Settle The Score | The Assassination of Fenix Down (Player Plot Open-Log)

[aelwyn_aberration]

Who: Aelwyn + Anyone Who Wants To Be Involved In This Assassination
When: April
Where: Around Gloucester, Springfield, the Circus, assorted other locations.
Summary: A murder is planned, executed, and staged. The details are yet to come.
Warnings: Discussions of murder, actual murder, blackmail, espionage, gaslighting, TBA.

[Several months ago, following the Circus' initial visit, Aelwyn was given permission to take down Fenix Down and his circus. Now, after more recent revelations about their unseen enemy, the plan has become a higher priority.

The plan is as follows. To ensure that this doesn't implicate ADI, a false cult will be created for this specific purpose. They'll keep the entity behind it vague, but one must be selected to ensure anyone paying enough attention would be able to identify it. They'll create conspiracy theories, fabricate old reports from decades ago to make it seem like this group is only recently being resurrected.

And then, with that done, they'll execute the plan itself. Staging the kidnapping and murder as if it was the act of that cult, and an extensive interrogation.

OOC Post here!]

Comments

[the_archivist]

...it might have come up.

Yes, I can do it. You'll need to restrain him though.

[He holds up his scarred hand.]

I'd really rather not repeat this if possible.

[aelwyn_aberration]

That'll be handled. [She'd noticed his hand, yes... So that's how he got it. It's not as if she doesn't have scars of her own. She tries not to pry more than necessary when it comes to them.

Still, she wonders. Martin mentioned Jude Perry, this Avatar of the Desolation who died screaming and begging. Is that the one who left her mark?]

Thank you. [She sighs. She realises that this is more or less just blackmail, but she doesn't think she's been unreasonable in her demands.] I'd like to avoid losing people.

...Any more than we've already lost anyway. [And despite talking about pre-meditated murder and assassination along with a massive amount of fraud and deception, there is a wistful grief to her tone that suggests it's genuine.]

[the_archivist]

...I understand that.

I'm not- I don't avoid things and lie low because I don't care about people suffering. We've lost a lot of people.

But I know how much damage I could cause. I've had a lot of experience of making things worse.

[aelwyn_aberration]

...I do understand that sentiment.

For me? I'm used to standing back and letting horrific things happen to people I care about because I was too scared. That's what I want to atone for, I suppose.

[thedoctorsmate]

All right.
That's sorted if we want to play up the fire vs. water angle.
What about the Slaughter?
I was getting sort of confused between the Hunt the Desolation and the Slaughter when they were explaining all that.
Could we have a sort of rival angle for the types of fear they're gunning for?
They all want to hurt people in some physical way, right?

[the_archivist]

I'm sorry. That is difficut to deal with.

Wanting to help people is admirable.

[the_archivist]

Hunt is possibly one of the oldest. The primal fear of being hunted, chased. Fear of becoming prey. With them it is the hunt that is important, more than the catching of whatever is being hunted.

Slaughter is the fear of violence, unpredictable, sudden. The fear of not knowing where, how, or when pain will come but that it will. It could be a frenzied mob after a football match, or cold, like soldiers firing on a battlefield.

Desolation is fear of loss, of pain, and cruel destruction. Someone is causing you harm because they know it will hurt you, rather than any other goal. Setting fire to a- a place beloved by the community, just because it will cause them pain.

Those three can overlap. Desolation gets a lot out of war, and I imagine there are a lot of hunters amongst soldiers.

But it doesn't have to be physical harm. It's the fear that's important. You can make someone fear being hunted without ever touching them. You can destroy someone's life without physically harming them - destroy their reputation, the people they love. And I think the entire Cold War proves that you can be scared of Slaughter without it ever physically happening.

[lowficharm]

Martin isn't really the kind of person who advertises that he's decent at lying- sure, he's forged credentials, pretended to be all manner of people to get information, and done a little breaking and entering, but the point of being good at all that is you get less good when people suspect you. Nevertheless, Jon asked Martin specifically for assistance on this one, so here he is. He's decently good with a computer, and at least good at knowing where to look for certain things, so he's been doing his best.

