Fantasy The Queen's Hand

[ThatGuyWithSouvlaki]

At Gwen's remarks, Susan turned to Gwen, indeed she felt a pig of irritation but despite all that her face showed little of it apart from an amused chuckled. "Well done my dear, i am sure it took effort to make note of my arrogance and comment upon it." She said in a calm condescending matter. "I have been humbled by your barbs. How smart and superior must you feel now. A triumph for Irish wit over British i bet. You people had to win something i suppose." She was tempted to go on but thought better of it, she already gave Gwen comment more attention and energy than she should have and that was to her a failure however much on point she was.

She turned to the others taking the reaction the location of their first assignment. It seemed that reaction was mixed though so far it tended to the negative. In truth, she had mixed feeling about it, she only had a theoretical knowledge of circuses, and they were both fascinating and off-putting. She would not admit it but others she felt the same intrigue and amusement in the various shows on display and the exotic animals. It was also known as a dirty den of thieves and cut-throats, not something that one like her should grace its presence. However, in the end of the day it didnt matter, there weren't going there for amusement.

"Need i remind all that we are not going to one for entertainment."She said with a roll of her eyes before turning her attention at Stella. "How naive or foolish to think it is all unjustified. No smoke without fire i believe the saying is. We wouldn't be required to go to one if there was nothing shady going on, after all." She turned to Thomas. "I childish fear and thing to say. You can't face you fear that you have no business in an organization like this or the organization it was meant to be" She added harshly.

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[RoninN7]

Samuel Griffith
Location: Queen's Hand Headquarters | Mentions: lion. ThatGuyWithSouvlaki redroseknight ​

Samuel was thankful for Arjun's voice cutting through all the unnecessary tension in the room. At least while everyone was distracted listening to him, they wouldn't be as focused on whatever annoyed them in the first place. He'd even gotten in a bit of a lighter mood while listening to Arjun, as his headache was finally subsiding. Maybe I can finally have some peace while this lot entertains themselves with our meeting... Despite having only been around everyone for less than 15 minutes, Samuel only told himself that but didn't believe they'd ever find real peace together. It seemed as though this group of people was more akin to a timebomb than a cohesive unit. Even though Samuel's instincts told him not to, part of him somehow still believed in them; after all, they didn't seem like inherently bad people.

After zoning out for what felt like an hour, Samuel found himself mindlessly holding hands in a circle with everyone. Just when he thought maybe this would be a chance for him to rest so his headache subsided completely, the world went white. A blinding light filled Samuel's eyes and he recoiled and shut them as quickly as he could, but the damage was already done. For a brief moment, Samuel felt as though he was falling through an endless void where he was the only thing in the universe. If he hadn't been more concerned with the bright light that damn near blinded him, Samuel might've freaked out over the sudden sensory deprivation he found himself in.

As quickly as the ordeal began, Samuel felt his feet hit the ground again and he almost doubled over. His eyes were still having trouble adjusting and his headache had come back with a vengeance. Worst of all, Samuel felt as though he were about to wretch what little food he had in him right then and there. A grimace was painted on the poor man's face as he held his stomach with both hands and his breathing turned heavy as he desperately tried to keep himself in check. It took all his willpower not to cause too much of a scene right there, but he was sure people still noticed his adverse reaction to what had happened.

Even though his vision still hadn't entirely returned to him, Samuel could make out his surroundings somewhat. He looked around and realized they were all somewhere else entirely. Judging by the sounds that came from the outside world, Samuel knew that they weren't simply in another room, but another location altogether. The sense of awe helped ease his physical discomfort somewhat as his vision finally came back to him, though there were still minor flashes of light dancing around in his eyes. He found Araki and couldn't help but smile. "I don't think drinking ourselves to death last night was such a good idea anymore." It was clear from the strain in his voice that Samuel was in pain and making a very conscious effort to remain composed. Part of him wanted to laugh it off, but another part of him felt as though he'd throw up if he did, so he just continued to look around.

A voice rang out in the room, prompting Samuel to turn and find a young woman with an air of authority to her. He'd never met her, but Samuel knew of Eve from all the time he'd spent reading and researching the Queen's Hand during his time at South Bank House. His eye twitched with frustration when she mentioned how Arjun wanted to "have fun with them" since his stomach hadn't taken too kindly to the joke. Let's see how fun it is when the joke's on you. Samuel didn't have a chance to dwell on his thoughts too much before Suan spoke up, annoyance once again rising out of her. At least he could distract himself with Gwen's amusing display of attempted courtship with Eve. While he wasn't entirely surprised that someone would flirt with her, it was quite amusing to see amid all the tension in the room.

In the end, Samuel did his best to ignore everyone and followed the group into the room, looking over the odd machinery with curiosity. Again, Samuel zoned out briefly enough to not notice Eve walking out. The sting of Susan's annoyance was still present in the back of his mind, but Samuel's curiosity kept him from focusing too much on it. He then heard something about going to the circus for their mission and his interest was peaked. The ominous music emanating from the machinery only made matters more interesting. Samuel hadn't seen machines like that and he felt somewhat upset with himself for not reading about them. Through all the adventures Samuel had lived through, he'd never even seen a circus in person before. Of course, he'd heard about them and knew what they were, but this would be an entirely new experience. "First time at the circus and I won't even be able to enjoy it..." He sounded somewhat disappointed but was used to the feeling at that point.

Sadly for Samuel, Gwen just had to respond to Susan's comments, further raising the tension in the room. He could feel Susan's irritation as she retorted but was somewhat amused by how well she could hide it. It seemed as though everyone felt apprehensive, to say the least about the idea of the circus, which was somewhat understandable. At that point, Samuel just needed to find a way to deal with his new "team" since it appeared as though they'd provide non-stop problems for him. Samuel was honestly amazed that he hadn't already used his powers on them; at least that way he'd get a show out of all the bother they were putting him through.

 

[lion.]

Araki Fusanori

Araki’s hands met at a merger with the two other sets of hands with tallied wariness with respect to Arjun. The lines of his palms bottomed, topped, and rough-hewed over two others without intentions to halve the very running tap of artery that gave fame to the prized pulse. Remarkable! For the delay that came with time-traveling distortion, however, something batting with the will of all things sinister took hold of him. It slashed him down into the isolation of his memories. One of hundreds of Araki’s unspoken stories surfaced, and it did with a serpent-like constriction, all coming from the thought that sat on a throne in his mind behind bantering ladies and gents. He knew that nobody would come near his callous hands if they knew.

“You did that for me?But...but I threatened you. Threatened your life!” rebutted a quaintly dressed man in the secrecy of an empty, candlelit hall. Araki’s gloved hands would slowly pull off, clattering a ceramic vase off a console table in the process.

Whirlpools of colors blasted past and through his retinas, splicing out and in supreme waterfalls that spilled over the floodgates to seeing straight. Titanic beams of light that could have incised the razor teeth of sabertooth to just tiger arched and arced over his head in haloes of punishment.

“Oh, trust me, my fellow friend. I am well aware, ” Araki had nonchalantly versed, ever-presently mooning over the fragments that took the tiles.
“I don’t understand-”
“Your vase-” Araki interrupted in a slow pronunciation, his tongue fondling the two words with care.

The colors seemed to slow. Till hell freezes over was a saying, but it became bloody heavenly true. He could feel his intestines hone down to the Arctic. Chills budded like icicles up his arms, ice basketed up in thick layers to his heart, and with an escalation in velocity, the damn organ began to skate on a thin sheet of its own.

“No matter that principle- I underestimated you. You are not a terrible man,” appraised, the overly happy man. Ironic how humanity switches when their greeds are completed or when they are at relief.
“Actually,” Araki smiled in a parabola that appeared in the model of the scythe of the Grim Reaper, flickering two shady eyes up from a long staring down, “I’m far worse.” The shards of the vase hung in the air with the wave of his hand, but were found later thick in the flesh and carnage of the man.

Teleportation left his knees weak when they arrived. Nevermind that the shape of his hands were like the rest; there ebbed something nobody wanted to hold on to. So, instantaneously, he let his hands drop from the supple grasp of Gwen and another, and in the manners of buoyant urgency of conforming to normalcy, he barely made a ciphering frolic at Eve Kinsley. Regardless, in hindsight, it was better this way for Gwen was much more of an amicably coquettish for his part. She had greater charm from both of them. When Samuel passed him a comment, Araki felt his mouth quirk, “Anything is a good idea, Samuel. Drinking to death in the morning in the company of aristocats is by far the best. Gives more a reason to assassinate them, doesn’t it?”

