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

[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.

[ghoulaid]

No, it can't be both!

Ghoul puffs up almost instantly, jabbing a finger at Finnick without actually touching him. "Keep that snobby shit up and you're gonna end up locked in that haunted motherfucker all on your lonesome, friend."

[thelittlemerman]

Finnick raises an eyebrow as he looks down at the finger, thinking Ghoul is smart for not closing the extra distance. He wouldn't actually hurt him - he has more self control than that especially in a context like this - but sometimes it's nice to have someone walk away with the idea that he would have otherwise.

He lets out a dry laugh instead. "I don't think it would benefit either of us to make a scene, do you?"

He has no idea if the young man has realized what he is yet. He just always assumed a wolf's sense of smell was rather good, but this one might not be so sharp.

[ghoulaid]

"Don't know about you, but me and scenes get along just fine. You wanna start inviting them in to conversations, I ain't gonna be rude and turn 'em away." His hands settle at his waist, staying propped there, as he stares Finnick down. It's still a somewhat aggressive stance, but he's not making any further moves. Things are fine for now.

"Who are you supposed to be anyway? Actin' all important." Ghoul's sense of smell is pretty good, yeah, but he hasn't figured out the trick when it comes to pinpointing certain types of people. Finnick can't be a witch, since he's already implied he doesn't like them...

All Ghoul knows is that he smells vaguely of outside and other various things. One of those being the nauseating smell of sweet, slightly spoiled meat.

—Wait, no. That's one of the vampires strutting around. Fuck, they always complicate everything.

[thelittlemerman]

Finnick drops the smile, rolling his eyes dramatically. "I'm only a fae," he says, "of no relative importance to you, I assume."

He used to be a lord, someone with a small amount of authority and sway, but no longer. Now he's just a regular member of the Seelie Court, keeping his head down while they endure the Council's latest insult.

[ghoulaid]

"Aww," he croons all sympathetic-like, but somehow he still seems mean about it. "So nobody here likes you either." It's his turn to grin. Apparently they both can't be happy at the same time. What a shame.

"Why don't they get along with you, anyway?" The witches, that is. "You got magic, they got magic. Shouldn't you guys be like best friends?"

[thelittlemerman]

"Well, my best guess is that they don't like that there are parts of us they can't control, and we don't like that there are parts of us they can control," he says smoothly, rolling his eyes a little . It's the quickest way he knows to explain the complicated relationship between witches and fae. He's sure somewhere in the world they get along just fine, but not here.

[ghoulaid]

Oh. That's an excellent way of explaining it. He's got Ghoul's attention for sure now.

Not that that's necessarily a good thing.

"That's real tragic and all, but what are you gonna do about it?" He leans against an open space of wall, arms crossing over his chest. He looks pretty mild at the moment, but he's watching Finnick carefully. "They own the Council, you don't. The train doesn't even stop on your side of town. You guys just gonna sulk about it forever?"

[thelittlemerman]

Finnick's smile returns as he raises his eyebrow at Ghoul. "Are you?" he asks. "You're in almost exactly the same position as we are."

[ghoulaid]

Ghoul tilts his head, feigning confusion. Excuse him. Maybe the wolves are very happy with their position at the bottom of the food chain. "Do I look like a troublemaker to you?"

[thelittlemerman]

Finnick shakes his head in vague confusion, but he's still smiling. "Does it take a troublemaker to want to advance their position?" he asks.

[ghoulaid]

"If you want anybody to take you seriously, yeah, it does. Takes more than one of 'em, actually." Change isn't born from sitting around all pretty or by being nice. It takes a lot of noise and a lot of breaking things, which happen to be two of Ghoul's favorite activities.

He looks a bit too mischievous now. "Is that the problem with you guys? You afraid to jump in and do some dirty work?"

[thelittlemerman]

Coming from someone else Finnick might be wary that this is a trick, to reveal fae tactics, but he doesn't get that sense from Ghoul. Regardless he responds as if it is.

"I understand the ways of the fae can be very daunting for a mortal to parse," he says, patient like a grade school teacher. "It's alright if you don't get it just yet."

[ghoulaid]

"That sounds like a fancy way of sayin' blah blah, stalling, blah, bunch of bureaucratic red tape. I got a lifespan, motherfucker, I don't have time for all that." Ghoul laughs like he's genuinely entertained. This guy's not so bad, he supposes, even if he is a fae and fae apparently have the weirdest way of doing things.

He pushes himself off the wall, waving Finnick away even as Ghoul is the one who begins to wander off. "Ain't makin' any promises here so don't go runnin' your mouth, but I dunno. Just watch for a while, maybe you'll see how it's done."

[thelittlemerman]

Finnick stays right where he is, showing no interest in following Ghoul or even really hearing what more he has to say. He sighs of boredom.

"I'll keep a look out for your demonstration."