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

Katniss Everdeen | OTA

[anthophobia]

[Katniss couldn't take being inside the Castle anymore.

There were too many people mourning, too many people panicking about what was happening in LA, too many hushed whispers and people crying. The noise didn't stop and it was all anyone ever seemed to be able to talk about. She got it, she did, but that didn't mean she wanted it. She didn't know any of the people who had died, not really; all she knew was that the whole thing had been a giant set-up, that it had been broadcasted all over the world, and it all reminded her of something she'd tried to leave behind.

So she stays outside where it's easy to find at least a little bit of quiet. She spends some time in the archery range, firing arrows into targets. Sometimes she just goes out into the forest, leans against a tree, or climbs one and hangs out in the branches.

It's better than being in there.]

[65]

[at some point maybe, someone in the light wing convinces finnick to go outside and take a walk because he's crying being super depressing and it's not good for cleric morale. so he does. he walks on the grounds, towards the forest —

and pauses when he hears the faintest rustling from above him. something flashes through his mind, and he feels like he's back in the arena, but he's not, he's not, so he looks up to confirm that it's just a bird or squirrel or the wind.

but it's not.

it's ... katniss??? but it couldn't be katniss. katniss had been here, but then ... she couldn't handle it. she relocated, something like that, didn't she? or was he slipping again? was she real?

his mouth remembers how to make words.]

Katniss?

[anthophobia]

[People don't usually come out here. It's the reason she does, so when she hears her name, her first instinct is panic.

Panic that she quickly squashes. She's learned how in the time she's been gone; how to deal with the constant feeling of dread that came with not entirely understanding the origins of her issues.

He looks down and she recognizes him, though it doesn't prevent the mild shock at seeing his face.]

Finnick?

[She'd left, and by the time she'd come back, he was gone. Seemed like neither of them could deal with their shit.

She makes her way down the tree, landing on her feet as she lets herself fall the last couple of meters. She brushes off her pants, turning to face him.]

You're back.

[65]

[asking her if she's real isn't going to solve anything, so he decides to just go with it for now. she's real. she's here.]

So are you. [yes. duh.] It's been so long, I hadn't — I wasn't sure if I'd ever see you again.

[anthophobia]

Yeah. I've been back for awhile.

[She'd been on a couple missions, she'd only freaked out like once since she'd gotten back.

She will forever be a work in progress.]

I talked to Haymitch when I got back. He said you started thinking everything here was fake after a mission.

[65]

[he nods, a bit sheepish but also relieved he doesn't have to explain everything himself. but also ... haymitch??? wtf. glad he could take time from his regularly scheduled alcoholism to be around again.]

Sometimes it's like I'm back in the arena again. [it's nice to be able to say that without tacking on additional explanations.] And when I am, it's so real, there's no room for any of this. Or anything else. Like this was all some dream I made up to make myself feel better.

[anthophobia]

My dreams were like that.

[The ones she got sent away because of, the ones that kept her waking up screaming in the middle of the night, the ones she'd tried to ignore and had shut away only to break them open again.]

Well, you might not believe me, but this is real. Besides, if this makes you feel better, this is a pretty crappy improvement sometimes. [She kicks at a rock on the ground.] Still better though. Most of the time.

[65]

It's less like a dream and more like a nightmare now. [he shrugs, and in a dry tone:] Maybe that makes it easier to believe. But I still have — I have a wife, Katniss. And a daughter.

[anthophobia]

[That catches her by surprise, her eyes widening a bit as she lets that sink in.]

You have a kid?

[Welcome to one of the things she said she'd never do. That hasn't really changed since coming here; she can barely handle her own shit, let alone a tiny like person's. She'd ruin them.]

Why would you do that?