For now, though, he's approaching Meredith with a tray, giving her a tap on the shoulder. "Hey, uhm-- how long has it been since you've taken a break? Brought you some tea, if it'd help." This, at least, is something he's quite good at after all these years- nagging.

[lesbeau]

[Beau also wasn't here the first time the circus rolled around; it was just before her arrival, so while everyone was quite abuzz with it then, she never actually got to see the place. Besides, Aelwyn had asked her to keep an eye on things, and how better to do that than to make sure the literal blind man doesn't go falling into a hole?

So she keeps close but not too much so, looking more-or-less normal with a tank top and jeans despite the fact that she looks a little swole to be just hanging around. But hey, they must be inconspicuous enough.

She frowns just a bit looking over the carnival fare.]

Can't believe I'm back at a shitty evil carnival. Fight a god, save the world, now I'm back figuring out about the demon stealing children's laughter or whatever.

un; mkblackwood

[lowficharm]

Just to be totally clear-- and I'm not saying I want more killing, just thinking practically-- but... Are we sure only Fenix? Because if they ever find out it was us who did this, provided we get away with it, they're going to come back.

[aelwyn_aberration]

Martin, I'm surprised at you, I had no idea you had this unquenchable thirst for blood.

We're settling for all of the avatars, leaving the humans alone. Enough to put the fear into any remnants and convince them to maybe not come back.

[aelwyn_aberration]

I'm a very admirable person.

[It's a joke, even though her smile is bordering on sardonic. She's anything but admirable. Even protecting others doesn't come as naturally to her as she'd like. Like when she saved her own skin and left Meredith to die.

She still isn't convinced there's no hard feelings there. There should be. Adaine wanted to kill her. Adaine had a right to kill her. But she shakes her head.]

Well... anyway. [Because vulnerability has never been her strong suit, and she might feel a bit bad about the way that she's more or less just using Jon and Martin for her own ends if she comes to sympathize. (As if that's stopped her from hurting people before.)] Fair warning, there will be an agent of ADI overseeing the interrogation and the operation itself. Austin, I don't know if you're familiar. If you can be discreet about it, that would be preferred, but if he learns anything I have a few tricks of my own I can pull to get past him.

[the_archivist]

Hm, that could be a problem. Fenix will recognise me and has an idea of what I can do.

[He should never have tried compelling him without better reason, but he'd been so thrown by the circus not being the Stranger...

He frowns and considers for a moment.]

If you want specific questions answered, I would need to be the one asking them. And a spoken statement from him might be unpredictable. I can't control what he says, just make sure he says it.

If someone could persuade him to give a written statement though... me being nearby should suffice.

[aelwyn_aberration]

[She considers this with a hum.]

Just because he's an avatar of the Desolation doesn't mean he's immune to the fear that comes with the Desolation, right? Pyre, for one, was very afraid when I threatened him.

We could tell him that if he gives a written statement the rest of his cabal will be spared, perhaps. [She doesn't really want to kill everyone, but it's sort of just a matter of whether or not he cares about them at all. ADI's incompetent anti-magic practices continue to be deeply annoying.]

I could also probably read his mind without Austin picking up on it, though wandering into his subconcious would be more obvious. I could use Suggestion... or we can just try to negotiate the old fashioned way. [Seduction is probably off the table.]

[aelwyn_aberration]

[She liked Ren too. Sort of. She hated him a little as well. Akechi understood it, even if it was different for Akechi. Ren only ever helped her in her imagination.

And she shot him in the head in his.] Well, no. A perfect impression would be obnoxiously judgemental silence.

[It's not as if he's here to defend himself. But also it's true. Ren spoke a single word for every sentence that Aelwyn did. Maybe Aelwyn's just chatty.

She notes his response to that comment with some amusement. Some concern as well, really. Jeff could be a threat, or he could be her wildcard.]

