knightsoflegend | new orleans ♔ there's always a siren singing you to shipwreck

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new orleans ♔ there's always a siren singing you to shipwreck

WHO || Buffy, Alainn, Rose, Sam, Dean, Faith, Felicity, Isabella [closed]
WHAT || The Ex-Knights of Failboat head off to interrupt an auction for Rafael Giovanni's life...
WHERE || New Orleans, LA
WHEN || A couple weeks post-LA
HOW || Actionspam

Held in the grasp of the Knighthood's enemies for a stretch of time that has been an aching splinter in the heart of the ones who love him, Rafael Giovanni's life now stands up for auction. Having made a number of powerful enemies in his days as the vigilante assassin The Black Scourge, including the secret Vatican police known as Iscariot, Draken Crombe's organization sought to capitalize on the many who sought revenge by sending out word that Eterna Jade was not, as his trial had seemed to prove, the Black Scourge at all, and offer the chance to kill or torture Giovanni to whoever would pay the largest sum.

The Knights, being made aware of this, did what they could to stymie this auction from coming to pass, and Buffy Summer and Jack Chessing managed to at least thwart it several times, leading to its cancellation and inevitable rescheduling elsewhere. However, none of this led to Giovanni's actual location.

The capture of Draken Crombe finally allowed them to learn of the latest plans for the auction - to be held at a location in New Orleans, a temple of some sort. It seems that Crombe's other followers still intend to follow through with ridding themselves of Rafael, making it clear that even with Crombe in Knights' custody, the villains still have some organization or leadership. Tia Ellison rattled out the plan by invading Crombe's mind, learning of the way that he had been psychically manipulated by the Mind Master for years, and doing what she could to start to heal his shattered psyche.

Jack Chessing, eager to see Rafael rescued after their many efforts, cautioned however against sending too many on what might be a mission from which there is no returning. To that end, they've tried to split the forces of their magic-users, fighters, and researchers.

Now, it's up to a few to save their friend... without losing any more.

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[ hooray for slayer strength

it's with a solid yank that she pulls him free and drags him away from the car as the back end of it begins to spout flames. he's still unconscious, but away from the potential lethal fire that begins to consume the vehicle. ]

[ For a time, after moving the both of them to an area sufficiently far from the car that its potential explosion won't catch them, Buffy collapses. It's too much to wonder if he'd done it on purpose and not have an answer, to recognize acutely that she doesn't have Myri to fall back on to heal him and that she needs to find a way to get him back to the hotel to even begin to improve his condition following an accident that could have still given him serious injuries that she isn't equipped to identify.

It's just too much for one person when she's already trying to juggle the fate of the world. This is the thing that gets her because she's finally alone to let it. Des and Elena are gone. Keijen Blade is a god. She'd violently placed the rest on hold to selfishly get Rafael back, and now for more selfish reasons, they've wound up here.

It's all just ... exhausting. Exhausting enough that she breaks down and cries about it for an extended period. And just in case that has consequences of some kind, I'll break that tag here for now. Barring any though, she'll pull herself together and make to carry him back towards the motel on foot. They hadn't gotten that far. ]

[ while she weeps on the roadside, she would hear the distant sound of sirens down roads the way they had come from, but none of them travel down her direction, and rafael still doesn't stir in her lap, although it is possible to tell that he's breathing. he looks ironically peaceful like this, except for the way that his skin is still covered in bruises and marks from his imprisonment.

it's when she's going to get back up that a truck starts coming down the road - some kind of beat up chevy whose fender is askew, which slows down as it gets nearer. the figure who looks out wears a flannel shirt, and has long auburn hair tied back in some approximation of a man bun. his skin looks to be of a rough golden color and he has a square, but very pretty face. apparently he's kj apa.

he leans out, looking a little uncertain about what he's seeing, glancing back up the road towards the flaming wreck of a car, and then back at buffy, calling out:

"Uh. Is he alright? Do you need help?" ]

We were in an accident.

[ That's the best way of framing it. She looks suspiciously fine to have been in an accident, especially since most of her injuries sustained in the auction are on their way to healing thanks to Slayerness. ]

Could you give us a ride to our motel? It's not far. [ Not the hospital. Definitely not the hospital right now. ]

[ the guy hesitates a moment, glancing down the road and then back at the unconscious dude she's cradling.