His quiet comment supposedly fell in regards to societal standards, yet it was spurred on by the near palace-like vincity. A vision it bore! Sumptuous, marble pillars and waxen aristery was just a sliver of it’s pride; much of it swelled in it’s towering height and monumental width. It was where his eyes first ambled upon Ife Jang. Araki had been informed of her, but by contrast, she remained an ambiguity. Harvesting gold- you could try from her eyes- and fail. She had rich cognac-colored skin, and he did not doubt that she was exceedingly powerful behind those lashes. So lost upon detailed observations, he did not comprehend the symmetrical whirl of machinery power the rolling gears of crescendo and decrescendo in hollow bells patterns and tangs. When “circus,” morphed from her lips, the group dispersed in opinions like flyaway doves from a magician’s hand.

“No entertainment? no?” Araki wagered to Churchill hearing her more than countless times this afternoon, “Darling Susan, if you’re not in for the entertainment, then for what? Dear father Churchill and mother dearest, I had to succumb out of your etiquette lessons and sit through a performance of rogues! The horror! The pain! And, it must be heresy because I enjoyed every minute!” He feigned a sigh, and expelled a draft hand to his forehead.

"Worry not Thomas," he insighted to him, "There are more bright sides to clowns than some faces here."

The Asian wore a quill of a smirk deeper than that of a Jester on a card, and whirled a half-circle from his previous position, patronizing a meaninful glance towards Stella, “Besides, some of us enjoy juggling life quite literally with a little life of danger and entertainment.”

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[Kimby]

Chapter 1: Freak Show
​

As the music plays on, Ife walks over to a nearby table with a large travelers bag and pulls out a small doll from it. From the looks of the doll, it has been well-loved, even harboring some stitches here and there. It also has a hint of sadness on its face as if to show its abandonment of its owner. Ife's eyes glow an intense gold as her voice projects around you all. As she speaks there is a golden glow of energy filling the room. This energy projects itself as it warps around the air to provide some imagery to Ife's words.
"I see red and yellow tents. Undying dark energy, a wicked face in the shadows. I see cages and chains, and those that try and escape are met with a bloody fate." The glow dies down as soon as she is finished. Ife takes a moment for her to return fully stable before explaining the mission.

"This was left with us by an associate. They say that the performers there are being held against their will to work using their abilities in the shows and are treated poorly. From what I see through this doll, I also fear something much more sinister is going on. That associate has told the company that there will be a couple of new performers coming in as well as some potential investors. That will be our way in."
Ife goes on to explain the breakdown of groups and how you all will be infiltrating the circus tonight.

"There will be three groups, one group will infiltrate the circus as performers, one will act as investors, and the others will blend in via the crowd or shadows. An agent of ours will provide communication via telepathic abilities. Whatever you do, do not reveal our intentions of infiltration. Kill only when absolutely necessary. Above all, our mission is to extract anyone being held captive by the circus and bring in the main leaders of this operation."

With all that is said, Ife gives out folders detailing the mission to each team. Henry Evan steps in to get link those ready for communication tonight(At least two per team). Everyone who will be in direct contact with the circus will also receive undercover names to use as a protection to their true identity.

Spoiler: Documentation

Document Title: Noctis Stella Circus
Key individuals:
??? - Ringleader
Notes: No one in our circle have been able to personally speak to or meet with the so-called Ringleader
Molly Pocket - Handler
Harold Griffith - Financer
Description:
There are a total of 7 tents,
Besides the main stage tent, we haven't gotten a good classification of the other tents. We can assume a couple is the quarters, office, and storage.
We were able to get a read of a total of 13 ability individuals on the circus grounds.

Teams:
Name - undercover name
Performer Team
Araki - Kubo
Jasper - Alex
Katherine - Alice
Virgil - Ben

Spoiler: Performers

You meet Eve who has an outfit for each of you to help sell the "circus" look. The clothes are ragged yet colorful and each outfit still has its modification pertaining to each ability underneath. The circus has already been informed of your arrivals and your story is that you are all a group of urchins and outcasts from the East End looking for work. There is not too much time to practice getting into character, Eve expresses her worry of Jasper and Virgil being able to sell the story and advises them to stick to Araki and Kat the best they can.

While everyone else will be prepping their side of the mission, you all will have to go ahead and meet with the circus management and get acquainted before tonight's show starts. Arjun meets with you in the lobby to teleport you near the circus grounds. From there you meet with a handler, Molly Pocket. You'll notice her whip stashed by her side and she has quite a scary commanding tone when speaking to you. She shows you to the quarters where the other performers are staying in and tells you to meet at the main tent for rehearsal in an hour.

There is nothing off about the living situation you see before you. There are a few bunk beds and trunks set aside for belongings. There are no cages or chains that Ife has spoke of, but the other performers look anxious and fearful. You only see 3 performers in the room despite the documentation hinting at a lot more.

The 3 performers nervously introduce themselves as Scrap, Wesley, and Piper. Two of them look to be about your age though Piper looks to be in her mid-teens at best. Should you choose to ask them any questions about the other performers, they are too uncomfortable about it to answer. Scrap is the only one to say something on this matter but in a hushed tone, "You're better off keeping to yourselves and behave like they want you to..." At the last few words, Scrap looks around the room as if someone was overhearing them.

Investor team
Lady Churchill - Lady Walker
Samuel Griffith - Sir Alan
Gwendolyn Needham - Lady Barland

Spoiler: Investor

Ife asks you all to stay back with her and get a good hold on pretending to be an investor and what keywords may help you get a closer look backstage. You are all going to meet a man named Harold Griffith, who works with the company that sponsors the circus. You must convince him to let you meet those pulling all the strings and see what's behind the curtain. If you aren't already, Ife provides you with clothes to help you look posh and upper class. This team will also serve as interference between any suspicion towards the other two teams.

You all will be joining Henry in heading to the grounds an hour before the show starts. Before that, since there are still a few hours before you leave, you can spend the time either training, practicing your cover, or what have you.

Shadow Team
Stella Dowell
Thomas Clarke

Spoiler: Shadow

Arjun speaks to you about how you will be the shadows of the mission. For Stella, perhaps too literal. Using your abilities and training from before, you both will be sneaking around the circus grounds in search of information that will lead to the captives and any other secrets the circus is hiding. You'll be the last team to arrive at the circus using the night and the ongoing show as a cover and distraction. Because of the secrecy of your operation, Henry will link you both telepathically.

Since there are a good few hours before you are set to arrive, Arjun brings you down to the training room to hone your skills. The room is set up like a maze with various obstacles to get through that best suit sneaking skills. You can see that there are built-in traps that trigger if you fail an obstacle.

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[Kimby]

Circus Quarters
❛ interact:
mention: ❜

✦ Virgil Spencer ✦

Virgil found the undercover attire quite distasteful. Although their undercover backstory was far from desirable, Virgil would have to make quick haste to get into "character". At Eve's comments of concern whether or not Jasper and Virgil would be able to handle this side of the mission Virgil didn't hesitate to retort back "I can handle myself just fine thanks." He didn't make any eye contact while saying this to Eve, rather embarrassed that such a phrase flew out of his mouth suddenly.

Virgil was more careful this time around Arjun's teleportation. But that didn't mean he was fully used to it. As they made their way into the grounds and meeting with their "handler", he made sure to make note of all the tents and their location. When they met up with this "Molly Pocket" Virgil did not like the way that he was being spoken to. Her voice carried a tone that spoke down on them, something that Virgil felt highly uncomfortable dealing with. Upon entering the quarters, Virgil took quick notice of the surroundings. The room was quite large and would be suitable to house more than a dozen people. He could never imagine being able to live in such a condition. Still, even if this was a new environment to him, there was still something off about it.

"There are quite a few extra beds here beside us newcomers and you three. Shouldn't there be more people around?" Virgil questioned them. Since they seemed to be in a vulnerable state, he thought it would make interrogation that much easier.

