Overarching Plot Summary:
Communities in this Victorian world are being threatened by something that they can only call the “Fading”. Whole communities have been swallowed up, leaving straggling migrant refugees. Her royal majesty’s airship fleet is suffering losses from vanished ships.  No one knows what is causing things and people to simply disappear right in front of witnesses’ eyes. Only a few town remain as yet unaffected but it is spreading.

When young Grace Katherine Hart's father, the fleet admiral goes missing, her and her team of friends (OCs from a story I have been writing) stumble upon an old poem tucked into a book that speaks of five legendary warriors who will break the curse with the power of an invaluable gemstone called the imperium silver crystal.

They sort of misread the poem, and believe they have to find five women who they can turn into legendary warriors through the use of science and technology. So they put an ad in the paper promising adventure and fame, and get to inventing. Lucky for them, and unbeknownst to them, the women who do answer the ad in fact are the planetary senshi! They do not know of their senshi identities so at first they are equipped with invented weapons and such that just coincidentally are sort of in line with their powers. But as things progress they begin to awaken for real. Their mission is to figure out how to find and awaken the crystal as well as discover the source of the "fading" and confront the one responsible.

Simultaneously the prince of Earth (and possibly the shittennou) are also living in this time ignorant of who they are. He is the son of a wealthy earl and has been knighted for previous service by the queen. Queen Victoria has come upon the same legend and seeks to find the imperium crystal as well to save her people. She sends him out on a mission to find and retrieve it. When he meets the incarnation of Serenity and falls in love, he will wrestle with the fact that his mission goes against theirs (only one party can have the crystal) and will wrestle with himself between love and duty, only to find out that his love is actually the key to both of their missions. - (This piece of the story is currently pending as we do not yet have a Tuxedo Mask. Anyone interested, please let me know!)

The source of the phenomena, a Mr. Cogs, has decided that clockwork machines make more sense, are more productive, and better than humans. He has discovered a new technique through a mix of alchemy and science where he is able to "translocate" (read: teleport) objects and people. He is kidnapping them on a massive scale to enslave them in order to have them assemble am army of mechanical clockwork men and weapons to take over the world. The airships he steals for parts, materials, and aether engines to power his operation. He will create all sorts of mechanical monstrosities to attack the remaining townships and the senshi as well as other factions will have to engage them to get to him.

On the side, there will be other forces trying to steal the crystal. Doctor Phoenix, a man at the edge of his sanity, is hell bent on securing the crystal for himself to resurrect his dying wife. And a seamstress who was turned away from her coveted job as chemist because of her gender will become a powerful enemy. Can these brave ladies secure the silver crystal, awaken their powers, and save the day before London is overrun by clockwork chaos?

Additional Information:

OOC Thread
Storyline Approval Thread

Characters:

Team 1 - The Steampunk'd Senshi
Sailor Moon AKA Serenity Hilderbrandt-Thomson - Sororitymoonprincess
Sailor Mars AKA Rachael Blackwood - Princess Luna
Sailor Mercury - Sailor Pluto
Elizabeth "Lita" Witlock/Sailor Jupiter - Cosmos-Hime
Sailor Venus AKA Wilhelmina “Mina” Lovecraft - Sailor Mercury


Team 2 - Queen Victoria's trusted men: - NEEDED!
Darien/Mamoru
Nephrite
Kunzite
Zoisite


Villains:
Phineas Azariah Maxwell AKA Mr. Cogs - Poetofmercury
Melissa “Steamstress” Smith - Sportsnutd
Doctor Alexander Lyonhill AKA Doctor Phoenix - PoetofMercury
Valentina “Viluy” Lavery-Rivington / Lady Valentina Levovna Romodanovska - Andalusite


