Scene Summary: Armistice Day

Armistice Day
Chronicle	Milan Chronicle Paris Chronicle
Game Date	February 1-2, 2014
Real Date	December 26, 2012 — November 17, 2015
Characters	Dominic Vaughn Jean Claude Danut Louise Gaulois Maeve Glaistig Octavius Sage Vitus
Locations	Duomo di Milano Rue de la Pompe Elysium
Previous Scene	The Two of Us, We Wrote This Sonnet (Jean Claude, Maeve) The Vagabond King (Dominic, Octavius, Vitus)
Next Scene	All That Remains (Dominic, Maeve) Letter: Jean Claude to Ian (Jean Claude) Stories Are Made to Be Told (Octavius) The Ginevra Files: Paris (Vitus)
Content Warnings	Ableism, Captivity, Death, Domestic Abuse, Mental Illness, Mind Control, Racism, Self-Harm, Suicide, Violence
Original Scene	Armistice Day

Armistice Day is a crossover scene from the Milan Chronicle and Paris Chronicle primarily featuring the characters Jean Claude Danut, Maeve Glaistig, and Octavius Sage, with minor appearances by Dominic Vaughn, Louise Gaulois, and Vitus. It depicts Jean Claude and Maeve finding Octavius Sage's secret resting place, only to awaken the elder when they venture inside.

Scene Summary

Jean Claude and Maeve attend court in Milan, where they have fled after the destruction of Chicago. Maeve is depressed and grieving and seldom interacts with anyone, remembering her previous visits here with Octavius. Jean Claude takes care of her very similarly to him, dressing her and taking her to events; she recognizes that he is becoming more like their elders and less like her. She is afraid of Octavius appearing at the Milanese court, believing he would be angry with her, but he does not arrive. She thinks back on discussions about grief she has had with old friends. Jean Claude, meanwhile, is thoughtful of Maeve but impatient with her grief and wants her to get over Ian's Kross's death more quickly, which she fails to do. Maeve regrets all her decisions since the fall of Raleigh, thinking that if she had accompanied Octavius then, other disasters would never have happened.

One night on Elysium, a young ghoul that Maeve doesn't recognize waits on her before looking her in the eye and telling her in Irish Gaelic that she should visit Paris before forgetting that she has done so. Maeve realizes that this is probably a trigger implanted in her by Octavius and goes to find Jean Claude, who grudgingly agrees to accompany her to Paris.

Jean Claude and Maeve fly to Paris, holding hands most of the way, and attend the Parisian Elysium. They see nothing related to Octavius until another ghoul they do not know steps out of the shadows and asks Maeve if she would like to see the room. When she agrees, he takes her hand and leads both of them to an underground crypt beneath the Elysium itself, opening its many locked doors for them to descend. Maeve recognizes the architectural style and knows that Octavius must have designed the place.

Jean Claude and Maeve enter the central room of the crypt, where they discover Octavius lying in torpor on a bier. Maeve knows that their presence will wake him up eventually and touches his hand to let him know that she is there, all the while still afraid of his judgment when he awakens. She notices a second bier near the wall and goes to see who is on it, leaving a jealous Jean Claude to look Octavius over and angrily contemplate hurting him while he is unconscious. On the second bier, Maeve finds Dominic also in torpor, and overcome with grief and horror collapses into voluntary torpor herself.

Jean Claude rushes to Maeve's side to take her in his arms and plead with her to wake up, shaking her increasingly hard in panic when she does not. Octavius awakens, expecting to see Maeve, and instead sees the two on the floor and believes that Jean Claude has attacked her. He rises from the bier and uses the Celerity Discipline to pin Jean Claude down and demand that he explain, while a terrified Jean Claude laughs wildly, sure that he is about to die. Jean Claude taunts Octavius, telling him that his friend Julian Augustine is dead and that he must be losing his edge with age, and denies doing anything to hurt Maeve.

Octavius lets Jean Claude go but does not believe him that he did not do anything, arguing that Maeve is not that delicate. Jean Claude tries to stay in between the two of them to protect Maeve, but Octavius is distracted by noticing the second bier with Dominic on it. He is shocked and horrified, first accusing Jean Claude of doing this, then testing the bier to confirm that it is illusiory. Jean Claude protests that he does not know the man and has nothing to do with it, and Octavius agrees that it is beyond him, recognizing that it must be the real Dominic lying there.