None of the performers looked comfortable being asked these questions which made Virgil even more irritated. Although he wanted to push his question further, Scrap's comment made Virgil even more suspicious of the situation. He tried to follow the other's eyes as it scanned the room but lost sight of what he was trying to find. The others looked just as nervous, and it looked like he wasn't going to get any other information, he looked to the others on the team to see if they picked up something he hadn't.

Henry, their telepathic communicator won't be able to establish any link for them until later tonight. They would have to wait to discuss their mission or do so away from prying ears.

code by fudgecakez

 

[draconicheart]

Katherine enjoyed the outfit the Hand had given her, specifically the pants - made of light cloth in varying colors patched together that cinched at the waist and again at her ankles. She had never worn pants before; her mother had always insisted she'd wear dresses even while doing farmwork, saying wearing pants would be too "unladylike". The only thing Katherine felt in that moment, however, was intrigue as she jumped up and down, performing mini-jumping jacks and watching the cloth separate and come back together and allowed for a greater degree of movement that would have left her mortified in her typical attire.

After everyone was done changing Eve had motioned for them to regroup in front of her, giving them all their fake identities. This was a mild anxiety for Katherine - she's never had any formal acting experience, in fact all of her experience had been playing pretend with her siblings as children, or lying to her mother about what she was doing. Nonetheless, she nodded dutifully and repeated her assigned name in her mind: Alice Alice Alice Alice My Name Is Alice.

She was jolted from her thoughts once again by Eve, who expressed concern over Virgil and Jasper's ability to sell their roles. Katherine straightened her back and placed her hands on her hips, attempting to call forth a visage of reassuring confidence, taking a breath to reply with a smile - only to get interrupted by Virgil. "I can handle myself just fine thanks," he had blurted out, not bothering to look her in the eye. Katherine closed her mouth and furrowed her brows. She had noticed that him and Jasper seemed like fish out of the water after they got changed - understandable really, since they were all really out of their element here - but she didn't really know any reassuring words to say to help them with that. So she slid up next to Virgil and slapped his back as hard as she could muster.

Teleporting to the circus was far easier than it was arriving to the headquarters as she actually took a moment to consciously steel herself before the apparating, although upon landing her vision still swayed slightly and she had to take a few deep breaths to quell the nausea. Shortly thereafter they found themselves face-to-face with Molly Pocket herself, intimidation-incarnate wrapped in bight pink and well-maintained hair.

Everything Katharine had planned flew out of her mind in the fearsome presence of her, and as almost a knee-jerk reaction she stepped forward and bowed stiffly. Upon resuming her upright position she said all too loudly, "I'm Alice."

To this, Molly Pocket simply gave her a look as one might give an unwanted rodent.

Regardless, they were directed to the performers' tents and living quarters, and discovered there to be three performers already there. Having collected herself from the embarrassing mess-up of a first impression with Miss Pocket, she decided to make her grand entrance here. Taking a wide stance and bracing one hand against her hip and bringing the other up to her face, fingers splayed, and with a cocky grin decreed, "Hello, fellow performers of this grand circus - from henceforth you shall be joined by me: the Mistress of Wild - and my compatriots here - as we strive to aid you in providing joy to the fair merry-seekers of England!"

This was met with several seconds of heavy silence.

She cleared her throat and dropped the uncomfortable pose, "Uh, at any rate, I look forward to working with you. Do, um, any of you three also happen to have... abilities?" She whispered the last word, as if still worried of the taboo it carried.

Still though there was no reaction other than their curious silence and an ominous warning from the one called Scrap. Katherine ventured to send a look at the rest of her group, "Ah. Right, of course! I'm quite adept at, uh, staying in character, thank you for the advice!" She punctuated this with some forced awkward laughter and by sending another look of mild confusion and alarm to the rest.

 

[s e v e n]

- Jasper Swann -​

.

Alex. Alexander Montgomery. That would be his name for the time being, and not only that- that would be his identity. Pressing his palm against the surface of the glass, he watched his reflection staring back- no, not Jasper Swann. Alex.

No more was Jasper of Western Kent, the only son to the Swanns. At least not for now, not with the immense bedizen they have put him through. His long dark hair rests underneath a tousle of blonde, his once brown eyes now a shade that resembles freshly cut sapphire. Face concealed by paint so thick that he barely recognized himself. The horror to beforth a man who one day had to stare in a face that is not his! He begun to understand how Doctor Jekyll must have felt, the poor thing. Perhaps he would have appeared mundane to everyone else, only to him he looked no more animated than a porcelain doll.

All his expressions felt stiff, as though equipped a mask made of marble. Beneath his contacts, his soul peered through, detached and lonesome, nervous, terrified even. And his outfit had not made things better. The frills hanging by his cuffs itched, and he felt tremendously foolish- Jasper tried to not feel disappointed, an ingrate is the last thing he wanted to become, yet it was a fact much too hard to deny. He was here to become a hero, a protagonist, not a bloody clown.

Still, a bit of discomfort will not hold him back. He has determined himself as a Queen's Hand, and that he will be. So a smile he shall put on, embracing his deepest persona of a fraud and imitator. Lying has never been his forte- said no illusionist ever. No time to dilly-dally, not a second to lament.

"Dear me."

His jaw could only drop when presented against the area that should have been their room. Jasper has prepared himself of all the possibilities- he was meant to be a servant, after all. A poor man without a penny to spare, the charlatan of someone not more than a beggar, desiring to make enough each day to live for the next. What he did not expect, however, was to live in a pig's pen.

"Is this- is this it?" Jasper had begun to ask, but then he paused and stopped himself. Surely there must be some sort of mistake! A test! A test was all it was! A test of perseverance to ensure they were strong enough to withstand all circumstances, a classic move. Then Mrs. Whip would come in after a minute and congratulate them of their efforts, happy ending for the lot of them.

Jasper propped himself upon one of the beds, scowling as he tilted his head back. Even he's not that naive. It does not change the fact that this was a place not up to human living standard- where are the baths? If this were true, then let him feel guilty. How sad are these people! Even then he found himself much too preoccupied within his own thoughts that when Katherine- no, Alice has so extravagantly glide her entrance, he could only watch her with a blank emotion.

And then he stifled a laughter, bringing his gloved hands to his face as he turned his attention towards something else that is not her. He supposed it should have been fine- there had always been a weird appeal to Katherine's...charms. Though Jasper felt much too awkward to initiate a conversation by himself, being unused to such circumstance in the fist place. Not a problem his friend seemed to possess, however.

It was, however, when the performer called Scrap began to talk. A threat? A warning. A much ominous one at that. Jasper immediately looked back at Katherine, who appeared to have taken the news as nervously as he. Then he took a glance at Virgil, then Araki. Surely the latter would have something to say. He had begun to see the truth in Lady Eve's words: that perhaps he (and Virgil) was not fit for the job. The insecurity tugged at his heart, and then it fueled him. A faux sense of confidence bursts through, the marble mask clicked in place.

"In any case," he begun, and he felt his voice shudder at its first few syllables. They have urged him to nullify his accent, at least if he could not quite imitate one of the East End. "We are allowed to look around at the least, are we not? An hour is quite the long time, after all. Well?"

 

[redroseknight]

Rage filled Gwen at Lady Churchill's words regarding her home, and she wasn't quite able to keep her hands on it. Her jaw tightened and her lips curled into a dangerous smile, her breathing just a touch more erratic as she tried to control her emotions. Poor Samuel, he was likely getting a whole host of emotions rolling off the redhead. The rage was tangible for Gwen, and she soon placed the cap back on her emotions to try to contain them enough that she wasn't blasting everyone with that sense of barely bridled anger. Thankfully, there was a distraction soon placed in front of her in the form of a discussion on teams though honestly, everything was said in a blur since Gwen was still reeling from the distress of canning her emotions and gripping her power. It was rather like dealing with a wild stallion who was bound only by a lasso around its neck. Gwen put on a good show of controlling those emotions and her power, but really, it was a physically and mentally demanding task.

It didn't help that she could feel excitement in the air, an energy that only gave a bit more life to her own emotions. She swallowed and straightened, trying to get her eyes to focus as she was being talked to specifically.