Additional non SM Characters:
Grace Katherine Hart - Poetofmercury
Jasper Collins - Poetofmercury

~~~~ Grace Hart ~~~~

Grace waited impatiently alongside her friends at the airdocks, a giant affair with multiple levels and airships of all kinds going in and out. Only there were fewer of them these days as a result of the fading. It had truly impacted every aspect of life in England. Even on her way here she had seen refugees, remnants of broken families who had lost loved ones, property, and their homes all in a flash, just gone. Their eyes were listless, staring into nothing as if they could still see their lost families. Of course the upper crust ignored them if they passed on the streets. Most people did not wish to acknowledge it. But Queen Victoria had clearly taken a large interest, as she was the reason her father had been away for nearly a month. Today her father would be returning from a month-long mission in their newest airship, the StormChaser. Their task had been to map out the remaining regions of England untouched as of yet by the phenomena. Obviously, the queen wanted to know how much of her country was still left to rule. A smart woman that one, Grace thought with a touch of admiration.

She could see it now, a dark shape in the sky the size of an insect. It grew steadily larger. Yet something was strange. Instead of making a direct course into port, the ship was careening and wobbling rather unpredictably. Suddenly the hubbub in the port quieted and all eyes went aloft. Something looked awry with the shape of the hydrogen balloon above the ship too. The shape of the balloon was off. The shape of everything was off. And were those sparks shooting out from the rear?

Grace ran forward then, pushing through the crowd all the way to the docking bay. Her stomach was aflutter with nerves. The young red-head barely managed to stammer out apologies as she ran. The ship came in and all around gasped in unison. The rear half of the ship was completely gone, sparks and metal shards pouring out of what was left of the rear engines. The air balloon also was cut in half, tied together, and hastily patched in many places. With a damaged hydrogen balloon and no aft engine, it could hardly steer, and limped its way into port banging into just about everything aloft, finally settling in with a rattling thud. It looked about to fall to pieces any second.

People began to disembark ashen faced, quietly whispering to each other. She waited for her father to appear, desperate to ask him what had happened. Surely knowing she was here watching he would run out or at least wave from the helm to let her know he was unharmed. But minutes passed and he did not appear. Grace spotted the navigator, one of her father’s friends. He was headed straight for her. His eyes seemed haunted. Grace’s knees turned to jelly as he placed a hand on her shoulder. What was in his other hand, she wondered.

“Miss Grace…By God Grace I am so sorry. Your father…” Clearly unable to form the remaining few words that would make it real and final, he simply thrust her father’s hat into her hands.
“No. It can’t be.” She clutched the hat to her chest staring out blankly at the ship. It was obvious what had happened, the Fading had taken the rear end of the ship. But surely there was a mistake. It couldn’t happen just like that, not to her father.

“It was the fading. Took half our ship. We lost so many men but your father…I saw him disappear with my own two eyes. Miss Grace I don’t know what to say. If I can do anything to help your family…”

“No. No no no! It can’t be. I don’t believe it!” She was screaming in public and she didn’t care. Suddenly feeling the urge to run, as if she could escape this terrible thing that had happened, she turned on her feet and tore off clutching the hat. Her lungs burned and her vision blurred. The navigator gave chase but she easily eluded him in the crowd. The whole while the word “No” was repeating over and over in her mind. Finally a hand reached out and grabbed her arm, turning her around.


---- Jasper Collins ----

Jasper watched in horror from behind his friend’s shoulder as this grim news was passed on
Jasper had never seen his friend so shaken. Even he was in disbelief. It felt so unreal. But when she tore off screaming “No” he knew he had to stay with her. In severe danger of being outright rude, he shoved people aside and managed to keep up, being smaller and more agile than the navigator.
His mind reeled. It was not even imaginable what this would mean for Grace. Her father was her everything. He wished….he would give anything to have taken his place on that ship for her. Finally catching up to her he grabbed for her arm and pulled her around. Instinctively he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight.

“Grace. You need to stop. Please just sit down for a minute.” She stiffened at first, trying to struggle away but eventually sagged into him, her knees incapable of holding her up anymore. He set her down in a bench, finding himself at a loss for words. “I’m so sorry” just didn’t express the depth of it. She shook in his arms, trembling like a leaf and gasping for air. She was struggling to hold back sobs, still shaking like a leaf, and then strangely calmed. After a moment of silence, she looked up at him.
“My father is not dead, so you can quit the long face. He’s missing is all. And we’re going to find him.” Her green eyes bored into his.

Jasper was taken aback by this sudden change. “But, I’m sorry Grace. No one has ever come back after fading. They’re just gone.”

“And how do we know that?” she retorted. “No dead bodies have ever been found. I refuse to believe my father would let himself die in such a way. I don’t believe the fading means death. Please Jasper, we need to find him. He’s out there somewhere. I know it. I don’t care if I have to get faded myself. I’m going to find him and bring everyone back. Will you help me?”

Now this was the spunky headstrong red head he knew, even though she was clearly under some sort of delusion. She was in denial, not ready to face facts. But to go so far as to get faded, that sent a shiver down his spine. “No, you don’t want to do that. Look Grace, I’m not sure I agree with you but I’ll help in any way I can, as long as you don’t go trying to walk into a Fading. Alright?” Perhaps he should not be encouraging this delusion, but knowing Grace, she was going to do what she wanted anyway. Whatever crazy scheme she was thinking of, Jasper wanted to make sure he was along for the ride as damage control.

“Agreed. But where do we start then?” He could still see the haunted look and unfallen tears in her eyes battling to get out. She held herself so tightly, fierce-eyed and tense. Jasper was struck by how she could be so strong in the face of this. He thought for a minute. Scores of doctors and scientists had tried. What could the two of them possibly accomplish? But maybe, if he indulged her desire to try, he could talk some sense into her once she calmed down.

“Come with me.” He reached out for her hand to help her up.
“Where?”

“To the Oxford library. If there’s an answer it will be there. They have every book known to man I think!”


**** Phineas AKA Mr. Cogs ****

Phineas returned to his hideout underneath the Thames River in a foul mood. Brought by the translocator, piles of damaged engine parts and pieces of hydrogen balloon covering were strewn all over the floor, offending his sense of order and neatness enough to make him clench his jaw. He needed another WHOLE balloon, not scraps of the tail end of one. Damn that crew for outmaneuvering his device! Although, they weren’t likely to survive the journey with such a damaged craft. In a way, they would get their just desserts for defying him. Still that left him one hydrogen balloon short and an engine short too. The few prisoners he had gained had refused to tell him anything yet, even their ranks.

