paris ♔ so you'll keep the world at bay | keep your secrets and your scars.

[silvermaid]

♬ The Storm - Boy & Bear

WHO || Anastacia, Christos, Faye, Aedan, Felicity, Taenya Farstorm
WHAT || The Knights travel to Paris, get some sight seeing in, and meet with the councilwoman.
WHERE || Paris, France
WHEN || August 26th IGNORE WHAT WYNN SAID ABOUT A COUPLE OF WEEKS, I DO WHAT I WANT
HOW || Actionspam

[ this post covers all events from the flight to paris through the initial meeting to get things rolling on the mission. there will be three relevant threads below, please wait for them to be posted to comment ♥ ]

Comments

[everyredcent]

[ actually, it seems like mayor does catch some of that because he replies:

"You have no proof! How dare you make such accusations!" ]

[reallywicked]

[Oh my god Faye is getting so bored. Why are we still talking to this guy?]

I don't know what you said, but I'm betting it wasn't useful. [Is anyone really shocked that the witch who kicked the door in isn't in the mood to negotiate in multiple languages? Throwing a hand out, Faye shoots a cone shaped line of fire from her fingertips (burning hands - damage 9, reflex save 15 for half damage) at the bed and its inhabitants.]

[uncurse]

Faye, what the hell!

[ YOU CAN'T JUST SET PEOPLE ON FIRE. ]

[everyredcent]

[ the mayor doesn't even try to move, he's too busy being freaked out (ref 5), but elodie dives out of the bed in her sexy nightgown with moves like jagger (ref 22) and now we ALL HAVE TO ROLL FOR INIT THANKS FAYE.

anyways, here we go bitches. christos twirls a few more daggers in his hand, the twitching muscles in his cheek the only sign that he's ready to murder faye after this is all said and done. for now there's a mission to finish out and he's going to do what he can to salvage this train wreck and make it look like that was just... part of their intimidation routine. ] I wouldn't do that, if I were you.

We have photographs, copies of shipping records that are particularly damning.

[ god he doesn't like being the one who does the talking but NO ONE ELSE SEEMS TO REMEMBER WHAT TO SAY (intimidate 20) ]

[reallywicked]

[Whatever. All you bitches be jealous. Also that guy was responsible for Lila almost dying. Fuck you if you think she cares about him surviving.]

We've got more than enough. [She chimes in, agreeing with Christos.] And they want to give you the chance to make it right. I'd rather watch you burn.

[Look the psychopath pyromaniac routine is really her best angle okay (intimidate 29.. just in case Christos didn't get the point across)]

[uncurse]

You're gonna back off. [ emma composes herself now that we're back to the talking instead of burning portions of the encounter. ] You're gonna find a safe place to dispose of those barrels without any Shadowkind getting hurt. You're gonna let up on Taenya, and you're gonna let her do her job. [ diplomacy 27 she's not really interested in intimidating she wants him logically won over. ] I don't think I need to tell you how this is gonna go down if you don't.

[everyredcent]

[ elodie's eyes narrow, but she glances at the mayor, and says to him:

"... I think you should listen to them. These people aren't playing with a full deck."

because ftr diplomacy checks do not work immediately after a person is intimidated by your pals... you cannot mix and match the two in terms of skill checks :x but it's ok b/c they're BOTH SCARED ALREADY. ]

[bittersweeter]

No need to be rude. [ if... accurate. lila has nothing more to offer than what she has already translated, besides that snippy comment. ]

i think we can end init...?

[everyredcent]

[ the mayor hesitates, but then nods a few times, watching faye nervously. he mutters something about doing whatever they want, if they'll agree to destroy any copies of the paperwork. ]

[uncurse]

You're not serious. [ as if, fucker. ] We're not trashing anything. You get to know we're holding onto it, and that's gonna be what keeps you in line - keeps you from pulling this crap again.

