☆ Event Log: Snatched, Part Two

[faileas]

Event Log: January, Snatched - Part Two

I. A Great Escape (20th, Evening) It's been a miserable six days for the Mirrorbound and refugees kept locked away in a basement cell block, subject to all kinds of torment and experimentation. They're a resilient sort, though, and their efforts to organize and bolster each other are not in vain. As the time passes with no sign of the City Guard drawing close to their operations, the Rathmore family grows overconfident, and characters can hear them talking to each other about another mass-kidnapping in the works. The best opening comes late on the night of the 20th. A few of the family's numbers are out - notably, Thomas Rathmore, his wife, and his mother are attending an emergency meeting of Parliament, and Constance is making an appearance at the Coven. This leaves the more inexperienced cousins in charge, the lesser known Rathmores with no particular skill outside of cruelty. Changing of the guard begins as usual, a handful of Rathmores delivering some sparse rations and taking their time to choose a few prisoners to remove from their cells, but this time, the Mirrorbound bite back. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of Daenerys and Asura, along with the prisoners preparing an organized revolt, a fire started in the torture room provides chaos and cover - and one dead Rathmore cousin, whose body gives up some of the keys to a handful cells. Time to play the cards you've held close to your chest over days of torture, your held-back spells, your tricks, your items that weren't confiscated. A mass escape isn't likely, with so many people still present in the building and so many of the captives injured and tired, but with enough of a distraction in the form of a prison riot, which may be enough to overpower the three Rathmores initially left in the cell block, a handful of scrappy Mirrorbound may make it out to safety before reinforcements arrive. a. The Escape Attempt There is one door out of the cell block, the main, heavy, warded door that the Rathmores enter and exit from every few hours. It's locked down tight - but it's possible to power through it, pick the lock, or charm it open. On the other side of the door, in the greater basement area, they'll find themselves free of the Bond dampening. Witch magic make take some time to return, depending on whether they were drugged or only charmed, but it'll be important to move quickly. The Rathmores' basement area is large - the size of the mansion above and the grounds put together, and they'll find themselves on the lower of two levels. The cellblock turns out to be a room within an even bigger room, with the stairs at the opposite end. The dangers are numerous: magical and mechanical traps set in areas marked off-limits, illusions intended to confuse and turn people around. There is only one completely safe path from the cellblock door to the stairs, unless they take the time to disarm the traps and illusions with their returning magic and abilities. That safe path is faster but more exposed, with two or three Rathmores in pursuit, and also the other people that could occasionally be heard outside the door - young aristocrats in on the kidnapping, who thought the Mirrorbound would be sent home. They're just as surprised to see you as you are them. In fact, it's not difficult to overpower these non-Rathmore kidnappers; they're obviously shocked to see Mirrorbound still here, in such states, and some are quite angry, or scared to learn what they've inadvertently gotten themselves into. A good handful flee instead of fight, but some others follow through on the shouted orders to go after you. Use the chaos your appearance causes to your advantage. Once escapees reach the upper basement level, up the stairs and through a hidden door, a few more traps remain, but up here, it looks more like a normal basement; servants' quarters, empty for some time now, storage rooms full of antiques, and winding hallways connecting them. It's easier to hide in this dusty maze to escape any pursuers, and eventually, they find the servants' exit out onto the back grounds. From there, freedom is just a run and a decorative, wrought-iron fence away. b. The Chaos Back in the cells, everything descends into chaos. The Rathmores are furious; while two or three of the cousins go after the escapees, the rest begin to gather down in the cell block, put out the fire, and the interrogations begin. They don't bother taking prisoners out to torment them now - they can't, with their torture room charred and smokey. Their main focus is forcing prisoners back in, and locking everything down with magic and heavy chains, to ensure no one else gets out. They grow more vicious now, and they begin speaking directly to the captives - they want to know which ones got free, how they managed it, who helped them, where they're going, who they're going to tell. Those who refuse to talk will be gagged or muzzled or simply beaten without finesse, and they'll move on to the next captive. Preying on the Mirrorbound's camaraderie with each other is the tactic they quickly turn to, hurting one to try and make another talk. The talk outside the main door grows louder in these few hours, angrier. Occasionally one of the Rathmore cousins will go out to spin some lies, or simply shout down any protesting. Some of the enchantments were damaged in the riot, though - they can hear you, just as well as you can hear them, muffled but still mostly clear. The more they hear from within, the more the confusion outside grows; all the better for the escaped Mirrorbound. ..."What's going on? Those were Mirrorbound that got out-" "We thought you were sending them home!" "You told us there was no risk, that this would make them leave-" "You don't need to worry about that! Go back upstairs!" "Someone needs to get a message to our Uncle Thomas immediately-"... They're all panicking as their grand plans, flimsy as they may have been, start to crumble around them. It's just a matter of time, now. The OOC post for the escape plotting is here if anyone needs to refer back to it! Eight characters will be escaping first thanks to a joint effort. The rescue will be underway within two hours of their escape, but those two hours are likely to be unpleasant for characters who remain in captivity. Any NPC maimings or proposed deaths need to be reported on the City Tracker; please note that mass murder / killing NPCs will still have consequences and needs mod approval first, but we're happy to work with players however we can.

