chapter five ♔ it'll be a day like this one when the sky falls down

[eldritchweaver]

the blues - switchfoot

WHO || The Knights
WHAT || Failboat returns from the disaster in LA as the Knighthood goes on lockdown
WHERE || The castle, London
WHEN || Directly after this, Fall 2017
HOW || Actionspam

Hasmed's announcement does not brook any rebuttal: all Knights are recalled to the Castle, where they must remain until the Section Heads and Jack Chessing have spoken about the events in Los Angeles that have left the Knighthood without their usual leader.  

The entire Los Angeles area is now covered with a dark miasma that has interfered with any signals that might be sent out from phones, etc., leaving the whole world wondering what exactly is happening down there.  Final images showed horrendous monsters, a panic of citizens, looting and violence from humans and Shadowkind alike.  

Hasmed has warned of extra magical wards on the castle, and anyone arriving will immediately take notice of one very prominent one: above the entire roof of the excessively large building hovers a black and red sigil in the air, a pentagram in a circle surrounded by runes or words in an unknown language, stretching for miles.  

[ This is the social log for post-LA lockdown.  Failboat must complete the top log before being allowed to tag outside of it. ]

Comments

hellsing arrival ♔ 2 days after LA

[banishers]

[ certain victory lotus tune - yasushi ishii

just as announced, within two days a number of hellsing armed vehicles pull up to the front cul-de-sac, out of which come a number of soldiers sporting uniforms with the hellsing crest on them, and quite a bit of heavy firepower.

at their helm is a gray-haired balding man wearing the colors of a commander. he pushes open the front doors and marches in, slowly surveying the lobby of the knighthood, as his soldiers begin carrying in boxes of ammunition and bags of guns. ]

[uncareful]

[ And at the desk of said lobby sits Maggie-May, the current squire on duty. Her feet are up on the polished surface, and she makes no move to drop them when the Empire Hellsing enters. Instead, she leans further back in her chair, cocking an eyebrow at the hubbub. ]

Uh, you guys got an appointment or is this some sorta... invasion?

[ She pauses to take a sip of her coffee. ]

If it’s the latter, could you hold off until I finish this? [ Indicating her coffee. ]

bo + baby caeden ; ota

[succubestie]

[No rest for the weary, not even for new Mommies.

Granted, she probably could have hid away if she wanted to, but that's not Bo's style, so not long after having her little one and having a kiss or two to heal herself right back up, she's walking the halls with her tiny newborn tucked comfortably in the crook one arm.

In the wake of disaster, she has people she needs to see.]

[consequence]

[Olivia is with Rebekah in the music room and Hayley is trying not to enjoy her alone time. She realizes that it's not the happiest of times, but she likes having everyone here. It's selfish of her, but she misses the feeling of being surrounded by people. The busy streets of New Orleans, where you couldn't go more than a few steps before you saw a familiar face.

This time, there's a new face with Bo. Not that she's close with the woman, but she's seen her around. She smiles, warmly.]

Wow, I'm having one of those 'I can't believe my daughter was ever that small' moments.

thoster & felicity | closed;

[bluffcheck]

[Truthfully, the reality of what's happened hasn't really sunk in for Thoster. He knows Felicity is alive. He knows that the spell put her soul in another body. He knows there's no way to put it back in the original one. He knows that, but there's really no way to fully prepare to meet someone you care about and see them in a body that's... not theirs.

But all Thoster can focus on is how relieved he is to know she's coming back to them. He knows she has some business to attend to. The atmosphere around the castle is very tense, so he just tells her that he'll meet her in their room once she's done. He's fairly certain that once he catches sight of her, he won't want to let her out of his sight for some time.]

[klep]

[She comes back from her (first) meeting with Jack, looking as tired as she likely feels, just wanting to take a moment to breathe. She knows they aren't going to have long, but when she sees him, she smiles. Her skin still feels like it's a size too small and not quite hers, but she's really very happy that she can keep looking at him.]

