CHAPTER FINALE ♔ cause it's always raining in my head

[narcosynthesis]

♬ oceano - josh groban

WHO || Keijen Blade, Nadia Reichenov, Rafael Giovanni, Buffy Summers, Alainn O'Rourke, Myrilandel Odair, Finnick Odair, Desmond Descant, Elena Gilbert, Rose Hathaway, Fredrick Jr., Jack Chessing, Kat Samcelot, Jeanne Gar, Spike, Sterling Archer, Violet Reedhym, Burt Becksworth, Isabella Alessandro
WHAT || Failboat does the Grammy's, tries to stop Keijen Blade's performance from reaching the masses, and aspires to save Nadia
WHERE || Staples Center, Los Angeles
WHEN || Feb 8th, 2015
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread.

The day has finally arrived: the 2015 Grammy's gather together musical talent at the top of the food chain, which means that NOVA Records will be well represented at this year's ceremony. Unfortunately, this includes performances from Keijen Blade's band, Heatless Passion, and Nadia Reichenov's, Derere, both of whom are working for "Chad Becksworth", aka Draken Crombe, head of the Shadowkind-hating cult, the Church of the Lord's Humanity.  Equipped with some sort of ability to hypnotize large crowds with subliminal messages, Wynn fears what lies beneath Keijen's intended performance, and is sending his Knights to shut down the broadcast, to prevent that message from being spread to millions of viewers worldwide.

Meanwhile, the gang finally has a chance to see Rafael Giovanni again - but what he's been up to in the months since they last saw him, and how his reunion with Buffy will go, remains to be seen.

Several of the Knights have decided that this is their last chance as well to try and break Nadia free from Keijen's influence, now that they've learned the truth about him - that Keijen is in fact Kel'in'hrae, sadistic son of the Nightmare God Malaak'a, likely working to free his father from the prison Sehanine had created for him.  The prison sealed by the relic that the team has been chasing for years, believing it to be an immortality-granting talisman of great power.

The truth, it seems, was worse than they could have imagined.  

One step at a time, however, and stopping the signal is first priority on Failboat's to do list for now.  With an actual plan under their belts this time, maybe this is the turning point they've been waiting for...    

Comments

[slay]

I don't know! You couldn't have picked something— [ she flounders ] —harder to make?

[bigbad]

What, they're not that easy. Have you ever made one?

[slay]

Hey! Are you saying I don't seem like a good homemaker? Because I could make the heck out of a— [ She slowly deflates in her defensiveness and finally admits, ] I repinned a recipe for one once. Okay, I scrolled past it, but I almost repinned it.

[bigbad]

[He raises his eyebrow and lets her go on her defensive rant before continuing.]

And do you really think Archer of all people is going to turn out to have hidden talents as a pastry chef?

[slay]

He ... [ Huff puff. Whine. ] ... No. But a nuclear warhead would take much more than an hour and a half with an optional twenty-minute cool.

[bigbad]

You do know it won't actually kill me, right?

[slay]

My point is that it won't distract him from trying very long either.

[bigbad]

Maybe. But I'm not so easy to kill even when you do know all my weaknesses. Believe me, I can take bloody Archer easily enough.

[slay]

Just ... be careful. That's all I'm trying to say. [ A beat later, ] And tell Wynn.

[bigbad]

Tell Wynn? [Spike grimaces, leaning back in his seat.] That sounds far too much like taking him seriously as a threat.

[slay]

Archer might be an idiot, but in a fight? I'd want him on my team.

[ Which is almost like a buried compliment. Good thing Archer ain't around to hear it. ]

The whole world saw what he did to Roger James, and that wasn't even personal.

[bigbad]

If he ever figures out what my weaknesses really are, I'll worry. If he shoots me, I'll just punch him for his troubles.

[slay]

My point is that when he finds out your weaknesses, it'll be too late to worry. He's not subtle. You're gonna find out he knows when he's packing you full of silver bullets.

[bigbad]

[A long pause. He glances at her askance.] You do know those can't kill me, right? I'm not a werewolf.

[slay]

Uh, yeah, silver's not just werewolves, genius.

[ her brow furrows. ]

Vampires are totally weak to it too. Slayer, remember? I look these things up. [ A grimace follows and she shakes her head. ] God, I need a life.

[bigbad]

Vampire, remember? I think I’d know. [He pauses. Frowns.] I mean, I’ve worn silver….

[He frowns harder, then holds out his hand.]

Quick, stab me with your earring. That should tell us, right?

[slay]

That's cute that you think my earrings are real silver.

[ Evident in her expression is her attempt not to laugh at him. ]

I've got some weapons, but they're in the cargo hold. After the show's over, we can split hairs about your weaknesses.

[bigbad]

Archer has been loading his guns with silver bullets for a while. I wasn't fretting since I assumed it wouldn't work. If it turns out silver does harm me, I may have to take him a bit more seriously.

[A beat.]

Only a bit.

[slay]

He might be an idiot, but he's generally a good shot. All I'm saying is you should be careful.

[bigbad]

Don’t worry about me, pet. If someone like him gets a shot off at me good enough to take me out, I bloody well deserve to go.

[slay]

I repeat: good shot. [ Nothing shameful about being blown up by Archer; ask Roger James. ]