What an irritation. He let out an agitated breath and threw his face mask onto a desk. This would cause a delay. Delays irked the tall blonde clockmaker more than just about anything. He balled up his fists, battling an urge to smash the damnable contraption for failing him. But, he realized, it did not fail him. He had been perhaps too slow, but his clockwork machines, even the small flyer he had built to take him amongst the ships, never failed to serve their purpose. That thought calmed him. Yes it was human error, he could not blame the gears and cranks for missing the airship. He closed his eyes, listening to the whir and click of the myriad clocks in his workshop all ticking in unison like one big heartbeat. Phineas took several deep breaths, struggling to release the tension between his shoulders.

For now, he could move on to phase two. For this, he needed a chemist. Several weeks ago he had begun experimenting with making a chemical sleep agent to use on his first deliberate attack on London. But every attempt had failed. He was a clockmaker not a chemist! As much as he detested even interacting with these people, he realized he needed one, if only temporarily. And so over the past week he had done his research, going out at night where he could better hide his birth mark to locate a pharmacy that mixed their own medicines. Some smaller ones ordered in, but he had found one that was fully functional. It was well known and according to word of mouth, was top of the line.
Making sure all was in order and work on the large engine was going alone he turned and left the underground workshop, altering the translocator settings to take him above. Soon he stood in front of the pharmacy. This time, he had a gauze pad in hand with which he covered his face, hinting at some sort of injury for which he would need a remedy. Entering the store he saw a young make clerk apparently interviewing a young lady off to the side.

The man was bordering on rude, bluntly telling the young woman there were no jobs available for her. Inside there were several other patrons and a few men behind the counter, one with his head craned over a book in the back, frantically flipping pages. That must be the chemist. he surmised. Coughing to disguise the small whine of the device, he set the radius to about fifty feet and pressed the button. The entire inhabitants of the pharmacy as well as half of its stock shelves appeared in the underground lab behind iron bars.

Before anyone could recover their shock he yelled out “A chemist! Where is the chemist! Come forward now!” His mask replaced now, he made a menacing figure, eyes boring into them, demanding answer. One of the young men spoke up tremulously.

“He’s gone sir. Left us in the lurch he did too! Up and quit on us yesterday. Said he could get better pay down the street. This one ere though, she was applyin’ for a chemists job she was. Though I doubt how much she knows, being a lady and all. Please sir, let us go. We don’t know anything!”
The young man hastily indicated the woman he had seen earlier. Phineas stepped closer, eyes focusing upon her with full attention. “Step forward. So you fancy yourself a chemist yes? Just who are you? How much do you know?”

OOC:

******Melissa Smith *******

Melissa was in the pharmacy applying for a job as a chemist and being told, quite rudely that there were no jobs available for her. She looked to the rest of them in the back and noticed that they were all men. She was about to tell the man off when they got transported to someplace and were behind bars. She stopped and looked around trying to figure out where they were when a man begun to speak to them. He called out for a chemist and she of course was one...then the interviewer started speaking about her to him and the man asked her to step forward. "Yes sir, I am a chemist..a bloody good one too" she looked back at the other man quickly then back at the one speaking. "My name is Melissa Smith sir...and I know a very good amount of things." She then got as close to the man as possible and whispered to him, "Get me out of here and I can do whatever you need..just get me away from these jerks" At this point she didn't care what he needed what she liked is that he didn't seem to care that she was a woman.

******Rachael Blackwood******

Rachael woke up with a start to a knock on her door. With a gasp she said, "Yes?" "Miss, you're being asked to meet your father in the drawing room." A quiet voice spoke from behind the door. "Yes, okay I will get dressed and be there in a bit." She forced herself out of bed and got dressed. Her stomach growled as she walked out of her room, maybe she should stop by the kitchen to grab a snack before going to meet her father. That might make him mad though. Rachael thought. She soon decided to just wait for food and meet her father. 

She walked into the drawing room and greeted her father, "Hello father." 

"Rachael, I think you know that it's time for us to start making some changes with your life. You'll be meeting suitors soon, so you can get married." Her father said.

Rachael was shocked that this was happening. She wasn't sure she was ready to marry someone, but it wasn't her choice at the moment. She just nodded, "Yes father. I haven't eaten yet, may I be excused so I can get some breakfast?" Her father nodded and she left the room to go get some breakfast.

Another message from one of her suitors, Lord Kensington, had arrived that morning, asking if he might call on her this weekend. Her parents were, of course, as pushy as ever. He was one of their approved selections, and Mina had to give the man credit for his persistence despite the fact that she had made up an excuse to avoid him, what, at least three times now?

She knew she was a catch, but this was ridiculous. The man was at least ten years older than her—which in itself wasn’t exactly terrible—but he was also a giant bore. All he seemed interested in talking about was his business. He seemed to think being a banker was such an exciting job and always regaled her with tales about his latest ventures. She honestly could not care less how many more branches he was planning to open in England or how many new customers he had signed on this week. It would be different if his business wasn’t so dull, but god forbid he was an adventurer or a sailor or even an archaeologist.

She didn’t know how she was going to turn him down for the fourth time without being rude, and her parents’ insistence that she entertained him was starting to make her desperate. It was saying something when finishing school had become a blessing and a chance to escape the cloying air of the house for a little while. At least there she could commiserate with her friends and forget about all this for a while.

When Mina entered the tea room that morning, she was beyond relieved to see Serenity already there. Mina made her way straight toward her and took the seat opposite her friend. “Thank goodness you’re here, I could not bear my mother’s company for one second longer; I actually thought I might burst. Don’t you wish it could just be us girls all the time sometimes?” she sighed and looked out the window longingly. Why couldn’t something more exciting ever happen in her life?

