EVENT ★ THE ORDER OF THE CHIMERA

[futurologists]

MEETING MINGLING As characters arrive, the forest clearing is still dark, barely lit despite the evening hours. It makes it all the more difficult to clearly make out the men and women shuffling about in cloaks, but at the very least they don’t treat the ALASTAIR recruits suspiciously. Rather, they seem to be expecting guests already. It becomes quickly apparent that these are no ordinary people. There's something off about them, something a little... magical. Hidden by their hair is their pointed ears, one of the only things that suggests they have goblin ancestry. Needless to say, there are no refreshments, but recruits are encouraged to find each other and try to put the pieces together. There may be clues in their surroundings, tomes and trinkets left about various tree trunks in lieu of proper seating, and the Order members around them. INITIATION Eventually, a silence falls over the crowd as two figures take to the center of the gathering. There’s an obvious familial resemblance between the pair of men, though one hangs a step behind. Chances are, you've seen him before, lurking quietly in the background. This time, he does the same. The more outspoken of the pair steps forward, spreading his arms out to greet the assembly proudly. ”Welcome, old and new friends. My name is Michel. No doubt some of you are wondering what you are here for — don't worry, all will become clear. We are the Order of the Chimera, and today, you are the lucky few who will join our ranks and fight for justice.” The crowd cheers. ”We are special. Gifted. We have goblin blood running through our veins that makes us strong, and that terrifies the humans, so we must live in secrecy. The goblins have hatred for the human side of us, so we must hide from them, too. We're half-breeds. Chimeras: beings made up of parts from different races, something that should not exist. But the Chimera is also powerful. Before, all we could do was take the sun away, but now I've discovered something greater. A spell that will change everything. Magic that will strike anyone who does not stand with us down. We wi—” SHUTOUT Naturally, nothing’s that easy! Before he can finish, the speaker gets cut off mid-syllable by a bang and rise of surprised shouts along the back of the assembly. Despite the scrambling, those who were involved in the town square debacle might recognize what’s happening. The law enforcement must’ve gotten tipped off, because they’re here to crash the party -- and all invited PCs get to be part of the collateral damage. Between the physical skirmishes and Order members retaliating with spells sizzling through the air, it should be possible to use the resulting noise to make a break for it and lie low until the heat’s died down. The hard part is making sure everyone makes it out to begin with, because you can bet that the punishment won’t be a slap on the wrist and a night in the slammer. [ooc notes: there will be a subthread for NPC interactions, though was stated in the event post we recommend grouping up -- the more minds, the better! There's no set tag order, so characters may come and go as they wish. ]

Comments

NPC INTERACTION

[futurologists]

[There will be only one thread per NPC; characters are free to come and go as they wish during the mingling process. There is no tagging order, so if you want to jump in, feel free!]

AGATHA BELROSE

[futurologists]

[That's right — the same woman whose home was investigated not long ago. The same woman who was rumored to be gone. She will not shy away from introducing herself as such, either. It seems she takes a particular interest in the flowers of the woods, picking them and stuffing them into jars.]

[counterattacked]

((Just him to start, but Kida's gonna convo-crash in a few tags or so!))

[For what is probably the first time since the symbol had been burned into the ground, the word chimera finally means something to him. First, the image of the odd animal in the symbol. Then the hooded men and women in the clearing, the story of their halfbreed heritage that they share with their guests. (After reading the summons, he'd assumed whoever sent it had taken notice of him because of the fuss he'd kicked up in the square or on the streets and reached out to him out of some apparent shared sense of justice. And really, it's still the most sensible explanation, though now he hears things like "parts of different races" and "should not exist" wonders in a fleeting and farfetched way if that is all it was.)

There's a woman picking flowers on the edges of the meeting, and at first he pays her little mind. There's a whole lot to take in, here, a mystery greater than a little flower-gathering. Until one of the passing members wishes her a "good evening Agatha," and the name twigs at his attention.]