II. The Cavalry (21st, Very Early Morning) The City Guard is closer than the Rathmores think. Thanks to Mirrorbound investigative help, not always strictly legal but still appreciated nonetheless, they've all followed the clues back and determined a possible address. By the evening of the 20th, several members of the Guard and Witches from the Coven, along with any Mirrorbound who followed the trail, are camped out at a manse nearby, the home of a wealthy widow eager to see her nasty neighbors knocked down a peg. Without solid evidence, the Guard can't get a warrant cleared to search the property owned by a Mr. Barclay, assistant to Thomas Rathmore, but solid evidence comes as soon as eight Mirrorbound manage to fight their way out of captivity, returning to friends and Bonded. They are the last piece of the puzzle, and now legal action can be taken. Theodore Rosethorne, leading a small group from the Coven, sends out a magical message to just the Mirrorbound - they've been found. Anyone who wishes to help bring their missing fellows home, anyone who can help with much-needed healing, or anyone who wishes to bring their captors to justice needs to show up now, because time is of the essence. The Guard can't mobilize more men quickly enough in the middle of the night to be useful and they need all the hands they can get, without a floor plan of the mansion or solid ideas of the captors' numbers. They can barely wait an hour for more hands to arrive before it begins. a. The Rescue Sowilo, Theodore's Bonded Fae and a skilled hand at illusions (and seeing through such), leads the rescue efforts, along with some of Theodore's Witches from the Coven. With information from the escapees, they plan to go through the back, take the servants' exit, and make their way down to the basement levels, while Theodore's assault team will go through the front doors, making as much noise as possible. Sowilo's illusions will keep their presence masked at least until they get into the house. The aim is to get through as quietly as possible, find the cellblock, and secure a safe route to take the prisoners out without them getting hurt any worse than they are. It's easier said than done. Magical and mechanical traps of various types litter both basement floors, and heavy illusion work has been placed to obscure the way. Splitting into smaller groups to disarm the traps and deal with the illusions will be necessary, as the entire group will make its way down to the cellblock as quickly as possible. Sowilo hopes they face little to no resistance, with Theodore's group doing their job, but a few, Rathmores and otherwise, are bound to try and stop them; in that case, they will have to fight. "Make sure you can argue a case for self-defense, if you have to hurt them," Sowilo will tell the rescuers and later the freed prisoners on the way out, wings fluttering agitatedly. "Let them be arrested and publicly humiliated in court - ruin their whole family line for generations to come." He's not happy about it either, and will overlook some of the captors getting a taste of what they deserve, but deaths are not permitted on his or the Witches' watch: anyone who takes things too far will find that the person they're attacking has simply vanished - a convincing illusion - before they're handily knocked out with a spell. They face less resistance than the assault team, but less is not none; a few of the Rathmores are determined to salvage their efforts, and some of their unwitting aristocratic cronies have sided with them. Once they reach the cellblock, dismantling the enchantments that keep the prisoners restrained and addled is the first order of business for some. Others can start unlocking cells and helping people out of their restraints. Protection for the escapees on their way out will also be necessary, as well as medical attention back at the temporary base camp. The main focus has to be on those lost friends and loved ones, bringing them back out to freedom and making sure they're tended to - not on revenge. b. The Assault Theodore Rosethorne, along with some members of the City Guard and some Witches from the Coven, leads the assault. While the rescue team goes around the back, they plan to go through the front door, as loudly and conspicuously as possible. The mansion is large and needs to be swept from top to bottom for perpetrators and evidence that can be used in court. Those joining up with this team are warned that it needs to remain legal - the Mirrorbound and the refugees, all of them, have a very shaky, uncertain legal status within the city, and a mass murder could severely harm what good will they have from the locals as well as their status here. After all, many are still neutral to positive on the Mirrorbound, but that could change in an instant. The Coven will take as much responsibility as they can, but they cannot accept the blame for a senseless slaughter. Splitting into smaller groups will be necessary in order to cover more ground quickly. The aim is to locate, subdue, and arrest as many of the culprits inside as they can. The Guard provides magic-suppressing cuffs, and the Coven a basic knock-out spell, but since many will not go so willingly, some degree of force may be unavoidable. If there's one thing the rich fear, it's a legal black mark on their family name and reputation - the Rathmores will fight back harder than their underlings, but they're also the ones they need alive to face the justice system. Those outside the family, those who only knew about the kidnapping portion, are a mixed bag - some might fight back, siding with the Rathmores, but some might give themselves up once the realization of what happened in that basement sinks in. Once they make their entrance, things move quickly. Several wealthy aristocrats either flee or fight, but their attention is thankfully pulled away from the basement and toward the upper levels. There are dozens of rooms to search, and many are cluttered with an old hoarding family's antiques, furniture piled against doors and windows blocking access to some areas, hundreds of nooks and crannies among the sheer amount of stuff provide cover for culprits to hide in. It's going to be work to ferret them all out and bring them in. Worse still, the Rathmores have collected dozens of cursed or enchanted objects that may be used as weapons against the forces of justice. Some degree of force is expected, but still if anyone tries to take things too far, they might find themselves slapped into cuffs or knocked out with a spell themselves. Any NPC maimings or proposed deaths need to be reported on the City Tracker; please note that mass murder / killing NPCs will still have consequences and needs mod approval first, but we're happy to work with players however we can.