~~~ Grace and Jasper ~~~

Grace had blindly followed Jasper to the library, trying to quell the thousands of myriad thoughts and doubts that barraged her mind. Could she really just be deluding herself? She felt a sick feeling in her stomach every time she thought about her father really being gone. On the other hand, what if those that vanish were alive somewhere just waiting to be found and rescued? If everyone believed them dead, then rescue would never come. Someone had to believe. Someone had to try. Grace balled her hands into tight fists. She would try and she would believe. Until she was faced with her father’s corpse she would spend every waking breath trying to find a way to them.

She didn’t know exactly how long it was that they were reading. It felt like hours. Their reading desks were a mess and they were getting the eye from the librarian. She had to re-read over and over because her mind would become distracted and her eyes would cloud over with unspent tears. The books she had taken were airmen’s journals describing everything unusual that airmen generations before her had seen. Grace hoped that perhaps this had been encountered before.

Jasper had started with science, reading about bending light and optical illusions. He had since moved on to history books. He would at times mumble to himself, reading passages aloud and jumping from book to book often spilling others off of the desk in his clumsy enthusiasm. He always could get so focused in on a thing. It distracted her and her mind wandered off again. Her mother, Grace felt a pang of guilt at leaving her to face this news alone. But she just couldn’t face her right now. She hadn’t the energy.

“Roanoke! Grace, Roanoke! I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before!” Jasper was babbling about something, coming over to stand in front of her with an armload of books, his face flushed and hair askew.

Vaguely in the back of her mind she realized she had heard of it before somewhere. It had something to do with the early American settlers. She sighed in exasperation, wondering what a colony back almost three hundred years ago had anything to do with their current predicament. “Now is not the time for a history lesson Jasper.” Frustration and exasperation were clear in her voice.

“No, don’t you see? Think. What happened in Roanoke?”

Rolling her eyes she searched her mind. “It was a colony in America back in the late 1500’s. It was Sir Walter Raleigh sent by our Queen Elizabeth I think who colonized it. Wait, I think I remember, when he went back…oh God Jasper! The entire colony, it disappeared!  Jasper you’re brilliant!” A smile brightened her face as she leapt up and grasped her friend by the shoulders inadvertently jarring the books in his arms which scattered to the floor. Out of one of the books a sheet of paper fell.

“What’s that?”

Jasper bent to scoop it up and handed it to Grace. It was a slip of old brittle paper that had been tucked into the Roanoke book as a bookmark. She turned it over and found a poem written on the other side. Curious, she read the first few stanzas aloud.

When hope, like morning mist does fade
At despair's end darkness does abound
When hope is like flame extinguished
And all that was, cannot be found


Then ring forth the warrior's cry
Five will rise to face the dark
And bring back what once was lost
Know them you will by planetary mark


With fire, water and electric spark
They will bravely face their foes
Still, the legendary crystal you must find
No evil will their might oppose


A chill went through the redhead. Something in this poem rang true. England was on the brink of despair due to the fading, weakened and running low on resources. Everywhere refugees and broken families mourned their lost ones, crying in the streets. It spoke to her, to her very soul.  She didn’t understand all of it but the line about things that could no longer be found took her breath away. It was crazy, but maybe not so crazy. After all someone had to have left that in this book of all books. Even Jasper was looking at her open mouthed. If it didn’t speak to their situation, nothing did.

