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

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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. ]

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I thought he was never gonna make his appearance. He really didn't need to be so dramatic about it, but I guess he's my kid.

[It might have been a combination of things, really. It had been a stressful day. It has also been TWO YEARS.]

I'm already on a two year vacation. What's a couple more at this point? [She doesn't seem...the happiest though.] It just sucks, you know? Watching everyone else have to go risk their neck and feeling useless? It's not really my thing.

Yeah, I know. [There was a reason she was leaving the Knights after all. Bo at least had the best of reasons to stay out of the thick of things.]

But if you're gonna go risking your neck? Better it be for the right reasons. [Or better said, the right people. Hell would have to reign on earth before Roe would consider doing Solace and Fuckbags bidding.]

I'm not sure there's a better reason than saving the world.

[It's the world her son will have to live in. That's the only thing that particularly matters in regards to the fight as far as she's concerned.]

I don't like all the orders flying around, but I'm sure there's something I can do to help here. Hopefully.

[If she needs to go to the front lines at some point, she will, rather than simply let everything fall apart, but she won't jump into it. Not today.]

[ She can't exactly argue with that, but with what's going on? If Rose honestly thought that the Knights could make a difference under Hasmed and Solace's leadership? Maybe this would be a different conversation... but the fact is? They wouldn't. ]

Solace and Hasmed... they're in over their head and this, taking over from Wynn the way they have? I don't think it was a spur of the moment decision either.

[ Maybe if Wynn hadn't disappeared, it would have been different but the fact is he had... so they might never know. ]

I don't trust them with my life and I sure as heck don't trust them with yours... or this little guy's.

Well, if I were to go, I wouldn't bring him with me.

[Bringing a shadowkind baby to America right now seemed like a bad idea lol.]

I still have to discuss it with the hubby. If he wants to go, I can't let him go alone, either. [She smiles quietly at Rose.] But don't worry about me too much. You know how often I follow orders I think are stupid.

[ She laughs and yet, there's an edge to it. Not quite humor but something close to regret? ]

I can relate.... [ Her gaze lifts, her smile tightening as wrinkles crease the corners of her eyes. ] Which is why... this is more than just a visit.

[ Bo knows her. Probably well enough to know what's going through her mind. Rose was never going to sit on the sidelines while everyone else fought this battle. ]

[Bo seems to quickly pick up on what Rose is laying down. She doesn't...look all that surprised. After all, this is one of the things they've always had in common.

They were not made for sidelines.]

I was wondering...

[ A soft, wry smile touches her lips because of course Bo had seen this coming and Rose appreciates her even more for the fact that she's not going to try and talk her out of it. Of course, she's going to leave. If it's that or do nothing? There is no choice. ]

What gave me away? Or was it obvious when I knocked on the door?

It was obvious because it's you. And it's what I would do.

[If she didn't have a family to protect.]

[ Rose nods slowly, not even fighting her grin and knowing full well that if their situations were reversed? Bo would have done the same. Heck... if not for her son? She'd probably be coming with her. ]

We leave tonight. I'm worried if we wait any longer, our self appointed heads will do something stupid like, lock us up.

If they locked you up, I'd break you out myself. And they can have that on record for all I care.

[Fuck that noise. Seriously.]

Just...try not to get yourself killed, alright? Check-in if you can?

[ A small grin plays across her lips because yep, she could see it. Bo leading the way with Sam and probably even Faye backing her up. She appreciates that now, more than she can begin to express because it's been a long road of feeling like she's been going it alone - just her and Dean... and Wynn... and being reminded that she isn't? It means something. ]

Well, that was the plan... [ Not dying, though her smile fades a little. Not for talk of death but rather, the subject that's weighing on her mind. ]

I didn't just come to say goodbye, though.

[ Grimacing because it just never seems to end. ]

[They've never been going it entirely alone, but Bo is happy to remind her of that. She knows she's been busy lately, after all.

Her brows lift slightly at that because, while she was expecting the goodbye...]

I have to admit, I wasn't expecting that. [She settles in, reading her facial expression that this is gonna be a serious business kind of thing.] What's up?

[ Rose moves to take a seat, a heaviness in her shoulders as she perches with her legs apart. Elbows resting on her knees and her hands clasped together, everything about her body language telling at this point. It's not a casual thing she wants to discuss. ]

I assume by now you've heard about - [ A muscle in her jaw tenses as she has to force herself to push through. ] Elena and Des?

Ah. That.

[As if she thinks she knows where this is going.]

It's pretty impossible not to hear about it. People talk. A lot. [She frowns.] I didn't want to bring it up.

[She knows Rose was friends with them, not to mention on their team.]

Edited 2019-04-19 02:39 (UTC)

[ She lets out a tired, bitter huff of humorless laughter. ]

It's fine. It's been my life for the last two years. [ Her expression grim, because she does realize what she's admitting here. That she knew something at least and never told her. Never told anyone. ]

I went to Wynn with my suspicions after... [ It's like walking through a minefield. ] After the attack on the Castle. I didn't know then...