Despondent, Octavius picks Maeve up from the floor and holds her while he tells Jean Claude a storybook version of the events of Maeve's Embrace, describing himself as a prince who wanted to protect a beautiful rose from being battered and destroyed by a careless owner. Jean Claude is unimpressed and says that he already knows about Maeve's background, and says that Octavius should have let Dominic have her, since she clearly hasn't done well under his care. Octavius is annoyed and disagrees, but demands that Jean Claude explain what he means. Hoping to antagonize him into violence, Jean Claude declares that the only time Maeve has ever been happy is with him, and claims that she is in love with him.

Octavius lays Maeve down on the bier and then uses Celerity to grab and pin Jean Claude again, this time using the Auspex Discipline to look into his mind and read his memories. He discovers that she has been extensively abused and is especially horrified to learn that Richard Montague used his appearance while doing so. He lets Jean Claude go, but Jean Claude is aroused by the violence, and taunts Octavius again, asking if he wants him to narrate everything that happened to Maeve in Chicago out loud. Octavius picks Maeve up again and sits down with her on the floor, caressing and comforting her unconscious body. Jean Claude is alarmed when Octavius removes his sunglasses, allowing his eyes to be damaged by the dim light.

Octavius says that he should never have left Maeve behind, prompting Jean Claude to angrily lecture him about it, saying that if he really cared about her, he should have rescued her from the Sabbat invasions, the Setites, or her other abusers. He implies that Maeve is worthless to someone like the Black Rose, to which Octavius agrees but says that the Black Rose died many years ago. Octavius considers waking Maeve up, but can't bear the thought that she would only love him due to the blood bond and instead lays her on the bier alongside Dominic.

Octavius takes Jean Claude by the arm and declares that they will leave and let them rest. Jean Claude obeys until he realizes that they are leaving Maeve behind, beginning to panic and struggle. Octavius drags him fighting and screaming up the stairs and outside, leaving the crypt to automatically lock behind them, before letting him go. Jean Claude tries to argue with him, believing that he is throwing Maeve away, but Octavius says that he is fulfilling a promise and tells Jean Claude to go and let at least one of the children of the great Houses survive. Jean Claude tries to fight him, but as the sun is rising is eventually overcome with terror and flees, desperately looking for shelter until he finds an industrial dumpster to hide behind for the day, where he falls asleep weeping.

Octavius remains on the street in front of the crypt as the sun rises, refusing to seek shelter as it incinerates him. In the crypt below, Dominic puts his arm around Maeve and the two are still.

Script Summary

The script summary for this scene pares it down to only dialogue and action directions, allowing for a quicker and easier read through what was actually said and done by the characters. Click on the "Expand" tag to the right to view the entire script summary for this scene.

Armistice Day Script Summary

Maeve grieves her recent losses in Milan, where she remembers Octavius taking care of her. She is joined by Jean Claude, who accompanies and takes care of her. The two of them attend Elysium in Milan for several weeks while Jean Claude tries to consolidate political power and Maeve wonders if she will ever find her missing sire. Eventually, Louise approaches Maeve at a salon.

LOUISE: Signorina, más mian leat, molaim duit cuairt a thabhairt ar Pháras. Tá sé go hálainn an t-am seo den bhliain.

Louise seems to withdraw and walks away. Maeve gets up and walks through the crowd until she finds Jean Claude, who she takes by the arm.

MAEVE: Jean Claude. I think we must go to Paris.

JEAN CLAUDE: Why, ma petite, we have only just come to Milan. Surely our pageantry cannot have bored you already.

MAEVE: I have heard that it is lovely this time of year.

Maeve and Jean Claude fly from Milan to Paris, holding hands on the plane. He tells her that he is looking forward to seeing the Parisian court, and Maeve nervously twists her wedding ring too much and scratches herself. They both attend Elysium, where Vitus steps out of the shadows as soon as they enter.

MAEVE: Hello.

There is a short silence as the man shakes his head, looking confused.

VITUS: Mademoiselle, would you like me to show you to the room?

He offers Maeve his hand and she accepts. Jean Claude continues to hold and stroke her other hand.

MAEVE: Thank you. I would like that.

