☆ 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

after the escape + wildcard

[usurpers]

[ it’s safe and obvious to say that eren sleeps little— but ever since he did return to home and back again to aefenglom a second time, it’s remained a rather permanent thing on his schedule. day in and day out he searches, investigating with the others and cracking down on the family of rathmores to get their fellow mirrorbound and refugees out. how he felt, well— once initial human anger subsided, eren may have become emotionally constipated. he seems tired beyond what physical fatigue could wear; everywhere he looks, his eyes are half lidded and seem bored. the more he thinks about what’s happening, the more he can’t bring himself to feel violent. the more he understood them. the more he understood those who didn’t understand why and how someone could do this. eren knew— he did the same thing.

let’s be real, sometimes, it sucks to understand. everything just seems so small now, like he’s too big of a giant to fit in properly. back home, eren didn’t have time to mull over every detail, he’d only have pockets of time that he used more as boosters to keep moving. reminders that he should be going forward because he had no time to take a step back. here, he had to take a different spiral of stairs. here, he had to move on what seemed to be a treadmill. his body moved, but he, essentially, got nowhere closer to home.

the gates of magic are released the second eren steps into the aristocratic district, aborting investigations immediately when his muffled bond reconnects. it had probably been the most emotion eren’s felt since the day she and the others had disappeared and they began to suspect. when he was still furious, relapsing into a state of rage to hurt who has hurt. kill who has stolen freedom away— until it dawned upon eren that he was the greatest hypocrite of them all.

his steps quicken even after he rounds a corner and sees a sight so clean and abysmal, but something so consumingly beautiful; of a woman, a fox, an eagle, tattered and literally ripped open, in every spot eren could feel searing on his own flesh like fire, a woman that was dirty and worn, exhausted and hellish— but one who didn’t lose a single drop of ferocity to her spirit, one who was complete and still standing. forget physically, she could be sprawled on the ground for all he knew—

but the look in her eyes of defiance and will to live still consumed her eyes, and eren confirms, once he dashes to her, embraces her, tongues her grimy self with no shame or self restraint in what he’d smell and taste— this was why he bonded to her, why he was happy to feel whole again, breathing out a gasp and pressing the quickest but most meaningful kisses to her forehead as his massive body enveloped her front, where his elongated arms find the back of her legs, ]

Come on— [ and literally sweeps her off her feet, into his care. there was no time to waste coddling her or crying over her— she needed attention, and the rest needed help. ] It’s over.

[ his emotions say, with a point, that it’s the rathmores he’s talking about. ]

[lonewanderer]

[ It is, rather literally, like the flip of a switch. One minute the Bond is barely there, and the next- the next she can feel him, blazing bright. Maybe it's the Bond more than anything else that directs where her feet go, but Lex does not stop Eren from wrapping himself around her, even though the pressure of his tongue and his limbs light up the incisions all along her body in sharp pain. It's different pain than torture, and she'll take it.

Being swept up, though, has her yelp. Her wings flutter - uselessly, they've been clipped, one more method of keeping her contained. ]

Not yet, [ she insists, and her head turns slightly - back toward where she came from, the mansion where she had been held, where others are still being held. ] There are others. And if we don't stop them, they're going to take more of us.

[ It's a calm, quiet fury that fills Lex's voice, that crosses the Bond, but it's directed. It's the Rathmores that are the problem, and Lex has every intention of making sure they're dealt with. ]

The people working with them, they don't know. Don't like us, sure, but they don't know. Not really.

[usurpers]

I know. [ he suspected as much and was too much an old friend to these types of atrocities— there would always be people in the middle simply caught in a string of lies, always. even if his heart is thumping so hard it felt like jumping right out of his rib cage, it was, even pulsing in his ears and rattling his horns.

but his expression is nearly neutral. he’s focused on keeping his breathing intact from elevation, deep but effective in giving him the air to think properly and quick on his feet. he was grasping control of himself with a solid, iron fist, while his grip on carrying her is as gentle and cautious of her splitting pain as possible. fighters can’t afford a dip in emotions. it could mean death and he’s long ago discarded the habit.

even through it, his lips are dry, and he wets them, inhales the chimera into his lungs and takes a sharp turn to the infirmary. what seems to be a badger turnskin perks up from her post, and inquiries what happened. eren’s quick, curt with details, but makes it as easy to send off as possible. tell the others. ]

The second this happened, [ he says through huffs, only through flaring nostrils: ] it was over.

