knightsoflegend | CHAPTER FOUR ♔ does it run in your blood to betray the ones you love

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CHAPTER FOUR ♔ does it run in your blood to betray the ones you love

WHO || Failboat, Rafael, Isabella, Nadia [Closed]
WHAT || After an exciting Grammy night, the Knights meet up with Nadia to hear what she has to say
WHERE || Staples Center, LA --> Warehouse
WHEN || Feb 8th, 2015 [back dated]
HOW || Actionspam

[ The Knights' mission to stop the signal and prevent Draken's cult from spreading whatever subliminal message was lurking beneath Keijen Blade's performance was a success. It didn't come without its bumps in the road, however: Alexander Anderson showed up, and the Knights ran afoul of the Mind Master. Buffy nearly died fighting Anderson, but in the end, he was defeated, beheaded, and hopefully put to death forever. Finnick, though, found himself thrust into a mental illusion that convinced him he might still be in the Hunger Games, and left him uncertain about whether any of his life here was real.

Another surprise came in the form of an announcement by Nadia Reichenov, an artist working with Crombe and company, that she was changing her band name and taking things in a 'new direction'. This direction was perhaps revealed when after her performance, she approached the Knights in Rafael's dressing room - and handed them the necklace that connects her to the Nightmare God Malaak'a, saying she was willing to tell them everything. ]

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[ when the door closes sealing them outside, jack turns to look buffy over, frowning ] I was hoping we might steal a word.

[ When she first steps out, she looks ready to gear up to tell him something, but stops short when he beats her to the punch. Buffy's brow furrows, and she pauses. ]

... Wait. You were?

I wanted to make certain you were alright. Having faced Anderson alone myself once, I can imagine how... trying the experience might have been.

[ She seems startled that it has occurred to him to ask after her about it. Dropping her head, Buffy turns briefly away from him, looking out at the city. Her hands fidget in front of her and she gapes silently a moment. ]

Oh.

[ Collecting herself doesn't come easy. For a moment, she seems to genuinely strain for words, struggling over them, and then finally she looks back towards him apologetically. ]

I'm not— Thank you. [ She decides to get that out first, pressing her lips together. ] But I can't … I'm not ready to talk about it yet. [ A shrug of her shoulder follows and she glances back out at the cityscape, swallowing thickly. In all that's happened tonight, she's hardly had time to process it herself, let alone the fact that they're keeping the body of a man she killed in Alainn's hammer space vault. She looks down to notice her hands shaking and grips the railing to steady them and mask the tremor. ]

Well, when the time comes that you are, if you find yourself in need of someone to talk to, you're still welcome to come to me. I may not be your mentor Knight anymore, but I still am concerned for your well-being, Buffy. [ but if you don't want to dwell, he's not gonna dwell ] What was it you did wish to speak about?

I'll keep that in mind. [ She's come to love that about him. The breezy, well-prioritized manner that had once left her feeling isolated and without guidance now helps her feel as if he does understand. Buffy's eyes shut briefly, a slip of relief, and she turns back towards him ready to move on.

But she keeps her hand gripped tight around the railing. ]

It's about Nadia. [ Briefly, her gaze shifts onto the door. She locks it back on him a moment later. ] I don't like this, Jack. Maybe she really is trying to get out, trying to help, but the things she did when she was with Blade … Coercion or no coercion, she chose to do it.

I can't say it's an ideal situation, no. Or that we should leap to trust her. But I do hope she at least provided us with some information that might be useful. [ since he, y'know, missed all that exposition so far ] I'm not certain that we can afford to turn away allies in this moment, but perhaps that's just what they're counting on.

She did. [ Buffy says that quickly enough, sighing. She huffs out a breath, glancing away from him as she tries to decide how much she wants to offer of what's not hers to tell. ] But she's not the only one. Rafael … [ Guilt wells up within her. Nadia and Blade went after him because of his connection to the Knights. Because of his connection to her. And now that she's not standing in the dark alley of a warehouse waiting for Nadia to give them intel, it occurs to her that the only reason Nadia's ploy had even worked as well as it did was because Buffy chose to ice him out. ]

God, this is all my fault. [ She takes a deep breath, green eyes flicking skyward to bat back a fresh surge of tears. It works to keep them at bay. ] They sent her after him, thinking he could tell them about Lazarus. [ She rounds on Jack again, eyes misty as she shakes her head. ] Jack, she hurt him. Bad.