All three go outside, still holding hands. Vitus opens a secret entrance to a crypt underneath the Elysium, and Jean Claude and Maeve go down the stairs into it. Vitus leads the way and draws a curtain aside, then opens a door for them. Maeve hesitates, but goes inside anyway. She finds Octavius lying in state on a bier and reaches out to touch his hand; he feels the warmth of her hand and begins to wake up. Maeve notices a second bier against one wall and walks over to it, only to discover that Dominic is lying on it, causing her to wonder if she is losing her mind.

MAEVE: I'm sorry.

Jean Claude walks over to look down at Octavius and sneers at him in anger. He is shocked when Maeve suddenly faints and falls to the ground, rushing to take her in his arms. He shakes her gently, then harder when she does not wake up.

JEAN CLAUDE: Ma petite, réveille-toi.

Jean Claude begins to pick Maeve up, but is distracted by seeing Dominic on the nearby bier. Octavius opens his eyes and rises from his bier with superhuman speed, grabbing Jean Claude and slamming him into the bier's side. He reaches for a sword hilt but is not wearing one.

OCTAVIUS: Tell me what you did to her or I swear to you, Augustine's or not, I will turn you to ash where you cower.

Jean Claude laughs wildly. He uses the Presence Discipline to force Octavius to let go of him and back away. He turns around but remains leaning against the bier instead of getting up.

JEAN CLAUDE: Augustine's? You have been asleep for some time, signore. I am no longer Augustine's; Augustine is mine. The name, at any rate.

He shrugs.

JEAN CLAUDE: Julian is no longer with us. You will find Milan much changed from your memories, dear Sage. But no matter. You are no doubt out of date after this little retirement adventure.

Jean Claude gets up and slowly slides in front of Maeve.

JEAN CLAUDE: As for your lovely daughter, you may temper your paternal wrath. I have done nothing to her. The shock of seeing you again, perhaps? I do not know. But when we came in, she simply... fell. She... fell, signore.

OCTAVIUS: I think not. My daughter is a fragile bloom, but she is not so delicate that she should faint merely at the sight of me. If you do not know what happened to her, then move aside.

He begins to step toward them, but notices the second bier and is shocked to recognize Dominic lying on it.

OCTAVIUS: God in heaven. God in heaven. What is the meaning of this?

JEAN CLAUDE: The meaning of what? The man? I do not know. He was here when we arrived. I thought him one of your students. Perhaps you have been asleep so long your memory has finally gone, old teacher. Such a thing would not surprise me.

He folds his arms sullenly.

JEAN CLAUDE: It is your crypt.

OCTAVIUS: Tell me, Danut, was this your doing?

He concentrates and is able to pass his fingers through the bier, revealing that it is an illusion. He almost touches Dominic, but stops at the last minute, unwilling to risk waking him up.

OCTAVIUS: No. This is beyond you. It is all beyond you.

He walks to Maeve and picks her up off the floor, leaning against his bier while he holds her.

OCTAVIUS: Would you like to hear a story, Danut? I will tell you one. It is a story known to none in Paris, almost none in the world. Your father and Villon, but few others. You see, in a small city with a small king, there were two men: a prince who was meant to dine with kings, who had been called to bring order to the unruly city, and a Gypsy who was meant to hide in the fields, who had made his home there with others of his kind. In this city, the Gypsy found a precious rose, more beautiful and sweet-scented than any flower ever grown before. He plucked the rose and showed it to the prince, claiming that at last he had found something richer than even a king could own. The prince agreed that it was a most magnificent flower. But the Gypsy said that he would wear this rose, this most beautiful of blooms, in the brim of his hat on his travels, where it would become battered and wilted and diminished. The prince offered instead to take the rose to the palace with him, where it would be kept in a sparkling crystal vase and given pure delicious water to keep it fresh and lovely. It was unfair to this flower, he said, to damage it so. But the Gypsy laughed at his offer, and said that the rose was his own and he would do with it as he pleased, for he had found it first.

Octavius strokes Maeve's hair.

OCTAVIUS: So the prince called for his guards, and the Gypsy was taken away and killed, and the rose was brought to the palace to grow and live its life in safety. A pretty tale, is it not?

JEAN CLAUDE: I already know about her ancestry. Perhaps you should have let him take her. Certainly you see she has hardly prospered.

OCTAVIUS: No. No. You are a foolish boy. She did prosper, my beautiful one. For a little time. Tell me what has happened to her, boy. Tell me how she has not, as you say, 'prospered.'

