2020-12-01

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INVOLVED PARTIES

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INCIDENT REPORT

Backstage Pass...

• Following the evening's production of Dracula 20XX: Diabolus in Musica, Aradia, Josi, and Leah move backstage to explore the rest of Théâtre de Douleur. The backdrop of Dracula's castle remains, as does the flickering stack of television screens. Illuminated within the glow of the monitors is the lifeless body of the young boy fed from during the show. Seemingly perturbed by what she has witness this night, Leah chucks an abandoned bottle into the backdrop. The sound of shattering glass elicits the attention of Baron de Troyes herself.

• Baron de Troyes introduces herself, while also making it clear that she is familiar with the coterie's identities — Aradia, Leah, and Bridgette (Oops! I mean, Josi). She's overall dismissive of the Sheriff's authority, and hand-waves any concerns Leah may express. During the back and forth, Aradia catches her eye. It takes but a second, yet Aradia spirals into a premonition somehow caused by Suzette's presence.

California Dreaming...

• Aradia opens her eyes only to find herself staring into the day's blue sky and bright noon sunlight. A warm, brackish breeze forces her skin to tighten into gooseflesh. On the horizon, past the swaying tops of lush palm trees, is a chaparral-covered hill dotted with a crisp white sign. The letters of the sign tower over the valley below — they read: HOLLYWOODLAND.

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• Aradia loses herself, abandoning ego and succumbing to this new reality. She is none other than London Nonstop, the professional alias of an adept — if not drunken — private investigator. The year is 1947, and she stands in front of the Villa Nova restaurant. She's here on business, having been hired by a professional acquaintance by the name of Seth to look into the disappearance of an aspiring young actress.

• Miss London enters the glitzy restaurant, quickly finding her already assembled cohorts — Scarlet Incognito and Mila Rosenthal. The two of them each have some connection to the missing woman, Miriam Twain. Scarlet, a struggling actress herself, worked here as a part-time waitress with Miriam. Mila on the other hand, still transitioning from her time in the WAC, is neighbors with Miriam at Griffith Hotel — a female-only residential hotel.

• With news of the recent Black Dahlia murder dominating all of the headlines, everyone is a little apprehensive about Miriam's whereabouts. Though she was the prettiest girl in her hometown of Ames, Iowa, Miriam comes off as a little naive to those she meets in Hollywood. She's always keen to tell her story too — that as the winner of the country fair's "Corn Queen" contest, she was awarded a bus ticket to Hollywood and left with stars in her eyes. Unfortunately, a series of failed auditions left her waiting tables instead.

• The group pools their assembled knowledge as London throws back another glass of whiskey. Mila knows that Miriam hasn't been back to her apartment in nearly two weeks. Scarlet knows that Miriam was excited about an upcoming audition with famed producer, Manny DeMarco, head of Thule Studios.

• Taking a taxi into Hollywood proper, the group of investigators arrive at Thule Studios. While shooting takes place in a small hangar-style studio, business is done across the street in a small second story office — one of about a dozen rented offices located on the backlot of a larger studio. Mila tells the cabby to keep the meter running as they disappear inside.

• The unattended reception area gives the investigators a chance to snoop. They find a annotated copy of a working screenplay, entitled: The King in Yellow: An Adaptation. It's author is listed as Nigel Engram, the once-celebrated Shakespearean actor. Scarlet pockets the script. A little more digging uncovers Nigel's full details in the Rolodex on the desk.

• Knocking on the interior door grants the group an audience with DeMarco himself. It's a dim, smoky room decorated with framed posters from older films from Thule Studios — mostly horror flicks accrediting bygone producers like Isaac Abrams and outdated stars such as Gary Golden. A stack of foldout promotional posters for "The King in Yellow" is on the desk. Scarlet casually takes one.

• DeMarco claims to not remember anyone named Miriam, saying that thousands of dames move through his office every year. He suggests, somewhat sarcastically, that she might have found himself down in Chinatown. After all, a lot of failed actresses find less reputable work at the Dragon's Court... or in one of Frankie Faust's movies. He does agree to look into it however, telling the group to give him a call at the end of the business day.

