flight ♔ pride can stand a thousand trials

[dragonsclaw]

I'm Kissing You - Des'ree

WHO || Failboat [closed]
WHAT || The Knights return in the wake of the Keijen Blade concert, much worse for the wear
WHERE ||On a plane
WHEN || Directly after the concert
HOW || Actionspam or prose

The mood is darker than it's ever been as the Knights' plane takes off from the blackening skies above Los Angeles, which continue to spread out after them.  They expected a trap, they expected the worst, but what actually happened dwarfed even those dire expectations.

Painful revelations about their teammates themselves, followed by the separation of Vi from the team, and then being forced to watch Blade enact a dark ritual in the concert-hall-turned-dark-temple that culminated in the sacrifice of hundreds, including the deaths of those who had been on the mission back-up team were only the beginning.  Realizing at the last moment that Crombe still had no understanding of what Blade was truly doing, the team made a last minute bid to change his mind and get him to stop the ritual, but it was far too late, and as things escalated quickly, the Nightmare God Malaak'a was freed from his prison, the seal broken with the final step - Nadia's death.  The god himself appeared before them, and Blade stood triumphantly behind him - only to use the dagger soaked in Nadia's blood to plunge into his father, and usurp his power for his own, ascending to some sort of deity-like powers himself.  

This scene lies further and further behind them now, the images forever etched in their minds, and the silent forms of two of their teammates - one mysteriously incapacitated, the other dead, act as haunting reminders on their journey back towards the castle of what has befallen and what may be to come.

Comments

Rose ~ Open

[littledhampir]

[Perhaps if she had anything left after the events of the day, even Jack's words wouldn't have been enough to force her to leave Los Angeles without Wynn. While she might have agreed to get on the plane and return to London without searching the rubble of the Concert Hall? You only had to look at her to realize that while she might be physically present, her mind was still fixed on the scene she'd witnessed before being forced to flee the crumbling building.

Rose wasn't one to count Wynn down and out in just about any situation but going one on one with an egomaniacal douchebag with the power of a Nightmare God? It wouldn't have been the first time somebody she thought of as indestructible had proven her wrong.

If you were hoping to catch Rose alone on the flight, you're only real hope was when she or Dean go to get a drink. Given who they are flying with? She's not about to allow either of them to be caught alone for more than a few minutes at a time.]

[shootfirst]

[ in one of those moments where dean is gone, kat stops by her for a moment ]

So did literally everyone know except for me? Because it's starting to feel that way.

[littledhampir]

[She'd feel bad if she wasn't sure she was doing you a favor by keeping you in the dark.]

If it helps... even I didn't see all that coming. I don't think anyone did.

[She suspects the lack of surprise was simply that once you hit 'team Hell', where do you go to for shock?]

[shootfirst]

What part didn't you know?

[littledhampir]

[Rose hesitates because even for her, it's still a lot to process.]

How completely they'd both switched sides.

[She shakes her head, working hard to keep her expression neutral but there are glimpses of anger or perhaps even anguish, that peek through.]

They're still hiding things... and it's not safe to talk where they can hear.

[Never mind that fact that Rose has probably chosen to sit as far from them as she can humanly manage.]

[shootfirst]

Do you think Des' curse was ever actually broken? If he's lived down there for... thousands of years or whatever... he has to still be immortal.

[littledhampir]

[Rose pulls in a deep shuddering breath, her shoulders appearing heavier as she exhales and forces herself to speak the answer.]

I think the Elena and Des we knew are dead, Kat. These are - [Shaking her head.] Something else.

[shootfirst]

I don't get it. I don't get how he could agree to that. Not if he did have a way out. I've heard him rail against immortality til his face turned blue.

[littledhampir]

[She sits there quietly for a moment, her tongue pushing at the roof of her mouth as she clearly turns something over in her head before looking at Kat.]

He missed it. If you want to believe anything he ever said in the past four years... he supposedly missed the immortality once it was gone.

