![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
CAPOREGIME
McGillis and Jack you are the Caporegimes.
After the events of the Welcome Feast, McGillis and Jack will hear a particular melody of a flute, following it (no matter how long it takes) will lead them to an emerald door that is slightly ajar.
On the desk sits a man with light blond hair and an eyepatch, flute between his lips.
❦ The caporegimes are Hamelin's captains, and responsible for making sure that murders happen in a timely cadence. Mainly this is achieved by the caporegimes selecting an effect each week that affects the group at large starting week two. However, Hamelin encourages murder by any means necessary, so a Caporegime who talked someone into murder would be just as welcomed. Manipulation is A-OK!
❦ Effect selection must be agreed upon by Monday 10 AM EST/7AM PST. This can be done entirely on an OOC basis by responding to the weekly thread by any time prior to the deadline. If you would like to thread out selection among the caporegime's and Hamelin, feel free to!
❦ In exchange, the caporegimes will not be required to kill in order to obtain their wish. As long as a murder occurs every week, their wish will be granted at the conclusion of the game. Additionally caporegimes are immune from the weekly effect (but may still find it in their interest to fake it, if necessary).
❦ OOC'ly as long as there is a kill proposal every week, (sans week 1), the caporegimes will be fulfilling their role. In the event of no kill proposals, one of the caporegimes will be tapped to murder that week though they may still select the victim of their choice.
❦ To seal this vow for all parties, both caporegimes will be branded with a symbol at the location of their choosing. It will not be visible unless Hamelin or the caporegime wills it, or in the event of the death.
❦ You can use this page to thread out capo-capo interactions or in a group with Hamelin as you wish. You may still use Hamelin's private post as necessary.
❦ You may divulge your role at any point in the game you like, and to any numbers of characters you like. Be aware, however, that there is no protection offered to the caporegimes. Additionally, there are other roles in the game who may try to thwart your efforts.
After the events of the Welcome Feast, McGillis and Jack will hear a particular melody of a flute, following it (no matter how long it takes) will lead them to an emerald door that is slightly ajar.
On the desk sits a man with light blond hair and an eyepatch, flute between his lips.
❦ The caporegimes are Hamelin's captains, and responsible for making sure that murders happen in a timely cadence. Mainly this is achieved by the caporegimes selecting an effect each week that affects the group at large starting week two. However, Hamelin encourages murder by any means necessary, so a Caporegime who talked someone into murder would be just as welcomed. Manipulation is A-OK!
❦ Effect selection must be agreed upon by Monday 10 AM EST/7AM PST. This can be done entirely on an OOC basis by responding to the weekly thread by any time prior to the deadline. If you would like to thread out selection among the caporegime's and Hamelin, feel free to!
❦ In exchange, the caporegimes will not be required to kill in order to obtain their wish. As long as a murder occurs every week, their wish will be granted at the conclusion of the game. Additionally caporegimes are immune from the weekly effect (but may still find it in their interest to fake it, if necessary).
❦ OOC'ly as long as there is a kill proposal every week, (sans week 1), the caporegimes will be fulfilling their role. In the event of no kill proposals, one of the caporegimes will be tapped to murder that week though they may still select the victim of their choice.
❦ To seal this vow for all parties, both caporegimes will be branded with a symbol at the location of their choosing. It will not be visible unless Hamelin or the caporegime wills it, or in the event of the death.
❦ You can use this page to thread out capo-capo interactions or in a group with Hamelin as you wish. You may still use Hamelin's private post as necessary.
❦ You may divulge your role at any point in the game you like, and to any numbers of characters you like. Be aware, however, that there is no protection offered to the caporegimes. Additionally, there are other roles in the game who may try to thwart your efforts.
no subject
But, how interesting... I don't know if I would have expected to work together with this gentleman, either.
[Jack's words are as smooth as ever, smoother than the silk in his scarf now that it's been splashed and ruffled with fountain water, smoother than the gaze he tracks over his companions -- bright but somehow flat.
