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

[masque]

... Yeah. [it's messing with him too, the urge to use his persona to help diffuse is strong, but this is history. what the hell would that cause instead?

instead pulls out an apple from the basket, holding it out with his opposite hand. he's run into different members throughout paris, today. it feels good to know that people are willing to step in if he needs it, so he's learning to do the same.]

Well, whatever you do, the roofs are much easier. Besides the occasional arrow— [DODGES ONE, swiping right by his cheek, hair flowing from the air before it hits brick behind him]

Like that.

[fessus]

Whoa-- [ He's already got a hand up to accept the apple and seems ready to instead use it to try to tug Akira out of the way of the arrow he spots but there's no need. Geeze... Well, at least this guy can take care of himself. ]

... thanks. [ Though he's not ready to eat, exhaling a pent-up sigh as at his touch that apple seems to vanish with the same dustings of light that had accompanied his sudden appearance earlier. ]

How long have you been hanging out up here?

[masque]

[watches the apple disappear... and stares, slowly lifting to noctis's face. he's seen all sorts of interesting abilities today, but each one has been amazing all on its own.

he zipped up here, too. maybe it's teleportation?]

Almost ten minutes. It's not wise to stay in one place for too long, so I'm probably gonna start moving. It's safer than entering a building, I found out. Almost got mugged.

How about you? [another bite] Holding up okay?

[fessus]

Yeah... Guess you have a point there. I stayed in a cellar for a while to catch up on some sleep but it definitely wasn't enough. Otherwise... Ah, well, I'm not too--

[ His words are cut off as he suddenly takes a blindingly fast step back, a blue after-image of his figure marred by the arrow that whizzes right through where he'd just been. It dissipates quickly, leaving him to stare instead at the offending item lodged now between roof tiles. ]

... I'm really getting what you mean, now. Maybe we can head back to one of those hotels instead... You wanna' try?

[masque]

[a cellar to sleep? ... seriously?

it's not like noctis gets to finish, and akira's first move is to reach out to push him or something but his arm barely twitches before noctis pulls a stunt. ah, right. good thing he's a pure blooded wizard, apparently.

stares, dumbfounded, but he only wastes a second before he snaps back into action by hopping off the roof into a back alley way. they've been his friend since he's been here.]

A good idea... but you should probably move ahead. If you're able to teleport, I'd just hold you back.

[fessus]

[ Oh. Noctis cautiously takes the few steps required to peer down after him, sizing up the fall before also taking the plunge with a little swing off the edge. ]

No way, you kidding? [ As soon as he's straightened back up, nodding to the mouth of the alleyway as he starts to lead. ]

It's still pretty rowdy. We're better off sticking together... and I can watch your back like this. Geeze... I'm not just gonna' take off and leave you.

[masque]

[... a team player, huh? yeah, akira can work with that, especially since this guy looks closer to his age compared to everyone else he's met so far.]

Well said. Then that means I won't leave you behind either, alright? [with that said, he takes off only when he's certain noctis is in step with him. it shouldn't be hard for them to find each other anyway, from what he's guessing]

— Name's Akira. [over his shoulder] You?

[fessus]

Good, don't... [ Quietly, almost distractedly as he matches Akira's pace. ]

Yeah, you told me. I'm Noctis. Can't say I've ever heard a name like "Akira" before, though. Where are you from?

[masque]

Japan. [vaguely, but true, and it always seems to be enough of an answer.]

Some other members come from places I've never heard of. Seems to be the running theme here.

[he's never even been this way before... has to rely on sound and a loose sense of direction to guess which turn works best. further from the main streets, the better.]

[fessus]

[ Noctis may not be a genius but his sense of direction is good enough that he can remember the general route back to where he initially woke up, willing to take the lead when and where necessary. ]

Guess so, since I've never heard of "Japan" either.

[masque]

[i need a futaba

but, they do finally meet an alleyway he remembers, and everything clicks from there.]

No? Try to visit, when you get the chance. [which is probably never, he doesn't say] We have some of the best shops in the world, Tokyo Disney Sea...

... Beat Takeshi...

