie.

But I'm getting a voice in my head.

A grandmother?

An aunt.

LIAM: "I have a grandmother and an aunt."

ALEXANDER: (snickers)

AIMEE: Anyone,

oh,

who's maybe passed on?

LIAM: "Yeah, my Aunt Millie died."

AIMEE: Oh, yes. LIAM: "Three years ago."

AIMEE: I've seen an M.

An M.

She says-- LIAM: "That's crazy."

AIMEE: (gasps)

I think-- LIAM: "Is it bad?"

AIMEE: No.

I think the man is here with us today,

tonight,

in this room.

He's a man of great wealth,

or maybe soon to be wealth.

Of great importance.

Yes?

LIAM: "I think you're onto something."

AIMEE: I think all you have to do is be yourself.

LIAM: Another voice in the circle's like,

"You don't really believe any of this, do you?"

(homely woman) "Shut up, Gracie!"

ALEXANDER and IMARI: (laugh)

AIMEE: Gracie.

Oh, Gracie.

Oh.

I'm so, so sorry.

LIAM: Gracie's like, "What's wrong with me?"

(snickering)

AIMEE: I can't.

IMARI: (laughs)

I just, I--

I--

She takes one of her little smoke bombs,

(laughs)

puffs it.

I've got a message for you, Gracie.

LIAM: Smoke starts to billow up,

out from under the table.

They have no idea where it's come from.

Everyone starts to get a little quietly low-key freaked out.

AIMEE: Be kind

to your friends.

LIAM: They erupt in,

some of them in nervous laughter,

but most of them going, "Oh!

"Oh, that is so weird!"

Everyone around on the balcony starts to turn

and look at the spectacle

that's happening in this corner.

Then Malcolm, and of course you, Grimoria, you see

this man turn at the balcony to take in what's going on

and you get a good look.

He's got a jet black cat mask

that matches deep black hair-- AIMEE: Hmm.

LIAM:-- that comes down to about there on the back.

He is wearing a tight black suit

with a gold tie, gold gloves.

Then the woman with him turns as well.

She's wearing more of a standard carnival mask

and wearing a checkered red and purple vest over her suit.

AIMEE: I think Grimoria looks,

sees him at the corner of her eye,

and she's been waiting for this moment.

I think she's prepared,

taking into account the vision of green

that emanated from the bones,

has prepared maybe a gas

or something that could achieve that effect.

I think she turns away from the group really quickly,

and as she does, she lets this trickery

of green emanate from her robe,

just enough for him to see.

LIAM: I think it's certainly plausible that you have

one of your little smoke bombs stained green.

AIMEE: Yeah, and I think-- LIAM: Some green smoke

trails out from behind you. AIMEE:-- nothing too crazy.

It's not as loud

and boisterous as the other thing,

but just enough to catch his attention.

She's banking on the fact that he knows

what this magick and this bleed looks like.

She really wants him to take that in.

LIAM: Well, I'll say he turned to see all the ruckus

and then he's already starting to turn away

and green mist starts to waft out of your robe.

He does a gentle little double take.

He seems like a pretty cool customer.

AIMEE: Yeah. LIAM: "(amused smirk)"

AIMEE: She goes back to the Foggs.

LIAM: He starts to walk

away from the rail through the balcony.

Malcolm, I'm going to say that

you are close enough to hear

the assistant say to him,

"Aroha, where did you want the LeFoye put for now?"

(Aroha) "In the back is fine.

"And have them open three more cases of champagne.

"I'm going to dip downstairs for a bit.

"I'm going to check on the VIPs and move things along.

"Oh, and another thing.

"Someone spotted the Foggs on the premises.

"I am at the end of my rope with Oliver.

"He's a drunk and a moron.

"If he sticks his nose in my business one more time,

"he's going to get a one-way ticket to the Vastchasm."

AIMEE: Shit. LIAM: "Keep him away from me.

"No exceptions."

He strides away from her--

AIMEE: Shit.

LIAM:-- into the crowd inside.

IMARI: What's she doing?

LIAM: What's who doing? IMARI: His assistant.

LIAM: Oh, she starts to scribble a few notes

and she heads off the balcony as well,

but she starts to move

off to the right when she enters

and goes in a different direction than the boss.

Let's pause you guys for a moment

because we have more people downstairs.

I want to know what you

and Ms. Manning are doing right now.

ALEXANDER: So as we're in the crowd,

I'm holding a drink, as

you would do.

I see Grimoria walk up the stairs,

leaving with her employers.

LIAM: Mm-hmm.

ALEXANDER: Ms. Manning,

I do have a question.

LIAM: (Zora) "Yes."

ALEXANDER: It does seem a little odd,

and I know that everyone joins

Candela of their own volition for one reason or another.

I'm just curious why you let

Miss Grimoria join at such a young age.

LIAM: "(sighs) Well,

"it did cause me pause for quite some time.

"It was a very

"weighted decision I made.

"But her abilities are so rare, Edgar.

"There is so much promise in her.

"I don't think I've met anyone

"as in tune

"with herself and with everyone around her

"as Grimoria."

ALEXANDER: Hmm.

LIAM: "I was looking at it as an investment in

"her and the future.

"I also,

"in the early days, tried my best to

"steer her away from the thicker work.

"The boat, an obvious misfire."

ALEXANDER: Well, that wasn't your fault.

I'm not judging. I was just curious.

I'm quite fond of Grimoria and

I just--

This isn't some--

I know why I'm here.

But it's not something I necessarily wish on people.

I guess more than anything,

I wish she didn't have those gifts.

But that's beside the point of why we're here.

Why did you

all of a sudden decide to come on this little outing?

LIAM: "I suppose I feel invested.

"There are a lot of threads here that are

"pulling at each other.

"Mr. Murphy is so

"important to me."

ALEXANDER: Hmm.

LIAM: "I can't help but

"sense some sort of thread here."

ALEXANDER: Between what happened to him and this

item or these--

LIAM: "Well,

"I'm more thinking of his circle and he.

"I also suppose I just,

"on a lark,

"thought it would be good to get my feet wet again.

"I did love it in my day.

"You are right, though.

"It is a lot to ask of one so young.

"I have never stopped struggling

"with the choices I've made and have to make,

"especially as a Lightkeeper."

ALEXANDER: I can't imagine.

She seems to be handling it fine.

Better than some of us.

LIAM: "Oh, wait a tick.

"Would you wait here a moment?"

ALEXANDER: Yes. LIAM: "I'm going to go

"over there."

She squeezes your elbow and walks.

We're on the first floor still.

She walks off towards one of the bars

and up to a girthier,

tall, broad chested man

with a buzzed side of hair on the side of his head

and a mustache, a thick mustache,

which you see because he is removing an elephant mask

to take a swig of a glass.

Then he puts it back

and you can see just the bottom of his jaw.

Zora gets up to him and you can just

barely hear over the tinkling of glasses

her saying, "I thought it was you.

"Hello, Reginald."

(Reginald) "Zora, is that you?"

(Zora) "Yes. Yes, it is."

AIMEE: (laughs)

LIAM: "I daresay you weren't expecting me

"to be here this evening."

AIMEE: (laughs)

(Reginald) "Well, no.

"I'm here solo, stag as it was.

"Why are you here?"

(Zora) "I know why you're here, Reginald.

"Did you make your bid yet?"

(Reginald) "I did.

"I don't think it was enough."

(Zora) "Well,

"I daresay, I'm relieved

"because it's not going to be safe in some warehouse

"here in the city,

"what you're trying to get your mitts on."

(Reginald) "Speak for yourself.

"We do a very good job downtown."

(Zora) "Where are they?"

(Reginald) "What do you mean?"

(Zora) "You know what I mean. Stop playing stupid,

"you big loaf of an elephant.

"Where are they?"

(Reginald) "Well, you're not going to get in there.

"Up on the second floor,

"in the rear.

"If you walk away from the balcony off to the right,

"there's a bit of a hall down there.

"But the host is bringing his bidders up.

"You can't just get up there

"and tip Red Hand at the door.

"Strangle the life out of you.

"You're not going up there."

(Zora) "Yes, I suppose you're right.

"Well, it's good to see you, Lumpy."

(Reginald) "(laughs)" AIMEE: (laughs)

LIAM: "You used to like it."

She chins his elephant jaw,

wanders away, and comes back to you.

ALEXANDER: Friend?

LIAM: (Zora) "Sure.

"Let's call it that.

"I think I have an idea where we can

"follow the trail.

"Second floor, rear of the second floor,

"somewhere off to the right of the balcony, he says."

ALEXANDER: Good to know. LIAM: "Where's the group?

"Where is Leo?"

Where is Leo?

AIMEE: (laughs) IMARI and ALEXANDER: (laugh)

TALIESIN: Leo, Leo and his date,

have wandered over to the bar,

picked up a drink, something that's complicated looking,

but not quite as alcoholic as it looks.

Felix has an understanding of what's going down.

So I've already put forward the notion

that I may have to separate for a little bit.

God forbid, something goes strange,

feel free to say that you don't know who I am,

whatever you need, or that I just asked you

to be the plus one for a thing.

This can be, you know,

a first date. LIAM: "We're not the kind of--

"I'm not going to ask questions like that."

TALIESIN: Bless you.

I'm on a bit of a clandestine mission.

There was an old man who came in through here,

old in his 70s.

I don't know if you've ever met Walter.

Maybe you haven't.

I'm going to quickly

try and track down an old friend.

I will find you in just a few minutes.

LIAM: "All right, I might go on

"a clandestine mission of my own."

(laughter)

TALIESIN: Cheers to that.

Let's see who does better.

LIAM: He wanders off into the crowd.

Are you off in search-- TALIESIN: Cheers.

LIAM:-- of Walter?

TALIESIN: I saw which direction Walter was going.

LIAM: Yes, he was staying on the first floor as well.

He wandered off towards the bar earlier.

So you're off to find him?

TALIESIN: At least see if it's possible

to hit him in the crowd.

If not, I'm keeping an eye out for people who I know

or at least know of.

LIAM: So you start moving to the crowd,

trying to get eyes on Walter again.

You make it about 15 feet, when

a young woman all in gold herself,

a gold stylized butterfly mask

and a gold shimmery dress

and a hair of gold blonde ringlets

comes and pokes her finger in your chest going,

"What are you doing here?

"I knew it was you."

IMARI: (laughs)

LIAM: You start to realize you're looking at your niece.

TALIESIN: Niece.

LIAM: "What are you doing here? You never go out like this."

TALIESIN: Oh, I do go out like this.

You're just never here, are you?

LIAM: "I go to all the parties.

"You are a bad liar."

TALIESIN: That's fair, I'm really not

going to be able to fight that.

What are you doing here? What are you looking for here?

Are you bidding on anything?

Are you being bid on anything?

LIAM: "(inhaled laugh)

"I'm hunting for a different prey than paintings, Leo."

TALIESIN: Sculpture? No, I'm fucking with you.

I know exactly what you mean.

Did you come here as someone's plus one

and you've decided to abandon them or are you--

LIAM: "Oh, we came in a gaggle.

"Bentley's upstairs."

TALIESIN: Oh no. LIAM: "I think I saw him

"on the balcony a few minutes ago."

TALIESIN: Oh no.

LIAM: "Walter Timley is here. The old coot."

TALIESIN: Yes, I'm well aware

of Walter. LIAM: "I don't know why."

TALIESIN: Is there any other family here?

LIAM: "Um."

AIMEE: (laughs)

LIAM: "I think that Auntie said she was going to skip it."

She looks really uncomfortable for a second

and then scans the crowd.

"Leo--"

TALIESIN: You don't have to say a name just--

Yes.

How bad?

LIAM: "Your dad's here."

TALIESIN: For fuck's sake.

(laughter)

AIMEE: I love this.

LIAM: "How bad is that?"

TALIESIN: Well, we'll see, won't we?

It will be a very interesting conversation.

The first in a very long time.

I appreciate the heads up.

You will not be--

LIAM: "Do I want to be around for it?"

TALIESIN: You know, I think you think

you wanted to be around for it,

but honestly, perhaps you could use the character

if you happen to watch it.

LIAM: Make a Sway. TALIESIN: (sighs)

LIAM: A low stakes Sway roll.

TALIESIN: Oh. IMARI: (laughs)

TALIESIN: Candela.

LIAM: Candela. AIMEE: Yes!

ALEXANDER: All right, I'll buy in.

LIAM: (sighs) IMARI: (laughs)

ALEXANDER: It's called a Candela now.

LIAM: (laughs)

TALIESIN: It's nice. (laughter)

LIAM: (sighs) She just pouts. "All right."

TALIESIN: I can make you a deal.

I hear rumors that you flirt at a reasonable level,

certainly college level.

AIMEE: (laughs) IMARI: (laughs)

TALIESIN: What can I say? Your reputation gets around.

I am trying to get a couple special things

from the auction.

LIAM: "What's your poison?"

TALIESIN: I mean, that which doesn't kill you, yada yada.

If you know somebody who can help get me up to the auction,

or, because I know you're you, (sophisticated) the auction.

AIMEE: (laughs)

LIAM: "I'm sure I don't know

"what you're talking about, Leo."

TALIESIN: Well, I think better of you,

apparently, than I should.

Well, if you could get me into the auction,

or, now that I've put that into your head.

LIAM: "Okay, I'm going to go see if I can figure out

"what the hell you're talking about."

TALIESIN: Mm. LIAM: "Good luck!"

She disappears into the crowd. AIMEE: (laughs)

TALIESIN: She's going to be irritated by that for hours.

LIAM: Hmm. AIMEE: (laughs)

TALIESIN: Fuck. (sighs)

Father, all right.

AIMEE: I would watch that spinoff. LIAM: Back to you, Malcolm.

Where are you at this point?

So the gentleman has walked off the balcony,

and talked of going down to the first floor.

Where are you headed right now?

IMARI: Part of me wants to go to the assistant

and give her a little flirt.

LIAM: Okay. IMARI: See if I can squeeze

some information as to where the artifact is.

LIAM: Okay.

So with your tray of champagne,

you exit the balcony

and curve around to the right.

