A sacred gathering of the minds of those in power from the three noble Houses of Asphodel. There is much to be discussed, and with the impending Summer Solstice on our hands, time is of the essence.
As the three Heads arrived within the glass walls of the Concord, they were stunned to notice a fourth figure amidst the ivy, perched upon a seat that had been empty for many meetings before this. Adelaide Sinclair has been a specter of the town for as long as anyone could remember, often thought of as deranged, unhinged, but still electric with a power that no one could understand. She was a permanent fixture in Asphodel with a standing invite to every Concord, but she never attended...until now.
“A shadow covers us.” She turns to regard every single person present before resting her milky gaze upon the Head of Oleander. “An enemy that is known, but also is not.” With a pale hand, she runs her hand across the stone of their table top, as if tracing through a map that she could only see. “Invisible soldiers march on ahead. The House knows. The House breathes. The House protects.” She closes her eyes as if to see more, brows furrowed in concentration only to relax moments later.
“The Summer Solstice. The ancient earth stirs, magic unbound.” She paused for a heartbeat, swaying her body as if to a silent melody. “Sacred ways, sacred traditions. Time, time, time immemorial. The chain cannot be broken. This must come to pass.”
“A storm brews. Be prepared.”
And almost as if a spirit had left her, her posture slackened, her back slumped against the backrest of her chair. She tapped her cane on the ground before standing up with a slight wobble. “I think I will peruse the azaleas...Call me if there will be tea.” And with a flourish of beads and skirts, she left the table.
March took her seat, her face placid but her gaze fully alert as she stared at Adelaide. The old woman had cultivated a distinct reputation in the town - most knew her as the town ghost, the town loon, wild-eyed, crotchety, with a penchant for speaking in riddles and gibberish. Seeing her now, her words clear and lucid, feeling the sheer power that emanated from her, March thought it was one of the greatest cons she'd ever witnessed. She felt her heartbeat quicken when Adelaide turned her gaze to Charlie, her brow furrowing slightly - an enemy you know, but also do not - her mind whirring as she sorted through every possibility. Thomas? Could it be him, truly? She felt her spine stiffen despite herself at the mention of the Summer Solstice. A grand event in the Gifted community, a ceremony to welcome new Initiates into the fold. She wondered if it was truly wise to continue with such a thing in the midst of this unknown threat, but for now she kept silent, her thoughts private. She glanced over at the other Heads of House before her gaze settled on Charlie, wondering what must be coursing through his thoughts.
While communing with the dead was not something uncommon for Oleander, and certainly not for Charlie, there had always been something eerie about Adelaide. An ancient sort of death that lingered in her bones. And as her words filtered forward, her gaze stopping on him, the words struck him. An enemy he knew but did not. To think, it wasn’t a stranger. Maybe someone hidden in plain sight. Or maybe…? His teeth grind together, head tipping back with resolve, the Summer Solstice was normally a joyful time of year for their Gifted community. A dark and heavy cloud now cast it in shadow and his eyes close for a second, knowing what he must do. March and Athena, himself, they all had their part to play. This was their town, their community to protect. They would each make their sacrifices and Charlie knew his. It was time to commune with his ancestors.
A few more moments passed before he turned to the last in their circle.
There were few people in the world that Athena would never dare touch the minds of and Adelaide was one of them. It was the primary reason as to why she felt so uneasy around her, on edge. To be quite honest, she was on edge most of the time but this was more. Her words confirmed the worries plaguing Athena's own mind and for a moment she wished that it had not been so. The attention placed on Charlie made her wonder though and she went through a list of people it could possibly be but alas, could not come to any conclusion.
The uncertainty of it all made her insides twist and turn in the most unpleasant of ways. She was desperate for a set answer, for something that could help them unravel the words that had just been said. It didn't help that the Summer Solstice was coming up and while it was meant to be a time of joy, it was now a time of anything but. It seemed perhaps, that a talk with Mortensen would be necessary. If it gave her even an inkling of what was true, then it would be worth it.
“While I have my reservations, we push forward with the Solstice.” March finally said, heeding the advice of Adelaide though her gut curdled in a rare emotion - fear. “All our Sentinels will be dispatched and we need to be vigilant.” Her eyes then turned to Adelaide, who now seemed to be watching them from her place beside a rose bush, her gnarled fingers caressing each petal. “Let them see our Houses are strong. It’s time we start preparing.”
Adelaide hummed idly as she continued to listen to the rest of the Concord from a distance, gaze only moving away from the Heads to focus on a butterfly that had settled on her shoulder. “We shall see how this plays out, little one. Now go, you have much work to do.” And with gossamer wings, it flew away, the pulse of Asphodel quickening in anticipation.
