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

[behindcloseddoors]

[ he stands up, shaking his head, in disbelief ] This isn't possible. Whatever you're trying to do, whatever is causing you to want to ... to invent this story, we can get you help.

[klep]

[Her face crumples for a moment, because she's trying to do this the right way. She doesn't want to lie to these people because they don't deserve it. They deserve to be able to grieve Julia and say goodbye to her the right way, but unfortunately that isn't how this is going to work.]

Do you really think I would make something like this up?

[The words burst from her with a bit of frustration because she would make up an entire life for herself, but she wouldn't do it to push family away from her. She's never had an actual family to push away before.]

Do you think she would make something like this up?

[behindcloseddoors]

You're not thinking straight... there... there might have been damage, they said, in the accident. I know this is confusing for you, but we need to let them run their tests, and then... then we can get you the help you need.

[klep]

[She sighs as she tips her head back against the bed.]

They're not going to have time to run the tests. A cleric friend of mine is coming to heal me and then I need to leave. I can't stay here. I have a job to do.

[She looks back at him, firmly.]

I don't expect you to understand completely what happened. But you need to realize that you're not getting your sister back. She's gone. I don't even know your name.

[It's cold, so much colder than she wanted to be, but she didn't really have much of a choice at this point. Maybe she should have listened to Thoster and just told them whatever they wanted to hear, but it's too late now.]

I'm ... I'm trying to do this the right way.

[Especially when lying would have been so much easier.]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ he looks around when she makes a claim about a friend coming before seeming to realize that sounds insane. ]

John. My name is John. [ he says it passionately, as if he believes that perhaps that will be the piece of information that will bring her back to her senses ] Julia, I'm not psychologist, but... but maybe there was something you were trying to run away from. Something that would cause you to convince yourself of this... that your life wasn't your own.

[klep]

[And that idea makes her laugh, bitterly for a moment. Because she just died. Her life isn't a life that someone would run away into.]

Trust me, no one would see my life as an escape from their problems. Did you miss the part where I said I just died?

[She wants to make sure he doesn't miss that. It's very important.]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ he grits his teeth ]

I don't know why your psychosis would ... manifest that way but we need to get you diagnosed. Maybe you really believe this... I'm sure you do. But it's not true.

[klep]

[Psychosis. Great. Okay. She slumps back in the bed for a moment, running a hand through her hair, before she tries to think of skills that she has that his sister might conceivably not have.

Her mouth draws to the side for a moment, before she tries another tactic. In Slovchenian:]

No chance your sister is fluent in Slovchenian, is she?

[behindcloseddoors]

[ his eyebrows lift, surprise and understanding clear on his face. he responds in the same language: ]

How is that possible?

[klep]

[She gives a small shrug and switches back to English again, and she'll respond, complete with jazz hands.]

Magic.

[But she'll drop the glib nature of it as she leans back in the bed.]

I didn't ask for this. A regular resurrection sure, but I would never want to put someone else's family through this - put your family through this. I don't think the person who cast the spell knew this is what would happen either.

[behindcloseddoors]

I don't-- [ he still is having a difficult time with even wrapping his head around this ] What kind of person could even do such a thing?

Who are you?

[klep]

I don't think he thought that this is what would happen. I'm pretty sure he just thought I would get a new magical body, but ... it didn't work out that way. This is the first time he's ever cast it.

[But that doesn't change the fact that it's John's family who got violated.]

My name is Felicity Braddock. I work for the Karthur Institute in London.

[behindcloseddoors]

You mean he played with magic he didn't understand and stole my sister's body? [ well. now he seems to be getting it at least. but it's not making him a happy camper ]

[klep]

[She honestly doesn't blame him there. So she's not going to correct that assumption, because she knows that Gus had never done this kind of spell before. He made that part clear enough.]

To try and save my life, yes. He was desperate. And again, I am so sorry.

[behindcloseddoors]

I'll tell you who's going to be sorry. This... this friend of yours.

[druidisms]

[ before gus busts in like the kool-aid man, he'd have to actually manage to find felicity's room ("she's my niece", and he stares hard because he assumes they'll balk because he's asian) via her injury and his charm? (gather info 18 + diplomacy 31) ]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ welp, that was a nat 20 will save. ]

I'm sorry, sir. They're going to be running some tests. Would you like to wait with the rest of the family?

[bluffcheck]

[Thoster steps up behind Gus and puts a hand on his shoulder.]

We can wait, but can you let us know what room she's in? Some friends have been asking if they can send flowers, and I figure having the room number and her name will help make sure they find her. [bluff 39]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ she looks annoyed a little but looks it up and says: ] 103.

[bluffcheck]

Perfect, thank you. We'll be out of your hair, then. [And he nudges Gus to follow him away from the desk and hopefully to find somewhere away from the staff so they can figure out their next step.]

[druidisms]

[ gus nods at the nurse lady, and lets thoster lead him away. he gestures down an empty hallway toward the bathroom, making a line for the panel affixed to the wall that has the arrows pointing out each wing, searching for the right direction toward felicity. (navigate 18) ]

How are we going to get past her?

[bluffcheck]

I'm not just a pretty face, you know. [Humor is a good way to mask how anxious he is.] I can keep us out of sight with magic. We just have to be quiet and quick. We won't be able to see each other either, so we'll need to keep contact to make sure we don't lose each other. [time to hold hands]

Do you think you can find the room? The spell will only last a minute or so.

[druidisms]

[ gus nods, reaching out to grasp thoster's hand. ] Yeah, I can find it.

[bluffcheck]

[He nods and casts invisibility on Gus and then himself. Time to get sneaky!]

[druidisms]

[ gus didn't, like, prepare for this, but he preps cat's grace as a rule because his bestie uses ranged attacks so before they start moving, he casts cat's grace, mass on the both of them so they get an additional +4 to dex for 13 minutes. and then they roll out. (move silently 20 total; navigate 21) ]