[imgonnadie]

[ sean likes the outside, it's where he usually is if he's not in his soundproof room working on his girlish screaming. when shit like this happens, sean doesn't exactly want to be inside, so out he goes.

he's whistling as he walking, both high pitched enough to have attracted a couple wayward dogs and low enough to be heard by human ears. he stops when he spots katniss walking around the backyard lake. (pond? is there an actual difference?) one of the dogs -- faith's dogs -- yips at another person but as it darts off toward katniss, sean whistles sharply and the dog promptly stops and sits down on its fluffy butt. ]

Hey! Be polite. [ the dog, obviously, not katniss. ]

[anthophobia]

[She's minding her own business one second, hearing the sound of someone whistling a little too high pitched to not be kind of annoying, along with the sounds of barking dogs. For awhile, they seemed far enough away, but then one of them finds her when she's not entirely expecting it and makes a dash for her.

Her entire body goes rigid on instinct, and with a lovely crit fail on her will save, she draws her bow and trains it on the dog, not firing simply because it stops and sits.

Yikes.]

[imgonnadie]

[ sean comes up after a few moments and immediately puts his hands up even though she's pointing the bow at the dog. ]

Whoa, hey, friendlies.

[ sean isn't particularly surprised by this turn of events. with all the people stuck here and all the chaos happening, it's a wonder no one has been hurt from the tension getting to someone else. he wouldn't be surprised if a fight spilled out the front door, either. ]

Sorry, she got away from me.

[anthophobia]

[Her eyes look a little wild as she glances between him and the dog. I rolled another will save, and she crit failed AGAIN, so the arrow moves from being pointed at the dog, who seems safer, and focuses it on him (IM SO SORRY).]

Who are you?

[Panic rips through her voice.]

[imgonnadie]

[ well better sean than the doggo. ]

Sean Cassidy. Knight. Dragon's Mind.

[anthophobia]

[Okay, that save was...better at least. Her eyes narrow at him, but she loosens her grip on the bow string, lowering the arrow but not putting any of it away.]

You should be more careful.

[imgonnadie]

[ tbf sean didn't think he'd get a bow pulled on him in the woods. maybe a sword bc lan but he usually hears daisy's hooves before he gets threatened. ]

The dogs needed to get out of the castle.

[anthophobia]

That doesn't mean they need to be all the way out here.

[But okay, fine, she'll put away the arrow, sling her bow over her shoulder.]

[closed] for christos

[anthophobia]

[She tracks him down the day that Hellsing starts basically invading the place. She's clearly on edge about the whole thing, a grave and somewhat nervous look in her eye.]

I need to talk to you. Preferably somewhere quiet.

[everyredcent]

[ if she seems on edge, christos seems to be hanging by a thread judging by the stiffness of his demeanor and the way he surveys the hallways like a hawk. a suspicious, angry hawk. ] A commodity that seems to be growing sparser by the minute. [ s-so bitter ] In here. [ he nods to a side room, waits until she's in, locks the door and then places some kind of device against it, something with a green blinking light that adheres right to the outside and is relatively small ] That should do.

[anthophobia]

[Okay, she's been pretty paranoid but this is even more alarming. She waits until he's done, confirms that they're probably 'safe,' then speaks.]

It looks like you're about as okay with this as I am.

[everyredcent]

And unfortunately, outvoted for it. [ he looks her over, stiffly ] But the fact remains that this is a fight we can't ignore. And quite simply, I don't trust them to oversee it alone.

[anthophobia]

They're bringing complete strangers in here. And not just a couple of them.

[They're freaking military and it's freaking her out. They could have them all quarantined without lifting a finger with the firepower their bringing in here, or worse.]

I'm barely okay with another knight watching my back, let alone some random soldier from across town.

[everyredcent]

Not just any soldiers. [ his dark expression makes it pretty clear how he feels about hellsing ] Zealots.

[anthophobia]

Even better.

[Endless sarcasm.]

Do they even have a plan? Or are they just going to throw things until something sticks? [A beat.] I talked to Finnick. He doesn't seem to think we have much of a chance.

[everyredcent]

The plan will hinge upon what the reconnaissance team can gather. Assuming that's anything - and assuming they make it back alive.