ne t'en fais pas, mon chou.

[agogemod]

WHO? Everybody!
WHAT? Agoge's second TDM! And welcome to Paris, everybody.
WHEN? Late 1792, Paris.
ANYTHING ELSE? Violence, as always. Please warn in subject lines for anything beyond physical violence, and move to a personal journal if things go beyond PG-13.

IT'LL BE FINE;

Paris, 1792: revolutionary france.

read the France setting infopages

arrival for veterans

For those who broke off from the army that fought at Valmy and returned to Paris, they come to a city bustling with life. Not only that, but they are greeted with nothing short of a hero's welcome. The tricolor is flown from every possible spot that can hold a flag, cockades are everywhere, and people cheer the names of the generals Dumouriez and Kellermann.

Simply saying you fought at Valmy is liable to get someone to buy you a drink, do you a favor, congradulate you, shake your hand. It's a great way to get shopkeepers to lower their prices, to get a low cost room, or just get someone to smile. Children will ask for stories of the fight. Grown men and women will ask to know what the generals were like.

Yes, you are undercover, yes, you are in the wrong time, and possibly the wrong universe, but for today? You are heroes.

arrival for new recruits

If you didn't fight at Valmy, it means you're new to COST. Maybe you agreed to work with them, maybe you don't remember. It doesn't matter. You wake up in a Parisian hotel room with a kind woman standing near the door, waiting for you to awaken.

You have none of your clothing, just black military-issued underwear, and none of your previous possessions beyond the one you chose (if you remember choosing) to bring with you.

The woman by the door speaks French, and if you didn't understand the language before, you do now. If you have questions as to what's going on, she'll answer: you are a member of COST, a paramilitary organization of time travelers fighting against the Regency, a tyrannous kingdom of the future who are trying to stamp out freedom and individuality in the name of peace.

She will provide you with the clothing necessary to fit in at this time, and show you how to use your BCE implant to look up information on this time period and its social and political mores. She won't let you leave until you're properly dressed to fit in, but once you are, she'll wish you luck.



MISSION OBJECTIVE

Unlike the last two missions you may have faced with COST, this one isn't as straight forward as a battle. This is about information-gathering, keeping your ear to the ground, and watching.

Paris during the revolution, even early days like this, is rife with paranoia. Though the heroes of Valmy are treated with huge respect and admiration, that is a huge exception to the rule, one that will fade with time.

As it stands, everyone expects counter-revolutionary spies sent from Prussia and the Holy Roman Empire, or simply French monarchists, to take what freedoms the people of Paris have wrested for themselves. Whispers abound. Suspicions mount.

It's in the midst of this that COST has received information that the Regency has placed its spies within Paris. Their aims are currently unknown, but it's suspected they have some sort of machinations for the King and Queen. Paris has declared itself a republic, free of monarchial control, but the Regency may have other aims. It's imperative that COST operatives keep an eye open for any and all signs of suspicion.

It's just difficult, because so is everyone else in Paris.



CELEBRATE

Paris is in an uproar, excited by the return of some of its great heroes, the fighters at Valmy. Even if you didn't actively participate in the battle, if you were there, if you contributed at all, someone will want to shake your hand.

Of course, there's always rumors, and there's little way to prove one was actually at Valmy in this premodern era. Accusing, or being accused, of lying about this tremendous day is an excellent way to get into a fight. Be careful.

coffee break

At this time, high spirits in Paris are a dangerous thing. So many people on the streets inevitably leads to trouble: a riot breaks out.

You see, the shipment of more coffee from San Domingo is late, and this increases the price of the coffee already on the market. This may not seem like much, but the average citizen in Paris is very poor, and works upwards of twelve hours daily, often doing back-breaking or repetitive labor. Coffee is an essential ingredient to get them through the day, a stimulant to keep them from dropping flat. Price increases are even worse, then, because of certain laws put in place to stop this from happening. In an attempt to aid the poor, the National Convention has put price laws in place, decreeing that goods such as food and coffee cannot rise above a certain price. In view of the shortages, merchants have ignored these laws.

So a riot breaks out. People break shop windows, attack businesses, and fights break out left and right. In the chaos, it's difficult to tell friend from foe, and you may be attacked by someone who, hours ago, was shaking your hand and congratulating you. You may get swept up in the riot without meaning to. Or, hell, maybe you want to cause a little chaos and break some windows yourself.

Regardless, a riot is a calamitous thing; be careful. While it doesn't cease all of Paris-- Paris is a big place, after all-- it certainly takes a fair percentage of the streets, especially near markets.