III. The After (21st On) Activity continues all through the night and late into the morning at the former Rathmore estate. All the Rathmores and a couple dozen other wealthy aristocrats are brought out in cuffs over the course of several hours, while all the prisoners are liberated to receive medical attention and reunite with their loved ones. The Guard take statements from everyone who will give one - what they witnessed, what happened to them, what they know - and all who were affected are told they will be invited to testify at trial. A gathering crowd forms at the end of the street, wealthy neighbors aghast at the horrors they're learning had occurred right in their District. Most are disgusted with the once-prominent family. On the steps of the Parliament building, Thomas Rathmore, his wife, and his mother, all sitting members of Parliament themselves, are publicly arrested in front of colleagues and on-lookers early in the morning. Constance Rathmore is taken out of the Coven roughly in magic-suppressing cuffs, surrounded by a small group of furious Witches, students of the Coven who spent the week trying to find the missing Mirrorbound and refugees with Divination. They escort her to the prison themselves. All who are arrested are transported to holding cells of their own within the City Guard - all except those requiring urgent medical attention, who will remain cuffed to their hospital beds until trial. Nessie and Mhairi make an appearance at one point to give the Mirrorbound their sincerest apologies for what happened, and Mhairi delivers the news that they're pushing for an expedited trial in Parliament, in order to keep Thomas Rathmore from bribing any contacts. They, along with Theodore and Sowilo, and the Guard, are all open and forthright with what will happen next: public trial and a certain conviction, followed by sentencing. They don't expect that the Rathmores will get away lightly; what they did is too public and too horrific for even the anti-Mirrorbound wealthy to stomach. Those others who were involved, who weren't aware of what was going on behind that metal door, they'll still face justice themselves, no doubt. In the meanwhile, those kept hostage will need all the help they can get to reach something resembling normal again. Hug your loved ones, nourish your Bonds with each other, and begin trying to heal together.

Welcome to Part Two of January's event log, Snatched! An aftermath summary of the trial and sentencing will go up on Feb. 4, the day after the City Tracker deadline, so get your submissions in if you have them! More politically-oriented characters may find an opening in the near future to enact change within Parliament and provide their own representation within the city...

And as a general reminder, please make sure to use content warnings where necessary in your headers!

Comments

edmond dantes | turnskin | assault team.

[ressusciter]

[ooc: as strike team has to be legal, if you want an optional IC reason to keep to it, join Dantes' team and he'll offer a PC pushback to help.]

mansion:

[his blood is boiling by the time they are given the go-ahead, by the time they split into groups - he's smoked through three cigarettes and can barely keep himself from pacing. the rage in his body is only soothed by the promise of action, and even then, it's a physical pain to not burst out ahead, to not wish to torch the place to the ground and damn the consequences. six days worth of sheer hatred is right through him, and when they're given the signal, he's off like a shot, and expects his team to follow.

some of the witches require pursuit, and if he sees an allied face while he's chasing them down, he'll only gesture in the direction that they're going - they can both corner this one. other times, doors are blocked by clever hands, but that's not going to stop him, and the sounds of him trying to break the door down are obvious, putting his whole weight into it. there's no time to save this house as anything other than a house of horrors.

