open ♔ shield base arrival // knights socialization

[refurbished]

bloody city - sam tinnesz

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

Comments

[incantatio]

Ehh... it's small-time compared to what some people can do.

[ Modest as ever, and yet she does straighten a little from the compliment. Unable to completely contain her grin. ]

I have a few others I've been working on but, fire and secret underground probably don't exactly go hand in hand.

[clarkfuckingkent]

They've got places for physical training. If they didn't plan for magical training, that's just poor planning on their part. I can ask Skye, if you want? [Which still feels weird that Skye is more SHIELD agent and less Knight. But if it can work to their advantage right now to get a question answered, maybe it's not all bad.]

[incantatio]

[ It's slight, but she still stiffens at the mention of the person they all know to be a double agent, now. She barely knows her, beyond their interaction the day of the castle attack and while the mere fact that she fought alongside them should be enough reason for Sawyer to be forgiving, she still can't say she's comfortable with what SHIELD did. ]

Uh... no it's okay. I'll... figure it out. Gives me an excuse to go above ground.

[clarkfuckingkent]

[He misses it because he's clueless sometimes (wis crit fail yay)]

I haven't really done much exploring. It feels weird to be back in the States but still so far from home.

[incantatio]

It's still home to you. [ A hint of wonderment in her voice as she speaks, because it's just not the same for her. ] America. Smallville.

[ Sawyer feels the slightest twinge of envy that he has that, a sense of belonging, a place to go back to.... but she turns more serious after a moment, shadows running across her features as her thoughts darken. ]

Even with everything happening here? [ America. Trump. All of it really. ]

[clarkfuckingkent]

All the stuff happening makes it my home even more, I think. All these people being treated like they don't belong? They need someone to stand up for them. And I think it's important that it be from someone who also calls this place home, yknow? It's easy to point out something is wrong when you're on the outside of it. But when you're living it- maybe even benefitting from it, if you can still see how wrong it is and try to take down the systems in place that should have never existed, it really drives it home that not everyone wants you gone.

[incantatio]

[ It's as if his words have the ability to chase the shadows away, Sawyer's face softening as he continues and by the time he finishes? There's a hint of a smile playing across her lips. In a time when everything is as bad as it can possibly be? Clark has this way of sparking hope without even trying. ]

How do you do it? [ A soft huff of laughter spilling past her lips. ] Always know exactly what to say.

[clarkfuckingkent]

You should talk to my friend Lois. She can assure you that I definitely say the wrong thing plenty.

[He smiles back at her.]

I really think we can still do some good.

[incantatio]

I'll believe it when I see it. [ Maybe Clark just saves all his foot in mouth moments for when Sawyer isn't around. ]

We can. I hope. [ She still had that. Hope. Even if that had been tested a lot in the last year or so. ] I'd point out it won't be easy but I guess, anything worthwhile rarely is.

[clarkfuckingkent]

[He nods, giving her a smile.]

So how long does this invisibility thing last? Does it follow you or just stick to this spot?

[incantatio]

Not that long. Ten minutes? Give or take... but long enough to get in and out of most places unseen.

[theblur]

Definitely. [Especially if you've got super speed like this guy.] I still can't wrap my head around some of the magic you guys can do.

[incantatio]

Heh, trust me. I still have my training wheels on compared to some people. [ It's at least less of a put down for herself and more a sign of respect to those who she considers her superior; something close to awe in her tone as she speaks. ]

I'll get there someday, but magic - in the right hands - can be truly incredible.

[theblur]

I know we all have more to learn, but from what I've seen? Your hands are just fine. [Just take his slightly awkward compliment, okay?]

[incantatio]

[ Clark Kent. Literally, the only man on Earth that could say something like that without it sounding like a smooth pick-up line.

It would figure that technically speaking? Not even a human. ]

You know if you ever decided sweet talk somebody, they'd never stand a chance. [ A slight teasing quality to those words. ]

[theblur]

[He smiles and glances down, a little embarrassed.]