One thing, though. It's very odd. Often, when these shops are broken into and goods are stolen, money is left behind. Generally, it's not the amount the shopkeeper was asking-- often, it's exactly the lower amount decreed by the National Convention's ignored law.

WITNESS A BEHEADING

But neither the riot nor the celebration overtakes all of Paris. There are other things going on. Like a beheading.

Jacques Cazotte is one of the first victims of the Terror that will sweep France in a couple months, though he didn't know it at the time. He is a monarchist, though, the very definition of the feared 'counter-revolutionaries' everyone believes live in secret throughout France, seeking to undermine the Revolution at any cost. (Convenient, considering the definition of what precisely a 'counter-revolutionary' is constantly shifting).

Many gather to watch his death, and cheer when the guillotine falls. The executioner holds up his head for all to see when the act is completed, and some may notice the eyes still blink and roll in their sockets. The crowd gasps and jostles closer to see more, but after that, there isn't much fanfare. The body and its head are shoved into a cart and taken away to be buried. The event is over.

Still, the people discuss with great excitement, happy the filthy monarchist, the counter-revolutionary, is dead and gone, and France is that much safer.

PLANT A LIBERTY TREE

Liberty trees are popping up all over Paris, and everyone wants to plant one (if only to say they have). They're any kind of tree, and people are plopping them down in any bit of soil they can find. It's a symbol of the revolution, of patriotism, of loyalty, of whatever the planter wants it to be. Join in, or you'll inevitably be invited to the activity. It's a great way to get an ear to the ground for gossip, or just an idea of how things are going in the city.

LISTEN TO A SPEECH

France was just recently declared a republic after literally hundreds of years of unbroken absolutist monarchism. People are a little excited. Attend political clubs to listen to the speeches on the subject, all with their own perspective (but nearly all very much in favor of the republic). Or maybe you'll see someone speechifying on a street corner, throwing their ideas out to the masses. People are forthright about their political opinions, because they feel like, for the first time in history, their political opinions actually matter. It's pretty exciting, if you're into that sort of thing.

If not, feel free to let people know. Giving public speeches is an active process, and the speech makers are expected to be able to keep up with the crowd. Heckle, argue back, debate, start a fight, whatever.

The major things being debated are what, exactly, to do with the king and queen now that France is a republic. Should they be executed? Should they be brought down to normal citizenship? Should they serve as figureheads, like in England, making France a constitutional monarchy? Is that a step backward or forward? Everyone has an opinion, and everyone wants to hear it.

However, if you're lucky, you might catch the rare debate on other subjects: women's suffrage (still unheard of), the correct price for bread and coffee, what to do about the slaves in San Domingo, and which countries to invade in the upcoming war. It's all on the table.

read the France setting infopages

NAV. NETWORK LOGS OOC PLURK DISCORD

Comments

Elsa | ouat | newcomer | ota

[cryogene]

I. Riot
Elsa hasn't had an incident with her powers in a long time. Her powers are dampened here, leaving her with a sense of security that helps increase her confidence. That boost does little to help her when she finds herself in the midst of a riot. She's heard of things like this happening, she's even read of it. But she's never seen it up close. The reality compared to what she's read and heard can't even begin to compare.

She tries reasoning with people at first. No amount of pleading for reason to rule out over the violence that explodes in a matter of seconds. As glass shatters around her, she becomes increasingly anxious. That anxiety turns into a skittishness that turns dangerous as she tries breaking through the crowd. She's trapped in a sea of bodies and mayhem, the commotion causing ice to creep up on her fingers. Roughly getting an elbow to the face causes that ice to appear beneath her feet.

The warmth of blood combined with the tingle of ice propel her forward. She's no longer an asset here, she's a liability. Elsa pushes her way through the crowd by force and runs toward the nearest hidden corner. A sheen of melting ice with splatters of red lead the way right to her. It goes unnoticed by the rioters, who keep looting and fighting.

II. Beheading
She doesn't really believe that they'll actually behead someone at first. It seems so unnecessary and brutal to do to anyone, no matter what their crime is. The fact that she's present at a beheading is strictly to gather information only. The mission is to observe and obtain as much intelligence as possible. Her aversion to violence can't get in the way of that.

Her eyes scan over the crowd and their behavior more than the actual event itself. She slowly moves through the crowd, making idle conversation as she goes. She ends up next to another agent of COST right before the blade falls and a head rolls. Despite her need for personal space, she stands in close and presses her hand against their arm.