"Uh... sure. You're sure he'll be okay? Did you call anyone?" ]

He doesn't have insurance.

[ It's the best answer she can come up with. ]

I can't take him to an emergency room. But I know someone we can call once we get to our motel.

[ i would ask for a bluff check but this dude just crit failed his sense motive so HE LOOKS VERY SYMPATHETIC TO THE INSURANCE PLIGHT, nodding.

"Sorry to hear it... Do you need help getting him in the backseat? I can take you where you need to go." ]

I got him.

[ She eases Rafael down into the backseat, laying him as comfortably as she can across it and then just bunching his legs at one side. Good luck, sweet prince. She shuts the door and climbs into the passenger seat.

Imagine. Having superpowers. And not being afraid of climbing into a car with a random strange man. Oh wait that's just Uber nvm. ]

Thank you for this. [ her voice is scratchy still from crying a lil bit. ]

[ the guy looks in his rearview mirror, watching all of this until she gets in the front, then glances at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Must have been scary." ]

The accident?

[ Buffy looks at Rafael in the backseat. Frowns. ]

... Yeah.

[ Her expression crumbles a little, and she retreats inward. Scary is not knowing if it was on purpose or not. ]

[ the guy follows her gaze, staring in the mirror for a bit as he starts up the road in the direction she indicates, before he comes out with it: "He... looks kind of familiar." ]

[ Honestly Buffy is on the brink of a breakdown right now and this is just one more nail in that coffin, so she does the only thing she can do: she laughs. It's just such an absurd 'fuck you' from the universe for someone to recognize him on top of it all. Because of course his popstar status is the final straw. Especially when he hasn't made new music in a while with the kidnapping and all. ]

Yeah. [ She says when her cynical laughter finally bubbles down. ] Like Rafael Giovanni, right? He gets that a lot. [ This is TECHNICALLY TRUE but since I know you're gonna nail me on it anyway, bluff 24. ]

[ he glances over at her, and then in the mirror once more for an extended time as if evaluating that for himself, but then nods slowly.

"Yeah, that must be it. Wonder whatever happened to that guy." ]

I liked his music.

[ She says this while looking out the window (spot 35; i hope we're going the right way to the motel). ]

[ he at least seems to be taking her the right direction. It's not far.

"I always thought it was kinda brave. Him being what he was and all." ]

What he ... is?

[ is this going in a racist direction or ... ]

[ he casts her a nervous look, as if trying to read her expression.

"You know. Part... elf." ]

Ah.

[ She purses her lips and looks out the window more firmly. ]

You know, I don't think he actually has a choice in that one.

[ "Well, yeah, but I mean ... putting it out there publicly like that. It's very brave. Inspires a lot of people. We could use some of that right now, don't you think?" he seems almost to be trying to test her for her reaction with that question, eyeing her for her response ]

I don't think it should take bravery to do that.

[ She shakes her head. Apparently, the cost of hitch-hiking is her political manifesto. ]

I think it just shows the rest of us what cowards we are, letting other humans make it tough for Shadowkind in the first place. It's not their job to be inspiring -- they're just trying to live their lives.

[ there's a little bit of a silence as they bump along, the hotel cresting into sight on the horizon. when he speaks, it's very quiet, almost to himself.

"Yeah. Guess we are." ]

Thanks for the ride.

[ Buffy offers him a soft look, though it never becomes a smile. ]

Not everyone would have stopped.

[ "Especially right now. You be careful out there." he pulls into the lot and puts the car into park, glancing back again. "Need help carrying him in?" ]

Oh. No, I don't think so.

[ She slides out of her seat and opens up the door to get Rafael. She hoists him up easily, carrying him over her shoulder (str 26). ]

Yeah, we're fine. [ She offers a tired wave. ] Uh, thanks. Again.

[ the guy waves, casting one last lingering look at them, and then drives away. rafael, meanwhile, starts to stir a bit with a groan ]

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new orleans ♔ there's always a siren singing you to shipwreck

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