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

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. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ with a listen of 13 i guess she didn't hear them talking so she doesn't know to anticipate that clark might Want to Leave. ]

Uh, just ... making a run to the airport.

[ She tightens her smile. ]

You know, still got Knights coming in from all over, so.

[ She tries to sidestep the lie as best she can, but there's no avoiding the fact that she hates having to lie to them directly like this (bluff 18). She's tense, uncomfortable, and tries too fast to change the subject. ]

What are you guys doing?

I thought-- [ lockdown implies no in and out. kali's eyebrows knit together in concern, but because she doesn't think skye would lie to her, she lets it go, chalking it up to the stress of everything happening. ]

One of Clark's friends figured out the knights are knights.

[Clark has a Wis score of 9 so he'd need a natural 19+ on a sense motive and whoops he sure didn't get that. He does see an opportunity here, though.]

Think they'd let me come with you? [And make one teensy detour, but still totally abide by the rules?? This sounds perfect.]

She's not going to let it go if I avoid her. I'm hoping if I can talk to her face to face, I can get through to her that she needs to drop it for now.

[Because that's definitely worked before... oh wait...]

I don't ... know if that's a good idea.

[ she looks between them, fumbling. ]

With all this talk of traitors, it might look bad. Especially tonight.

No, it looks practical. If they're sending anyone out, they should be sending pairs. There is a reason only the Dragon's Claws are allowed to go on their own.

[ why is everyone so bad at good tactics? this isn't a stealthy strike mission, she's picking up other knights. ]

Um, what is it called. Safety in numbers.

Yeah. [Clark nods because Kali makes a lot of sense.] Why don't we ask whoever sent you to go get people from the airport? If they say no, then I'll just be back to where I am now. But it's worth a shot, right?

No, you're not— [ she takes a breath to quell her frustration. she needs to go. now. ] You're not listening to me. Trying to get out of the castle, drawing attention to yourself, it's going to look bad. Really bad.

Believe me, Clark. If you leave the castle tonight, you're going to regret it. Whatever your friend knows, whatever she's going to do, it can wait one night.

[ realizing how snappish that was, she deflates. ] I'm sorry. I just really think we need to be toeing the line on this one. If the section heads say we shouldn't be leaving unless absolutely necessary, I think we should listen to them.

[ skye? suggesting we follow the rules? ... ok ... ]

No.

[ kali's eyebrows knit together, looking at skye with an expression that doesn't often settle on kali's features: suspicion. ]

Hasmed said no one leave until a decision is reached about how to proceed. He said all Knights are to return to the castle immediately and remain here until word is given otherwise. [ word for word, verbatim, that is what hasmed said. ]

Why would he make an exception for only you?

I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation. [Because he's a puppy dog farm boy who believes the best in his friends.] Right?

There is.

[ she looks between them and nods in earnest. but she can't give it. not right now. it's going to slow her down, and then —

and then she might not leave. she might not be able to stand it. ]

When I get back, I'll tell you all about it. [ she'd have to. and then she'd just have to hope they could forgive her, eventually. someday you'll see, a voice in her head says. she smothers it. ] I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I can't— I have to go.

[ she starts backing towards the door. ]

Just stay inside tonight, okay?

[ quietly: ] If you leave they won't let you back.

[Clark is slowly starting to get a really Not Good(tm) feeling about all of this.]

Skye... are you in some sort of trouble?

Don't worry about me.

[ it hurts too much. they wouldn't be worried if they knew. they'd look at her with the same betrayal val'drin had in his eyes. she takes another step back. ]

If you see Peter, tell him ... [ god is there anything that can be said? she bites down on her lip, then shakes her head. ] Forget it.

I'll have my phone.

[ she turns around then, back them fully, and carries onward. she can't stick around. if she does, if she gets caught up in trying to justify, she'll bury herself deeper in lies, and it will be worse. ]

Skye...

[ kali doesn't try to stop her, even though she easily could, feeling burdened with the sudden feeling of loss. what if skye doesn't come back? what if they don't let her come back. skye is her best friend but if she's not here, if they don't see each other all the time...

she watches skye walk away. ]

[Hes worried, and it's clear that she's hiding something, but he has to hope that she would tell him if she could. He's trusted her with so much, after all. Moving closer to Kali, Clark puts a hand on her shoulder and gives it a reassuring squeeze.]

If you need anything, we'll be here. [Somehow over the course of this, he's changed his mind about leaving the castle to go find Lois. Risking being forced out of the Knights and no longer able to do good in the world with them is too high of a cost.]

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

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