[ is, ultimately, what he meant. they’re through doors in no time, bustling nurse witches already waiting for something, which, to their luck, the badger turnskin gave them: quickly spread information. wilder pairs have already gathered in wait, for as much information as possible— and eren, setting her down like a feather about to break but as rushed as a man pulling away from a serpent ready to strike, he tells her, coolly, because there was less time for comforting words and caresses: the healers will work on painkillers, and bulk down the larger wounds. they seem a little unsure about the metal, but figure it could wait, and apologize that she’ll have to get those fixed elsewhere— but the rest, they could do. ]

We’ll have to multitask. [ a raise of his brows, and his hand grips hers; they’re used to this. they’re survivors. ] I know you want to be there, and you will, [ he says it with such firm intention that it sounds like a fact. he may not know her inside out, but he knows her as she does him. lex does not want to rest in a bed while others need help, and he doesn’t need a bond to feel that. guess that. ] But we need to organize before doing anything senseless.

[ she knows what to do. who, how many, where, what else, how— the wilders encourage her, saying please and apologies— they’d let her rest as soon as they had what they needed to barge through ready. ]

[lonewanderer]

People are already going senseless, [ she warns. ] Some of the others- there was a fire started during the riot, during the escape. Could've fucking killed us. And you know people are going to go in there mad.

[ Lex and Eren both could have been those people, some days. Lex was mad, even now, but- these were citizens. They were outsiders, all of them, and that was why they had been targeted. They didn't need to give anyone on the fence a reason to target them again.

Some of the healers are familiar, from her time here before; people who had treated her radiation sickness, who had helped with the pain of her monster changes as her metal skeleton and cybernetic changes had struggled to accommodate different biology. They're greeted with little smiles, but all of them are given nods; Lex will listen, but she insists that she is treated on a first-aid basis. She needs to be there to help, and then the larger bulk of treatment can wait. She doesn't give a good goddamn if she scars; the others need to know what she knows. ]

Rathmore, [ she says, and she swears some of the healers gasp, turn their heads. ] The whole family, I think - Thomas, the Parliament member, for sure. A witch named Constance. A guard named Godfrey. They're the ones behind this.

[ And she keeps speaking, tells them - tells Eren, really, and anyone listening - the numbers she has counted while in the cells, while in the torture rooms. The numbers she had seen in her escape, surprised though they had been. The mansion she had escaped from and where it had been. How they had ripped pieces of flesh from them, blood, fluid, more and more and more. How she isn't sure how many Mirrorbound were there or how many escaped, but that she knows there are Witches and Monsters both. The lies that the Rathmores had told their aristocratic partners, saying that the Coven was keeping the Mirrorbound here and the Rathmores were working a spell to send them home instead of torturing them, mutilating them. ]

They took off Peridot's hand, [ she hisses to Eren, and that flash of anger blooms hot before it's replaced by a yelp of pure surprise as one of the loose sutures from the Rathmores is removed. ]

They think we're less than them. Us and the refugees from Dorchacht. They want to preserve the status quo.

