ACT II SCENE IDate: March 3rdTime: 10:30 PMLocation: The Dark Lady He sat at the helm, one body, one

ACT II SCENE IDate: March 3rdTime: 10:30 PMLocation: The Dark Lady He sat at the helm, one body, one head, one crown and one seat for him to fill when there had once been two. Was it rather tasteless of him to host Verona’s annual auction in a period that called for mourning and respectful grief? Perhaps. See, there is no reconciliation between deities, even when there is the death of a respected equal. One or the other must prevail. The laity care not for who the victor is; all they are meant to do is serve and leave their gifts of homage. They understand that just because one god has died, the city need not mourn for too long – the world continues spinning, sinners keep on sinning, and the devil has more hands to shake and souls to snatch. There are more deaths to ensure and powers to crumble, more politicians to pocket and vengeances to exact. It is fitting, then, that the devil’s business meetings be conducted in a den of inequity. Not just any old den, no, Satan’s new palace must be befitting of his new power, which is why Cosimo Capulet called for the auction to be held at the Dark Lady. Tonight he is the dictator of the depraved, the overseer of the overzealous.Though he sits in the corner of the room, watching the night unfold from the comfort of a secluded booth, it seems as if everyone takes care to move around – as careful to work themselves around his pull as planets do orbiting the sun. Even celestial bodies are subject to the pull of the powerful; humans are no better. To his right the Capulets revel in the night, still drunk upon the victory that Fate dictated for them. How could they feign grief when the man that had taken away their brothers-in-arms – bled them out and gutted them like pigs time and time again – was now six feet under with nothing to his name save for a crumbling empire and an equally deteriorated son? Their loud, lewd howls can be heard throughout the club, the dark giggles of their escorts clear as crystals. Truly, a melody that carried with it the song of indecency would likely be sung throughout the night. To his left lingered the Montagues, their eyes ceaselessly shifting about as they stirred uneasily like the ocean before a storm – water seemingly still and calm, but beneath it lies a dark and vengeful darkness that will doubtlessly arise the moment the water begins to ripple. All it would take is a single drop. Their soldiers slipped in and out of the shadows, watchful of the unbridled zeal with which the Capulets celebrated. Captains murmured and talked among themselves, eyes glancing up every once in awhile either in the direction of the little songbird that crooned a deceptively sweet tune. The newly christened underboss, Lawrence Vernon, surveys the captains and never wanders too far from his boss, his shoulders square even as a whole new set of duties and responsibilities weigh him down. A lion who need not roar for the jungle to fear him. Around Roman gathered the emissaries, soft whispers traded among them as the Montague boss ducked his head to listen. Even in mourning a revolutionary’s work was never quite done, now was it? Every once in awhile Rafaella and Vivianne would glance over at him, the king with the bloodied crown. If only his crown were the only thing that would be bloodied tonight…Smoke hung low and heavy in the Dark Lady, making the red lacquered walls, as red as a lady of the night’s lips, and the strangers in the room seem as enticing and lush as a lover’s embrace. The lights that lit the corners and caverns of the place did not seem to be there as a means of illumination, but intoxication. They drew the eyes to the dancers, people draped in threads and jewels, their bodies glimmering as they danced on their platforms – the movements being the only form of worship that they know. Oh, how Dionysus himself would have loved to drop from the heavens to lavish in this sinful parade. At the center of it all, upon the stage where the prizes of the night would be announced, stood an angel, singing a sweet melody of depravity and the vices of human nature. However, wherever there is an angel one will soon learn that its seraphic companions are not far behind. If one were to look once, twice, thrice around the room they would not be able to see them, but there they stood. Mingling with the poor, unwitting souls that were doomed for dismay on the night of the revelry and mourning, on the night when sins were purchased and fates sealed. They were there in the soft smiles that almost seemed pitying, in the warm gazes that held cold calculations beneath it all. All heads turned to the stage as Alva’s lush voice trailed off, leaving the audience with coos of encouragement on their lips, hands clapping and breaths sighing. On the stage stood the heralder – worse for wear, perhaps, but ever pompous as he took the stage. He cleared his throat and wet his lips nervously, glancing from his tablet to the woman who stood off-stage, not quite hidden by the red curtain. How familiar she seemed…“Exalted ones of Verona,” he began, eyes flickering back and forth on the faces before him. “I welcome you to the 56th annual auction! This year we are being hosted by the Dark Lady and my, what a wonderful venue it is!” The blush on his face could almost rival the red of the paint that colored the whole place. “The items that we have up for auction this year are highly prized by various powers of the world. Some of our items are various powers of the world.” A smattering of laughter, then silence.”As you are all aware, the selection of items are more difficult to ascertain than previous years – making them all the more competitive in their beginning prices.”He seemed to be readying himself, his sweat becoming evident even in the dim lighting. “Tonight is a night of tradition, of expensive, and of indulgence. The time of death is over and it is time we buy the path to a new