Well, I'm going to kill Fenix Down. I'd like you to lure him out of his cult for me. You're a changed man now, what better time to join the circus?

[cacophonish]

Fenix, huh...

[ It's not too long ago that Jeff would've refused. He would've balked at the idea of killing Fenix-- killing anyone-- and tried to talk Aelwyn out of it. Just leave him alone; he's not really hurting anyone, and besides, we have more in common with them than with the ADI, right?

He certainly never considered Fenix Down a friend or anything, but the man-- avatar, whatever-- kind of helped him, in a way. He'd given him some direction, was the first to point out which Entity had been whispering in his head, coiling up in the space where Ziggy had once been.

Jeff still has his business card, tucked away in his wallet. Something to save for a rainy day.

When Aelwyn floats her proposal, he doesn't balk. He doesn't gleefully jump at the opportunity, either. Jeff just takes a moment to consider. Could he lure Down out? Would the ringmaster be vulnerable to his particular brand of magic? There's so much he still doesn't know about what he is, and maybe Down could teach him.

...like Katie Dunn could have taught him, right?

The thought's a lot less appealing now than it had been before his change. He'd always been searching, lost and longing for some kindred connections, desperate to find it in others touched by the Fears. And now? He sees them for what they are. Playthings for Entities that have nothing to offer him.

He doesn't need Fenix Down's guidance anymore than he needed Katie Dunn's. Fuck 'em both. He'll teach himself, learn and experiment and prod at the boundaries of his abilities, like he always had back home. ]

I should pay him a visit. We've got a lot of catching up to do.

[ But. ]

If I do this, I want something in return.

[ And judging by the tone of his voice, he doesn't mean some vague promise of something. Jeff already knows what he wants. ]

[aelwyn_aberration]

And what would that be?

[Quick and to the point. She's a little suspicious, but it's not as if anything's set in stone.]

[the_archivist]

It's a possibility. But he might just see his own fear as an act of worship to the Desolation.

[There just isn't a one-size-fits-all solution to this. But he had seemed rather attached to his crew.]

Theoretically I could pull the statement out of him and write it myself but... it would be noticeable. Probably rather obviously. Me just being around might make him more willing to talk anyway. Sometimes people really want to make everything known but...

There's a lot of ways it could go wrong.

[cacophonish]

Dibs on their funky mirror.

[ He shoots a sweet, innocent smile. ]

I'm not gonna use it to terrorize people. Promise. I just wanna play with it. Myself.

[ Sounds masturbatory. Whatever. She's smart enough to know what he means. He wants to experiment with the artifact, see what effects it may have on him now, with his... condition. ]

So, you know. [ He shrugs. ] The clowns won't need it anymore, and I sure as fuck don't want the ADI to have it. [ He sighs and stretches his legs out. ] I can get it myself-- unless I've got my hands full with Down. Then I'm gonna need someone to grab it for me.

[aelwyn_aberration]

[She considers this for a moment, looking for any loopholes. He's right, of course. ADI will lock it up to be misused after another of their prisoners gets loose. At least this way she'll have more of an idea where it is.

Though... the idea intrigues her.]

We'll be causing a blackout. You should be able to steal whatever you'd like.

If you find anything Desolation related, I'd very much appreciate it if you could bring it to me.

[cacophonish]

[ Another blackout. Fitting, given what just happened here in town. Seems like a good cover-- hell, maybe it'll paint a target on Katie's back, sic whatever remains of the cult on her tail after this is over.

He laughs at the thought, giddy, a little lightheaded, and offers his hand. ]

Deal. I find anything too hot to handle, it's yours.

[ After all, any Desolation artifact is better off in her hands than the ADI's, just as the mirror's better off in his. ]

[whisperedone]

[That...gives him some pause. He turns his head slightly in his companion's direction.]

My first inclination is to follow that with a blasé 'another day in a week' comment but I'm actually very curious. At least about evil circuses? We can come back to the god thing.

[It was a more interesting conversation than asking after any of the carnival stuff he couldn't even see.]