Agatha? [Agatha as in Agatha Belrose? One of the missing persons who'd been reported, who'd been largely assumed dead as a sacrifice. Hadn't ALASTAIR ordered a search of her home not long ago? She'd been gone for weeks at the least. She's just finishing up her good-evenings with the other order member as Eren approaches her. True to form, he gets right to the point when she turns to face him, flower-jar in hand. To be sure of his hunch—]

You're Agatha Belrose?

DELIA FAVRE

[futurologists]

[The other cloaked woman was also listed as a missing person, although now it becomes clear that she was missing of her own volition, having run off to join the Order. She stands patiently, waiting for the meeting to begin.]

will be joined by riza and julius, feel free to reply in whatever order's natural!

[powerdriven]

[ convenience allows him to run into a familiar face out here, where he's been keeping his observations to himself and his hood up. though Riza's presence, with a number of her own observations from a home investigation he's only just hearing about now, should be reason enough to trust his misgivings. equally convenient as a third recruit, whom he recognizes by name alone, seems to feel these misgivings in his place.

until now, Levi's own efforts in hoping to organize a gathering to discuss it were seemingly too little, too late. and the latter is becoming abundantly clear when people such as Agatha Belrose and Delia Favre are coming to light here and now in these woods. so perhaps there's still some explanation that being here might garner them.

with a discussion taking place between the three of them, the intent is to start subtly. though where he's concerned, if that falls to the wayside for priority's sake, it's just as well. for now, his greeting is patient in tone, started up after a few overheard words between her and another waiting for the main event to begin. ]

Delia, is it? So you must be quite committed. Will we be waiting much longer?

ARTHUR ROCHE

[futurologists]

[This may be your one and only chance to corner the quiet man, since he can't get away this time. Even if you haven't taken much notice of him, you're sure that you've seen him somewhere before. After all, he's constantly lurking on the outskirts, observing but never interfering.]

Tagteaming with Pearl! She'll come in a bit later.

[babbylon]

[He can't get away, and as far as Gilgamesh was concerned, he won't.

Gilgamesh has no need for idle chatter. He bullies his way straight towards the person of interest, and of course he goes for the quiet one because he himself is anything but, and leers at him with the full force of his Charisma.

Which basically amounts to a hell of a death glare to keep him ensnared, as he booms straight in his face:]

So you're a half-breed as well? Something that should not exist, by your own definition? Someone that has blotted out the sun?

[He sounds spiteful. Maybe he is, despite the fact he's a half-breed himself.]

[selfimage]

[ someone he recognizes.

Loki's seen him not once, but twice. kinda-sorta. admittedly the first time had been a different person, right when he arrived in Chantes. it was info gathering, but it was also a way for him to probe. what happened in Anwick didn't need to happen again, something inside of him boiled at the thought of stripping away freedom again. what was a mission became personal, and he cared little of the consequences of defying fate; at least now. the second time Loki had been disguised as a guard in the jailhouse after the brawl. this particular fellow said nothing, which meant he either had nothing to say or something to hide, and from the current situation, he figured it was the latter. ]

Oh, hello. What a pleasantly dark and dreary day out in the woods, wouldn't you say?

Mingling and Meeting | OPEN

[beyourrock]

[Within the darkness of the forest, a large figure struts into the area. A two legged mount. To those familiar with it, an oval shaped light is emitted from the rider's forehead, slightly obscured by a purple cloak. The rider tugs on the reins of the creature. he gives a small squawk of protest, but the rider softly scolds him.

Once the bird stills, Pearl climbs down from its back, taking in the sight of the others around her. Clutched in her hand was the invitation. She tugs her cloak closer to herself, swallowing thickly. Others were in cloaks as well. Suddenly mindful of her gem, she dims the light it produces and flinches once she feels a beak tugging at her hood.

She whirls around and swats at the bird, her cheeks ballooning with a tight frown. Pearl speaks in a hushed voice.]

Quartz! Stop that! I need you to behave.

[The mount tilts his head down at the hooded woman, her prominent nose poking out from under the shadow of the hood. The bird stares for a moment before he leans his massive head down to nuzzle the side of his beak to her nose. Pearl visibly bristles and she pushes the affectionate bird aside.]

