undergrounds | The Night Train

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The Night Train

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.)

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Sylvia Redbright, President
Sylvia can be found in the President's carriage with her customary glass of red wine in the early part of the evening, though later on she will make her way through the rest of the train. She seems distracted, however, and may occasionally be seen whispering with her fellow witches, in particular Peter Vrinak and Nora Shannon.

Peter Vrinak, Vice President, and Nora Shannon, Witch Representative
These two spend a lot of time talking together, moving between the President's and Witch's carriages. Nora seems unhappy about something. Rumour is that she was aiming to be chosen as Mother of Witches, but the signs ruled her out.

Yasmine Merad, Shapeshifter/Meta Human Representative
Yasmine starts out in the President's carriage but checks out when it's clear that the witches are embroiled in their own intrigues. She stops by the Vampire carriage to grab a drink and stare balefully at any vampire who looks at her the wrong way, then finally makes her way to her own carriage to forget the rest of the Night Council and just dance. They have to do these things every year, she may as well enjoy herself.

Samantha Okeke, New Girl in Town
There's a reason for the distraction among the witches, and Samantha is it. Having recently returned to the city of her birth, the signs have confirmed that she is to be the new Mother of Witches. No official announcement has been made and it's meant to be a secret for now, but somehow rumours seem to be spreading throughout the train... Samantha won't confirm or deny, but there's certainly a spring in her step as she moves through the carriages, happy to introduce herself to anyone who seems important.

A Conversation
At around eight o'clock in the evening, the following conversation takes place between Sylvia and Samantha in the President's carriage. They greet each other with a hug and kiss to the cheek – clearly, they know each other – but an attentive observer may note that Sylvia's smile is a little strained and Samantha's a little too effusive.

Samantha folds one arm across her waist, lifting her glass with a teasing smile. "So, can I finally call you 'Auntie' now instead of 'Mother'?"

"Oh, God." Sylvia makes a face of mock horror. "No, it's fine to call me Sylvia. I also accept Madame President and Chancellor Redbright."

"Madame, really?" That gets a small laugh from Samantha, who shakes her head. "I forget you have other titles. So where is the line between Circle Daybreak and the Night Council, now that you're no longer Mother of Witches? If I had a witch issue I wanted to talk about, I'd go to Nora, right?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?"

Samantha shrugs, her smile disarming. "I just want to know how everything works."

[ooc: Any of the Night Council NPCs are available to interact with, just say which one you want to talk to! This event also introduces a new NPC, Samantha, who is here to shake things up a little. Feel free to say hi.]

A There's one reason that Nancy is here, and his name is Cooper. She's here as the date of the newly elected Vampire Representative, and she couldn't have been prouder. For a good portion of the night, she's on his arm, unless someone manages to grab her away to talk to her. She's drinking, of course, gin martinis.

B Of course, Nancy has every reason to stop in the Witch Representative train. Though she's under Islington, rather than Daybreak, she's still a witch. It only seemed polite, anyway. She's content drinking another martini, looking at the collection of plants. It was impressive, to say the least, and it was nice to be somewhere quiet.

C [For Eames]

You know how in horror movies, white people tend to ignore those huge signs that say "WARNING: THIS CARRIAGE IS HAUNTED. KEEP OUT." and do the exact opposite of what they're explicitly told not to do? Yeah, that was exactly what Nancy and Eames were doing right now. She still had a martini in her hand, giggling a bit- she was hoping to talk to Eames somewhere private, this time with good news.

"Let's just duck in here," she tells him, gesturing with her head towards the haunted carriage. "We can talk there."

What was the worst that could happen?

D wild card <3

It was no secret who Nancy was here with. She'd arrived on Cooper's arm, beaming with pride, looking perhaps the best she'd felt in quite some time. She was working on tracking down an honest job, her part of a promise to Cooper if he won. She couldn't be actively working with her boyfriend on the very council that pardoned her, with the assumption she'd get an honest job.

Turns out it's really hard to get a job when you're twenty with no experience or formal education.

At one point during the night, nursing a martini from the Vampire carriage that certainly wasn't her first, she manages to cross paths with Sylvia, though she's certain the older woman knows why she's here at all. "Hello," she says warmly, all the same. It's hard not to feel good to night. "Lovely picture of us on your facebook." She's actually really not that happy about it.

Vampire Representative
Daryl was tucked into the corner near the door, where he could sit comfortably on the leather couch and just watch the comings and goings. He wasn't much for the alcohol or atmosphere in the car, but he did want to learn more about the newest Vampire on the council. And maybe keep an eye on a certain vampire in particular **coughJean-Claudecough**.

