Magical Innovation Centre: The Grand Opening

[undergroundmods]

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It's evening in Richmond and the grand opening of the Magical Innovation Centre is about to begin. Doors open at 6.30pm with the event closing at 10pm. This is a black tie event, so get out your evening gowns and tuxedos. You won't be allowed in if you're wearing trainers or jeans.

Fae are forbidden from entering. Any fae who wish to sneak in must do so under a glamour and are likely to be discovered and kicked out if they linger for too long. Alternatively, they could pretend to be in service to one of the witches attending the event, if they have any witch allies willing to do that. Fae already in service to Circle Daybreak are the exception to the rule and this will be the first Daybreak event where a number of witches in attendance will be accompanied by their familiars in various forms. Ever since Samantha took her crown as Mother of Witches with a certain cat on her lap, familiars have started to become fashionable again.

Order of Events
6.30-7pm: Doors open
The first half hour allows time for guests to arrive and mingle. There's strict security around the centre: everyone who enters must sign in and get a name badge at the reception desk.

7-7.30pm: Samantha's speech
Standing on the staircase in the foyer, the Mother of Witches will address her audience with a speech to announce the opening of the centre.

7.30-8.30pm: Tour of the centre
During this hour, guests can join a tour of the centre. There will be three tours of around fifteen minutes each. Guests will be shown the following:

• Starting in the main foyer, the tour guide will give a brief overview of the centre's purpose.
• Next, the Potions Lab, which looks very much like any modern lab except that the bottles on display are magical rather than chemical.
• Then, the Pentacle Room which is an empty classroom with several intricate pentacles drawn on the floor. Cabinets along one wall hold shelves of herbs and charms that are used to strengthen or protect the pentacles, as well as shelves of spellbooks. An empty iron bird cage sits on one of the cabinets. This room is where witches can work together to perform powerful magic or to summon fae from the Other Realm.
• Then, the Botanical Garden which is what it sounds like. Herbs and plants of many kinds are grown here, and there are tables where witches can cut and dry the plants to prepare them for use in spellcraft and potion-making.
• Finally, the Magic Lab which looks very much like the Potions Lab except that there's more space. This is where witches will experiment with creating new spells.

The tour is guided and guests may only spend a limited amount of time in each room. They can't go back to the rooms after they're closed; security is tight and anyone trying to sneak around will be quickly spotted.

8.30-10pm: Networking
The rest of the event is open for mingling. There are information stands in the main foyer where witches are handing out leaflets outlining the purpose of the centre and inviting witches to join. If you're not a witch, you can still look and ask questions, but you can't register your interest to work or study at the centre. There's also a screen playing an artfully shot video of Samantha and several young witches looking alternately mystical and windswept on a moor, then clever and industrious in one of the laboratories. Tradition meets the modern world.

Coffee, champagne and canapes are all available, and are served by handsome fae waiters dressed in sparkly blue tuxedos. Despite several setbacks (none of which will be mentioned by Samantha or any of the staff) including the recent loss of Croydon to the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, it seems that Circle Daybreak is still intent on portraying an image of success. The Daybreak fae here are tame, well-mannered and subservient. Everything is under control.

Comments

[brightwitch]

The tests so far have gone well, she hears. There's no way this Seelie can get out. Perhaps that's why her guards are so surprised when the fae woman stirs and moves to address her.

Samantha isn't worried. She stays outside the circle and there's a barrier of iron bars between herself and the Seelie.

"What do you have to say for yourself?"

She's intrigued. It's probably just a trick, but all fae tricks are learning experiences. The more she knows about their ways, the better able she is to get the most out of them.

[threadspun]

Oh. This worked. She really wasn't expecting for this to work.

Lillian needs to control herself when the question is directed at her because so many questions come to mind. Many of them very unflattering which is why she holds her tongue. There's no point in working herself up or indulging in her anger much as she wants to. Better to try and get into the heart of the matter, see what maybe in store of her or even others.

