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 Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2016 10:01 pm
The Eldritch Gentleman | 25/25 | Master of CeremoniesThe clock strikes four, and the blood-red second moon begins to steadily sink towards the horizon. The Eldritch Gentleman, his Pharaonic mask looking somehow EVEN MORE apologetic than it has at any earlier point in the evening, takes to the center of the dais. He scans the crowd, then raises a hand for attention. He’s willing to wait. And wait. And wait. Finally, when the room falls silent, he clears his throat - an eerie, cacophonous sound like a dozen violins wheezing. “D̉͑̿eͪâ̈́̀͂ŕ̒̿̌l͑̏̈́y̾̏̆͌̐ bͭ̈̔ͪͣ̊ẻl͑o̍̽̽̂ͫvͫ̏̋͊͒e͗̌ͭͥd̀̂̒͊,” he says. “W͏ȩ ha͢ve̛ ̢g̶a͠t̨h͢er͢e͝ḑ ̸h̸er̡e t̡o͏ say̵ o̢ur̀ goodb́yés̡. He͢r͏e ́she l̡ie͏s. N̶o ̀on͟e҉ ̨k̵new h̨er w̷or̕th. That҉ ͟late,͏ great͘ d̷aùg͟h҉t̕er ơf M͟ot̴he͡r Ea͝rt̛h.” The Spinel Lady’s face is covered, but she does not seem to be giving him a very pleased look at all. The Eldritch Gentleman trails off, clears his throat - that strange violin wheeze again - and continues. “T͏h̛e ̷tim͏e ̀has҉ co̸m̨e f͝o͘r ̕th̀e ͢eve͝níǹg's g҉ran̷d fin̵a҉l͞e̴. Ẃh̶i̷l̵e this̶ ͏h́as tr̵u҉l̢y been ͘a ball for҉ ͟t̷he ag͜es̛, none ̛o̷f̀ ̴t͟h͏e food҉ ̷or da͠ncin͢g ̶c̛an ͞quite ̷c̵o̕m̛pa̧re͟ to͏ t́he s͡pèctaçlę th͞a͞t҉ ̨aw͏aits͟. Fòr t͢h͞e ͝c̢ounci͡l ha͢s ̀mad̴e ̷ţh̴èir ͜d̴e͠cis̡ion,͢ and ̡wi͏t͜h̶òu҉t́ ͡fu̡r̴ther̶ ͘ad͏o, ̛in̕trodu̸ci̸n̵g̨ yǫur̷ tit͜he͘ to the blo̶ơd ҉mǫo҉n̴, for͘ the f͢įrst͝ ̛ąn͟d̨ ̛last t̸ime̡.” He gestures towards the antechamber door, and Adoelle Nashua appears, a vision in white lace. She has not changed clothes since her previous appearance in the hall, but she looks… radiant. Breathtaking. Like a lunar goddess or a fallen star. The Eldritch Gentleman holds a hand out to her, and she daintily takes it as she steps up onto the dais. His masked lips brush her cheek. Perhaps he says something to her. Perhaps he does not. No one is close enough to hear - and the tight line of Adoelle’s lips gives nothing away. The Eldritch Gentleman turns back to the crowd, this time beckoning someone forward. “C̛o͝m̵e̢ o͞n, ̕M̡r̀.̧ ͘Mer̷c̷e̷r҉. ̀S̵t͢ep̵ r͝i̡g҉ht ̴up, now̵. Don͟'͢t͢ ̕b͞e ͝s͢hy.”
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Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2016 10:13 pm
Marcus 25/25
Marcus took a VERY large drink of the scotch. It was nearly gone now.
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iStoleYurVamps
iStoleYurVamps
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Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2016 10:22 pm
The Sinister Survivor: 25/25, master at arms?
As Algie approaches, the Sinister Survivor steps forward, a slim knife appearing in one hand. "The honor is yours, Professor," he says, a sharp-toothed smile curving beneath the long nose of his plague doctor's mask. Nothing about his posture looks concerned about what he is party to; he might as well have been pulling out Algie's chair at a fine restaurant, or holding a door for a beauty. He offers the knife hilt-first.
"It's traditional to go across the throat," he continues. "Tradition also states you should look the tithe in the face while you do it. But I've always found that to be messier than it had to be."
Adoelle is pale and statuesque, her hand still in the Eldritch Gentleman's, her fingers tight around his and white-knuckled.
"So behind her. Quickly. From ear to ear." The Sinister Survivor smiles and relinquishes the knife.