I said stop! This is serious! [This was clearly not the case for Quartz.]

[adlantisag]

[ It's hard to notice a tall, white animal just parading around like that--especially in a dark forest like this one, since the pale colour simply catches every scrap of light thrown its way.

Kida can't help but turn her head when she sees it, especially with who's riding on its back. ]

Pearl?

[ There's no fear in her when she approaches, especially when it becomes clear that the bird--Quartz, apparently, which reminds her of another name--is more interested in cuddling his master than harming anyone. ]

Where did you find this animal?

[beyourrock]

[Pearl flinches, surprised to hear her voice and turns around. When she does so, the bird reaches out to tug her hood down. It reveals Pearl's wide eyes, her gem dimming completely. The bird coos curiously as he looks down at Kida over Pearl's shoulder, thanks to his long neck.

Pearl shoves the Quartz's head back, and behind her, as if her small frame could hide the towering mount.]

Kida! Were you invited as well? [Ignoring the large bird in the room, she holds up her invitation from the Order of the Chimera.]

[hellshaped]

[Hellboy has accompanied Kida, not having received an invitation of his own, and as such he's keeping a little to the edges of the gathering. He hasn't been strictly invited and he doesn't want to draw attention to himself.

Of course, this person seems to be doing a fine job of detracting attention from anyone else and he can't help but goggle a bit. That sure is a big... emu-thing. Curiously, he steps closer, keeping a careful eye out for all the hooded figures.]

Are you having trouble with your, er... friend?

[beyourrock]

Hellboy!

[Pearl whirls around to face him and smiles a little to see a familiar face. Quartz, the 'emu' im question pauses to stare at Hellboy.

This guy was far taller than his owner. Big and red, unlike anything he's seen before. His head feathers droop, and his head bobs up and down, gradually lowering in a submissive manner. Pearl stares at her mount, confused as she looks between him and Hellboy. She waves her hand dismissvely.]

Don't mind him. I'm trying to get him socialized. He just has minor behavioral issues.

[sediments]

[ It's a cute animal.

Bolin had been initially apprehensive wandering into the forest after the invitation sent by some strange unknown organization. He'd have felt more confident with someone at his side, and by the time that he'd realized he could've asked Korra along, he was already deep in the dark woods.

And then he'd been promptly distracted by a giant, beautiful bird. It perks Bolin right up, and jogs right over to the creature's side, curious glance going over to it's rider. ]

Pearl! [ He doesn't have the same hushed voice as Pearl, unfortunately. ] Is this your ostrich horse? I've never seen one this colour before!

[beyourrock]

B-Bolin!?

[Pearl almost hisses as she catches sight of the enthusiastic young man beside Quartz, who proceeds to preen at his hair with his beak. The Gem looks around almost worriedly before she rushes up to him and holds his shoulders. There's no way the Order would invite someone this young to their meetings, right?! She looks him up and doen before she speaks again, once again, in hushed tones. Scolding.]

What in the name of the stars are you doing here?! Don't tell me you got an invite!

ota.

[counterattacked]

MEETING MINGLING.

["If you have an interest in bringing justice to Chantes—"

By all rights, secret meetings and tell-no-ones should be fishy as hell. But he can't find it in him to disregard it casually. It's the closest thing to a lead they've gotten since they'd arrived. He carries the letter in the pocket over his heart, and by the time the day comes, he's long decided to go find out what it means. You can't make any progress if you're too afraid to take a few risks to get there.

a. As outspoken a person as he is, mingling isn't really his strong suit. Everyone here seems to be waiting on something to start, or is as clueless as he is. As they wait he paces the perimeter of the meeting place, catching bits of conversation and glimpses of strange books. He stops to pick a trinket up off the ground and turn it over in his hands. Probably some kind of complex charm made from old bones and feathers, dried herbs and polished stones. It had been hung from a tree nearby and fallen down during a particularly strong gust of wind. If it's really magical, it probably shouldn't be messed with, but even after weeks in this place he wouldn't necessarily know "magical" if it bit him.

b. He'd gone into this with very few ideas of what to expect. "Chimera" was a word he'd only heard vaguely in reference to the symbol burned into the ground at the festival—the same one on the letter, the same name on the invitation. Half-breeds, magic, hiding. He shakes his own hood off and wonders aloud—to himself or to any ALASTAIR comrades who seem willing to listen—]

Is that what it means? "Chimera."