• The group gets back into their awaiting taxi, directing it toward Chinatown. The cabby is a little unsure of taking a "nice group of dolls" somewhere like the Dragon's Court, but relents after Mila makes a comment about her time in the war. On the drive, Scarlet thumbs through the script she stole, while London notices that the foldout poster name-checks Miriam specifically!

Welcome to Chinatown...

• Through the iconic Gateway Monument, the group immediately knows that they are in Chinatown proper. They unload from the taxi and have the cabby stay parked in the central plaza. The Dragon's Court is in a narrow alleyway, illuminated from above by crisscrossed strings of paper lanterns. It's easily identified as emptying out onto the street beside the dilapidated Chinese Theater. Peeling movie posters cover parts of the brick alley walls, including the familiar King in Yellow handout.

• Scarlet convinces the well-dressed doorman to let them into the Dragon's Court. Once inside, the group is greeted by a sprawling ground floor lined with overlapping Persian carpets, windows blacked out by heavy drapery, and an atmosphere hazy with the sweet scent of opium clouds. There are a number of patrons laying about on plush couches, ornate chairs, and even piles of pillows on the floor. Three more guards can easily be picked out within a brighter alcove, all heavies and all presumably armed.

• The group catches the attention of the establishment's purveyor — an older Chinese woman, short in stature, but made-up and garbed in such a way so as to play upon the Hollywoodized trappings of Chinatown's aesthetic. She introduces herself as Madame Feng, and gives each of the three investigators a "gift" — a small dose of opium.

• Scarlet questions Feng about Miriam, but is stonewalled. Having had enough what she assumes is the local Triad, London pulls her snubnosed revolver and casually presses it into Feng's back. The threat is clear, and all they want to know about is Miriam. Still, Feng remains calm and poised, practically commanding them to leave her establishment as she shrugs free and confidentially walks across the room toward the standing guards. The investigators take this as their cue to leave, and so they do.

• Back out in the alleyway, London notices an open window upstairs, conveniently attached to the fire escape around the corner of the building. Her and Mila are able to scale the structure and slip into the second floor of the Dragon's Court. Scarlet keeps watch in the alleyway — besides, she's not wearing shoes at all appropriate for climbing!

• There are a handful of rooms upstairs which the two investigators toss. In one is vanity with makeup, and a large wooden wardrobe. Within the wardrobe are a number of bodices and slinky nightgowns, but also a goat-like skull mask and fur greaves. Within the lining of the greaves is a small pocket, containing a silver cigarette case engraved with the letters N.E. — probably for Nigel Engram! This room also contains a bookcase, upon which is a bound copy of The King in Yellow — the sloppily published stage-play that the film is apparently to be based on. A hidden compartment is found behind the bookcase, containing balls of opium, stacks of cash, and a .38 revolver. Mila happily takes the cash and the firearm.

• The next room contains little more than a bed, upon which is a seemingly drugged woman. She slurs answers to simple questions before passing out fully. She does give Mila some pertinent information however. It seems that Miriam did come here, but only with "some British guy" and even then, neither have been seen in a few weeks.

• Outside, Scarlet reads more from The King in Yellow script she took from Thule Studios. It's a macabre tale following two women's pursuit of the titular King in Yellow. It rambles, speaking of the establishment of something called the Dynasty of Carcosa, surrounded by Lake Hali. It speaks of twin moons in the sky, and an ominous Yellow Sign to foretell the coming of the King.

• The final room is decorated with little more than a bed itself, but also contains a tripod-mounted camera and a pair of studio lights. It's set up to film whatever takes place on the bed, perhaps in a similar fashion as the Frankie Faust films the group has heard of. Mila removes the small reel of film from the camera for later inspection, and makes the call to leave before any of the guards downstairs happen upon her and London.