“Grace… When hope, like morning mist does fade…” Jasper said softly, eyes widened in wonder.

“And all that was, cannot be found” Grace tentatively replied.

“Five will rise to face the dark, and bring back what once was lost. Grace, do you think…? Do you think it’s about us, about the fading?” Both of them were breathless, eyes locked, talking in hurried whispers.

“If it is, then where are these five warriors? And what of the powerful silver crystal? What does it mean?” Grace clutched the thin paper to her chest.

“I don’t know, but my uncle will know what to make of this. Come on!”

Hours later they sat in Jasper’s uncle’s parlor putting the finishing touches on their plan. His uncle’s plan had been so simple it was brilliant. What do you do when you are in need of any type of services? Put in an ad in the paper of course! His uncle had been more pragmatic and a bit skeptical about the poem, but he was willing to throw his considerable resources at it anyway for Jasper’s sake and because even if the poem meant nothing, more people to investigate the fading could never hurt.
Calling up one of his connections with the Daily Times he had the ad printed last minute in that day’s edition. They also called upon the assistance of their friend Jack to rally the paperboys and ensure that this was on every doorstep, being hawked in every street, and in every building. It read:

Seeking the company of five brave ladies to embark upon a grand adventure. No experience necessary save an open mind. Those chosen will be well compensated. Fame, fortune, anything is possible if we succeed. If interested enquire at the residence of M. Collins.

It seemed crazy, what they were doing. But maybe crazy was just what was needed. All that there was to do now was to sit and wait.


%%% Dr. Lyonhill %%%

Doctor Lyonhill sat in the back corner of the library, a stack of books practically towering over his head. He ran an agitated hand through his jet black hair and sighed. No matter how many medical journals he pored over, he was no closer to knowing what ailed his wife. It had come on suddenly with a brief fever. He remembered tucking her into bed that night, her cheeks rosy with the fever’s fugue. But when the fever passed, due to his overnight ministrations, she did not begin to recover. Weakness began to overtake her body. His Victoria went from a vibrant dancer to a woman who could hardly make it from bedroom to couch. She dutifully tried to eat but had lost any semblance of appetite. He watched her grow rapidly weaker day by day despite every effort. Last night, even leaning on his shoulder she had not made it ten steps from her bed before her legs gave out. Why she continued to try to push herself was beyond him. Maybe she did it for him, so he would not worry so much. She always tried to tell him she was feeling better.

But last night they had been faced with the truth. Lying in bed beside her he had stroked her face and promised her he would stop at nothing to make her better. She had only patted his head and told him, if it came to it, that she was not afraid to die. The look in her eyes haunted him in his sleep. How he was supposed to teach a class on the various effects of miasmas in the body today he did not know. His mind was a startled bird, fluttering from thought to thought. He wished now that he did not have to work and to teach. But this position at the University of Oxford afforded him access to wondrous instruments and modern medical improvements.

His reading was interrupted by a loud thunk. The noise emanated from two adolescents talking rather animatedly. He found his mind drifting to them, listening to what they were saying. His eyes went wide as he realized they were connecting the lost colony of Roanoke to the Fading. It was quite an interesting conclusion, one he hardly expected mere children to make.  They had his full attention now. Alexander continued to eavesdrop from his vantage point behind books. Someone had slipped a poem of sorts into the book. It was mostly nonsense, but then why slip it there, in that book of all books? Was it a riddle?

As a child he had always liked riddles and mysteries, anything to tame his wild and inquisitive mind. He found himself following along as the girl read the poem. It spoke of a powerful silver crystal. Doctor Lyonhill was well aware that many compounds, minerals, and even crystals had curative medical properties. Perhaps this silver crystal was more interesting than he had first thought.



@@@ Mr. Cogs @@@

Quote :

"Yes sir, I am a chemist..a bloody good one too"

Phineas was taken slightly aback. This one had gumption. She not only looked her captor directly in the eyes but to make such a claim? He took another appraising glance at her. Her hair was white and tied to the sides in loose ponytails. From her clothes it was obvious she had a unique sense of fashion and had skill with needle and thread. She was not hard to gaze upon, but it was her spunk that intrigued him.

“Very well, we shall see how much you know. Btu do not think to double cross me. That would be a mistake you would regret.” He opened the bars slightly, forming a small gap large enough for her to walk through. “Step lively now. I haven’t all day.” No sooner would she step through than the floor in the cell would begin to descend via clockwork winch, bringing his other new arrivals down to the lower levels of the factory. The majority of those he captured would eventually, through some means or other, come to work in his factory feeding the boilers or assembling various cogs and gears. Those few that Mr. Cogs could not crack were simply locked away.