[apocalypsehownpcs]

I. Pre-Attack
The fairgrounds in Springfield are bustling during the day and into the evening. Excited (and frightened) patrons roam the Fenix Down Extravaganza circus looking for sweet treats, fiery shows, and fun. There's a bit of grumbling that the big act they'd heard about: Pyre, the Man on Fire, seems to be canceled for the moment, but there's other fantastic entertainment. Maybe you can enjoy the event before trouble starts to brew.

II. Lights Out
It's after the performance has ended for the day, all of the guests to the circus have gone home, and it's workers cleaning up and getting things set for the next day. Fenix seems to be away for the night, so Penny and Roderick are handing out orders where they're needed. The circus is a well-oiled machine by this point, though. Few directions need be given, just a few specific details as they look toward the next night's show. Penny is overseeing workers on the grounds, checking food stalls for clean-up and the like, looking in to make sure all of the attractions are locked down. Roderick is inside the big top, tending to the sound and lighting equipment.

And then everything goes dark. There's surprised and confused chatter on the grounds from the human employees milling about. The first aid tent lights up again after a moment when the back-up generator kicks in, but the rest of the circus is dark, at least until people start pulling out their phones and other tools for flashlights. At the start, at least, there's just grumbling annoyance. Someone blew some sort of fuse? It's confusing, but panic has yet to set in. Penny and Roderick are on higher alert, but they'll be relatively unawares until someone actually comes for them.

((OOC: The mods will not be NPCing Penny and Roderick, but here are a few guidelines for interacting with them:

- These NPCs will not go down easily. Shooting them with bullets or tranqs will only annoy them. Stabbing them will be similarly annoying, but will not really hinder them.

Roderick
- Unaffected by the blackout in terms of his ability to see what's going on/respond to threats from the dark. His laser light accessories run on their own batteries. He will use said laser lights as weapons.
- Potential injuries from engaging: Blindness (temporary or permanent) from the lasers, burns from the lasers, dismemberment from the lasers when they're highly concentrated, deafness (temporary or permanent) from noise-based attacks he can throw at people (think supersonic screech)
- Parameters for taking him down: We'd like to see a minimum of two characters dedicated to taking him down. At least one of them should suffer some substantial injuries. More are welcome to sustain substantial injuries!

Penny
- Affected by the blackout in terms of her ability to see, but she will counter this by setting her whip on fire. She is extraordinarily nimble and can dodge/acrobatics her way away from people.
- Potential injuries from engaging: Blindness (temporary or permanent) from the gouts of flame she can spontaneously produce on command, burns from the whip
- Parameters for taking her down: We'd like to see a minimum of two characters dedicated to taking her down. At least one of them should suffer some substantial injuries. More are welcome to sustain substantial injuries!))

[apocalypsehownpcs]

I. Calling Card
The call from that little Spiral avatar in Gloucester had been a surprise. Not an unpleasant one, though, especially given what Fenix has been reading in the papers about blackouts in the town. He'd been genial, agreed to meet the wayward soul at a private spot a little outside of town. Whatever the kid wants to talk about, Fenix is willing to entertain him for half an hour or so. If nothing else, it should be funny if he can scare the living hell out of him again.

II. Interrogation
"Been a long time since anyone tied me up, kids." In spite of his current state, in spite of the danger he knows he's in, Fenix Down can't help being anyone but himself. The short, colorfully-dressed man smirks at his captors. "Who wants first taste, hmm? I'm burning to start."

((OOC: We do not need to do the interrogation as all one thread. Anyone who's involved and wants to interrogate Fenix is welcome to tag into this. As a warning, anyone who does present themselves to interrogate him will suffer the consequence of some severe pain that will linger for several weeks after this. At player discretion, this pain may become chronic and something the character has to deal with for the rest of their time here.))

[henchgal]

"Oh yeah. One of my roommates even got video of the grand finale so we could rewatch it at home. It's nasty business. But why don't you like Aelwyn, exactly?"

Because that information might become relevant or useful someday.