other witches wish to stand and fight, and those he reserves his special attention for, using the spell inked on his body to move at great speed, to dodge what they try to throw and to go for punches that will incapacitate long enough to slap the cuffs on them. still, there are going to be times he needs help fighting if a witch won't let him get close.

but if another member of the team is going to go too far, he'll intervene - if only because they can't afford to waste time when they need to get everyone out as fast as possible. he understands, but if he can't shed blood on the ground, then Dantes will seize what control he can, and use it.]

other:

[have any other ideas? feel free to throw them my way! find me via pm or moonjelly if you need.]

let's fight a witch and hopefully not kill them, then talk abt how much we wish we could kill them

[auftauen]

((If you only want Dantes-team tags I am happy to say she went with that option btw! Just let me know!))

[They don't deserve to live.

Even the most well-guarded prisoner still has the slightest chance of passing information; it's idiotic to give them that chance. And some things - some people - just shouldn't be allowed to continue existing.

So Crymaria resents the restraint they're told to exercise, even if she also seems to be respecting it. Perhaps she only understands the limitations of her new powers; if she were the Winter Witch, still, and not just another one of the Mirrorbound, the mansion would be ash by now and herself burnt along with it. Maybe that's why it has to be this way... this way, at least the captured will be able to escape. She's kept most of the magic usage in the assault limited to abjuration support and non-lethal evocation measures: breaking down doors, casting shields and counterspells, and shredding through hoards of ancient knickknacks to unearth the rats beneath them. If she focused on offense... the quarry they're seeking would be little more than tallow and bone.

Crymaria joins this particular altercation already in progress, with just enough time to see some lackey trying to flee an extremely fast and furious turnskin. After blasting aside some stacked furniture so the witch Avenger is fighting has nowhere to hide, she twists her magic again, throwing up a barrier that will hopefully prevent their opponent from dodging another physical attack.]

Go! Now.

[ressusciter]

((whatever works with you! he's more than happy to work with any other Mirrorbound, team or not.))

[he has no time to flash her an expression of gratitude, but he understands what he must do when the cover's blown out of the way. the battery for his speed spell is warm against his chest, and he lunges, one arm going to seize them and the next to slam into their head for disorientation before it curls into a punch. a broken nose, and a blackout from the force of it - the blood is invisible on black clothes, black gloves.

from his pocket, he withdraws a pair of the magic suppressing cuffs, grabbing the witch's wrists and throwing them on with a snap before he pulls back - oh, it hurts to not simply yield to the anguish inside of him and drive their skull into the floor - one step back, then another. breathing hard from the exertion, and finally looking back at the one who assisted.]

...You have my thanks for that.

[it's petty, but he kicks the body over, so he doesn't have to look at their face.]

He was quite the slippery one.

[auftauen]

((Okay! They can be strangers uwu))

It's over in seconds. Crymaria's barely finished speaking before he's launching himself forward and sending the witch to the ground. She bites her lip, and when Dantes thanks her, Crymaria shakes her head slightly.]

You did most of it. All I did was end it faster.

[She kicks a broken chair leg to the side, a brief - and unsatisfactory - means of venting frustration. Any noise, any destruction, in between arresting the perpetrators will keep the distraction going, besides; as much attention as they can keep away from the rescuers the better. The barrier shatters loudly, more like glass than magic.]

I should have hit him.

[Would she have been able to hold back if she had? Now that they're closer and the immediate danger has passed, her hands are visibly shaking.]

[ressusciter]

You could now, if you like. Though I doubt it would be as satisfactory as seeing his face contort in pain.

[he's not going to tell if she was to vent with a few blows. legal applied to what in the end would be seen. Dantes can see her hands shaking, but he will not call undue attention to it - not when she likely needs all the nerve she can get.]

If we secure him to something, he can be retrieved when this is over, and more of them can be neutralized in the meantime.

[it takes time to carry a body out, after all - those cuffs meant he wasn't going anywhere.]

[auftauen]

No, [she says flatly,] it wouldn't.

[She turns away in disgust, removing her gloves only to rub her trembling hands together for a moment and put them back on. Crymaria begins looking around the adjacent areas, looking for something solid and fixed to bind the man to.