Turning his back as the gate closed and the floor dropped, he walked over to metal desk littered with papers and various test tubes. Turning back to face the new chemist he sighed, resigned to having to explain. “I need a tranquilizing agent, one that can operate through the air. And I am going to need a lot of it. You do not need to know why. If you are able to produce this compound, I may consider trading that for your freedom. What do you think?”

Melissa stepped out of the cell smiling at the fact he accepted her and was going to use her for whatever reason it was. When she was down in what appeared to be his office or something, she found out what he needed. "A tranquilizing agent? I can do that...I just need to know where my workspace is and I can get started on it now, sir." He then mentioned possibly trading her work for her freedom and she looked at him saying, "That sounds good, sir..but..I was looking for work that was long term..not a one and done. Also I can make more than just that..but we will have to see what else you require." The whole time she was thinking of how to make what he asked for.

Amelia 'Amy' Hadley knew that leaving the safety of her home would be an awful idea. But did her fiance ever listen to her? No, he sure didn't.

"Come now, Amy, you really must get some fresh air. Besides, aren't you supposed to head to school soon? I could drop you off if you so please," her fiance insisted.

"I'm telling you, Gregory, it is not a good idea. Something awful always happens when I go to town. Remember what happened last time?" Amy retorted, raising an eyebrow. The look on her future husband's face told her that yes, he did remember. How could he forget the city fountain's sudden explosion that soaked him with water?

"Amy, that was just a one-time thing. Please?" Greg begged. Amy knew that as soon as she looked into his eyes, it was all over. She couldn't resist him when he begged like that.

With a sigh, she finally gave in. "Fine, but just this once. And then you will drop me straight off at the school." Greg beamed and nodded, happy to have gotten his way this time.

The two piled into the carriage of Greg's wealthy family and headed into town, where they were met with an odd sight. Half of an airship was docked, and there seemed to be all kinds of chaos all around them. Amy knew it would be impossible for their driver to maneuver around this mess, and that they would have no choice but to go back and take a detour.

She wasn't too upset about this.

But she did know her fiance, which is why she reached over to take his hand. "Gregory. No," she warned. She had known him since they were children, and she knew he could never turn down people in need of help.

"Amelia, I must. Don't you see that there is some real trouble here? If it's the Fading, these people need all of the help they can get. I'll be right back, I promise," he said, leaning over and kissing her on the cheek. Before Amy could protest further, he was gone, leaving her alone in the carriage.

Now Amy would surely be late to meet her friends, which was never an occurrence with her. She worried for the safety of her fiance, and for those who were affected by this most-recent phenomenon. How many had been taken this time? Five? Ten? Twenty?

The Fading had been taking more victims day by day, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. As much as Amy wanted the hardship to end, she knew she was helpless to do anything. The best she could do was stay out of the way, and continue with her life as best as she could. Now that both of her parents were gone, Amy felt the responsibility to make something of herself. She needed to make them proud, wherever they were.

After what felt like hours but was only half of one, Greg finally reentered the carriage. He looked distraught and pained, and so Amy placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Those people...so many were taken, Amy," he said, his voice heavy with depression. "There was a young girl who lost her father, and so many others who lost men they loved. It's such a sad scene."

Amy looked down, feeling a pang of sorrow for those poor people. "Amy, will you promise me something?" Greg suddenly asked after moments of silence. Amy looked at him and nodded. "If the Fading takes me, you...you have to move on, okay? Don't let grief overcome you. You have a beautiful life ahead of you, and you mustn't allow anything to get in the way of that. Promise me, Amelia."

She couldn't look at him as the tears filled her eyes. Instead, Amy looked out of the carriage window and bit her lip. "I...I promise," she said quietly. A wave of tension left the carriage, and the somber atmosphere drifted away as the carriage began to move again. Several minutes later, they had arrived outside of the school. Greg opened the carriage door for Amy and gave her a parting kiss before departing.

As Amy headed towards the tea room, she felt the weight of the afternoon's events pulling at her shoulders. Hoping that her friends would be able to cheer her up, she took a deep breath and squared her posture before entering the room. "Good afternoon, ladies," she said to Serenity and Mina. "How are you both faring?"

Free was exactly what Mina wished for. She agreed that they were one of the fortunate few to have titles and lands and wealth, but what was the point of all that if it was all but an illusion? As a woman, she didn’t hold any of that under her own name. Which meant unless she married, she wouldn’t inherit any of it. She might as well be poor—maybe she’d be happier then.

She opened her mouth to answer Serenity’s question, but her friend was much faster. Mina looked at her sadly, wishing she could say something to make her feel better. But what comfort could she offer except empty words? What promises could she make that everything would be better someday? The truth was that the situation would never become better—they’d just be the ones better at accepting and dealing with it.

Before she could figure out something to say, the door opened again and Amelia walked in. Mina instantly felt guilty for wishing to be free of her parents; here was someone who had lost both and truly everything. And as she had proven, it was not all fun and games. Maybe Mina ought to really be careful what she wished for.