You make it about 10 or 15 steps

when a very tall, broad man

in a very colorful purple and green and gold mask

that covers about this much of his face

steps in front of you and puts his hand on your chest.

IMARI: Hmm. LIAM: "Are you fucking

"kidding me right now?"

IMARI: Oh, I'm sorry, I just--

LIAM: You're staring into your brother's eyes.

TALIESIN: Yeah... IMARI: I was told

that I should pay special attention

to the lady who just went away,

that I should give her whatever she needs, drinks.

LIAM: "Stop talking.

"What the fuck are you doing here?

"What is this?"

IMARI: Reginald?

LIAM: "What are you doing? Are you here to embarrass me?

"What is this?"

IMARI: Oh my god. No.

LIAM: "You're waiting tables?

"I don't see you for months,

"and this is how you get

"into my business?" IMARI: Of course

you're at this party. LIAM: "What you doing here?"

IMARI: Listen,

don't worry what I'm doing at this party,

I'm trying to make a little extra cash on the side.

I can assume why you're here.

Is anyone else from the family here?

LIAM: First, make a--

TALIESIN: Oh no.

IMARI: (laughs) LIAM: First, make a Sway roll.

ALEXANDER: (laughs)

IMARI: Good old brother Desmond.

All right, I'm going to burn a drive on this.

LIAM: Okay.

IMARI: Because he's going to cause me trouble if I don't.

ALEXANDER: It's your yearbook quote, at this point.

IMARI: (laughs) Shit.

He might totally blow my whole cover.

Candela. ALEXANDER: Jesus.

AIMEE: You are on a roll!

TALIESIN: Every time I look over there, it's just hateful.

(laughter)

AIMEE: You just got one, too.

TALIESIN: (sighs) Oh, and I enjoyed mine.

I don't know if he feels it

anymore. AIMEE: Yeah, yeah, he's not,

he doesn't feel thing. TALIESIN: That's the difference.

IMARI: (laughs)

LIAM: "I don't get it. You're waiting tables now?

"Is this altruism?" IMARI: Listen, I don't

have to explain myself to you. LIAM: "What's the angle?"

IMARI: You've made it very clear

where I stand with the family.

You have what you want

and I have what I want,

a little bit of freedom to do what I want, as I please.

I don't answer to the family anymore,

I don't answer to you anymore.

I'm working, and I was told to pay special attention

to the lady who is now out of my view.

LIAM: "(scoffs) I just don't understand.

"I can't with you."

IMARI: Listen-- LIAM: "You had everything

"this family wants,

"and you're throwing it away.

"And now you're here tonight?"

IMARI: You see, Desmond, that's always been your problem,

that you've never tried to understand where I come from,

or how I feel, or what I want to do.

It's always been what you want to do

and how you approach the world.

I don't approach the world like you, Desmond.

I'm not interested in all the power

and all the prestige that you seek out.

It doesn't mean that much to me.

Now, what does mean a lot to me is keeping this job

and make sure I don't get fired from this job.

LIAM: "(scoffs) That's fine,

"I can't waste my time with you all night.

"I have to make the rounds."

IMARI: All right. LIAM: "Grease the wheels."

IMARI: Well, let me know where you are,

perhaps I'll bring you a brandy or two.

LIAM: "You're a very small fish in this stream now, Malcolm."

IMARI: (laughs) LIAM: "Best you follow

"the current downstream."

He grabs a glass off the tray and walks off.

IMARI: Well, it's a good thing I know how to swim, isn't it?

(laughs)

(sighs) LIAM: Disappears into the crowd.

She's not immediately visible anymore.

IMARI: Shit.

(sighs) Do I have an idea of where she went off to?

LIAM: I would say that you kept eyes on her long enough

to see that she veered to the right

when she left balcony. IMARI: I want to trail her.

LIAM: Okay. IMARI: I want to trail her.

LIAM: Well, you don't see her,

but you're going to follow along in the direction

you think she went. IMARI: The path I think she is.

LIAM: So give me a Survey roll.

It's low stakes. IMARI: Okay.

I'm not going to burn a drive on this one.

I'm going to...

Five. LIAM: Five.

Okay, so you wander in

and stop to make sure that people

are getting supplied with champagne as you go.

You wander through several little stations,

passing a painting of a nude woman on a chaise,

and then passed one of a field,

with a man lying on his back,

staring up into the sky,

and some sort of a ruin in the rear.

Pass that, and you get to what feels like

a dead end back here.

You get off the balcony,

it winds and winds and winds,

and then it stops.

She's not here, but what is here,

excuse me, about 40 feet away

are a man and a woman

standing at the bottom of a thin set of black stairs.

They are in black masks with gold trim,

black suits, golden gloves.

Standing, just watching the room.

IMARI: Hmm. LIAM: But she's not here.

IMARI: They're guarding that door?

LIAM: They are for sure,

got their backs to the foot of these stairs.

IMARI: Interesting.

(sighs)

I think I'm going to go back

and I want to relay this information back to the team.

LIAM: Okay.

You are also down to one glass of champagne,

by the way. IMARI: Yeah, so I think

it's a good time for me to refill.

LIAM: Mm-hmm. IMARI: I would like to offer

the two guards, actually, a glass of champagne,

and see how they receive that.

LIAM: Okay, sure.

You can do that while making another Sway roll.

Very low stakes,

please don't burn any drive on it.

IMARI: ♪ Sway with me ♪ AIMEE and ALEXANDER: (laughs)

IMARI: ♪ Keep my drive ♪

♪ Stay alive ♪

Oh! They're going to throw it in my face.

I have myself a three.

(laughs) LIAM: A three?

AIMEE: They might take a sip, but. LIAM: It's low stakes,

it's not that intense.

You just get there

and the woman cranes her head a bit,

but the guy on the other side just goes.

IMARI: Mm. LIAM: Doesn't even speak,

he just gives you the hand.

IMARI: Oh, ah, perhaps another time.

LIAM: You wind away into the crowd.

Grimoria.

Mr. Fogg comes storming out onto the balcony,

looking all over the place,

sees you, comes walking over to you, and he's like,

"Come on, I told you to wait by the busts.

"(sighs) Cynthia is in the shitter.

"Come with me." AIMEE and IMARI: (laughs)

AIMEE: Oh, the what?

LIAM: "The loo, the water closet."

AIMEE: Oh, sure. IMARI: (laughs)

AIMEE: I think I might've-- LIAM: "She's not feeling well."

AIMEE: Oh, that's too bad.

I think I might've procured some interested parties.

I was telling them all about the bust.

LIAM: "Oh, I have someone waiting

"where you were supposed to be.

"Now! Let's go." AIMEE: Oh, great.

LIAM: He drags you over,

and there is a couple, a man and a woman,

who are in their late 60s.

The man has a tight little bow tie

and a little almost mechanical-looking mask

with little gears glued on.

AIMEE: (laughs) LIAM: She is wearing

what looks like peacock feathers

streaming out from the side of hers,

and she has long gloves on.

They're just waiting, looking,

appraising these two statues.

(lady) "I don't know, I don't know where we would put it."

(man) "Ah, I think it could go maybe in the front sitting room

"or the back sitting room,

"that one." AIMEE: She overhears this.

LIAM: Mm-hmm.

AIMEE: I think you have the perfect place for it.

LIAM: (man) "Oh, is this her?"

(Oliver) "(claps) Grimoria, please."

AIMEE: Hello.

LIAM: "Reveal the invisible."

ALEXANDER and IMARI: (laugh)

AIMEE: Well, you both seem so artistic.

LIAM: "Oh."

AIMEE: You might really appreciate...

This accent's all over the place,

but pretend it's like a really exotic--

LIAM: You had me sold.

TALIESIN: They don't know. AIMEE: Okay, well, anyway,

for those watching at home. TALIESIN: They're useless, yeah.

AIMEE: (laughs) LIAM: I love going to the theater.

AIMEE: (laughs)

I can tell.

I bet your favorite is

"Hamlet."

IMARI: (laughs)

AIMEE: "Macbeth."

ALEXANDER: (laughs)

LIAM: "I don't know those names!

"Are those new plays?"

AIMEE: Yes.

IMARI: (laughs) AIMEE: Now, these busts,

they're not just ancient busts.

LIAM: I want to interrupt just to tell you that Mr. Fogg

is watching behind them, he's smiling,

and there's sweat glistening on the side of his face.

Proceed. AIMEE: His bubble guts?

IMARI: (imitates fart) AIMEE: She gives them a display.

IMARI: (laughs)

AIMEE: In fact, they hold in them,

you see, they're entombed,

the star-crossed lovers.

LIAM: "That's fascinating."

IMARI: (laughs)

LIAM: "How do you know?"

AIMEE: I feel it.

In fact, let me tell you a story

about these star-crossed lovers.

They came from dueling families.

Once upon a time, you--

LIAM: You think you hear the sound of a wet fart.

AIMEE: (laughs) In fair Verona.

ALEXANDER: Oh my god.

AIMEE: (laughs) Then she proceeds to say the plot

of "Romeo and Juliet." LIAM: (laughs) Right.

IMARI: (laughs) LIAM: Which doesn't exist

in this world. AIMEE: No, but she knows it.

LIAM: So it's an original story

of Oldfaire. AIMEE: Sure. It's an original story.

IMARI: (laughs) TALIESIN: Somewhere out of the bleed,

infinite monkeys have put together a script for--

AIMEE: Yeah, yeah. TALIESIN: Yeah.

AIMEE: Or it's the version of, right?

It's something slightly familiar to them,

if they really are theatergoers,

they've thought about it too much,

they might've noticed the recycled story.

But she's essentially telling them

the story of star-crossed lovers.

LIAM: Do me a favor, as you're giving me this vibe,

will you roll a Sway roll for me?

AIMEE: Yes, and I will use-- LIAM: In addition

to the great stuff that you're saying.

TALIESIN: Am I anywhere-- ALEXANDER: In Oldfaire-ona,

where we lay our scene. TALIESIN:-- near this?

LIAM: You for sure can be.

TALIESIN: I would like to assist in this Sway roll.

AIMEE: Thank you. LIAM: So you are looking around

and wondering if Dad's around,

and you stumble upon this. TALIESIN: I stumble upon this,

and I see what's happening,

and I walk up

and I begin to get next to the couple

and I get enthralled.

AIMEE: Hmm.

TALIESIN: Go on.

AIMEE: That's a four on the gilded die.

LIAM: Okay.

TALIESIN: That was including my extra?

AIMEE: Oh. ALEXANDER: You have an extra die.

IMARI: You roll the extra die. TALIESIN: I gave you one more die.

AIMEE: Oh shit.

TALIESIN: Just add one more. LIAM: Take another die

and roll one in there. TALIESIN: Just add one more.

LIAM: Don't touch the ones you rolled already.

IMARI: Just roll an extra one. AIMEE: Okay.

Candela!

LIAM: (laughs) TALIESIN: There we are.

IMARI: ♪ Ah ♪ AIMEE: (laughs)

LIAM: Yahtzee. (laughs) IMARI: Candela.

TALIESIN: Yes, yes, I'm so sorry. LIAM: (laughs)

TALIESIN: Go on, go on,

don't mind me. IMARI: Alex is like...

TALIESIN: What? ALEXANDER: In Oldfaire-ona

where we lay our scene. AIMEE: Yes, in Oldfaire-ona

where we lay our scene. LIAM: Ah!

You brought it home. (claps)

IMARI: (laughs)

AIMEE: Then she wakes up from this poison

to see her dead lover--

LIAM: "Oh my goodness."

AIMEE:-- laid across her tomb.

LIAM: "You have the heart of a poet."

IMARI: (laughs)

AIMEE: I'm only channeling what the spirits tell me.

LIAM: "Oh!" AIMEE: And--

TALIESIN: How much for these two?

I'm so sorry.

AIMEE: Oh, I could never put a price.

Mr. Fogg, maybe you can

assist these buyers. IMARI: (squelchy fart)

LIAM: "We could discuss what's...

"will you excuse me?"

IMARI: (imitates fart) LIAM: He just starts

duck waddling away-- AIMEE: Okay, yeah.

LIAM:-- into the crowd.

AIMEE: (laughs) Oh boy. LIAM: And he's gone.

AIMEE: Okay, so then what I'll do

is that I'll think of maybe a price that I'd heard.

LIAM: Yes. AIMEE: I don't really know.

I'll just very coyly:

This isn't really my part of things,

but you see my employer seems to be indisposed,

is that a word?

TALIESIN: Mm-hmm. AIMEE: At the moment.

Writes down a figure, slips it,

or actually sees who wants to take it.

LIAM: "(gasps)"

AIMEE: Oh.

LIAM: "Oh, this is a steal.

"We'll see you in the auction house."

TALIESIN: I'm going for a hook

to grab the paper. AIMEE: Oh, no, no.

LIAM: To grab the paper?

TALIESIN: I want to see.

I will double it, I will-- LIAM: I'm not going to make you

roll for paper. (laughs) TALIESIN: Oh,

you got rid of it? AIMEE: Oh.

LIAM: No, no, no. AIMEE: Oh!

LIAM: I was like, "Should I have him roll?

"It's piece paper." TALIESIN: No, no, no,

just to go. LIAM: You've got it.

AIMEE: Mister, mister, I think I've got just the thing for you.

I mean--

LIAM: "We'll see you in the auction house.

"These are ours,

"these are ours." TALIESIN: No, I'm handing it back,

this is too rich for me. (sniffs)

It's too rich for me. AIMEE: Oh,

I'll show you something else.

TALIESIN: Yeah, I'll go on. LIAM: As they walk away,

they're walking away from you,

you hear the woman say to the man,

"You were so virile,"

and disappear into the crowd. AIMEE: (laughs)

Okay so we've made the sale.

TALIESIN: That was delightful. LIAM: Well, it's an auction.

TALIESIN: It's an auction. AIMEE: Oh,

that's true, okay. LIAM: This is for people up here

to get excited. AIMEE: Get excited about it.

LIAM: They got excited. AIMEE: Okay, okay.

Oh, thank you. LIAM: So did Mr. Fogg.

AIMEE: Thank you, Mr. Amicus. TALIESIN: Oh, no,

you were doing very well.

