Hamartia-- its name is the Greek term for a hero's tragic flaw. A clockwork mansion on the edge of Grimoire's spirit forest, Hubris. This place has all but earned the cliche phrase 'none who enter have ever returned', as no one in Grimoire can tell what its innards contain. Rumors tell of strange festivals and macabre dances held inside the great halls every single night, led by an enchantress and her devilish minions. But then, rumors are certainly rumors. Its labyrinthine core spans multiple floors and dozens, possibly hundreds, of different rooms.

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Grimoire
Hubris

Hamartia I
Hamartia II

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Yin sighs as they approach Hamartia. "Isn't this exactly where we decided we didn't care to end up? For the record, Hooker back there can follow us inside. Entrance is over on the other side of the house." Keeps moving that way, not stoping, but slows next to Revilier's side. "You okay?" she inquires concernedly. "You don't breathe this hard when you run."

"Fine," he pants, pausing long enough to lean on his knees. "Just tired from yesterday. I'm fine."

Yue sidles up to him. Roams him with her eyes, pausing here and there, but concentrating her attentions upon his energy signature.

As Yin suspected previously, there is something there. 

"He has been dampened," Yue declares, "likely during a succubus attack. He's of no use if we storm this dreary edifice."

Yin nods slowly. Considers, face quite a bit more serious and somber than a few moments before. "It's no safer out than in," she observes softly. Pause. "Revilier...do you think it would be a good idea to have Kaz call you back now?" This is the last thing she wants to say...but her heart thinks it's the right move. Even as it breaks a little, for what she's saying. "So much is riding on you these days...so many people's well-being is in danger whenever you are. The Wyverns can't lose you right now." Neither can she. But this isn't a fair statement. It goes two ways.

"I do. But no." Revilier stands up straight, eyes resolute. "I want to be by your side, Yin."

"Oh my stars," Yue interrupts, though it's a half-sniffle when he does. "Nothing. Keep talking." Smiles.

Yin almost smiles a little at Yue. So the demon does actually have a heart in there, too. Glances behind, listening. Yeah, they have time. Wraps her arms up over Revilier's shoulders, pulling him down again, and kisses him for just a few precious seconds, failing not to linger a little at the end.

"I expect you to return the favor later," she notes after a few moments. Manages a smile. "Feeling steady enough to go in?"

"Well I was," he answers, a little dazed. Hugs her. Yue looks away. Aww...

She smiles faintly...very faintly, but it's there. Brow creases just a little for worry, and she hugs him tenderly, closing her eyes.

Finally pulls herself away, face calm again, looking to the little clock in the wall, opening the face and twisting the hands to the proper position. "Remember, 1:50 to open or close. Ten to two."

The general commits the number to memory. He wonders, absently, what might be significant about that number.

The entrance grinds open again, with the same gritty dust and teeth-numbing screech as ever. Instantly a flood of choral music washes over them, loud and boisterous this time but still maintaining its haunting rises and falls. There are distinctly female voices mixed into the Gregorians of before.

Yue's wings fold tightly to his back. "How pretty..." He peers inside, but pulls back almost instantly. "Do they often parade their women about, nailed to crosses?"

"That would be Tragedy," Yin oberves. "She wants me dead, among other...eccentricies. We need to do our best to slip quietly away from that procession and hope they ignore us like before."

"She looks to be in terrible pain," Yue persists, pouting a bit. More than a bit. "And ruining that scrumptious dress."

Inside, the lobby teems with puppets. Some stand at cardinal posts, others walk into concentric circles - one smaller than the next and each proceeding in opposing directions - led by a master marionette.

Guildenstern and Rosencrantz sing right along. In the center, a squat, hulking ogre of soft blue skin tones and long, wispy hair stands upon a rotating platform with Tragedy's cross stapped to his back. He sings along, deep bass tones thrumming and humming.

And somehow, Tragedy's wailing fits into the scale of the music.

A Cheshire Cat sits asleep at the top of the cross.

"Fantastic," Yin observes quietly. Damnit. Cat on the cross...beautiful. We may have to wait until this procession thing finishes." Stiffens a little at Guildenstern. Didn't she completely wreck that bastard?

"Does the puppet bother you, dear?" Yue considers this. "Vampiric. You are simply unused to strings."

Yin snickers a little at this. "Exactly so." Pause. Were it just conversational, she wouldn't have said it, but...it's a warning. "He's the one who set me on fire earlier, actually."

"And you destroyed him, you said. Suppose this is simply a replacement? It is a puppet after all." Yue adores puppets. Anything that someone else manipulates into dancing using only a set of hands is okay in his book.

"Maybe. The mannerisms are definitely the same." Yin slips quietly in the house, heading quietly and unobtrusively along the wall in the direction opposite the procession...and leary of violent reaction.

