knightsoflegend | marseilles ♔ swallowing the pill til i breathed my last

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marseilles ♔ swallowing the pill til i breathed my last

WHO || Dean, Rose, Gus, Ashley, Elijah [closed]
WHAT || The Knights head to speak with the Carmilla
WHERE || Marseilles, France
WHEN || Mid April 2016
HOW || Actionspam

Last fall, two Knights were killed in action while investigating a group of rogue vampires in Paris - Sir Dragomir and Sir Rast. While the vampires were brought under control, the mystery of who exactly killed the Knights remains up in the air, and to that end, Wynn has decided to establish contact with an ancient vampire known as Carmilla, leader of a vampiric coven of Elders who dictate the rules by which most nearby covens live in order to maintain their existence without bringing humankind down on their heads.

Also of interest to the assigned Knights is the strange abrupt departure of Sir Helen Magnus, who stayed behind in Paris and sent an unusual letter to her daughter Ashley that refused to explain what she was doing, but left the woman more concerned than ever.

Wynn has made arrangements with the coven, who have reluctantly agreed to meet with the Knights, and so a few days after their briefing, Dean pulls their rented vehicle up to the gates of the creepy manor where the Elders have at least agreed to rendezvous. While the grounds are well kept, there's an air of emptiness to the whole place.

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[ it's rose's reaction that really throws dean off here. he looks between helen and company and her, eyes growing wide ] You know this guy?

Dashiell. [ there's a warning note in carmilla's voice as she speaks through gritted teeth ] Bad timing.

[ dashiell stares between them all, rose's terrifying aspect drawing his attention most of all. ] So it seems.

Helen. Perhaps you'd like to tell them that this is a simple enough matter for us to discuss calmly.

[Helen glances towards Dashiell, still looking more than a little caught off guard. But she knows that if anyone is going to calm this group down, it's going to be her. Still, that's no easy task to undertake.

She steps forward, moving away from both vampires she arrived with, all but ignoring the Carmilla to let her gaze shift across those faces more familiar to her.]

I can explain. But... [Whatever was going to come next is swallowed as her throat tightens and tears spring to her eyes. Seeing Rose and Ashley is a slap of reality right across her face. Nothing against Dean or Gus, but her guilt is rooted more in her failings as a mother. (Diplomacy crit fail)]

But what?

[Her eyes look desperate as she looks at her mother, completely not understanding any of this or what it means, but they harden as they flick over to the vampire who spoke her Mom's name.]

What did you do to her? If you did something to her, I swear to God...

[But she's way too shaken up to actually be very scary (intimidate 12).]

[Yeah, Kiance is really confused at all of this, and going to just keep himself close enough that he can protect Helen or his sire if he needs to. Otherwise he is so not the interesting person in this trio. Totally not at all.]

[Rose exchanges a significant look with Dean, his words the only ones that truly register at first but as Helen speaks? It's the first time she even realizes that the woman who's with them is familiar to her. Rose's head slowly turning to stare at her. Silent accusations flying through the air as the grip on her stake tightens.]

No. You can't. [Rose holding her ground right now by sheer will alone (WS 28).] Did you know.

[Unwilling to take her eyes off of the trio in front of them and yet, it doesn't seem like those words are meant any of them.]

Did you?! [Spitting out those words as she turns her head just enough to catch a glimpse of Carmilla in her periphery.]

Did I know what? [ the queen snarls, clearly unamused with rose's aggressive questioning ]

[The stake continues to shake in her hand as the tension rolls through her body, Rose pointedly refusing to even look at Helen as she drags her gaze back to Dashiell (WS 27).]

That while insisting those responsible for the murders of our Knights had been dealt with, you were about to meet with one of them!

Helen. [ it's sharp, but low, and very obviously indicates "bring yo ass over here, you fucking trollop, before shit firmly meets the fan". ]

[ he doesn't look away from rose, a coldness in his features at his words ] Have there been more murders?

[Ashley's too mad to think straight apparently, because she bombed the fuck out of her wisdom check.]

Mom, what the hell is going on!?

[Her gaze shifts to Gus when he speaks her name, knowing what he's saying with that single word, but finding herself unable to move. Rose's accusations cause Helen to shake her head. But it's Ashley's insistence that forces her to speak.]

No, Rose. Dashiell saved me from the young ones who killed them. [She can't bring herself to use names and imagines that it won't help matters much. In fact, it will likely make them so much worse.] He's the only reason I'm alive right now.

[The rest, though? It's complicated and more difficult to explain than she feel comfortable doing in this setting. Her hand may well be forced, though.]