Right. Focus. She could consider her retaliation toward Lady Churchill later. All she had to do was work with a team to gain entry to the inner workings of the circus. No problem, she had good encounters with most everyone else so a team based exercise shouldn't be-

Oh Good lord. Who decided it was a good idea to place her with Lady Churchill? Was this her punishment for not being as devoted of a Catholic as her brother? If so, she would repent and say her Hail Mary's morning, noon, and night until her last breath if this could be altered. This was a disaster.

No. Wait. This wasn't a disaster. This was perfect! All she had to do was just prove that she was better at this than Lady Churchill, and that would be the ultimate vengeance. Ha! She could do that, her power giving her an advantage when dealing with most people. And she was a trickster, so she could likely get them in to see what was necessary without alerting suspicion.

All she had to do was pretend to be an English lady of class. Great. Wonderful. Exactly the kind of role she was born for. Gwendolyn made her way toward her room to begin her work, first wanting to get the right outfit together. Red. She had to wear that disgusting color. It didn't look nearly as good on Gwen as blues or greens, but she would endure this trial. This was for Ireland, she reminded herself. Oh, and for getting even with Lady Churchill. That too.

"Lady Barland, La-dy Ba-r-land," she said, repeating the name slowly and trying to work on hiding that Irish brogue. Eventually becoming frustrated, the redhead turned to the only thing that would give her comfort. Out from under the bed Gwen produced a small case holding her favored instrument. The bow was quickly rosined, and she tightened the strings until they were the right pitch. Perfect. She brought the bow across the strings as she walked toward her window, letting out her frustrations and anger in a more productive manner than her pacing ever would be. The bow worked across the strings to draw out a rather melancholy tune that rose and fell much like the ocean waves. She thought of the times she had traveled to see her uncle at marveled at the beauty of the Cliffs of Moher. She couldn't see her home, might never actually see it again..but at least, in these moments, she could make a connection with those memories.

 

[Agrael9996]

STELLA DOWELL
~Training Room~

​

For the first time in a while, Stella could feel purpose in her actions. She was no fool, mind you; she wasn't imagining herself as the heroine of some old folk tales, the likes of which her mother had used to tell her during bedtime. She had a suspicion, though, that she was now partaking in something that could change her life however. Fulfill it, perhaps? Or even destroy it. She was feeling it especially strongly now, in the familarity of the training room, as she honed her skills for an upcoming mission.​

​

Ife's words rang in her mind the whole time throughout. Shady circuses, mysterious happenings, possible imprisonment of magic users. Stella could hardly believe it. After all, she always those places as small havens for those with great abilities who were ostracized from society for their backgrounds. Nevertheless, if Ife and the rest were right, Stella would stop at nothing to free anyone who was held there against their will. She knew they deserved better.​

​

She would be paired up with Thomas, the idea of which she enjoyed. She knew their talents would've combined neatly in this endeavour. And he was definitely a better partner than the likes of Susan and Virgil would've been. Would it even be possible to call that "cooperation"? Who's to say they wouldn't leave her to fend for herself if things were to get hairy? To be fair, though, Stella wasn't sure if she wouldn't have done it herself, if the situation was reversed. She was aware that these trust issues might become a problem later on, but since they seemed harmless enough for now, she decided not to think about it for now. She had other matters to focus on, after all. Completing this training, for example.​

​

Stella was certain in her abilities. She never had a formal training before, but she never thought she needed one. She learned everything from experience. Her mistakes and triumphs, losses and gains. She was somewhat of a perfectionist in her missions. Of course, she had to improvise to some degree in almost all of them. Still, she was always as thorough as possible - she completed all her objectives and tried as hard as possible not to leave any traces behind (her mother's untimely death has only made it worse). Nevertheless, this training course has truly tested all of her knowledge. There was a lot she had to watch out. Tripwires, nets, mechanisms suddenly lighting or blowing the torches (which impacted her abilities), and so on. There were even automated crossbows, firing if she unknowingly triggered some sort of machinery she didn't understand. Of course, the bolts were dull, as she doubts the leaders would want to accidentally kill their pupils before a proper task. It stlll added to the atmosphere of anxiety and danger, though, which Stella found thrilling. The short-term teleportations, shadow swimming, camouflage - all was being tested. Usually in short time spans, too. Stella had to familiarize herself with her abilities - have them become something subconscious, like breathing or blinking. And she was doing fairly well.​

​

After a longer amount of time that seemed like mere seconds to Stella, she approached a pair of doors that seemed to be exit. Opposite to the passage she just left, was another corridor, weakly lit by a torch hanging on the wall. If this is a maze, that likely leads to where Thomas is right now, Stella thought. He must not be done with his training yet, then. ​

​

Unsure if it's alright to leave without Tom, she decided to wait for him in the cozy darkness provided by this section of the maze. Besides, she didn't want to leave him behind. She didn't know how much time has passed, completely enveloped in her training. If time was up, Arjun was probably likely to pick them up anyway.​

 

[ThatGuyWithSouvlaki]

The meeting over and the role aside, Susan was silent with her usual cold demeanour as she left the room. She climbed the stairs to her room near the top floor. She set aside all her items on to her bed and stepped out on to the balcony. She took a deep breath and processed the plan and what was to come. In truth, it was not a bad plan considering the lack of intelligence about what they were actually getting into. Three teams so three avenues of finding what was going on there and if one team got caught there was a good chance the other teams would be affected and would in a position to help.

She couldnt say though that she liked the name Walker. It sounded like an American name rather than proper British gentry name like her own. Also she had hoped her first assignment she would have had a chance to use her powers more but still she will do what was required of her and it wasnt like she was not talented in subterfuge. She was placed in her role though that was more that could be said about her colleagues. Samuel seemed a little too taciturn not to draw suspicion while she was concern Gwen would rather win point against her rather that keep her mind on the mission. It seemed to Susan would have to carry the other through her part of the mission. She might have to do something drastic about her in particular before the mission.

Susan took a moment to mentally prepare herself, taking a deep breath and enjoying the cool London breeze before steeping back into her room and out through the hallway. She made here way to Gwen's room arriving just in time to hear the melody coming out of the room. Fiddle, she thought it was called. It was actually rather nice enough to make her pause before knocking on the door, not wanting to interrupt the music playing. She found her will and knocked twice loudly.

redroseknight

 

[lion.]

Araki Fusanori

Araki was no street imbecile, but the attire that belonged to a show dedicated to miscreated art and miscreated people gave a silent siren’s call in controversy. To stand rigorously tall and watch himself in an outfit tortoiseshell of blues and golds- to blink in a tensity equal to that of his alter self in the looking glass-it did something to him. His disguise was an anomaly to his everyday wear for it was fashioned with unreasonably blown-up sleeves, a scandalous harsh gape of a v-neckline that met with no buttons till his lower abdomen, and an excessive pleated pattern in the back. Yet, through it all, this game of mimicry his mirror self was playing somehow was truer of his identity than the one standing minutes before in a maroon suit. Did oceans ever stop to tackle one another when it met with one saltier? Bluer? Was he ultimately closer to a truer fate without sword or pen? Araki held a face like two-faced Janus holding back doors to the future and the past, and immediately upon more pondering, his hand briskly went for the doors to the future. Picking up a brush, he let the bristles dunk into wet kohl. Lift and smear- the brush went along the rowing ridges of his eyes, then chose to plunge for the windows of his cheeks. The kohl was a lather of cold to his tanned skin, and fell upon in liquid black so rich in hue that it could’ve been snatched from the vertebrae of a wingless black moth.

“Not everyone is fluent in idiocy,” he made a bidding note to Eve, “Existences like his are truly one in a million.”

~*~

“Out of the pity of my heart..who am I kidding? I don’t particularly care for cowards who fail to break themselves out of their cages-!” Araki snorted, “But...I suppose for England’s phony pride and in great hope that those we release do not become jailbirds in a week. Though I suppose... a holiday to rot in the more touristic cages of England’s prisons is-” The eye of the hurricane, this being Arjun’s teleportation, took Araki’s grand conclusion away. His eyes slammed shut, and in the sharp nick of time, he internally counted down till his feet thunked to the ground.

“Damnation! Just when I was about to get to the point,” he cursed, swaying.

“Oh to hell with it,” Araki spat, losing his killer elation, “I was going to say that I had decided to wear my amber eyes.” When he glanced up towards the circus grounds, the rock bottom brown of his irises had kneeled to the crown of golden jeweling in erupting crystallization at each radii that connected the pupil to iris.