Yue nudges Revilier after her. "Then I suppose it is time for a distraction. Keep going. I will get their attention." On a whim, he blows both of them a softly lit kiss-- when the little glowy lip mark hits Revilier he goes warm all over, but not the 'heating' sort of warm.

Yin just smirks a little at this. Face a little more serious. Nods. "Be careful."

"Of course. Any servant you can capture might work to get to Comedy, so do not take too much time being picky." The incubus swishes the other way as though he owns the place, waving at puppets and blowing kisses at anything with skin. The procession continues, save for Tragedy's voice.

"Who is that? This is supposed to be somber! Who is that strumpet traipsing around my funeral?"

The cat opens his eyes, and just watches for now.

Yin watches the procession quietly. She thinks she's getting a handle on things...and that almost all of these servants are Tragedy's. Her processional, after all, and she probably has far more to start. They're all so...unique. Odd, creepy, or otherwise melodramatic. So who does she need to look for for a servant of Comedy's, someone Tragedy would never be interested in?

Someone plain.

To the side of the procession, the driver of the hell cart sits with three men, dressed as the yokels in Grimoire were. They seem perfectly normal, and seem to be playing cards while the procession runs.

Save for the headless driver.

"Revilier..." Yin murmurs, not looking at them, "those three, I'm confident are Comedy's. "Do you think you're strong enough to help me carry one?"

"Sure," he lies, knowing she probably needs only a little help anyway. "We'll need to keep things quiet, though."

"What is a funeral," Yue shouts to hold their attention, "without dance? How can you hope to be mourned properly without it?" This as she snaps a pair of razor-edged, black-scaled fans open, to Tragedy's sudden delight.

Yin nods. Walks quietly towards the players, not particularly sneaking at all, takes the smoke grenade in hand. About ten feet back from the players--decently removed from the procession and behind it, it's quite quiet hopefully Yue will keep their attention away--pulls the pin, and thick, thick smoke begins to pour from it. Rolls these towards the cards, and counts seconds. Three seconds later, just as silent as an army boot can, she takes a few sprinting steps into the group, hoping to take advantage of startled confusion.

If it goes right, a hand will go over the mouth of her pre-determined target and an elbow around his neck in a blood choke. She hopes to have him out in seconds.

Revilier watches his love work, and decides he can help. A step and dive later, the other yokel lies on the floor with birds chirping over his head, while steel weights pin down the headless rider's hands and feet. Yin's target crumples as expected, falling back into her arms.

All this as Yue spreads the fans and his wings to dance a somber, trickling sort of dance complete with the occasional spout of hellfire for effect. The coast seems clear.

"I've got his arms, you get the legs, let's vacate," Yin notes quietly, beaming inside at the wyvern's assistance. They're an awesome team. He's okay for an officer.

She keeps an ear carefully backwards as they hurry--but not sprint, the sound of running draws instinctive attention--towards the exit, which isn't that far away, increasingly covered in the spreading smoke.

Yue's dance takes on a theatrical quality, telling a story when Tragedy begins wailing about the focus being off her suffering. Complete with 'blooming as though a flower' and 'wilting' steps, the incubus keeps the attention of all but four denizens of the house. Two of them are unconscious, one pinned to the ground, and the other languidly stretches atop the cross. 

Comedy winks out of sight.

Still, the coast remains clear.

Still, Yin sighs as they get outside. "Smooth. But I think we're caught." Takes the dude's pulse. Yeah, he's fine.

"How do you mean?" Revilier asks, looking back. Wondering if Yue's coming out or not.

"The cat disappeared. That worries me. We're picking on someone he knows. Where the hell's Yue?" Moves away from the entrance as she speaks, of course.

"Dancing," Revilier nods, "and... stripping? Where in hell did she get that pole?"

"A literal one or the one between the legs?" Yin can't help but murmur after a snicker. "Come on. Let's start moving, I'm sure she can catch up. I'll get ahold of Kaz if things get hairy," her communicator isn't muted, as per being in an active operation so he can hear all this, "but otherwise we'll wait for her for teleportish stuff." Examines the guy they'd apprehended. "I'm thinking he'll be out five to seven minutes, he's reacting pretty normally to the choke. I don't think we'll have trouble handling him if he tries to squirm away after, from what I can see...I vote for not restraining him. Shall we go?"

"Sure. Pick him up on three--"

Yue chooses exactly that moment to appear, zipping the front of his suit as he prances through the smoky exit. A general commotion can be heard rising from within, but the incubus quickly changes the clock face and trots to catch up with Revilier and Yin.

"Quickly children, they lost interest." He smiles, hums a bar and claps his hands together, most amused.

Yin smirks. She is too, really. Yue does good work, and has style. Even if she'd be the first one to tell you that. Nods. "Kaz, can you get us somewhere else now? Four of us, right together."

"Yup. On three, two, one..."

A cat appears on Revilier's head.

"Smile."

Green sparkles erupt between the five of them.

Yin cringes, startled. "Shit...!"

This just proceeds them landing right back in Julen City.