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

[andblockbuster]

[Topher doesn't know enough about gods, being the agnostic that he is, to really care about the oogling of a goddess, but he is concerned about all that AI technology.]

This is how SkyNet starts, dude. I had to survive a murder house with a crazy AI, so I know what I'm talking about.

[hyperverbose]

[ thanks for hitting all of his issues in that statement, topher ] Gee, aren't we lucky you made it out alive to offer your input here today. [ he sounds very impressed. very. ]

[andblockbuster]

[Topher spreads his arms like "what?"] I'm as into Grace Park as any straight nerd, but there's a definite line between AI technology and getting Terminated. [Okay, and now that he's done... He steps closer like a terrier that has decided it wants a biscuit.] But, on that note, no one can say I didn't give you the PSA. What're you working on? All the R&D personnel keep slamming doors in my face.

[hyperverbose]

They're not as big on sharing as they like to act like they are around here.

[ he would know ] A little of this, a little of that. Mostly? Trying to work out ways to stop a god. And making sure that our little facility here is up to the task.

[andblockbuster]

Yeah, that's... super handy. A god-killing nuke that wouldn't turn California into a crater would be A+. [He grabs a rolling chair and yanks it closer, spinning in it as he sits.] I've been thinking of it in puzzle pieces, like... You don't need one huge nuke, but you need a lot of smaller pieces that work in tandem.

[hyperverbose]

[ oh hey, someone who actually seems to be addressing the problem. tony spreads his hands in a 'go on' gesture ]

Wow me.

[andblockbuster]

Okay, so. [scoot scoot goes the chair.] I've never so much as been in the same room as Rock God Voldemort, but I have shared space with his creepy buddy who gets her own supervillain name. Like seriously? Did she choose to call herself the Mind Master? That is-

[...] ...Not the point. The point is these are crazy awful psions. There's things can resist magic, and that's just basically more magic, but psionics goes for the brain. [He points to his own head, and his voice spikes as he gets more and more excited.] The brain is way more durable than people wanna believe even if a good psion can turn it into mashed potatoes under the right circumstances. We need heavy psionic resistance. I'm a brain guy. I do things to brains that they said couldn't be done. With the right tools, I could figure out how to make hella psionic resistance.

[hyperverbose]

Basically, tin foil hats for everybody. Not a bad idea. What kind of tools are you talking?

[andblockbuster]

You're not entirely off-base? Here's the thing I invented new ways of improving higher brain function. I have hacked living brains, and yes! Okay, it's a little iffy- apparently, it's iffy when it's consensual, but hey so is lying to everybody while playing double agent and... That is an unresolved issue not related to this topic. Moving on.

[He holds up two fingers and swings his chair over to one unmolested set of computers that were probably unmolested because no one can turn them on without his password. #ShadowjackLife... Also they probably weren't worth bothering yet.. he is not that high level of a shadowjack. They spring to life under his fingertips until he's brought up what appears to be a PET scan of a generic brain.]

I'm working on figuring out what parts of the brain the Mind Master targets when she does her whammy. We have at least two people who were hit by her, and we're kinda working on playing around with the psions we have on hand to figure out a way to make the minds of the people specifically sent to deal with her and Blade that much more resistant. [And then, with genuine sincerity underneath all that hyperverbal nonsense he's been spouting.] I can do this. It'd make the sketchier elements of my life's work actually mean something.

[hyperverbose]

[ tony casually strides over behind him so that he can take a few glances at those scans, a cup in one hand as he takes a few sips and studies the images ]

Is there a way to turn it around on her? Map those trigger points, somehow reverse the effects?

[andblockbuster]

I mean yeah, in theory. [He looks like he's considered it, but feels deeply concerned about the ramifications to have ever offered it as a solution.] It's one of those crazy big ifs that could be clutch or melt the brain of whoever tried it, 'cause most of these crazy ideas I've got for fighting her on her own power are not gonna get pulled off by a normal person. It'd have to be another psion or multiple psions. [He waves his hands.] You gotta fight nukes with nukes.

[hyperverbose]

I thought we had at least a few of those on retainer. Anyone who's not a complete lost cause?

[andblockbuster]

Oh we definitely do. It's convincing them to risk getting their brains melted that's the hard sell. People are not generally fans of that or... Hyper-theoretical neuroscience which is my specialty. Hacking the human brain is not a skillset that makes you a lot of friends.

[He's not bothered by it, but he's aware that his experiences are not universally liked. Wynn knew that when he let him stay.]

[hyperverbose]

The human brain is as much a computer as anything else. Psions should probably be embracing that to try to optimize the system, not trying to corner the market on mysticism.

[andblockbuster]

[...........

Topher looks like he might actually go full Sanjaya Girl on Tony right now.] I could kiss you for saying that. I won't for obvious reasons, but oh my god. That's what I've been saying, and people think I'm a sociopath!

[hyperverbose]

[ there's the kind of commentary that gives tony stark pause in his life. for... a moment, at least ] ... I usually get 'narcissist'.

Doesn't make it any less true.

[andblockbuster]

I have morals. [Topher seems to be pretty adamant about that at any rate. He's still sensitive about how Adelle told him he didn't and then the big Pegasus rebellion happened, but Tony's quick turnaround sobers him a bit. Maybe... dial back the excitement here. He's still a little raw about the whole Skye judging him thing.] I would not have done half the insane things I've done if I didn't.

[hyperverbose]

One man's insanity is another man's genius. Or is it the other way around?

[andblockbuster]

I've always preferred "there's nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so." There's a gray area- I get it. But gray areas are where everything gets done, and if we don't think outside the box, we're gonna get crushed out there.

[hyperverbose]

Maybe we don't take our advice from the guy who winds up dead in his own play. But a valid point, nevertheless.

So let's throw out the box.

[andblockbuster]

It's the end of the world. This is the time where the craziest ideas thrive and this? [He sweeps a hand at his screens.] This gets crazy.

[And because they have had this nerdgasm and not properly introduced themselves, he scoots his wheelie chair a little closer to Tony and thrusts out a hand.] Topher Brink.

[hyperverbose]

Tony Stark. [ he reaches out to grasp his hand and give it a firm manly shake ] Sort of make my stock and trade in crazy.

You know, you maybe shouldn't sound so thrilled by the concept of the ... world ending. Just a little general social etiquette tip.

[andblockbuster]

[You have become manfriends with Topher.

Topher will now call you that at least once a day.]

It's not the world ending part that's thrilling, but yeah. I get that. [He clears his throat awkwardly, as he releases Tony's hand.] We're gonna solve it. Maybe with this, maybe with some other genius idea, but I did not walk out of the places I've walked out of to die in a world controlled by a literal rock god whose best songs are about how he hates his dad. Van Halen, he is not.

[hyperverbose]

Right? That'd just be embarrassing. Proverbial egg on our face.

[andblockbuster]

Right. I mean if all else fails, my last ditch plan is to get a bunch of psions to loudly project 90's bubblegum pop at him until he goes into a fugue state, but that's, like... Plan W through Z.