The man who flapped open the circus housing quarters and scrambled behind the salmon-lipped, powdery-faced Molly Pocket was Kubo. Kubo as the jumpy, anxious, and slightly mad from starvation knives performer. Kubo as the man whose eyes could not stay still, whose face was made of passion expressions that varied from scrunching like tasting lime for the first time to quivering like he had been locked in a cube of ice. He was a man who had run from his father, was still on a nomadic escape mentally, and thus fear had been his predator. He became crippled from walking straight after running so hard and for so long. He staggered as if he had sea legs, let his fingers twiddle and graze useless material objects, pawning them in touch with such fascination that a dream of erasing debt and pain came alive. He bent forward like a drunk towards his feet for the knives in his boots, so he could hide his smirk which grew like rainforest bedding at Katherine Keating's role at Alice. The blonde couldn’t tell the story of the room, could she?

As for the foretold warning from Scrap, Araki was edging to know more, and his chance boarded when Jasper talked.

“Look around fellas!” Butted in Araki, “We must begin exploring right away. This is paradise, Alex. Hey, Alice! We can finally buy you those slippers you saw on display that make you want to fly! Do you have a sister, Scrap? A brother? Are we paid in pences for the hour? If so, add that dress too, Alice!”

He was scheming, if anything. Tavern talk was what made Kubo, quite much of the culture in his walk than talk. Still, nobody watching could take those whose personalities appear inebriated at all times worth the words. It was also tavern talk that could get answers without them being right-handedly straightforward like the dear old blondie was doing in her entrance-making.

“Dear Ben, how many nights have you gone in that stretchless, booby trap of a bed. Do you sleep soundly here Wesley? No more monsters looming?” He skipped himself around the room, before sloppily freezing and grimming,“If behaving means living, so be it. For now, I simply want to appreciate my new home.”

“Our new home,” he forced himself to croak, restraining from the urge to grimace as his arm looped around Jasper’s neck. Lolling his token of weight on Jasper, he vented in a whisper, “Congratulations. You make it sound like an open investigation, and can I just say how closely you resemble a person who had just banked a job maybe for the first time in his whole life?”

The duo steered out towards the other tents.

s e v e n draconicheart Kimby

 

[Danidify]

THOMAS CLARKE | SUPPORT DEPARTMENT
Training room -> Maze of Death and Destruction​

The details of the first mission were admittedly quite a lot to take in. Thomas’s face seemed nothing short of steadily increasing confusion and fear the more he heard about the sinister mystery hidden inside the colourful and energetic circus tents. To make the message all that more unsettling, it was finished with the notion to ‘only kill when necessary’. Given the fact that Thomas still dreaded the memories of stealing things as minor as bread, the thought of having to kill wasn’t exactly a welcoming one.

Although the briefing was confrontational, to say the least, Thomas’s goldfish brain managed to put it all aside the moment he was informed of his position. Not only was he paired up with Stella, someone he looked up to and trusted, he was also going to be some sort of stealthy spy. The thought of sneaking around was daunting and exciting, with just the right amount of thrill to keep Thomas energized rather than traumatized.

Unfortunately for Thomas, his motivation had to be kept on halt as they would be the last team to get to the scene. It felt a tad bitter to have to return to the training room after having gone through so much trouble to get to this location, but there wasn’t much he could do. The training was definitely something he would need later, especially considering he already messed up once today.

Entering the training room, Thomas wasn’t sure what to expect from it all. All he saw was what seemed to be a maze, and that didn’t pose such a threat to someone who could literally move through matter. Despite his naive nature, he wasn’t stupid enough to believe there wouldn’t be some sort of trickery hiding inside. After all, if his time with the Queen’s Hand had taught him anything, it was that nothing is as it seems. Much like the people he would’ve formerly put away as mundane, this maze definitely wouldn’t be treated as a fun little exercise. Well, maybe it would just a little, but he’d try to be serious, at the least.


Hit by a surge of earnest motivation, Thomas trod carefully as he entered the maze, watching his every step while he tried to navigate through the relatively peaceful start. Soon enough, the young Unholy realized this maze wasn’t all too fair, for all possible roads he took were a complete dead end.

The plan was simple; pick one dead end and try to phase to the other side. It all seemed really easy, except all three ends didn’t reveal any information whatsoever. His ear had been placed against each one of them, one of them revealing an eery muffled mumbling. Thomas didn’t know what to do with it.

Given how startling the sound was, Thomas's initial instinct was to turn around and go another way, but then he remembered that it was their job to find any possible captives. Maybe this sound was a captive desperately calling out for help, and this was a test to see what he would do?

A few seconds of dabbling in thought passed, and Thomas, as brave as he is, garnered his hopes and convinced himself that this was the right way. In order to double-check, Thomas reached out with his hand first, placing it on the solid wall as he took a deep breath.

Closing his eyes to focus on the phasing, Thomas tried to calm down his heartbeat, slowly sinking his hand through the material. The sensation of phasing always varied greatly, but no matter the amount of resistance or texture, it remained uncomfortable. This time was no exception, Thomas’s face cramping up slightly while he ushered his hand through what felt like chunky wet clay.

Pushing through the discomfort of his ability, Thomas’s hand came to a standstill as the pleasant breath of air hit his fingertips, supposedly welcoming him to the other side. Reaching out a bit more until his left arm completely motioned through the wall, Thomas flailed his hand around a little to test the water, surprisingly making contact with nothing. His experiment made him certain that this was probably the safe route, giving him the courage he needed to move through completely.

Taking a deep breath, Thomas sunk into the wall headfirst, his eyes getting lost in the dark grey tint of the solid material. His steps were heavier than usual, something that he often experienced when moving through more dense materials.

His right arm made it through first, followed by his right leg and the rest of his body. As he transitioned back to being solid, which was a whole other story of discomfort, his eyes sprung back into focus.

Within what didn’t even feel like a second, Thomas froze up completely when he noticed a crossbow-like contraption aimed right at him, soon after feeling the twinge of a metal wire teasing against his legs.

Holding back swear words, Thomas slowly shifted himself to the side, leaning heavily against the wall in the hopes not to trigger the weird wire in front of him. All went well until his eyes caught onto another ominous scene; the source of the mumbling. As if it was some sick joke, a doll was situated in the corner, aimlessly staring in his direction. A shiver passed through his body, jolting his feet just a tad too much for the crossbow to go off and..

Woosh

Having released a plethora of swearwords into the air, Thomas rubbed the front of his right shoulder while he tried to somehow rub away the pain of the impact. The pain was honestly not that bad, but the added shock of the sudden surge elevated the effect just a little. This sucked.

Regaining his focus, Thomas moved on to the next portion of the maze, keeping his pace steady but timid in order to make sure he wouldn’t mess up again. Sadly, his attempts didn’t succeed all that often.

Unlike his comrade in this endeavour, Thomas’s venture through the maze was nothing short of a bumpy road. There were brief moments were all seemed fine and smooth, but then he hit a pothole and found himself punished once again. It was safe to say that he triggered more than half of the traps around, leading to him vigorously being pushed around and shot at.

Needless to say, it was a tough experience, but that was not to say it didn’t have any learning value. Thomas didn’t learn fast, but he did learn, causing him to avoid a few of the traps at the end of the maze that he likely would’ve triggered had it been the start. Attentiveness and an eye for detail would have to be his best friends during this job, and he learned that the hard way.

By the time he made it out of the maze, Thomas looked relatively bewildered, his face glowing solely by seeing the familiar face of Stella after moving through one of what felt like a million corridors.

“Stella!”

Like a lost child finally finding their parents, Thomas jogged to his fellow Unholy in bliss. Surely, this meant that the exercise was finally over. A sigh of relief escaped his lips.

“That was just awful!” Thomas would start, coming to a standstill close to his teammate.

“I can’t believe they actually had things, like- shooting about! One even hit my neck.” Thomas would vent on, rubbing the side of his neck. His accent grew thicker now that he was too preoccupied to tone it down, jumbling his words more than usual.

“How was your side? Did you get hit too?!” He would add, looking at Stella with hints of frustration still apparent on his face.

