☆ 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

[tryhard]

Please, it's okay--

[ He'd felt Diarmuid nearing. He knows his Bonded won't wait-- and Waver doesn't want to, either.

He tries to protest against the guard's arguments, pushing himself up to his feet with a little effort. The worst of his injuries have been healed and the pain numbed, but he's still only running on adrenaline and spite at this point. He's been bandaged and somewhat cleaned up, though Waver had insisted on talking to the City Guard and the Coven before receiving more thorough treatment. There are still rings of rubbed-raw, burnt skin around his throat and wrists. The bite on his thigh especially will take a few sessions; Waver winces when he stands to wave the guard back, favoring his left leg heavily. ]

I'm fine. Let him through.

Diarmuid--

[ Waver staggers forward to meet him, arms wrapping around Diarmuid in return, squeezing weakly. Embarrassingly, he can already feel fresh tears pricking his eyes, the way his throat closes up tightly. Feeling Diarmuid trembling, Waver hugs him harder, breath catching and quick. His voice hitches when he's lifted up, but he doesn't protest. It feels good, even through the pain, like the threads of their Bond are finally healing and knitting back together after being muted for so long. ]

I-I'm sorry...

[ He doesn't know where to start. The relief was a rush at first, overwhelming but painfully brief; the shame and disgust and horror crashes in just moments after. The tears won't stop. ]

S-sorry, I- I couldn't-- I'm sorry, Diarmuid, please--

We have to g-go... everyone, Ciarán and--

[ He can't breathe. The guards hover anxiously, one of them calling for a Coven Witch to come help calm the Turnskin down before he hurts himself or someone else. ]

[ua_duibhne]

[Waver. His name is the only sound to escape him at first, a soft, exhausted little murmur of relief half lost in his hair as he holds him. Like the seams of a torn, familiar shirt, he feels their Bond pulling itself back together in small but pronounced stitches. It's comforting beyond words- but the feeling doesn't last. Almost as soon as he sets him down, the reality of Waver's imprisonment becomes painfully clear too. Though the only visible signs of his torture are telltale bands of red, raw skin and his limp, even a glance will tell that they're likely only the prologue to a novel of indignities and injuries written across his mind and body. Diarmuid's grip tightens as he looks him over, heart pounding faster with every passing moment.

It was the Rathmore family who did this, yes, but he allowed it to happen with his failure, just like he always has. If he'd found him sooner- if he'd only protected him in the first place, maybe he could have prevented it. What did he have to show for his vows to grow stronger? To keep his loved ones safe as he's duty bound to do? He-

Enough. This is no time to get carried away; even without the reawakening of their Bond and the tidal wave of emotions it brings, his distress only exacerbates Waver's. But that's fine. Repressing his feelings is a particular talent of his and, after a few unsteady breaths, Diarmuid manages to lift his head without fear of tears blurring his vision. Swallow it all down, each ache and anxiety, every pang of grief and guilt, the burning anger in his chest- all of it is blotted out until only the determination to make things right remains. The tremble fades. Worthless as he feels, there's even less of a place for a knight who lets his emotions get the better of him.

That isn't to say he's ready to relinquish their contact just yet. Though Diarmuid is quick to usher Waver back into his chair, he stays kneeling beside him with both hands held in his, as if silently daring any of the guards to try and separate them.]

Listen to me. I'll bring him back. [And then, with greater resolve still-] I swear a geis to you now, Waver Velvet, that I'll bring him back even if it kills me.

[Even if it kills the bastards who took them in the first place. He's wise enough not to say as much out loud but, for just a moment, there's an uncharacteristic chill to his voice.]

[tryhard]

[ Waver collapses into his chair without letting go of Diarmuid, and would have protested if Diarmuid tried to move away; but he doesn't, and Waver tugs the fallen blanket haphazardly back over himself with one hand while gripping his Bonded tightly with the other, his breath fast and ragged as he tries to stem the sobs still catching in his throat. ]

No--

[ His other hand joins it, squeezing tight around Diarmuid's fingers. Even severely weakened, he's stronger than he looks. ]

Don't you dare. You're not dying. No one's dying!

[ Why does everyone keep saying that so glibly? He won't accept it. ]

B-but... you have to hurry. They're probably already in the process of tightening security or even moving. And those are the... optimistic guesses.

[ Waver takes a heavy, shaky breath. The tears threaten to start up again; he swallows roughly. ]

He's- he's hurt... very badly.

[ Waver drops his head, eyes closing. A few tears splash onto their entwined hands in his lap.

They made me do it. They made me hurt him. I'm sorry.

What can he possibly say? ]

It's been a- a couple... days? I think... since I saw him. It's probably even worse. I just--

[ He can't say it. Diarmuid deserves to know, but he can't say it. Not right now.