AIMEE: Thank you.

TALIESIN: Yes, no problem, yes.

AIMEE: Do we have any clue as to what's happening?

Any updates?

TALIESIN: What it would be worth, do you think, to--

If you could have--

Hmm.

If you had the opportunity to maybe put this to rest,

but you had to do the most unpleasant thing

you could possibly think to do, would you do it?

AIMEE: But you put it to rest forever?

TALIESIN: Well, at the very least, maybe

make whatever it is that

we dealt with on the boat go away.

AIMEE: Oh, I would say do it.

I can help.

TALIESIN: My father's here.

AIMEE: Oh. TALIESIN: My father's here.

AIMEE: Oh no, how does that make you feel?

TALIESIN: Well, we haven't spoken

since, you know, since before. AIMEE: Yes.

TALIESIN: Since before.

AIMEE: (sighs) LIAM: Off in the distance,

you hear a bell ring

and you hear a man's voice call out,

"15 minutes 'til the auction,

"15 minutes."

AIMEE: Oh no.

Well, I will assist you in any way I can.

I understand that it's a really hard thing to do,

but it might be worth it.

TALIESIN: Fuck.

Fuck!

I'm going to--

People are starting to get together for the auction?

LIAM: Some people are starting,

many people heard that

and just went back to their conversations,

but some people are starting to

grab a bag or fetch a person

and start making their way off the second floor.

TALIESIN: Have we seen where the third floor is going,

or where the entrance to the third floor.

LIAM: Only Malcolm has seen those stairs,

and he, in this pinprick of a moment,

is in the kitchen reloading champagne.

I'd like to know where you and Zora are.

ALEXANDER: I believe we were going to

head up to the second floor--

LIAM: Okay. ALEXANDER:-- having acquired

the information of where that door was.

LIAM: Okay, so as they're

having this conversation. TALIESIN: I'll assume, yeah,

that Walter would know

to come up as well. LIAM: You're wondering like,

"Where is that?"

that Edgar appears at your shoulder with Zora.

TALIESIN: Excellent. ALEXANDER: Hello, you two.

AIMEE: Hello.

TALIESIN: We're looking for the extra auction access.

Does anyone see it? ALEXANDER: Well, we have

information-- IMARI: I want to try to make

my way back over, once I load up my tray,

I want to try to get my way back over there

so I can deliver the information.

LIAM: Okay, well, let's just say then--

IMARI: Yeah.

LIAM:-- that many things are happening at once.

You went back to the kitchen

and you got another tray of champagne and came out.

You intersect about 30 seconds

after this group has intersected.

So they're into their conversation,

Edgar is mid-conversation,

and then you walk up offering champagne.

IMARI: Hello, friends.

ALEXANDER: Ah, hello.

As I was saying, Zora, kindly,

was able to find out the information we were looking for

and that there is a door down the end of this hall

to the right

that apparently leads to where we need to be.

IMARI: That's fascinating information

because I happen to know where that door is.

I can actually lead you there.

LIAM: One point of clarification: Set of stairs.

ALEXANDER: Set of stairs, sorry.

LIAM: No worries, no worries.

ALEXANDER: But it is guarded,

as far as I'm aware.

IMARI: There's about two guards,

one male, one female.

TALIESIN: Did have some sort of list.

Is somebody wearing anything?

I'm looking for anything that--

AIMEE: Yeah, like a pin or something.

TALIESIN: Have we noticed a lapel or anything like that?

AIMEE: Yeah, like a little ribbon

that might indicate people

that are invited to the third floor.

LIAM: To the third floor, no. ALEXANDER: From what Zora said,

the man himself is bringing

the invited buyers in there himself.

IMARI: Oh, fudge.

We're going to have to infiltrate.

Unless someone knows one of the buyers,

they might be able to snag a,

snag a-- LIAM: "Well--"

TALIESIN: Fuck. LIAM: "I have an old friend,

"but he's already been up and down."

TALIESIN: Whom?

LIAM: "Reginald, he is from the OUP

"and evidently did not tickle

"Aroha's fancy with his offer."

IMARI: Hmm.

AIMEE: Do we see Aroha anywhere,

or is he gone? LIAM: Make a Survey roll.

AIMEE: Oh.

I just do one? ALEXANDER: Survey, you just do one.

LIAM: It's low stakes. AIMEE: Come on Candela.

LIAM: You're not going to fall out a window if you fail.

AIMEE: Two! IMARI: Aw.

LIAM: Two.

ALEXANDER: It's such a good-- LIAM: Still pretty crowded in here.

So you'll scan around and don't see him.

TALIESIN: I'm still looking for Walter or dear old Dad.

LIAM: Okay. AIMEE: I have to be downstairs

in 15 minutes. TALIESIN: Survey again?

LIAM: Yeah. Survey.

TALIESIN: Oh wait. IMARI: We have 15 minutes.

15 minutes.

TALIESIN: I'm going to take the low one and roll.

because one's supposed to be gilded.

LIAM: Okay.

TALIESIN: A gilded five.

That actually doesn't matter

because I'm filled up on that one anyway.

Yeah.

LIAM: You, while they're conversing,

are slowly spinning around up here looking,

looking, and you see at the last second,

an older man with a,

an upside down moon mask,

it's very severe looking,

and it comes down to here on the front,

there's a little dip down,

disappearing from view

and moving off towards the direction

you recognize as the stairs.

IMARI: Interesting.

That man is going in the exact direction

where those two guards I spotted

are actually in front of that door,

which I believe-- TALIESIN: Shit.

IMARI:-- holds our treasure.

TALIESIN: I take one, I'm going to take

the champagne I'm currently drinking,

I'm going to down it and grab another

and start walking in that direction.

LIAM: Okay.

You bee-line it away from the group

and hook around and start, again,

it's a bit of a twisting journey

to get there through a couple of rooms.

TALIESIN: Oh yeah. LIAM: You almost

pass your father, you don't make it to stairs,

and you find him sitting alone in a corner

with a brandy in his hand,

just staring at the floor.

It looks, in this brief moment, like he is just

not into it and has found a moment alone.

Does not notice you for the moment.

IMARI: Mm.

TALIESIN: You look like shit.

AIMEE: (laughs) LIAM: "(grumbles)"

"Oh, for fuck's sake."

TALIESIN: Mm, 23 years,

this is the first words I've gotten out of you.

LIAM: "Hello, Son."

TALIESIN: (sighs) Raymond.

LIAM: "Right."

TALIESIN: I've heard that you

have been wanting to talk,

but I was assuming it was just shit

from people who are trying to make something happen

that's not going to.

LIAM: "Who fed you that bullshit?"

TALIESIN: (laughs) You can guess.

LIAM: "Never stopped trying."

AIMEE: Mm.

TALIESIN: I will believe that you believe that.

LIAM: "Haven't I done enough?" TALIESIN: Mm.

LIAM: "Haven't I given you a pile to sit on

"for your own disposal?

"Don't question it, don't interfere.

"Don't get in your way."

TALIESIN: I don't question,

I don't interfere,

and I certainly do not get in your way.

LIAM: "Mother's sake, you act as if I were the one

"who wounded you and not the other way around."

TALIESIN: For what it's worth, no, I blame Mother,

I just blame you for going along.

LIAM: Finally looks directly in the eye.

"Well, drink it in.

"You won't have this view for much longer."

TALIESIN: If it makes you feel better,

I'm not here for you.

I have something upstairs that I was hoping to

(contemplative sigh) take out of circulation.

LIAM: I'm going to ask you to make a Read roll.

TALIESIN: Hmm.

IMARI: What kind of roll? AIMEE and LIAM: Read.

TALIESIN: I'm going to play with this. Hold on.

AIMEE: Wish I could assist,

but we're so far. TALIESIN: No.

IMARI: No one is there.

ALEXANDER: No, this is a-- TALIESIN: Fine.

I'm going to pull a drive for this one.

Read roll.

Eh, I'll take it.

It's a five.

IMARI: Oh, nice.

TALIESIN: Actually, hold on.

Actually, I'm going to use Sweet Talk.

I'm going to do an extra, I'm going to add one more die

just to see, which is also a gilded die.

LIAM: Okay.

TALIESIN: Nah. LIAM: Okay.

You stare him down for a solid 10 seconds

and he just eyeballs you back.

You dropped that comment,

and you slowly realize and believe

that he has no idea what you're talking about.

And he stands.

TALIESIN: You don't know where you are, do you?

Oh no.

LIAM: "Make this the last time.

"Doesn't matter, I'll be dead in six months anyway."

He turns and walks back the way you came.

They don't know what he looks like,

so that's the end of that.

TALIESIN: I'm going to try and whisper as he walks by:

That'll be six months more than half my life.

Well fucking done.

I'm going to go sit down where he was

and just finish my fucking drink.

IMARI: Cold. ♪ Cold blooded ♪

LIAM: I just have to draw attention to the visual

of you finding your old man with a drink in his hand

and then he leaves and you fill in the exact same.

(chef's kiss) (laughter)

LIAM: Back with the rest of you.

Anything?

ALEXANDER: Everyone's going to get called into the auction soon,

in a few minutes.

There's nothing we can really do until then.

I don't particularly have a plan of infiltration,

but that's not really what I do.

But Malcolm--

IMARI: I do have an idea,

but it's going to be messy.

ALEXANDER: That's not why we're here.

Very specifically said, do not be messy.

LIAM: "Please, I do not want you to be messy."

ALEXANDER: Yes. LIAM: "We are not

"trying to cause a scene."

IMARI: It could be messy.

ALEXANDER: Again, no.

IMARI: It might be our only course of action.

I'm thinking I distract that guard at the door.

ALEXANDER: Two guards.

IMARI: No, one guard,

the guard that's big enough for me to fill his clothes.

I get him somewhere,

and I want to take over his position.

LIAM: Okay.

Leo, while you're sitting there,

Aroha comes through the room

out from where you assume those stairs are.

He is with a very tall redheaded woman.

You can tell that she's older.

She's in a silver dress with a wide frill

and a very Nouveau mask.

He is placing a hand on her shoulder as they pass

and he shakes, with his gold hand,

he shakes hers and says, "We'll be in touch.

"Thank you."

They walk a little bit further. AIMEE: Shit.

LIAM: Then he wanders back in front of your vision

and disappears from view. TALIESIN: Wait, wait, wait.

Who was this?

LIAM: So Aroha and a stranger. TALIESIN: Okay, Aroha, yeah.

LIAM: A tall, older, redheaded woman

came together, shaking, did a little handshake

about 15 feet away from you,

and then traveled back on out towards the balcony

and the main part of the second floor.

Then Aroha returned into your view

and returned the way he came.

TALIESIN: I didn't have time to register enough.

That would've probably been way too much

what the hell is happening to--

LIAM: Right.

You just went through what you went through

and you are down,

you're on your third drink, possibly.

TALIESIN: Yes.

LIAM: You just ogled it as it happened

and only sort of sunk in

by the time he was passing back.

TALIESIN: Who's the fucking redhead?

ALEXANDER: I have an idea.

Is there, other than--

I'll let you have your plan,

but if we're doing this without a mess,

is it possible we wait for the auction to start,

and we ask our friend, Leo,

if it's possible for him to leverage his family name

to get us past those guards?

They obviously would know who he was.

He's here on behalf of his family,

using maybe his brother's name,

but the last name is what's important.

To get through the doors, to look at the artifact.

And because

the host of this party's busy

with the real auction,

that we've been sent up to take a look at it

while he's busy.

AIMEE: I think the host is

showing off the artifact.

ALEXANDER: He is, but he is the host of this party

and the actual public event is about to happen.

There's no doubt he's going to need

to be there at least for a little bit.

LIAM: You hear a bell ringing in the distance.

"10 minutes 'til the auction. 10 minutes."

IMARI: Here's a problem with that plan.

ALEXANDER: It's not messy enough?

AIMEE: (laughs) IMARI: No.

This is an extremely secretive auction and

you're going to have to give a little more

proof than that, I believe.

If it comes down to repping a family's name,

there's going to have to be proof

that you can actually do that,

that they might ask at the door.

From what I saw, those guards aren't going to be

an easy sway, so to speak.

Now, unless we find another way in the back--

Do we know if that room leads to anything?

Is there any way we could sneak in that room?

LIAM: Which? The one that-- IMARI: The one that the--

The lay of the land of the house, do we--

LIAM: All you know at this point

is that Mr. Fogg, old Mr. Shits Himself,

had mentioned a museum of sorts on the third floor.

You've only been as high as the second,

and you only have had eyes on this set of stairs

with two guards at the bottom of it.

IMARI: This is on the third floor?

LIAM: You're on the second floor right now.

The stairs lead to the third floor.

IMARI: Third floor. AIMEE: Have we seen

Aroha come into the room yet?

IMARI: With the woman in red,

the red woman. LIAM: He didn't make it out

as far, you guys never saw him in this last--

AIMEE: Sure. LIAM:-- five minute period.

Leo saw him pass in front of his vision,

and then 30 seconds, come back.

AIMEE: Oh, so he's back. Okay.

LIAM: Assumably, he walked with a client,

sent them on their way-- AIMEE: Yeah.

LIAM:-- and then returned from whence he came.

AIMEE: Shit. I mean,

if I can get to him, maybe I can do something,

but I haven't seen him in the last--

ALEXANDER: This is Leo's-- AIMEE:-- few minutes.

ALEXANDER:-- territory as far as I'm concerned.

TALIESIN: At this point, I've gotten my shit together.

I'm standing up, I'm walking in the direction of, yeah.

LIAM: Of which? The stairs?

Or the group? TALIESIN: Well, I saw, yeah,

I saw the group.

Well, I saw him going back towards the group.

LIAM: So you're in chair, and on your left

is where you think you would go to get to the stairs,

although you haven't made it that far.

If you were to go to your right,

you would head back to where your friends were.

TALIESIN: I'm going to hop to the left

just to see what's down that hall.

LIAM: Okay, you stroll over,

this about four or five minutes after you saw Aroha

with the woman.

