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

[attollores]

[After a moment the door swings open to reveal Alainn, a wide smile on her face at Vi's voice.]

Vi! Lucia! Come in, come in. [she steps out of the way to allow them into the room but doesn't pass up the opportunity to reach for Lucia with a squeal of joy.] Oh my goodness, c'mere peanut!

[graveflowers]

She's missed you since we were last in Andres. [ obviously because lucia all but leaps into alainn's arms, the sight bringing a smile to vi's own features. she loves how much lucia loves, uninhibited and fully. ]

She's gotten too used to being treated like a princess there. Coming back here must be such a let down.

[ at the word princess, lucia brightens and points to herself. "Princess!" ]

[attollores]

[Her laugh is full of delight and love, not a trace of the anxiety that has had a grip on her since they arrived in L.A. present. It was amazing what magic a child could bring about with merely their smile.]

Aye Lucia, Princess of Fairy Land it is [she says with a chuckle, giving her a big kiss on the cheek before turning to pull Vi into a hug as well, pressing her cheek to the other woman for a moment.] And we've missed her as well. We've missed the both of you.

[She pulls back, letting Lucia down to run to Mark.]

How are you doing, Vi?

[graveflowers]

[ vi welcomes that hug, that is for damn sure, mourning it the moment alainn lets her go to let lucia run free and wild as she pleases. ]

I'm okay. Winter is coming, which is a lot lamer to say as an explanation nowadays, thanks HBO, but I'm alive, so there is that. I'm more interested in you.

[ to say that she has been fond of alainn since the grammy's is an understatement, her brightness and light have always been a godsend, and vi always worries for the half-elf in the violence. she never wants to heal any more burns or terrible injuries, even if she knows that is a silly, desperate wish. ]

How's the island, how are Michael and Lara, how is my future ex-husband Dana? [ ex because he will divorce her when he realizes she doesn't love him and just wants someone to call her pretty on occasion and play with her hair. ]

[attollores]

[her mouth turns down in gentle concern at Vi's comment about winter, understanding the implications of her words and her hand comes out to the other woman's, tugging her over to a set of chairs in front of the fireplace.]

The island is doing much better. The rebuild is still underway, but it's given the people such a sense of hope and community to have a hand in remaking their home. [her gaze wanders over to Mark as he entertains Lucia and a fond smile crosses her features, mixed with a longing she can't begin to mask. Her lips turn up once more at Vi's inquiries.]

Lara, Dana and Michael are doing just fine, happy to have their friend back after all this time. It makes me happier than I can say to see him so open and free with them.

[graveflowers]

[ vi completely understands that longing and she squeezes alainn's hand as they sit. ]

I'm glad he got his life back. Not that we aren't great and shit, but home is... home. [ she leans in a little closer, lowering her voice. ] I'm not gonna ask if you guys are, you know, but if you ever want to talk about it, I am all ears. I can't give you any more nieces and nephews unless Luthir is down for some immaculate conception which I didn't think to ask in Arvandor, but you've always got our little Glowbug to spoil.

[attollores]

[Her face lights with a blush at Vi's words and she ducks her head, her smile faltering just the tiniest bit. A few moments pass before she answers, keeping her tone sotto voce as well.]

We... have to be careful so as not to have any Royal Problems. He's only just become King, with plenty enough on his plate to deal with without all the complications that would bring about. [Her gaze wanders once more to Mark and Lucia, that intense longing coming back full force, compounded by a very raw grief that takes her a moment to control.]

Besides, I'm nothing more than who the King is bringing to the opera, as it were. He's still receiving quite a few offers from many of the Royal families on the island, even though he and Lara have realized they aren't suited to each other. [There are a hurt and insecurity in her tone that is rarely heard from the half-elf, a fragile bitterness just on the edge of her tone.]

He's got too much to worry about without me... complicating things. [So no Vi, the answer is no. I'm sure that this is not the can of worms you were hoping to open. Maybe she's PMSing and that's why she's being all woe is me.]

[graveflowers]

Oh, mellonamin. [ vi's heart sinks, recognizing the fragility in alainn's voice. she honestly can't relate, never having been in the situation where her love wasn't the forefront of her life because she had zero other obligations, luthir had zero other obligations. if they'd wanted a child, they could have had a child.

they did. ]

You're not a complication, Alainn. You're the reason Mark has the courage to be a king. Andres will come around to realizing the Queen they're looking for is right under their nose already.

[attollores]

[that earns vi a grateful smile, another squeeze of her hand. The clouds seem to clear from her eyes as she clears her throat, gaining control of herself once more.]

