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

[apocalypsehownpcs]

Fenix is looking significantly rougher than when he was first brought in, but there's still that challenging, unbroken glint to his smile. He gives Beau a long elevator stare, then whistles low. "Did it get hot in here, or is that just you, my girl?" The temperature around her warms significantly, becoming something sticky and unpleasant. At the same time, pain begins somewhere inside of her, an aching thing that can likely be ignored for now, but it's slowly growing in intensity.

"I'm a captive audience, here to answer questions, so why don't you ask them?"

[lesbeau]

Part of her thinks she shouldn't roll her eyes in what should be a serious negotation, but also, Beau doesn't care a ton and does it anyway. "And so far you're an annoying audience."

The pain is... a cautionary tale, and she can tell, but she's been hurt worse for less thus far. So she walks close enough to be threatening, arms folded across her chest. "So. Let's start with that thing you serve. What the hell got you into this... pact?" As far as she figures, Entities are Warlock patrons, and that's the best she's got going on that one.

cw: self-immolation

[apocalypsehownpcs]

"About a gallon of gasoline and a few matches," Fenix shrugs, then winces at the movement. The other interrogations are taking a toll on him in some respects. There's only so much punishment a wax man can take. "That's how you usually give yourself over to the Dancing Flame. It's how I know how to do it, anyway. You in the market for a new god?"

[lesbeau]

She gives him a little unimpressed look, a little pursing of the lips. "I'm not in the market for any god, and these things aren't gods, anyway." She's seen gods, hell, fought them. These can't be gods, or they'd be tougher... but maybe she'd think different if she knew how deep she was in with one now.

"Most people don't kill themselves for fun. You had to have a reason to do that. So what was it?" Beau notes the movement on his shoulder, what he doesn't like, filing it down to know where to press later.

[apocalypsehownpcs]

"They're about as close as you're gonna get here, girlie. We built our own gods from fear. And that's about the most human thing I think we've ever done, really. But let's see. I'm guessing you're not interested in the tragic sob story version.

"I like burning things. People don't like it when you burn their things. But in the circus, if you call yourself a magician... well... you get to burn a hell of a lot of stuff. Guy I joined up with said he had a way to make the world burn. Came with the whole eternal youth thing, and when you're 20-something, that seems like a pretty good idea."

[lesbeau]

Well, he's more compliant about this than she thought he'd be, but it isn't truly implicating much by just talking about himself- so it's not much of a surprise. She keeps her arms folded, her eyes trained on him as he speaks.

"So how long ago was that? And what happened to the guy who got you in? Unless your name's more a mantle than a name." It dawns on her that this guy might be much, much older than he appears- Aelwyn did say something about him being made of wax, and she makes a mental note to try and sus out a timeline if she can.

[apocalypsehownpcs]

"Oh... hundred years or so ago." Fenix grins, a wild light in his eyes as the pain flairs in Beau's body. "Time flies when you're having fun! Abe's long dead, though. Your little organization saw to that. And Fenix is mine, I'll have you know."

[lesbeau]

She grits her teeth, and copes by cracking her knuckles. "Alright. Not so old, then. I've killed things older than you."

The thought of really chatting this guy up is beginning to fade as the pain rises; if anything, the pain is starting to make her pulse race, the excitement of a fight pushing her forward. "Guess you're just the next one in a line of chumps who took the easy way for power. What do you know about the rest of 'em, then? The other fear not-gods?"

[apocalypsehownpcs]

"Not my circus, not my monkeys." He smirks. "But I know the Oculus lot after the mess they made back in the 80s with their little ritual attempt. You've got the twisty boys and girls, too. We got a mirror from their little patron. Past that? You tell me. I stick to my lane, for the most part. I know some names, the theory behind them, but I'm not a scholar on the topic. I'm just a clown."

[lesbeau]

"Yeah, you look like one, too." She tilts her head at him, surveying him a bit more closely, and circling around to a side- but keeping her eyes on him, always, steady.

"Tell me about that ritual. Sounds like you were involved. What happened?"

[apocalypsehownpcs]

"Why thank you, my girl! I've been aching for a compliment here." The pain begins to build in Beau's body, focusing in behind those staring eyes of hers.

"As for the ritual, what's there to tell? It was a flop! ADI derailed our train before it got to me for my part in it all. Abe and most of the circus died, and that left me to pick up the pieces."

[lesbeau]

She's still pacing him, but when the pain builds and he's giving her shit, she pulls her fist back and slams it into the back of his head.

"That's not what I mean. Details, Fenix. What were they doing, what were your plans, don't skimp on me here."

[apocalypsehownpcs]

Fenix jerks in the chair he's tied to, but Beau may notice that her hit isn't as powerful as it should be, like his head just gives some. But then, the same force is slamming into the back of her head. "Why do you care about something that failed?"

[lesbeau]

She jerks in turn, cursing under her breath, moving to his right side. "You're not asking the questions here, Fenix! And I bet I can get punched a lot longer than you can. Now answer me!"