That looks like a pipe in the closet. I'm sure there's someone coming behind to clear them out besides. [She swings the door open wide for Dantes to see. They wouldn't want any of these witches' scummy little friends coming in and staging their own ill-planned rescue attempt. ]

The next one we find... I'll remind him what real pain feels like.

hi hope you don't mind an angry bear

[heartsbane]

[ there's many emotions weighing down on Jorah's shoulders as he made the decision to enter the mansion to help the other Mirrorbound. he had just encountered Daenerys as she escaped the mansion, and his hope of remaining at her side after not having the chance to was taken away at her command to go help the others where he can. selfish desires wanted him to refuse, but he did come to the scene prepared for war. to say he has some pent up frustrations to relieve himself of is an understatement.

he had entered in on his lonesome, sometime after the city guard and strike teams had already entered and begun to clear the place of the Rathmores while the others looked to rescue anyone left behind. with his sword drawn and armor dressed over his body, he was certainly hoping to find someone foolish enough to try their luck against him. Jorah vaguely recalls the instruction left to show restraint towards those soon to be arrested, but he almost willfully pushes the thought to the side. these bastards nearly broke his khaleesi. consequences mean nothing to him in his current state of mind.

so while he may not be in Dantes' team specifically, it might not be hard for someone to be attracted to Jorah's location when a piercing scream begins to flood through a nearby hallway. should an individual turn the corner to look, they'll find the man towering over one of the Rathmores. his sword had been sheathed and a knife was instead drawn — or at least, it was, as it was also now sheathed inside the thigh muscle of the unfortunate soul in front of him. he digs the blade deeper inside, twisting and digging while his other hand is quick to squeeze at his throat, as if he wanted to stop the screaming from revealing his location. too late for that. ]

Shhh. You never... hnn, wanted to be found out before. Must you be so concerned now...? I can lie and say this will end well for you.

[ the bloody dagger is pulled out and is soon raised towards the man's face, inching closer and closer to his cheek. now might be a good time to help him avoid causing more of an eventual headache for his khaleesi, pls. ]

IT'S JORAH

[ressusciter]

[keen ears pick out the screaming from a ways away, and he turns on his heel to practically fly towards the location. if that's a member of their group, then they need to be saved. if that's one of the witches...

it is, he finds, taking in the scene swiftly. and as much as he sympathizes, as much as the hatred in him feels like steel, says to watch and delight in it, his reason tears through it like a beast of its own. in a breath, he's crossed to Jorah, and a black gloved hand is around the wrist holding the dagger. his grip is tight, strong - clearly not that of a human, and golden eyes practically burn their way into the side of the man's head.]

Enough.

[Dantes' voice is rough, stern - and he brings the full weight of his presence into it.]

What do you gain from this except wasted time? Those we look for need every moment we can give.

[if he cannot bring pain, if he cannot burn this place to cinders, then he must fall into the grip of control and see it through.]

:')

[heartsbane]

[ Jorah figured he would garner the attention of someone with his, ahem, activities. it goes to show how little he cares about the consequence of his actions right now, because he could have surely gagged the man or taken him somewhere more private if he wanted to make him suffer by himself like so many of the other prisoners. —like Daenerys.

he didn't think it would happen so quick. the grip on his wrist is sure to bring his fight-or-flight out, and considering it is a stranger's face grabbing him, he is quick to grab for the hilt of his actual sword. it's pulled halfway out from his sheath, fully prepared to defend himself to ensure he can continue to bring pain upon this poor bastard standing before him. Jorah himself is not a fool, however, and he quickly makes note that this man stopping him had a strength that did not befit his stature. perhaps a fight between them would be less than fair. ]

I gain plenty, ser. Why else would I feel the need to drive my blade into his thigh when I very well could have aimed for his heart?

[ Jorah doesn't move to pull said blade out of his leg just yet, but he does fully sheathe his sword when he realizes he is a part of the same strike team. his blood is on fire, but he won't be attacking someone on the same side, regardless of how unhappy he is to be interrupted. ]

There is someone that was here. Someone they dared to touch. I am merely paying back in kind.

[ressusciter]

And you think you're the only one in that situation?!

[he allows some of the anger he feels to slip into his words, to show how serious he is. hatred and malice curl around his heart so strongly it takes Herculean effort to hold them off, but he knows, he knows - his passions cannot reflect on the whole. his sins, he bears alone.]

Do you believe you're the only one who has someone they care about down there? That somehow, your emotions make you the exception to the fact that if we act as thugs and murderers we'll be proving everything they say about us correct?! Do you really, truly believe you are the only one who wants to see these wretches obliterated from the face of the earth?!

[even if he longed to shatter jaws, tear out throats, burn this entire cursed place to the ground until not even ash remained. he's practically snarling in the stranger's face, until the wounded witch makes a sound of pain, trying to reach the knife in their leg. Dantes's head snaps to the side, and his tone is no less vicious.]

