#beyondrapturestarter

[jointhevoxpopuli]

Bringing it all to a finale

The flames blurred before her eyes and the chaotic sounds dulled and echoed as if she had been plunged underwater. All she could hear now was a faint ringing from the explosions. Her eyes were filled with horror.

It was a bloodbath.

All she wanted to do was shake up the citizens. She wasn't stupid enough to think that there wouldn't be casualties but this was beyond what she had anticipated.

Comstock was surrounded and protected and as was she. It was a stalemate - for now. All she was doing now was wasting valuable lives.

"Vox!" She shouted to the few remaining men she had. She raised her hand and pulled it back, calling for a retreat. Not all heard her but she didn't have time to chaperone them all to safety. "VOX!!"

With a few smoke screens they made their way out of the building. Once they had time to catch their breath Fitzroy looked around.

"Is this everyone?"

"This is all we are now, miss."

[jsssteinman]

"Where can I buy a suitable ring in this city?"

"And how do I begin planning a wedding? This is all... foreign to me. I don't' want to leave her for a second but... I feel like it needs to be a surprise."

[theflowerjasmine]

To dance or not to dance

that...I suppose is the question

[an-act-of-love]

Upon looking at the distress that happened in Sinclair's casino, and having heard and read about all the deaths, Sofia felt slightly nostalgic. It was just like Rapture. It was the brick and that made the tower crumble.

Sofia sighed. "This time wasn't a kind revolution, was it..."

And then she remembered Eleanor. She only hoped she was alive.

[jointhevoxpopuli]

Sinclair's Deluxe | Dust and fire | The Vox attack

"Comstock."

Fitzroy only could have dreamed that the prophet would show his face to witness it all with his own eyes. Fitzroy's grin was large behind the mask. If there was the perfect chance to attack, now was it.

With a subtle nod she sent one of the Vox pushing aside the people in the crowd as he quickly walked towards Comstock, with obvious purpose. Others did the same but headed towards the exits of the building armed with nothing more than a Devil's Kiss and fitting devil costume motifs.

Fitzroy, however, went for the stage, grabbing a microphone, the room screeching with interference. She clicked her fingers. Her left hand stung painfully as her skin dried and cracked revealing the hot flames beneath.

She took a moment to treasure this moment. She was hoping to leave the crowd too dumbstruck to understand now was the time to run.

If only they knew what tonight would bring.

"Citizens of New Columbia!" She jumped onto a counter, her hand on fire, and an unusual excitement to her step, "The Vox Populi would like t’ extend a warm welcome to many new faces we’ve had a pleasure t’ meet, but we realised none of you new folks know ‘bout the Vox and what we stand for.”

She clenched a fist, keeping the flames building up within her hand and spat out her words.

"We came from a land of oppression, a land that we were promised freedom only t’ find nothin’ but the same shit we had in the lands below and Columbia is nothin' but a pretty picture built on the lies of the founders! Sounds familiar, people of Rapture?" Her voice crackled and echoes in the halls over the soft mumble of panic, "The Vox rose up to claim the city for the people again! But Columbia don't listen to pretty words of wisdom! The folks don't care about a quiet revolution 'so long as it don't effect' them. No matter how loud the Voice of the People screams the pigs don't hear. So maybe a bit of action we thought.

"Now we’re in the city of the dead, people all here, walkin’ free when we all ought t’ be rottin’ in hell. Maybe we’ve all found ourselves wakin’ up in hell but that don’t mean that the Vox ain’t goin’ t’ sit back and accept things as they are. The people need a voice and we are it."

She unleashed the fireball onto the floor, letting it explode upon the people, causing a frenzy of screams as people began to try and scramble towards the exits. A small fire began to catch on the floor and a few of the citizens were already down and wounded.

Before they could escape an army of the Vox came bursting through the doors, some to Fitzroy’s aid immediately, others to keep the citizens together. Red flag and banners were flung from the ceiling spelling ‘Vox Populi’. She looked to Comstock as the Vox went to surround him, eyes filled with venom and hurled another ball of flame in Comstock's direction.

"If you believe in equality, freedom - the American dream - then fight for the people! If you believe in the corrupt prophet then fight for Comstock, fight for the pigs." Her voice rose over the screams, "Whatever you believe this war effects us all, Black, Irish, American, Chinese, man or woman…"

Smoke was building up in the room fast, obscuring most.

