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

[coldheritage]

♬ The Truth - Nonpoint

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.  ]

Comments

[rationalizes]

Spike is right. We're certainly going to be cautious about all of this, but we can't afford to ignore it, either.

[nothingsodivine]

[Des, meanwhile, being the Vesuvius of his, Rafael, and Buffy's little triad, finally notices the attitude Rafael's giving off. It's not... right. He steps a bit closer to the half-elf, lowering his voice.]

Fluffy. Jesus. You're throwing off our feng-shui. See, I'm the hothead, you're the coldly murderous one, and Buffy is little beacon of light that tries to keep us from tilting too far one way. Right now you're on my side of the scale and I'm on yours. It's freakin' me out a little.

[savemyself]

[ /CRIT FAILS WILL SAVE NOT TO INTERRUPTING COW and ofc makes her listen check to hear that. ] Rafael has said he does not wish to discuss it here. [ it's unclear as to whether her irritation is with des, the situation, or with the fact that she... also doesn't know. either way, rafael just gives her and des a side-long look, and again, says nothing. ]

[slay]

[ A flash of tension in her jaw. Buffy chokes something down, not looking at Spike, or Rafael, or Isabella right now. She turns back towards the event hall. ] What is Rose doing? [ She'd like to retract her earlier patience. ]

[bigbad]

Who bloody knows, but she better be quick about it. [He scowls crossing his arms, and glares in the direction she ran.] We've got places to be.

[nothingsodivine]

[Whelp. He tried. Des scratches awkwardly at the space between his eyes and goes to... find a spot that isn't currently covered in blood and brain matter to sit down and... contemplate the situation and reload his gun.

And maybe clean the blood off the bayonet in his jacket, because that's gross.]

[witchwoman]

I don't think she intended for us to wait for her. [Or at least Myri has no intention of waiting... sorry but sh needs to wrap this up so she can get back to her broken husband and hope he'll actually want to touch her or at least stop doubting her existence being real???] She said she would catch up with us.

[slay]

[ Don't tell Buffy twice. She'd like to know what the fuck is going on too, especially considering how cray Rafael is being about it. ]

Good enough for me.

[ Myri speaks for the trees, then looks around. ]

Who's driving?

[bigbad]

That'd be me. [Because tbh Spike doesn't trust most of the other people here behind the wheel. Also because he wants to drive fast and if he's behind the wheel, that'll happen.]

[doubletake]

Pretty sure she meant that she'd catch up in the lobby or something. It's not like we brought a bunch of extra cars.

[Seriously you guys...]

[nothingsodivine]

This was a bad idea. [s-so tense, des.] We got out without runnin' into Blade once- there's such a thing as tempting fate, y'know? And for what? An autograph?

[doubletake]

Like I said, I hope it was important.

[/casually acts like she doesn't really care, actually does oops

Don't die, ladies. Hurry the fuck up.]

[nothingsodivine]

[Des looks around at the group, lingering on Myri for a long moment. He sticks his tongue in his cheek, and stands up.]

Look, we're obviously divided on this. Rafael and Isabella can probably get us a car to use. Whoever wants to stay here can stay here, the rest can go on ahead. That way if anything happens to Rose, someone's here for back-up and if anything happens where Nadia is, it's handled. [(Diplomacy 42)]

[slay]

Uh, speaking as the person who almost died becoming a preacher-kabob the last time we split up, can I vote a big "no" to that plan?

[ No offense, Des. Buffy wants to know. She just doesn't want to know bad enough to split the party. ]

[littledhampir]

Big no to what plan? [As Rose (and one can assume Alainn) reappear,the former a little flushed in the face from running but otherwise, fine.] Sorry just had to grab something.

[nothingsodivine]

[yeah, that shuts des right the fuck up. DIPLOMACY REDACTED.]

Point taken.

[OH BUT HEY ROSE IS HERE.] Doesn't matter now. Are we ready?

[slay]

New plan, where we all get in the car and leave now.

[ She starts directing traffic into the car like she's bringing planes in at Heathrow. Moving right along. ]

[isisagent]

About damn time, anyway. [Mandatory Archer comment.]

[witchwoman]

[Myri barely registers that Rose has returned. She's laser focused on saving Nadia and then saving Finnick. She doesn't have time to fuss with anything else at all.]

[chessing]

[ jack sits up front with spike, while everyone else can hop in the back after kat casts clown car again. ] Keep a sharp eye out.

[bigbad]

[Spike barely waits for the last door to shut before he zooms out of there (drive 27).]

Hope you've all got your seat belts on.

[But he's definitely not waiting around to make sure. And he got a nat 20 navigate check so he's just following his heart to where Nadia's gonna be. Probably takes a few semi-to-definitely-illegal shortcuts that shouldn't save him time but somehow really do. Apparently he really knows the LA area well.]

[shootfirst]

[ as they drive along, kat glances over at rose, trying to see what she stole. ] So what was so important?

[ rose never, however, gets a chance to answer. as spike careens the car around a corner, there's suddenly the distinctive snap of bullets hitting the car. ] -- Motherfucker! [ she turns to look out the closed windows - anyone who does the same can make a spot check, and anyone who makes a 25 will think to look up enough to see the helicopter cutting through the buildings and following them above. ]

[nothingsodivine]

[Des couldn't make that spot check without a nat 20, because he is terrible at this game, but HE KNOWS WHAT BULLETS ARE.]

Are you kidding me? Who is it this time?

[doubletake]

[Elena sure did though, as she ducks her head on instinct because WTF (spot 29).]

Well, who do we know that can fly a fucking helicopter!?

[As she points towards the roof of the car.

...For the love of god Spike, don't crash please. At least Elena manages not to look totally terrified (will save 25). Cars hate her.]

[romanticidal]

The Mind Master had one. It might have belonged to Chad. [ lol so out of the loop so precious. he pulls out the guns he's borrowed from multiple sources, however. ]