[usurpers]

[ eren already had been that person, or those people— he had been angry as anyone would have been. he understands and so does the coven, looks like, already making plans of doing as much damage control as possible.

names are noted, confirmed with suspicions of what the investigation findings have garnered, and all is send out through messages in moments, in real time. groups would be engaged, and lex would have what she wanted, at least: healed to the point that she was no longer putting her life in danger. the rest, they’ll do priority runs. use your time wisely, girl, one of them say with worry as their magic begins to fill in chunks of flesh that bled and hurt her, removing poorly done sutures that make the nurses grimace with disgust.

but as she continues, as her blood runs hot and even at the mention of peridot— eren shows nothing. the rathmore’s reasoning, their lies, their goals. the dragon’s eyes are blank, devoid of any fiery emotion his bond spikes. whether this would help ease her breathing or leave lex feeling empty was uncertain; how bonds react and are influenced by each other is unique and personal. all in all, there’s nothing wrong with any reading. he’s not muting anything to hide his emotions from her.

the truth is, he’s reading a book he’s read to many god damn times and can’t bring himself to care without feeling exhausted. how many others are tortured and hurt? how many people die in vain? how big is the universe? they were just different sides of the same fucking coin and always will be. humans are disgusting, selfish bastards and always will be, him included, what else is new.

we all create our own devils. he understands the rathmores, no matter how shitty they are.

rest now, a witch says, we’ll call you when we move out, it won’t be long. she nods at the nurse, to make sure they understand what to do and keep things quick, and they nod back. after a stranded moment of silence, finally, eren speaks up: ]

If they’re smart, they won’t let it get worse than it is.

[ he keeps his hand in hers, nevertheless. ]

[lonewanderer]

[ Lex doesn't snarl at being called girl, doesn't do anything but listen to the healers and let them treat her and grip onto Eren. He's- blank, and that worries her, scares her a little. Does he not care, or is he too far beyond it? She isn't certain, but it throws her off center even worse than her clipped wings.

When he finally speaks, she latches onto it, like a true eagle would latch onto prey. She can't help it. ]

If.

[ A little laugh, bitter, but- she hopes. God, she hopes. ]

There's good people still trapped down there, [ she manages after a moment, trying not to let bitterness cloud her, standing on both legs. She lets Eren lead but doesn't let go of him; she needs the touch now more than ever. ] We were moved between cells a lot. Shuffled.

[usurpers]

[ —she probably needed more fresh air now, that things were properly put into face. flesh is being healed, alas, the wires would have to be something they could work around.

if she’s latched onto him, like the eagle she had been, eren’s own talons were locked into hers. in one of those spiraling twists both birds would coax themselves into in a dance in the sky. this one just seemed less inclined to action, and some ways grimmer.

for some wild reason, despite his faraway thoughts, he still grasps for her like it’s part of the only base he had, now. he’s slow moving, and patient in her walk for a seat outside while they waited rather than a bed. perhaps his lap would suffice, and the thought is pressed forth in the form of a suggestion.

he told her, a while ago, months ago: he wasn’t a good person. there’s no such thing as good anyway, only what’s convenient. ]

Any casualties?

[lonewanderer]

[ The suggestion across the Bond is latched onto like their claws are latched and Lex curls up on his lap, lets her wings spread and wrap around him. If Eren's wings spread and wrap around her to match afterward, well- she won't complain. She only lets herself sigh and press her forehead to his, eyes sliding shut for a moment. ]

No. Not that I'm aware of, and I feel like they would have told us. Emotional warfare as much as anything else. They moved us a lot, trying to make it so we couldn't plot with our cellmates - didn't plan on all of us plotting with all our cellmates. But still... I think they'd have said.

[ God knows they taunted them enough. ]

[usurpers]

[ lex would have to get the whole limb-package. his arms were his wings, so once blanketed around her own with the scent of feathers closer to his mouth (and he doesn’t mind it), eren’s lap is hers to sit in, and her body shielded from even the smallest of outsiders. his wings weren’t soft, like hers— they were leathery and bony, but they were warm, like a welcoming furnace. having her forehead pressed into his earns and incline of his head, only a small dip to push back.

even her breath, at the same time she sighs, is his own, curling from his chest and between theirs. ]

I’m glad you’re not. [ just— this. that he didn’t feel their bond snap. there were other important people down there to him, as there were more he probably wasn’t as nearly familiar with as he was with the others. but he allows himself this much human selfishness, for just a few moments. ]