[apocalypsehownpcs]

He grins at her, the expression vicious and petty as he seems to be considering letting her put that statement to the test. But, eventually, he tilts his head. "We were gonna blow shit up. What else were you expecting, girlie? We were gonna run that train off the rails into a packed crowd and kill thousands of people all at once. I'd set up the big tent, the gasoline soaking all around it, ready to catch flame and burn every last one of them for the Dancing Flame.

"We were going to bring it into this world and watch everything go up in smoke."

[lesbeau]

She's full-on frowning at him now, moving back around to his front with a grimace. "You're right. I shouldn't expect anything from you. That's why you're here, tied to a chair and getting the shit kicked out of you, and I'm not."

Beau squares her shoulders, watching him carefully. "So you were going to what? Take over their ritual? Go in and blow their shit up so you can bring in your stupid fake god? Because I've heard all this shit before. You're not giving me anything new, Fenix, and that's not good if you want to keep living."

[apocalypsehownpcs]

"You say that like I'm expecting to live. I'll have some fun with all of you, and then one of you is going to kill me. That's how this goes.

"Didn't even get a chance to try at the ritual again. Kinda rude, preempting a guy like that."

[lesbeau]

Mm, well, that's more complicated when someone isn't afraid of dying. Then again, that gives her another idea...

"So why tell us anything at all if you know you're going down? Hope we'll get your enemies once you're in the ground?" Before he has a chance to answer, another question hits her mind, and she speaks before she has the chance to think about it further.

"Are you afraid to die, Fenix?" Beau is studying his face, looking for a tell, a crack, a bit of... fear, maybe. Yeah, fear. She'll think of this later and wonder if these were her words at all, whether or not it mattered. "Are you just doing all this so you can delay your inevitable, painful death?"

[apocalypsehownpcs]

"It's not where you end up, it's how you get there." His tone is blithe, but the simmering pain in Beau's body starts creeping up in intensity, perhaps indicating there is some fear there. "I'm telling you because I don't have anything to lose at this point. It's freeing, really."

[lesbeau]

Now that catches her interest, and she tilts her chin up, making sure she's looking down at him more. "Mmmm, dunno if I believe you. A guy who's totally chill about death wouldn't have set himself on fire to not naturally die."

Beau cracks a knuckle, getting ready to go at him again, maybe to finally weed out the truth this time. "Sort of sounds like you're looking for a way out. Hoping we won't do a good enough job so you can keep on burning, huh? 'Cuz fires go out, Fenix. And you're pretty close to being a puddle of wax with a burnt-out wick."

[apocalypsehownpcs]

Fenix's brows simply rise up as there's a sharper pain to Beau's knees.

"My candle burns at both ends;
It will not last the night;
But ah, my FOES, and oh, my friends—
It gives a lovely light!"

[lesbeau]

Alright, that's it. Beau grits her teeth, and finally decides she is done. She surges at him, pain be damned, and starts hitting what she thinks are just pressure points designed to make him tell the truth. What it manifests as more is... like opening a third eye. Like the feeling of Beau's fists reaching physically inside Fenix, trying to rip the truth out from the wax that forms his vocal chords, like she can see every lie, every time he's tried to escape, every pull he's had.

He can try to resist, of course. He very well might. But oh, it's going to hurt to do so.

"Tell me about your last ritual, tell me about your most recent plans, and tell me, Fenix, tell me you're fucking scared."

[apocalypsehownpcs]

His flesh gives in a way that isn't natural, like she's actually punching at wax. At first, there's no response except laughter, but that's quickly choked off as words begin to tumble out. "All right! All right! I'm scared! I'm scared of what you people are gonna do before you kill me. I'm scared I survived for nothing. I didn't even get to the ritual! You didn't give me a chance!"

Pain sears through Beau. For each hit, there's an answering agony lancing through her in that spot.

"I was just a kid the first time! The Great and Powerful Charlie! A magician they'd brought in last minute. You think Abe was gonna tell me any of the real info? He told us to wait in Boston. He had it all planned. We'd be there to hype up the crowd, get them all gathered to see the train bringing in the Big Top acts. But it all went wrong. They derailed. ADI derailed everything before they were supposed to. A couple dozen people died. Abe went up in smoke along with most of the headliners and the rest of us scattered.

"I hadn't even worked out what we were gonna do for our ritual, yet. That's still so far off. I needed a few decades to figure out the details, so would you people get off my dick?!"

[lesbeau]

Finally, finally, something gives. He speaks, he acknowledges, and something surges into Beau that makes her feel better than she's felt in months. Finally, she's got him. Finally, she knows something.

The pain he's sending into her hurts, and her teeth are gritted as she begs herself not to give until she's done with him. As soon as he stops talking, she grabs his jaw, dragging it to look up towards her.

"No. We won't. Because you did survive for nothing. All of those terrible things you've done to people, the ones you've killed, abandoned, all of them? It ends now. And nothing you've done will have mattered. No more outrunning death. Today, you fucking lose."

[apocalypsehownpcs]

"I've never even killed anyone!" Fenix snaps. "I can't even do real fire. It's all just wax and pain. Smoke and fucking mirrors!" And then it feels like someone has kicked in Beau's teeth while simultaneously setting her tongue on fire. She's clearly struck a nerve... but at what cost?"