The Night Train

[undergroundmods]

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It's the 22nd of January and the sun has disappeared behind the horizon. You're waiting at your nearest station when a sleek, metallic grey train pulls up at the platform. No one else can see it, only those who are aware of the supernatural world. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Night Train. Tonight the leaders of the Night Council will be making their annual introduction to the supernatural community – aboard a train that will make stops in every borough with a significant supernatural presence. Hop on and off whenever you like: this event is designed to be open to all. (Though for some reason the train won't be passing through East End or Seelie/Unseelie territory...)

The event takes place from 7pm-12 midnight Sunday 22nd January.

Rules of entry
• No weapons. Any weapons or objects that could be used as weapons will be confiscated.
• No drugs or alcohol except that provided at the event. Don't try to sneak any in.
• No violence. The train is cursed with a hex that will punish any trouble-causing passengers with a lightning strike. The Council doesn't mess around here.

Carriages
The train has five carriages, each one with a different theme. While the Night Council members are dispersed throughout the train, they are under no obligation to stay in their carriage and will likely move around to network and meet fellow members of the supernatural community. There are cameras and security guards in every carriage to ensure there is no trouble.

1) PRESIDENT / VICE PRESIDENT. At the front of the train is a carriage decked out as if for royalty. Surprisingly spacious, the carriage is decorated with gilt trimmings, a thick wine-red carpet and leather seating. Portraits of previous Presidents and Vice Presidents line the wall. Coffee, tea and wine is being served at tables interspersed throughout the carriage and finger sandwiches are available.

2) WITCH REPRESENTATIVE. The next carriage along belongs to the Witch Representative. It's rather like walking into a greenhouse: the entire place is full of herbs and other plants, and there are tables where you can sit and ask for advice or magical favours from witches with varying specialities: a healer, a herbalist, a psychic, a medium and a potions maker. Magical butterflies flutter along the ceiling and among the flowers like colourful lights. A small bar at the end of the carriage serves a variety of herbal teas.

3) VAMPIRE REPRESENTATIVE. The next carriage along belongs to the Vampire Representative. Decorated in a tasteful dark red, about half the carriage's length is taken up by a wine bar that serves a variety of alcoholic and blood-based drinks and snacks. The other half consists of leather seating where the seats face each other to allow guests to talk while enjoying a drink.

4) SHAPESHIFTER/META HUMAN REPRESENTATIVE. It seems that Yasmine decided her aim for the night was to let loose and avoid talking, since this carriage is basically a narrow dance floor. Club music blares out from speakers on the ceiling, there's a disco ball and strobe lighting, and all the windows are blacked out. A magical seal ensures that the noise is contained within this carriage, so you won't hear any of it until you step inside.

5) EMPTY CARRIAGE. There's nothing here apart from rows of seats that you might find on any ordinary train. A sign on the door says "WARNING: THIS CARRIAGE IS HAUNTED. KEEP OUT." If you ignore the sign and go in anyway, you might feel a sense of unease. The shadows seem unnaturally long and the lights will flicker on and off. Magically sensitive types will feel a strong sense of impending death and may experience visions of the seats being ripped apart and blood spattered on the walls. If you stick around even after that, the most magically sensitive person in the carriage will experience a vivid hallucination of their own death at the hands of a vampire. If you manage to endure that without fleeing, PM the mod to continue. (Don't worry, no one will die.)

Comments

[falsify]

Ugh, why is he being touched.

Obviously he got too close to the wolves milling about the bar, and he pulls his arm away from whoever's just grabbed him with a huff, "go where you want. I really don't give a shit."

[ghoulaid]

That's not the voice he's expecting. He yanks his empty hand back at warp speed as soon as he sees who he'd been grabbing, and even looks a tad offended. How dare he not be who Ghoul thought he was.

"Not you- I don't need your blessing, you ain't the boss of me." Even if he is that dog whisperer from a while back. Or, at least, Ghoul thinks he might be. This guy has the same sort of unusual face. "Where'd that little fucker go?"

As if he has any right to call anyone little.

[falsify]

Wow, so hostile. Eames frowns as he takes a sip of his drink, "I wouldn't know."

The dismissive tone is a far cry from the way he'd been with that whole dog situation, but in Eames' defence he doesn't care.

[ghoulaid]

The tone doesn't seem to rattle him. He's been hearing it all evening long, what's it from one more person? "Ugh."

Ghoul abandons the search for now. He turns to face the bar, leaning against it heavily as he rests both arms and his head against the counter. "Whatever. Gonna be busy trying to fuse my face to the bartop from here on out. If you don't like it you can either find a new haunt or go whine to the Queen Bee and her cabinet."