Behind this tableau stand the other members of the Council. Melany, tall and displeased, her shoulders rigid but her chin up. Her posture is perfect but the moue of her lips is regretful. Beside her, as if he hasn't tried to have her killed only moments ago, is Ezra. His arms are crossed over his chest, body language shouting that he no longer wishes to be here. And the nominal ruler of all of them, the Sorrowful One, stands behind Melany and to the left. Something glitters in her hands.
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Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2016 10:26 pm
Cam Rylan | 25/25
He might have been amused by Eldritch's antics at any other time. But right now, and knowing who he was, Rylan was not what one would call entertained. There was a twinge of guilt in him when Adoelle appeared, as if he had lost the right to admire the vision that she was when he'd agreed that she ought to be sacrificed tonight as the tithe.
He frowned and watched and wondered if this was indeed the only path forward. When he'd sworn to protect the public with any means necessary, this wasn't what he'd been thinking.
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Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2016 10:31 pm
Autumn Smith 20/25, watching "Did we fail?" She asked Rylan quietly, stepping up next to the firefighter in a barely-perceptible whisper. Autumn swallowed heavily, not wanting to watch, unable to look away.
"Weren't we supposed to stop this?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2016 10:54 pm
Cam Rylan 25/25His head turned toward the familiar voice, unsure of whether or not he could fully peel h us eyes from the terrible ordeal before them. There was a very real sense of dread bubbling up inside him, asking how he could just stand there while a girl died. Watch it like sport. "I don't know," he said heavily. "It's hard to tell... Do we stop something that many have told us we shouldn't stop? Or is all of this part of the cycle too? I sure as hell don't know..." And they were running out of time, he remembered suddenly.
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Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2016 11:22 pm
Autumn Smith 20/25, crisis mode The cycle. Her indecision. The last time, her indecision had killed... someone. Had it been Adoelle, again? Had she failed her in the last cycle, too? Her throat was thick, Autumn couldn't breathe-
"Ry. ...Rylan, if. If I do something really ******** stupid, will you cover me?" She asked, barely audible above the silence. Every breath was traitorous, damning them. But if they killed Adoelle... it was one step closer to the enemy being out. One step closer to an end Autumn wasn't sure she was ready to face. Not yet. Her hands shook.
"Get Jeremiah, get Zac. Get. Get whoever the ******** you can to listen. We've got to stop this."
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Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2016 11:28 pm
Jamie Delacroix | 20/25 | hugging it out with Chel but then so much s**t is happening It was better Jamie didn't know. Though if he had, it's not as if things would change. He wouldn't blame her because she had tried. Shiloh was stubborn and it wasn't her fault; he'd always been that way.
What he did know was her casual, though tentative, hug offer was mighty tempting. Jamie hated to inconvenience anyone, especially those he barely knew, and it felt in that unfortunate, self-conscious way like he'd forced her to put herself out for his benefit. Still, he could almost hear Shiloh's voice in his head, coaching him. He'd say something like, hey, she's the one offering, just take her up on it.
So he did, but only after awkwardly thanking-but-rejecting Jack's offer for a drink. "I'm only eighteen," he said, assuming it alcoholic. A bit of a goody two-shoes response, and truth be told he definitely could've used it, but it was an engrained reaction. By the end of this awful, awful night, he'd probably be over that.
"T-Thanks," he muttered next, this time to Chel, "I need it..." Jamie loved physical affection. He loved the comfort that came with the touch he so rarely got from anyone but his parents. As he leaned into Chel's arms and just as tentatively captured her with his own, he let himself relax for a moment. It was a short moment, unfortunately, too goddamn short. The things going on around them took off from there.
Melany's voice commanded attention. He didn't let go as she froze the combat like one would pause a video game. He stood still close to Chel as she announced the Council's selection, Adoelle Nashua, and recalled how he'd never had a chance to speak with her tonight as he'd meant to. Maybe that was for the best.
Moving to the gallery seats felt like a dream and Jamie had no idea if Chel or Jack or anyone else would be with him when he arrived. The room felt unreal as Adoelle was brought in, as Professor Mercer was offered a knife... This couldn't be real, could it? Only a day ago he was back home in his own bed, toying with worries over what, at the time, felt like a petty disagreement between friends. Now he was poised to witness a murder on the back of everything else that had gone wrong tonight. It was surely far too much.
The energy around him was charged and uncomfortable. Jamie wondered what everyone would do. Jamie wondered if they made any sort of move, if he'd be able to follow suit.chiickadee feel free to stick with Jamie if you want, but you don't have to!
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Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2016 12:16 am
Chel | 15/25 | Talk talk
Chel almost said awwwww out loud when Jamie rejected the drink. He thought drinking age was a real thing. Awwwww.
(Chel had questionable life choices).
She followed Jamie, Jack and Connor and kept her face down during the whole thing. When Algernon was handed a knife, she felt her jaw clench. Her mask felt heavier and heavier as the night went on.
