![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
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
No idea. [ He shrugged. The crowd had a fire to them that was more welcome to him than the dullness of resignation. He had come to like their fervor. The woman might've been disdainful, but Eren's face was almost serene. One might even call it proud. ] But it sure as hell ain't gonna be me.
I can't speak for all of them, but the lowlifes you're scoffing at now are the ones who're feeding you, who make the houses you live in, and generally take care of the shit you don't want to think about. I'd say... [ He gives her an almost derisive glance. ] They've earned their right to speak. And they've got plenty of reason to, on top of all that.
no subject
Oh, I'm hardly decrying them for doing their jobs. They've their worries to attend to, much how I've my own.
[Carmilla's sudden smile is cold.]
There are privileges belonging to nobility and privileges belonging to peasantry. Can you deny that? It's as natural as predator and prey.
no subject
Predator and prey. [ He repeats it dryly. ] Those with power and those without. That's nature, all right. [ His eye shuts and he puts his hand on his hip, the other doing a wave at the folks around them. ] I say, screw that. The people here say the same. I fail to see how being fortunate enough to be born in a higher class is enough to warrant much of anything, besides higher expectations.
no subject
A workhorse cannot accomplish the job of a racehorse.
["Higher expectations," was it? Well, he wasn't wrong. She stands, idly smoothing out her dress.]
It's as you said: it's simply nature. And power is a natural resource created by the "good folk." [She colors the last phrase with heavy sarcasm.] The baker, the cleaning maid, the speaker, you and I -- we all play a hand in its creation. And regardless of how you divide it, someone will always be left wanting.
no subject
Yeah, yeah. Everyone's got their roles. You've got yours, I've got mine. [ He does a shrug with his free hand, the other still sternly set into his side. ] Whatever nature says, humans have the right to shut down. It's a freedom they're born with. They can settle down and be content with that, or they can throw themselves into hell for a chance at something different if they're "wanting."
The biggest criticism I have for these folks is whether or not they're aware of that. If they only see sunshine and flowers and have the audacity to complain when things don't go their way...well, they're in for a rude awakening, I'm sure.
no subject
(roles. she knows all too well about the confining nature of roles. freedom to choose? to suffer through hell? what sort of laughable ideal is that? bravery is scarce. that was why the good died so easily and why she--)
Carmilla is quiet for a moment.]
You're missing quite an important point.
no subject
And that would be?
no subject
Being concerned about the future of rampant livestock is beneath me. No. To put it in even simpler terms: I couldn't care less about them.
no subject
You just had to use That Word.]And it seems you're missing a very important point as well. No human's livestock, for starters. If you couldn't care less, then why bother wasting your breath on this in the first place?
no subject
she did because she's a dickAt that... she moves a little closer to him. Carmilla gently taps the tip of her nail against his cheek. It's a condescending gesture.]
The bloodbath this mob will create is inevitable. I tire of waiting for the guillotine to fall -- should I not amuse myself in the meantime?
no subject
You need a manicure. [ He speaks through a glare, and his words are just as ready to kill. ] So you're not only wasting your breath, but your time, too. Well, I have one thing to tell you:
Time's not meant to be wasted, it's meant to be used. So use it for something more productive than complaining about people more noble than you.
no subject
And I am a creature beyond time.
[Beyond hope. Beyond change. Beyond redemption. For what she was, ultimately, was the manifestation of a monster's legacy. It was her role -- and one she will play to the bitter end.]
What an ghastly expression you have. You admitted it yourself. The responsibility of feeding these people's hopes will not fall upon you. It shall pass around and around, till their hunger for better gnaws through their civilized disguises. Nobility? I don't care about such arbitrary standards.
And neither does a pit of starving hounds.
edgy...
He couldn't blame them. ]
You're...enjoying this, aren't you? [ Go figure. He's not impressed. ] No one could be this dramatic without having some fun. I'm glad that I could be so entertaining, I really am. But we're clearly meant to disagree here regardless of what I say.
[ He pauses to let a breath out and dispel his irritation, then continues with a question, knowing half the answer already. ]
So why are you telling me all this?
she's the edgy bad end of every vn tbh
You asked. Would you rather I veil my disdain with sweet words?
mind_of_steel.jpg
Ha. [ It's a dry laugh. Maybe not even a laugh. ] You were right about one thing. You are honest. Though you'd be a little more popular if you minced your words just a bit.
no subject
Popularity contests are so... petty, in the grand scheme of things.
no subject
no subject
My. You're jumping to quite a lot of conclusions, sir.
no subject
I make no assumptions without a proper base, madam.
[ That was, quite possibly, the worst 'madam' anyone's ever uttered. ]
no subject
Watch your tongue, commoner. I prefer young maidens, but I shan't complain so long as the blood is fresh.
no subject
What, you gonna eat me?
no subject
Don't be crass. You've hardly any meat on your bones, in any case.
no subject
He doesn't have post-timeskip stats yet.] I'll have you know I've been eaten alive a handful of times. They all seemed to enjoy it.no subject
There's no need to tell me something so crass.
[keep your friends' vore kinks out of her life.]
no subject
I disagree. You definitely need to hear it. Just try it. [ He's half chiding, half joking. ] Maybe you'll grow a sense of humor.