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

Entry tags:

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. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I never get to see the good parts of anywhere we go. Join the Knighthood, they said. Travel the world, see the sights. While you're wringing blood out of your second Grammys dress. [ She turns to look over her shoulder, shooting a scowl in the direction of the bathroom. ] I really gotta find a way to get some armor built into those things. This keeps happening. [ All that, though, is secondary to what's really going on. She looks up at him again, straightening her shoulders. ] Have you told the others?

[His expression's mildly crestfallen as he watches her while she's explaining all of that.] Everyone but Myri. She was with Finnick when I announced it.

[He's not looking forward to telling her. The poor girl's in enough pain, but he has to make it clear to her that it's not forever and hopefully that will be enough.]

Announced it. Wow. Be a little more impersonal, why don'tcha. [ She doesn't mean to be snippy, but it comes out before she means it to: ] Got a press release you'd like me to put out for Mr. and Mrs. Odair?

I sort of got caught up in the moment, all right? [He squints a bit, struggling with something, and then sighs.] Last night was emotional for us all.

I'll say.

[ She relents a little at that, settling down to sit on the edge of the bed, loosely lacing her hands in front of her. Her shoulders hunch with the weight of it all. ]

You know how when you ride a roller coaster, even after you get off, it feels like you're still moving? [ Lips pulled into a thin line, she nods. ] I'm still moving.

Sometimes it's like that. [He walks over to the other side of the bed and perches there.] And sometimes, even after the effect's supposed to have worn off, the feeling stays, 'cause you know if you slow down, it'll start up again.

Don't make it harder on yourself, Blondie. You did real good out there. We both did. And yet... [he sighs] ... here we are, stuck on what we missed. All the bad that's still in the world.

[ An amused smile tugs at her lips as he continues. She waits until he's done, then nods with her eyebrows raised. ] Not exactly what I was getting at, but good to know I'm not the only one.

[ She shakes her head. ]

I just mean ... I'm still processing.

[He nods slowly, dragging his tongue down his bottom teeth in a thoughtful, yet awkward gesture.] Right. That makes sense.

I mean, Rafael really did win the Grammy, didn't he? [He looks back over at her, forcing a wry smile to coax her into a laugh at his pathetic attempt to find humor in that situation.]

[ It works: she chuckles, rolling her eyes a little bit to indicate her reluctance in it. But when she looks back at him, it's all fondness and warmth despite her sarcastic tone of voice. ]

Yeah, I guess he's actually not bad at this pop star business. Who knew?

[he shrugs, drawing one leg up onto the bed and wrapping his arms around it so he can rest his chin on his knee and observe her.] How's he doing, anyway?

Improving.

[ Reluctantly declared. She isn't going to be the one to spill Rafael's business to Des, not in detail anyway. She looks down at her hands, fidgeting somewhat. ]

The last couple months were ... He's been having a rough time of it. [ She looks back up at him, preempting: ] Which is still a crappy excuse for taking you off speed dial; I know. But he's getting through it.

We all have our moments. [he shrugs. whatever fears rafael may have had about des's anger seem to be exaggerated, because he doesn't look like he minds that much.] He's alive. That's what matters. everything else is history.

Yeah.

[ She wonders for a moment just how close of a call that was. He'd tried to kill himself once in Chicago, and still she's never seen him as low as he was last night. Can't imagine what the past few months were like, by comparison. She redirects her concern, studying Des before asking; ] Do you trust her? Nadia.

[he rolls his shoulders as he thinks about that.] Well. I think she's a girl in a bad situation, who'd do anything to get out of it. And I think if they were trying to fuck with us using her, they would have sent her long before now, just because of Myri and Spike. She also gained nothing talking to us like that, so...

[He shakes his head.] I trust she's not working with Blade. That's about it. Desperation like hers doesn't make easy friends, especially when Myri and Spike do trust her with everything they've got. She didn't have to work for that.

Funny. They're exactly who I'm worried about.

[ Said grimly. After all, they'll be the ones hurt the worst if this is the wrong call. She seems resolute in her wariness, reaffirmed by Des' shared opinion, particularly keeping in mind that Des doesn't know what she does about Nadia. They did try to fuck with them using her. Did, literally, fuck with them. And there's something weathered in her eyes as she takes comfort in the mutual uncertainty. ]

I just hope we're making the right call.

People have made countless calls that people- rightfully, in most cases- assumed were wrong that turned out fine in the end. I don't think we're in any worse a boat than we started. We just can't assume she won't cut and run if she's cornered.

I'm not worried about her running; I'm worried about her staying. The closer she gets, the more she can hurt us if that's what she decides to do.

[He looks at the door.] Did she come back, after all? I thought she was meeting... that one guy.

No. No, she's gone. [ Buffy sighs, getting to her feet. ] Like I said. Processing.

[ And it's not like Myri and Spike would let anyone turn her away if she did come back. ]

Is this just about Nadia? [He watches her get up, watching her carefully.] The... processing period.

It's everything.

[ She paces, wringing her hands. ]

It's Keijen, and Nadia, and Anderson. The size of this thing. [ They're really looking at the fate of the world here. It's big. ] It's losing Finnick, and what it's doing to Myri. And I — It's just happening so fast. [ She flounders, grabbing for words that won't come. And Rafael. She'd just gotten him back, gotten only a few hours, and now he's gone like he'd never been back at all. A flash in the pan. It feels impossible to anchor herself to anything when it's all changing so fast. Especially now that Des is leaving. ] Nothing's sinking in. It doesn't even feel real yet.

Edited 2015-04-21 03:21 (UTC)

[Des listens quietly, chin still resting on his knee. He closes his eyes halfway through her speech as sympathy and his own empathetic understanding of her situation clouds his vision and makes him only able to see through a haze of horror. Everything does seem so bleak, so futile, so utterly purposeless.]

The problem is we spent so many years chasing phantoms and didn't realize it. Now we know what we're fighting and that's terrifying.

[He rests his forehead on his knee and inhales.] I don't have an excuse for Anderson. I'm just glad he's dead.

[ She is glad he's dead. Struggling to deal with whether she should be glad she killed him or not, but glad that he's no longer a threat. Yet she can't shake the feeling like he's still there, lurking in the shadows. She lets the subject of Anderson fall to the wayside, not ready to meet it head-on like she had with Rafael. ]

It's like … [ She huffs, looking back towards him and throwing her arms out to her sides in an exhausted, surrendering move. ] Before I can even get my feet under me, someone's pulling out the rug. Everything's changing. [ She pulls one hand back to her ribcage, like she's trying to physically draw the words out of her chest. ] And meanwhile, I— I can't do anything. I can't stop it. I can't fix it. I'm just supposed to hold on and get swept up along for the ride.

[Des is still over here contemplating his kneecap.]

I really wish I had some sage old man advice for that kind of thing, but after all these years, all I've ever been able to do is bulldoze my way to the end of it before I get swept up, consequences be damned. [inhale. exhale. like he's choosing his words between breaths.] You're not as much of a bull in a china shop as me, though.

Edited 2015-04-21 03:50 (UTC)

You've never seen me handling china. Super strength thing. Much badness.

[ The words come out softly. She takes a beat to really look at him. ]

You okay?

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject