let fury have the hour,

[agogemod]

WHO? Everybody!
WHAT? Agoge's third TDM! And the death of an important guy. And some very upset royalty.
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 new recruits

(Note: If you were one of the people who used the previous TDM and want to use that as canon while still participating in this one, feel free! The following will still happen, though the guide will apologize for a malfunction in your BCE causing you to zap through the intervening month instead of joining your comrades like you should have. You'll be assured the glitch is fixed now, and it probably is. Probably.)

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.

KILL THE KING

It doesn't matter if you're new, or if you've been here a while. You'll hear about the execution going on today. It's as though the barely restrained urban chaos of Paris has ground to a halt. Everything is about the king. Is it really going to happen? Are they really going to do it? Can they do it? Is it even possible?

Anyone out of the loop will be filled in, but with no small amount of ridicule: Today is the day of the king's execution. His trial has wrapped up, and the National Convention voted to execute him for treason and tyranny.

The crowd at the execution is enormous, a riotous mob of passion barely restrained. Everyone is jockeying for a better view, with children and adults climbing up on nearby statues, lampposts, the sides of houses, rooves, some even hang from windows. Everyone watches the scaffold.

The prison cart arrives with no fanfare save the yells of the crowd. Within it sits a small, fat little man, looking like he's doing his best to remain composed. He's brought to the scaffold, and his crimes are read out: colluding with foreign powers, and the crime of royalty, which is anathema to the republic of France.

When asked for his final words, Louis Capet, known to some as King Louis XVI, speaks in a quiet voice. "I forgive my enemies."

When the blade comes down, the crowd errupts into cheers. Many rush forward to touch the blood of a king, dipping bits of cloth in it in an attempt to save it.

I PREDICT A RIOT

It's as though all the built up tension in Paris exploded when the king was killed.

Who knows what started it. Rumors spread like wildfire, and it doesn't matter, does it? In the end, most of Paris is swarmed with chaos, especially in the areas nearest to where the king was executed. There's no doubt that the riot and the king's death are directly related; no peasant currently throwing stones and breaking windows will deny it.

Fights are happening with great frequency. It only takes a word, a half sentence, for someone to decide you're some kind of counter-revolutionary. There is a current of anxiety in Paris that hasn't gone away; after reaching a fever pitch, it has expressed itself with violence and chaos.

let's visit the tuileries

The Tuileries was the royal palace in Paris, the last residence of the king before his death. Of course the people of France end up clamoring at its gates, screaming profanities and attempting to scale them.

The majority of the guard let them do this, making only the most token of efforts to keep the peasantry back. But one guard, a man by the name of Antoine Colin, seems to become spooked and shoots repeatedly into the crowd before someone knocks him out.

By then, though, it's too late. The crowd was rambunctious, but not murderous. Now it's bloodthirsty, and the gates are stormed. It isn't long before the common people of France are trampling through the corridors of power. Inside, they'll mostly find servants running and hiding, and lots of valuables to steal.

Most are content with that, but not all. Some clamor for the deaths of the queen and the royal children-- per the laws of inheritance, Marie Capet's remaining son is now King of France. Should he not die as well?

The queen is hidden in a safe room, a hollow wall inside her apartments. Do you try to find her? Try to save her? Try to kill her yourself?

...And what about those kids hiding in there with her?

BRING IN THE TROOPS

The riot in the Tuileries lasts several hours, well past nightfall. It's beginning to peter off, people loosing their energy or vigor, when the sound of gunfire echoes from the front courtyard.

General Lafayette has arrived to save the queen, and brought with him a retinue of personal soldiers. All on horseback, brandishing firearms and sabers, they stream through the expansive halls of the Tuileries and attack anyone who looks out of place. They're here to clean up this mess with no concern for more filthy peasants getting in the way.

Aftermath

The night is a long one. Several fires break out in various parts of Paris, shops are looted, and several die in the Tuileries. The queen has disappeared, along with Lafayette. Some say she and Lafayette died, and they'll show you the bodies for a couple sou. Others claim they saw them riding off into safety just before sunrise. There are already talks of hunting them down, trying to find the traitors.

Only one thing is known for sure: It may be advisable to stay inside for the foreseeable future.

read the France setting infopages

NAV NETWORK LOGS OOC PLURK DISCORD

Comments

i'm so sorry Ryuji

[fessus]

[ Luckily he doesn't feel particularly burdened to actually answer Ryuji's question when asked, far more interested in the show he's about to get. But...

Well, it seems like it's more about what he isn't seeing than what he is, squinting at that mask and even feeling himself gripped by an uneasy tension when Ryuji mimics pointing a weapon at him. That feeling is short-lived when it seems like absolutely nothing happens in the wake of it, quite literally left just staring at this teen flopped bonelessly on the roof. What...

Then comes the sudden surge of energy, starting in his chest and branching outward, a spike in adrenaline that's not unlike how he feels upon activating the Armiger. What the hell is this? Widened blue eyes examine his own hands as he turns them, experimentally flexing fingers-- ]

Hah? [ ... ]

No, are you stupid? [ SAD ] What'd you just do? I'm not going to punch the roof!

are you stupid

[ryuji]

What've'ya got to lose?

[Smirks at him.

Everything, to be honest.]

You're really gonna make my magic go to waste like that? [He thinks for a moment (dangerous), and decides to stand up. He's about three seconds away from taking Noctis' hand and make him smack himself with it.

Stop hitting yourself. Stop hitting yourself.

Well, that's no way to influence others and make friends, so he'll go down the tanky route.]

Okay. Punch me then.

[Ryuji, this is a bad idea.]

we're both stupid

[fessus]

[ "What have you got to lose" shouldn't be in any way a compelling argument but at this moment, in this absolutely absurd situation, it kind of is. What does he have to lose? His life? If he's to believe the information he's gotten that isn't a major concern; as long as the BCE is protected then so is he, right?

It wouldn't be the first time he was close to death, either, brutally intimate with most of the physical abuses the human body can experience at the hands (or claws) of other humans, daemons, and animals that share his world. But getting hurt isn't the same as hurting somebody else. Even if this guy is literally asking for it. ]

Now I know you're crazy... I can feel that you made me stronger, so either you think I'm a wimp or you have a serious death wish.

Unless that power of yours is sticking around and gives you a magical shield, you're gonna' get your head caved in.

yet here we are at an impasse of stupidity

[ryuji]

Yeah, I'm pretty crazy. You're gonna find that out sooner or later if we're gonna be friends.

[This is still a bad idea. He has no idea that he's fucked up gods before, the only thing he has to go by is his lethargic stature, the clearly written "good friend material" scratched out on his ragged French clothes, and here Ryuji is, still defiant and standing up to it.

Because, really, how much can you trust a person if they're not willing to flat out punch you when you're being dumb? Ryuji shouldn't regard his friendships as much, but, whatever. He makes his stand.]

I got a thick skull. And you don't look like a wimp.

[200 hp later and a Ryuji with broken bones and barely alive?]

[fessus]

I just wanna' make sure there's something left to be friends with... [ Well, at least he's accepting the proposition. Honestly? This is the most open and direct one he's ever received and that'd be something he'd giving a lot more of its due attention were Ryuji not framing it with a request for injury. ]

I get wanting to see what another guy's made of but this is totally different from what I asked you for, oi-- [ And even though he says it he's reluctantly planting his feet against the rooftop, straightening up to full height with a brush at his clothing. ]

Come on... This is your last chance to back out. I gave you so many warnings...

[ryuji]

[There are stop signs in the road that tell you when to brake at an intersection, and then there are much larger cosmic warnings out there in the universe- like how the toll arm of a railroad crossing swings down to stop anyone from crossing over as a train threatens to plow through, careening at deadly speeds. And Ryuji can't really tell the difference, happily walking across the tracks without noticing the buzz against the metal line.

But he's ready- fuck him up. He's had his fair share of mudoons thrown his way and lived to tell the tale.]

C'mon, it's not like you're gonna wipe me out of existence with just a punch.

[Heh.







Say goodbye to everything you've known and loved, Ryuji.]

[fessus]

[ This guy... isn't joking around. After all the useless things he's said, this is where he decides to spit something out other than hot air? Noctis sizes him up once again, gripped by how exceptionally breakable he appears to be and how much more power he feels dormant behind his own fist.

He takes a deep breath, steps forward, draws back his arm--

and deflates. ]

Seriously? You're not gonna' stop me. Did you think that maybe I don't wanna' punch you or wreck the roof? There's gotta' be a better option here.

[ryuji]

[Unflinching, he's about to take the blow straight into him, he closes his eyes and waits for it. Then, when it doesn't come and he hears Noctis' voice once more, he lets out the oxygen he had kept in his chest like an airbag, and just stares at him. Huh?]

You're worried 'bout me? Dude, we just met, don't tell me you're already attached. Sheesh.

[Ryuji just laughs nonchalantly, and then tries to think about something else on the roof that would be worthy, and then remembers that he has a ghost friend. Spirit friend. Whatever.

So instead of replying verbally, he activates his BCE and shoots a text.

@ACHILLIES Yo, I need your help with somethin' here. ASAP.]

Give it to the count of five. [He was being awfully generous with the amount of time it would probably take, how mean of Ryuji to assume, of course.] Then punch. I wanna test something out anyway.

[fessus]

You're-- [ The exasperation in his tone now is even more obvious as his shoulders hitch up in a somewhat helpless shrug, tense with the growing need to hit something. Can he give any more warnings? Maybe he's being way too kind right now; maybe Ryuji will be fine. Maybe. ]

This is your funeral. I hope you have a good plan. [ And to his credit he does cast a glance down at the street below, ensuring that what's about to happen won't have a broad audience, before he clenches his fingers into a tight fist and starts to count.

One... two... three... four... five, and his arm snaps forward in aseemingly spring-loaded strike, a blur of movement with a now massive force built up behind it. ]

1/2

[chariotry]

[ He receives the text when he's actually already in the area, mediating the riots (by punching anyone's teeth in if they get out of hand). He hadn't thought much of it at first, but considering the state of Paris lately, he decides against passing it off as nothing serious. So by his coordinates now available on the BCE, he takes a jump and races over the rooftops to where his location is. To any of the citizens of Paris looking up, they will pay witness to a green streak of light zigzagging over buildings and question whether or not they were seeing things.

When he finds Ryuji and Noctis, it's just milliseconds away from Ryuji receiving a punch strong enough to clear most of his teeth from his mouth.

To prepare himself to attack would take the few precious milliseconds separating Noctis' fist and Ryuji's fragile face, so he has no other choice. He crashes down into the roof with enough force to generate a small shockwave and send any man not firmly rooted to the ground off-kilter.

Maybe it's enough to make Ryuji fall on his ass.

Either way, Achilles is getting a punch aimed squarely for his face, which he doesn't brace himself for of course, since he's invulnerable. ]

[chariotry]

[ It's overwhelmingly and alarmingly painful.

And sends the hero flying back and tumbling over the edge of the roof.

Oh, and maybe Ryuji if Ryuji is still behind him. ]

[fessus]

[ not skipping ahead of Ryuji but oh my fuck ]

[ryuji]

[Ryuji just steps aside at the right moment and watches as Achilles body goes flying. Thoroughly satisfied, he smiles at Noctis.]

Worked great, thanks for testing that.

[fessus]

[ That's... this was... what just happened? ]

Hey! You can't be for real... [ There's a familiar pain blossoming into heat in his knuckles, the ache of a powerful impact that had come far sooner than expected and one that had thus not been fully prepared for, but goddamn does that "Charge" ability ever work. Too bad he's unable to take what he might later realize is a sweet moment to appreciate its effects, actually reaching out to sweep Ryuji aside with a sudden shove as he sprints to the edge of the roof. ]

Oi! [ And he's shouting down into the alleyway where he saw that body fall, now ignoring the lingering people he was formerly so conscious of. ] Are you okay?!