-You. Not a word, not a movement, or I'll consider letting him continue.

[and then his head swivels back to Jorah, dropping a touch of the savagery but no less focused. he understands, down to his core, but they cannot let them win.]

Go find your someone, and stay by their side. Your presence and safety will be a greater gift to them than vermin's blood on your blade.

[heartsbane]

[ he understands the other man's emotion and logic. Jorah never challenges it nor thinks to do so. in any other situation and mindset, it was more likely for him to be the one trying to put an end to what appears to be senseless violence. it takes a lot to bring him from his normal sensibilities. Aefenglom and its effects on him as a turnskin have made him prone to less thoughtful decisions befitting of his age. it shows now, with this stranger so clearly sacrificing his own desires to ensure others fall in line.

respectable. a foolish, impossible task that will end up having Dantes inflict his own pain before stopping everyone from making fools of themselves, but respectable non-the-less. ]

We all have choices to make, ser, and those choices have consequences. I would happily accept them for my queen.

[ he doesn't raise his voice. not even now. his voice is calm even when blood runs hot through the veins on the side of his temple and down his neck, where his heart feels as if it was about to shoot right through his armored chest. he controls his response to the other man, knowing he is not the enemy nor in the wrong for trying to instill some sense of justice and self-control. consider it stubborn and ironic when he actively tries to resist Dantes' grip to instead twist the knife inside the Rathmores' thigh.

that'll be all he does before he pulls away, knife still left in its fresh wound. his hands move to the air, signifying he would stop. for now. ]

That someone asked me to come in here. If you know of her, you would know she is a benevolent woman. But she... she would want them to feel the pain they inflicted on her. That I know without asking.

celt boys be like

[ua_duibhne]

["-was a stubborn one. Refused to break. I was just doing what I was told to."

Amidst the chaos, two people seem caught in a world of their own. It had been no easy task to track down this specific witch but Diarmuid had been bloodhound-like in his hunt. And here he is. The man, a distant cousin of the Rathmore family as he's found out, who tormented both of his Bonded, forced them to endure cruelty beyond measure, enjoyed it.

Diarmuid stands over him, one foot pushing down hard enough on his chest to have already cracked one of his ribs but with twenty-three left, he hasn't decided whether he'll stop there or not. In one hand, he grips a muzzle and, in the other, is Gáe Dearg, its scarlet point unstained for the time being. Though his sense of justice is stark, there's no enjoyment to be found in enacting it and his expression is blank; he will make sure that this man suffers every agony he inflicted and end him here and now. When Midac fell beneath his spear and then his blade and he took no pleasure in it then but for the knowledge that a comrade had been avenged. Though he owes much to the City Guard, his code holds stronger still. Blood for blood. He will see it done.

And so, when he finds himself interrupted, he doesn't make even the slightest move to hide what he's doing, even when he realises that he recognises the individual in the doorway. The man from the Salty Seadog with bright eyes and a soft voice for song all those months ago. A shame they had to meet again this way but, as the witch beneath his boot shifts, he's reminded of why he's here. Diarmuid increases the pressure and he groans.]

... Jacques, wasn't it? [He speaks calmly, evenly, as though he weren't visibly trembling with rage.] I won't be long with this one. You should go on ahead.

[The unspoken meaning being that he should leave before he becomes witness to something they've be warned against doing.]

[ressusciter]

Diarmuid.

[he infuses the name with intention, with purpose, to draw his focus temporarily away from the man beneath his heel.]

You know that you cannot. And believe me when I say I know how it pains you - that every nerve of you cries out to rend this living filth into an insensate pulp.

[and the pure hatred in his eyes when he looks at the Rathmore is enough to make the witch tremble, as if he promised agonies a thousand times worse than whatever Lancer had in store. his fingers flex, and for a moment, he's sorely tempted.]

...But, we cannot. Our time's better spent getting the rest of them out.

[ua_duibhne]

[For a few moments, Diarmuid's gaze flickers between the two of them, not so unreadable that Dantes won't see the hesitation in his eyes. Everything he says is true; not only is he wasting precious time on a vile, barbaric excuse of a human being but to kill him would ultimately harm the greater cause.

And yet. And yet.

He lifts the muzzle, letting it dangle from its straps so that the metal glints in the low light.]

... this is what he subjected my Bonded partners to. He chained my beloved up like an animal and took him apart and enjoyed it. [There's a tremble to his voice now but he holds firm.] There will be retribution. There has to be.