[fessus]

[ Every word he hears about other worlds gives him a greater appreciation for his own, but maybe that's because it's seemed so markedly different to those of everyone else he's talked to. "Japan"... Sounds like it's probably a good world too, at least by how Akira's describing it.

With words he completely doesn't understand. ]

Beat Takeshi's a person? I don't know what Tokyo Disney Sea is either...

[masque]

He's a—... nevermind. [now's probably not the time. especially as he just uses a wall to hop over an incoming riot. it probably raised eyebrows with the crowd, but he keeps moving anyway.]

Tokyo Disney Sea's a theme park. [at least THAT doesn't take more than 5 seconds to explain]

[fessus]

[ He spots the crowd at the same time Akira does, a sound of irritation escaping before he too is cresting the wall with minimal effort. ] I hate this place...

I'd rather be in the theme park. I've never actually been to one but I heard about them.

[masque]

[... well, that's a first. a kid his age hasn't been to a park? where did his parents take him for fun? but he doesn't ask, knowing the potential rudeness... for once.]

Sounds like it should be something on your bucket list. A roller coaster, a ferris wheel, maybe riding that ferris wheel with a date or two... [two?????]

[fessus]

[ There's muffled shouting behind them and he's suddenly grateful for Akira in a way he wasn't previously, fully letting himself be taken in by the distraction. ]

Maybe... if I can find one, if I get a chance. [ ... ] What do you mean, two? Are you some kind of player?

[masque]

No, I'm not some kind of player. ... And also not the point.

If we find one somewhere, I'll take you if don't want to go with somebody else. [casually, surely it won't mean much at this point, but it feels like the nice thing to say and offer.]

[fessus]

It's kind of the point... [ But he's more interested in the offer, finding it... thoughtful, if unlikely and impractical. ]

Ah. Yeah... Thanks. I have some people I'd want to show it to but they're back home.

[masque]

Yeah, same here. [and does he know that feeling well.

— there it is, the hotel. hopefully it's not ransacked from the commotion.]

I'm not feeling confident going through the front door... let's find a window instead.

[fessus]

Whoa... Hold up. If they're still in business then we need to pay.

[ Guess who isn't an accomplished criminal yet. ]

[masque]

[... are you serious]

If the staff was smart, we wouldn't be able to find them anyway. I'm using the window.

[doesn't wait for a protest, either, already finding one that's broken enough to yank upwards and slip inside. the room's a mess, battered and shredded, and that probably means it's not as safe as it was just a few hours ago.]

[fessus]

Wh--

[ Well, any protest he has would be falling on deaf ears as Akira just breaks and enters without a care in the world, casting a mildly concerned look towards the street... before he's tossing his dagger safely inside and warping after it, unwilling to potentially cut himself on broken glass. ]

Geeze... This place is a wreck. We should check to see if anybody's here and injured.

[masque]

[was busy studying the area, but yeah, noctis is right... he can hear a struggle right above them on the higher floor, squinting upwards before running out of the room and into the hallway.]

Damn it— did that sound like a woman to you? [was it one of the workers that welcomed them...?]

[fessus]

[ Noctis too is scanning the room when Akira suddenly darts out, forced to follow him yet again. ]

Wait-- Who cares if it's a woman or not if they need help? [ Way to completely miss the point, but at least Noctis's heart is in the right place as he beelines for the stairs, another throw having him warp to the top of them just to whip around the corner. ]

Up here! [ He tracks the sound to one of the rooms, shoulder hitting the door hard. ]

[masque]

[would use one of the personas to break the door in, but he doesn't want to risk harming someone on the other side— so he simply falls in line with noctis and shoulders the door at the same time.

it takes three hits but the door clatters, immediately on the offense with a mask at the ready—

and it's one of the workers, so akira was right. what he didn't expect was a bleeding man on the floor, the woman holding a bayonet that she thrusts into akira and noctis's direction before recognizing them— and gasping that she's fine.

holy shit.]

Uh. [where to start... mentally shuffles his persona to ishtar] You don't look fine.

[then turns to noctis, quietly] We should get her out...