["Halfbreed." "Hybrid." The people here who say they were born with mixed blood in their veins. The symbol and the scare after their arrival had made it out to be some kind of monster. He'd expected something with bigger teeth and sharper claws.]

SHUTOUT.

c. [Of course, as soon as the speech is getting to the good part, it's cut short. After hearing the man leading this organization claim responsibility for blacking out the sun—and promising something more on the horizon—the last thing he intends to do is lose track of these people before getting to the bottom of this.

Except the meeting place explodes into chaos, and many of the members scatter as they try to escape. Others fight back against the police to give them the chance. Eren ducks the weapon of an irate officer and casts about for a cloaked figure that looks most likely to be Michel.

He spots a cloaked man fleeing the fight. Can't be sure if it's the right one, in the dark and the din, but it almost doesn't matter. He grabs for the nearest ALASTAIR ally he can find and tugs them along, if they'll come.]

Did you see 'im?

d. [It's really very dark in the woods if you didn't have the wherewithal to bring a lantern or a torch with you in the midst of the chaos and the partycrashing. The forest is still scattered with law enforcement and fleeing members of the meeting. The trick is telling which one you're about to run into. The starlight helps only a little under the cover of the trees.

And finding one's way back toward town would be hard enough without needing to evade arrest in the process. After losing track of the man he'd been trying to chase down and very much losing his bearings, the best he can do is follow his gut and head for the nearest source of light—or stumble right over another lost dumbass in the dark.]

nu's heart is full of (b)ees

[strictdiscipline]

In a way.

[Despite the lack of formal invitation, Riza ghosts through the crowd nonetheless, earning only a few sideways glances from the cloaked men and women. There's a handful of ALASTAIR recruits here, enough that one more uninvited member doesn't attract undue attention. If anything, it's the black and white dog trailing after her that starts up a few murmurs here and there. Perhaps it would have been better to leave him behind, or at least allow him to stand watch in the bushes surrounding them, but right now she's crutching heavily on Hayate's keener senses. If anything fishy's happening here, he'll tell her.

She settles herself (and Hayate) next to Eren, eyes scanning their surroundings as she answers his question, quiet tone betraying none of her misgivings about this whole clandestine affair.]

Where I come from, a chimera is a creature made of the parts of several different other animals.

[And in some cases humans, though she conveniently leaves that last bit out. Even the thought of it is a nightmare to her - the memory of Nina Tucker rises unbidden in her mind, along with "I want to die" - and she's quick to move past that thought.]

Some people consider them to be monsters. Others believe them to be fantastical creatures and invaluable.

bzz

[counterattacked]

[He's a little surprised to see Riza here. But only a little, once he spots a few more ALASTAIR faces in the crowd and figures he wasn't the only one to get a letter. The point of all this was apparently justice for Chantes. She's one of the first who would have come to mind if he were to choose allies from within the crew.

Monster or savior, fantastical or heretical. Seems like that's just how humanity reacts to things they don't understand. He looks thoughtful, brow furrowed and mouth grim, but not overly shocked. When he looks back at her, his eyes drop to the dog at her feet before snapping back to her face.]

Like the symbol, you mean?

[Mixed blood, parts of different animals. He's not taking her as literally as he ought to—making a creature out of separate parts—mostly because it shouldn't be possible. But he remembers the lion/snake creature on the letter, burned into the pavement.]

c.

[sediments]

[ The entire business is troubling. Michel reminds Bolin of Amon, a little, and he think about the fear that Amon had struck even in Korra, and wonders what else is going to happen, if he's allowed on his way. Amon's goal had been to wipe out bending entirely, and this "Order" had already put dead bodies out on display.