JEAN CLAUDE: I do not believe I have ever seen her prosper. Except for when she was with me, of course. She loves me very madly, you know. A foolish girl, yes? But with good taste.

Octavius lays Maeve on his empty bier and carefully arranges her body. He then suddenly uses the Celerity Discipline to move too quickly to be seen and grab Jean Claude by the throat, lifting him off the ground and then slamming him back into the side of the bier again. He makes eye contact and uses the Auspex Discipline to look into Jean Claude's mind. After a moment, Octavius lets Jean Claude go and stands back up, turning his back to him.

JEAN CLAUDE: Well, Signore? Have I pleased you? Perhaps you would like a more colorful retelling. Shall I narrate it for you, the pathetic little story of the Black Rose's daughter in Chicago? Surely it would be more entertaining.

Octavius replays all of Jean Claude's memories of Maeve's activities in Chicago and is devastated to discover that Richard Montague used his appearance while abusing Maeve. He picks her up again and then slowly sits down on the floor, holding her in his lap. He kisses her forehead several times.

OCTAVIUS: I have seen enough.

He removes his sunglasses, hissing in pain as the light hurts his eyes. He pets Maeve's face and shoulders.

OCTAVIUS: My beautiful one. I should never have left her.

JEAN CLAUDE: No, Signore, you should not have. Perhaps if you cared about her so much, you could have seen fit to interrupt your rest to come rescue her before the Sabbat overwhelmed her city. Or perhaps before that, when she suffered such abuse in silence while you slept on undisturbed. Or perhaps even before that, you could have seen fit to keep her away from the Serpents, if for no other reason than to keep up appearances.

Jean Claude stands up.

JEAN CLAUDE: But of course, you are right. You should never have left her behind at all, if you cared about our little one all that much. But of course, what is one little one to the Black Rose?

OCTAVIUS: To the Black Rose? Nothing at all. But the Black Rose has been gone for many years. He died, far away from here.

He stands up again, still holding Maeve, and begins to cry silently. He carries her to the bier where Dominic is lying and lays her down with him.

OCTAVIUS: Come. We will let them rest, you and I.

Octavius walks toward the entrance of the crypt and Jean Claude follows until he realizes that they have left Maeve behind and tries to turn around. Octavius stops him by grabbing his upper arm.

JEAN CLAUDE: Signore— Let go!

They leave the crypt and Octavius drags Jean Claude up the stairs. Jean Claude continues to fight and demand to be let go, but Octavius ignores him. Once they are outside, the gate locks automatically behind them and Octavius lets go of Jean Claude's arm. Jean Claude staggers.

JEAN CLAUDE: What are you doing? You cannot simply — throw her away.

OCTAVIUS: I am doing what I have always promised I would do. You should go. Let Augustine have made something, of all of us.

The sky lightens as dawn approaches. Jean Claude struggles not to run while the increasing light causes Octavius' eyes to begin to burn away.

OCTAVIUS: I said run, boy!

Jean Claude runs in a panic and tries to open the doors of several buildings only to find them locked. He rushes into an alley with an overhang and crawls behind an industrial dumpster for shelter. He falls unconscious, crying. Octavius remains standing in front of the crypt until the sun rises and he is incinerated. Belowground in the crypt, Dominic puts his arm around the unconscious Maeve and goes back to sleep.

Translations

Trivia

• Almost all dialogue in this scene takes place in Italian, but has been translated to English here for ease of reference.
  
  
• Louise uses Irish Gaelic to give Maeve her message, a language that few people other than Octavius would know she understands.
  
  
• Jean Claude and Maeve notice that Vitus has scars around his throat and wrists. These are from Dominic having recently tortured him for the location of Octavius' crypt in Trust Me.
  
  
• Octavius reads Jean Claude's memories instead of Maeve's in an attempt to fulfill a previous promise to her not to invade her thoughts.
  
  
• Octavius uses the ethnic slur G**sy to refer to members of Clan Ravnos, regardless of their actual ethnicity.
  
  
• Jean Claude is shaken by Octavius removing his sunglasses; in the past, he has done so only rarely and in private.
  
  
• Octavius says that he is "doing what he always said he would do"; he is referring to having told Maeve that if she ever loved someone else, one of the two of them would die.