[ his face falls a bit, rafael's earlier behavior clicking into place a bit for him ] With her abilities? [ it's clear that his mind is going to conventional harm, to some sort of violent attack. ]

[ The effort of holding back tears contorts her expression. Putting it to words means thinking about it more than she'd ever care to, and no amount of staring up in the left corner of her eyes will fully suppress the visible, visceral emotional response that pulls from her. All she can do is nod, using everything else she has to try and keep from crumpling under the weight of a guilt that isn't hers to bear.

Finally, she wrestles out a few clarifying words: ] She made him think she was Jade.

[ he sees the pain there, still doesn't make the extreme leap, his tone cautious as he prods ] To gain her confidence?

Not exactly.

[ In a manner of speaking, maybe, but not exactly. She struggles over it another moment, then explains. ]

They wanted him to drop his guard. [ A heavy sigh comes out of her and she wrings her hands, the words on the tip of her tongue but refusing to come out. Nausea strikes her as she finally spits out, ] So they had her seduce him.

[ his expression remains neutral enough by great effort of will as he studies her. ] ... I see. [ his gaze drops, eyebrows drawing together tightly as he sweeps his eyes over the railing. ] And she... willingly agreed to this?

I don't think anybody but Nadia knows the answer to that. But even if Blade or the Mind Master or the Nightmare God himself did dominate her, I don't want her anywhere near him.

[ There's a tremulous warning in her voice, like she can understand a little too well why Rafael had been so quick to pull his gun on her. ]

He wasn't exactly holding back with the hate in there, and she didn't even acknowledge it. You'd think if someone made her do it, she'd at least— [ Feel sorry? Reach out with an apology? Maybe not in front of the crowd of people, but Buffy doesn't really feature giving her the chance for another one-on-one unless it's Rafael's call. ]

I agree. [ it's quick, decisive. ] I imagine Rafael has somewhere else he can stay until she leaves tonight?

I think so.

[ A self-disparaging sort of nod comes next, like she's catching up with the fact that it's obvious. ]

I mean, yeah. He must.

[ She reaches up to wipe her hands over her cheeks, shaking it off. Her face is getting red and blotchy again and she hates it and she doesn't want to get like this but she can't shrug this off. She shakes her hands out, but the tremor won't stop. ]

I just ... I just figured you needed to know. Don't — Don't tell anyone else, okay? He doesn't need that, but you ... [ She trusts. Or, more importantly, the end of that sentence might be 'are mission leader.' ]

I won't betray his confidence - or yours - particularly on such a sensitive matter. [ it's a solemn promise, and he reaches out to squeeze her shoulder ] You have my word.

[ She nods vigorously, looking up at him intently, the naive and hero-worshipping faith that she puts in him shining through in her eyes. It crumbles soon enough, now that she has the debrief out of the way, and all attempts to compose herself appear to have been wasted as she deteriorates to admitting her own sense of failure, ] I really screwed up, Jack.

We're all allowed our mistakes, Buffy. They're the only way we learn anything about ourselves - provided we're willing to admit them and change. [ maybe it's not as comforting as trying to assure her that she didn't do anything wrong, but he doesn't really fly that way, particularly when he doesn't have all the details. ] Whatever's been done is in the past, and there's no changing that.

But the future is another matter.

[ Again, she nods along with his assurances, and a rough laugh makes its way out of her throat after a moment's silence once he's done. He's so stuffy and zen and you know what? Not that the pep talk isn't helping, but he's going to give her a hug. Buffy steps forward to slip her arms around his ribcage, settling her chin on his shoulder and sniffling super attractively. If he's too British to give hugs for comfort, she's jut going to take one for herself. For a moment, that seems to be all he gets, but then— ] I'm glad you didn't stay fired.

[ he relaxes into the hug as if he's not even british ok. he just didn't want to take ... HUG LIBERTIES????? her words bring a dry chuckle to his lips as he squeezes her back warmly. ] Then that makes two of us.

[ Well this has been a Moment. Buffy takes a bit to compose herself, then draws out of the hug, straightening her back and nodding to him like yep thanks for that good now. And to stave off any of her projected awkwardness, she dives in with a question to throw the conversation away from herself. ]

Speaking of things that got you fired … [ Because she hasn't given him a hard time about it yet. ] I hear you're engaged.

A bright spot on a rather dark horizon, at the moment, yes. [ despite the somber words, the smile that touches his lips makes it clear just how much hope that bright spot grants him. ] More than worth the risk.

Something to fight for.

[ She says it like an agreement. ]

I'm really happy for you.

[ Clapping a hand on his upper arm, she gives it an affirming squeeze. ]

I certainly appreciate the support. [ there's something in his smile that's rather knowing, as if there's another layer of meaning there. DOES HE KNOW WHAT YOU SAID TO WYNN, maybe we just don't know. he gestures with his head back towards the doors. ] Shall we?

jack & buffy

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