Bolin's not sure that he even wants to hear the rest of what Michel had planned to say, instead riling himself up to try and pitch an idea of peace(!) and cooperation.

It's kind of hard when there are officers raining down on them with the fury of a thousand suns, and Bolin's eyes have adjusted to the darkness in the time that they've been here, but he's still human. He squints when Eren grabs him, one fist going up to knock away an approaching officer before he nods. ]

Yeah! This way!

[ It's probably the most startlingly clear display of communication these two have displayed, and Bolin just grabs Eren's arm to tug him along as he chases after the shadow. ]

[counterattacked]

[Look at the progress they're making, amazing.

Michel is the first person he's seen here who seems to have a real clear idea of what's really going on—if mostly because he's claimed responsibility for taking down the sun. If they're going to reverse it—to find out why he did it, to stop things from getting any worse, to find justice in this whole situation one way or another—then the best place to start is with him.

But the police aren't checking motives or asking questions, they're making arrests. No expecting any help on that front. Some bright spell flashes past them, blinding him temporarily in the aftermath, so he lets Bolin take the lead until his vision clears again.

They're both emptyhanded, but the residual light of the fight and the lanterns in the clearing is still enough to see by—for now. He spots a cloaked shape that may or may-not-be Michel in the first place, and it darts to the left. There are still shouts behind them as the police chase the scattering members of the order.

Of course, they're no exception. Eren casts a quick glance over his shoulder, and the officers they'd ducked past are still hot on their heels, silhouetted against the light of the fight. He raps his knuckles against Bolin's shoulder and gestures back at their pursuers.]

Can you trip 'em up?

[With your weird earthbendy magic. Getting all of them arrested won't help. Stopping to try and talk sense into the cops will take too long. They just need to make sure they don't lose the guy they're chasing until things settle down long enough to demand some answers.]

closed to Hellboy

[powerdriven]

[ since Mikasa left, his quarters with Eren have been arranged in such a way that there's a poor chance of avoiding each other's nighttime outings. hence, well, if the Order of the Chimera was hoping their invitations wouldn't draw outside followers like himself, they probably should have been more discreet with their offerings. with his suspicion aroused, Levi trailed Eren by foot all the way to the clearing—but he's not so keen on having Eren himself pick up on that just yet. so he stays back.

he stays back, at least, enough to scope out the meeting. to listen as they carry on with their speeches of initiation, a very enlightening topic. but what's more, it seems there are other ALASTAIR recruits besides them in the bunch. it'd be impossible not to recognize a guy like Hellboy if you saw him even once, and even if he hadn't, Levi's pretty sure he's no goblin.

the opportunity he takes in sidling up beside him is less for casual mingling than it is for trying to efficiently gather his information. though admittedly he does make an excellent roadblock. ]

'Chimera' magic, huh? How long have you known about this?

[hellshaped]

[Hellboy is sort of party crashing too, though he doesn't even try to hide very much. He's keeping to the outskirts of the gathering just to be polite, but it would be pretty pointless to try and blend in with the shadows or whatever. He is big and he is red and he has a weird face. Such is life.

He isn't the most sociable person these days, so he can't exactly put a name to the face, though he's certain he's ALASTAIR. There aren't many of them around anymore, making them pretty easy to pick out.

Tilting his head, Hellboy rolls his shoulder.] First I heard about it. I didn't even think things like this were possible. [He means goblin/human hybrids. It's a strange, new world.]

LOKI | OPEN

[selfimage]

MINGLING

[ this isn't as surprising as it would first appear. after Loki's little stroll through the castle during Kida's interrogation, he's found that there are pieces at work, fitting together where they didn't seem to before. Odette, now dead, had befriended a goblin just before she had died, and many had blamed her demise on that friendship: an easy target.

justice is really a subjective concept, especially for those who've felt that they've been wronged. it was no different here, not as Loki surveys those that are surrounding him. the gods had mingled among the mortals for thousand of years, even a prior incarnation of Loki had left his mark upon the mortal realm, sprinkling half-divine children throughout. (among some monstrous ones, or so the myths said.)

they had noticed him, or Thor, or him and Thor—and then decided to call him here, specifically. for a moment a prospect of a trap goes through his mind, and he keeps it there until the rituals being. if it was one thing he was good at, it was running. ]

Tell me someone brought a keg and a barbecue. This is going to be a very long, dark clandestine meeting in the heart of the forest, unseen by all but us, if someone didn't.