Hi.

cheryl | open to whoever wants to deal with her

[receptionist]

[Cheryl isn't always the smartest person. She's the loudest, but intelligence is not her high stat area. Which is why it's a miracle that when all the shit goes down that she actually has the idea come back when she's looking for answers.

She makes her way to the front desk, opens all the drawers, and finds her hidden flask that's taped under one of the file cabinet drawers. She lets out a shrill sound of excitement, that's entirely inappropriate given how many people have died recently. Then she just starts to wander around the place, mostly pretending to take notes, but really she's just trying to see if she can't happen onto any good information.]

I can't believe this place is still here! I thought for sure that tank would have been the end of it.

[firstexample]

[ well, here's a guy she's literally never seen before, staring at her as she writes stuff down ] What are you doing?

martin riggs | open

[cowboy]

[Things weren't easy to manage in LA. They weren't going to get any easier, either, but he knew that when everyone got the call -- he had to go. He reported to San Francisco and they had a flight ready for him within the week. He stuck close to the department, trying not to get himself killed as he gave people whatever answers he could. There were too many questions and he knew that there were answers to be had, but nothing that would help ease the public.

As horrible as it felt, he almost wanted to go to London just to be around people that knew the same things he did. He gave his partner his contact info, just in case, and said that he'd be back as soon as he could. He had to trust that would be enough for now and that he'd be able to help more once he knew more. He made sure to bring whatever files he could with him, just to make sure they had any info that they couldn't get because of the interference. It was bound to just make things more complicated, but he knew that it was the best option they had for getting real info from the ground.

Walking up to the front desk, he glanced around, trying to find any familiar faces.]

[trigeminalheadache]

[ It's a front desk that is oddly unmanned at the moment. Though if the approaching click-clack of heels is anything to judge by, the squire who's supposed to be sitting there is hurrying back. ] Sorry!

[ This hasn't been Caitlin's day so far. She'd slept through her alarm and started her shift at the desk late. And of course, the moment she decides to sneak in a small break for something that she can't do while seated there, someone comes in. ]

I hope you haven't been waiting long. I-I know we're not supposed to leave the desk and the phone unattended, but - [ She stops short of oversharing because he probably doesn't need or want to hear why she slipped away. ] Anyway. Sorry. Hi.

dimitri ; ota

[likeagod]

[When they start recalling knights to London from all over the world, Dimitri is one of the first people on a plane, and he arrives at the castle the next day.

This place was his first home on this side of the Veil. He wants to protect it and the people that live here. It's as simple as that.

He's training most of the day, prepping for what he knows is going to be an intense fight at one point or another. He can also be out wandering the halls sometimes, getting reacquainted with the place.]

[pilgrimages]

[ another recent arrival, responding to the all-call, zara knows that look when she sees it. she had heard about the invasion of the castle, but not early enough to get there and do anything about it. as these things often do, it happened fast. now they can all admire the handiwork of those who put it back together. ]

Things have changed, since the last time I was here.

[ she nods to him. ]

You too?

Faye | ota

[reallywicked]

[She's starting to regret coming back. Everyone is on edge, they can't leave, and it's starting to drive her up a god damn wall. Faye spends most of her time working on magic, finding new spells that pack a punch. So if she's not digging through books about magic to try to find new ways to give herself a power boost, she's practicing her most dangerous spells on various non-living targets.

She's worried. Scared of what comes next. And the best way to cope with that is to destroy dummies and tables with magical fire and lightning, right?]

[uncurse]

I guess some things never change.

[ she smiles as she walks in. it's not that she thinks faye's in a good mood — she's not an idiot — but rather, it's nice to be back in the middle of things, to be able to reach out to her.

nice, and selfish. ]

Rose ][ Day of Solace's Announcement

[littledhampir]

((AKA the last chance to thread with Rose for... welp? Could be forever knowing Failboat.))