“Help cheer us up, dear Amy,” she pleaded. “As it turns out, nobody’s having a very good morning today.”

OOC:

~Jack~

Jack and the other paper boys ran through the streets, calling out the headlines in the most exciting way possible as to attract the most attention and the most buyers.

”Her Majesty’s New Flagship crash lands in the city square! Read all about it! All the newest on the Fading! Just two pence each! Get your papers!”

Granted it didn’t exactly crash down in the square but in port. But that was what sold newspapers. Seeing a group of ladies in the front sitting room of the charm school, he decided to take his chances. You had to be rich to attend charm school and rick people didn’t care about dropping two pence on a paper. He went unnoticed entering the school. Street kids were easily overlooked unless they were stealing from you. The young boy removed his hat. “Good day ladies. I’ve todays paper for you. Read all about the airship crash! It’s all in here. Just two pence!”

He patted the wad of papers under his arm and eagerly looked to see if there were takers.



~Grace~

Grace sat in Jasper’s uncle’s sitting room. Waiting was not something she did terribly well. She would be pacing if she weren’t so worn out in every way imaginable.  They spoke together briefly about what the poem might mean about planetary signs and decided to look into the properties of each planet. Mars being fire for example, perhaps the champion of Mars would wield some sort of flame device? Jasper argued that perhaps it wasn’t about the properties that the five already possessed, but about what sort of weapons they would need. He was already sketching out plans too quick for the traumatized and exhausted teen to follow. When her eyes started to close of their own accord, Jasper insisted on taking her home. She wasn’t ready for that, not by a long shot.

The minute she walked in the door her mother came running at her like a sobbing torpedo, wrapping her arms around her daughter and dragging both to a seat on the couch. Before Grace could utter a word, her mother began babbling at high speed. She noticed, as her mind went fluttering about unable to concentrate, that her mother’s hair was a mess and there was a tea stain on the breast of her dress. Those small details made everything feel wrong. Her mother would never allow such a front to propriety, not in her right mind.

“Grace, my darling! I was so worried about you. Your father’s friend came by and told me you’d run off. Oh what horrible news. I can’t believe it. My Jonathan!” A fresh wave of sobs wracked her mother’s body and Grace looked at her, seeing someone she did not recognize, someone that was nothing like her calm and collected mother. She could only stare dumbly feeling as if she were watching some play unfold that had nothing to do with her life.

“Oh Grace, we are ruined! How will we ever survive without him? What are we to do? What shall become of us? Oh Grace there is just no other way about it anymore. We have to get you betrothed. It is the only way to save yourself now. I’ll…We can call upon the Whitmore’s…before news gets out about…about…” Clearly her mother couldn’t say it.

Here it was not even a day since her father had, vanished, and she was already being married off in her mother’s mind. It was all too much. Panic and anger vied for control as she pulled herself free from her mother. “Mother, I can’t! I can’t even think about a thing like that right now!”

“But Grace darling, you must understand. We have nothing without your father. We must act quickly. It is the only way. Think of the maids who would be homeless. Think of your mother. We must all sacrifice now. There is no more time to be a child Grace.”

“No! Mother I simply can’t do this right now! Stop talking about him like he’s dead because he isn’t!” Tears sprang from her cheeks as she fled to her room.



~Mr. Cogs~

Phineas was so startled by her remark that he actually stepped back. All his life people avoided him. Just as clockwork gears turned ever forward in time, people drew further and further away. This was highly irregular, as strange as if the clock before him suddenly decided to jump to the hour of midnight at two in the afternoon.  He reached out a hand to gently caress the face of a Swiss cuckoo clock laying on his workbench. The workmanship was exquisite, wood carvings equally symmetrical on both sides and inner gears that would keep perfect time for centuries to come. It gave him a soothing feeling of stability to feel the thrum of the gears.

“You want to work with me then?” he said quietly, almost pensively, flicking his eyes only briefly in her direction. He could not miss the youthful beauty in her eyes, not that it had any bearing on anything.

Perhaps things were not quite as unsettling and irregular as it seemed. After all, she had not yet seen his face. That surely would drive her away. Phineas decided he would accept her help for as long as it was offered. Surely she had her own motives for wanting to leave the above ground behind and work with him beneath the Thames. Perhaps in time he would puzzle that out.

Finally pulling his hand back from the face of the clock he brought his full attention to her. “You may stay as long as you wish. I will not deny that I could use your assistance. We will have to set up a more permanent lab, but in the meantime perhaps you will find this helpful.”

At the touch of a lever the platform began to rise again, bringing with it the pharmacy he had stolen minutes ago, now devoid of people.  