I stayed with him. Willingly. We have...an arrangement of sorts.

[Rose's head finally snaps to Helen, the acknowledgement likely less than welcome given the fire that burns in her eyes.]

You know. Nothing! [Spitting those words out like an accusation.]

I saw it! I felt her fear. Her pain. I watched as he - [Flinging her finger out in accusation.] Drained the life out of Max.

[Disgust contorts her features, Rose able to pick up on what Helen is getting at. (Wis 19). Her control on her rage weakening, voice cold to match her glare.]

He killed them for sport! He condemned me to death and you became his Bloodwhore.

Hey!

[probably the first contribution he's given to the room as he removes his glasses and steps forward, strategically a step around Helen and putting him in the pathway between both the group and both Dashiell and Helen in case he needed to protect them. He flashed a smile though, the performer stepping up to the plate (Diplomacy 30)]

We're not going to get anywhere yelling at each other. All that's going to lead is risen heartbeats, frustrated vampires and tension that will eventually break and I don't want to be on either side when that happens because it will not end well.

Now please, you're pissed. We get it, you got your reasons and they are valid ones. But right now is not the best place for you to approach it like this.

[he looked at Rose, his eyes sympathetic in a way, but firm]

Please.

[She can see Kiance's point, but all that makes Ashley care about is the fact that her mother is still on the other side of the room with an apparent murderer.]

Mom, get away from him. Please.

[They can figure everything else out later.]

Helen knew what she was getting into. Knew precisely what I was. That is, actually, what prompted her to make this ... arrangement in the first place.

[Rose's continued accusations and the insistence on Ashley's voice cause Helen to take a step away from both of the men she arrived here with. Her gaze is locked on Dashiell, though.]

Knew you were a vampire, yes. But what she's saying is something else entirely, isn't it? Does she have it right? Did you play some part in their deaths?

[Preemptive sense motive 28.]

There's something you've missed in all this, it seems.

It's our job to take care of our own, but we still value our own lives over those of humans. Did you really think that we would sentence one of our kind to death without proof of what they were willing to do?

Without seeing them partake in this sort of unchecked slaughter firsthand?

Dashiell did precisely what he was meant to do.

[ i will do these things - azure ray

dashiell turns to meet helen's gaze, and there's an intensity behind it that doesn't really hold an apology. he's clearly known this moment was coming, and it's obvious he expects that on some level, she did too. ]

I told you, Helen, when we met, that I had only just fed. You knew that lives had been taken and that I wished to avoid doing the same in the future, which is why I desired a companion.

You never once asked who they were. Whose lives had been lost, and you little cared for specifics. In truth, it was nothing personal to them at all - I merely had to fall in with one of these rebellious vampire youths, to see if they were so eager and willing to kill without thought of consequence, before I could carry out the execution sanctioned by the Carmilla. Mortal lives are not a price we pay eagerly, but as she says: we value our own more dearly.

If anything, knowing more acutely what you are sparing others should only strengthen your resolve to prevent further death, not make you recoil from it.

You told me you had fed recently, but not that you'd taken any life. Only that a willing offer would make it more likely that no more lives would be lost. Like those taken by the young ones, not... [Horror covers her expression, anger creasing her brow as she shakes her head.]

If you had told me you'd recently murdered someone, I wouldn't have... Oh god-

[Her hand goes to cover her mouth.]

I trusted you! [Her volume raises with each word.] And foolishly thought you might have cared for me in some capacity.

[Oh, she definitely didn't really mean to go there in front of everyone. Now isn't the time to get all personal about it, Helen.]

So, to paraphrase: You sent Dashiell to take care of the rogue vampire youth, allowing them their fun so he would have proof of their indiscretions? [ gus still seems neutral in regards to temper, ignoring the various outbursts. ] Our knights happened to be your collateral damage. Because, of course, you allowed their killing sprees to go on unchecked for so long that it became noticeable enough to warrant our attention in the first place.

Don't try to act innocent about this, Helen. You knew what it meant - what it might have meant, but when they were strangers, you could dismiss it in a way that you now find difficult to do because they had a face. Because they meant something to you. [ he takes a step closer to her ] I didn't lie to you. I merely allowed you to continue lying to yourself, since that was what you chose.

That doesn't alter my capacity to care for you.

We can kill them now, right?

[oh hey, Kiance didn't get THAT memo in his orientation packet. And his eyes are narrowing at his sire in a very judging look and take a nice few steps back because he is so not down with killing the humans.

Kill them all, and what's left to eat? Plus really, groupies were awesome. Just saying]

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