knightsoflegend | open ♔ shield base arrival // knights socialization

Entry tags:

open ♔ shield base arrival // knights socialization

WHO || The Knights & agents of SHIELD
WHAT || The Knights arrive at the Las Vegas facility...
WHERE || SHIELD HQ (The Harbor), a desert location near Las Vegas, NV
WHEN || March 2018
HOW || Actionspam

The acting Heads of the Knighthood - Hasmed and Solace - have made a decision that is not easy for many. Given the terrible state of everything happening in America, they've decided to relocate operations entirely to the States, and have secured a facility vaguely near Las Vegas: agreeing to work alongside the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization to find a way to take down Blade. It is certainly possible, with the grim missions that lie before them, that many, or all, of the Knights may never return. Reactions to the announcement are certain to be strong, but it's time to choose what they will bring with them to their new life - and for some, to decide if it's a journey they can bring themselves to take.

Most of the facility is underground, and the Knights are each granted badges that will act as keycards to get them into the barracks area that has been sequestered for them in its own building (called the Enclave), as well as to access the other rooms that are open to their use. It is more or less similar to this, but scaled up in size to account for the larger numbers of people housed on base. There are separate buildings on the base compound for the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (The Sanctuary) and for those members of Hellsing (The Bulwark) who have relocated as well. The entire compound itself is referred to collectively as "The Harbor". Peter Fargason will continue to run training drills daily, attempting to mold the Knights into a more efficient combat unit, and Hasmed, Solace, Koraith, Dovan, and Lis'sa will continue to assign missions to members of the Knighthood, ostensibly aimed towards slowing the tide of monsters and evil doers heading to Los Angeles and protecting Shadowkind in America from the "war on Shadowkind" being waged by the American government, as non-humans are being rounded up as potential threats to the country. Hasmed and Solace have assumed joint leadership of the Knighthood, and appointed no Dragon's Claw to replace either the deceased Sir Bancroft or the now gone rogue Sir Chessing.

Gone is the eclectic decor of the castle rooms, replaced by a much more uniform look to each assigned barracks, which, unfortunately, sleep two to a room because of restraints on space. Feel free to sign up for a roommate on the thread on this post. In fact, everything here is much more polished, state of the art, and modern, which is a jarring change from the castle. How well people adjust may depend on quite a few factors... but for now, they are free to attempt settling in.

[ This is the social log for anything while the Knights relocate to Las Vegas ]

On this post:

Roommate Assignments
Roomie Sign-Up
Phil Coulson | Welcome
Skye | Tech support, Bulwark, Research, Apologies
Gwen | Enclave public areas, Training w/Hellsing, Wildcard
Kenzi | Enclave, Training, Wildcard
Darcy | Bio Engineering & Research, Wildcard
Avaleen | OTA
Sawyer | Enclave, Wildcard
Frankie | Hangar, Technology Room, Have a Beer, Wildcard
Topher | Technology Room, Wildcard
Malina | Scenarios
Rosario | Scenarios
Paige | Training w/Hellsing, the Track, Wildcard
Kali | Training, Elsewhere
Caroline | Training, Common Rooms
Andrew | Technology Room, Rec Room
Barry | Training Room, Various
Cora | Outside, Training, Hangar
Jane | Technology Room, Laboratory, Research, Training
Dimitri | Training
Bo | Training
Lois | Training Room, Common Areas, Various
David L. | Training Room, Various
Kate | Shooting Range, Rec Area
Sweets | In Session
Lila | Shooting Range, Kitchen, Rec Room, Outside
Rory | Training Sessions
Laurel | Various
Hasmed | Various
Toby | Kitchen, Outside
Sark | Training, Wildcard
Integra (w/Alucard) | Training
Edain | Various + closed to Ella
Carol | Training, Hangar, Rec Room
Deadpool | All your Base, Vegas baby!!
Cordelia | Rec Room
Jordan | Enclave various
Ward | Daily routine
Thea | Various
Riggs | Enclave
Jo | Lost
Tony | Sanctuary (w/Coulson), Enclave lab, various

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ As somebody who comes to the training sessions as well - though granted, with less gusto than Paige - Kenzi has seen quite a bit of her lately. She feels like they have a sense of mutual respect that can only come from two people who did a thing that was utterly, stupidly dangerous, and somehow didn't get them killed. ]

I think if you kill yourself before the grand finale, you're just helping the other side. [ A half grin playing across her lips as she keeps her tone light.

She's noticed Paige pushing herself though, and while she gets it - oh, how she gets it - she also knows there's gotta be a limit. ]

[Paige fusses with her whip in her hands, looking anxious and sheepish at being caught.]

You know how it goes... You kill a vampire in one hit once, and you feel like maybe you ought to be be able to do that every time you get into a fight, and when you don't, it's all... "Grrr. Wow. I'm bad at this."

[She's not taking Los Angeles well at all either. She seems to always get the missions that don't pan out properly. It feels the only mission that's gone right for her was the one to clean up Strahd's mess.]

Edited 2019-03-06 04:55 (UTC)

Hate when that happens. [ Y e a h.

This is not a problem that Kenzi has experience with. Hers is more; shoot a teammate every mission you go on and now you feel like maybe you ought to stop doing that. ]

Putting that much pressure on yourself, though? Only thing you're going to achieve is a nervous breakdown. Just sayin'.

I don't know how you're doing it, honestly. You're in here nearly as much as I am, but you seem so... so... [That poor whip is getting twisted into so many different directions.] ...cool. In control. Definitely not overdoing it because you're pink and blonde and a little frilly and look like you have zero business in combat.

Alcohol. [ Bobbing her head from side to side. ] Mostly.

