epidemiology | EVENT ★ THE ORDER OF THE CHIMERA

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EVENT ★ THE ORDER OF THE CHIMERA

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. ]

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[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!]

[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.]

[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.]

[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.]

[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.]

[ 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?

[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.]

Edited 2015-11-22 15:59 (UTC)

[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.]

[ She can't help a pang of amusement. ]

I was. [ She taps her jacket's breast pocket, where the letter lies over her heart. It's safe there. ]

But you did not answer my question.

[ Don't think she didn't notice. Gently, she extends a hand towards Quartz, inviting the bird to lower his head to her upturned palm. ]

[Pearl wobbles as Quartz shoves his head foward past her shoulder to get a better look at Kida. His beak nudges against her hand, vibrating lightly thanks to a soft cooing noise in his throat. Well there was really no use in keeping the bird a secret now. Pearl steps aside, letting Quartz stand in front of Kida.]

He was a gift from ALASTAIR. I've kept him secret for a few weeks now. I didn't think he was ready to be seen until now. My riding skills with him have improved, however...

His behavior could use some work.

[Quartz huffs, almost giving Pearl a pout.]

((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?

[ Kida smiles indulgently at Quartz, her hands moving to press against his cheeks, framing his face. Her fingers scratch beneath his eyes, enjoying the softness of his feathers. ]

He is young still. [ At least, that's the impression he gives her--that of a gangly adolescent. ] He will learn in time.

Did they tell you why they sent him?

[The spite doesn't go unnoticed by Arthur, who remains reticent as he returns Gilgamesh's icy stare. One can guess that he isn't used to being involved in confrontation; that's his brother's area of expertise, not his. But Michel is nowhere to be seen, and the man in front of him expects answers.

Answers he is not certain he can give, in truth, but he'll attempt to.]

Closer to a quarter-breed, I assume. [Neither he or Michel is aware of their true heritage. They'd been spirited away by their fully human parent before they could talk, and any questions had gone unanswered. The both of them do possess a certain magical aptitude, but as far as appearances go, they're not too different from a regular human.]

I had nothing to do with the plot to bring down the sun. [It's clear by the tone of his voice that he's entirely genuine when he says this. There's a hint of bitterness in his voice, however, that suggests perhaps he isn't the biggest fan of how things turned out.] Michel had spoken of it, but I was never told of the final plans until after it had happened.

[Maybe because he would have argued against it. Michel had thought it would seem like the gods frowning upon the two conflicting sides, but instead, it had only spurred on more conflict. Arthur could have told him that, if he'd asked. The humans lacked the religiosity to connect it to any higher power, and the goblins would never have believed Ydite was punishing them. Instead of letting Arthur tell him this, he was impatient and secretive.]

Edited (i accidentally a sentence) 2015-11-23 15:50 (UTC)

[He ruffles his own feathers at the attention he's given, his cheeks ballooning under her hands. Pearl rolls her eyes. Yes, he was young, but man was he a handful. Worse than Steven and Amethyst combined. She readjusts her cloak on her shoulders and lets out a soft sigh.]

Not exactly. He showed up outside the Inn one day, with a piece of paper adressed to me. Nothing else was left behind besides what you see before you.

[Quartz squawks, tail feathers twitching.]

I couldn't leave him to fend for himself so... I accepted their 'gift'. And I think now is the best time for him to socialize with others.

[Agatha's eyes fall on Eren, and she feels certain he knows... something. She can't quite figure out what, but her thoughts are written all over her face; Agatha is clearly trying to work this out in her mind. Slowly, she replies:]

Yes.

[If he was invited to the meeting, he must be trustworthy, so she continues despite her reservations. They're on the same side, after all.]

Yes, I am she.

[She fiddles with her jar of flowers for a moment before she sets it down on the ground next to her feet, foreseeing a longer conversation than just an exchange of pleasantries.]

And you are...?

[Unfortunately, he's shit for pleasantries, and he knows a lot less than he'd like. They don't know much of anything, despite the weeks and weeks they've been here. The whole reason he'd taken this shady invitation in a heartbeat was to try and change that. And maybe they finally will.

What he does know is that whatever they did find when they searched Agatha's house, they sure as hell didn't find her.]

Eren Jaeger. [He doesn't bother wondering if he bother being cagey with his name. Whoever invited him here already seems to have known it. If she wants more context than that, she'll have to ask, because he keeps right on going.]

We've been lookin' for you. The whole city thinks you're dead.

[Or worse. On the one hand, it's nice to see they're wrong, because he's an idealist and a hero-type but he's led too grim a life not to be prepared for the worst most of the time. His relief is as easy to read as his confusion, but seeing her here brings up more questions than it answers.]

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.]

