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

Finnick / OTA

[thelittlemerman]

Finnick's natural glamour is uninhibited tonight as he wanders up and down the train, inspecting everything with the kind of aloof boredom one might expect of someone with actual status. Finnick has none of that anymore, but he couldn't stop himself coming to see this. He still has dreams for the fae getting what they're owed from the Night Council, and a carriage on this train could have been the start.

Not this year.

The solemn look on his face is only so no one will spot him turning up his nose at everything. He can't manage a full smile unless he's engaged in conversation, and he doesn't see the need anyway. Everyone knows the fae are bitter that the Night Train won't even stop in their boroughs, and besides, he knows his weak but natural magic adds a perceived layer of charm and interest to his serious stare for the humans around him at least.

He wanders up and down each carriage slowly, taking it all in from the edges. All but the last. Finnick knows how to trust an instinct.

[falsify]

"Disgusting, isn't it?"

He'd spotted Finnick passing through the vampire's carriage, aloof expression matching Eames' own of disgust, and moves across the carriage to him. Looking over Finnick's shoulder at them and how fucking outrageous this all is. Why not just spit on them while they're at it? Fucking disgraceful. And more than anyone, Eames expects Finnick to understand his feelings on the matter. They've worked on so much together, after all.

[thelittlemerman]

"I was tossing around the word horrific, personally," Finnick replies, his tone light and airy as if he's not thinking about the blood-filled drinks being served mere feet away. He's been torn between leaving this carriage as quickly as possible and staying to let the anger stew a bit longer because he might need it later. Talking to another fae makes it a bit more bearable at least.

"I don't know how anyone stands it."

[falsify]

Eames sighs, tired and annoyed with this. With all of it.

"It really is like humans are a bunch of animals waiting for the slaughter." He drops his voice a little, but he's reached a point where he's ceased to care too. Probably the closest he gets to a temper tantrum these days. "They kill without impunity, skin the wolves and the shifters, shackle us for our blood, and what? A change in management is enough to welcome them back into the fold?"

He drains the rest of his drink, leaves it on the nearest surface with a shake of his head, "it's a fucking disgrace."

[thelittlemerman]

Finnick shakes his head and gives a soft, bitter laugh. "I think they understand that the vampires' greed and bloodlust are just their own human qualities magnified by death and immortality," he says smoothly, low so his voice blends in with the noise around them. "It's hard to reject something so familiar for too long."

[falsify]

Eamew snorts, almost amused if not for how perfectly Finnick articulates his feelings. There's a lot to love about humanity, but god they're fucking awful.

"Mm, and yet we're the dangerous ones who need to be kept in line," he says with a frown, eyes drifting to a pair of vampires across the carriage, "then again it shouldn't be a surprise, they go on and on about how untrustworthy we are but never consider why we had to learn to deceive to begin with."

[thelittlemerman]

"Humans come by it so naturally," Finnick says, agreeing. "It must feel so powerful to tell lies so freely. I almost envy them."

There's a wistful tone in his voice to hint that he's thought about this before, thought about how a bald-faced lie might have saved him once or twice, but there's no use dwelling. He changes gear with a sigh.

"Do you think we'll ever be allowed a carriage on this train? Or should we just settle for a stop or two in our boroughs?"

Re: Finnick / OTA

[nightflowering]

Perhaps she could or should care about the fate of the fae on the whole, but as far as Lan's concerned, she's owed nothing by the Night Council or its people. Still, whether from some sort of solidarity or just petty interest, she makes a point to go and speak to any of the fae present.

"You'll have to forgive my manners, but I don't think we've had the pleasure of being introduced."

[thelittlemerman]

Finnick turns to look at the fae, managing a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes when he senses her familiar magic. It's too hard to be truly happy and feel camaraderie in this place, but he'll try.

"No, I don't believe so. I'm Finnick."

[nightflowering]

"In as much as anything is a joy here, I'll say that it's a pleasure to meet you. Mostly, I'm called Lan." Not exclusively, not entirely, but it's what she's going by for the time being and that'll do nicely enough.

"I know that it's all a bit brash and almost stickily human to just walk over, introduce oneself, but I suppose I can admit to picking up a few bad habits. Especially when they make moderately intolerable parties a little more bearable."

[thelittlemerman]

He smiles a little more genuinely now, shaking his head and waving her off. "If there's one thing we know how to do, it's make the best of a party."

Finnick himself hasn't been very good at that as of late, but maybe with more time. "Are you here as someone's guest?"