[bittersweeter]

Not to mention we have photographic evidence in case you try to poison anyone again. [ looking at u, elodie. still bitter. ]

[reallywicked]

[Faye will second that glare at the mention of poison. But she's not setting people on fire again. Yet.]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ elodie bristles at that. "I would think threatening our lives would be sufficient for you. Which is it: do you want to murder us for what we've done, or get us put away?" ]

[bittersweeter]

It's a little bit of both. We're willing to give you the smallest benefit of the doubt. If we keep you alive you have two choices: resign silently and learn to live very boring lives outside of politics or we out you, in public and in detail, thus ruining your lives forever and implicating you in multiple counts of conspiracy to murder a councilwoman and an entire species of people, which, and I'm just guessing here, carries an extremely large sentence. But you'll live -- in prison. I know you've phased out the conditions of the Bastille, but just imagine the Shadowkind you'd run into in prison.

The Shadowkind you were planning to murder. [ she hums a thoughtful little noise as she moves forward a bit. her hands, one still holding her gun, splaying out like well, you know where this is going. but she elaborates anyway. ] You might not live that long, actually.

You missed the councilwoman with that poison, sweetheart, so you might say I'm invested in your answer. Because either way, if you put one hair out of line I will come back to your fair city and personally remind you that this was your one chance and you blew it. It will not be a gentle reminder. [ her silky smile has none of the fawning simper it had when they met at the office, but it's just as sweet. which somehow manages to be more disconcerting. (intimidate 35) she doesn't translate the last threat into english, though she paraphrases the rest of her answer. if that's not the plan, well. who cares. ]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ elodie manages to keep from looking afraid at the implications, glaring at lila with icy composure, and not even bothering to look over at the more clearly terrified mayor.

finally, she says, tightly: ] Well played.

[uncurse]

We'll stay in town until you've made your formal resignation.

[ she doesn't have to guess which road they'll choose to take, ok. ]

[everyredcent]

And even then, we'll be watching. [ with that, christos gives a flourish of his cloak and turns to stalk out. having the last word is important guys. take the hint. ]

[bittersweeter]

[ lila smiles one last time before taking faye's hand and tugging her out after christos like this was some romantic date of assault and death threats and now they're going to go make out in the car. maybe they will. YOU DONT KNOW THEIR LIVES. ]

[reallywicked]

[Faye opens her mouth to say something like PEACE BITCHES, but Lila is taking her hand and dragging her out so she just goes quietly.]

[uncurse]

[ yep out we go. emma keeps her weapon out in case mayorchan and elodie get any wise ideas as the four of them exit. ]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ they escape with ease back to the car where anastacia and felicity are waiting, and head right back to the hotel to fill them in on what went down inside.

it's easy enough to see the ripples of their efforts quickly: the very next day, Elodie and the Mayor hold a press conference that's broadcast all over the news, where he delivers their mutual resignations while wiping sweat off his brow with a handkerchief, as the blonde woman stands in the background in silent, fuming anger, arms folded as her eyes scan the crowd.

christos drags a couple of them who were there that night along with to plant in the crowd, so that when her gaze skates across the faces there, she can see them watching, stone-faced, from within the sea of people. she even goes remarkably pale herself, and then excuses her way offstage, rapidly.



all that's left to do is say goodbye to taenya, who invites them up the day after the conference to express her gratitude, shaking her head in amazement as they enter. ] I don't know exactly what you did - and I'm not sure I want to - but thank you. It'll be nice to walk down the street without looking over my shoulder at night. I know the fight against men like him isn't over, but that's the kind of fight I'm equipped to handle. [ she opens a drawer and grabs a handful of buttons, which she drops on the table between them. ] I had my design team push these out last night. What do you think? [ the campaign badges are in french but they're easy enough to recognize for what they are, and they all sport her name. ]

[bittersweeter]

[ picking one up, lila turns it over in her hand. ] Cute. [ a beat as she runs her gloved thumb along the pin in order to open it up and pin it to the strap of her messenger bag. ] And probably not poisoned, so I can get behind it.

[silvermaid]

We're just glad to have put a halt to their plans. And taken men like that out of power.

[uncurse]

And in the event that you start looking over your shoulder again for any reason, you've got our number. [ emma will take one of the buttons, but she holds onto it rather than pinning it on right away. ]

[silvermaid]

[ "I won't forget it," she says. "And next time you need a favor that I can help you with, well. You have my number too." ]