[X] My Assistant

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Welcome to the Uprising RP Event: Masquerade! The actual event doesn't begin until October 31st, but I wanted the thread to be ready. This RP is all focused in the same thread for the opening act. It will be split up as is necessary once the "signal" is given.

Have fun, and Happy Halloween!

"Welcome, welcome!"

The man standing at the door is dressed in a butler uniform - sleek black suit and tie, shiny shoes. There is a white cloth folded over one arm, which is bent in front of him as though he is waiting perpetually to make a bow - sudden, but formal, as it must be.

It's impossible to tell whether he is an actual butler or merely dressed as one, playing a role. You are also playing a role, after all. Perhaps you all are.

You can see beyond him as he opens the door for you, waving a hand into the building.

Beyond the foyer, there is a ballroom. Already, it's packed with people. They're all dressed in costumes, though beyond that, there is no theme. You can see demons and angels, giant anthropomorphic pokemon... is that a Mewtwo? Surely that's a costume. Probably even the best one here.

But you're not here to admire the costumes. You've come on a mission. It's an important mission and you must be ready to act your part, just as you came prepared, dressed for it.

You know your mission.

"So they've given up, just like that."

"Doubtful."

"A little hope, why don't you?" a woman snapped, flicking her fingers in the direction of one of the officers. He bared his teeth at her.

"We're all aware this is likely a trap, stop your sniping." Another man, this one dressed in a crimson suit and tie, folded his hands before him on the tabletop. "It's entirely possible Aqua has seen that they cannot win and have decided to try to make a deal." He distinctly didn't use the word "treaty," and you know the other agents around you recognized his emphasis, as well.

"Or we could be walking into a trap," another man said snidely.

"That is also possible," admitted the well-dressed man. "Whatever the case, we cannot fail to take any opportunity that may present itself to get rid of the Aqua threat." He looked around the table, but no one objected to his words. "We'll go to the party, and we'll dress accordingly. It is a Halloween party, after all. Wear your costumes and hide your true identities. We may luck out in that there is a treaty to be signed."

"Or we may get our asses handed to us!"

"Or," the suited man growled, "we may find that we were right to be prepared for the worst, and with our agents in position, we won't have anything to worry about."

"That's your mission, then," said the first person you've recognized outside of your other agents. They are your immediate boss above your team. "Find a costume, go to the party, and be ready for anything."

"And don't get killed." A bunch of the other officers rolled their eyes.

Your boss' gaze never left yours. "Don't disappoint us."

"I don't trust those Magmas as far as I can throw them. Less than as far as I can throw them. This has to be a trap!"

The man pounded his fist against the table before him, shaking cups of water that sit before the other people present. Idly, it occurs to you he might be able to throw the Magmas pretty far.

"Calm yourself. Getting all worked up and paranoid won't help us come to a decision regarding whether or not we're attending this... party."

"Oh, we're attending," the first man growled, ignoring the placating gesture the woman gave him to calm down. "We can't refuse or we'll be heralded as cowards. We need all the support we can get from those outside of Aqua. They have to have faith in us to know we'll do all that's necessary to get Noverus out of Magma hands."

You're not the only member here who is beneath the rank of Officer. There are others sitting around you, or standing behind you. Each of them remains, as you, silent, awaiting orders.

"This is a costume party, is it not?" another Officer asks, folding his hands before him. "Then let us use that to our advantage. Surely Magma intends to do the same."

"He's right. If, on the off chance that Magma is telling the truth and they want peace, then we can sign these treaties. If this is a trap, then our agents will be going in disguised. No one will be able to pick them out as Aqua unless they reveal themselves."

"And they won't," the man growled.

"Of course not," someone else adds, and this person you recognize. They are your immediate boss above your team and they look at you firmly. "This is your mission, then. Find yourself a costume, go to the party, don't give yourself away. Wait and see how things run. If everything goes well, the night will end with a truce and we'll all have a good laugh about this later. But keep your guard up, try to find out who else is there. Be ready if things go all to hell."

"As they certainly will." The other officers glared at the man for interrupting.

"You have your mission," your boss says firmly. "Make us proud."

"We've been planning this mission for months." You don't recognize any of the veterans, but you're not supposed to. So much of the Rebellion is secret, even to its members. "We can't afford to muck it up, so listen up."

"Each of you will be dressing in a costume and going to this party." Another veteran handed out an embossed invitation. "Aqua and Magma will both be there - all of them, their grunts, elites, and their high commanders." The veterans grinned at each other around the table, like a pack of sharks.

"You're all going to be waiting for the signal, hiding among the rest of them. And I mean it - among the rest. Spread yourselves out, make sure at least one Rebel is with a group of people you don't know. Be ready to attack when you receive the signal."

"And what's the signal?" You don't know who asked - one of the initiates behind you. You don't recognize their voice.

"Oh, you'll know it," another veteran said. "Everything will go all to hell."

"Your main objective is to keep the group you're with occupied," your boss said, the only higher-up among this meeting that you recognize. "We have other people dealing with the high commanders, but we need to keep their agents out of the way. That's where you come in. Whatever happens, whatever you get into, do not let the agents out of your sight."

The veterans and bigwigs all scanned the agents before them.

"Go find your costumes," one of them said, and they all stood up.

"We'll take Noverus back yet," another said.

"Don't let us down."

So here you are, among a group of people you don't recognize, asides from maybe a few of your fellow agents. But you won't let on. As far as anyone else knows, you're both a stranger and their teammate. That's what the costume is for. It keeps you anonymous, your true intentions ambiguous.

And you'll succeed in your mission. It's what you do best.