Maybe.

Empty Carriage
The only other car Daryl felt half-way comfortable in was the supposedly haunted one. He didn't see any ghosts when he first stepped inside, but it was quiet and didn't have the headache inducing noise of the car that claimed to be for the shapeshifters and metahuman representative to entertain people. Not really entertaining. And the other cars? Both run by witches? Not really places Daryl felt safe in.

The haunted carriage didn't really feel that safe either, a strange feeling coiling in his gut after he stepped inside. But it was quiet and isolated and he needed that.

Edited 2017-01-23 03:32 (UTC)

General

Bet your bottom dollar Eames is here. With a fixed look of displeasure on his face at pretty much everything that's happening here. It's pretty much the reason he's here, to wear his displeasure openly and put a small dent in their budget by drinking everything. He doesn't even like port but he'll drink it if they have it.

He'll swap out that look of disgust for something a little more welcoming if anyone he knows and doesn't hate catches his eye, but mostly he's just. So disgusted. What an awful display.

WITCH CARRIAGE

He's loathe to admit it, but this is really something. It's a beautiful display, and he can't help being fascinated by the greenery. Not exactly a nature man by any stretch, but one doesn't exactly spend their formative years a curious youngster in Faery and not develop a healthy appreciation for this kind of display.

It's pretty much the closest he gets to having fun all night, engaging the witches in the carriage with talk about how they'd use the various herbs and how they'd grow the plants. The healer gets a lot of his attention, because it's an area of magic he's just fundamentally Not Good At.

Wanna bug an old man about plants? Ask him why he's so fascinated by that curly looking lettuce-type thing? Here he is.

GHOST CARRIAGE

Because of course he's here.

It's malevolent and haunted and tied to the Night Council somehow. Maybe there's secrets to be found. Oh, wouldn't that be exciting? He expects they've probably given the place a thorough magical scrubbing if there was anything in there that could besmirch their good name, but even the most magically adept miss things sometimes.

Eames stands just inside the door, ignoring that rising unease as he scans the carriage for anything more than this... residue. It's unpleasant, but not so much he can't push it aside. But he's not about to just walk right in on his own without getting a hint of what the deal is first.

The Vampire Representative is a bit more subdued now that he's in his first official capacity rather than one run by himself. He can be found dressed all in black, looking like a cross between Johnny Cash and an undertaker's apprentice. He can be found mingling throughout the compartments, and despite how rough he's come off in the past, he's pulled out all the stops to be his most charming self tonight.

He's using the combination of his young face and old mind to their best advantages. Anyone who wants to talk politics tonight will find an ear willing to listen to them. He's comfortably in the position he's been dreaming of for some time now.

Edited 2017-01-23 03:28 (UTC)

Eames squints at the sign, frowning because it's probably not a lie, but on the other hand? He isn't afraid of any ghosts, so fuck it.

He opens the door, frowning as that wave of unease washes over him, but he ignores it with a shake of his head and moves to the nearest seats to the door so they can sit and talk.

"Okay, what is it?"

Sliding into the compartment, Nancy feels cold. It's a large change from the excitement and brightness she was feeling earlier. She wraps her arms around herself, as best she can with her glass, and takes a seat.

She had no reason to feel so uneasy. Eames was a good friend, and she had good news for him. "I'm getting an honest job."

Surprise, what Daryl gets is a Ghoul dropping down onto the couch just opposite his own. He's only passing through this car until everyone gets drunk enough to not care that he's there, but he recognizes this guy and has been meaning to ask, "Greased Lightning make it back home okay?"

Board the Night Train, they said. We need to keep our ears to the ground now that vampires have a seat on the Council again, they said.

Well, to hell with all that. It's only been maybe a couple hours since he's gotten on and he's already had his fill. While he'd been expecting trouble with vampires, what he's instead stumbled upon is a wealth of fake-polite dismissals and chilly looks from witches, of all things.

Being stuck on a train swarming with them doesn't seem all that appealing anymore. Not even the promise of endless alcohol can console him. He backs up, blindly groping behind himself until he grabs hold of a sleeve that he assumes is attached to one of the other wolves he'd come here with. He doesn't turn around far enough to see his mistake, which is why he carries on with an irritable sounding, "This shit's for the birds, I'm gettin' off at the next stop. You staying?"

Daryl frowned at the sudden intrusion into his perceived personal space. Not that it was, just that he'd made himself very comfortable. Alone. A small growl escaped him before he managed to get his proverbial fur to lay flat, eyes narrowing to focus on the kid. A moment after, all obvious hostility left him.