[ She wished that she was still capable of being surprised, but Solace's announcement and the subsequent benching of their group had hardly been a shocking plot twist. It was why, when everyone else had to scramble to pack and say their goodbyes, Rose only had the latter to contend with. The problem was, after everything she'd discovered over the course of the last two years? There just weren't many people left that Rose trusted with the secret of what they were doing.

Most of the day she can be found behind closed doors (ba-doom-ching!), laying low in her room or Dean's until the time came for them to leave. There were some people she needed to speak to however, and she at least had to show her face to get food on occasion, so there's a chance to catch her going to and from. For the most part though, if you actually want to speak with her? You're going to have to try one of the rooms because the Dhampir is breaking from her usual Castle routine an cannot be found in the training room or on her morning run. ]

[daredtobelieve]

[It's a bad idea and she knows it. Especially after having such a terrible time talking to Ashley. But with the way things have escalated, Helen can't stop herself from seeking Rose out. She heard the announcement, after all. Rose was being removed from the mission. She couldn't imagine that was taken lightly. So she makes her way to Rose's room, but keeps in mind that she may need to head to Dean's next if she's not here. She knocks lightly on the door but doesn't say anything just yet.]

Myri | day of solace's announcement

[witchwoman]

[Catching Myri without Finnick might be difficult, but not impossible. She wants him to spend some quality time with Shayla, for one, and she knows that the more people who go into the Light wing to retrieve a stash of health potions, the more likely they are to be caught. So she is on her own to and from that trip, as well as a trip to the kitchen later in the day to bring them back some food while Shayla naps. They likely spend most of the rest of the day in their room or one of the rec room areas to give their daughter room to play.

Her expression isn't warm or welcoming. She's in deep thought, distracted. Whatever choice she makes tonight, things will certainly be different. Safer? She hopes so, for Shayla's sake. But nothing is a certainty.]

----
[To Elena and Des but separately]

I'm alright. In case you were wondering.

[doubletake]

Vi let me know you were awake, but yes, I had still wondered. Thank you for not making me worry.

I'm sorry we didn't get to talk before I left.

finnick | day of solace's announcement

[65]

[after fifty million years, finnick is back fam. he spends most of his time with myri, but he can be caught alone in a few instances, walking the grounds with a troubled expression. his entire life is pretty troubled by now.

he also makes a stop at the pond, not because he wants to swim but being near bodies of water grounds him. annnnd maybe he wanted to take shayla to the pond before they go who even knows where.]

alex | ota

[ambitionist]

[alex is an expert at acting like everything is fine even when it's not. he is not feeling great at all. someone close to him died, and his sweet set-up is feeling less sweet more and more like a prison. so, you know. that's cool. but unlike some knights who can just roll out with their middle fingers in the air like boy bye, he feels slightly more apprehension about leaving.

but he's fine. so fine. his favorite place to anxiously smoke is on the ballroom balcony, so you can currently catch him there chain-smoking like a fiend. or in the kitchen, staring vacantly into the fridge and wondering what food is.]

****

[to piffy]
so i've got a hypothetical situation for you

[bredinthebone]

You keep smoking like that, you're going to turn into a literal chimney.

[And here comes Malina, checking on who's here and being relieved that most familiar faces seem to be accounted for. She makes her way out and pushes herself up onto the railing and sitting comfortably.]

Either that or you're testing the limits of human combustion.

will | ota

[mydesigns]

[after the day the concert and subsequent wreckage in los angeles goes down … will graham basically disappears. for a long time (in the context of current events in this timeline so maybe a few days idek). and then he's back. seeming … well, stand-offish as usual. so maybe he's fine. he spends a lot of time with his dogs on the grounds. you can also catch him almost on the firing range -- aka he goes, sees hellsing back on their dumb shit, and goes you know what maybe i'll take up crochet aka he turns around.]