"So pick which side now ‘cause the war’s just begun. For a man who stands for nothing will fall for anything."

[jointhevoxpopuli]

Woman in red | Open

Leaning against a wall with her arms crossed Daisy could see it all from here. From Sinclair's important people to Lady Comstock's rather unsubtle entrance. Fitzroy hadn't particularly tried too hard herself to hide who she was with her choice of attire, at least to anyone who could join together the vague clues of the masculine female suit and the red details in her mask and tie. She did manage to cover any trace of her skin colour and hair, she didn't want to scream at the guards 'Take me in cuffs'. She was also interested to test and see if she could mingle with the guests without blowing her cover. It was risky but she was advised to 'enjoy herself' more.

She exchanged glances with a few other people, dotted far across the Casino with their own red hints in their costumes. Despite the fact that she had covered every angle of this in her head she still felt like she was forgetting something, perhaps it was the fact that she was only able to sneak in a small pistol in her blazer pocket and a Devil's Kiss as opposed to her normal rifle on her shoulder.

"I'm surprised to see such a turn out for a Casino opening in Columbia. Perhaps this really is a New Columbia." She disguised her voice but not to something ridiculous, merely leaving her accent to be more of a vague and unrecognisable one.n

[an-act-of-love]

Masked Martyr // O P E N

The night was dark and she was all alone. The small, short steps she took as she ententered the alley towards a place that made her a mad, sinister woman just a few days ago were hurting her feet, her soul. She carried a small bag with her, she didn't bring her gun along. She was guilty, and she wanted to have her mind clean so she could persue her need to find Gilbert. Or Eleanor. Or both.

Her blue dress had some white flowers around the end of it, and the heels were what she was used to wear - it was hard to find any dresses or any shoes at all that fitted her standards in this town, so she had to bring some heels she had brought along to Columbia. Her hair was relatively free from pins, showing that she had in fact quite the long hair. The more unrecognizable she could look the better - the less trouble she'd cause. Her mask was white, with a butterfly at the corner. That would give her away, but she couldn't chose one with a rabbit or a cat or anything. That was a plain way to say who she was, or at least, where she was in the past years.

She could glance so any people from where she was... But oh, so many. It was dreadful. It was the party of the vain, the opening of a place that would deem disgrace in this town.

"Concentrate, Sofia. You're here for a reason." She mumbled as she approached. She had an invitation, that for some reason she had found in her mailbox. Perhaps it was sent to Gilbert.

As she got in, the lights turned into a strange gold, and it wasn't dark anymore. She could barely stand how many people were there, so she approached the nearest window. She saw Sinclair far away, talking with someone. She leaned on the wall and sighed.

"It's going to be a long night..."

[firstladyofcolumbia]

House of Sin // Lady Comstock (OPEN)

Lady Comstock made her way in through the doors of the Sinclair Deluxe. She wore a luxuriant royal blue dress and glass necklace. The top half of her saint like face was covered with an intricate white and gold mask that accentuated her intense azure eyes. To her left and right walked four of her followers from the Order of the Fraternal Raven. They were garbed in clerical black outfits and wore raven masks over their heads. Taking a through look around the Casino she could see the man known as Sinclair giving his welcoming speech. She flashed him a look of scorn underneath her guise. If Comstock were truly a man of religion he would of not allowed this place of gambling and gloating to be created. But she wasn’t certain that she was powerful enough to take down corporations that thrived on turning innocents into sinners for profit. Not yet.. Houses of the Devil she called them.

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs”

The bible quote raced around her mind with every disgusted glance. And though wagering and trickery wasn’t the greatest of sins… where there was gambling however… there was always more monstrous sin that resided with it. All these people... blind to the truth… and had been manipulated into following false leaders and bad role models. This would all have to change… but first however… the First Lady saw this masquerade as a chance to find the ones responsible for this… find their weakness… and bring them down by any means necessary in the eyes of the Lord.

She quietly whispered in the ears of her bodyguards telling them to leave her be and walk amongst the masked crowds and report back to her any valuable information they could find. Promenading gracefully she made her way to a nearby stranger...