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ne t'en fais pas, mon chou.
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.
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.coffee break
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.
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.WITNESS A BEHEADING
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.
But neither the riot nor the celebration overtakes all of Paris. There are other things going on. Like a beheading.PLANT A LIBERTY TREE
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.
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
no subject
But despite her past, she's never seen an execution. She'd imagined it being a clinical thing, a silent crowd, the sharp thunk of the blade. Instead it's almost like a party. She can't imagine the atmosphere on days where there were dozens, even hundreds of executions.]
That's people. They need something to blame. [It's the cynical kind of thought she hasn't allowed herself in a while, but it's not like she was ever rid of that kind of thinking. Besides, she's speaking from experience. Blaming something sure made her feel better. ]
Animals are pretty messed up too, though. Lots of them play with their food. [Yeah, that's the part worth contradicting.]
no subject
[ Though that would be even more disturbing... Jack the Ripper's penchant for eating hearts was bad enough. As the body is loaded into a cart, the crowd begins to disperse, having gathered for one thing and one thing alone; many singing pro-revolutionary songs as they leave. Mordred doesn't follow them. ]
And if an enemy is easy to defeat, why not have some fun? [ She shrugs. ] But this isn't a fight. It's not even a slaughter. It's entertainment for weak fools who can't even hold a sword.
no subject
Why not have some... [She's so annoyed by that, she almost misses what Mordred said.] Because it's a war crime, genius. And fucked up besides. Or what, is the problem here that they didn't beat that guy in a fight first?
no subject
[ What the fuck is a war crime... squints. ]
Defeat someone in battle, and their life is already forfeit. That's only natural. [ Her worldview is surprisingly simple, given the obvious experience she speaks with. ] But you don't drag some common criminal before a crowd like this. What's left for more serious crimes?
[ She shrugs. ]
I'm not worried, though. It just proves humans are worthless in this time too.
no subject
['Their life is forfeit...' that's messed up, too. The only reason she's here is being shown kindness even though she was an enemy. Sure, she's tried to kill the bad guys even after that, but if they'd surrendered or if they couldn't fight anymore, she wouldn't just off them.
She snorts at that last bit, crosses her arms.]
That includes you, jackass. [Note that she isn't arguing with the actual point. ]
Or are you saying you're a robot or something?
no subject
[ No, she looks... completely human. Which kind of makes Mordred the dumbass for expecting anyone to know differently. Maybe a mage could pick up on the whole 'Servant' thing, but that's not what she's talking about. The very nature of her birth is what makes her different. ]
I'm something else. Something far superior to you lot. [ It's what she has to tell herself, to avoid the self-hatred boiling over. ] Humans aren't worth protecting at all. But they aren't worth destroying, either. That's why I'm going along with this stupid mission.
[ Ok Mordred. ]
no subject
[But Elfnein isn't here, and neither is Hibiki, who is the one that actually has faith in humanity. Chris chews how to respond over, especially with that tacked on bit. Who goes along with a mission to protect something they're apathetic about?]
And could you not give me that crappy sins of humanity speech? I've heard it from people way more convincing than you. You're here, so you obviously don't want us all dead. What, you got a soft spot for us pathetic humans?
no subject
[ They're free to see humans as equals if they want. It doesn't change reality. It doesn't make humanity any less worthless. ]
A king needs people to rule. So without humanity, I wouldn't be much of a king to speak of. [ Not as good as her father. Never as good as her father. ] That's all. Even if I hate humans, I won't kill them needlessly.
no subject
[Chris looks very proud to have spotted this flaw in Mordred's logic.]
Or what, are you gonna fistfight everyone who steals a loaf of bread?
no subject
They execute the deserving. But it's not an event like this. [ At least, this isn't the way her father did things — and who else even matters? He was the only king she ever served, the only one worthy of the crown. ] That's the difference. A good king understands that.
If you told me that man was a murderer of innocents, some sort of monster, I'd understand more. But it seems he was an author. A fool, perhaps, but not worthy of this.
no subject
[Not that Chris is one to talk about being inconsistent, or moody. It's how she's lived her entire life, ever since her parents died. When she could get away with it, anyway. When she was allowed to express herself. Maybe that's what's pissing her off about buddy here - she's so high and mighty, talking about deserving and innocents and shit, even as she looks down on humans. Chris served a person like that, too, and it was the biggest mistake of her life. All she ever did was hurt and get hurt.]
Even if someone's that bad, just kill 'em when you catch 'em. Quick and easy. Even if someone's bad enough to make an example out of, watching someone get offed is what freaks do. [Chris isn't exactly a learned scholar, but she's decently well read for what little time she's had to do it, and grasps things quickly. She can put herself in the shoes of a king, sure.]
'Sides, if you encourage them too much, it might be you up there. Isn't that what this revolution is?
no subject
[ Being called out only makes her moodier. There's a difference between what she tells herself, how she really feels, and, deep down, her attempts to emulate her father. Being torn between three different things leaves only a few consistencies, and a whole lot of snap decisions and arguments. ]
I want to be a good king. Someone people wouldn't rebel against at all. [ Like her father. But they'd condemned him anyway, so what hope does she have? ] Whoever's in charge now obviously isn't that. It's not like I'm opposed to rebellion in that case. [ Haha. ]
no subject
[And who'd trust their future to someone who hates them? Chris tried that. It sucked. It sucked a lot.]
You sure like talking about being a king, though. I really hope you're a prince or something, because it'd be pretty pathetic if you were just some random person.
no subject
[ And while "prince" might be the most accurate word for that, Mordred's never thought of herself as one. She'd need her father's acknowledgment first... and she'll never receive that unless she surpasses him. So king is the only title she wants, needs. ]
These aren't my people. Nor is this my time. So their foolishness hardly affects me, one way or another. [ Then why does she care at all? Maybe it's just the reinforcement of humanity's worthlessness that bothers her. ] But I guess we'll see which of us is right one day.