beginning. So, fair Veronians, let us do as we do best, and lavish in treasures we have reaped!” And like a thief in the night, he sought to steal away from the spotlight – but not before an arm reached out and snatched him. The audience’s eyes were not privy to the scuffle that occurred off stage, but they heard a blow being struck, followed by the herald’s reappearance. The blood on his crisp, white tux was a rather nice touch. “To be clear,” he said, his voice now thick since his tongue was undoubtedly heavy with blood. “No violence shall occur tonight. The owner of the Dark Lady dictates that he–” his eyes widened, face growing as pale as the suit that he wore, “hell will reign down upon us all should we disrespect the one rule that has been instituted for this night of tradition.”He swallowed, his movements twitchy as he blessed himself. “Let this night of depravity be for Damiano Montague and the legacy that he left.” One of the dancers brought him a drink, the smile on their face somewhat wicked as they handed him the liquor. “Long live the new kings, Cosimo Capulet and Roman Montague.”  Oh, the look that the poor bastard gave Roman as he ripped open the fresh wounds of the death of his father for all of Verona to see.                         “LONG LIVE THE KINGS.”“Now let the bidding begin! In bocca al lupo!”                         “CREPI!”And let those be his last words. For they were better than the pitiable ones he uttered ten minutes later, as a knife slid across his throat. OVERVIEW: And so begins Act II! This is the prelude before the real fun begins. It’s a time for your character to truly lose themselves in a way that they might not imagine. The Dark Lady tends to do that to people – bring out the worst in them, cast their vices into the light for everyone to see. But there’s less shame to be had when not only your worst vices, but everyone’s, comes out to play. Throughout the night, however, items will be auctioned off and sold to the highest bidder. The auction will be held in the main room, with the items put on display – bids are placed by the traditional means of raising golden paddles with your numbers assigned. In the other rooms the items may be enjoyed or gathered. Smaller items are available for purchase (jewelries, yachts, vacation homes). This is the itinerary of the main items for the night: IN CELEBRATION OF DANTE’S INFERNOSloth – Fairy’s Blood – special order offered by TitaniaGold Dust – highest grade available from the MontaguesAce – Rumored to be what the shooter was on, unknown sellerWrath –Product from the CapuletsNerve gas rumored to be a part of the dealPoisoned bullets said to be recommended by TitaniaProduct from the TriadsTransportation providedLocal government official affiliation/approvalRevolver used by Tokutaro Takayama from the Aizukotetsu-kaiRumored to have had 850+ man hours go into its constructionGluttony –Hotel Syrene CapriFor sale due to untimely death of ownerPerfect for money laundering, business meeting, etc.Employees are willing to perform Other TasksEnvironmental laws are more stringent, but government officials are willing to complyCayman IslandsEnvironmental laws are laxOften frequented by potential clientsClients are said to be ready to trade with new ownerIndigenous people offer no resistanceEnvy –Vera WangDolce and GabbanaEllie SaabDeals regularlyStrict confidentialityOften uses clients/client-affiliates as modelsBalmainLust –A clandestine journey through rooms 2-10 of The Dark LadyGreed –Chief Operating Officer of GoogleVery influential on company’s big-picture agendaUS CongressmanClean historyWilling to divulge government secretsPushes sponsor’s agendaParliament MemberFlexible, sometimes requires pressureKnowledgeable about international dealingsUN AmbassadorLarge clout in global arenaWell-respected, influential, though moves slowlyPresident of the PhilippinesWilling to divulge government secretsPromises a wealth of new clienteleFormer Korean PresidentWilling to divulge government secretsStill has notable, relevant connectionsPride – The Golden SuitcaseFound in RussiaRecently recoveredCrowned Jewels of IrelandLast owner murderedMust go to highest bidderHighest bidder must have means of relocationImperial Seal of ChinaHistorically famous piece of jadeOwner no longer has room in collectionThe Paper of Infinite Mouth DecadenceTen year old preserved gum with its original casingAuctioned by Pavel LamCharacters are encouraged to interact with one another, but beware them in their state of inebriation. The Dark Lady has a way of making minds drunk, lips loose, and money spill like water. Careful, darlings, don’t let the smoke cloud your head……Also try not to fight. The Holy Trinity is watching and it’d be a shame to bring the wrath of God upon you because you couldn’t keep your hands to yourself. Interactions may occur from 9:00 PM to 12:00 AM. TASK: Some life events are more difficult to swallow than others. Often times our characters make themselves forget about the worst acts they have committed. Write a self-para or a flashback para about your character in their most depraved state – a time in their life when they knew that they were likely damning themselves to hell. How old were they? Do they do this often or was it a one-time thing? What induced them? Was this when they felt like they were a part of the mob? Is this when they felt like they could never be a part of the mob because they felt even they had too much blood on their hands? You needn’t go off of this questions, they’re simply smaller prompts that might poke at your muse. This is a chance to delve into the darkest aspects of your character – take it! Please tag your paras/self-paras as #diveronatask and your event interactions as event: auction. There is no deadline to complete the task or interactions, so feel free to continue threads or put a hold to old ones to focus on new ones. We hope you’re as excited for Act II as we are! -- source link

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