His smile remains brilliant, as though they're still back at the dinner party of yore.]
But before we sign our souls away, you know, I really must ask: I was already in the middle of realizing my wish myself, so I really can't say what wish you would have to grant me. Perhaps we should share those, in any case, as a gesture of camaraderie? What say you?
no subject
Well, my wish is not precisely a clandestine desire, so I don't mind starting.
[ He's just going to omit some context, but that's to be expected of all of them, isn't it? ]
I require power. Fighting strength, to be precise. I'd likewise begun taking steps towards my own goals, but the enemy force is rather overwhelming. I need to counter it with equal might.
While I don't remember agreeing to any of this, I assume that is what you have on record, right Hamelin?
no subject
Ahaha, you're leaving out the specifics, Gil. But yeah, that's close enough. [ And now to Jack. ]
Hmmm, are you sure about that? Your mind might be playing tricks on you. All of those things you were up to, did they really have anything to do with meeting up with Lacie again? Could've fooled me!
1/2
The smile has been put away momentarily, however, like folding up an old garment.]
... Yes, of course. The older you get and the more you put inside you, you see, the more unreliable the mind is. I haven't thought about that for a long, long time.
2/2
[Slowly, slowly, he unfolds the expression again; just a slight change of clothes. There's a wash of bitterness at the edges, more irony than joy, colder than it is warm, but apparently Jack Vessalius has an entire wardrobe of smiles to unfurl for this particular audience.
His tone, somehow, hasn't changed.]
But you would have had to dive deep to find me in the first place. To find that name. It's fine with me if you want to go through this song and dance again; I would do it for less. [everything eases when he turns to McGillis again, somehow turning back to simple curiosity, or so it seems] But how is it with you? It must be quite the enemy indeed. You don't seem to me the sort of man to turn to smoke and mirrors to get what you want.
no subject
And a desire for a person, deeply buried... well, it can't be helped, that's the kind of thing people on average tend to value above all. Thinking so so small.
He shakes his head lightly, smiling as well. Smiles are armor in this room, it's becoming quickly apparent. ]
I don't tend to throw away opportunities as they are given to me. It's not as though our dear host with the magic flute will allow us to simply step away if we dig our heels in and pretend to be above the dirty work. Bringing us here already shows a power that simply does not exist in my world at all - so when, why not gamble on it?
no subject
[ That's about all he will comment on in regards to Jack, for he too is wearing a smile; sharp, curved and as bright as his one lilac eye. It grows sharper still when he addresses McGillis, but given the events of the past few hours that's probably to be expected. ]
Hahaha, you could try but much like the possum? I wouldn't recommend it. [ He straightens up just enough to reach into one of his desk drawers and pulls out a small mahogany box. ]
But! It doesn't look like it needs to come to that, which I figured would be the case. I'm a good judge of character, you know? Comes with being the boss. [ Flipping the box in one hand. ]
So if we're all agreed, this is how it's gonna work. You get other people to kill each other, and you get your wish. How many? Well, we're on more of a timeframe than a number but...at least one person a week? Any longer than that and...I don't recommend it.
I'm not a magician, but I can listen to the lay of the land. I'll let you know if it really seems like everyone's decided to be a knight in shining armor at once, and if that happens. One of you should move instead. You'd still get a wish for killing and getting away with it, so you could actually wind up with two wishes that way!
no subject
[It's just a murmur to himself, oddly lighthearted -- an easy, drifting note in the harmony they're trying to make; which sounds a lot more like three dueling orchestras at this point, but there are only two musicians here, and neither of them are playing just now.
The brightness in his expression is fully recovered, and also a bit sharper, perhaps. It's one of those moments, after all.]
But you're right, of course. A boss should be a good judge of character, and it doesn't seem like either of us are particularly interested in playing possum!