[ As much as Kenzi tends to make her jokes sound serious, this is one of those times when she's not exactly lying. ]

And honey, I am neither of those things. Last big fight I was in? I was armed with a rock. [ No but really. ] Personally I adopt the fake it till you make it approach, with a healthy side of liquor... you... really seem like you could benefit from the latter.

[ I mean. JS. ] Breathing is also good.

[After a long pause- though during that pause she does practice a few deep, healing breaths- she says, awkwardly.]

I don't... usually drink.

[ Squints. ]

What like... during the week?

[ Surely she can't mean...]

.

Period?!

[she turns BEET RED.]

I've had wine and-and champagne at parties and social things, but we weren't really a hard liquor family, and I just never thought to start. I mean people get crazy on that stuff- no offense.

None taken. [ A beat. ] I'm already crazy.

[ And now Paige, you have invited said insanity into your life because you just had to go and tell the worst person in the world that you don't drink. ]

Do you trust me? [ She squints, then adds. ] Not to intentionally do anything that will get you killed and or maimed?

[unsure face.]

Inasmuch as I trust any knight not to do those things...

[ Her head bobs from side to side before she concedes;]

Smart. [ I mean? Look around. ]

But good enough. You're taking a night off from training and you're coming out with me. If anyone needs to let loose a little? It's you.

[ No offense? ]

This - [ Motioning to Paige's high strung existence. ] Is how postal workers got a bad rep.

I am not high strung! [INDIGNATION!! ...Except no one verbally accused her of it, so she just looks silly... And also flustered.

So she takes a deep healing breath... and lets it go.]

Fine, but I'm not getting involved in anything that would be... compromising.

Is now a bad time to point out that when you insist you're not high strung?

[ Rather than finish that thought, she lets it hang in the air, just waiting for Paige to come to the same conclusion. ]

Define compromising... [ That's a comforting response. ]

[so comforting.]

I don't want anyone back here finding out I did anything untoward or went anywhere I shouldn't have. No drugs. And no sex. [She waves her hand.] Well, obviously you can have sex. I'm not forbidding you from having it. I just don't want anything to do with it.

[...]

Define untoward? [ What?! She's besties with a Succubus okay the lines are blurrrrred AF. ] Drugs is easy. I'm not a loser and sex... you can do, or not do who or whatever you want.

You so don't need to worry about me, though. Cinderella's Castle at Disneyland has seen more action than me lately.

[ 10 minutes later... ]

[She looks like she's about to mime strangling, but can't because then she'd drop her bullwhip.] I have people that I want to impress, Kenzi. I don't want to miss an opportunity because they think I'm some-some blonde party girl bimbo.

Well... if you have to be something you're not just to make people like you... are they really worth the effort?

[ Wait... that sounded better in her head (Wis 18). ]

Not that you're a party girl... I'm just sayin, if these people you're trying to impress don't appreciate all of you? Maybe you're not the problem.

To be fair, I don't want to be that at all. I... [She makes a face.] Look. I'm petite and blonde. I wear a lot of pink. I'm from a deeply religious family in Alabama, and granted we all worship Pelor, not Jesus- well, they do. I don't. Worship Pelor, I mean. I can run in high heels and I use a whip to fight, and trust me- I have heard every joke. The problem is less about me being me and more... Me being me while also not being a total stereotype that no one wants to take seriously. Does that make sense?

[She bounces on the balls of her feet and her voice takes on a whine, which makes what she says next kind of ironic.] I just wanna be taken seriously so bad.

[ It's rare that Kenzi ever encounters anyone who can eloquently put into words everything she feels on an almost daily basis, but what's more shocking? Is that it's coming from Paige.

Which is when it occurs to her that she's a total asshole cause in some small way, she'd been seeing Paige as the very stereotype she was sick of people assuming her to be. ]

You have no idea... [ How much sense she's making. ] Do you want the good news or the bad news first?

I didn't realize this was a "good news" or "bad news" conversation. And, frankly, she is unnerved.] Pick one.

Well... The bad news is, honey? That's never going to happen. People are always going to see what they want to see. You can bust your ass trying to prove them wrong but it doesn't change the facts. You're going to spend your whole life being dismissed and underestimated.

[ Way to soften the blow there Kenz... though she has the sound of somebody who speaks from experience. Like she's telling her story and not Paige's future. ]

But that's the good news. Cause they will underestimate you and there's something to be said for that. You be memorable in every other way but then you sucker punch them by being the thing they least expect in just the right moment.

[She doesn't deflate exactly, but she does look Pointedly Unhappy about this lack of sugarcoating her situation. Plus she goes on anyway before Paige can say anything, and that gives her pause for a moment.]

Oh.. Oh that's a good point. Okay. [She's so dumbfounded?? She's a very wise person, but it sometimes manifests in a little too much stubbornness.] Thank you.

[ She's not really sure anything she just said helped and honestly? For all she did say? Doesn't make it any easier.

Gentling her tone a little. ]

I'm just saying... you can spend all your time worrying about what everyone else thinks. Or you can own who you are. Annoying stereotypes and all. As long as you do, nobody can take anything away from you.

No.. No, you're absolutely right. Sorry. [She flushes again.] It's just no one's ever really put it that way to me before. Not even Lance... Though, to be fair, I try not to take about these things with Lance.

[ It's small, but it's there. The little smile that plays across her lips because while Kenzi will never in a million years admit this out loud? She really would hate to see Paige have to learn all this the hard way, the same way she did. ]

And we gotta whip that out of you. The apologizing. Don't be sorry. Own it. [Maybe don't take it as far as Kenzi has, though...

She does brighten at the mention of Lance though, only too happy to jump on that thread. ]

Who's Lance? He your Lovah?

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