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

[likeababyduck]

My mom. She and my dad adopted me when I was six and teaching me how to play was how she bonded with me.

[It took a lot, given his history before that, but she got there. She got there better than anyone else could have - at least in Lance's opinion.]

[risked]

[She nods. Allison's mom wasn't... the nurturing type. She mostly relied on her father for guidance and even then things were uneven toward the end.]

Is it just piano that you play?

[likeababyduck]

I play a little guitar. Piano's my great musical love though.

[He smiles a bit before moving over on the bench to give her room to sit if she wants.]

I'm Lance.

[risked]

[She sees the opening and opts to take it, moving to sit beside him on the bench.]

Allison. I never learned any instruments. I did gymnastics and archery. It was easier to pack up a bow and set of arrows when we moved than it would have been to transport a piano somewhere.

[likeababyduck]

That's still really cool though. I always wanted to learn archery but my interests diverged to other areas.

[He was not really an outdoor kid.]

[risked]

You could learn now, you know. [She shrugs, glancing to him.] I mean, you're in a castle. Archery is kind of built in.

[likeababyduck]

That's true. I've just been taking it one weapon at a time though. I don't go in the field much.

[His contribution to the Knighthood has been making sure that the Knights were mentally sound - at least the ones that came to see them.]

[risked]

One weapon at a time is a smart way to go about training, but sometimes taking a break and switching will actually help improve the other.

If you ever want to just try your hand at archery, I'd be happy to help.

[likeababyduck]

I'd appreciate that.

[There's a small smile in return, because he's always looking to expand his skill set.]

Thank you for the offer.

[risked]

You're welcome.

[likeababyduck]

[He nods.]

Hopefully things here will quiet down soon. The tension is ... a little overwhelming, to be honest.

[risked]

I think the tension is normal... [She's quiet in her reply.] I mean, there's a lot to unpack with what happened.

If it was just okay... I think it would be worse.

[likeababyduck]

[He nods in agreement.]

No, you're right. The tension is normal. I'm just hoping it won't escalate to something that can't be taken back.

[risked]

[She believes there's already been too much that can't be taken back. The lives that have been lost -- for example.]

I think we all just need time to figure out how we want to react to everything that's happened.

[likeababyduck]

[He nods in agreement, because in an ideal world, they wound have plenty of time.]

I'm just afraid we're not going to have as much time as we hope.

[risked]

I know, but that's wrong. [She thinks there's a lot that's wrong with this situation, but she's not in charge. She's not even high on the totem pole.]

We deserve that time. We're owed it.

[likeababyduck]

[He nods a bit.]

Unfortunately, it isn't always about what we're owed. It's about how fast Blade decides to act on his plans. Whatever our losses - a lot more people will die if we don't try and stop him.

[risked]

I know. [She replies quietly. It's the truth and she knows that, but it doesn't make her own losses feel any less.]

[likeababyduck]

[No, and it shouldn't. And she's also too young to be dealing with something of this magnitude. A lot of this isn't fair, and he doesn't know how to really comfort her in that. Nothing about this situation is comforting.]

Look, my office will be open again in a couple days. If you want to come by and talk about this more - or any time really - my door's open.