Having listened to Stella, Thomas sighed, his eyes trailing to the floor. “I really hope I don’t mess this up.” He would remark, the feeling of failure sinking in now that he was no longer in the heat of the moment. Given how serious this mission seemed, Thomas really didn’t want to be the one to mess it all up. Everything was just moving so fast, he didn’t know if he could live up to the expectations. Especially compared to people the likes of Stella, he barely had any experience at all.

TAGS: Agrael9996 ​

 

[redroseknight]

Gwen had been enjoying playing her fiddle when there was a sound knock at her door. She lowered the instrument and tilted her head. Hm. Who would be requesting her presence now after the meeting they just had and the tension that had filled the room between herself and Lady Churchill. Oh, perhaps it was Samuel checking on her after that little outburst of emotion. Yes, that made the most sense, so she approached the door with a smile on her lips. How considerate of the young man to do so!

"Hello, Sam-" she greeted as she opened the door only to find it was Lady Churchill standing at her door.

Why. Why was this woman deciding to come to her domain? Gwen's hackles immediately rose and her smile shifted to the more impish grin that she used to cover up her emotions. Was she coming to apologize for that little interaction that they had shared? Gwen internally snickered at the image of someone as pompous as Susan actually apologizing to someone as lowly as an Irish lass. The imagery alone set her spirits alight. Oh, that was as likely as Gwen declaring herself in alignment with the English agenda and proudly playing, 'God Save The Queen'.

"Lady Churchill, what a surprise. Please, come in and tell me what I have done to deserve such an honor as receiving a visit from you from on high." The Irish woman stepped back to allow Lady Churchill to enter her domain. This was going to be a test of wit and wills, no doubt, and Gwen was going to need to be on her toes in order to avoid letting loose some of her power by accident. The last thing she needed was for this harpy to know that she was getting under her skin. Why did the most haughty of women also have to be so beautiful? It truly was unfair, but then again, Lucifer was said to have been the most beautiful of angels.

As soon as this visit was over, she promised, she would say her Hail Marys. In fact, she would start it right now.

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee

Because Gwen was suddenly full of repentance for whatever she had done to deserve this torment.

 

[ThatGuyWithSouvlaki]

Susan immediately regretted knocking on Gwen's door the moment it opened and Gwen reacted with an impish grin. This was going to be painful and likely end badly as Susan's patience will be worn thin in no time. All these thoughts though she kept hidden, her face was her usual stern expression keeping herself as unreadable as possible. All she had to do was to stay on her objective and say her piece, give no reason to start verbal battle. There was always time for that after the mission.

She stepped inside. "Thank you." She said simply keeping herself as neutral as possible and suppress the need to be snide. She looked around the room, seeing the fiddle and the overall state of her room. "May I have seat?" She asked as if it was something that should have been offered as well. Regardless of the answer she acted according, taking the seat offered or remained standing. She took a deep breath the only sign of the vulnerability she felt.

"I am here because we have a unique budding relationship. In short, antagonistic. I have a feeling that won't change as both because of our differences and by choice." She began seriously. "However we have a mission tomorrow which there are many reasons to see through successfully. The moral, duty, self-preservation, image preservation, justice, proof of concept of this organization and... add in any I missed. The victims may not be Irish but you would agree they don't deserve their fate regardless. So we will have a role of subterfuge, we need to have our stories straight and be vigilant. So can we call a truce to our... lets call it banter for the moment until this over and try to work together?"

redroseknight

 

[Agrael9996]

STELLA DOWELL
~Exit of the maze~​

Stella was leaning comfortably against one of the maze's walls, light from the torch weakly grazing her face. She had her arms crossed, waiting for Arjun or Thomas to come by, letting her know that the training was over and their mission was now afoot. Stella could feel every second passing by, feeling more agitated with each one. This anxiety she was experiencing was new to her. She's done this stuff before. She had snuck into highly forbidden places, poked around aristocratic manors and generally often flung head-first into danger. So what made her feel so nervous now? Perhaps it was the vision of cooperation with other members. She's almost always done this solo before, apart from a few exceptions. But even then, her mates were usually skilled in stealth and have done it before. Being responsible for other teammates, especially in a group that is ready to tear each other apart such as this one, would be a novel challenge for her. She hoped the mission would go smoothly and her and Thomas wouldn't have to dive in for an impromptu rescue operation.​

​

Speaking of Thomas, Stella finally noticed him stepping out of the opposite corridor and threw him a little smile as he began running towards her. "Thomas!", she exclaimed. "Here you are, at last."​

​

The young man began describing his experiences in his half of the maze. He was talking fast and Stella could notice his accent getting thicker, which amused her. Fortunately, she was used to fast-paced talkers from her time in London's underworld. It allowed her to keep up with him and listen to what he has to say.​

​

"Yes, I've also been shot at", Stella said, answering one of his questions, "I managed to avoid the worst of it, but some of them did hit me. Oh well, good enough that they weren't sharp, I reckon". She did trigger the traps several times, but she was still confident enough in her skills. Besides, she didn't think any villains they would have to face would have such elaborate contraptions at their disposal. But one can never be sure. She had certainly met a lot of eccentric people in her lifetime. Meanwhile, Thomas suddenly sighed and the tone of his voice dropped. I really hope I don't mess this up, he said. Stella thought for a while and put her hand on his shoulder.​

​

"You won't mess this up", she reassured him, "I know all of this is happening very quickly right now, and it may seem like you're not ready, but as long as you focus on the goal and trust in your abilities, you will be fine. If something were to go awry, the others are bound to help us. We're among the Queen's lapdogs now, Tom. As much as I can find reasons to despise them, I have to admit they watch out for their people". These words were also meant for herself, to solidify her resolve. Although she could hide it better than Thomas, she was also unsure of their future. Will they succed? Will people die? These questions lingered on the back of her mind. But she had to be sure of herself, even if no one else would. She exhaled deeply, letting go of her companion. She looked at the doors marking the maze's exit. They were probably as ready as they could be. All that was left to do was wait for a signal.​

​

​

​

 

[Kimby]

Circus Quarters
❛ interact: draconicheart
mention: s e v e n lion. ❜

✦ Virgil Spencer ✦

Virgil had to physically stop himself from making any remarks or gestures towards his displeasure on how Kat was handling things. Though he himself wasn't so great at disguising his posh accent or mannerisms, the more he talked, the greater chance of it slipping out. He could tell that Jasper was thinking the same.

The energy in the room was still tense but thankfully "Kubo's" personality could remedy that. They watch as Araki masterfully switches the gears as the other performers seemed to be taken aback at this fiery personality. It was hard to catch up in everything he was saying but Virgil and the others would have to match Araki - no "Kubo's" pace if they were going to sell their act. Though the thought of whatever prior sleeping situation that Araki thought up for "Ben" sounded like an absolute nightmare. And the look of these beds seems to fulfill some sort of comfort but they were still no match for the imported silky sheets and double padded cotton mattress Virgil had back home. Were they expected to stay here for a few days? Virgil shuddered at the thought. No… this will all be over by tonight. He replayed these words in his head for reassurance.

By the time things loosened up a bit. Jasper had suggested the idea of looking around. Araki backed him up, so Virgil had no other choice but to join in on their little adventure. There was still that looming feeling that something was watching their every move, possibly the same entity that Scrap was worried about earlier. but how much trouble could they get into in just an hour?

Virgil followed behind Araki and Jasper and looked back to Kat, "Come on Alice, we gotta make sure those two stay outta trouble." Virgil's fake accent came out a little too comical and forced. The vocabulary escaping his mouth felt like spitting out dirt.

As they went to go check out other tents, the atmosphere on the campgrounds was bustling with people setting up for tonight's show. They didn't look to be the other missing performers but just hired help meant to move props and cargo. Virgil also noticed some other things running around on the ground… vermin. He tightened up at the sight of the filth running around and wondered why there was no sort of pest control taking care of such a problem.
Virgil leaned towards Kat and asked bluntly-
"You talk to rats right?"

code by fudgecakez

 

[Kimby]

Shadow Team ​

With the Shadow team wrapped up with their training, they are met with Arjun waiting on the other side of the maze's exit with a hastily strewn together "Congratulations" banner hung up.

"You've both completed the maze!" Arjun has a sense of pride in his eyes as he pulls out a small cylindrical tube from his pocket and hands it to Thomas.