You see these two guards standing at the bottom

of a pretty slender set of stairs

that lead up to some sort of,

you can just make out the edge of a hallway up high.

But as you get there, excuse me,

you see Aroha again,

and he's not alone.

He is coming down the stairs with a tall man

with a purple and green and gold mask

with darker brown skin.

As they get there, he is,

Aroha is tugging off his glove as he comes

and offers his hand to that man,

and they shake.

They both come down the stairs,

first this stranger to you and then Aroha after him.

Make a Read roll.

TALIESIN: Yes.

I'll burn another drive because I'm in the mood.

Five. IMARI: Nice.

LIAM: Five.

For a mixed success,

I'm going to deem it that you

realize that you are looking at a man with Aroha

who bears a striking resemblance

to Malcolm Trills.

IMARI: Oh wow. LIAM: The failure of it--

TALIESIN: Shit. LIAM:-- is that it is

the brother of Malcolm Trills.

IMARI: Oh shit, it's Desmond.

LIAM: They come down the stairs.

TALIESIN: It's the-- Well, I wouldn't, yeah,

if it's the baby brother, I would have no, yeah--

IMARI: No, they're older.

TALIESIN: Oh, it's fucking-- IMARI: It's Desmond.

TALIESIN: Oh, okay. It's Desmond.

All right. It's been a while.

LIAM: They walk together past your position.

You guys finally see Aroha now turning the corner.

You see your brother, you are holding champagne,

and he comes around the corner smiling

and then "(sighs)."

AIMEE: I want to make sure Aroha sees me,

and I do a little green, another green.

But I'm away from the group at this point.

LIAM: Okay.

AIMEE: I want to appear like I'm alone.

LIAM: Okay.

AIMEE: I want to do another little green puff

and hope that he cares.

LIAM: Make a Sway roll.

TALIESIN: In the back,

I've come 'round the back to try and just--

AIMEE: I'm going to burn a drive for that.

TALIESIN: Just come back.

LIAM: You see the intersection from behind

and then go back to where you came from?

AIMEE: Oh shit. TALIESIN: I see that I was going to

try and head this off.

AIMEE: A five. LIAM: And it happened.

TALIESIN: Too fucking late.

Shit. AIMEE: That's a five on the floor.

LIAM: That's a five on the floor. TALIESIN: Five on the floor!

IMARI: On the floor, baby. AIMEE: I burned a drive.

LIAM: That's a good speakeasy-- AIMEE: Yeah.

LIAM:-- for Newfaire, AIMEE: Five on the Floor?

IMARI: Five on the Floor.

TALIESIN: That's good.

LIAM: To get his attention? AIMEE: Yeah.

LIAM: Okay, so yes,

he actually starts to "(coughing)" cough

and look over at the group.

It distracts your brother,

who also looks over

and sees a bit of casual

familiarity maybe between you

and the people you're around,

like, you know,

in this moment don't seem quite like a server to him.

IMARI: Hmm.

Uh-oh. LIAM: He bee-lines away

and heads down the stairs with purpose.

AIMEE: Who does? His brother? LIAM: Leo. Brother.

Aroha turns back,

Not as sharply as I just did,

he turns back and sees his client stalking away

and he looks at you.

AIMEE: Can I, as I pass him, can I whisper:

I know how to unlock it.

LIAM: "I know how to unlock it?"

What's the goal here?

So I can know

how to judge on it. AIMEE: I want to get in

that fucking room.

LIAM: I know how to unlock it. AIMEE: Unlock it.

Then I show, and if he looks interested,

I've painted-- LIAM: This needs a new Sway roll.

AIMEE: That's fine. IMARI: Oh man.

AIMEE: Well then, I won't tell you what's in my hand.

LIAM: Okay. AIMEE: But I'm going to burn

another drive.

IMARI: Secrets, secrets are no fun. AIMEE: Because it seems worth it.

IMARI: Secrets, secrets hurt someone.

AIMEE: Five. IMARI: Ooh.

Watch you, girl.

LIAM: All right, I still have to understand

where you're going with this.

AIMEE: Okay, so if he looks interested--

LIAM: Yeah.

AIMEE:-- on the palms of my hand,

I've painted that figure

that you described.

ALEXANDER: That was on the chest. AIMEE: That was on the chest.

The key

to lock the box that the bones were in.

I'm assuming that these bones are in a similar box.

Does that make sense to you?

LIAM: Yes.

AIMEE: I sort of, if he wants to see it.

LIAM: So you are, let's be perfectly clear.

AIMEE: Yeah, so it's a risky thing.

LIAM: You are outing yourself to him

as someone who has seen his forbidden goodies.

AIMEE: Yeah, I think I'm outing myself as someone who might--

LIAM: Like that you are the person.

The only way for--

AIMEE: Unless he believes in magick. LIAM:-- you to know this design,

means you saw the box that he sold to initially.

So this is you, I'm going to let it happen,

if that's what you want to happen,

but this is you going, hey,

I'm the person you duped initially,

No, that's not what I'm try-- LIAM: Because that's what

he would see. AIMEE: Oh, well then, no.

IMARI: Might I say something?

AIMEE: That sucks, I was trying to do something cool and not--

IMARI: Might I say something, though?

AIMEE: Yeah.

IMARI: This actually might be able to work

if you utilize your gift,

which is to reach spirits. AIMEE: Yeah, I wanted him to think

I was like a cool medium.

IMARI: But he doesn't know your power yet.

Does he know what Grimoria does?

LIAM: No.

IMARI: Okay, so-- LIAM: He barely gives two shits

about her employers. AIMEE: Right, right.

IMARI: Okay, so he does not like the Foggs.

We know this, right? AIMEE: Sure.

IMARI: So he's going to think you're automatically a scam.

LIAM: I'll roll with anything. I just want--

AIMEE: No, no, no. But if he's going to think that--

LIAM:-- to have us have the same Mind Palace

shared at this table. AIMEE: No, I just--

I want to get in,

and I don't know another way to get in.

So it's a Hail Mary pass.

He hates this idea.

But we don't have to go with it.

LIAM: I will roll with anything that happens.

IMARI: I would say you give in to your mysticism

and I'd say you enthrall him with what you can do,

and that you have a feeling.

I think you should give in to your ability,

and I think you should sell the man with your ability.

AIMEE: I mean-- IMARI: It would be a risk.

TALIESIN: I'm behind you right now,

and I can assist with this

when it comes time, so it's okay.

IMARI: Or if I'm the same size as my brother,

slip that fool a mickey and I grab his mask.

AIMEE: Yeah. IMARI: I go in place

of my brother.

AIMEE: I'm trying to figure out a way in,

whatever the best way is. Because right now,

we're all like: How do we get in?

IMARI: I mean, my brother has a mask.

They'll be paying attention to the mask.

They won't pay attention to my suit.

AIMEE: Right. IMARI: If we could

slip him something that would knock him out,

I could take his mask.

LIAM: I'm going to drop a pebble in the stream here.

AIMEE: Okay. LIAM: Because I was

a half a tick away from saying it in the first place.

AIMEE: Right.

LIAM: Then you make your call. AIMEE: Okay.

LIAM: Because the stream could go

in 50 different directions. AIMEE: Yeah.

LIAM: With you where you were at the rear of the group

with eyes on the stairs, and Aroha

seeing Trills head down the stairs.

He looks to you,

and you've done your green smoke moment.

AIMEE: Mm-hmm.

LIAM: A person in a black suit with gold tie and black mask

is making their way through the crowd quietly.

AIMEE: Okay.

LIAM: Totally avoids you guys,

doesn't interact with you at all.

Gets to the bottom of these stairs,

which you still have eyes on, only you,

and leans in close

to one of the two men at the bottom of these steps

and whispers, and starts to pull them away.

Then he motions for the woman to come as well,

and she shakes her head no, and he goes back--

Or he spots the secretary

and grabs her by the arm and plants her.

The secretary is there,

and these three start trotting off.

Not trotting, because we're in a party,

but start quick walking back out and start to wade through.

TALIESIN: Back towards us? LIAM: Yes.

IMARI: Oh, they could be transporting it.

LIAM: Okay, so there is a secretary

at the bottom of these stairs,

and three of these presumably Red Hand security

moving through the party, passing you right now

as Aroha is there.

And I only say that because I don't--

IMARI: (sighs) Okay, we got to follow him.

AIMEE: No, I'm going to change my idea.

LIAM: I hate the idea of thinking of slapping down a moment.

AIMEE: No! LIAM: I wanted to make sure

you understand.

AIMEE: No, if that's the case, if he's not going to buy it,

then I'm going to say: I know how to unlock your box.

Then he can take that as a sexual innuendo

and we can move past it. LIAM: Okay.

Okay. Okay. IMARI: (laughs)

AIMEE: I definitely don't want to out the group.

I just wanted to get into the room.

But if that's not going to--

if he's too smart to fall into, he believes in magick,

then that's not it. LIAM: The guy is--

IMARI: He knows magick, though,

because he has a magickal property.

So he does believe in magick.

AIMEE: Right, but if he's going to-- LIAM: He is a,

this world's version of a criminal mastermind.

IMARI: Yeah. AIMEE: Right, okay.

So then I will say

that weird sexual innuendo and keep it moving.

LIAM: Okay. So that reaction that he gets is--

IMARI: (laughs) AIMEE: Then I'll go--

IMARI: (laughs) LIAM: (laughs)

Through your mystical smudged

makeup and your spooky vibe. AIMEE: Yeah, and I'll play it

crazy and go (scoffs).

TALIESIN: I might just go for a Hail Mary here then.

AIMEE: Yeah, do it. TALIESIN: Let's all get together

and let's just go-- ALEXANDER: Yeah.

LIAM: He shakes this off. Doesn't know what it is.

AIMEE: Let's hope so.

LIAM: And heads off after runaway brother.

AIMEE: Yeah. LIAM: He even sees

guards running, so now he's going with triple purpose.

AIMEE: Great. ALEXANDER: Leaning back over,

I still think Leo's our best chance

in getting through that door.

TALIESIN: I'm standing, waving.

LIAM: To the group?

TALIESIN: To the group, because

the door's in this direction. LIAM: Oh, letting them know

that it has eased up a bit.

TALIESIN: Yes. AIMEE: Okay, great.

So we follow. IMARI: All right,

we've got to follow. I mean--

AIMEE: Yeah. LIAM: Okay.

IMARI: But can I say one thing before we do that, though?

AIMEE: Yes. IMARI: Those three people.

So if you're going to have that extremely--

If you're going to have that artifact,

it's going to need security.

It's like, you know, if you give someone--

AIMEE: Right. Right, right.

IMARI: I mean, when you lend out

a necklace that's worth millions

and you have an actress wear it--

ALEXANDER: Like you do. IMARI:-- they have,

it's a company. Security, right? AIMEE: For sure.

IMARI: So if they're going to have security guard the door,

that means it's definitely not behind the door yet.

That is 10 minutes-- ALEXANDER: No, it's upstairs.

IMARI: Well it's upstairs, but it looks like

they're going to go--

It's upstairs. TALIESIN: It's absolutely upstairs.

ALEXANDER: The guards are at the base of the stairs.

We have to go upstairs

in order to find the room. IMARI: Up the stairs.

ALEXANDER: So this is just the first hurdle.

TALIESIN: It's like you've forgotten

what it is to have money.

Come on, let's give this a fucking roll.

IMARI: All right. Well then, old boy,

I think you should work your magick.

LIAM: A reminder that Malcolm

is dressed as a waiter right now.

AIMEE: I know, and I'm dressed like this.

LIAM: That's the package. AIMEE: Yeah, it's--

LIAM: Make your choices,

but I'm just reminding you of the Mind Palace.

ALEXANDER: Maybe hang back a minute.

Let's see. We'll go--

I'll accompany Leo. Zora will come.

LIAM: "I am going to actually,

"I think I'll get a bit of air and--"

ALEXANDER: All right.

LIAM: "I'll just watch the aftermath,

"and deal with what I can in the ways that I can."

ALEXANDER: Leo and I will go. AIMEE: Okay.

ALEXANDER: When we get past and give the signal,

you two dressed as you are--

AIMEE: I have to go downstairs and sell my busts.

ALEXANDER: That's valid.

LIAM: The auction is taken care of

by staff in this building.

AIMEE: Oh, great. LIAM: Everything on

the second floor was so that people would be like,

"I like that, I think I want to get--" AIMEE: Oh, okay, okay, okay, okay.

So I've done my job. LIAM: I get to see it

from five feet away. AIMEE: Okay.

LIAM: So that when I see it from 50 feet away,

I'm like, "I want that one!" AIMEE: Oh, perfect.

So maybe the best thing for us to do

is have a costume change,

which we planned for. TALIESIN: I was going to say,

go find a costume change. ALEXANDER: Yes, that's exactly

what I was going to say. TALIESIN: That would be the thing to do

right now. IMARI: I would definitely

change costumes. AIMEE: Great.

TALIESIN: Someone who's got their invite.

IMARI: Now, did Leo sneak me in an outfit or something?

Because he said he was also going to have a--

LIAM: You had talked about a spare.

TALIESIN: You have it in your bag. LIAM: But I will say

that Zora-- IMARI: Okay cool.

LIAM:-- pulls you off to the side

and pulls her mask off. AIMEE: Great.

LIAM: She offers it to you. AIMEE: I'll take this off

and presumably have something suitable underneath--

ALEXANDER: Underneath. LIAM: Mm-hmm.

AIMEE:-- that would fit the costume of the day.

LIAM: She also unpins

this raven-feathered display that she has,

and she does her best to fasten it up top.

AIMEE: Great, and the mask, I'm assuming,

covers the makeup.

LIAM: Yes, and it's not a perfect look at all.

AIMEE: No, but it's enough. LIAM: But you no longer

look like--

AIMEE: Great. (clicks tongue) LIAM:-- a spooky mystic.

AIMEE: I'm ready.

IMARI: I'm going to go back to my bag that I packed

and retrieve my garb that-- LIAM: Sure. You have regular clothes.

LIAM: You'll look a little underdressed.

TALIESIN: I can help with that. LIAM: Ding, ding, ding!

TALIESIN: If anyone asks, you're muscle.

