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

YES.

[ryuji]

[For a few moments, Ryuji is just standing there with his arms crossed, looking out at the crowd going absolutely wild at the victory fanfare closing in all around the two of them. His eyes wander upwards to Yusuke, and he sees some of that passion igniting inside him. It's enough to make Ryuji feel like he's back home, in Tokyo, waiting to hear from Joker just about what the next infiltration had in store for the team. He knows it's not coming, but when he sees his friend here, unmistakable even by the merits of his silhouette, he almost can't believe that the powers that be took at least two persona users into the ranks.

So Ryuji is going to play this off cool, despite the obvious excitement stirring in his heart. He steps forward, standing parallel to the artist for a brief stint as the other takes in the beauty and the aesthetic of the French Revolution in its nascent stage. The blond's been here long enough for this sort of thing to be... not as exciting anymore, so forgive him when he's not joining the rebel rousing and cavalcade of brusque excitement and jubilee.

Instead, he just taps his foot, wondering what type of painting that Yusuke is going to make out of this.]

Y'know. They ain't lobsters.

[flatbroke]

I'm-- Ryuji.

[ He had been so focused on the scene around him that he didn't see his friend come up beside him. Dropping his hands slowly, his attention turned from the celebrations to the other teen. It didn't surprise him that Ryuji knew nothing of the art history surrounding them that very moment. ]

There is a difference in the beauty of the Lobsters and the scenes before us. These are the reasons for major turning points in art.

[ He could go on about the subject. It would pain him too much not to, despite already knowing Ryuji's lack of knowledge on the subject and even greater lack of a desire to find out. When it came to art, Yusuke could hardly be stopped. ]

This is the period where the subjects of art began to shift. The common folk wants nothing to do with the figures of religion and myth. These people want to see images of their struggles and fights. The Rococo style of art was the rich people of France's attempt to show off their opulence and bring the meaning of art back to their court, but these people will hear none of it.

It's a shame we won't be able to see the palace of Versailles. It's the very image of the everything wrong with The Rococo and how out of touch those with money are here.

[ His word metered off. None of this was important at the moment. Sure it was important to why they were there, but not to Ryuji and Yusuke meeting in a period like this. ]

I see you were also brought to this place. It's nice to have friends around.

[ryuji]

Actually, you're Yusuke.

[Ryuji smirks playfully with him. It feels like they've grown back into the swing of things already, but honestly, he couldn't feel happier knowing that he was actually here. In Revolutionary Paris. Beside him. He half wonders how long he's been with COST already, and if by some providence they hadn't met each other up until this point- or, did he just sign on and wander into the crowd like this?

There are other questions. Really, really important questions, but it's not really the time or place for those sorts of conversations. Time travel is... pretty fucking fickle, in the end.

And the other is absolutely, 100% correct. He's been to a museum once, on a field trip- hated it, found it so boring that he was looking for things to do to pass the time, and didn't get a single thing out of it. It's what happens when you have a really crappy attention span, and when that attention span is more fixated on random facts about video games and sports trivia. He wouldn't understand what Yusuke finds so beautiful about the scene, or understand its importance to the history of art and where it heads from these very few moments.

All Ryuji sees when he looks out into the crowd is a nuisance. A bunch of people fighting for what they believed in, but how little did they know that so much of this was actually being caused by the same very organization that sent them here. It felt on par with being a Phantom Thief.]

Huh? The palace? It's over there. [He points in a definitive direction.] I told people I wanted to infiltrate it for some sweet loot, but uh... some of the guys advised against it.

[He probably shouldn't be talking about this so loudly in public.

But, all in all, nothing much has changed since Tokyo, then.]

Hell yeah! You're tellin' me. I'd recognize your backside from like, a mile away. Especially when you run, dude. [He'll just happily bump his shoulder lightly.] Hey, come back with me to this bar that I work at. I can hook you up with some bread.

[flatbroke]

[ Yusuke took a long moment to just stare at Ryuji. That was a joke, right? They obviously knew who each other was. It was definitely a joke, although not a good one.