I'm not so sure about that. You wouldn't believe how awkward I was around my high school girlfriend before we started dating. [As he says the words, Clark realizes that it's the first time he's been able to mention Lana without being overwhelmed by guilt and sadness. That only took 3 years...]

[incantatio]

You? Awkward? [ Well yes, she finds that hard to believe but that's mostly because she's never seen that side of him. ]

Why? You didn't think she would like you for you?

[theblur]

I had a hard time believing she would, I guess. It sort of... took me awhile to find myself.

[There's still this kneejerk reaction in him to be vague about his past, about his heritage. It's not easy for him to say 'I was really awkward because I was coming into my alien superpowers and didn't feel comfortable in my own body most days.'

But it should be. If he trusts anyone here, it's Sawyer. She's always been there, always been kind, always been eager to help anyone she met. And he can't keep feeling upset with Skye being dishonest with all of them while also holding onto this secret and keeping the truth from the people he cares about most.]

Hey, so I need to tell you something. [It's an abrupt transition, and he knows it. But there's no good way to lead into this conversation, so he just has to go for it.]

I'm... [an alien] adopted. [he shakes his head, trying to push forward] I'm not from here. Earth. [that's better] And I don't mean that I'm Shadowkind. I didn't come through the Veil. My parents found me in a ship that crashed in a cornfield when I was just a kid.

[incantatio]

Uh... sure. [ Only briefly thrown by the abrupt shift in conversation but immediately giving him her full attention.

She nods along as he speaks, slowly absorbing his words as the gravity of this conversation isn't lost on her; (Sense Motive 27). Sawyer knowing at ever step that there's more to it than what he's revealed until finally there's enough pieces for her to put enough of it together. (Wis 17) ]

Ship. [ Rolling the word over her tongue as that word sparks a logical answer in her mind that despite everything she'd seen in her life, still doesn't seem logical to her.] As in you - You're... [ Blinking at him. ] Not from any Earth?

[ Not shocked. Not even alarmed but certainly trying to wrap her head around it all. ]

[theblur]

[He nods, glancing down for a moment and pausing long enough to make sure it sets in and she has time to react further, if need be.]

I was born on a planet called Krypton. It wasn't safe anymore, so my birth parents put me in a ship and sent me to Earth when I was just a baby. [There's a whole story about his biological father coming to Earth in the 60s and meeting the his grandfather, but they don't have to get into it now.]

The Kents, my parents- they found me and adopted me. I've always known I was different, but it's really only been in the last handful of years that I've started to figure out the truth. Growing up, my parents taught me to hide my abilities. They were afraid of me being taken away, studied. It was just easier to pretend like I was a normal kid. And I think sometimes it's easier for me to just keep doing that- pretend that I'm normal, hide the truth because it's easier. But I'm tired of lying to the people I care about. Especially now when we don't really know what's coming next.

[incantatio]

[ She continues to listen, her expression open with no hint of hurt or judgement in her eyes and he'd perhaps catch that flicker of knowing in her eyes, as if she could perhaps understand what had driven him to not only consider those fears but to allow them to lead him down a path of secrecy. She might not be an alien but she had grown up as the only Shadowkind in a very small town. ]

So I guess when I thought you're not like other guys, I was more right than I knew. [ A small smile playing on her lips that tries to both encouraging and reassuring.

That smile lingers, but there's a shift behind her eyes. Sawyer allowing his words to roll through her head before she finds the question she wants to ask. ]

What do you think makes a person normal?

[theblur]

[He's very relieved that her first instinct is to joke with him, rather than be mad at him for hiding this. Or worse yet, be terrified of him because of it. If he's honest with himself, that's what he's always been the most worried about-- people fearing him because of where he comes from.]

Normal is... [He trails that thought off with a sigh.] Honestly? Now, I'm not so sure it exists. But growing up in Kansas, normal was being from this world, this plane, and not having any powers.