You know the actual name to use.

LIAM: (announcer) "Three minutes!"

TALIESIN: I cannot believe we're doing this.

LIAM: "Three minutes!"

TALIESIN: Heading towards the back door.

AIMEE: I grab a champagne.

I guess I'll just wait in the--

TALIESIN: You can come out if you're good--

AIMEE: I'm dressed. I'll

grab the champagne. TALIESIN:-- we can go up.

I'll let them know you're coming.

LIAM: Malcolm, you are--

TALIESIN: Doing a clothing change. LIAM:-- booking it.

IMARI: Booking it. LIAM: Throwing on your clothes

and coming back here in three minutes.

IMARI: Yep. LIAM: Okay.

So you guys are waiting.

Malcolm disappears with a full,

well, half tray of champagne.

You make it just as you hear, ding, ding, ding, ding!

"Now it is time for us to bid

"in the Gardens of Delight."

You hear all the people, what few people were left,

are realizing that they're those people at the theater

who waited forever at the bar

and then they try to run in at the

last second to get their seats. AIMEE: Yes. (laughs)

LIAM: All those few people, only one or two or three.

There's someone on the balcony,

two people in the balcony

who are not interested in the auction.

There's very few people, you guys are almost alone,

and Malcolm comes running up, definitely underdressed,

but no longer dressed as a waiter.

AIMEE: Great.

LIAM: You still have your mask.

IMARI: Gotcha.

TALIESIN: I was going to come up with this motley crew

and I was just going to move with,

hmm,

rich entitlement towards-- LIAM: Okay.

TALIESIN:-- angry, rich entitlement towards the door.

LIAM: Towards this woman in the carnival mask

with her clipboard. TALIESIN: Yes.

LIAM: You're just marching up to her?

TALIESIN: Mm-hmm. LIAM: (Woman) "Oh, I'm sorry.

"The party is not beyond this point."

TALIESIN: I'm well aware.

There should be a Steedwell on that list.

(emphatic) There should be a Steedwell on that list.

LIAM: "Oh, one moment."

She starts to rifle through. TALIESIN: (aggravated sigh)

LIAM: "And you--"

TALIESIN: If it helps, it's probably alphabetical.

LIAM: "Okay. First name?"

TALIESIN: It's, my god,

Raymond Junior, for fuck sakes.

It might be under Leonard, if I must.

Sometimes they use the middle name.

LIAM: "Okay.

"All right. And now what happens?"

TALIESIN: I was supposed to

take a look at the merchandise.

I have my experts.

I have my personal security.

I was supposed to go up and have a look at it,

and instead, I have been getting a run-around.

LIAM: "I don't think that's how this is supposed to work."

LIAM: "I don't think that's how this is supposed to work.

"I could be confused." TALIESIN: Do you--

You might be confused.

You could be confused all the way

to three or four floors down.

What sort of job do you think you could have at some point?

LIAM: Make a Sway roll, and Leo,

this is high stakes.

AIMEE: I'll help. IMARI: Okay.

LIAM: How? AIMEE: I will help by--

TALIESIN: I'm using my extra.

AIMEE: I will help by saying--

I will help by racking my brain

for another really high value artifact, you know,

and use my knowledge and try to confuse her

by saying: Ma'am, you have to understand,

this is da-da-da, and you know,

he's acquired, through me, this and this and this.

Just blow her head up with garbage.

LIAM: Okay, so you pump up his knowledge

and place in the world of antiquity.

AIMEE: Place of antiquity,

using my knowledge of the antiquities.

IMARI: I will also lend a drive.

LIAM: Okay.

IMARI: I will mutter, or I will convey the fact

that his father will be extremely pissed off

if we don't secure the item.

LIAM: Yeah, you drop a comment off to the side about how--

IMARI: Off to the side, about--

LIAM:-- this is going to blow up.

IMARI: Yeah, and that-- ALEXANDER: All right,

how many dice are you at? TALIESIN: I'm good, I'm good.

LIAM: You have six? IMARI: I lost a shift.

TALIESIN: I'm at six. ALEXANDER: Okay.

TALIESIN: Also, just to have a moment before I go this:

I'm sorry. I'm just having one of those days.

Families can be so pressure.

I am sure you understand what it's like

to have inappropriate pressure put upon you.

IMARI: This is Sway? This is a Sway roll, right?

LIAM: Yes. TALIESIN: Yeah.

IMARI: All right.

TALIESIN: There's definitely a Candela in there.

AIMEE: Yes!

TALIESIN: That was deep.

I burned everything for that.

LIAM: You see the gears in this woman's eyes

turn for five seconds straight.

You're not being direct and just waiting.

You are trying to look officious and snotty

in the way that only wealthy people can be.

ALEXANDER: Although I can't add drives to that roll,

I take my pocket watch out, look at it and just (sighs).

(laughter) ALEXANDER: And close it again.

LIAM: Pushed it over the edge.

AIMEE: Dr. Lycoris, great acting.

LIAM: She looks super unsure, but the talk about

loss of placement shook her.

She says, "Well, all right.

"I will have Mr. Tama-Kai join you when he returns."

TALIESIN: We shouldn't be long.

LIAM: "It's just up the hall.

"I'll be here." ALEXANDER: Thank you.

TALIESIN: For your trouble. I pop 200 in her hand.

LIAM: "(uncertain fumbling)"

She moves and walks over to one of the golden metal trees

that has fallen over and starts to prop it up,

and then she starts to look away into the party,

potentially for her boss.

But there is no one on these stairs right now.

AIMEE: Fab. LIAM: You guys start to--

ALEXANDER: Let's go. LIAM:-- climb the stairs.

Okay. TALIESIN: This has been a day.

LIAM: You walk up this thin staircase, up 20 steps,

and you see a long hallway before you

with gold pattern nouveau all along the floor,

and there's stained glass windows

down the right side of this hallway.

You can see,

you walk 10 feet and the light is just as intimate,

pink or red-tinged in here as well.

Something feels off to you immediately.

You see a curtain billowing, just one.

When I say curtain, I mean thin and gauzy.

AIMEE: Yeah, yeah. LIAM: They're all along

the hallway, but it's blowing

as if there is a lot of wind hitting it.

There's a doorway all the way down,

across from it almost exactly, but not,

a little bit off, a doorway open into the hall.

AIMEE: (sighs)

ALEXANDER: We need to do this quickly.

TALIESIN: Yes, we do.

AIMEE: Who's got the quartz?

ALEXANDER: I have it. AIMEE: Okay.

LIAM: The little piece of clay.

AIMEE: Or the-- LIAM: The chip of quartz, yeah.

AIMEE: The chip of quartz. ALEXANDER: I have it.

AIMEE: Great, okay. So we keep walking?

TALIESIN: Yep. Keep your eyes open.

Look for anything, anything at all.

LIAM: You move slowly down this hallway

towards this billowing bit of gauzy curtain there.

You are about five or six feet away from the door

and you hear

(low, ominous rumbling)

from around the corner.

ALEXANDER: We're not seeing green light, are we?

LIAM: No.

AIMEE: You said no? LIAM: No.

AIMEE: Do I hear anything in my newfound auditory--

LIAM: I haven't mentioned that constantly,

but it is like a background noise.

AIMEE: Yes, of course.

Is there anything specific? LIAM: Almost like a spiritual tinnitus.

AIMEE: Yes.

LIAM: No, no. AIMEE: Okay.

LIAM: It is not your eavesdropping tool.

AIMEE: Okay. LIAM: It is just--

AIMEE: It's just background noise.

LIAM: Yeah.

AIMEE: Okay.

ALEXANDER: Okay, well,

I guess we follow the noise.

TALIESIN: Is it my turn or is it someone else's turn?

ALEXANDER: I can go.

TALIESIN: No, you look like shit.

I am going to gently open the door.

LIAM: Oh, I'm sorry. Door is open, that's what I'm saying.

TALIESIN: Okay, I'm going to gently make my way in,

looking left, right, up, down.

LIAM: Okay, well, immediately upon entry, on the floor,

you see a man in a black suit and gold tie,

except the gold tie is smeared with blood

and there is a gaping well in the man's chest.

His gold gloves are splayed out to the side.

You have one second to let that register

and you look up and you see two,

you believe men wearing fox masks in full suits,

and one of them is staring intently

as another one is holding a long sword in their hand.

The sword has a pale blue sheen to it,

and he is pressing the blade

through a bolt on a metallic band

holding a familiar-looking chest

to a dais in here.

There is already another band with a lock on it

that you see has been burned through,

almost as if someone had used a welding tool to cut it,

and this blade is going (sizzling, clangs)

and it breaks,

and in that second, they look up and see you.

It's almost like a Shining moment.

Just two fox masks go like this,

and one of them grabs the case--

AIMEE: ♪ What does the fox say ♪

LIAM: They pivot away from you

and run to the rear of this chamber,

and there are objects on shelves all around here

and things on pedestals, and the gold box a second ago

was in the center of this room,

but now it is being run towards a stained glass window

as these two men (crashing) leap through the window

and skitter out onto a wet roof

and go running away from you.

AIMEE: Okay, can we peer down the window? How far is the fall?

LIAM: It's not a fall. It's two feet down.

AIMEE: Okay.

LIAM: They are already 30 feet away from you

and they are sliding down a sloped bit of roof

down to, you guys are on the third floor,

they slide down roof and hit what is likely the second floor

and begin running along the top of this building.

IMARI: I'm giving chase immediately.

LIAM: Okay. Malcolm's out the window.

AIMEE: I don't know what else to do.

TALIESIN: Oh god. ALEXANDER: (groans)

TALIESIN: I try and safety dive down there.

(laughter)

LIAM: As everyone-- TALIESIN: (wails)

LIAM: Yeah, that's true, so they've got a good lead on you

because you guys just stood shellshocked

as they started to book it. AIMEE: Yeah.

LIAM: Everybody make a Move roll for me.

It's going to account for

a couple little dips and turns here

as you start to slide down the roof.

ALEXANDER: Candela.

LIAM: Candela! IMARI: (laughs)

Five, gilded. AIMEE: Four.

Oh, nice. Four.

LIAM: Okay. TALIESIN: Four.

LIAM: Four. You got a, I'm sorry, Grimoria?

AIMEE: Four. IMARI: I got a five.

LIAM: Oh wow.

IMARI: Oh, baby getting trippy.

AIMEE: I know it.

LIAM: All of you guys start to slide down at different paces,

Malcolm in the lead,

and you realize quickly that you are sliding down

stained glass as well. AIMEE: Oh.

LIAM: You couldn't tell-- TALIESIN: Oh!

LIAM:-- in the darkness up here. AIMEE: That sucks.

LIAM: Somehow you, Edgar, manage to go down

through the seam between two windows

through no skill or intention.

You just lucked out. AIMEE: Just luck.

LIAM: But the rest of you start sliding down

and then feel it break under you to a degree.

It is not a fall into a chamber.

It is glass over a solid roof.

AIMEE: Oh thank god. LIAM: But it is enough

to start to cut into you,

and all of you who got a mixed success,

take one body as you cut yourselves

on the slide down. AIMEE: Ah, shit.

LIAM: You pick yourself up,

wincing in pain

at lacerations in your-- AIMEE: I probably

have many layers of petticoats,

just to be clear. IMARI: (laughs)

LIAM: They've just been cut to ribbons.

(laughter)

LIAM: Body, body, body. IMARI: Look at the glee

on his face. AIMEE: I know, I know.

TALIESIN: "I am a librarian!"

AIMEE: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

LIAM: So Edgar almost runs past you, Malcolm,

because you slide up and get onto your feet

and go and then turn

because they're not with you right away.

They jump up and you guys start booking it.

You see these two masked figures go from this roof

to an adjoining building. AIMEE: Good grief.

LIAM: You guys run after them.

It's two feet.

I'm not going to make you roll,

but they're still ahead of you

and you see them hit a ringed over metal fire escape ladder

and they both disappear from view and start to go down.

AIMEE: Fuck.

LIAM: You run and get up to the side of the building

and you see them just as they get to the sidewalk below,

and two masked faces look up at you,

and then they start to run up the road

towards the Shriveline.

You can see the glow of this blade on a man's back

in modern day Newfaire running up

like he's some knight out of the the 1200s.

We're still going, right?

ALEXANDER: Yeah. IMARI: How far away are they?

LIAM: They're probably halfway up the block

while you are still at the top of the building.

IMARI: Fuck.

So it's too far away for me to shoot with my gun, huh?

AIMEE: Yeah.

LIAM: Uh... ALEXANDER: That's messy.

LIAM: You can also see some people in the periphery here.

You're not at the front of the building at the entrance,

any of that.

You are on a side street right now.

AIMEE: Yeah. LIAM: But you still see a few people,

and a couple of people catch them as they run by,

but then shake it off.

They are near a costume party,

and they keep walking away. IMARI: I'm giving them chase.

If I fire my gun, it's going to draw attention.

AIMEE: Yeah. IMARI: It might draw

a noticeable attention. LIAM: Seems plausible.

IMARI: Let me go ahead and I'm going to continue to chase.

LIAM: Okay.

IMARI: I'm going to try continue chase

until I see a--

Okay, what's good to do chase?

Let me see what that leads me to.

ALEXANDER: Okay.

I'm running as hard as I can to catch up to them

because I have an idea.

LIAM: Chase the danger, baby.

So Malcolm is the first one to hit the railing

and you just barely even take the steps.

You do a lot of sliding down.

The rest of the party follows after.

You hit the the bottom and you can see them.

They've already crossed the street onto the next block

and you start running.

You guys run through this side street through the Varnish

and you can just start to understand their trajectory.

They are headed for the Shriveline,

and the city is not segmented into like,

"This is this box and this is this,"

but one neighborhood gives way to another,

and you start on the next block that you cross,

you already pass some sort of small seminary building

and realize that you're starting to get into that bleed over

between the neighborhoods.

You give chase as fast as you can,

huffing down the block.

If they hadn't gotten such a good start,

if you hadn't raked yourselves down stained glass,

you might've been right behind them.

But instead they have got about a block,

block and a half lead,

and you see them-- AIMEE: Damn it.

