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

[slay]

... Sehanine?

[ She looks up towards the moon. It's the best guess she's got, okay. This feels moon-y, and shadow world-y. ]

Is this you?

[romanticidal]

Si. And also no.

[ the voice from behind her is achingly familiar, even if it's been an impossible number of hours since she last heard it. there's none of the weakness present that was there in his plea on the screen at the concert. and when she turns to see him sitting up in that side of the bed that is no longer illuminated by moonlight, nor empty, she would see that he is not bruised or battered as well ]

Is it really you, carina?

[slay]

[ Somehow, hearing the voice, seeing him unarmed, actually makes it all that much worse.

It's a reminder of what she doesn't have, of what she failed to do. It's worse than that because it might mean that he's Elsewhere, like she is now. That she has failed more egregiously than she had thought possible. There's a tremor in her hands that creeps into her voice. It makes her voice creak and her eyes water— ]

Rafael?

[romanticidal]

[ he presses the blanket aside, and his feet hit the floor softly. he moves towards her in the soft half-light, stopping just shy of touching, but close enough that she can feel his presence there, far too real ]

I cannot believe-- [ he lifts a hand, but seems afraid to touch her ] I have prayed for this, every night. To see you once more.

[slay]

[ She raises her hand, tense and trembling and almost unable to reach for him. It's half to stay him because she's not sure she can do this. It's like torture. ]

No. Not once more. You're not going to die. [ If Sehanine is giving him this, then surely that's what's happening. It's coming. This really is one last chance. ] We were so close.

[romanticidal]

Because you are still coming for me. [ he says it with a certainty that is almost dogmatic, and it becomes very clear that he's been hanging on that point for a long time ] I know.

I have tried to make it easier for you. I do not know if it has helped.

[slay]

Tried to ... [ She shakes her head, her mind a jumble. ] What are you talking about?

[romanticidal]

Your nightmares. The ones you used to suffer always.

I asked to take them for you, or some of them. To ease your burden.

[slay]

... You took my Slayer dreams?

[ and the weird emotions just keep rolling. if a person could BSOD, that's roughly where buffy is at. ]

[romanticidal]

[ when ur sweet and well-meaning kidnapped boyfriend has a fundamental misunderstanding of your chronic nightmare situation ] What Sehanine would give.

[slay]

[ just gonna ... choke on that for a minute ... and get back to the task at hand because buffy is aces at processing feelings aka repressing forever. ]

Tell me where you are. I'll get Isa, we'll come for you.

[ she doesn't mention what happened in LA. either he knows and she doesn't need to, or he doesn't know and would tell her not to come for him at a time like this if he did. ]

[romanticidal]

I would if I knew, carina. I have had no way to catch my bearings and we have moved very often. [ a beat ] But they are speaking of this being soon.

[slay]

It won't happen.

[ the certainty that would have once been there has been drained by her weariness after this day. all the more reason not to tell him what happened in LA. she could be wrong. this could be —

no. she can't think about that. ]

Try to focus. Anything you can remember, anything you can tell me. The weather. The type of car. The — The names of the people moving you, or tattoos, or — Anything. I'll get everyone in the Hoard on it. I'll find you.

[romanticidal]

Much of the time I have not been in... shape to recall anything, or I would. [ he seems to be attempting to put that delicately ] I'm afraid I can tell you nothing. [ he shakes his head, disappointed in himself ] I am sorry, Buffy. I imagine you hoped for more, that I would ask this meeting of the Moon Goddess herself.

But the truth of it is that I needed to see your face. To remember why I must carry on.

[slay]

It's okay.

[ she croaks out the words. ]

It's going to be okay. [ she reaches for him now, unable to keep trying to make some sense of this, unable to hold it together like she knows she should. her hands cup his face, she leans into him. ] It's going to be okay. I'm going to find you. You just have to hold on a little while longer.

[romanticidal]

[ it's unbelievable, how real he feels, the familiar texture of his cheek beneath her palm slotting perfectly into her memory. his fingers brush up the length of her arm, and then both of his hands slide around her back, as he buries his face in her neck. ] I know you will.

I have always known it.

[slay]

[ for a moment she just holds him. the tears come but she doesn't want to show them, but she can't hold her breath for long to muffle the sobs that want to rack her chest. a tremor starts, and then it all comes out. ]

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

[ she should have already found him. she should have put this insanity with blade on hold, recused herself. how can she be the slayer and have this? she can't. ]

[romanticidal]

No, no, Buffy. You are doing all you can. I know you are. [ but he can feel her trembling, and runs his hands soothingly across her arms and back, shaking his head against her ] Stay with me here, tonight. Tomorrow, tomorrow you will find a way. [ it's a strange echo of gar's earlier tired pronouncement, that tomorrow would somehow bring clarity that couldn't be seen tonight ] There is no one who will stop you.

[slay]

[ the strangeness draws her out of her tearful fit. her weeping slows. she waits until her breathing is level. then she slowly pulls back, studying his expression (sense motive 27). ]

Yeah. [ her voice sounds distant somehow, her face red. something about this is just hard to believe. too convenient. too well-timed. she can't help but think about the shadow cast over everything, the paranoia of the mind master's insidious influence. ] Tomorrow.

[romanticidal]

[ there's nothing here that signals any red flags, nothing to make her doubt as she searches his face. he picks up on her moment of uncertainty, however, and his eyes search hers with concern ] What is it?

[slay]

I had a run-in with the Mind Master today.

[ she lets it speak for itself. she hasn't forgotten the story he told her about nadia acting as jade. not by a long shot. ]

[romanticidal]

[ wow what a good wisdom check, the trauma is strong. ]

... You doubt all this. [ his hands slacken a bit ] Did she hurt you? Any of you?

[slay]

It's nothing you need to worry about.

[ She reaches for his hands, folding both of hers around his. ]

I'm handling it.

[ just like she handled getting felicity killed. she doesn't want to think about it though. ]

[romanticidal]

[ he looks down at their joined hands, nodding once slowly ] We do not have to-- [ he stops himself ] Just to stay with you is all I need. Please.

[slay]

Staying is good.

[ She nods at that, leaning into him. She huffs out a sigh. It's discontent. Not with him, not with this, but with her own paranoia. Everything is so wrong. ]