I can only hope. [her nose scrunches as a wry snort works its way out of her.] Though I can honestly say I never dreamed that someday I'd be looking for that kind of title.

[graveflowers]

Well, if you need someone to emulate... [ vi jerks her head to lucia, the girl that already thinks she is a princess. lu knows what she is about. there's something wonderful about the certainty of children. ]

Hope is all we've got, so hang on to it.

[attollores]

It's the only thing that's kept me going this long. [Her good humor is restored watching Mark and Lucia play, a small chuckle escaping past her lips. And then it catches up to her exactly what Vi had said about Arvandor, and Luthir.]

Wait, you went to Arvandor??

[graveflowers]

[ elle woods: what like it's hard? ]

I was invited, the Lady brought me and Lu on her boat. [ she's trying for nonchalant, but some combination of hope and sorrow simmers just under the surface, longing, an ache that settles in her chest. it's familiar at least, she's still a widow after all. ]

[attollores]

[She recognizes the emotions simmering just under the surface that Vi is trying to contain (Wis 15). She squeezes Vi's hand, fascination and awe lighting her eyes.]

Tell me about it?

[graveflowers]

Oh, Alainn, it's beautiful.

[ she sighs, not unhappily, and a smile lights up her entire expression like it's suddenly springtime again, full of warmth and light. ]

The whole city is white and it glows with moonlight. Her temple is all white, probably marble but nicer than, like, any countertop you've ever seen. [ lkjhgh what a comparison. ] There's music and beautiful gardens full of these gorgeous white flowers and there's birds that glow like they're made of moonlight.

[ vi tries to form one of the flowers in her hand, but while it's lovely and beautiful and bursts with a decadent scent, it pales in comparison to the flowers that decorates the gates of the moon. ]

[attollores]

[Vi's enthusiasm is contagious and her eyes take on a faraway look as she tries to imagine the palace of The Lunar Lady as it's described, knowing her imaginings would never do it justice.]

It sounds like the best kind of dream. You said The Lady invited you? [The inquiry is an invitation for Vi to elaborate if she chooses to. She will find a most avid listener in Alainn, no matter how big or small the detail.]

[graveflowers]

She led me to Lazarus. [ it feels like forever ago but vi knows it wasn't that long. ] She kept sending me these dreams of a boat waiting at the shore and drifting off into the fog and when I asked him about it he said that is how you get to the Gates of the Moon. He told me that sometimes the Lady will invite mortals to her realm.

[ lucia skips over and plucks the flower from her mother's hand to give to mark ... so he can give it right back to her because princesses deserve flowers, like papà used to bring momma. obviously learned from one of vi's stories. ]

Anyway blah blah I had to be patient and trust, which I hate especially 'cause she is so cryptic and I need this champion shit spelled out in neon letters, but eventually I felt like I had to go to the beach and there was her boat, waiting for Lucia and I.

[attollores]

[She chuckles at Lucia and Mark passing the flower back and forth, her heart near to bursting with joy.]

So what is this whole "champion" thing you've mentioned? What does it mean for you?

[graveflowers]

Nothing really. She gave me this pretty necklace-- [ vi pulls it free, untangling it from the chain the holds luthir's wedding ring, so alainn can see the small crescent moon charm. ] --but I sort of just exist. Tell my truth, or whatever, live my life. Each champion has a different purpose and mine isn't punching people in her name or testifying or whatever.

[attollores]

[She leans in to get a better look at the necklace, her face lighting with curiosity.]

Well, that's a good thing, right? No crazy holy quests added onto the pile of crazy your life already is.

[graveflowers]

A holy quest might be easier, considering.

[ maybe she could use a success in all this garbage. ]

[attollores]

Yeah, ye might be right, honestly.

[graveflowers]

Maybe this is all one convoluted holy quest and no one ever bother to tell me. That would be something stupid my family would do.

[attollores]

[that gets a short puff of a laugh from her.]

They're that forthcoming with ye, huh? Though, it honestly wouldn't surprise me if this really was a quest, considering... well, everything. I mean, it has all the makings and problems of one of those epic quests ye hear about as a child, along with all shit ye never knew was involved.

[graveflowers]

The memo about it probably got lost in the mail with my luck. [ vi lets out a slow sigh, leaning back in her chair. ]

Hopefully this holy quest succeeds.

[attollores]

[This entire mission had been one pile of crazy on top of another since its start. Now they were being booted off by the two dumb-asses in charge, forcing them to go rogue in order to see this thing through. If that didn't scream of a holy quest, then she didn't know what did. And damned if they wouldn't see it through to a successful end.]

It will. We will. I promise you that, Vi.