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

[hacker]

What's up?

[familybusiness]

You were right. About everything.

I screwed up and I'm sorry. You had my back the whole time and I just...I should have listened to you.

[hacker]

wait, what?

[ she thought for sure this was hearing about her. but — ]

What's going on? Sam, what happened? Are you okay?

[familybusiness]

I'm fine, I think.

I can't really talk about it on here. Are you busy?

[Everyone's on lockdown, so she should be here, right?]

[hacker]

That's ... complicated.

Can I raincheck? There's something I need to do. Things are kind of up in the air for me right now.

I went out last night.

[familybusiness]

Wait, you left?

[Yeah, dipshit. That's what she just said.]

Why?

[hacker]

Again, complicated.

But if you trust me, and I hope you do, I hope you'll give me the chance to explain when I can.

[familybusiness]

Considering everything that's going on right now, trust is really hard. We've got traitors everywhere and it all hits real close to home.

I'll listen because I know I at least owe you that, but we may not have enough time.

I've got something I need to do, too.

[She's not the only one who has to leave.]

[hacker]

Sam, you know me. I'm not a traitor.

But I have to talk to the section heads, and after that, I don't know what's going to happen to me.

[familybusiness]

Yeah, well, she said I knew her too.

[Maybe he did. Maybe she did care. It didn't stop her from letting a bunch of other people fuck up the lives of the people closest to him, so none of it mattered. Not anymore.]

But I want to trust you, alright? I do. What kind of trouble are you in right now?

[hacker]

I left to get us some more help for the situation in LA. I just don't know if it's the kind of help the section heads will appreciate.

[familybusiness]

It can't be worse than the help they've already decided to bring in.

[hacker]

You have history with Hellsing?

[familybusiness]

Not personally, but my brother knows about them more than I do. He made it sound like they'd be more interested in a takeover than actual cooperation.

What I do know is that they're hunters, religious fanatics with their own army to boot. They have a vampire on a magical leash that's rumored to be the strongest one out there and he's here as we speak. He already did some of his crazy mojo on the building.

[You know, that horrible creepy pentagram thing outside. Yeah.]

[hacker]

All the more reason the Knights need some real allies.

I think we both have more questions. I'll meet you in the computer lab when it's all over, okay? And if I'm not there ... check downstairs.

[familybusiness]

[Downstairs. Like the freaking dungeon, he guesses. Awesome.]

You'll have 'til about dinner time. After that I'll be busy meeting some old friends.

[Code for he's gonna be gone. To, you know, do that thing he has to do.]

Hope that means you're already close.

@ the computer lab ...

[hacker]

[ skye takes the long route back out of the castle after her meeting with dovan and coulson. she circles by the computer lab, as promised, and finds sam there occupied at one of the computers. he doesn't look comfortable. impatient — or nervous, maybe.

given the day she's had, she doesn't fuck around with grudges. she just walks up to him and sweeps him directly into a hug. ]

I can't believe what happened in L.A.; you were there, weren't you?

[familybusiness]

[Sam is a lot of things right now; impatient and nervous are both included in the myriad of emotions running through him since his talk with Rose and Dean. He's barely been out of their sight, but they have to get a few things done before they bail, and he's getting what research he can collect together without raising any alarms.

It isn't much, if he's being honest with himself.

He hadn't really expected to see her after their chat, so when she suddenly appears and is hugging him as if all the crap between them just disappeared, it's easy for him to just return the gesture, his arms tight as they encircle her back.]

No, no I wasn't there. My brother was though. He followed Rose.

[hacker]

[ she inhales sharply like fuck are they okay ??? but no, he would be way worse if they weren't. duh. she draws back to look at his face, affirms that it's an overreaction on her part, and loosens up some.

not all.

there's a lot there to unpack. ]

You said you wanted to talk.

[ lmao fuck no is she going to be the one to start when he's the one who has his tail between his legs with an apology a'ight. rebuilding trust first. ]

[familybusiness]

Yeah. We need to.

[He glances around slightly before he jerks his head towards the door.]

Not here, though.

[hacker]

[ she glances that way, seems to think twice about it — i mean, he is fucking with hell after all. but he was sorry and she was right about everything, so. she starts that way. ]

Where?

[familybusiness]

My room. Yours. It doesn't matter to me as long as it's not where anyone can just walk in.

[He's the one asking her to go somewhere private, so he figures it's better if she picks for comfort's sake.]

There's not a whole lot of people it's safe for me to trust anymore.

[hacker]

I'll take that as a compliment.

[ that makes him one of two people who still trusts her. she'll take it. she takes the lead. ]

My room works. I need to pack, anyway.

[familybusiness]

[He just nods. He's already packed up.

He heads towards her room since I'll assume he knows...where it is back before he fucked up their friendship, waiting until she opens the door to follow her inside.]

[hacker]

[ she lets him in and shuts the door behind. no one's likely to be here, at least. no one knows what's going on with her. just that she's back and Wrong. yikes. she gets out her duffel bag. it's well-worn. she starts packing her clothes into it. ]

So?