"This is a pain-relieving ointment, it should relieve some of the soreness you've endured." Arjun then goes on to explain that they will be meeting with the associate that tipped the agency off to the circus' businesses. He leads you two to the upper level of the building and into the infirmary.

In one of the beds sits a young girl who looks to be no older than 10. She stares out the window, unaware of your presence. Upon closer inspection on the health chart at the end of the bed, her age is actually closer to 14 but her figure is so small and frail, it's hard to imagine she's actually a teenager. Arjun is the first to formally speak.

"Annabelle, this is Thomas and Stella, they are going to help bring your friends back. Would you mind speaking with them about where your friends are?" Annabelle turns to face you, as her body shifts, it is revealed that she is missing an arm. From the way it is bandaged, it looks to be freshly amputated.

"Are you friends with Mister K?" She asks meekly. From the looks of it, she is still shaken up by her ordeal with the circus. But there is still light in her eyes that has hope for the agency that saved her to do the same for the others.
((The Mister K she is referring to would be Director Kinsley))
Upon speaking with her, she warms up to both your presence given that you don't exactly scare her unlike if any of the other agents would have if they were here. She tells you what she knows about where the other performers are being kept, this should aid you once you get to the circus grounds.

Spoiler: Annabelle's Intel

- Performers are being held underground
- Two tigers guard the main entrance hidden in the ringleader office
- During showtime, there will be a small time frame where the tigers are performing and only the ringleader is in the office.
- Most of the imprisoned performers have stopped being used in the shows, they look to be prepped for something else.

Agrael9996 Danidify

 

[redroseknight]

At the request for a seat, Gwen motioned for her to take the one nearest the window which provided a bleak view that Gwen wasn't pleased with. Not when she was used to looking to rolling hills and being able to hear the sounds of the horses in the stable giving the stable master a fit because they were sometimes a high strung lot. Gwen decided to remain standing because this would be a short conversation if she had any say in the matter. She didn't particularly care for the fact that Lady Churchill had decided to come to her quarters for a visit. Normally she would have gladly invited in a beautiful woman into her chambers, but there was something different in the air when Lady Churchill and Gwen were in the same vicinity. It smelled like loathing and it made the air practically electric from the energy generated from the pair. And that was without Gwen accidentally blasting someone with her emotions.

She listened as Lady Churchill spoke, her head tilting to the side as she was offered something that she didn't expect. A truce? A truce sounded like a good idea, but Gwen didn't trust this highborn lady as far as she could throw her. The redhead couldn't help but be suspicious of the other woman's intentions simply because all actions from a higher class Englishman were suspect. It was true that she could identify with the plight of these circus performers, knowing all too well how it felt to be treated as a second-class citizen. She folded her arms over her chest and considered the offer being given to her.

"What is the catch, dear Lady Churchil? There always is one with folk of your descent. It is easy enough for us to get our stories in line and not be forced to completely drop this..dislike that I hold for you. Why, it is possible that Lady Barland already has an antagonistic relationship with Lady Walker and thus could be used to our benefit. Have them thinking that they have the upper hand with two warring nobles. There is always a way to manipulate the situation, Lady Churchill. Something that I'm sure a lady of your stature knows everything about doing."

 

[ThatGuyWithSouvlaki]

At the initial response, Susan closed her eyes for a brief moment to repress the irritation and the need to sigh. Mistrust seemed to be the order of the day and it seemed to have to deal with two enemies during the operation despite her efforts. Gwen was stubborn and mistrustful traits Susan would usually laud if it was not aimed against her, she had also noted Gwen's tactical thinking and manipulative streak. Susan almost regrated the differences in class and nationality that kept them enemies. At the thought of all that Susan found herself chuckling.

She placed a gloved hand over her mouth until she controlled the need to chuckle."My apologies, your suspicion and stubbornness is almost making start to like you despite the antagonism." She said. "True, an antagonistic relationship can be used to manipulate the situation. However without unity between us and fighting against each other the antagonistic relationship can as much be used against us as it against them. I am not asking for us to be nice to each other. All i am asking is that the focus is more on completing the job than our own point scoring."

She paused and thought for a moment. "Let me admit something. Despite my considerable talents, i believe the situation we will find ourselves in you will have an advantage against me. My stature is at disadvantage as the circus among the lower order is not my domain. You are more comfortable and clued in to cultural difference. In sort you have me at a disadvantage when it comes to our bantering. That is the catch, i am saving face while calling the truce." She admitted. It was a half truth, the environment did put her in a disadvantage, but she doubted it was that but she could not handle herself effectively against Gwen. A risky thing to do to admit weakness in such a way, it would either encourage Gwen or find enough victory at Susan humility. Not that Susan did not have contingency for the worse case scenario.

 

[s e v e n]

- Jasper Swann -​

.

Pushing off the curtains to the side, Jasper allowed himself to squint as the sun immediately basked against his skin. Blinking once, and then twice, another hand to shield his eyes from the blinding light. It was not as though the man was not grateful to be outside- in fact he is, very much so. A long time ago, this would have been his only dream- to see what was on the other side. Alas, a boy could only dream, and years he had waited, like a damsel in distress, locked behind bars of a tower. Waving through a window.

He stood straight, letting the coldness of air fill his lungs, circling deep within his system. Fresh air is not a luxury he often possesses, looking over the pungency of the scene. Jasper then scrunched up his nose, he could have spat if only that was proper, as the taste felt bad all the way through his tongue. Then he remembered: he was not supposed to be proper.

“Ack-choo!”

He did it. For the first time in his life, he spat on the ground. A misplaced sense of pride, a mischievous grin of a rebellious child. And then he turned towards Araki, who had followed him, his eyes beaming.

“Did you see that?” he asked, then paused, peering over his shoulders, then over the other male’s shoulders. It would have been terrible to so quickly discredit himself by going out of character, especially after that one magnificent spit. “I could act just as well as you, thank you very much.”

Or at least try. Jasper had, however, omitted the last chunk of his phrase. A part of him still felt insecure, terrified of a minor slip that would cause the ruins of, not only himself, but everyone else. The lives of many innocents lie in his hands! Oh, why have they put him in such a position, so early in his job? Yet another part, a more foolish part, debatably, would like to send a minor sense of confidence in himself. That surely he was not so terrible.

“Virg- er, Ben!” That was an extremely close one. Immediately he turned his attention towards the two newcomers, hand in hand like a pair of awkward couple. Two of his closest friends, yet seemingly a pair of mismatched socks. The sun and the moon, yet nobody could have been more so different. “And, er- Alice, yes, Alice. Would I be wrong to assume that you two are also out for a walk?”

Jasper pressed on the last few words, as though a statement of justification delivered to everyone in the camp. As a matter of fact, truly it would have been better if none have heard what he said. Maybe next time he should pretend mute. The raven haired- no, blonde haired male waved his hand towards them, ushering to come with.

And so their tiny group of misfits ventured out. As far as his eyes could see, more tents aligned, almost similarly to their own. Men in uniforms stood firm- had the guards always been this strict? The skies bent onwards, and each step signifies the time passing, sun setting towards noon. Hope began to fade, a spark that has been carried down the riverbend. Perhaps they should head back soon. Before anyone finds them more suspicious than they already are.

 

[redroseknight]

Gwen could sense her amusement and arched an eyebrow upwards. So the woman could display something beyond disdain. Good to know. Her own amusement soared as she listened to the other woman explain her position as well as her reasons for their unification rather than separation. A small smirk tugged at the corners of her lips. "Hm, I must confess that is the first time anyone has found those particular traits admirable. My brother would be sorely disappointed to hear someone actually praising my continued suspicion as well as my stubborness. And that is exactly why I do not trust you. Well, that and...I have the suspicion that there is something you are withholding from me."

The redhead shifted her weight and looked at Lady Churchill's eyes, her own as focused as a hawk's when it has prey sighted. "I'm sure that you have done your reconnaissance on each of us. You have the resources at your disposal. Then you would know well what sort of opponent I am, Lady Churchill. I can sense emotional shifts, even ones as cleverly covered as your own. I must commend you; you're difficult to sort out. Like trying to find a hare in a fog. But I am honing my craft, so it would be wise to be forthright with me."