[telekinection]

[ tia watches him walk away from the range, catches that change of intention and speaks up ] It seems like they're everywhere.

astrid | ota

[pathology]

[ with nowhere else to go, astrid can be found mostly in the light wing. straightening and organizing and inventorying things for the millionth time because she has cabin fever and all the serious injuries were taken care of while she was off drinking and being extra. she also makes runs to the hoard wing because most of the people she cares about who are still in the castle are nerds and she wants to make sure topher is drinking water. but otherwise, she's lying on a counter whining loudly:]

I would literally kill someone for Starbucks.

[beatupgrass]

[Rocket's just here because he doesn't know where else to go, and he doesn't have that many friends. Because he's a jerk.]

I would literally kill someone to make you shut up about Starbucks.

[See?]

Alainn: open for talking, closed from dinner on

[attollores]

[Alainn had been out of the castle for so long now that it's halls, once so familiar to her, no longer feel like home.

Home was with Mark. Home was on Andres. But that didn't mean that the worn marble floors and familiar coats of armor didn't fit like a comfortable glove. She wanders the halls briefly while calling her adoptive parents, checking in on them and telling them she and Mark were doing well. She says nothing about their plans of elopement away from the Knights headquarters, but she does say that she will call them again soon.

She wanders to Rose's room to casually invite Rose, Dean and Sam whoever he is to dinner with her and Mark that evening in their room, the pretense they would use to escape from the castle together (and three other people who want to come with them, since that would be her limit).

If anyone wants to bump into her while she is on her way to and from her and Rose's rooms, or while she and Mark are in their room together, feel free.]

[graveflowers]

[ vi almost says no to her daughter because they are busy and momma has things to do, but lucia's request is so plaintive and so easy to give into she finally takes lu's hand and leads her to mark and alainn's room. she can't tell lucia that they will see them both soon because she doesn't want lucia to know they're going anywhere.

she knocks on the door, wondering if she should have called first. but no. she would be doing this if they weren't leaving, she's doing it now. ]

Mark, Alainn? You guys in?

buffy summers \ ota day of solace's announcement

[slay]

[ Buffy generally tries to stay away from the other members of the talisman mission on the morning of Solace's announcement. She knows how it will look, if they are seen together.

So she goes places that she doesn't usually find them.

She heads to the lake to scope out the perimeter of the castle, trying to get a sense of if the new dictators were serious about not stopping them.

She heads to the training room once, to see what Hellsing is doing to it — she's relieved that nothing seems changed, yet. ]

surprise bitch!!

[nothingsodivine]

Look, I know you have no reason to want to talk to me, and that's fair, but you need to hear me out.

skye: the return

[hacker]

[ when skye returns the next day, she looks … different.

her hair, bangs excepted, is pulled up into a loose, short ponytail. she's in a black tactical outfit, and her leather holster is visible around her ribs under her leather jacket. the loose, quasi-bohemian LA look has been lost.

she truly looks like an agent of SHIELD.

she pulls a car owned by the knights, borrowed in the knight, up to the front of the castle, and when she climbs out of the driver's side, she turns to talk to someone in the passenger seat. ]

It might be better if you wait here a minute. [ she says it delicately, for the situation surely feels delicate. ]

text;

[familybusiness]

[Sometimes in the middle of the day, a text comes through on Skye's phone.]

Hey.

[...What a start that was, Sam.]

nathan | ota

[autorevive]

[for nathan to feel anything about how shit is going down, he'd have to have feelings. lucky for him, he doesn't. like sure, there's this whole hostile takeover sort of thing, but you know what sucks even more? being homeless. he's not about to repeat that chapter of his life so fuck that. he'll take his chances.

since wynn is missing, he decides it's time to solve a Very Important Mystery. he waits until the section heads finally leave the round table room and are busy doing other shit when he decides to make his move and

sneak in

to break into wynn's secret room of secrets. THE PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S IN THERE. but they aren't … gonna find out today. (disable device 6) ]

[somepagesturn]

[The melancholic air of the place right now has led Paige down here- mostly to look for something comforting. She trusts Solace, because he's her Section Head, and she's not going to shun Hellsing, but she still trusts Wynn too, and misses him terribly.