I do wonder, though, who this show is for. Such a fanciful cast, such a well-appointed schedule, and the staff leaves little to be desired; not even the operas put on for the great dukes can say this much for themselves. [a question, a probe? he leaves it dangling, sweeping a hand through his braid to arrange some of the escaping wisps] I'm not such a greedy man. A rather petty one, in fact.
But I should so hate to put on a disappointing performance.
no subject
To Jack's assessment he nods. ]
It'll be a much better story if we know our target audience, that is for sure.
[ McGillis' experience with theatre is more limited but his time reading old novels is endless, he knows a good few tropes to play into and subvert!
... and also he just wants to get the dirt on this situation. ]
no subject
And who's to say it's not for me? I am a don you know, of the Famiglia Grimm. [ He flips open the lid of the box, revealing something rather similar to a wax stamp seal of an apple. ]
Usually we would brand this but—I've already been called barbaric once today! [ Removing the stamp seal, he holds it freely in his palm. ] Magic has come such a long way, though.
So if this is really all settled... player's choice?
[ Hamelin looks from McGillis to Jack, head tilted. Magic pacts have to be sealed, after all. ]
no subject
But, Hamelin -- if you or your, ah, famiglia were really our patrons here, I'm afraid we'd be at a disadvantage. You know far too many of the tricks of our trade, or at the very least of mine. I know not how I can present a fresher perspective to the very narrator of our predicament...
[He utters the words with what could almost be read as petulance at this point, Hamelin's changing temperament notwithstanding -- Jack doesn't seem to have been entirely affected by that so much as he's still treading the surface waters. Trying out the taste of Grimm in his mouth.
His eyebrows go up slightly at the sight of the wax seal, but it's not in being taken aback; there's a wry note that surfaces as he undoes the numerous clasps on his clothing with practiced movements -- just enough to bare skin over his heart.]
... A little ritual, and a little fanfare. Yes, I think that will do.
no subject
This smells of ownership - and it is, of course. He does not have a choice in the matter. How familiar, how nostalgic. It makes him feel like something dark and buried is grasping at his ankles, but he ignores the unpleasant feeling.
An apple of all things... ]
To think an upstanding Seven Stars of Gjallarhorn would wind up joining the mafia...
[ It is funny on multiple levels, but only to him and only in the darkest of ways. He is more hesitant than Jack in opening his shirt (holy shit he is shredded), but he'll offer a naked shoulder, eventually. ]
Does this contract end with our exit from this world?
no subject
[ Perhaps the straightest answer he's offered tonight, equal parts soft and resolute, coupled with yet another half-answer.
He stands up finally, something of an amused sigh escaping his lips. ]
Let's see, let's see...we can skip a lot of the formalities, I was never good at them anyway— [ Hamelin looks from one man to the other, and when he speaks again his register is more formal despite his recent words. ]
I, Hamelin, the don of the Grimm familigia, will bear witness. Taking this oath means carving the words into your heart. For as long as you are in this world, Aira Niluc, you will be considered a member of the House of Grimm. As such, the terms of your contract are overwritten: you need not take a life to earn your wish, but ensure that others do in your stead. At the conclusion of this story, with your departure from this land, this oath if it has been fulfilled, will be completed.
[ He moves first to Jack, and takes the magic seal, pressing it firmly against his heart. With a flash of green light and a fleeting sensation of grass against skin, the mark is branded. To McGillus he repeats the gesture on his shoulder, with some degree of leaning involved because the height difference is well, significant. ]
Do you vow to uphold this oath?
no subject
[Softly, halfway to himself and turning the words over like he did much of Hamelin's words here and a little while ago; it's not a hesitance but it's a consideration, after his own fashion, faint unseen currents moving under the surface of placid water.
His smile widens slightly at the terms of the oath, the wryness patient and papered over with a certain irony, waiting through all the myriad thorns and branches of their agreement and even the so-called branding itself without wavering (though he does sniff curiously at the smell of fresh lawn). It's quite the contract. He should perhaps be more concerned with all the parts of it he doesn't recognize.