LIAM:-- running towards a fenced in area,

large open field.

As you're running,

Leo, you're at the back of this group

as they run as fast as they can,

but it is slowly starting to dawn on you

where you are going.

TALIESIN: No.

LIAM: Right now, they are running towards--

TALIESIN: (groans)

LIAM: That's right. TALIESIN: (emphatic groan)

AIMEE: What?

IMARI: What?

LIAM: They are running towards

the Sacred Ascension Cemetery.

IMARI: Oh shit.

LIAM: They blow past a gate entrance as they go in.

You lose sight of them

because it is way darker in there.

It's somewhat lit on the city streets at this hour.

There's not as much light in, say,

a modern day New York City, but there's some.

But as soon as you get to the cemetery,

that's lights out, baby.

And they are in.

IMARI: Is there anything--

Is there a moped

or a motorcycle I can jack? AIMEE: Bike? Bicycle?

What? LIAM: A jack?

AIMEE: Bicycle chases.

IMARI: Well, procure or steal.

LIAM: Oh!

I thought you said is there a jack

as a noun. IMARI: No.

LIAM: You had me with moped bicycle.

IMARI: Is there like a motorized--

LIAM: There are not those in this world.

TALIESIN: Where they're going, it's not going to help.

LIAM: They're already-- ALEXANDER: Where are we going?

LIAM: When you say that, when you're asking that,

they have already,

I literally just said they had bust through a gate

and were in a cemetery.

IMARI: Okay.

LIAM: They are disappearing from view rapidly.

ALEXANDER: (sighs)

LIAM: As you guys get closer yourselves,

you start to see

there are pins attached

all along this fence.

AIMEE: Pins?

ALEXANDER: Yeah. LIAM: Yes.

It is a Newfaire custom

that has to do with burial. AIMEE: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yes, that's right.

LIAM: You run in, and this is a--

You know this because you were here a long time ago.

TALIESIN: Yes.

LIAM: For a very special night.

TALIESIN: Yes. LIAM: It is a large sloping cemetery

that goes on for three or four city blocks--

AIMEE: Jesus. LIAM:-- the equivalent of which,

and it's hills and valleys through.

They are definitely heading on an angle that you know.

You know where they're heading.

TALIESIN: Yes. LIAM: You give chase.

You pass that outer fence.

You can just barely make out for the first seconds you're in

glimpses of shadows running in the night,

but then you lose sight of them.

However, far in the distance, you three,

you see a darkened building,

a structure in the distance with a little bit of light

peering out of gaps or breaks.

You get closer and closer,

and realize you are looking at a very old church

in the farthest corner of these cemetery grounds.

The door,

when I say door,

there's breaks in the walls in this place.

There's holes in the roof,

there's bits of scaffolding on the outside of this.

This place is a relic of the past.

It is not a church that is in use.

It is more like-- AIMEE: Like ruins?

LIAM: It is ruins.

There is definitely walls and roof,

but it clearly is not a place

where services are given to the mother anymore.

Not in this day and age.

You can see a little bit of lit stone.

So clearly there are people in here

or there are light sources in here,

but if they're in there, they're in there,

and you guys are now catching your breath,

standing amongst a bunch of gravestones,

which if you squint at you can,

I mean it's dark,

but they're also the ones that are closest to you,

these are so old that the names

are mostly worn away with time.

Probably centuries old.

I'm not talking Oldfaire,

but like founding of the city, the modern city.

200 years old, 300 years old, some of them.

TALIESIN: Have the people in the fox masks

made it into the church yet?

Because if they haven't,

I am booking in that direction.

LIAM: You lost sight of them about a minute ago,

and you're going on assumptions now.

You don't see them.

TALIESIN: I'm going in the fastest direction.

If there's a shortcut, I would know it,

and I am heading that way.

LIAM: Okay, so you are running to the--

The fastest way in is the front door.

When I say front door,

obviously it's a huge church's arch,

but there is no--

The wooden doors that must have been there at one time

are not there.

It is open to the world.

So you are rushing in?

TALIESIN: Or can I see them?

LIAM: As you run up, you see--

Yes.

You see one man moving around towards the rear,

dragging some sort of a drape or a blanket out,

and then you see somebody cross your view

and you catch a glimpse of that blade glowing

and then disappear as he moves about inside.

TALIESIN: I stop directly at the fucking line of that door.

LIAM: Outside it?

TALIESIN: Yep. LIAM: Okay.

AIMEE: Well, I wouldn't know any better,

so I'd probably run into you

because I think we should keep going.

TALIESIN: I will grab you.

AIMEE: Okay. LIAM: Let's hold on for a second.

TALIESIN: Yeah. I will pull away from that door.

IMARI: Oh, here we go.

LIAM: Leo.

Feet from the door of this church,

you catch yourself rigid,

half of you wanting to stride in and half of you paralyzed

because you have come back.

You've come back, Leo.

It's been 23 years, but you are here.

The place where you ripped your life up into tatters.

The moment The Dawn Society went dark forever,

along with any normal life you might have had.

It's just how you remember it,

though I know you wish you didn't.

You can see through the gap,

seconds before these people notice your presence

silhouetted in the door here,

another very important doorway off to the side,

leading into that room

where you and your friends drew a circle on the ground.

Where you set down that clock.

You wound that infernal clock.

What happened here, Leonard?

What did you fucking do?

TALIESIN: We wound,

I-I-I-I-I wound the clock.

It was, it was,

(sighs)

I wound it.

I sat in the circle.

It-it-it ticked and ticked,

and we waited.

It was going to be a game.

It was a game.

It was just a stupid, stupid game.

The lights went out and then,

and then-- Do you hear that?

Then it,

Uh, um.

It's so hard to think with--

LIAM: (whispers) Do you hear them screaming, Leo?

TALIESIN: It-it-it ticked. LIAM: (whispers) Those teenagers.

TALIESIN: And ticked and ticked and ticked.

LIAM: (whispers) Your friends.

TALIESIN: There was something in the dark,

and I was so, so, so scared.

LIAM: (whispers) Where's your sister, Leo?

TALIESIN: I heard her scream.

I heard her scream and run, and then I heard--

It shouldn't have been a scream, whatever it was.

It was too much.

And I watched.

I watched the other two who stayed.

I stayed.

They just stopped.

They, whatever they saw, they just stopped.

Their bodies just

broke and cracked.

And then I broke.

And then, and then, and then it just,

it's, it's...

(shouts) Can you hear that?

Can anybody hear that?

It's, ah!

LIAM: (whispers) You're all alone in this moment, Leonard.

TALIESIN: There were eyes.

There were eyes.

And each,

with each tick, they got closer,

and they found the others and they chased the others.

It wasn't,

it wasn't the tick, tick, tick, tick,

tick, tick, tick, tick. (thudding)

It just, it wouldn't.

It wouldn't.

It would just find--

Time just bent.

I was so scared and I woke up and the world was--

Different.

I don't. I woke up and I don't know what I--

I don't, they were dead.

They were all--

I don't know why I'm not dead.

I don't know why.

I don't know why I'm not dead.

It's just, it's still in.

It's still.

Okay-- Please make it stop!

Can you please make it stop? (sniffles)

LIAM: Everyone loves a party, Leonard.

All of you come crashing back in behind Leo,

in the doorway and four people inside of this church

turn and spot you.

Two are ready. They are wielding these shimmering blades

in the dark lighting in this church.

A priest, modern day,

except his shirt is split open,

and he has vestments hanging down,

standing in front of the altar of the church

with a shroud placed over it.

His arm is reached out to one man

who is holding this golden box.

The priest at the altar yells, "Heretics!

"Do not wait!"

One of the men with a sword says,

"You shouldn't be on this hallowed ground.

"You will leave this place."

A third man steps forward with this golden chest.

His hand reaches around to the front,

and he says, "This church will be cleansed

"by the Flint and the Flame.

"Into the pit with you."

His hand turns and clicks that disc on the front.

ALEXANDER: Oh shit.

LIAM: A high-pitched keening sound begins

to whine up quickly on your three o'clock,

and a streak of green-hued light arcs out

from a break in the wall on the right,

quick and precise.

Now, stay with me here

because this next bit happens in seconds.

That energy strikes the man holding the chest

and before your eyes,

his entire body is enveloped in that sickly green color

that you know so well now.

In seconds, his body,

his whole body is starting to disappear.

Simultaneously, a man in a black suit with no mask

is stepping over stone into the church.

As he does, he's lowering his hand,

which is sheathed in some sort of thick,

partial leather gauntlet.

This thick glove has a few coiled wires

running up to the elbow,

and the forearm has some sort of short brass cylinder

that clearly has alchemical sigilry carved into it.

and the masked man's body holding this golden chest

begins to blow away

in a soft green tinged mist as the golden chest--

We're still one and a half seconds in--

Begins to fall to the ground.

It strikes the stone floor, popping open

as a skull burning green

bounces across the stone floor,

rolling faster than you can react

and comes to a rest

just against the tip of your toe, Grimoria.

You feel the gnaw of bleed in the air

and an eruption of billowing light envelopes you

where you stand.

Everyone sees Grimoria's body go rigid.

Her head thrown back and she lifts an inch or so

off the ground, held there.

You take a brain, you take a bleed.

Malcolm and Edgar,

in addition to seeing your friend pinned in the air

like a butterfly, you also now see a shadow

hovering above the golden chest,

wavering for a second where that man has stood,

and then it evaporates like smoke.

The man on the ground with no mask, yells,

"Package is in play, secure it!"

Another high pitched whine, and a streak of green

arcs down from a high point in the ceiling.

A hole in the roof or a bit of scaffolding is visible.

Another streak of green streaks down the man

behind the altar.

The older man, the priest obliterated.

Another shadow just hovering and wafts away.

These new arrivals

are carrying themselves like military.

Meanwhile,

three seconds later, four seconds later,

five seconds later,

your vision doubles.

The color and definition of the church fades from your eyes

as another reality comes closer to clarity.

You see your own hands.

You are high on a hill

at the top of winding white stone stairs,

holding a staff in one hand.

You can still see the church and Edgar on your right,

but they're clear, ghosts of themselves.

As cypress trees come more into clarity

swaying in an ocean breeze, the air feels warm.

A group of men

cautiously make their way up towards you.

They are dressed in armor,

the likes of which you have only seen in the museum.

They speak in a language that is unknown to you

and yet you inherently know its meaning.

As you do.

(man) "Do not make us spill your blood.

"Return what was taken.

"You defy your emperor."

A voice answers.

Your voice.

In language largely forgotten by time.

(Atia) "He would destroy us all.

"His hunger is too great. His wisdom a lie."

One of the men strides forward, weapon in hand.

(man) "This witch knows only defiance.

"We take it, now."

But your hand streaks out and claws the air.

The man's body is pulled from the step

and thrown viciously into a boulder on the hill.

IMARI: Oh shit. Possessed.

LIAM: But then they are all closing in on you.

You feel the point of a spear

thrust into your ribs at your heart.

"Better I die here than allow the mad emperor

"one more drop of power."

You rip the spear from your chest,

then break the staff over your knee,

and the hillside and everything on it glows

a white hot light,

(light exploding outward)

and is gone.

All of you see a woman hovering in the air

wreathed in a spectral haze

wafting inches off of the stone floor.

Her hair is long and white

and undulates around a deeply tanned face.

She wears rough-hewn robes of blue and white pattern.

Atia Griffia,

return from old.

And now we are in it.

One, two men armed with strange weaponry in the roof

and at the side.

There are two of these men.

Pyre agents.

You know this

because before the priest at the altar was obliterated,

you saw a tattoo you've seen in your past.

A tattoo of a sword of this sect,

a hidden sect of the church whose mission it is

to assume magick,

heretical magick, to wipe magick out,

wrangle with the curse to destroy it for good.

Or so the cell believes.

What do you do? IMARI: (laughs nervously)

LIAM: Things are moving fast. ALEXANDER: Liam,

the way those people are disappearing,

does it look the same?

LIAM: It looks faster and more precise.

The day your sister was obliterated behind your back,

you turned in time to see her passing,

fading, and blowing away.

That's been a mystery for 18 years.

The sound you just heard two times in a row

is like a condensed, precise version

of what has haunted you for 18 years.

What's the connection?

You'll have to figure that out

because there is a man whipping around now,

holding his hand out and seeing you all

and turning his head quick

between these two knights of Pyre

and the strangers rolling in.

He begins to walk towards the chest on the ground

and he twists the cylinder on his arm.

You watch as green energy slides out of the chest

and wafts to that cylinder and then sucks inside of it.

You hear (energy charging).

What do you do?

IMARI: Oh my god.

LIAM: One of the knight runs towards that man on the ground

and begins to swing his sword

as that guy is finishing up his power up.

TALIESIN: I am going to duck for cover at this.

IMARI: Is the guy who's going with the sword,

is he trying to kill the guy with the cylinder?

LIAM: Looks like.

IMARI: So it could be a mix of-- ALEXANDER: It could just

go into the box.

IMARI: It could be a mix of Red Hand though.

LIAM: Yeah, let me clarify a few things for you

because any of you

could be disintegrated in a moment here.

IMARI: Right.

LIAM: There is a pulsating green skull

just beneath Grimoria.

AIMEE: Yeah. LIAM: Atia.

Which, we don't know.

You have agency here as well. AIMEE: Yeah.

LIAM: The box is open and on its side

and you can see multiple bones in there.

They look like rods of uranium

strapped in velvet grooves

inside the box and they are wafting green.

But the box is on its side

and they mercifully have stayed clipped in place.

Only the skull has rattled out.

TALIESIN: How close and how far-- This changes things.

How close is this little run?

LIAM: She's 10 feet in front of you.

TALIESIN: Okay. LIAM: Hovering

six inches off the ground. AIMEE: Up in the air.

ALEXANDER: Okay. TALIESIN: You are as conscious

as they are. AIMEE: Yes, I--

LIAM: You have overlapped consciousness right now.

AIMEE: Yeah.

I would like to, if I can, talk to Atia.

LIAM: Yes. AIMEE: Okay.

I understand everything that maybe her last moments were

and I feel very deeply for her.