Maybe sitting at the round table, reading over the Oath, and reminding herself of simpler times will help clear her head.

...Except she's not alone when she enters the room, and the moment her brain recovers from the surprise, her nose wrinkles and she snaps, in a hissing tone:] Nathan.

closed ☁ to davin

[highlyemotional]

[ elena didn't have quite the comforting words that caroline needed to hear and while part of her wants to ask sam what to do -- since he knows everything about everything -- that would be hilariously awkward so no. which is caroline is knocking anxiously on davin's door with a small picnic basket in her arms.

it's hiding dinner. hellsing doesn't need to see her dinner. ]

I brought dinner!

[recycling]

[ he opens the door of his very dark room, and looks at the basket skeptically, before lifting his eyebrows at her ] ... Really? [ wat is that ]

[wishuponadjinn]

[Most of the research he'd been conducting since the incident with Loki had been to do with ways to free himself from the bonds of the Djinn. There wasn't really much in the Knights library that he'd found to be of use, but that wasn't going to stop him from scouring every book he could find, there and anywhere else he could think to look. He'd actually been out of the castle, searching through an ancient library in Greece for any useful information when Solace's message came through to his phone.

So he came back.

He can be found in the library at odd hours when it's mostly quiet and empty of other people or keeping limited company with Faith and Fiona. But unlike the last few months, he can be found, for those who so desire.]

[crashing]

[For a girl that uses her ability to drive, her ability to put distance between her and the problem at hand -- being on lockdown is making her a little more claustrophobic. She knows that it's in her head. Which is why she's just trying to fill it with anything else at the moment. The library is an easy way out. She can try to escape in a book or in an instruction manual. Just something to occupy her thoughts.

She meanders through the stacks, a small pile of books in her arms.]

Robert Musil: The Man Without Qualities. I think I know that guy.

GOLD | following Hasmed and Solace's announcement

[undealt]

[Despite the general air of unease in the wake of what's happend, Gold seems to be pretty unsurprised about the whole thing, and goes through the motions as if nothing has changed.

He can found in the library with Milah the crocodile, probably hanging out where he and Belle can chat while she works, or, you know, read, because the apocalypse is no excuse to not stick with your GoodReads book goal.]

[untethered]

[ belle is waiting for him in the library after the announcement, staring quietly and troubled at her phone. ]

There you are. Have you seen...?

Clark & Dovan

[clarkfuckingkent]

[After Solace's announcement, Clark assumes that the section heads are available and books it for Dovan's office. He knocks on the door and keeps checking his phone to see if Lois has texted him. Her nervousness is painted plainly on his face. He hates all of this.]

[ironsides]

[ dovan yells from his desk: ] Come in!

& stiles | closed

[generaldavideus]

[David had been out on a small mission when the call came through about the mission in LA. He didn't know all of the knights on the mission well, but the names "Abigail Hobbs" and "Lydia Martin" certainly stand out. The minute they return to the castle, he goes in search of Stiles, checking each of his usual hang outs until he finds what he's looking for.

He knows how hard it is to lose people you care about. He doesn't want Stiles to be dealing with this alone.]

[killingtodeath]

[It wasn't until the official announcement that Stiles even knew that Lydia was on the same mission. It feels like a kick to his gut, like all the air was sucked out of his lungs. She was his strongest connection to home, the person he had known the longest, someone he trusted so deeply. And she was just... gone.

He already felt desperately alone, and this just pushed him deeper into that dark well of grief.

David finds him in his room. He wanted time to process this, but the solitude only makes it all worse. So when there's a knock on the partially open door, he doesn't hesitate to call out.]