Ryuji certainly hadn't changed, though. The way he declared his desire to infiltrate the palace reminded Yusuke of the days when Ryuji would say just a little too much in places he shouldn't. There was no reason to comment on his desire, though. For one, it would call too much attention to the openly foolhardy desire he had. For two, elongating that conversation would only ensure that the first point happened. They'd both end up in more trouble than Yusuke would like to get in at the moment.

Even more confusing was that last declaration Ryuji made. Everything else up to that point made sense. Was Ryuji paying special attention to Yusuke's backside? He didn't think there was anything special about it. Perhaps that was just the sort of person Ryuji was. Even Yusuke had features he enjoyed drawing more than others. Ryuji wasn't an artist, though. Yusuke also hadn't been doing any running here-- was he making fun of the way he ran? There were suddenly so many questions floating around in his head. ]

Do you stare at my backside, Ryuji?

[ryuji]

[He thought it was a great joke, okay?

But the question that Yusuke flings his way catches him off guard completely. Bringing his hand up to scratch the back of his head, he blinks a few times and angrily narrows his eyes at the other.]

What the hell!? That's what you got outta that?

[Color him surprised that Yusuke would take this entirely from a literal sense, and now Ryuji just feels awkward standing there next to him.]

I mean like...

Y'know. We always got each others' backs. That sorta line of thinking. Nothing pervy, I swear.

[And maybe it was a little bit of a jab at the gait to which Yusuke proclaims his hidden leaf village heritage, but it was light hearted and carefree at best. Ryuji always notices the way people run- it's just something he picked up from his days on the track team. Keeping that information in mind was always the key to figuring out how to beat people.

Letting out a breath of a sigh, he scans his eyes upward at the crowd, and then back at his friend.]

It is somethin', huh. Nothing like Tokyo at all, but, even this far back in time, a city's still a city. [Finally, he learns to lower his voice.] I wonder what type of palaces could exist here, y'know?

[flatbroke]

You should try to keep in mind it's currently called Edo.

[ It was more of an aside. Trying to get Ryuji to not call them out like this would be difficult, if not impossible. Instead, he looked on at the crowd, contemplating the question Ryuji posed. The palaces in a place like this would be interesting. ]

People twisted by the promise of revolution and the gaining and loss of power. We would learn a lot about what's truly happening here. Of course, we'd run a higher risk of being labeled witches or something else strange.

[ It had almost seemed like he let the other awkward conversation go. ]

Do you know Akira's backside well since you're best friends?

[ Yusuke just wondered when Ryuji would have looked at Akira's. That coat obscures so much. Yusuke would know, given how much he looks at everyone in consideration of art. ]

[ryuji]

Fine. Edo. Whatever.

[He says it like he's frustrated, giving up and giving into Yusuke, but it's honestly not that big of a deal. Even if he tries to play it off like he's annoyed that he's corrected, he usually appreciates when his friends are looking out for him like this. Maybe it was shared co-dependency, a need for them not to get figured out that binds them all together to just... casually smack Ryuji upside the head when he does stupid things like rouse suspicion.]

Getting labeled as a witch? Tch, maybe you, but definitely not me.

[And then, just when he's at the right comfort level of being swayed away from talking about guy ass, here Yusuke comes, riding up the cavalry on flank, jousting them right back into it.

Shit. REALLY? Akira!? This is somehow even worse than talking about Yusuke's backside. Ryuji makes a soured face.]

Uh. Dude...

[Does he know anything about Akira's backside? If he did, would he betray the intimate trust that he's been given to keep that sort of stuff a secret?




Probably. Definitely.]

You're makin' this super awkward. He runs pretty normally, but he's got great agility. Man, I wish I could move like that. Just climbing up shit like it doesn't even matter. It's cool.

[And then- oh god, is this even curiosity? Why is he torturing himself like this?]

Why, you ever wanna draw him nude or somethin'?