I want to ask her:

How can I help you?

I want to release you. How can I do that?

LIAM: She doesn't reply like a conversation.

But in language from long ago,

a phrase bubbles up through the communication gap.

End his legacy.

AIMEE: Then I try to say:

The only way that I can think of doing that

is to take your remains

and give them a resting place in a safe place.

Because as you can see, people want to use it.

LIAM: This conversation is happening

in a grain of sand of time.

They are slowly moving around you--

AIMEE: I just, I want-- LIAM:-- as you commune.

AIMEE: Yes, I want to relay to her that she's safe with us

and we don't want to use her power for anything

but to give her a resting place.

LIAM: You're hovering in the air

and you can feel your toes wafting there.

She doesn't reply with words of the era or of her own.

AIMEE: Sure. LIAM: Instead, you feel power

surge through your chest,

through your arms.

IMARI: Yeah, baby.

LIAM: You are more than you are--

IMARI: Oh! LIAM:-- in this moment.

IMARI: Tasty.

LIAM: The Pyre agent shoves a sword

into the gut of this man,

who cries out in pain

and palms the head of this assailant.

You watch as the head just (energy explosion).

AIMEE: Jesus. LIAM: And blasts backward

in instant mist.

For a split second, you see globules

of red mixed with green,

and then it is just mist, and a shadow

in the form of this former religious zealot hovers

and then blows towards the door through you,

out the door into nothingness.

A man above looks down and sees the lot of you

and doesn't know what to make of you

and aims his hand and fires.

Atia, I need you to make a Move roll.

IMARI: I would like to add a drive to that.

LIAM: Yeah. AIMEE: Thank you.

IMARI: Because I want to shoot him as he does that.

LIAM: Okay. IMARI: So that would be

my distraction if I can do that.

LIAM: Okay. Yes.

We will resolve the Move first.

IMARI: Okay. LIAM: You see the gun

goes off and the guy jerks just perceptibly enough.

AIMEE: Candela!

LIAM: Candela.

IMARI: Oh, beautiful.

LIAM: I love it. IMARI: Gorgeous.

LIAM: Malcolm sees that man above

aiming his hand down at your friend transformed.

You see it in a split second, Malcolm.

You draw, quick draw up and then shoot,

and the bullet goes.

It startles him enough that the energy goes wide

and scorches along the ground

and you see the stone go (sizzling)

and there is a six-inch deep groove,

a messy groove in the ground.

Now we'll resolve. Take your shot.

IMARI: I'm going to use Sharpshooter on it.

That's three die then, right?

LIAM: Yeah.

IMARI: Plus my two--

Plus my Control, so that's three die.

LIAM: Okay. IMARI: Okay.

AIMEE: Do you feel like you need help here or are you--

IMARI: Ah, no. AIMEE: Okay.

IMARI: I think three die should be good.

ALEXANDER: I'm going the man on the floor that got stabbed.

AIMEE: Ooh, ooh! LIAM: Yes.

Yes.

AIMEE: Man, you are

fucking lucky today. LIAM: Candela? How many?

IMARI: One Candela. LIAM: One Candela.

Six is great.

His shot scorches the stone floor,

Atia also shifts in the air

a good three or four inches to the side just getting missed.

The bullet, gun goes off, bullet flies

and it flies straight through the man's eye

out the back of his head.

He just stands there, the hand flexed for a second

and his face just goes blank

and he crashes down into the scaffolding he's on

and rolls off,

and you watch as his body falls three stories.

(thuds) And hits the ground and splatters.

Head broken open, like a melon.

AIMEE: So who do we have left?

TALIESIN: Where's the box? Where's the clock?

LIAM: Where's the clock?

AIMEE: Clock? TALIESIN: Where's the clock?

It was in here, wasn't it? Or was it not in here?

LIAM: You think you might hear the clock.

TALIESIN: I definitely know I hear-- LIAM: Do you remember the room?

TALIESIN: I do. Is there a clear shot to it or no?

LIAM: You can try. Certainly.

IMARI: (laughs)

TALIESIN: Who's in my way?

Yeah. LIAM: Currently, there's no one

in your path.

There is Atia hovering above the skull.

Keep in mind we are going in slow motion beats here

because I want you guys to live, I swear.

You start running-- TALIESIN: I got a plan.

LIAM:-- towards the door. TALIESIN: Well, I'm going to--

I'm going to pull off my mask. LIAM: Yes.

TALIESIN: I'm going to try and use it

to shove the skull towards the box.

Just like a fucking-- LIAM: The box.

TALIESIN: Oh, is the box too far away from that?

LIAM: Oh, the chest. TALIESIN: The chest.

LIAM: We're talking about the chest.

TALIESIN: Yeah, at the moment. LIAM: Thank you.

I thought you were talking about--

TALIESIN: Oh, I was curious if I could hear it

and if it's visible. LIAM: It has not--

It has stopped for them. It has not stopped for you.

TALIESIN: Okay, cool.

LIAM: You want to get to the chest?

TALIESIN: It depends on how close it is.

LIAM: From you, it is about 20 feet away, towards...

Past Atia, past the skull.

TALIESIN: I'm going to try and use my mask to grab the skull

and basically toss it in that direction, so it's--

LIAM: You're tossing your mask to try to hit the skull?

TALIESIN: Using the skull.

No, using the mask to scoop and running by--

LIAM: To scoop the skull? TALIESIN:-- and throw.

LIAM: Got it. I forgot to tell you to take a bleed.

AIMEE: I did. Yeah, I have a bleed.

Another one?

LIAM: I think so.

Great, let's make that finesse.

TALIESIN: A finesse? LIAM: Well, you're trying--

If you're just trying to run to get to a place,

I'd say Move.

But you are trying to use a party mask to scoop up--

TALIESIN: Yeah, it's-- LIAM:-- a radioactive skull

of a 2000 year old sorceress.

TALIESIN: To toss it in that direction. Yeah.

LIAM: To use it like a lacrosse thing

to send it towards the skull? TALIESIN: Lacrosse. Yes, a little bit.

LIAM: Still finesse.

TALIESIN: Okay, which one is a-- LIAM: Control.

TALIESIN: Control. LIAM: Sorry,

finesse is in the description.

TALIESIN: It is, I'm so sorry. I always never look.

This is going to suck. Let's see what happens.

LIAM: I see that-- TALIESIN: Fuck, but it's the lowest.

So that's a three, but I'm going to use the resistance to--

Do I reroll one with resistance?

ALEXANDER: Reroll the base. LIAM: The base.

TALIESIN: The base roll. Okay, so that's just one.

LIAM: Is it one that you have nothing in?

TALIESIN: Yes. So two. LIAM: Then you roll two again.

IMARI: Let's do it. TALIESIN: No, same roll exactly.

I rolled a three. IMARI: God, no.

TALIESIN: Tried. IMARI: No Candela.

TALIESIN: Unless anyone wanted to help, but--

LIAM: Leo, you are so unnerved by the ghost

of a clockwork tick in your mind as you run forward

that you misjudge the distance

and you go to smack the skull

towards its home.

Unfortunately, you're about two inches shy

and your hand drives the mask into the stone

and the mask shatters.

The mask is made of many little pieces of broken glass.

Your knuckles and hand are lacerated instantly.

You crash just beneath Atia

and you take a body.

Your hand now scored and gored along the back.

AIMEE: Who else do we have at play in this room?

LIAM: You see--

You see Edgar rushing towards a man who is pulling,

painfully pulling a blade out of his gut.

But you also see

an additional man with vestments on

coming out from behind a corner in the rear of the church.

He's another priest.

This man has a gun

and he is now walking

and he sees the most obvious target in here is the witch.

AIMEE: Sure. LIAM: Which is what he screams

and he is moving towards you.

I want to get to Edgar

because you were running towards--

ALEXANDER: The man pulling-- LIAM: This guy

pulling the sword out.

ALEXANDER: This is the man with the glove with the thing,

that's making the noise that's causing the thing.

LIAM: He has just drawn in energy from the chest.

ALEXANDER: Okay.

(heavy exhale)

But he's pulling a sword out of his stomach.

LIAM: Yes, currently. He was stopped mid-motion.

ALEXANDER: Yeah.

LIAM: You know what? That's not right.

I have to rewind because he just shot the face

off a man. ALEXANDER: Yeah.

LIAM: So he is just pulling the sword out.

So what do you do? ALEXANDER: I walk up.

LIAM: "(pained grunting)"

ALEXANDER: I'm a doctor. I'm here to help.

Then I immediately punch him right in the larynx

to stop him from speaking.

Using my Focus. LIAM: Yeah.

Yes. Yes.

IMARI: Sneaky.

ALEXANDER: I'm going to use my extra die from my Training

that I took at the beginning. LIAM: Yes. Yes.

All that shadow boxing in the hospital gym.

IMARI: Shit. ALEXANDER: Holy shit.

That's three ones.

I'm going to burn a resistance.

AIMEE: Yes. LIAM: Wow!

ALEXANDER: That was wild.

AIMEE: What's that? What did you use?

What are you using there?

ALEXANDER: I'm using Intuition.

AIMEE: Fuck. IMARI: Wait, wait, wait.

ALEXANDER: It's fine. It's fine.

IMARI: Let me see if I can add. ALEXANDER: My base roll was good.

TALIESIN: I don't know if you can add to a resistance.

ALEXANDER: Yeah, you can't to my resistance.

AIMEE: Right.

Oh. ALEXANDER: Five.

On a gilded. LIAM: Five?

Whoof!

What a whoo hoo hoo hoo!

ALEXANDER: Yeah.

LIAM: You strike out

with precision and get him right in the throat

and he goes, "(choking)"

ALEXANDER: I know I said I would help.

LIAM: "(choking)"

ALEXANDER: But I need you alive because I have questions

and you're going to answer them.

LIAM: Bullet goes off for your mixed success.

The priest, striding out-- AIMEE: What?

LIAM:-- aiming at you, sees his friend suddenly coming under

attack and retrains.

IMARI: Okay. LIAM:-- and fires.

IMARI: Fuck.

LIAM: The bullet

pierces through your shoulder,

and spatters the man in front of you with blood.

This man who is "(choking)"

Take your body.

IMARI: Oh, dude, this is nasty.

ALEXANDER: (heavy breathing)

LIAM: Tell me, sorry for clarification,

what was the last thing you said before you got shot?

ALEXANDER: I said:

I am going to help you and keep you alive

because I have questions.

LIAM: Questions. Okay. "(choking)"

So he's hacking up a bit of blood.

You have just been shot.

You have shot a man.

The man who was about to shoot you has just redirected.

Is there anything--

What are you doing in this moment?

AIMEE: I want to point a hand or something

and tell Atia:

You don't have to let these men

come at you.

See if that inspires--

LIAM: If you could do anything here, Aimee Carrero,

as Atia Griffia, what would you do?

AIMEE: I would shoot them.

I would shoot out whatever green bleed out of my hand

and kill the man with the gun.

LIAM: Why don't you make a--

Why don't you make a Sense roll for me?

AIMEE: Oh good.

Candela!

LIAM: Candela?

So here's what happens. AIMEE: Okay.

LIAM: This hidden priest comes out with a gun aimed at you,

marching forward at the last second.

He turns and shoots your friend--

AIMEE: Yeah. LIAM:-- through the shoulder,

through the back.

You--

Within your fugue here, ask, what can I do?

You feel that power and you surge and you know.

You strike your hand out.

No green energy fires from your arm.

But the man, instantly, his body--

(whooshes) gets hucked backward

into the wall behind him.

You hear--

(crushing) AIMEE: Oh!

LIAM: And

you watch as his skull

flattens a bit,

and presses into the wall.

You start to see blood pour down

his eyes into his mouth, out of his mouth.

His hands are quivering against the wall.

(crushing)

He continues to crush and crush into the wall

and then peels away and falls in a bloody mass

on the ground.

The skull is pulsing

beneath you.

Take a bleed.

AIMEE: That's my fourth bleed.

LIAM: The man crumples to the ground.

You feel euphoric!

Like a goddess in this moment.

Then without warning,

it starts to leave you.

You both, behind her, see, you are too busy,

see that form melt away.

There is Grimoria, young as she is,

collapsing down to the ground

and hitting the stone where you take a body.

AIMEE: Can I say one thing before she--

LIAM: Yeah. AIMEE:-- passes out

to Atia? LIAM: Yeah.

Absolutely.

AIMEE: Which is just: Let me help you.

That's all I say. LIAM: Your head strikes stone

and you are unconscious.

What are you two doing?

IMARI: She's messed up, dude,

I have to make sure she's good.

Where am I? Where am I in conjunction to this?

LIAM: Your problems left in the room, seemingly,

at this moment, are the doctor who has just been shot.

There is a man who has been stabbed

and punched in the throat.

So he's not doing too good either.

They are a sorry sight.

The skull of Atia Griffia--

Bleed, bleed, bleed.

ALEXANDER: Edgar turns around--

After being shot, holding,

putting pressure on his own wound,

turns and goes: Put the skull in the box and let's leave!

You see as he's turned,

there is what looked like glowing fingers pressing

into the side of his neck. IMARI: Oh shit.

ALEXANDER: We are going now!

Find a door!

IMARI: I'm going to go and I'm going to use--

I'm going to rip off my jacket

and try to scoop the skull up

and run it to the box.

LIAM: Yeah, let's do that.

Let's do Control to grab that thing.

IMARI: Okay, cool. So we're going to do Control on that.

So that's one. I'm going to burn a drive on it.

I will burn a drive.

Oh, wait, I got to--

Wait a second.

Each mark--

Oh, wait a second. Oh.

I got a bleed and a body.

So that's two more marks that I can fill up in my drive.

LIAM: Tell me that one more time.

IMARI: Okay, so I have Adrenaline Rush.

So for each mark I take--

LIAM: Yeah. IMARI: I can immediately

refresh a drive

point of my choice. LIAM: That's right.

So for every mark I've given you in this church,

you should have restored a drive.

IMARI: Awesome. So I'm going to restore two.

So I'm going to burn one.

I'm going to restore my Nerve drives to max after this.