Additional Info:
Asphodel celebrates two events where each of the Houses officially welcome their new Initiates as members of their ranks: The Summer and Winter Solstice. This happens every year and is often anticipated by both Null and Gifted alike. It is a grand occasion and is commemorated differently each time, though it is considered a sacred tradition. What is interesting, however, is that during these Solstices, the powers of the Gifted are heightened for an hour starting when the sun reaches its zenith. Please note, the majority of the Initiates are children. If you are new to town, however, you will be asked to join them during their welcome ceremony. More details will follow soon.
Information shared during the Concord is not general information, and if you wish for your character to be privy to this information, please plot with your Heads of House to see if they would share it with you! The occurrence of the Concord, however, is common knowledge so it would be known that the Heads of Houses had met.
A night of frolic and frenzy was promised and delivered, and yet like all things, it must all come to an end.
The crowd of guests were beginning to thin as the hour crept closer to morning. Waiters bustled around quietly, collecting discarded plates and glasses, occasionally extending a helping hand to one or two of the more inebriated partygoers. A maudlin Mr. Mortensen was being escorted up to his rooms by his Seneschal Reginald, one hand firmly on his shoulder, the other directing the rest of the staff with wordless efficiency. Mentors and Advisors collected their members at the behest of their Heads of Houses and they all trooped slowly but steadily to their own cars, to be shepherded into their own homes and tucked into bed.
Sebastian Rojas was the first Sentinel to step past the wards onto Oleander grounds and the moment he did, the constant voices that whispered in his ears suddenly screamed at earsplitting levels, telling him immediately that something was wrong.
They all rushed forward, only to see the main door flung open, barely attached to its hinges, its ancient lock - spelled with old, powerful magic - shattered on the floor. The Sentinels were tasked to search all the levels and rooms and to send up a signal immediately if they found anything. The rest waited with pounding hearts, fear and fury simmering beneath stoic expressions.
In the end, all they found were the members who hadn’t come to the party huddled in one of their safe rooms, frightened but wholly unharmed. They further searched the House but could find nothing of value missing, nor any clue that may lead to the identity of the perpetrators in question.
It’s as if they simply vanished…
attempted kidnapping tw, violence tw
Additional Info:
There is no time limit to this plot drop. You may choose to write your threads surrounding this or about anything that tickles your fancy, really! Once again, sky’s the limit!
Some additional details:
This happened just as the Mortensen party was coming to a close. Upon interviewing the Oleander members who remained at the HQ, most had variations of the same account - that the power had suddenly gone out, they heard a loud booming crash, and like clockwork they all ran to the safe room and locked the heavily spelled door behind them.
One Oleander member, Song Daehyun, who was busy in his laboratory at that time conducting his alchemical experiments, was the only one who came into contact with the perpetrators. He felt himself being grabbed from behind, their shapes and shadows indistinct in the darkness, a gloved hand coming up to cover his mouth. Using one of his charms, he was able to escape but barely, struggling violently out of their hold and rushing towards the escape room.
Nothing of value was taken, save for the sense of security of House Oleander. The members are grateful that no one was hurt, that nothing went missing. And yet as the oldest and seemingly most guarded House in Asphodel, its protective wards as ancient as its foundations, that now raises the question-
Days following the ‘incident’ over at Oleander, the town’s grapevines and rumor mills are working overtime. Its entire population - both the Gifted and the Nulls - are abuzz with theories, tall tales, and tidbits of information that may prove to be of help, or may prove to be a hindrance - that all still remains to be seen.
Whispers passed from one ear to the next, all sorts of stories - the scandalous, the laughable, the worrisome, the dangerous. What will hold true and what will lead you on a wild goose chase?
Only time will tell.
Additional Info:
Each of your muses will be receiving a single rumor in your inbox. This will be sent by the admins on the shortly after posting this (11 AM, June 10, 2020 EST) (if you didn’t receive one, please reach out to either one of us!)
These rumors may or may not be true - it is up to you, as well as your fellow Asphodel residents, to discern its validity.
You may dictate your muse’s source of information you see fit - perhaps they heard it from a fellow House member, perhaps they accidentally eavesdropped on a private conversation, or perhaps they even gave something in exchange for what is hopefully legitimate information. Let your imagination run free!
You may choose to reply to the rumor in-character (by publishing a self-para, a gif, or a long stream of expletives) - the sky’s the limit! Feel free to also somehow integrate it into your threads if you’d like!
BREAKING NEWS: A commotion at the Solstice! Panic at the Petting Zoo! A possible Misapprehension? Click for a copy of our brave journalists’ interrogation transcript.
Additional information:
This officially marks the end of our second event. Please take note that while you can still continue event threads, we ask that you do not make any starters that precede this plot drop.