Yeah. [It's all he has the energy to offer as a greeting for now.]

rosario aguilar | ota

[nonconfrontational]

{ i. pre-solace's announcement }

[Returning to the castle is a bit disorienting. Even though she visited every now and again, the fact that she actually has time to really look at things and see the changes that came after the castle attack. There's a newness to it that you wouldn't expect in a place so old, but still familiarity all the same.

She mostly wanders to the Light Wing in and other living areas looking for familiar faces before wandering back to Bea again, but even if you haven't already met she is more than willing to introduce herself.

Rosario likes people. And it seems like she's going to be stuck with these people for a while, so might as well make friends.]

{ ii. post-solace's announcement }

[Rosario isn't exactly sure what she's committing to at the moment.

Signing up for a war goes against everything she's already committed herself too, but leaving Bea goes against everything she is. Not at least offering her skill with healing goes against everything she's wanted to be so she plants herself in the Light Wing after talking it through with Bea, going over inventories and making sure that there are enough healers on hand.

And mostly staying out of Hellsing's way. She's heard that they're not so great with magic.

Feel free to help her or direct her as you see fit.]

ii

[byyourleave]

[it's after everyone is recalled and faces start to show back up in the castle that Baal catches Rosario going around a corner. He smiles and goes to catch up with her, and then smiles.]

I was wondering when it would be that I would finally see you again.

stiles | open

[killingtodeath]

[Anyone that has known Stiles for the last few years in the Knighthood would notice the change in his demeanor. Ever since the news of the situation at LA came through, he's been falling into a very dark place. The later confirmation that Lydia was on the mission as well only sent him spiraling further. He's hanging out, but barely.

He keeps himself busy during the day, doing a little training with Abigail's knife he's taken to carrying. At night, he holes up in the rec rooms and zones out to tv until he eventually falls asleep. He's not sleeping much. He's hardly eating. He's just sort of coasting and trying not to have a breakdown while trying to keep up appearances enough to keep people from worrying about him, if he can.]

[risked]

[Having most of Stiles memories tied to Scott meant that Stiles doesn't really associate her with the group. She's okay with that. Scott left with all of his secrets and Allison felt like she was better for it. She filled her time with missions and made sure that her and Lydia were okay with her death. She never expected things to go the other way around and even though she knows that it's illogical, she still feels that thought creeping in. The thought that she's alive and this time Lydia isn't.

She feels as if she's lost everything. All the time she spent focused on missions and she should have been there for her friend more. They talked about Lydia going to Ireland, they did spend time together -- but it doesn't feel like it had been enough.

Allison walks past the rec room and catches a familiar line of dialog from a movie. Pausing, she spots Stiles and decides to join him.]

Don't worry, I've seen this. You won't have to catch me up. [She doesn't ask if she can join him. She just does.]

Helen | after Solace's announcement

[daredtobelieve]

{open}

[Helen is distracted, lost in thought for hours following the announcement, even more so after she speaks to Rose. Also worthy of note, there's a large bruise splashed over her cheekbone and her bottom lip is split.

The Hoard wing is the most likely place to find her, but she's no stranger to the Light wing either. She's not a cleric, but she is still a doctor and equipped to lend a hand. She's doing her best to keep busy and avoid thinking about something that she knows she has to do. And perhaps, sometime around dinner, she steps away to have a strong drink or two, working up some courage.]

{closed to Solace}

[It's well into the evening when Helen makes her way to Solace's office. She doesn't feel good about this. There's no telling what will come of it, but she is doing her best to live a more honest life. That starts here and now. With a deep breath in and out to calm her nerves, she raises her hand and knocks on the door.]

[bredinthebone]

[Malina has set herself up in the bar ever since Gus went to deal with Felicity's resurrection. She's trying not to feel the weight of it herself - she remembers Felicity from when she was just a kid, and in a way she knows that for Gus this is just flashes of Lucy all over again.

So she's drinking, at least until she can get a handle on herself.

She glances over when she sees Helen, and raises an eyebrow.]

Getting in a nightcap before the end of the world?