[falsify]

Eames snorts a laugh, looking down at the back of Ghoul's head and then to the bartender-- signalling for a refill. He'd honestly rather slit his own throat than speak to Redbright right now, but regardless. Might as well find some camaraderie with one of his fellow undesirables, right?

"I think you'll need more liquor for that," he makes a thoughtful noise, fingers drumming on the wood as he waits for his drink, "vodka maybe? Might help melt the varnish."

[ghoulaid]

"Yeah, bare minimum. Can't do it, though. Gonna postpone gettin' shitfaced." The chances of something malicious happening are probably pretty low, but he's still aboard a train brimming with folks who make him just uncomfortable enough to want to stay alert.

"Then again..." He picks his head up, looking around thoughtfully. "You see anything that looks expensive around here?" Anything expensive that could be ruined by spilled alcohol, specifically.

[falsify]

It takes Eames a moment to catch his meaning, but when he does he tilts his head with an amused smile, flagging down the bartender to order a bottle of red for himself and his new friend here.

"The vampire carriage has some especially delicate furniture," he says like it's little more than idle observation, "the sorts of things you can't readily dry clean, you know."

[ghoulaid]

"Oh, geez." That distraught tone would've been believable if it had come out of anyone else's mouth. "It's a real shame I'm such a sloppy drunk. Just hate the idea of ruinin' good fabric... or some important witch's pretty dress." He's got his eye on a couple prospects for that one already.

Seconds after he says that, though, he turns his gaze back on Eames, eyes narrowing. "It'd soak in to that," he nods, implying Eames' outfit, "just as well, I figure. Somethin' to keep in mind if you got one of those mouths that likes to run."

He only bothers making the threat because he's still not entirely clear on what Eames is. Right now, it's a tossup between some kind of metahuman, a fae, or a cranky witch who's annoyed at having to deal with vampires again. Anything but the last would be great.

[falsify]

Eames barks a laugh at the threat, a little caught off, but he can also imagine all the people who'd say it'd be no great loss.

He's still very amused when the wine comes too, and pours himself a glass, entirely casual when he replies, "is that a threat, or are you just trying to get me out of my clothes?"

It's important he know which way they're going on this.

[ghoulaid]

Wow, that took a turn. Ghoul's momentarily stunned, but he sorts himself out soon enough and rolls his eyes. "I don't put out on the first date, motherfucker." —Or, well. "'Least not on a shitty one like this." There's a second glass nearby that Ghoul busies himself with, filling it generously with what will soon serve as his ammo. Once he's satisfied with the amount inside the glass, he brings it up and takes a mouthful.

Just enough to swish around and get the smell of alcohol on him. If he's going to play off all his troublemaking as drunken accidents, it needs to be at least a little believable... even if the taste does make him grimace something horrible. "Uhk- that's bad."

[falsify]

A shitty date? How dare he, Eames wore a nice shirt tonight and everything.

He makes an amused noise at Ghoul's grimace and casts a glance aside at him; not much of a wine drinker then. No great loss though, Eames takes a sip from his own glass with an approving noise and takes the bottle by the neck with his other hand, waves it in a gesture for Ghoul to lead the way.

[ghoulaid]

If only he knew how much of a big deal a nice shirt on Eames actually is.

He happily blazes a trail through the crowds, making a slow loop around the vampire carriage as he scopes out the most ideal areas of attack. He finally settles on a row of seating- a nice long stretch of beautiful untreated leather that looks pricey and like it's bound to absorb liquids. It's perfect.

Ghoul strolls along beside the sitting area once it's free of people, tilting the glass in his hand just enough that the wine pours out in a steady, continuous line across each seat he passes. Even though he manages to get a number of them pretty thoroughly, he does run out before he can hit them all. Some seats are safe, some aren't. It'll probably be difficult to tell, what with the lighting and the already dark color of the leather. Sitting down on this side of the carriage will be an awful game of chance for the rest of the night.

Once the damage is done, he casually moseys away from the area, gently clinking the wine glass down on a flat surface near wherever Eames has ended up. "It was very nice of you to share a drink with me. Guess it wasn't as gross as I thought, 'cause look at that. Ended up gone."

[falsify]

Eames doesn't participate in the destruction-- well. Not openly, though he does 'accidentally' ruin a pair of gorgeous and expensive white heels as someone passes by the door next to him. There's a bit of snarling and a proto-threat, but once she sees his face she relents and Eames smiles sweetly back at her with a faux-apology.

(Turns out staking the previous Duke in the gut has some benefits beyond how good it felt.)

He watches Ghoul mill around causing trouble for the future with an amused look on his face, long since switched to drinking straight from the bottle by the time he returns, and he snorts as he looks down at the glass.

"You're welcome," Eames smiles, "glad you enjoyed it."