The words come easily, regardless:]
It doesn't seem quite done to take the name of the House of Vessalius for this, so I will swear upon my own. I, Jack, do hereby swear to uphold my obligations to the House of Grimm in this land of Aira Niluc. [...] Now, what is this about the mafia? And Hamelin... these markings are fetching in their own way, but I find it would be a little embarrassing in other company if we are found to have the same one, don't you think?
no subject
How existential. And what an awful thing to think about when he is about to sign his freedom away once more. If he could, he would take a new name just for this. A new mask to wear. It's better to just fragment himself like that, make the pieces that are being owned that much smaller.
So there is a pause as he watches the mark appear and feels vaguely ill, despite himself. ]
I, the man known as McGillis Fareed, solemnly vow to uphold my obligations to the House of Grimm for as long as I remain in the lands of Aira Niluc.
[ He doesn't look at either of them as he puts his clothes back into order. Jack can do the questioning for now. ]
no subject
[ The vows concluded, Hamelin nods and pockets the seal. Rather than sit properly at his desk, he sits down directly on top of it instead with a whistle, the air of decorum he was holding gone as quickly as a music note. ]
The mafia! Did you really agree to be part of one without knowin' what it is? [ He laughs. ]
Basically, a crime family. What kinda crime depends on who you ask, and which family you're askin about. Some of 'em are little more than scheming paper pushers, but I've always preferred people pushing myself!
But regardless of who you ask? The mafia stays true to it's own.
[ He glances from McGillis to Jack. ]
So you don't need to worry about the seals. They'll fade within an hour and won't show unless we want 'em too. Or, unless you die.
no subject
[With movements a lot more leisurely than McGillis', he's putting himself at rights again, tucking away his layers and smoothing out all his edges. His hand remains resting over his chest for a few moments, fingers cradling the spot at which the brand now sits.
His mouth quirks a little more, whimsical, a different shade of amusement.]
There are many societies in which a simple descriptor like 'crime family' doesn't stand out so much, I'm afraid -- I'm willing to bet there are families in our neck of the woods that would give such groups a run for their money. [it's lighthearted, the lightness done with care] I really am curious how far, exactly, this mafia of yours goes.
I suppose we will all find out, sooner or later.
[And his hand falls away, Jack seemingly satisfied with that explanation for now. And--]
Oh, yes, one more thing. Why an apple?
no subject
It is good to know though, that the mark will fade from view. That means he himself won't have to look at it more than necessary, too. ]
I imagine it's Snow White's poison apple?
no subject
[ In what way remains to be seen, but Hamelin doesn't mind answering Jack's lightness with his own. Smiles really are just mere accessories in this room after all. ]
...close enough, Gil. Where I'm from, every familigia had their own crest. Some of 'em are creative and some of 'em aren't: Famiglia Boots was literally a boot inlaid on a crest, but that kitten could never be bothered with anything other than sharpening her claws.
Apples are as much a part of the Grimm family as our love for bread.
no subject
[Does he know the tale of Snow White?? Puss-in-Boots??
If he does, he ain't showing it. If he doesn't, he also isn't showing it -- it's about the same level of easy intrigue given to the other mentions of the Grimms and their tales and machinations, perhaps a shade lighter. It still isn't the countenance of someone whose fate is concerned in all of it; that faded away the moment he called Hamelin a teller of tales himself.]
... including how lovingly appointed our local bakery has been. We have you to thank for that, then. [and brightly once more:] One more question, pray, for the sake of future planning: other than the price for our wishes, I imagine our participation in this game is just the same. In other words, we are given free rein should anyone mark us as their target. Yes?
no subject
And while we're on left-over questions, I do have one more. You said one murder per week, but for how many weeks do we need to keep it up? I assume you don't want everyone else to kill each other until there is only one last man standing.
no subject
Right, right. I can't protect you, but if you need something I'll see what I can do. [ Perks of the job and all. ]
Hmm...I'd rather not put a number on it in case we need a little improv. But! I'll let you know when we're halfway through and so on. Fair enough?