Waver leans closer, lifting Diarmuid's hand to his face, pressing it to his forehead like a prayer. His voice is a rough whisper. ]

I can draw more maps. Give directions. I left signs to follow, runes-- I can tell you how to activate them if they haven't been scrubbed yet. If there's anything else you need to know--

[ua_duibhne]

[As much as he'd like to take it back or make promises of his survival, Diarmuid can't- but neither can he bring himself to meet Waver's eyes and lie. All he does is listen closely and hold onto him, grip tightening to hold him firmly in place, as though it might somehow make their tattered bond heal faster. With his head bowed, Waver won't see the hope in his eyes when he mentions Berserker, but he won't he catch the hitch of his breath, that flicker of pure fear, as he goes on either.

Diarmuid holds on, lacing his fingers through Waver's as a more physical anchor.]

Have faith in me, Waver. [He speaks gently, voice low enough so as to be meant only for the two of them.] I won't fail you any more than I already have.

[He lifts his head, brow knitted into a deep frown of concern as he forces himself to be direct. He doesn't want to know the details, all of the things he could have prevented, but he has to- he needs to know what to expect.]

Tell me about him first. I know it's hard but I need to know.

cw: mentions of gore, torture, cannibalism

[tryhard]

[ Waver's hands shake even in his grip, his breath catching raggedly, too shallow and too fast as he fights down the panic and revulsion and the weight of the horrible guilt.

Tell me about him.

His shoulders curl, head bowing closer to Diarmuid's and avoiding his eyes. More tears choke him, but Waver forces himself to speak through the pain and the tightness in his throat, through the taste of bile on the back of his tongue that makes him want to gag.

He can't hide the overwhelming heaviness of regret and helpless grief that echoes through their Bond.

I won't fail you any more than I already have.

Can Waver say the same? ]

...I'm sorry. [ he whispers, thin and tearful. ]

Th-they made me. They made me... hurt him.

[ The words tumble out after that, a confession, desperate for forgiveness. Berserker had forbidden him from apologizing. ]

I d-don't know what they used. In- Injected me with s-something, I don't know, but it-- I couldn't think. It made me just do what they said, and it was all so far away, and I couldn't think. Like when the full moon gets really bad, but without a Bond, but even worse, so much worse, and I couldn't do anything, I only remember someone said to do it and I did it and I'm so sorry--

[ A hiccup, a pause for shaky breath. He feels like throwing up, but pushes past it. ]

Afterward, they put us in the same cell. I saw what I-- what they made me--

[ The taste of blood in his throat, the twisting knives of hunger in his gut, the pain, the crack of bones beneath his teeth. Waver has to pause again for a few moments, folded nearly in half to press his forehead against Diarmuid's shoulder. The sobs are dry now, gasping and soft. His shoulders shake. His voice has gone muffled with shock, but it all just keeps coming out, all of it, everything he didn't want to say. ]

He... He smelled like... infection. Could barely sit up. Wings completely destroyed. Blood everywhere, and bones in some places, completely torn apart. Wings, back, everything. They tied him down on the ground and drugged me and starved me and set me on him like a rabid fucking dog, and I couldn't even stop myself. I couldn't even-- I- I think I tried--

[ The realization isn't new, but it feels even worse admitting it aloud to Diarmuid. It's a wail, wretched and raw, muffled against Diarmuid's tear-stained shoulder. ]

God, Diarmuid, I- I think I tried to eat him...

[ua_duibhne]

[Diarmuid does the only thing he can: he listens. He holds his tongue, keeps his hand linked with Waver's as he speaks, even as he feels the beginnings of a panic attack ripple through both his body and their bond. The fear and horror hits him in heavy, hard waves, tearing open the still fragile connection between them like an unstitched wound. Immediately, he regrets asking but it's nothing compared to the reflexive revulsion that grips his heart as he goes on; it squeezes harder with every word, until the last of his breath leaves him in a soundless gasp for air. He hadn't even realised that he wasn't breathing.

There's truly no way to describe these men but inhuman. True monsters. Unworthy of mercy. Red hot anger pounds through his veins instead of blood, dizzying in its ferocity.

But none of it is directed at Waver. With a tightly clenched jaw, he lets go of his hand to wrap both arms around his narrow shoulders instead, almost pulling him off the chair in his haste. What can he possibly say? He's too brutish, too unsophisticated to offer any useful kind of verbal comfort beyond soft, shushing murmurs.

But, though it leaves his inadequacy on show in the rawest way- to his eyes, at least- Diarmuid can't just say nothing either.]

No. [His voice is half lost in Waver's shoulder and drawn tightly as a bowstring but he keeps going.] Listen to me. This was by no will but that of your captors: you were the blade but those bastards- they were the ones wielding it.

[tryhard]

[ Heedless of his injuries, Waver throws his arms around him in return when Diarmuid wraps him up close, full-throated sobs wracking his hunched shoulders. ]

I never- never wanted to hurt him... [ he reaffirms, as if there was any doubt.

The strength of conviction and barely muffled fury in Diarmuid's voice and in their Bond is an anchor, a strange comfort. He'd thought he would feel disgust directed at him, anger or worse. He'd thought Diarmuid would push him away. Logically, he knows it wasn't truly his fault, but the breadth of horror of it is bad enough that it doesn't matter. Or so he'd thought.

But Diarmuid holds him close despite his confession, and Waver just cries, the misery echoing back and forth through their Bond laced with paradoxical relief until he tires himself out with tears. ]