[There's a darkening of her eyes, a clenching of her fist as she's quick to tack on;]

Me? I just think he's a selfish coward who would have dragged us all down with him if we hadn't caught onto his bullshit.

[shootfirst]

Is that the only reason they did this? Because some of you were about to expose them anyway?

[littledhampir]

[With a bitter bark of laughter.]

Probably. Somebody has been feeding them info and I think they've proven they don't do anything without it serving their interests. [She pauses briefly, then adds;] I don't buy a word of that story about them being the only ones who can perform this ritual or whatever. If there even is a ritual.

[shootfirst]

Do you think she really is a demon, at least?

[littledhampir]

Yeah... that I buy. [Unless it's more smoke and mirrors to hide who or what she really is.] It fits anyway.

[bigbad]

[At one point when Dean's gone, Spike passes by, sitting on the arm of the seat next to her.]

We're gonna have to have a long chat you and me when we get back.

[He knows as well as she does how bloody difficult it is to have anything resembling a private conversation when there are people with supernatural hearing. There's a reason he listens to so much music on flights. Sometimes he just doesn't bloody want to hear it.]

[littledhampir]

[Rose's lips pull into a grim line, a tension running through her like she's bracing for something and she watches Spike carefully, looking for signs of anger or hurt.

She almost seems a little relieved that he only says that much.]

I know. [Nodding slowly.] You know I would have before... if I could.

[bigbad]

[He doesn't look angry. He doesn't look hurt either, not exactly. Just.... very, very tired. And old. He doesn't know how old he is exactly, but he knows it could be centuries. He certainly feels like it right now.]

I know. Was this everything? Or is there even more?

[How many of their friends are not what they seem?]

[littledhampir]

[She holds his gaze for a long moment as silence hangs between them, ever aware of the fact that this flight was anything but safe.]

You know I can't answer that right now.

[bigbad]

[Which is, in a lot of ways, its own answer. He just jerks his head in a nod and reaches over to squeeze her shoulder.]

I'm sorry, love. That was....

[He trails off. There aren't really words for how bad that was. But they were both there. They know.]

[littledhampir]

[If she said yes, she'll likely get her mind scanned. No, and Elena and Des would believe they had nothing. There was no answer she could give in this situation that would be good for her right now.

Her gaze tracks the path his hand makes, the tension in her shoulders that had been her constant companion, no doubt noticable at the gesture of comfort.]

Which part? [Sounding tired. It was all bad, from the moment Des opened his mouth to the moment they boarded this plane to come home; A place that had stopped feeling like that since she'd learned how tainted it had become.]

I'm sorry about Nadia. I know you... [Cared didn't seem like a big enough word.]

[bigbad]

Yeah. [His voice is rough, and he ducks his head. He's not crying (will 19), but he sort of wants to. later. When he has time to process.] I should've stayed with her.

[littledhampir]

[Logic doesn't have much place in emotions, but she knows that later maybe, it come provide some comfort.]

And then you'd probably be dead too... and Dumage would still be with Keijen.

[Welp. There was wisdom check but she failed. Here's hoping the name thing isn't an issue with Malaaka JR.]

[bigbad]

[Spike did make the wisdom check (23), which is good because he sure doesn't want to talk about his feelings more. Not when he can just sulk and be moody forever.]

Should we be saying his name?

[littledhampir]

[Confusion twists her features for a moment, only this time she does make a decent enough Wis Check to catch on, at least if the fuck under her breath is anything to go by.]

Probably not. [And then... with a poor Will Save.] I hope Wynn roasted you alive.

[What?! If he can suddenly spy on their conversation?! She's going to make it worth it.]

Here's hoping our anti-scryware works on him too. [Yes. She means Dean.]

[bigbad]

Yeah, that's something else I got questions on. [He glances away casually.] Something you can talk about, or another thing to add to our long "later" list?

[littledhampir]

[Her lips press into a grim line, a noticeable increase of tension in her shoulders as her mind skips along the many forms those questions could take.]

Later. [Shaking her head.] I don't even want those two knowing what I had for breakfast.