Just to let you know. LIAM: Yeah, okay.

IMARI: Okay, so I'm going to burn a drive

and I have Control, which was--

What was it? What was it with Control?

I have two. LIAM: That's right.

IMARI: All right.

Here we go. LIAM: Just the two?

For your Control?

IMARI: I'm going to--

Oh, do I want to do that yet?

I'm going to use my, this is serious, I'm going to use--

AIMEE: Oh, shit, forgot about that.

IMARI: I'm going to use my extra die on this.

LIAM: You can use it next time.

IMARI: (shushes)

AIMEE: Oh.

IMARI: (laughs)

AIMEE: Looking at it. ALEXANDER: Your luck is ridiculous.

AIMEE: I'm looking at it.

IMARI: I should've gone to Vegas today.

LIAM: Okay.

IMARI: Candela. AIMEE: It's Candela.

It's a Candela. IMARI: It's a Candela.

LIAM: Edgar snaps into your brain.

You nod to him and grab your coat

and run forward and don't even touch it.

You whip it around under

and catch it into a bowling bag more or less.

You run it over,

kick the chest onto its rightful position,

and then open the jacket and the skull falls

awkwardly into the groove inside of this chest

that held it before.

And, I assume, kick the lid shut.

IMARI: Yep, immediately.

LIAM: The box still continues to glow.

In the interim, this man behind you who's hacking--

Slowly, more slowly than

the first time someone in this room charged up,

green has been wafting its way into this thing

and he sees now

that it has achieved the status that he needs.

ALEXANDER: Do I-- LIAM: He is going to

stretch the hand out towards Malcolm,

who's standing over the chest now.

ALEXANDER: I see him moving. LIAM: What do you do?

You, of course, see--

ALEXANDER: This church is ruined, correct?

There's, I assume, there's dilapidated things.

There's bricks, there's--

LIAM: Yes, there are-- ALEXANDER: I immediately

grab a brick and I slam it in his temple.

IMARI: Oh, yes.

LIAM: You can make any kind of move you want to make here.

TALIESIN: What kind of roll are you using, really quickly?

ALEXANDER: Well, I'm aiming for the temple,

using know exactly

where to strike in the head. So I'm using--

TALIESIN: Oh, wait-- ALEXANDER:-- Anatomical Strike.

TALIESIN: What does Anatomical Strike use?

ALEXANDER: Sorry, it's Intuition.

TALIESIN: It's Intuition? ALEXANDER: Yeah.

TALIESIN: Okay, he said, "Find a door."

LIAM: Yeah.

TALIESIN: I'm finding the door.

LIAM: Yeah. TALIESIN: So I would be walking

by this right now.

I might be a little distracting for this

because I know where there's a door.

LIAM: Okay, so you're distracting.

TALIESIN: Accidentally.

But I just got up when he said that

and I know exactly what door I'm going.

Just (ticking).

I'm heading

probably right by this-- LIAM: Okay, I'll say--

Here's what I'll say. TALIESIN: Yeah, I know.

LIAM: You knowingly walk in front of Malcolm.

TALIESIN: Mm.

LIAM: Risking, but also

confusing his shot in the moment.

Maybe in that split second,

it will give him a hairline of pause.

Take the drive.

TALIESIN: Tick, tick, tick, tick.

ALEXANDER: Triple sixes.

IMARI: Oh god.

AIMEE: Yeah. Three Candelas right there.

LIAM: Wow! You got three ones a few minutes ago.

AIMEE: Yeah. IMARI: Candela. See?

That's how it works. AIMEE: That's how it works, baby.

IMARI: Three Candelas.

LIAM: I'll tell you what happens.

He reaches his hand out towards Malcolm.

You see that cylinder, all the little

line work in it start to glow and wind up

and you hear that sound that you heard 18 years ago.

And something fucking snaps in your brain, Edgar.

With one hand, you slap it down

on the glove and rip it off his hand.

With the other, you swing that stone

clear across his face and you watch as his

forehead, nose, and eye socket get ripped out and off

and you can see his teeth exposed,

as you hold a brick in your hand,

covered in blood and one fucking tooth in it.

ALEXANDER: (screams)

LIAM: "(choking)"

The man hits the ground and crawls.

Lamely, pathetically, to the center of the room.

"(choking)"

And starts to sink into the stone.

Looking directly into Grimoria's face.

"(choking)"

You are alone.

The case needs to be sealed.

IMARI: We've got to get Grimoria up,

she's the only one who knows how to seal the case.

ALEXANDER: (pants)

AIMEE: I'm hoping you guys remember

that I have a book in my pocket,

with the sigils and the equation.

LIAM: That is true. IMARI: But would we know

how to decipher that? AIMEE: Yes,

because you saw it. LIAM: That is true.

AIMEE: You saw it. LIAM: That is true.

IMARI: Okay, all right. AIMEE: You saw it on the ship.

ALEXANDER: We can do it.

IMARI: Okay.

Are you sure, Edgar? LIAM: It's true, it's true.

I know where he's going with this.

TALIESIN: Mm-hmm. ALEXANDER: (sniffles)

I go over to her body and I look for the book.

LIAM: Okay, you look through her pockets

and you find that leather book

with your friend's handwriting.

ALEXANDER: (sniffles)

I'll go over to the chest.

Try and find the page,

and try and lock this thing.

LIAM: You find it, you find it.

ALEXANDER: (sniffles)

Okay.

LIAM: This is going to take for you, I will say--

I will let you choose

to use your brain or your spirit,

so Focus or Sense.

ALEXANDER: Focus.

LIAM: Mm-hmm.

You've spent enough time with Grimoria.

ALEXANDER: Yep. (sniffles)

LIAM: You watched her do this the last time.

You'll remember, you'll remember.

ALEXANDER: Candela.

AIMEE: (laughs)

LIAM: (clacks)

The symbols alter and change.

(clacks)

(sighs) (hisses)

The case is sealed,

and you are, in fact, alone.

Your friend, unconscious on the ground.

In your hand, Edgar,

the strange contraption of a gauntlet,

a legacy of pain in the palm of your hand.

What happens now?

IMARI: Now I find the damn door and open that shit,

and I'm going to freaking throw that box through

that door immediately. AIMEE: What door?

Don't we have the quartz? IMARI: Well, where's the door now?

AIMEE: The quartz.

ALEXANDER: I have it. IMARI: You have the quartz?

Who has the quartz? ALEXANDER: Just need a door.

LIAM: There is a door.

You know where the door is. TALIESIN: I'm already--

I have--

I walked away from this.

LIAM: So you've gone to the door? TALIESIN: The minute that was gone,

I am down that fucking hallway.

LIAM: I believe that.

IMARI: I'm going to run after,

since I know he has the quartz,

so I'm going to run after.

I'm going to go take the box

and I'ma run after. LIAM: You pick up the box.

It's heavy. IMARI: Yep.

LIAM: Leo's ahead of you.

IMARI: (grunts) LIAM: You--

TALIESIN: I'm walking quickly. LIAM:-- check it out,

you actually open the door

before they get there.

And, Leo, it's there.

It's years later and it is still there.

You can see the intricate carving,

the beautiful wood of this strange clockwork device,

decorated and combined with pieces of stone

dug up from the old world.

Little animals with bits of gem and quartz and stone,

thousands of years old.

You can hear the bell

and the moving parts.

You can see the eyes blinking.

What do you do with this clock?

TALIESIN: I find the first figurine as it's moving,

and I take it

and I just snap its head off,

and I put it in my pocket.

I take the next one and I rip an arm off,

and throw it across the room.

I just, piece by tiny piece,

bend and break.

I take my bleed detector

and I shove it in there and twist.

I take my lighter,

and I pull the kerosene out

and I pour it into it.

I start hitting it with my broken hand,

scraping the glass into it.

I will find any way to hurt it

as slowly as humanly possible.

Can I hear the ticking?

LIAM: It is incessant.

Leo, I need you to take two brain.

IMARI: Oh.

LIAM: Malcolm, you come up behind Leo

and stand in the door,

and you see him hunched over,

like an imp,

scraping his broken, cut hand

against a large stone in the middle of the room,

punching the stone,

pouring kerosene on top of a rock

that is part of the foundation of this church.

He's whispering to it,

and rocking back and forth on his heels.

IMARI: Leo, what the fuck are you doing?

TALIESIN: It can break,

it can break. IMARI: Leo, you got to get

your shit together, we have to get this--

We have to get the door

open now. TALIESIN: Tick, tick, tick,

tick, tick, tick. LIAM: The door is open.

you need this door to work.

IMARI: Where's the quartz?

LIAM: You need him out of here--

IMARI: Leo. LIAM:-- so you can affix

the sun to the door.

IMARI: So I have to get, so he needs to do it then.

ALEXANDER: I have it. IMARI: You have it.

LIAM: You all need to be on

one side of the door-- IMARI: Where are you?

ALEXANDER: I'm still back in the room

with Grimoria. LIAM:-- and use it.

ALEXANDER: You took a chest and walked to him.

IMARI: Fuck. ALEXANDER: So I'm walking

over to Grimoria.

IMARI: Edgar, I need you here now!

Get here now!

ALEXANDER: I... know.

TALIESIN: I pull out a small knife

that I had just hidden in my pocket,

and I start trying to dig into the fucking gears.

I'm trying to bend them to make the sound stop.

I am finding the eyes in the lights.

LIAM: He's not moving.

IMARI: He's locked in. LIAM: He's in his thing.

IMARI: He's locked in.

My main objective is to get this box through

so that I can get them out of danger.

LIAM: You guys need to be on one side of the door or the other,

and use it. AIMEE: He's inside the door?

ALEXANDER: We're in two rooms. LIAM: We're making a magick door.

ALEXANDER: Yeah. LIAM: You guys

are on opposite sides,

which is not what you need, so.

AIMEE: I can't do shit-- ALEXANDER: The man who I--

AIMEE: I'm passed out. LIAM: That's right.

ALEXANDER:-- hit in the head.

Quickly look for a wallet,

and I take it. LIAM: Mm-hmm, okay,

you've got it.

ALEXANDER: Then I go pick up Grimoria.

LIAM: Yeah.

ALEXANDER: I walk towards the door.

LIAM: Okay. ALEXANDER: When I pick her up:

I go: Hey.

You have to stop passing out, Grim.

IMARI: (laughs) ALEXANDER: I get up

and walk to the door.

AIMEE: In my head, I'm going (scoffs).

ALEXANDER: It's not healthy.

LIAM: You pick her up, you say? ALEXANDER: Yeah.

I'm happy to roll over this because I am fucked up.

LIAM: No, your eyes flutter awake.

You're too weak to move.

You are hurting,

but you are just barely conscious,

as Edgar carries you,

turning to enter this room.

All four of you are in here.

Why not? Leo, take another brain.

TALIESIN: I am out.

LIAM: He collapses over the stone.

AIMEE: Might be easier, honestly, if he has--

LIAM: His head on it like a pillow,

and his hand on his own face,

scored with blood,

and there's chunks of glass coming,

and the other hand is bloody, too,

because he's been punching this rock.

He just, (pants)

with a half smile, collapses against the stone.

But you are all in one room together.

IMARI: (grunts)

ALEXANDER: Put the chest down,

and get the thing out of my pocket.

It's in the inside pocket of my coat.

I can't move that arm that well.

You got to put it on the door,

and then we open the door.

The door has to be closed.

We slap that on as hard as you can,

and then open the door.

IMARI: I'm going to do that.

LIAM: Okay. IMARI: (grunts)

LIAM: It's a piece of clay.

It is slightly pliable.

It plants against the door.

You take it away and you smash it

and it flattens out. IMARI: (grunts)

LIAM: And mars the design of the sun.

IMARI: (grunts) LIAM: There is a visible tremor

down through the door,

clear like water or waves.

You hear a (clacks).

You open the door,

and you are looking at a set of stairs

going down, down, down,

and twisting ever so slightly.

IMARI: I'm going to scoop that box up,

and I'ma go down those stairs

immediately. ALEXANDER: Hey,

you got to drag him in, too.

IMARI: That's fine.

Before I do that,

I'm going to make sure Leo's on the other side of the door.

Since he has Grimoria,

I'm going to make sure that Leo,

before I get the box,

I'm going to drag Leo

on the other side of that door.

Then I'm going to quickly get the box

and scream at everyone to get the fuck through the door.

LIAM: Okay, you drag an unconscious Leo Amicus

down the first six or seven of these stairs

and leave him lying,

staring vacant eyed

at a hallway in the Fourth Pharos.

You return for the chest.

It will be difficult,

but we are at the end of our chapter here.

You hoist this thing under your arm

and move in,

and you follow Gary and Grimoria.

Grimoria, you look over his shoulder

at a scene in a church that you will never forget.

The door swings closed behind you.

The clay goes brittle

and falls away in dust.

I'll leave you,

as you guys slowly, painfully step your way down

an impossibly long stairwell,

into the Fourth Pharos.

And that's where we'll end our story for the night.

IMARI: (sharply exhales)

Got to send a welcome party for god's sake.

AIMEE: (laughs)

IMARI: Rude. LIAM: That was so much fun.

IMARI: (claps) TALIESIN: (finger snaps)

AIMEE: (laughs) IMARI: Woo!

LIAM: Oh, you four fabulous people,

sign off for the night,

one more time.

ALEXANDER: My name's Alex Ward.

I do this sometimes.

(laughter)

ALEXANDER: I'm on the internet, you'll find it. (laughs)

AIMEE: I'm Aimee Carrero playing Grimoria,

the Weird Medium Magician.

IMARI: My name is Imari Williams,

I am Malcolm Trills.

TALIESIN: My name is Taliesin Jaffe,

I am the remnants of Leo Amicus' parental damage.

(laughter)

LIAM: (sighs) And I'm Liam O'Brien,

your Game Master for this chapter

with the Circle of the Crimson Mirror.

I am utterly terrified before these games start,

and then I get to the end

and I've had so much fun with you.

Thank you, thank you. (applause)

LIAM: Thank you, and you.

And hey, thank you.

AIMEE: (laughs)

LIAM: See you in the Fourth Pharos.

AIMEE: Oh!