He nodded, "Yeah. She got back to where she like's being. What about the ankle biter?"

Arthur didn't expect to find Eames in a moment of relative happiness here. He knows Eames' feelings on the Night Council and on most of these people; they're both here for the information in case anything noteworthy happens and for the drips and drabs of talk otherwise but certainly not to have a good time. Maybe it's not happiness on Eames' face but it's not distaste for once, and that's reason enough to walk up and start bugging him.

"Thinking of taking up gardening?" he asks dryly, drink in hand as he looks at the plants around them.

As Lan winds her way through the crowds towards Eames, she is well aware that looks somewhat out of place among all the suits and fine dresses. Slight, scaled, and wearing only an undyed linen sarong tends to make one stand out in a carriage filled with brass and heavy carpet. "Be careful if they give you advocaat. First, we know then that they'll be offloading the unwanted drinks on you, but more importantly, your face would curdle it."

The comment actually catches him so off that Eames laughs, glancing up from the latest thing he's decided he hates (and sorely regretting never learning to read lips) to spot a much more welcome face.

"Lan," he smiles in greeting, tips his glass toward her, "you needn't worry about that. I wouldn't go near the stuff."

"Why not?" He curls his fingers around the leaves of some herbs, curiosity colouring his expression as he takes in the colour and the texture. It's healthier than he'd expect for being grown on a train; more colourful, fragrant.

Eames glances at Arthur, just as dry in response, "I already have a house and a dog."

"I am profoundly relieved, both for your sake and that of the bartenders." Lan is a little disappointed that her favourite drinks are not as common at this sort of thing. Silly humans bothering themselves with too tart grapes that have gone off when they could be drinking full fat milk sweetened honey and nutmeg.

"Now, petal, I know that I've been gone from the city for far too long when I can't recognize more than a quarter of the faces here. Do tell, who's who and who ought I introduce myself to or avoid?" You see? She's starting with something practical, not even outright digging into the salacious gossip.

"Exactly," Arthur says, glancing down at Eames' hands as he touches the plants. He wonders what Eames' real interest in them is, as it's likely not just hobby gardening. "I thought you had reached the limit of your domesticity. I guess I was mistaken."

"Nancy." Her smile is an automatic one. Sylvia has seen Nancy with Cooper and she does not approve. "Thank you. Did you have a good New Year?"

She's starting with small talk. Sylvia would like to hear from Nancy directly what on earth she thinks she's doing. Whether or not she does anything about it... Well, it's no longer her job to care, but thirty years spent looking out for the witch community is hard to shake off.

"I did," she said honestly. "Cooper and I had a low-key evening at home, which was exactly what the both of us needed." She knows Sylvia has seen her with him, so there's no reason to pretend they're not dating. Not like they've been together for over six months now, or anything.

She'd mentioned she had a boyfriend; she'd just never bothered to give a name. Funny, though, no one bothered to ask, either.

"And yourself?"

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."

"Family holiday. It was refreshing to get away for a few days, regain a sense of perspective." She pauses, taking a sip of her wine. "So, you and Cooper. The election must have been interesting for you."

It's all she can do not to shake the girl and tell her to run. Why hasn't Lancelot stopped this?

"I can only imagine." Nancy had never had a proper vacation in her life. Hopefully she'd get time to change that.

She nods. "It was." But not for reasons she would think. "But I'm really proud of him. He's got a lot of great ideas, and even ran a nest back in America, so he knows what he's doing. I think he'll be really good for the Night Council." Nothing but the deepest fondness for Cooper floods her words.

Nancy is obviously completely head over heels, so Sylvia will take her opinion of Cooper with a pinch of salt. She'll make that judgement for herself. Right now, she's more concerned about Nancy herself.

She nods as if she's finding this all terribly interesting. "How long have you been together?"

"Really?" It's a mixed reaction, but not a negative one. Both pleased for her and a little cautious; she's not exactly a person who exists in any legal sense. Makes all of that job getting a little... Messy.

He shifts a little closer to Nancy and takes off his jacket to drape it over her shoulders. It's not a real cold, it's whatever happened in this carriage, but maybe it'll comfort enough to push that aside.

"Doing what?"

"A bit over six months now," she says easily. "We've been living together since September." Since Redbright moved against Midnight. Nancy had gone for safety to Cooper, over a Daybreak witch.

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The Night Train

Night Council NPCs

Nancy | OTA

For Sylvia

OTA

OTA yo

Cooper | OTA

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general grumpiness for everybody

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witch carriage

General, plz.

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