[The bigger picture feels meaningless in the face of the smaller horrors, the personal wounds that he's still so helpless to heal.]

[ressusciter]

And there shall be, for no one will stand for less.

[he closes his eyes briefly, taking a breath. calm, he has to be calm, though it hurts him deep.]

They took my Bonded and tortured him for parts while he still breathed, put fear in his heart that he would reach the most savage of ends. I know what you are feeling, more so than I can place in a few short words. But I am of no comfort to him if I am in the jail cell instead of this scum.

[opening his eyes, his glare has not dimmed.]

So even though every inch of my body says to obliterate them all, I do not.

[ua_duibhne]

[Is that really true? There's a none too small part of Diarmuid's anger reserved for his own foolishness in letting his guard down. It's the kind of naivety that he had tried to purge from himself when he first arrived, still reeling from the bitterness of betrayal, but somewhere along the lines he had gotten soft. Complacent. There was danger but he stupidly allowed himself to think he was safe. Three times now his faith in others has been his downfall.

There won't be a fourth time. His shoulders drop.]

I don't know if I have the strength to believe that anymore.

[As jaded as he is, though, Diarmuid has to concede that he's right on that second point and the ache his voice is so familiar it makes his chest hurt. Dantes understands. Even if he hadn't said so outright, he would have believed him. Exhausted, Diarmuid takes his foot off of the man's chest and he immediately rolls to the side, wheezing and spluttering. It almost seems as though this might be the end of it until, with a look of pure hate, the witch turns back to the two of them.

"Less comfort still if he's already dead. He probably is."

The Lancer's eyes flash. In a blur of movement, he slams the heel of his boot straight back down onto his back. Another rib cracks.]

dantes, stop a fool

[morbide]

[Henry wishes he understood the sheer wrath many of the mirrorbound feel for this.

this isn't to say the dark mage has no pity or sympathy. sympathy, in fact, is something he has plenty of. when the first few captives trickled out, broken and in tatters, he knew: this was a snapshot of an earlier life he'd lived. against all odds, he'd been spared of it. he, the harbinger of misfortune... that might have been what made him most upset of all. so many people would endure unspeakable horrors, and so many of them didn't need to.

he feared seeing who all was forced to live through such cruelties.

he tagged along with Dantes, having some familiarity with the monster from having worked with him previously. while Henry's down the hall a ways, Dantes is faced by a particularly schooled aristocrat, one who flings lightning, hisses restrictive enchantments, unleashes blinding hexes. it's fortunate that he's close by, and Henry acts fast: he materializes behind Dantes's form, lifting both of his hands and glaring down the hall with a smile.]

Wow! You're real fast, Dantes. This bigwig can't even land a hit on someone like you. Is it because you're a Monster, maybe? Color me impressed!

[that's the only reason he can think of that he wouldn't be retaliating with magic... and suddenly, the aristocratic Witch yowls, a dark miasma cloaking his shoulders. the very flesh of his cheeks dissolve, eaten away by the disease unleashed by Henry's magic, shriveling black with similarly tinged blood staining his ritzy attire.

and just as darkness is swallowing the screaming aristocrat, a truly horrid aura radiates from Henry's choice in magic. it's quite unlike anything most Witches perform... Dantes might be able to see the signs of someone slipping in restraint: Henry's smiling, but his teeth are clenched.]

Ooh, look at how he bleeds, hee hee! I bet I could squeeze more of that tar outta him...!

[ressusciter]

Henry!

[his name is a shout, a command, and Dantes whirls around to face him instead of the Rathmore, jaw clenched and eyes ablaze, moving with that same speed to tower over him and seize him by the collar. his first enemy is in too much pain to retaliate for a moment, which he'll use immediately.]

End it, right now, or I'll haul you away in cuffs next!

[and given how he'd been fighting against the one witch's enchantments, his face says that he will take on Henry's as well, with all the iron determination that he would have seen before. this is not a choice that he's giving him, but a reprieve from greater justice. come to his senses, or he'll be thrown into them - and that won't be a pleasant experience.]

[morbide]

[and like a wolf with his tail between his legs, Henry bares his teeth in a wide, sheepish smile, the aura of his insidious magic dissipating from his person in an instant. he averts his gaze from Dantes, still showing all of his teeth in a primal response.

kind of reminds him of his early days with magic, the days of no restraint and blind slaughter. this feeling is unmistakable. he releases the spell. Dantes... really stopped him from letting himself succumb to the feeling.]