[chariotry]

[ Well, then.

That... was something. He hadn't been aware that anyone in COST could have been divine, least of all Noctis, who failed to mention it the first time they met. But now that he knows what he's up against and witnessed him attack a fellow comrade.

There's only one thing to do. And that's beat his ass.

Once the initial shock is over with, Achilles is righting himself, springing up back on his legs and launching himself vertical-wise over the length of the wall. With the momentum of his inhuman strength, the force will be that of a torpedo, and his head is going to be the bludgeon he uses to smash Noctis' face in.

Better step back. ]

[fessus]

[ The second he senses even a fraction of tension in Achilles's body he's on guard, conscious decision-making processes muddled by confusion but even through that -- and his genuine concern for the well-being of someone he just accidentally punched off of a rooftop -- he remains aware that he just attacked this person. And one good turn could very well deserve another. So if-- wait, is that Rider?

The widening of Noctis's eyes precedes an immediate phase step backward as the counterattack comes, shimmery trails of light marking his hyper fast movement as he narrowly avoids the hit. Fuck-- ]

Calm down, I'm trying to talk to you! [ And should that not be enough he has his hands up, perfectly ready to dodge again but it seems as if there's no further offensive strike coming from Noctis's side, at least. ] Rider, knock it off!

[ryuji]

[Pushed to the side rather quickly, everything just seems to blur past in hyper-time. Ryuji looks as Achilles regains composition and tries to strike back at Noct, and, really, it's in his every right to do so, but... shit, he wasn't expecting an all out brawl on the roof. His eyes flicker toward Noctis.

Just exactly what type of guy could do that to Achilles to begin with? Ah, shit. This is getting heated up, he should probably step in and try to mitigate, or something. At least before all of Paris is destroyed in the wake of this exchange.

He steps forward, making the split decision between needing to summon his persona or trying to reason. Opting for a combination of both, he fires out a warning shot between them, lightning striking down the roof in the space between Noctis and Achilles, warning the Heroic Spirit and alerting him that yes, he's okay, and no, he's not angry at Noctis, and yes PLEASE DON'T KILL HIS NEW AND ONLY FRIEND IN COST, OKAY?]

Yo! Cut it out, Achilles.

[So much for titular discretion. Oh well.]

I just wanted to test out how strong this guy was, don't take it the wrong way!

[chariotry]

[ Achilles lands on top of the roof after missing his target, summoning his spear with a surge of lightning-like mana rushing out from his hand. He'd just been about to pounce when a sudden burst of magic crackles through the air between himself and his opponent, stalling him from lunging forward to try and thrust his spear into his chest.

They're both pleading with him to stop, making the situation now clear to him. He sighs.

He'd just been worked up in a frenzy and you're going to let him down like this?

Getting up to his feet, he sets the butt of his spear down against the roof that now lay in debris. ]

Tch... [ He's grabbing onto his own jaw and shifting it around, bone popping as he lodges it back into place. There's blood all over his lower lip, dripping over his chin. But his attention it entirely focused on Noctis. ] What the hell were you two trying to do?

[fessus]

[ His heartbeat is already accelerated, thudding a fast steady rhythm against his ribcage as a familiar adrenaline rush washes over him at the expectation of a fight. Damn he wishes he could summon his weapons. As it is he's limited, possessing a dagger he can certainly do some damage with but his true skill lies in switching up his attacks.

Strategy falls by the wayside when a sudden crack of lightning puts him even further on edge, needing a moment to ascertain that that hadn't come from Achilles's spear but instead from the teen behind him. His hand outstretches, suddenly, one or two remaining sparks seeming drawn towards him but he's too late to steal any actual energy from such a quick attack. Damn... But at least there's some common thread in the magic across worlds. Somehow that's good to know.

