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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[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]

[Guess who crit failed their will save. Just guess.

Yep.

Ashley quick draws her Excalibur pistol, aiming it directly at Dashiell's chest.]

Don't you take one more goddamn step towards my mother, you piece of trash.

[Because she just prepared an action to shoot him if he does. I'm sure it's fine.]

Edited 2016-06-28 21:16 (UTC)

[Considering nobody else in this drama is named Mikaelson, Elijah has been watching it unfold with mild disinterest. Ashley seems to have Dashiell covered, so he turns to Carmilla.]

You had to know this was going to come out sooner or later. Or were you planning to throw him to the wolves in the hope your involvement would remain hidden?

[Perhaps if Rose were anything other than 5-alarm hostile right now, Kiance's words may have had the ability to sway her but as it stands, she merely glares. Clearly not opposed to going through him if she needs to. Her hatred fixed on Dashiell once more as the stranger moves out of the way.]

And do you really think we'll allow somebody who murdered one of ours to continue walking around?!

[From the way she holds her stake, it wouldn't take much to guess that Rose would like nothing more right now than to kill every Vampire in this room but it's Wynn's words that ring in her ears, keeping her from leaping at the face she knows too well. (WS 30).]

We didn't come here for war but if you take one more step towards her I will kill you and anyone who tries to stop me. [(Intimidate 36)]

[Helen stands still, eyes locked on Dashiell as he steps closer. His words creep into her mind and heart, twisting around the guilt she's tried to ignore ever since she decided to stay with him. Part of her knew that it couldn't be so simple. Part of her knee that having something wholly for herself wouldn't end well.

Ashley and Rose's threats sound so very far away, like there's some thick glass between them, muting their attempts. All she can visualize is those fangs that had sunk into her very neck now draining the life out of everyone she holds most dear.

She takes a step forward, closing the distance between herself and Dashiell. For the briefest moment, there's a flicker of grief in her eyes, a sadness that she likely won't be able to admit to. But just as quickly as the look appears, it's gone and replaced by hardened anger to rival the entire team of Knight's combined.

Her hand moves swiftly to slap him across the face (attack nat 20, damage is laughable and subdual but she def hit him okay.)]

I may have been lying to myself, but that doesn't absolve you from the part you played in it. You had every opportunity to be plain and honest with me. And if I had been anything more than a meal to you- if you had any shred of humanity left, it would have been the first thing you did. You disgust me.

[She moves, but not to fully retreat to the Knights. Instead, she moves to stand between the vampires and her people. She's unarmed. And trembling a bit. But she'll be damned if she lets any of them make a move to hurt any of the others without going through her first.]

[ his head recoils at the slap, and he doesn't even flinch away, implying that he doesn't so much as try to avoid it. when he turns back to look at her, she'd see that familiar red touching his eyes, and his expression is stony as he regards her. ]

I'm comfortable with the part I have played. Are you truly prepared to live with your own?

[ "Dashiell!" it's delphine who says it, and she instantly seems to regret it, as the other vampires each fix their attention on her, which seems to stop her from saying anymore.

carmilla doesn't bother to even spare her a glance, however. ]

Again, you mistake me.

Rather, you mistake us. What concerns us is discretion, not denying our natures. We are what we are, and I do not demand that my children forget that.

We embrace it. But we cannot afford to kill with impunity wherever we wish, if only to avoid precisely this sort of situation.

You were sloppy, Dashiell. You should have known better. [ she looks back to elijah, shrugging one shoulder, red lips pressed together unconcernedly ] He's yours to kill, if that's what will sate you.

[It's a tough choice, but hell, he really didn't want to be in Paris anyway. So he was going to shift to move next to Helen, away from his sire but making it clear that he was going to be on her side in this argument, and he would stand with her to keep the two sides from hurting the other.

He does look at Elijah though.]

It would be dishonorable if I didn't at least ask for you not to take the life of my grandsire. But I will do my best to keep him from hurting Lady Helen further.

[If Elijah were the type to snort, he would right now.]

I think you'll find I've mistaken nothing. [Translation: he knows you're up to some shady shit Carmilla. If only because every vampire is, especially those in power.] But I have no desire to prolong this situation with a pointless argument when we've reached something of an agreement.

[He inclines his head in silent thanks to the permission granted by Carmilla, at least, before turning to Kiance.]

I'm not the one who wants him dead, but I believe they've already made up their minds.

You might want to step back, [ gus adds helpfully to kiance as he drops the spell on mellie and she grows to full size in a matter of seconds. he can't cast flame strike because helen is too close to dashiell so she needs to back that ass up. ]

Both of you. Move. [Voice cold as Rose uses this round to empower her stake for 8 rounds. Providing a +4 to DMG and allowing her to hurt creatures with damage reduction.]

[Her instinct to protect the others wars against the logic that she has no weapons and those behind her are much more equipped to fight. She glances to Kiance, both surprised and not to see him stepping away from Dashiell to stand beside her. She reaches out a hand to wrap around the young vampire's forearm, drawing him back a few more steps with her, stepping back towards the Knights.

She doesn't dare to look at any of them in particular, afraid that she might lose her composure if she does.]

[ the moment helen moves back, gus casts flame strike and unleashes a pillar of holy fire on helen's former flame, pun intended. (divine fire dmg 57, ref 26 to half) he's just setting him up for everyone else to take down tbh. sorry about your rug, carmilla. ]

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