[ But it's rather obvious without her having to say it, this revelation wasn't completely new to Rose. ]

Dean and I were working with Wynn... trying to see how deep it went. Turns out, it was a lot deeper than any of us imagined.

That's anything but fine and you know it.

[Calling you out, sister. However, there's not a trace of surprise or offense at having kept it a secret.]

I'd say working directly with Hell is about as low and deep as it gets, yeah. Pun intended. [She tilts her head at the other girl.] It's their loss.

[ It takes Rose a second to realize the 'not fine' had nothing to do with the secrets and everything to do with well... the last two years. Surprise flickers in her eyes, some of the tension she hadn't realized she'd been carrying with her releasing and she looks, at least momentarily, so much older than her 24 years should suggest. ]

Fine went out the window years ago. [ Far longer than the two she's been going down this rabbit hole, but she could talk about it. Now at least. ]

Yeah... [ What else was there to say? She didn't have the rage to cling to right now, not now it was all out there. She'd been angry for so long that right now she felt... deflated. Don't worry... that won't last.

It's the 'their loss' comment that seems to take Rose completely by surprise, her head jerking back in response as she allows those words to roll through her and while maybe Bo may have meant it in a more general sense - she couldn't help but think maybe, it was sympathy for a loss that Rose had barely allowed herself to acknowledge, let alone process. Because it is there, the sense of loss. The knowledge that they did this not only knowing they'd bring pain into her life but knowing that they would never be a part of her life again. They did more than just choose hell. They actively chose to turn their backs on so many people, herself among them.]

Is it? [ She shrugs, shakes her head, really not sure how to respond to that. ] Seems like they get everything they want while the rest of us have to live with what they've done.

I'm sorry I wasn't there.

[But she can understand why she couldn't be, why she needed to do it alone. Sometimes, that was just something you had to do.

Bo knew a lot about going it alone.]

Then we don't give it to them. [Fuck them, honestly.] Besides, it sounds more like they screwed themselves and lost what actually matters.

[Family. Friendship. Humanity.]

Don't be. [ Both earnest and frankly, stunned.

This wasn't the reaction she was expecting, not even from people who cared about her. She figured that once the truth came out a lot of people would be hurt and angry... that Spike's response was just the tip of a particularly nasty iceberg so for Bo's immediate response to be sorry? Sorry, when she'd had no choice in being there or not? ]

I know you would have been. [ Though perhaps it's better said that she realizes it now, but that speaks more to how Rose sees herself than how she sees the people around her. ]

It just... wasn't safe. For us as well as you. [ Because she figures that would be easier for Bo knowing that in going it alone, they were protecting themselves as well. ]

Yeah... well. They made their choice. I intend to make sure they have to live with the consequences.

I'm not sure any of us are ever 100% safe, but you had to do what you needed to do. I'm just glad you can talk to me now.

[And that Rose didn't just leave her wondering, though Bo was pretty sure she would have heard from her eventually. Rose just wasn't like that.]

...How much do you know about all this Hell stuff, then?

[Something is occurring to her, now that they're talking about it.]

Yeah, me too. [ Wanting to say more but never knowing how much she can say without effectively throwing Dean into the middle of it. Sharing her story was one thing, but his she guarded against everyone - including Wynn. ]

About as much as anyone can know. [ Grimacing because honestly? For as much as she does know, there are about a thousand things she doesn't. ]

Most of what I do I've learned from Dean... or just, dealing with it.

Then...maybe you can answer something for me.

[She doesn't want to let that hang there and make Rose sweat it out, so she just jumps into the story.

She goes over the day she had her baby's gender tested by Ana, and how something had blocked the scrying that she'd attempted, burning them both in the process. It's possible Rose has been told this already, but it's related to what came next.]

So this girl here, Toby, she said she could tell me about my parentage if she tasted my blood. Except when she did, something blocked her ability, and her body completely rejected it. She coughed it back up like it was choking her. [A beat.] She said it had never happened before.

And given...what I am? I don't know, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't kind of freak me out. Plus, I don't know if it's just me or me and my son.

[ Rose does her best to mask her reaction but there's no concealing the paling of her face, the Dhampir pulling in a slow, shallow breath as her lips press together. ]

She was wrong. [ Shifting uncomfortably. ] Something like that, has happened before.

[ And yet at least, it never once occurs to Rose that Bo could have been complicit with the block. ]

Back when Hasmed tried to scry for Elena... Somebody was able to block it. [ Even Rose reluctant to drop the L word on Bo, given the context of the situation. ] Not the same thing but... Hasmed isn't some trainee caster.

[I rolled a knowledge check. She at least knows what scrying is and how that might be related to what Ana was doing with her baby.]

I mean...Toby said that had never happened with her ability before. I don't know if what she does is related to scrying or different than that but...

[She's clearly at a loss.]

...it could be anyone, right? Do you know if there's a way to figure out who might be behind this? Because if I can figure it out, they're getting a swift kick right where it hurts.

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