• Regrouping in the alleyway, Mila suggests that they head into the Chinese Theater next door. Inside they find what must have once been an opulent scene, but is now little than a rotting skeleton of a building. Though mysteriously there still seems to be electricity. The investigators head upstairs, finding the ransacked manager's office and projection booth. Scarlet loads up the film and plays it over the tattered screen in the theater below.

• The film spins to life. What follows is a bizarre series of scenes, apparently shot within the very bedroom the the film was found in. A strange symbol drapes behind the bed, painted in yellow on the hanging cloth. Miriam Twain is on the bed. She's naked, save for the gag and rope, keeping her bound in a spreadeagled position. A man steps into frame, dressed as a satyr. He ravishes Miriam's body, following some sort of pagan ritual or perverted fertility rite. It's more occult than pornographic however, a fact made painfully clear when the man plunges a dagger into Miriam's chest. Thankfully, the camera continues to roll as the man gets up, revealing the dagger to be nothing more than a retractable prop. He steps toward the camera to turn it off, with Miriam clearly unharmed in the background.

Tinseltown...

• The cab drops the group off at the Giffith Hotel — a women's residence that both Mila and Miriam call home. It's getting late at this point, so while Scarlet calls Mr. DeMarco, Mila uses the fire escape that connects her apartment to Miriam's to give London access to the missing party's natural habitat.

• Miriam's apartment is practically immaculate. Nothing seems out of place, which leads London to believe that Miriam did not intend to simply up and leave. There is, however, a full-sized print of the promotional poster for The King in Yellow. It looks to be an original, and is signed by the artist, Leland LaPointe.

• Back in Mila's apartment, Scarlet speaks with Mr. DeMarco over the telephone. He sounds nervous, frantic even. He says that Miriam was indeed hired for Nigel Engram's new vanity project. He rambles about the "coming times" and mentions that "the King returns, and Miriam is to be his bride." He lets slip that rehearsals have been taking place at Engram's mansion. He claims to be "more awake than ever" before seemingly cutting the line.

• It's decided — the three investigators take to Mila's old pickup truck and set out toward Nigel Engram's home address. It's a sprawling Spanish revivalist mansion nestled into the Santa Monica Mountains. It overlooks Griffith Park, and provides an excellent view of the domed Griffith Observatory, as well as the Hollywoodland sign itself.

• Several expensive cars sit out, yet the mansion appears to be empty. The lights are off, and many of the curtains are drawn. The door is unlocked, and the investigators let themselves in. They are immediately greeted by a large statue of Engram himself in the center of the foyer. The rest of the house yields similar vanity, with a home theater full of movies posters, film accolades, costume memorabilia, and prop weapons. An empty ballroom emits a haunting melody an old Victrola. The upstairs are mostly guest bedrooms, with the tidy master suite offering little insight into Engram's psyche, save for the annotated copy of The King in Yellow on his bedside table.

• The long galley style kitchen does feel out of place however. It's altogether too small for the house. The pantry, too, though it does contain a flight of descending stairs, granting access to the wine cellar. Stranger still is the sound emanating from below... like chanting. Mila takes point, gun drawn, as the investigators descend the staircase.

• The chanting is echoing from around a corner and up through the narrow wine cellar. As the investigators approach the sounds, London notices that among the large casks of amontillado red is a small aperture, through which a tray can be passed. Looking through they find a small, padded room within, replete with a mattress and waste bucket. Standing amidst torn pages is none other than Miriam Twain!

• They get Miriam's attention as she rushes over to the slot, pressing her eye as close as possible. She isn't well though, and her voice carries the same tone that Mr. DeMarco's did. She has obviously bought into Nigel Engram's fantasies, and rambles about the upcoming ritual. She is convinced that she is but a "bride awaiting the arrival of her King" here in her "nuptial chamber."