"I want to know what's next." She's telling the truth that much. "I could use this time to swear blood and vengeance at you but that seems rather gauche. Instead, I merely request to know what will happen to us now. Seems only fair for the host to at least inform their guests of the activities."

[brightwitch]

Host and guest. That's rather sweet. They both know it's not true, but still.

"If you make it through the tests, you'll get to join us. You must be looking forward to seeing daylight again, huh?" Samantha smiles. "It won't be much longer now."

By then they will have fully assessed her power and made a decision about where to put her.

[threadspun]

Here, Lillian's polite persona cracks for a moment. A scowl comes and goes at her face, bristling at the thought that they'll make her join the very group that's been essentially torturing her and the group for so long. She's heard stories of what happened to fae when forced into a contract and are powerless in the delicate dynamic between familiar and contracter.

It was a fate worse than death in her opinion.

But she calms herself and merely huffs, seemingly in thoughtfulness. What's the use of lashing out when she knows that it'll just be worse for her?

"I have a feeling when I survive these tests, that the invitation to join is not one I can turn down." Not a question. Merely an observation if what she's seen (and gone through) is anything to go by. She tilts her head, thoughtful. "And what of those who do not make it through? I have a feeling there will be not attempt to reach out to their loved ones and inform them where they've been this whole time."

Here, she casts a worried glance at her compatriots. What will happen to them if they don't...?

[brightwitch]

"If you wanted to be with your loved ones, you should have stayed in the Other Realm. That's where creatures like you belong. The ones that come out here..." She waves a hand, indicating the cages around them. "You belong with us."

It's a clear divide in her mind. Any fae that infest the mortal realm are a danger and need to be controlled. Witches have both a right and a duty to contain them.

[threadspun]

"Ah. I see we'll be forgoing the pleasanetries for this take." She almost sounded disappointed by that. For a second Lillian thought they could pretend to be civil a little while longer. Well, it gives her a reason to deepen her frown, straighten her back.

"Let me make myself clear to you then: I'll be happy to 'belong' with any group. Perhaps I would have considered the possibility of being a familiar to someone who held promise. Only if we were equals in the dynamic." She makes a small gesture of where they all are- The cages, the fae, the tests. "This is anything but. Aren't you worried about the divide this will cause? The troubles this will bring to you and others later on?"

She's trying her best to not sound like a threat after seeing what happened to Nemed. Lillian only wants to understand why this is happening, why these steps were taken instead of the more peaceful routes. Surely, at some point, something else could have been done but here they are instead. Why?

[brightwitch]

There's a small nugget of truth in the Seelie's words that bothers her. Jean-Claude had decided to open his big mouth and condemn any vampire who supported Circle Daybreak. Sylvia was giving her the cold shoulder even after she'd made overtures of friendship. Even some of the stupid dumb werewolves had baulked when told to follow orders and capture fae. It's like they're all bewitched. Well, okay, not Sylvia. She knows why Sylvia is pissed off at her.

How a vampire of all people could stand there and try to lecture her though... it's absurd. She's still rankled about that one.

"Making threats already." She shrugs. "Oh, well. Let's lock up."

She's studied books on fae and one of the rules is not to engage with them or play by their rules in any conversation. They'll always twist it to get what they want. This one is already trying to plant doubts in her mind. Samantha finds it hard not to engage in an argument, but she's the one in control here. She can turn away and leave, and that's exactly what she does, taking her guards with her. The fae has nothing of value to say.

[threadspun]

Ah. It looks like something she had said had set her off? Maybe she was bored of the conversation. Maybe she wasn't impressed with her lack of begging for mercy. It could be those things or it could be something else.

Something that may help her and the rest here in this nightmare in the long run.

If what transpired here will get her in trouble than that's fine. When she gets out - and she will get out, she has to keep telling herself that - she'll make a note of trying to see how the rest of London is reacting to this. Not everyone will agree and that's what she's hoping for. She sinks back to the floor, too tired to try and keep herself standing anymore now the guard and the witch are leaving her be, but she does make one last comment to the Mother of Witches:

"I do hope you realise you can't cage every person you don't like or agree with."