Ah.

He gestures at Ryuji immediately, still defensively crouched. ] This was him and if that's his explanation then that's the only one I've got... Do not come at me again. Seriously, are you okay? [ He just set his own jaw, christ. ]

[ryuji]

This is definitely my fault... I'll own up to it. Sorry, guys.

[He just scratches the back of his head. It's not exactly a minor miscalculation that Ryuji assumed that nothing would happen to either of them- fuck, even Noctis had warned him. Several times, to make sure if he was going to be okay with this. Achilles was the strongest guy he knew, which was why he texted him to begin with- and now this just unfolds, and it gets worse.

This is why nobody lets him make the strategic decisions.

Wait, they know each other?]

You two... uh. Already met?

[He looks over at Achilles and sees his bloody lip. If Noctis had known him, did he know how much of a pompous asshole he could be? Like, he didn't deserve a dislocated jaw.

But a good punch to the face, maybe?

>Apologize and offer to help Achilles
>Check on Noctis
>Rappel down the side of the roof and get out of this situation entirely
>Be a good person and try to diffuse the situation

Ryuji sighs out a breath.]

Hey, man. Your fist okay? Oi! You, c'mere and make up. You both can blame me for being the idiot.

[chariotry]

[ He looks between the two, looking so exasperated. But he does resent and makes his way over to Ryuji in particular. He’s just going to ignore both of their questions, since they’ve both been bad and don’t deserve his patience. ]

Heal me. [ it’s a demand, but there’s no heat evident in his tone. ]

Or maybe it should be you doing it. [ He places his spear over his shoulder, hand on hip as he cranes his neck and looks over at Noctis. ]

[fessus]

[ Having his questions ignored again doesn't feel great, especially when the situation itself is still baffling to him. Sure, he has the details of what's just happened but... why... And why is he the one that had to get dragged into whatever test is happening here or whatever their weird friendship is? So much for getting to have a more relaxed and normal conversation with someone today. ]

My fist's fine. [ At least he'll answer. ] Told you I didn't want to do this... but at least he seems like he's in decent shape.

Listen, Rider-- or Akillee, I guess, if that's your actual name... I didn't mean to do that. And I'd fix it up but I'm not exactly a doctor or whatever.

[ryuji]

[Just... feels guilty over the entire thing now, having dragged the both of them through what had seemed like a good idea at the moment his impulses had led him straight into, but. On second thought, probably not the best idea. His eyes just point down toward the ground, feeling like he's being scolding for something and he rubs the side of his cheek anxiously.]

Heh, yeah. I mean. Don't listen to my suggestions anymore.

[He wanted to impress Noctis with his magic, not cause a crybaby to start demanding healing magic be devoted to him. Critical mission failure.]

I... don't have any cure abilities, either...

[chariotry]

[ Hearing Noctis call out a butchered version of his name makes him pause. Ryuji .... you called out his true name. He grimaces a little. ]

You two, from now on, call me Rider. My true name isn’t something people here should know, yet. [ He sighs. ]

I’ll need mana so I can heal myself, then. [ Looking between them, he knows this isn’t going be a successful request. He braces his jaw again with a hand, rubbing his fingers against the joints.

He’s a bit confused as to why this all happened. Should he even bother asking? He will just be PA to get his point across. ] Satisfied?

[fessus]

[ He's so tempted to purse his lips and write them both off but they're also two people that have offered him aid so far, genuinely having a good time with Ryuji up until this exact moment. And really, he could let this go too if not for Ryuji's obvious guilt and Achilles's demands that're keeping this situation quietly awkward. His shoulders raise and then fall in a defeated shrug, unable to hold onto his agitation for as long as he wants. ]

I said I wasn't trying to punch you and he already said this was his bad... So if you need to go somewhere to get mana then we'll back you up. Right? [ With a pointed look over at Ryuji. Lord help him, he knows not what he does. ]

... it was a pretty awesome hit, though... Guess we know to team up if something big comes to bug us.