SHUTOUT

[ that was the cue to bolt.

Loki can see the lights in the distance, feel the faint ominous tingle that causes the hairs on the back of his neck to raise as they're approached. everyone's watching to speak, and despite the sudden infiltration edging in on them, Loki stretches it out, hopes, feebly, that the speech will be finished before the inevitable happens.

but then the inevitable happens. ]

Ymir's balls, can't something be easy for once?

[ of course it can't. Loki takes the nearest evergreen, ducking behind it and slipping around it beneath the guise of his invisible jacket. he could teleport out, but his face has already been seen by the authorities. at least there used to be a heavy amount of doubt surrounding magic; some things still play in his favor. everything explodes (figuratively and literally) and Loki slips through the shadows, changing form beneath the jacket to leave an unrecognizable change in her wake. ]

for Dean. [ it's not until Loki catches sight of Dean in the midst of everything that she sighs, debating leaving him amongst the clamor and the chaos before thinking better of it and turning on her heels, strolling back toward him. invisible still, she taps him on the shoulder. ]

Hey handsome, it's time to skedaddle.

[ from seemingly no where, an unfamiliar face with a familiar golden horned diadem appears just behind his left shoulder. ]

Now more preferably than later.

LATER; FOR THOR

[ Loki reaches the edge of the forest before she pulls down her invisibly jacket, reappearing and giving a sour glance back to the bowels in which she had her escape. everything somehow turned out unfortunate, and she was left with a whole lot of nothing where she once had a plan. (okay, so maybe that was a tad too dramatic. she still had the workings of a plan, and an idea of what to do, but all the juicy tidbits had been ruined by someone who wasn't her. much worse, it had been the authorities.)

telling Thor the wrong coordinates hadn't been an entire waste, to the least he wasn't getting arrested again. if Thor hadn't already realized that the coordinates were wrong, he would be realizing it soon. he'd be looking for her.

she supposed she should get her heartfelt sorries in order. ]

[norse]

[ He waits fifteen minutes, then thirty, and when it begins to look like the better part of an hour has passed without a single other soul turning up, Thor wheels Mjolnir by the handle and takes to the skies. The flare of explosions on the horizon give him new purpose and direction, even if what's happening looks like a mess from above and he has to land in the shadows pulling a recently purchased cloak over his head as Mjolnir is veiled at Thor's side (but not unhanded). Agents of ALASTAIR are running amok from the authorities. He ought to help them, yet a familiar face seems to be missing ...

Of course Loki lied about where the meeting would be. Of course. Disappointment wars with anger in his breast even as he determinedly clips the fringes of the action with keen blue eyes peering through the darkness for a flash of his brother. Tracking the edges of the forest merely to avoid the fracas deep at its heart, the echoes of screams and flashes of spellfire are dimmer here, the chill of night cooling sweat-hot skin to leave him shivering even as his blood burns.

At first he dismisses the figure up ahead, then as realisation sets in it is as if his jaw clenches tight of its own accord. Skirting along the gloaming eaves, there's still little way of missing a huge dark mass on a straight tangent. ]

Brother!

[ Or the gruff bark (under his breath) as Thor stalks through bracken a little more noisily than intended. ]

[whereismypie]

[ Dean's only human, so a face appearing out of nowhere from behind his shoulder, however attractive, has him jumping right out of his skin. ]

WH—

Jesus. [ visibly annoyed, he glances back at the horned intruder — Loki, he's the only guy shameless enough to sport that ridiculous headpi— ]

... Sorry lady, did Loki send you?

[ of course it's a goddamned mess around here, but man, he'd rather know who his possible lady savior is before skedaddling anywhere. self-preservation. it's a thing.

(a smile would probably win him over, this is a lie) ]