Gwendolyn tapped her nails on the bow of her violin that she held in her right hand. "I still don't trust you, that is for certain. If there would be daggers placed in my back, I have no doubt they might well be from your hand. But there is merit to what you propose. We'll need to weave our stories together. The trick, you see, to a good tale is that it dovetails with the truth. You just don't let that truth get in the way of a good story. So let us start the spinning of this tale, Lady Walker."

 

[draconicheart]

Taking Araki's point, and at Virgil's urging (miraculously ignoring how funny he sounded trying to be common) Katharine announced to the tent's occupants that they must go size up the performance arena and practice their routine with another overt flourish of her arms that just barely ends up missing her compatriots.

Once outside she takes a deep breath and brings her arms over her head for a stretch; she knows that her performance is far from over, but there's something about being in an enclosed space that, even with only a few people as the audience, makes her feel even more in the spotlight than she's used to. For the few precious minutes she spent thinking over the character of Alice she was to play, Katharine had reached the conclusion that she'd be someone who thrives in the limelight and seeks to bring attention to herself - two things that Katharine herself isn't quite used to. By the end of this mission she's likely to be mentally and emotionally drained.

Despite her brief relief at leaving the gaze of the wounded performers in the tent, she knows their job is only going to get harder from here on out. As long as they are on the circus grounds, they will be under constant scrutiny from Handler Molly and whomever else she has in her pocket.

After this moment of respite Katharine steels herself once more and whirls around on her heel to face her posse - and nearly jumps out of her skin. For about a half a second, she had forgotten that Jasper - longtime friend whose appearance she had most certainly committed to memory if not etched into her soul forever - had changed his hair and eye color for the purpose of espionage. Sure, she knows this is a facet of his power that he's likely to have played with in front of her a few times, but with everything else swirling around in her mind currently that knowledge had relegated itself into a small corner of her mind that only brought itself up again after her moment of surprise.

Once her heart had taken a moment to slow down to a normal rate once more, she took a deep breath and ventured to follow the group.

She wasn't sure what she had prepared to see here, but still her expectations are let down. From what she's heard of circuses, they're meant to be centers of merriment and oddities - people doing tricks and contortionists walking on their hands, spurts of fire and juggling pins peaking from around corners and laughter echoing between the tents. Instead, as they meandered about the rows upon rows of old canvas bleached from the sun the only glimpses of life they saw were gruff guards and workers carrying props and set pieces - neither of which responded to or returned the grins Katharine ventured to send in their direction.

Oh, and rats. There were plenty of rats scurrying about which Katharine watched until she was jolted out of attention by Jasper spitting on the ground. She jumped in surprise and whirled around to look at the grin on his face as if he got away with stealing a biscuit. A smile of her own spread across her face alongside a wrinkle across her nose as she playfully pushed his arm. "Ugh, you're gross!" Despite the disapproving statement, the syllables were shaken with the ghost of a laugh - possibly the first these grounds have heard in a while. "But yes, we are out for a walk. Mind if we join you?"

Virgil spoke up, stealing her attention once more; "You talk to rats, right?"

"What?" Katharine wheeled over to face him with an incredulous look on her face. She takes a step closer to Virgil, finger pointed at his chest in what she hopes to be a threatening manner.

"Listen here, Vir -" Oh no. What was his fake name again? God, she can't remember - at this point, she's lucky if she remembers her name is supposed to be Alice. She can't call him 'Virgil'; what if someone's overhearing? It'll break their cover for sure, and then goodbye Queen's Hand! How the hell is she going to cover this up? "... Gin."

... Virgin. She closed her eyes and placed her hands over her face, sinking down a few inches where she stood, as if in physical pain. Virgin. That was what she came up with.

She stewed in her agonizing embarrassment for a moment before groaning out what she was trying to respond with earlier, any semblance of sharpness she had intended to include in her reply gone. "... I can't... talk to rats. I can turn into a rat, and then I can try to infer with my... rat senses... what they might be trying to communicate, I suppose. I've never really tried."

 

[ThatGuyWithSouvlaki]

Susan looked back at Gwen with a practised casual ease like there were casually chatting not talking about their mutual hatred and what they were gonna do about. She tried reveal a little as possible. She was surprised Gwen revealed her power so openly, true she had her sources but did not care to use them to discover everyone's powers. She did not think she needed to as expected to be revealed in good order on their own naturally. To be revealed this easily though, especially as a power Susan would more wisely kept it a secret. Still she was pleased to Gwen finally showed some sense and wisdom and agreed to work with her rather than remain childish.

It was actually quite amusing to her, Gwen really seemed to have an inflated opinion of herself if she thought a few thrown insults were enough to be considered worthy of a stab in the back. It also amused her just how stereotypical she though people of the high class were and how bad Gwen thought she was. She was tempted to say so as a way to easy Gwen fears though she figured that would have rather put fuel in the fire rather than extinguish. Best quiet while you are effect. "Excellent that is all I ask." She said with a smile.

She thought for a moment. "Well Lady Barland, you yourself had mentioned the best way to do this is to not change much of what we already do. Investors with a competitive rivalry, let them think they can use as against each other. But i believe we need to keep the rivalry friendly, it would look unprofessional if a couple of each other just keep snipping each other. Why would they work with each other than?" She said smirking the irony of the statement.

 

[Kimby]

Investor Team​

The time for the investor team to leave for the circus is nearing. It is safe to say that your plan to act as rival investors is well met among Henry and Eve as they agree that would be the best course of action. Luckily, the Queen's Hand is quick to adjust to the scenario as two horse-drawn carriages await in the front to take you both to your destination. For added detail, the carriages look drastically different from one another but are still up to standard for high-class society.

Eve stops you all in the lobby to speak one last time as a group, her tone has slightly changed to be a bit more somber as she relays the message that Samuel would not be joining the team or the agency for that matter. It seems that while you two were conversing, something had gone on behind the scenes to already fail Samuel out of the Queen's Hand. She goes on to explain that each carriage will take a different route to the circus grounds and that Eve and Henry will be split up as well to accompany each of you as "business partners". Henry will assume the role of Sir Taylor while Eve will be going as Lady Lewis. Henry goes ahead and explains that when they reach the circus grounds he will open the telepathic link between your team and the performance team. The plan is for you is to still get there an hour before the show starts to meet with the head of finance Harold Griffith.

Once outside, the coachmen pay you their greetings before escorting Eve and Henry to their respective carriage, whichever one you decide to ride in will be entirely up to you.
Inside each carriage, a traveler's bag sits in one of the seats similar to the one Ife had on her back when she was briefing everyone. Upon any inquiry on what's inside, you will find it filled to the brim with banknotes.
---
((If you choose to ask about the money or just converse with your "business partner", the response will be posted to the story-track channel and then updated here.))
ThatGuyWithSouvlaki redroseknight

 

[Kimby]

Circus Quarters
❛ interact: draconicheart
mention: s e v e n lion. ❜

✦ Virgil Spencer ✦

Virgil's annoyance with Kat has reached its maximum capacity, to a point where it's become outright anger. Yet even he knew that he couldn't scold Kat outright for forgetting his cover name and even worse, trashing his own name into something comically vulgar. It seems to be a running theme for the people at the agency to get on his last nerves, he has but some hope that this mission would weed out the unpolished and weak. From what he saw at the beginning, that would be a least half of the people on this mission. He didn't understand what made Director Kinsley pick them out anyways other than them having abilities. But to be serving under the Queen is a whole different story. He trusted Araki and Jasper to be reliable in the field as teammates but he has yet to see anything impressive from Kat.

"Listen here Alice, why don't you make yourself useful then and turn into something you'd have more in common with." Virgil sourly remarked. He walked ahead as to not fall too behind from Jasper and Araki ignoring whatever Kat had to say in response.

It felt as if the time for rehearsals was nearing, though Virgil had no way to check as he had left his watch behind. There was a looming feeling of guilt in the back of his head as Virgil did feel somewhat weird to make such callous remarks towards Kat in the first place. After all, Jasper does consider her as a close friend. "Better yet, save your energy Alice, as if vermin would have anything useful to say." He avoided looking her in the eye, mainly avoiding seeing Jasper's expression too.

Suddenly, Molly Pocket's shrieking voice pierced through the air at the four of them, "Oi you lot! Get your butts to the main tent for rehearsals!"

Virgil annoyed at being barked at groans, "I suppose we should head over."

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