"M'not watchin' this s**t. I didn't choose it." She turned and started for the door.shibrogane unsure if she can leave so quoting u
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Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2016 7:58 am
[20/25 | LEILA]: uh ********, no..."
So that's what the human representative was for. Algie was the executioner.
Bunch of deceptive bastards, the lot of them.
She turned to exchange a look with Eve from elsewhere in the hall, and then slowly crept closer as quietly as she could. If she could get a glimpse of Algernon's face and at the same time get really lucky, maybe she would see something.
[25/25 | EVE]: yikes
Eve took a second away from assessing the scene to face Zac again. "Better than Algernon, that's for sure," she muttered back darkly.
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Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2016 8:15 am
Zac Bantock - 25/25 - about to toss his cookies The Look on Zac’s face had gone from ‘troubled and maybe introspective to’ – a blank slate of open-mouthed horror. He looked, quite frankly like he wanted to be sick. It felt as though the only thing he could see was Alg and Adoelle, the only sound a high pitched whine in his ears. He sways slightly on his feet as reality threatens to catch up with him. “They can’t… ask him to…they can’t make him… He can’t…” He says, mouth dry. “Sunny was so mad about Michael…” he whispered, heart slamming against his rib cage. “We… did we fail again? I… god. We didn’t know they’d taken them but…”
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Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2016 10:08 am
[ Maskless Temperance 25/25 uh what] The bushes had rather ungratefully ripped her dress (they didn't appreciate being landed on), so she had taken the liberty of ripping it further, creating a slit high up one side. Easier to move around it at least. On a normal day, it would have made her wish she'd shaved her legs, but this wasn't a normal day. Also, she was blonde; it wasn't too bad. Temperance had, at least, whispered a 'thanks' to the window. It just seemed appropriate. The first order of business was a stop - the silver hall. Temperance felt it was safe to assume everyone had been gathered there after the council and tithes had departed and, with any luck, there would only be Ashdown residents inside. She cut through the courtyard where the cats had been before disintegrating. There. The moon hung low in the sky. They didn't have much time, but she wanted information before shuffling herself into a closet. Quietly, she slipped in through the courtyard doors. The council was already there. But they hadn't come back to choose a tithe, hadn't sent a servant or anything and yet... "What is going on?" Her voice rang out a little louder than intended and she ducked through the people, keeping her face down. Temperance stumbled into someone and stilled.
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Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2016 11:48 am
Shun Kuroda 25/25
There it was. Shun had suspected this would have been the case, but he was hoping he was wrong. He wasn't. Algernon now had to play the role of executioner. His arms folded over his chest as he gritted his teeth, not entirely certain what was going to transpire soon. It was one thing to vote on someone to be killed... and another to have to take that life, yourself.
This was all pretty ******** up. He had to wonder if this would really be worth it in the end, or was all of this to just lead to another victory for the Enemy, whatever that meant exactly.
Should he try to stop this? Could he even do that if he tried? Then again... it was entirely possible that the older man wouldn't be able to carry through with this heavy task he had just been given.
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Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2016 12:03 pm
Autumn Smith 20/25, moving to the sinister survivor and eldritch gentlemanRylan would have her back. She knew he would. Swallowing away the fears and the nagging voices of 'don't do it', she shot Shun a quick look and mouthed 'help me.' Autumn forced herself, one step at a time. Each slow step became quicker, and surely enough, her walk did not betray the lack of confidence in herself. In fact, she was determined. "Stop, stop! There's gotta be another way for- whatever the ******** this blood s**t is, without killing someone!" She called, very clearly making a scene to delay this as much as possible. Her scowl was open and disdainful, eyeing all of the council. "Come on, seriously! She's- she's a ******** kid, compared to you lot. There's no way you can go through with this s**t. She was closer to the mock stage, now. "I- I won't let you." silverah hes close too I should probably throw him in as well, brought to you live from lovely phone editing of this post
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Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2016 12:25 pm
Cam Rylan | 25/25 | oh god"Autumn..." he warned as she moved away, mostly because he suspected any of these non-human beings in their presence could destroy them with just a thought. "Be careful. Don't do anything rash." Deep down, he struggled with it all. Wondered if he was failing Adoelle because he'd been told by a few people that she was better off dying. Where did it stop? Did it stop after Heliodora was gone? After Sunny was gone? Or did the senseless violence just continue? Rylan didn't think he was the right person to answer that question. And what had Vivien said? "You'll want to save her. But some people shouldn't be saved. You just need to let her go." When was it okay to just let her go? Moonstone Dazzle Might be slow tagging over the weekend. Feel free to not wait up
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