[ Kida doesn't doubt Pearl's words--she's only fond because she doesn't need to deal with a hungry, fussy bird after this, and she appreciates that. ]

Now? [ She can't say she agrees, but certainly he needs to be socialized, and it isn't as if this meeting, deep in the woods, is particularly easy to find. ] I suppose he cannot be kept away forever. Where have you been keeping him?

[ Speaking of things that are easy to find... ]

Yes, now because he's been rather anxious. I guess you could consider this a test for him.

[Quartz cooes and looks to his owner, head perking upward, as if he knew the meaning of those words. A test? Did he pass? From the look on Pearl's face, it didn't look like he was passing with flying colors. The Gem sighs heavily, rubbing her temple.]

When I first arrived here, the commoner's district was a mess. A man who owns some stables in town caught sight of me cleaning and doing odd jobs, he thought he'd pay me back by lending me some space in his stables for Quartz. However, Quartz isn't fond of the stables.

[Oh Quartz knew that word, huffing with another ruffle of his feathers. Pearl rolls her eyes and turns back to Kida, rubbing at her own arms anxiously.]

This meeting has me on edge. I wonder why they chose us.

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.

Edited (i can't believe i forgot the dog) 2015-11-25 21:28 (UTC)

[Gilgamesh would throttle him under any other circumstance. He has no patience for fools and even less for fools of mongrel blood; he'd slaughter goblins by the dozen and would slaughter hundreds more just to amuse himself. Here, he's under an obligation to behave, and that bites at him.

Still, his hatred can very much be felt in every word, just beneath the surface, flaring in his eyes and sinking into every syllable.]

And yet here you stand recalcitrant before me. Did your brother also fail to predict the calamity he'd cause? And more importantly...

[He takes another step forward. A threatening step, like a wolf stalking prey.]

How do you intend on fixing it?

[ Kida makes a thoughtful noise, one hand still scratching Quartz while the other lets go, motioning towards the assembly. ]

Is it not because of the castle? [ Looking at those assembled from ALASTAIR, most had a hand in the plot, and more than tangentially. ]

If these people are enemies of the King--[ and it does seem as if they are ]--does that not make them our allies?

[ The enemy of my enemy, as it were. ]

[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.]

[A nod. That specific creature she's never seen before but the concept of the thing holds true enough, even if it's a concept with dubious morals backing it at best. Either way, Eren's right: it's not something that ought to be possible for a town with simplistic routes and little magic to speak of.

She contemplates briefly on how much more she ought to say on the subject, and how much of her little knowledge is even relevant. Goblins don't exist where she comes from and alchemy certainly doesn't exist here. Then again, she supposes the inherent desire to break things up and mash the individual pieces together in new and exciting ways is common enough all cultures and worlds.]

It's not an easy task to create a living, functional chimera. [Each word is carefully considered, said slowly and quietly lest she garner suspicion from actual Order members.] A lot of specialized knowledge is required, and most experiments end in failure.

['Experiments', because there's really no telling what the end result might be. Regardless, she dips her head, grounding the topic within the context of their meeting.]

Chimeras are a common enough presence in folktales and myths. It could very well be that they're using it as a symbol and nothing more.

[For the sole purpose of inspiring awe, or instilling fear. While she talks, Hayate pads over towards Eren, nose pressed low as he first sniffs the ground and then moves on to Eren's boots.]

["Experiments" puts the meaning of "create" in perspective a little more, and his blood chills a little. He doesn't really understand it, but he starts to get the gist. It could all be something, or nothing. Like the goblins Harry spoke of that ran the bank, of all things. Or all the worlds in which "titan" doesn't mean the same thing as it does to him.]

A symbol for something that doesn't usually exist? [Mixed blood, artificial mix-and-match creatures. It makes some poetic sense, sort of. He can only trust her judgment on it, really.] I'd never heard it before at all.

[Presumably, they'll explain what it is they stand for at the meeting, once it starts. If nothing else, he intends to ask.

Now that his boots are under inspection he backsteps once, away from Hayate's curious nose. Housepets weren't very common in Shiganshina, not unless they would also work to earn their keep. He'd seen quite a few cats that acted as mousers, but bigger animals like dogs would have been more likely outside the city. So he's mostly not too used to getting sniffed. A little impatiently, as if he'd get an answer from the animal in question—]

What d'you want?

[No breed he's familiar with, to be honest. But at least it mostly looks like a regular dog, and not a spooky mix and match monstrosity. In the dim light and ominous atmosphere, he almost wouldn't be surprised.]

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EVENT ★ THE ORDER OF THE CHIMERA

NPC INTERACTION

AGATHA BELROSE

DELIA FAVRE

ARTHUR ROCHE

Mingling and Meeting | OPEN

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

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ota.

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nu's heart is full of (b)ees

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bzz

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