closed ♔ and when we collide | we'll see what gets left over

[dragonsclaw]

WHO || Failboat [closed]
WHAT || After the announcement, Jack calls a meeting
WHERE || Thomas Bancroft's room, the Castle
WHEN || 8am, the day after LA
HOW || Actionspam or prose

Solace's announcement makes the situation unfortunately plain - those who have worked to stop Blade and company for the last five years have been side-lined, and will be until this ends, one way or another.  Jack has sent out a secret communication to all members of the team, asking them to gather in Thomas Bancroft's old room, which has stood empty since his death, and is usually locked.

When they make their way there before 8am, however, they will find the door unlatched.  Jack is already inside, with Gar seated near him, one hand on his arm.  Kat leans against the wall behind Fred, who is seated in a chair.  Her arms are folded, and she's grinding her teeth back and forth.

Comments

[msattentionspan]

[Seeing that Jack seems to be in control of this whole motley crew is reassuring. She knew she could trust him and if she had to choose someone to follow it would be him. Still, the commentary on Buffy opting to bring her is amusing. Why wouldn't she bring another Slayer to the end of the world? This is kinda their thing. Granted, Buffy doesn't remember that it's their thing, but Faith knew that this was the right thing to do.]

B' said that you guys were gonna try to get shit handled. Seemed like a better plan than the one currently not happening. [If 'get shit handled' can even be considered a plan. Of course, Faith doesn't really need a plan, she just needs something she can hit.] She asked, I came.

Plus, two Slayers are always better than one.

[nepotism]

That's... actually not a bad argument.

[graveflowers]

Welcome to the gang. Gang? Are we a gang? [ she tries a few more on for size under her breath: ] Welcome to the team, welcome to the club, no, welcome to the gang, welcome to the gang.

[ in a more conversational tone she confirms, ] We're a fucking gang now, guys.

[shootfirst]

All aboard the Failboat. [ thanks deadpool ]

[slay]

Nice job with the warm welcome, guys. We make a very heartening funeral procession.

[likedillinger]

[ annnd in teleports the last group: rose, mark, dean, sam, alainn. dean presses his lips together, a little uncomfortable from the magic travel, before looking around the airfield ] ... Looks like the gang's all here.

[graveflowers]

See! Told you we're a gang! Lucia Reedhym, people are not jungle gyms.

[ the outburst added because the toddler has darted to mark and alainn but found herself distracted by sam who seems to be an actual mountain of a person and, by her determined expression, a mountain she wants to climb like she's a fucking von trapp family singer. ]

[msattentionspan]

[Faith doesn't mind the welcome. Hell, she's just glad they didn't immediately vote her off the island or whatever. Also, thanks to Vi for reminding Faith that she's damn sure she's never going to have kids.]

[dragonsclaw]

Before we depart... [ jack speaks up, clearly not looking to waste another minute now ] If anyone still has their phone on them, I'm afraid they'll need to be left here. We can't risk being tracked - and where we're going will be well beyond the reach of any cellular service.

[slay]

But what if something happens to Rafael? What if he gets free, and he tries to reach me, but he can't, and —

[ and she's a millennial addicted to her phone, what do you want from her. ]

[rationalizes]

Jack still has allies at the castle, who are on our side. They'll hold onto them for us, and Jack will have occasional contact with them through safe channels.

If a message is received, he will pass it along.

[klep]

I also brought burners for everyone, and spare credit cards if you don't have a separate identity to activate them under.

[She holds up the duffle bag in her hand that has all of her criminal tools.]

It's criminal Christmas?

[bigbad]

[Spike glances at Felicity and smirks.] Oh, I like you.

[He looks back at Jack.] What do you mean, well beyond the reaches of cell service? Where the bugger are we going?

[chessing]

It's best I wait to disclose that until we're on board the plane. [ he pulls out a bag of his own and passes it around ] Any trackable devices in here, please. Sir La Krail will be picking them up within the hour.

I suggest we board quickly.

[bigbad]

Hold up, mate. [Spike pulls out his phone, but doesn't hand it over just yet.] Will we be able to leave this place if we want? Cause I'm still mad at you lot for all the secrets.

[dragonsclaw]

[ frankly, jack just looks kind of annoyed at spike's line of questioning ] The location is remote. It won't be easy to get in or out - that's the value of it as a headquarters. No one will be holding you there, however. But if you find a way to leave and return and are followed, you risk the lives of not just us, but innocents as well.

I suggest you place grudges aside for now.

[graveflowers]

[ vi pats buffy's arm because she feels u. but she tosses her phone in without hesitation. for, like, 98% of them, all their friends are here anyway. WHO ARE YOU TEXTING SPIKE, GOSH.

but vi looks at mark. ]

Can you... You have an entire country to run, Mark, can you even do this?

[nosdacariad]

I have to. If I don't, I might not have a country left to run. I've left people in charge that I trust. Most people think I'm off on a diplomatic mission.

It won't last forever, but it should buy some time.

[bigbad]

[Spike gives Jack an incredulous look.]

You think I'm mad because I wasn't invited to the bloody clubhouse? Yeah, that hurts, but this isn't about grudges. It's about the fact that right now? I don't bloody trust most of you to show all your cards until it's too late. It's about the fact that every bloody time something's gone wrong it's been because people hold things back and no one ever bloody learns.

I wouldn't care about all your whisperings except I know it'll get people hurt.

[witchwoman]

[Myri puts her phone in with Vi's.]

Spike, you don't have to come if it makes you uncomfortable. I don't feel great about this either, but for me and my daughter, it seems like the best choice. You are a valuable member of this team, but if you're going to hold onto this distrust, it will only get someone hurt. So if you can't put it behind you, perhaps it's best that you stay here and stay safe.

[dragonsclaw]

[ jack looks mighty confused, if only because he said nothing about spike being invited to anything....? ]

Myrilandel is right. There will be no room for distrust on this team from now on. We're going to be relying on each other entirely - we don't have the organization to fall back on anymore.

[bigbad]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. [He gestures at the rest of the team, eyes lingering on Rose.] No one's been trusting anyone on this team for a long time. If we're going to be trusting each other, that's on everyone here.

[littledhampir]

And maybe if you'd stop being so damn defensive, you'd grasp that everyone and their secrets has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with the fact that the Queen of Hell can read our fucking minds!

[All patience lost at this point, to be honest.]

Come or don't come. Lets just get moving. [Not even waiting for a response before she's moving to board the plane.]

[likedillinger]

You heard her. [ dean's just gonna leave it at that and follow her on board. ]

[witchwoman]

You can only control yourself. Even if we all said we trusted everyone here, there's no way to prove it and know that things would be different. Boarding that plane is a sign of faith in this group. That's the only way we succeed. So you either do or you don't trust us. And that goes for everyone, not just you. This group has suffered too many losses from splintering.

[Myri takes Shayla's hand and heads to board the plane as well.]