“As for what I am doing, let me ask you something. Do you think the world is perfect? With all the hurting and heartbreak, greed, treachery, and chaos, people are a terrible, uncoordinated, mess. But look at this clock. Swiss made, excellent craftsmanship. But inside it is a heart that will keep ticking out perfect time even after I am long gone of properly cared for. What would our world be if it had such a reliable clockwork heart running it? I want to see a world run by clockwork Melissa. It would be a beautiful thing.”

He gazed at nothing dreamily for a moment. In truth he would be bringing real peace to the world. No more chaos. Having gone this far though, Phineas knew he had to go the full distance. Pulling on the fabric covering the enormous object in the vast room he let the cover fall to the ground revealing a large black machine. It looked a bit like a steam locomotive but with extra joints and appendages, weapons and a myriad of legs. It only awaited a few finishing touches to make it complete.

“This is my newest creation. I call it the Perambulating Locomotive. With this, I plan to pass through the heart of London, smash through any obstacle, and pull the Queen right from her very throne and force her surrender. I am tired of being a thief in the night. It is time they knew my name and see the power of clockwork!”

“You want to work with me then?” Melissa looked at him smiling, "Yes sir. I would like to show those other men and the ones on the surface that I am not to be taken lightly... Women can be Chemists too."

“You may stay as long as you wish. I will not deny that I could use your assistance. We will have to set up a more permanent lab, but in the meantime perhaps you will find this helpful.”  

Melissa grinned when he brought the pharmacy back up and it was empty, "Oh wow thank you sir you won't be sorry for having me here."

“As for what I am doing, let me ask you something. Do you think the world is perfect? With all the hurting and heartbreak, greed, treachery, and chaos, people are a terrible, uncoordinated, mess. But look at this clock. Swiss made, excellent craftsmanship. But inside it is a heart that will keep ticking out perfect time even after I am long gone of properly cared for. What would our world be if it had such a reliable clockwork heart running it? I want to see a world run by clockwork Melissa. It would be a beautiful thing.”


Melissa walked over and bent down looking at the beautiful clock, "Yes sir, it is like that...I mean not perfect..unlike your clock here. The clock is beautiful. I agree with you sir, If we could do that, your right it would be better..I believe it in my heart."


“This is my newest creation. I call it the Perambulating Locomotive. With this, I plan to pass through the heart of London, smash through any obstacle, and pull the Queen right from her very throne and force her surrender. I am tired of being a thief in the night. It is time they knew my name and see the power of clockwork!”


Melissa saw the invention and heard what he said and without knowing at first let out a little evil laugh/giggle. "Yes this perfect sir, You need to be known instead of only being down here. Those rich idiots will learn and will learn by your glorious hand. You will rule!"

[b]Mr. Cogs - AKA Phineas[/b]

Phineas felt his heart racing from within his slender frame. A sort of excitement like he had never known before flooded through his veins with each pulse of his heart. Never before had anyone seemed to understand him. It was almost frightening in its exhilaration and newness. He smiled this time genuinely, not a motion that his face was accustomed to. Bounding with excitement he grasped the female chemists hand in a handshake.

Quote :

"Yes this perfect sir, You need to be known instead of only being down here. Those rich idiots will learn and will learn by your glorious hand. You will rule!"

“Precisely! I believe this arrangement will work to both of our advantages Miss Smith.” He released her hand and offered a polite bow. “I apologize for the gruff introduction. As you can guess, trust is not something I can spare in spades. Now on to the mechanism.”

Bounding from one side of the great machine to the other with renewed enthusiasm he described its parts. One arm had a spiked ball in a chain. Another was equipped to throw darts, which was where Melissa’s skill in chemistry would come in, to equip them with a tranquilizer. The tour finally done he stopped before her once more. “I’ll let you get to work then. Notify me when it is ready.”

He turned to leave for his private chambers but stopped, spinning on his heels. “How would you like to accompany me when I bring this topside?”  His heart caught for a second and that ever present voice in the back of his head reminded him that she had yet to see his face behind the mask. She would turn away as the others did. He must remember that. But still he found that he preferred her presence despite the risk of pain.

She shook his hand and smiled since he was in a good mood. She then followed him to look at the mechanism. She was very impressed at what he was able to create, "Yes sir I will let you know." She had turned to get started when he spoke to her again, turning herself back to listen she then said, "I would love to. I can't wait to see it in action, and you in your rightful place..on top of the world" With that she went back and begun preparations for the tranquilizer ammo. She was going to show those Men up above that women were equal..or even better...

Doctor Lyonhill tried to return to his studies after the two youths left but his mind could not let go of the idea. It had long been proposed that certain crystals, by the energy held within their crystalline formation, could effect some cure upon the body. Mostly, the scientific community regarded it as ignorant alchemic superstitions. But could there be something to it? The cells of the body, in a manner currently unknown to him, hold energy within the body. So could crystals not hold a similar vital energy?

He had never heard of a silver crystal before, and it was likely just the babblings of unlearned teens. Still, after a few moments more, he left the medical section of the library and began to browse geology.