[nightflowering]

"No, I came under my own power and I plan to leave that way, too. Yourself?" She hasn't been back in London for too long, but she's always had a knack for finding out where the movers and shakers are. It's not the finest party she's been to, not by a long shot, but it's not bad as a way to get used to the flavour of local politics.

[thelittlemerman]

"The same," he says. "I think it's good to know what the Council is up to, especially these days."

[ghoulaid]

He isn't the only one shying away from the last carriage. Ghoul's been doing some wandering of his own, although he's decided to cut the adventure short after reading the warning posted on the last car. He's seen enough movies to know better.

He doubles back, squeezing past Finnick as he puts some distance between himself and the haunted car. "Fuck that, right?"

[thelittlemerman]

Finnick frowns when Ghoul pushes by him, already troubled by the aura of the car and doubly troubled by the wolf in such close proximity to him. Part of him wonders why any werewolf would bother being here, but that would make him a bit of a hypocrite.

"Probably witches' magic," he says with a touch of disgust.

[ghoulaid]

"They can do that?" He glances back a the carriage again, looking dubious. "Cause hauntings?"

[thelittlemerman]

Finnick rolls his eyes like he's impatient, when really he's just disgusted all over again with witches in general.

"I have no idea what the limit of dark magic is. Surely they can summon ghosts if nothing else."

[ghoulaid]

Ghoul's nose wrinkles up briefly. If they'd summoned something, why wouldn't they have sent it back to wherever it came from? It almost doesn't make sense- until he remembers the attitude problems most of the witches on board have had. They probably don't care to clean up their own mess.

He's quiet for longer than he should be, tilting his head to the side and looking Finnick up and down like he's trying to figure him out. "Ain't got much nice to say about witches, do you? Or are you usin' that tone 'cause you're stuck talking to me?" Ghoul's got some words for him if he's going to stick his nose in the air over the wolf thing. He's just about sick of that song and dance today.

[thelittlemerman]

Finnick's still thinking about the car, wondering what's in there but not curious enough to go and look. He doesn't like to get too close to dark magic he doesn't recognize no matter what the circumstances; the risks are too great. However, when Ghoul speaks again he looks at the wolf and smirks a little.

"Can't it be both?"

It's mostly the witches, but it's hard for him to pass up an opportunity to sound a little bit superior.

[injectablefame]

Party's been in London just long enough to be acutely aware of what a joke the others see in East End Pack. As far as he's concerned, that's why they don't get any sort of representation and why he'd had to go several neighborhoods over to get on the train.

From that observation, he figures he has two options; he can choose to be an example of dignity and grace or he can drink free booze until he throws up in a planter. The latter option seems more fun, so he opts for that. It's just unfortunate that the planter he goes for is right next to Finnick.

Once he's done, he groans and turns around, realizing that there was, in fact, someone right there. Luckily this isn't even the most embarrassing thing he's done this week. "Don't mind me..."

[thelittlemerman]

So not only does he have to deal with the smell of a wolf in close proximity, but now there is vomit here too. Finnick's having an excellent evening. He gives Party a cold but somehow disgusted look as he considers whether to walk away or say something awful.

"Don't you think there are more tasteful ways to show the Council how you feel?" he says, his tone even but biting all the same. If Party were fae he'd probably try and shame him into leaving to avoid embarrassment on behalf of their entire race, but Finnick could care less how much of a joke the wolves are.

[injectablefame]

Party glances at the planter. It had been more a moment of feeling ill than a pointed political statement, but now that the dude mentions it, it's not an entirely inaccurate take on some of his feelings. It's almost poetic. Maybe he should get sick on their nice things more often.

"Not particularly. Think a strongly worded letter's more my grandma's M.O." There's just a hint of smirk on his lips as he looks up defiantly.

[thelittlemerman]

Ugh, mortals.

"And of course there's nothing in between," he says dryly, glancing at the planter one more time before he makes another disgusted noise and takes a few steps away. The fae may be party animals, but at least they have magic to clean up their messes.

[injectablefame]

Party shakes his head, grinning as what is probably a fairly obvious social cue just flies right over his head. "In between still sounds kinda boring, don't ya think? Should I stage a little protest of one? March around with a sign?"

[thelittlemerman]

"Honestly I don't really care," he says. Let the wolves make fools of themselves - it doesn't harm the fae as far as he can tell. "You should do whatever you think would be most helpful."