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

PRETEND THIS IS IN TEXT FORMATTING IM ON MY PHONE AND THIRSTY

[nothingsodivine]

I knew they’d get you back, Little Bit. Thanks for letting me know. I don’t think anyone would’v picked up if I tried to find out anything.

How’re you feeling?

[witchwoman]

Tired, mostly. But that's nothing new.

[Shes a mom]

Finnick stayed. He seems to be doing better.

[nothingsodivine]

I’m glad. And I bet the littler bit is glad to see her dad too.

[witchwoman]

She doesn't remember him. It's been confusing. All of this has been so confusing.

[And she's reaching critical mass for what she can handle, basically.]

How long were you lying to me, Des? To all of us?

[nothingsodivine]

[yeah he knew this part was coming.]

Since Rafael’s trial. When I met you guys back at the hotel afterwards and everyone jumped me for my testimony, I had just gotten back. It seemed like keeping quiet was safer after that. Perjury is one thing, but siding with Hell is another.

[witchwoman]

Right before I was kidnapped. We spoke after I was found. In private. And still you said nothing of any of this.

[nothingsodivine]

Because you're honest, Myri. You're one of the most honest people I know. I saw how knowing the truth about the tapestries in that hallway and not being able to talk about it tore you up- why would I give you a larger burden to bear?

Look, I can't rationalize it away, and I can never explain it in a way that would satisfy anyone. This entire thing is tied into my history.
Everything I am comes back to this.

It's not about good or evil for me- it's about me. I lied to protect myself from the people who would've been out for blood when they knew, and I lied to you and anyone who might have understood because I didn't want you to have to lie for me.

I told Elena, because Elena had already made her own questionable choices. I knew she'd understand and I knew she wouldn't mind keeping this secret.

[witchwoman]

You still sound like you. And you've always been selfish and reckless. I'm hurt, but I still know it's you in there. Elena is a stranger to me now. The way she talks about him? I thought it was sweet when she first told me, but it scares me.

[nothingsodivine]

The reason I sound like me is I already lived four thousand years before this. That's me. That's always going to be me, and anyone who thinks I can be better than that is deluding themselves. I don't have it in me to be the man people want me to be. I can just be a better version of this.

Elena was a young girl when she decided this was the life she wanted. She had to adapt to something bigger than she ever dreamed so quickly that something had to give. Time moves so much faster and you haven't been around her in so long, it can be really disorienting. But she's still the same Elena deep down.

That's who he fell in love with. I can't tell you how to feel about her, but I can tell you that. I don't think any man who can love a girl like that can have a heart as black as they say.

[witchwoman]

The Elena I know could never hurt me. And yet she told me that was a possibility. Made it clear that she would choose him over all else, even if that choice meant bringing me harm.

What neither of you seem to keep in mind is that while we have not been around for all the time you've lived these other lives, we were not apart of those lives for you either. We are not apart of who she has decided to become. You are, and I am grateful that she has that reminder of who she once was. But just as time changed you, made you who you truly are, it shaped her too. Whatever shadow of our Elena remains is just a memory now.

[nothingsodivine]

I'm sorry. Not for the choices I've made, because I know why I made them, and I wish I could show you everything that made me choose this. I'm sorry that it all came out so soon- we could have left when it was all over, and you could have mourned us and moved on, and now it's just going to hurt more.

All I want you and everyone else to understand is our choices have nothing to do with Blade, and never will. We're just two people who chose a side in something that's background static to the rest of this, and we're just as much against Blade and the Mind Master as you are. We want to help, because we really don't want any of you to get hurt by those monsters more than you already have.

But I'm well frickin' aware that's a big ask from someone who's lied this long, but none of those lies were about hurting you. They were about protecting myself, and the other people I care about.

[witchwoman]

I've never thought that you were on Blade's side. I know you would never help such a monster. But that doesn't change the rest.

You've broken my heart, Des. The both of you. Ever since I woke up, I've felt this hollow ache inside of me. Like I'm grieving for something, but I couldnt figure out what.

But it's you. And her. And the family I thought I had.

[nothingsodivine]

Yeah. I didn't really expect anything better than that. I wish there was a way I could've had it both ways, but it wasn't possible. Someone was always gonna get hurt.

I'm sorry you were one of them.

[witchwoman]

I wish I knew that was true.

I need you to do something for me.

Look out for her. I know she may not need it, but I hope you'll understand.

[nothingsodivine]

I'm a Paladin of Cania, Myri, and she's the Queen of the Nine Hells. I already look after her as well as I can. You don't have to worry about that.

[witchwoman]

Good. Take care of yourself as well.

[nothingsodivine]

Thanks. We'll see how well I do on both fronts. I doubt this will be the last time you hear from us.

Don't worry. Elena and I are capable of maintaining a professional distance. We won't make this any harder on you or anyone else than it has to be.

[witchwoman]

That may not be a concern

[nothingsodivine]

Why's that?

[witchwoman]

It's nothing for you to worry about.

[nothingsodivine]

I deserve that.

My only concern is being stabbed and/or shot the second I walk into a room with all of you in it, and being able to help save the world, because I happen to still care about the people living in it. I don't need to know anything else.

[witchwoman]

You'll always be important to me, Des. No matter what happens.

[nothingsodivine]

You're still important to me too,
Little Bit. I don't want anything to happen to you. I don't want anything to happen to any of you.

[witchwoman]

I don't think that's up to either of us anymore.

[nothingsodivine]

I'm still the same man you knew, Myri- the same stubborn asshole who might be selfish, but tries to protect people all the same. I know I don't exactly have the best track record here. A lot of people should be alive that aren't now, and maybe I could've done more, and maybe I couldn't.

But I'm not letting anyone else suffer without a fight.

We'll see how that goes, I guess.