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

[throughvictory]

I've no way to know that. It would depend on you as much as me.

[forcevisions]

[ she thinks of caroline, who is expecting to leave within the fortnight. it's an ugly choice: protect her friend, or understand herself? ]

Fine. As long as it takes. But if you lie to me, or drag this out ...

[ she doesn't feel compelled to finish the threat. ]

[throughvictory]

[ she glides forward, long white fingers curving around the bars ] Yes?

Then what?

[forcevisions]

Then when I get my hands on the holocron — and I will, with or without your help — I'll make sure you hear nothing of what it contains.

[throughvictory]

Such confidence.

But still, it will take weeks to teach you. At least.

[forcevisions]

Then we'd better get started.

[ she hesitates, then turns to finn. ]

Finn ... [ she looks apologetic. she doesn't want him to watch this, though, not after what he'd said. as much as she knows she could go talk to caroline herself later ... ] I need you to tell Caroline something. Tell her I'm sorry. And that I can't go, not yet. There's something I still need. But tell her ... Tell her that I'll keep her safe.

[militarized]

[There is so much about this that he doesn't like, but he trusts Rey and he's already halfway in the doghouse, so...]

Alright.

[He still hesitates, looking between the two women before his eyes settle on his friend.]

Just...be careful, okay?

[And unless she asks or tells him anything else, he's just going to excuse himself and do that thing she just asked him to do.]

[throughvictory]

[ she just watches this exchange with a little smirk on her face ]

[forcevisions]

[ she watches finn's back as he leaves, worrying. only when he's out of sight does she turn back to vane. ]

Well? Where do we start?

[throughvictory]

First, I need to understand what you are already capable of.

[forcevisions]

In Luzon, I reached out and used the Force to touch ... memories. Impressions of what had happened, of your fight with that Jedi. [ she crinkles her nose. does that explain it? not effectively, but perhaps adequately enough to move on. ] I've turned the mind of a stormtrooper to obey me. I've moved things, called them to me.

I've read someone's thoughts. Someone trained. It was like I was inside his head. [ it's not a reach to conclude that, based on the disdain and unease with which she recounts this, it might be the same so-called Sith that Finn mentioned. ] But ...

I think it goes deeper than these things I can do. I didn't see it before, but ... It was always there. I look back, and I understand this is what it was. Even when I didn't know how to reach for it. [ on starkiller base, she'd had to reach out, but now it's here all the time. ] Like now it's just ... awake.

[throughvictory]

You've become aware of the greater power that sits at your fingertips. That's good. But despite the apparent ease with which you have managed so much, you must hone that control if you wish to accomplish the nearly impossible.

Try it now. That door is sealed. [ she nods at the empty cell across from her ]

[forcevisions]

[ she turns around to look at the sealed cell, pursing her lips. somehow, it seems like a trap to get her to unseal a cell door. but her sense motive was like 9 so i guess she just chalks that up to sith bias.

she shuts her eyes and extends a hand towards the door. she draws in a few deep breaths, reaching out with her mind. she can feel it. the force. but when she grabs for it, she tries to wield it like a blunt instrument, to force the door open (idek she rolled an 18 on the die. that's like a 20 concentration check? or a 26 force - move object ?? ? rolls things and makes things up) ]

[throughvictory]

[ the door groans in protest against the pressure, the bars literally bending inward, and finally breaking around the lock, leaving a twisted mess. i mean, technically it's open ]

... Interesting.

[forcevisions]

[ when you're an eldritch abomination but you're Doing Your Best.



rey stares at it for a while, startled. 'interesting' is a word for it. but she's suddenly glad finn isn't here to see this. she doesn't know that she likes what it says about her, particularly on the heels of his comments. ]

When I find the holocron, I'd like to leave the vault intact.

[throughvictory]

If learning quickly is important to you, we might not have much time for subtlety.

[forcevisions]

[ i mean that sucks but ... she's still not dissuaded tbh. ]

That doesn't mean it isn't worth trying.

[throughvictory]

So try. Don't grab at it like a hammer.

[forcevisions]

Have you ever done this before? Trained someone else?

[ because you're not great at emotional support here, lady. ]

[throughvictory]

Of course I haven't. But when I was training, I didn't grouse. I did what was asked of me.

[forcevisions]

[ rude. rey pins her with a scowl, then looks back at the door, studying it. well ... the lock is ... technically still intact. it's just the door around it that has come free entirely. she centers herself, draws a deep breath, and tries to focus. the way she had on starkiller base.

it's not brute force. it's a matter of finesse. like machine parts.

idek what to roll for something like this but it was a 15. if it's still move object but GENTLY it might be a 23 total. or if it's farseeing for some reason it's 23 total. enhance ... senses .. ? ?? ? 18 ? ]

[throughvictory]

[ we'll go with move object. close enough. it takes a little bit of frustrating re-concentrating a few times, but finally, finally she starts to tune in on tiny parts of the lock and be able to move them individually, making her way through each tumbler with painstaking slowness.

there's a click that's very satisfying, and the lock springs open ] ... Well.

[forcevisions]

[ beads of sweat break on her forehead and upper lip, evidence of the effort. she can feel it on the back of her neck too, and down her back. she reaches up to wipe her face, then approaches the open lock, investigating her work. ]

The vault won't be that easy. [ surely. it didn't feel easy, especially not now that she's feeling the fatigue set in, but surely a man like wynn had something enchanted — something powerful — to protect his relics. ] And it won't be worth anything if I can't find it.

[throughvictory]

If you can open yourself up to the Force, the Holocron will all but call out to you. The magic of this world however is... strange. [ there's admittedly some frustration in her tone about it ] Are you able to sense it?

[forcevisions]

[ sense it?? ? sense what ? ?? she doesn't have a great deal of experience with this. but she turns to look back at vane, studying her. some of her apprehension leaks through. she doesn't want to share this with this woman, this monster, but where else can she look? ]

Open myself up …

[ she furrows her brow. then, seeing no cause to argue, she lets her eyes drift shut. and she tries to step back, mentally, from herself. to consider the larger castle. and to feel, within it, where the holocron is. it has to be there somewhere. see … force??? 19? ]