• London, ever the inquisitive private eye, creeps further into the hallway and peaks around the corner. There is a makeshift stage set up in an old stone antechamber. Upon it Nigel Engram is busy directing rehearsals. Standing on stage is a woman in a posh dress, beside whom is a formless figure in a yellow cloak and pallid mask. Engram screams at the group, berating their performance before running the cloaked figure through with a sword. He dons the mask, proclaiming the he will just have to play the King himself as they wrap production tomorrow!

• Mila manages to jimmy the door lock, but once it's open, Miriam begins to cry out for help. Mila tackles her and manages to get enough morphine into her veins to shut her up for a couple of hours. It's too late though, it was heard, and people start jogging out of the rehearsal area. Throwing her up over her shoulder in a fireman's carry, Mile moves to transport Miriam out of Casa Engram as Scarlet and London cover their exit.

• Wine casks are tipped over to create enough of a hazard for the group to escape. With Miriam and London in the bed of Mila's truck, they hightail it to London's office. They seem free from pursuit, and begin to relax as they wind their way down out of the mountains.

• London's office is actually just a desk in the front room of a one bedroom apartment. There is a couch, a coffee machine, and a separate bedroom and bathroom — everything a struggling P.I. would need. Upon entering, she offers everyone some coffee, using a touch of whiskey to make hers Irish. Mila ties Miriam to a chair, just in case she wakes up. The group agree to watch her in shifts throughout the night.

• Scarlet has terrible nightmares, her mind reeling with what she read in the King in Yellow. She finds herself in a theater among a dense crowd. Everything is in black and white, like in a movie. Everything except for the yellow robes worn by those in the crowd. She tries to run, but the group chase her into the streets. The world is in chaos, as buildings burn and murderers roam. In her gut she knows that will come to pass should Carcosa be raised from the depths of Lake Hali. Should the King in Yellow be free to walk the world.

That's a Wrap...

• As morning comes, the group makes plans to stop Nigel Engram and his demented directorial debut once and for all. With a bag of makeshift molotov cocktails, they head out to finish their business with Thule Studios.

• On the way, Mila swings by the VA hospital. She leaves Miriam in the care of Allie, a friend from her days in the WAC. She assured Mila that she will take good care of Miriam, and hopefully get her the help she needs.

• Thule Studios is bustling with activity. It's the final day of production, and the set is impressive even to the investigators. Though mostly plywood and lead paint, a complex backdrop of jagged geometry invokes imagery of Carcosa. More impressive still is the artificial lake surrounded it, accounting for almost the entire backlot hangar.

• Nigel Engram, dressed as the King in Yellow, is standing by the main camera, directing. An identically dressed figure — presumably his stunt double — sits within a rowboat.

• Without warning, a gunshot rings out as molotovs explode. The gas generators powering the equipment quickly catch flame, as the plywood begins to burn. The cast and crew seem unfazed however, as Nigel steadily cranks the mechanism of his camera, capturing his stunt double slowly paddling into the lake. Along the shore, the King's replacement "bride" begins to swim out after him.

• Nigel's robes begin to smolder before erupting into the shared flames of the blazing inferno. He never stops filming however, not until his charred corpse slumps forward, propped atop the camera as some macabre tribute.

• The water of the makeshift lake boils as the King's bride surfaces, her soggy flesh practically melting from the bone of her arm as she reaches at the edge of the boat. She pleads for her King to take her before sinking back into the placid water.

• Both London and Scarlet, even at the outer edge of the hangar doors, seem enraptured by the scene. Their eyes glued to the cloaked figure in the lake. They fight it, but begin to slowly walk forward themselves, back into the flames.

• Mila raises her revolver to fire at the cloaked figure, but pauses as he lowers his mask, revealing the face of Suzette de Troyes herself...

Roll Credits...

• Aradia snaps to. She's still standing backstage at the Théâtre de Douleur. Her coterie are exchanging words with Baron de Troyes, as if nothing has happened. It seems as though mere seconds have passed, even if Aradia herself remembers those twenty-four hours as London Nonstop. Suzette looks at her with a slight grin and asks, "Did you see anything you liked?"