Ugh...—

[Henry lets out a shaky breath. he doesn't retaliate in Dantes's grip, letting himself hang there instead. from behind, Dantes can hear the Rathmore sputter and cough, blood dumping across the floor. he's alive, freed from Henry's spell, but his flesh still withers and consumes itself at a decelerating rate.]

[ressusciter]

[when he's certain some sense is in the other man's head, he sets him down, though he doesn't move far, turning to see the Rathmore and that now permanent injury.]

...Tell me what you've done to him. You'll need to inform the medics regardless - he needs to make it to trial, unfortunately.

[talk. it might help keep him on a more even keel - he's seen maddened Servants before, and the idea is similar to bringing them back down.]

[morbide]

[fear strikes Henry, and panic alights in him as he shakes his head fiercely.]

No! Umm...

[if he spilled the beans to Dantes right in front of the wretched aristocrat, if Dantes told the medics what manner of spell he was using... he remembers distantly warnings from the mysterious "Mo Xuanyu" he met so long ago. "They'd keep their eye on us." Henry may be a fool, but he's looked into his new art well enough to know the repercussions of practicing it. he's not confident enough in his ability to bring it to light just yet. it's his secret alone, and now Dantes's.

he fumbles for words, thinking back on Dantes's urgency.]

You... Only want him healed right back up, is that right? If so, I think I'm the best candidate for it, since...

[it's dying tissue. a mere healer couldn't save it, though the Coven's sure to house someone with the right magic. but that would mean blowing that Henry's been dabbling in it, and so soon. it's so peculiar of a spell that even the Rathmore begins to hyperventilate, unsure of what's going on to his body.]

Anyway, I can totally heal him. Think of it liiike... A warning! What I COULD do to him, for all of his misdeeds!

andersen.

[ressusciter]

[when he feels the Bond comes back - searing, strong, alive - he stops where he is, hand flying to his chest. it's back. it's back, and he's alive. he still breathes. Dantes cannot delay anymore, even as he has been tearing through this house of horrors. he runs to Theodore, to say that he's handing command over, and receives the blessing to go.

(thrumming over the connection, the sense of I'm coming, I'm coming-)

he runs, the spell in his skin warm, running until he sees blue hair, until he feels that proximity, and not a force in this world could stop him from drawing near. nothing could prevent him from coming to his side, seeing what's happened - oh, grief and rage war within him, but another instinct rises as well. it is a cold night, and he is in clothes that cannot be enough.

his coat is far too big, but it is heavy and it is warm, dark fabric engulfing his Bonded, and for a moment, Dantes cannot speak with every feeling that courses through him.]

[manlet]

[So much time was lost to that hell below that, when the Guard comes to their aid, Andersen can't distinguish them from his tormentors. He crouches close to his cell's corner, head bowed as if trying to spare himself the sight. He still doesn't process it when they take him by the arm - doesn't fully comprehend their soothing words amidst the rest of the chaos - and he stumbles along with them simply because he's too exhausted to resist. His mind is addled by starvation and pain. Everything happening is simply overwhelming.

At some point, the Bond returns. It's a burning sensation in his chest, right over his heart, and Andersen feels Dantes long before he sees him. Looks over his shoulder, though he's weak and his eyes need to adjust to proper light, and when he sees that familiar shade of black and white, he stops and turns towards his Bonded.

It's good that Dantes closes the distance between them, for Andersen practically falls into his arms. Warmth surrounds him and he buries himself in it, already reaching up towards the source of comfort so he may cling to him. Don't let him go.]

[ressusciter]

[to hold him in his arms will keep him from using these hands to rip out the throat of every blasted Rathmore he finds. the Guards ask if they'll be alright, and Dantes nods, not trusting himself - he'll carry Andersen to the healers, not them. he'll keep him wrapped in warmth and close, where no one could harm him.

the feelings coming over the Bond are mixed - relief and anger and trying to say it's alright now, even though so much has happened. the night has not broken yet and will not for some time. but every step they take away from that house is one where they can breathe easier, breathe air untainted by the scents of magic and fear.]

...Try to stay awake.

[those are the first words he manages, nearing the healers and their work. he won't leave Andersen's side during it, but he wants him to be conscious, to know what's happening.]

[manlet]

[He cannot answer him. They've done a fine work of breaking his jaw, making even the slightest of jostles a sharp stab of pain. But through their Bond is a flood of conflicting emotions - exhaustion, animalistic paranoia, relief, battered pride glistening beneath it all. Andersen trusts Dantes to take him somewhere safe. Why should he bother to stay awake? He's so tired - so, so tired - and the thoughts trickle through to Dantes.]