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

[killingtodeath]

[He's been doing his best to hold it together. But all it takes is one hug and he can feel the overwhelming swell of grief creeping up within him.]

I'm okay. [He's not and he doesn't even have the energy to try to make it believable.]

[graveflowers]

Mmm, I can see that.

[ vi will allow him his lies, curling her arms tightly around him. ]

I'm sorry, Stiles.

[killingtodeath]

How does anyone expect us to do it? [She, of anyone he knows, really gets it.] How can we go on living like nothing's wrong when they aren't here?

[graveflowers]

You don't. [ vi is so great with condolences. ] It's never going to be like nothing is wrong because everything is going to be wrong. The sun shining is going to piss you off. People breathing are going to upset you because they don't feel what you're feeling. Any time someone says to be thankful for the time you had you're going to want to punch them in the face.

[ she smooths her hand through his hair, kissing the side of his head affectionately. ] It's going to feel impossible, but listen Stiles. You don't have to do anything. You don't have to cope right now, no one can force you. You have time.

[ it doesn't fucking feel like it, but vi isn't going to tell stiles to buck up and get out there! she did jack fucking shit after luthir died, she barely contributed to helping the people killing themselves in the hudson. stiles doesn't have to do anything if he isn't up to it. ]

[killingtodeath]

I keep thinking about when she left for the mission. [He leans his head on her shoulder, mumbling out the words.] I think I told her I love her, but... I can't remember? What if I didn't tell her enough?

[He reaches behind his back and pulls out a knife wrapped in a sheath.]

I have this. It was hers. She probably wouldn't want me to fight. I'm not exactly great at it. But... I feel like I need to. For her, for me. I don't know.

[graveflowers]

First of all, if you need to, then you need to. As much as I would rather you be safe somewhere else, like... the moon. That isn't going to help.

And Stiles. [ she puts her hands on his shoulders, firm, so he'll look at her. ]

She knew, you were enough.

[killingtodeath]

[He does look at her, and seeing her sincerity and hearing those words is all it takes to break down the last of his resolve. He drops his head down and begins to cry, shoulders shaking as the pent up emotion finally finds a momentary release.]

I miss her so much. [He chokes out between sobs.]

[graveflowers]

I know, honey. And it's going to get worse. [ the first time he thinks to call her and then remembers, the first time he wakes up and she isn't the first thing he thinks of, the first time he meets someone with her name or perfume. it's going to be terrible.

so vi lets him cry. ]

[killingtodeath]

[It feels like it goes on forever, like each sob drags on for eternity. It might be minutes or hours, but eventually he draws in a shuddering breath and lets it out slowly. This won't be his last breakdown, but he's at least let this one run it's course for now.]

Can we go for a walk or something? [He's not sure whether he wants some air or a chance to run away. He doesn't think Vi would judge him either way.]

[graveflowers]

Yeah, of course. [ she knows rory won't begrudge her hanging on to lucia for a little while longer, especially since vi knows he might not see her again for a while.

she unfolds from the couch, reaching down to heave stiles to his feet. ]

[killingtodeath]

[He lets her help him up. If he had his wits about him, he'd suggest they bring Lu along. She's a ray of sunshine. But it's probably better that they keep it to the adults. He probably wouldn't be as open with a kiddo around.]

Thanks. [His ability to do small talk is lacking right now, so he just starts moving.]

[graveflowers]

No prob.

[ vi's happy to walk without small talk, leading the way outside. her fave place. ]

[killingtodeath]

[As soon as they get outside, he takes a deep breath in and lets it out slowly.]

We buried her familiar out here. [He glances in the general direction of it.] Do they do anything for fallen Knights? A wall of stars like the CIA? Anything?

[graveflowers]

Uh, there's a hall full of old Dragon's Claw portraits. But I think it's just headstones and the like for everyone else. [ there'd be so many over the years. ] I asked Wynn to put Luthir's near Thomas' even though he's not actually buried there. Somewhere for me to visit and hang out like a creep.

[killingtodeath]

I guess I should see about getting her something out there, then. Even if there's nothing to bury for her either. [The words feel cold and hollow, which is somewhat better than being too overcome with emotion to even say them.]

[graveflowers]

You don't need anything to bury. You don't even need a marker unless you want it, or you think she would want it.

[killingtodeath]

It's not exactly something we talked about. [Although maybe it should have been.] Cora and I know where her familiar is. We can show Will and anyone else who was close to her. But she was a pretty private person, so maybe it's better this way. To have a spot that only a few of us know about.

[graveflowers]

Maybe plant a tree or certain flowers to mark it instead. I can promise you they'll be protected.

[ by vi personally, by groot, by lan if she asks politely enough. ]

[killingtodeath]

[He's struck with an idea and quickly pulls out his phone to do some googling.]

Do you think a Norway Pine would grow here? [He knows zero things about trees.] It's the state tree of Minnesota. It's where she was from.

[graveflowers]

[ vi glances over at the phone, peering at the picture. ] I can make it grow here, sweetie. Just show me the spot.

[killingtodeath]

It's over here. [He leads the way to the spot where Cora brought him. The patch of ground that's been unearthed makes his heart twist with that pang of loss. He shoves his hands into his pockets and nods at the spot.]

[graveflowers]

[ vi kneels down in front of the little mound, frowning briefly at how small it is as she buries her hands in the dirt. a small covering of white and purple flowers immediately coats the dirt while a little sprout bursts through the soil at the top of the mound.

it's growing, slowly. trees are harder than flowers ]

[killingtodeath]

[Magic is still incredibly fascinating to him, but this is something... more. There's a tightness in his chest, a pain and a relief all at once. He stands back, letting Vi do her thing, letting himself cry again, but this time feeling some small amount of closure along with it.]

[graveflowers]

[ vi just keeps... growing... the tree. it's exhausting work, but she doesn't have much else on the agenda she's going to need surpluses of energy for so she just keeps trucking until a small, adolescent sapling has grown as the marker. it's only a few feet tall, but it is definitely a tree and its roots are strong and deep so it will remain steadfast as long as no giant robots stomp through the forest. ]

You might want to mark it, with a ribbon or something, so no one touches it.