chapter finale ♔ used the wrong method with the wrong technique

[rituals]

wrong  (memphis extended mix) - depeche mode 

WHO || Constantine, Amara, Zatanna, Giovanni Zatara, Hook, David L., Lila, Emma S., Snow, Gold [Closed]
WHAT || The Knights go to extremes to try to save Amara, with the assistance of John Constantine
WHERE || The Castle, England
WHEN || June 2017 
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread, don't worry about maintaining tagging order.

The journey to discovering the truth behind the Homo Magi and the curse laid upon their people, in hopes of breaking the spell that has caused the sorceress Amara to obsess over David Charming for years, has been a long and winding road.  It last led them underwater, to the lost city of Atlantis, once the home of the Homo Magi, where they discovered that the cursed had been laid upon them by Poseidon himself, when one of their kind shared the sacred secrets of Mystra with a mortal who they fell in love with.  This led to a falling out between Mystra and Poseidon, and he cursed the Magi to keep them from ever contacting humanity again.  This curse was said to be unbreakable, until the sea god was appeased, but Lila's protests led to a punishment which Emma Swan took in her place - rendering her a kelpie by night until she earned the respect of Mystra.  This curse would later lead her to kill Killian in the madness of the castle attack.  Zatanna claimed to know someone who could undermine a god's curse, and to that end searched high and low for the mysterious John Constantine, who she has brought to the castle.  

At last, he has gathered them here for a seance of sorts, and they find the room cloaked in candles and drapery, various strange figurines and tiny fetishes scattered about.  

Comments

john & emma

[uncurse]

Hey!

[ emma shouts it down the hallway to catch John as he exits. ]

[rituals]

[ john slows to a slightly exasperated stop given his body language, not turning to face her. ] Alright, let's hear it then.

[uncurse]

You're really just gonna walk out like that? If you're so worried about the damage, how about sticking around to help clean it up?

[rituals]

Never was good at that part. Somehow, I always manage to bollocks it up even more. You're better off if I go.

[uncurse]

Bullshit. You're not leaving because you think we'll be better off for it, you're trying to make it easier on yourself.

[rituals]

It's not myself I'm trying to make it easier on.

But if you think I'm wrong, go ask Zatanna if she wants me to stick around right now.

[uncurse]

Zatanna is grieving. Because of you. You really think slinking off while we're preoccupied trying to fix it is the answer? You should be helping us. Trying to make amends.

[rituals]

You can think whatever you want about it. I'm a walking reminder for her now. Even worse, she knows that I know ways to do the near impossible, and if I stay, the chances of her trying to beg me to do God knows what to bring her father back only go up.

I'm not giving her a chance to talk me into something she'll only regret.

[uncurse]

You're really going to try to sell that you're doing her a favor by walking out the minute things go south?

[rituals]

I know Zee. And no offense, but she's the only one whose opinion matters a damn to me around here.

Call me a bastard all you want. But I'm not going to haunt her when she's grieving.

[uncurse]

Yeah. I know her too. I know that she's now lost two parents to this. If she called you, it was because she thought you could help her make things right. Are you really going to just walk away, when they're worse than ever?

[rituals]

Looks like.

[uncurse]

She just lost what little she had left, and now you're bailing on her. If you leave her now, she's never going to forgive you. Believe me. I know the feeling.

[rituals]

[ that seems to slow him up a bit, and he fixes her with a hard look ] Maybe that's the best thing she could do. She sticks around with me, this is all she has to look forward to. Loss, and more loss. Cutting me off is the best favor she could do herself.

I thought I could keep her away from it all, but every time I think that, I find out how bloody dim I was for believing it all over again. Death walks next to the life I lead, and sometimes we get in each other's way.

She doesn't need any more of it.

[uncurse]

I understand.

[ she turns to glance over her shoulder the way they'd come. there's a pirate in the round table room who she could say the same about. it's not going to be easier to look him in the eye just bc she's not cursed anymore. ]

We didn't just break Amara's curse in there. We broke the one that Poseidon laid on me, as punishment. That curse killed someone that I love. Except it wasn't the curse. It wasn't someone else at all, not a god, or an accident, or magic. It was me, and my weakness.

I've got a long way to go before I can make that right, before I can look at him again. But I know that leaving? That's not going to make it easier. It would only spare me the guilt of having to look at him.

[rituals]

The difference is, Swan, that your curse is over now.

[uncurse]

And last I checked, you aren't cursed at all. You're just an asshole.

[ which tbf was the point of her story, which he graciously overlooked. that she is too. that she was the one who fucked up, not just a misfortune of the curse. she killed hook. ]

[rituals]

Most go for "right bastard", but I've heard that one plenty too. [ he takes a step closer ] So there was a part of you that could do that, could do things you didn't want to think yourself capable of.

What does that make you, exactly? Because I've seen plenty of the dark side of the world, Miss Swan. And that part's in all of us.

It was the curse that let it run free. You're not doing yourself any favors to think it means anymore than that about who you are in the light of day.

I, on the other hand, live a life where I never have cause to frequent any place the sun shines. Earn your forgiveness from him. Live a life that's going to help you forget what happened at your own hands.

But don't think that we all have the same luxury.

[uncurse]

Making amends isn't a luxury. If it were easy to learn to live with yourself, staring what you've done in the face, you wouldn't be trying to run away.

[rituals]

You think I want to leave her? She's one of the only good things I've had in this life, but she deserves better than the life I'm a part of.

I already know how to live with myself. It's her who shouldn't have to.

[uncurse]

I think if you didn't want to leave her, you wouldn't. It's that easy.

[ @neal ]

[rituals]

And I think you're displacing your own issues onto someone else.

[uncurse]

Better than running away from them. How long do you think you can keep running for, John?

[rituals]

Until Hell catches up.

[uncurse]

Well, if it were me, I'd want some friends when that happens.