"It's so barbaric," she whispers to them.

Images of being executed this way by her people because she isn't good enough flow through her mind.

III. Speech Listening
"Is execution absolutely necessary?" Elsa speaks up over the crowd the second there's a lapse in shouting.

Discussion of what to do with the king and queen make her uneasy, but motivate her to speak up and participate. She's quiet and refined as always, but there's an icy edge to her voice.

"There are plenty of other ways to punish someone that prolongs their suffering."

She isn't actually hoping to torture someone, but is hoping to lead the conversation away from violence.

I (I got a little carried away so please don't feel obligated to match length!)

[courtintrigue]

In raven form and perched on a rooftop when the fighting breaks out, Morrigan is barely surprised. The talk she heard from her perch was volatile, the mood smoldering like a bed of dry kindling on the verge of catching flame. It is her thought to stay well above the conflict once things turn violent, having no reason to get involved, but something unusual catches her eye.

It looks like a patch of frost abruptly blossoming on the ground, initially unnoticed by most.

Pinpointing the source takes her a moment, but one of the figures pushes free of the thick crowd, ice shining on the ground in their wake, and scrambles for cover. To the very best of her knowledge, the only magic in this world is magic brought by COST recruits... or perhaps their enemy, whose capabilities are largely a mystery to her other than their ability to remove their own from this world, piece by agonizing piece. If this person is an ally, their magic makes them more valuable than the average recruit; if an enemy, knowing what they can do will be useful.

No matter what the allegiance, their feelings on the riot are clear: they want no part of it. Wings spread, she swoops down from the rooftop and quickly takes on her own form again on the other side of the building. Dressed more or less like a man native to the time and place, she has put no effort into fooling anyone: her shape is obvious, her hair is only loosely pinned up, she does nothing to alter her voice. Walking around the building puts her at risk of flying fists and shoved bodies and broken glass, and while she would greatly prefer not to be in the middle of such ridiculousness she weaves along the riot's edge until nears her target's hiding place. Two rioters nearly wrestle themselves to the ground in their effort to bloody each other's noses, barely paying attention to the woman hiding within arm's reach. Morrigan's hands make a quick gesture in the air, casting Horror on the pair, and within moments they begin to separate, voices rising in panic, and run in fear from what is all in their heads.

She meets the woman's eyes.

"You will not remain safe here. Are you in control of yourself?"

A trail of ice is not exactly discreet.

iii.

[thingpuncher]

The crowd turns to the woman who spoke out-- women with opinions are still a rarity at this time, but certainly less of one than they were even months before-- and the arguing men actually seem to consider her options.

"A bloodthirsty woman of France," one says, approvingly.

Midnighter, who was sitting just above her on one of the pews in front of her, turns back to give a thumbs up. He speaks up, mostly to be an asshole, but also out of genuine curiosity at where this all is going to go. "Can't you, like, burn down all the palaces? I bet that'd upset those rich pricks more than getting killed."

II;

[hakanai]

Yoshitsugu is here to do the same, though he was not given a personal order to do so; he wouldn't be very good at his (mostly) life-long job if he didn't take the initiative himself. Barbaric is right. This land of France is suffering in many ways, its people angry, and angry people can do very brutal things.

Worse is going to come, though he's not going to say something like that in public. Instead he side-eyes the woman who touches his arm and shifts just enough to look at her more clearly.

Yeah, COST. Definitely one of COST's operatives, brought here to protect time. Her hair is a shade of gold identical to that his first Lord and father-figure had worn on his head, and it makes Yoshitsugu feel oddly nostalgic for a moment. How unlike him.

"It is," he says, barely audible even to her. "You had best get used to it while we are here or find a role that keeps you far away, though the chances of that are probably low."

Simple brutal honesty. Yoshitsugu is not a man who tries to sugar-coat an unpleasant situation at all, because really, what's the point? They're here and they have to get on with it. But that odd sense of nostalgia remains, so he offers her a very brief pat on the arm in what is for him (and very few others) a hugely kind gesture before stepping out of her touch.

"You are settled?"

This is said a little more loudly, because it's not suspicious, but she'll know what he means. Probably. Getting all of COST into lodgings and a safe base to work from is important enough for him to check on other others, as well as enabling him to predict and strategist efficiently.

Around them, the crowd is getting more and more excited about what they've just seen. Some start to press forward, keen to seen more of the aftermath of the beheading.