new orleans ♔ the man of a thousand voices talking perfectly loud | but nobody ever hears him

[shootfirst]

WHO || Thomas, Jack, Gar, Kat, Dumage, Mark, Myri, Buffy, Finnick, Spike, Rafael, Des, Elena [Closed]
WHAT || Various downtime shenanigans
WHERE || Various locations, New Orleans
WHEN || Tuesday Oct 16th - Oct 28th [Backdated]
HOW || Actionspam, don't sweat tag order!!

[[ Several of the Knights discovered a secret room hidden in Nova Headquarters, full of strange occultish paraphernalia and guarded by monstrous warriors. Amid this was direct evidence of an interest in the Talisman. They also took captive Chad Becksworth's personal assistant, Olean Gilbert, who has information about the location of the mysterious woman that Burt told Finnick about - the one whose presence has had a major effect on Chad's personality. Olean doesn't even know the woman's name, calling her the "Mind Master", and identifying her as Chad's 'advisor'.

The Knights also discovered that the other Dragon's Claw, Sir Jack Chessing, had followed his own secret mission to Nova Headquarters, and he'll be meeting back at the hotel with them to explain what brought him there...

This log covers any non-work related shenanigans the Knights have while staying in New Orleans, immediately following the last log and extending over the next two weeks.

Make your own threads, don't fuss about tag order, feel free to threadjack multiple people into one thread for hang-outs, ask me if you want a certain scene with an NPC, etc. forever whatever.]

Comments

[chessing]

[ he sighs slightly. ] Buffy, I'm trying to tell you that I understand your cause for being upset, but that there's nothing I can say at all to undo what's been done already. I'm not certain why you feel that you were entirely alone in all this, when from all of what I've seen here, you've settled in remarkably admirably, and gained the respect and loyalty of all of your comrades. Any of them would do almost anything for you, but I'm not certain they would appreciate the implication that their loyalty and friendship counts for less than mine would.

I want to help you, to get to know you even, but you've taken it personally that I'm a Dragon's Claw, and that my duties differ from most other Knights. [ he doesn't say it outright, but there's something in the ever-so-slight slump of his shoulders that makes it apparent: he's incredibly hurt by the implication that he'd ever neglect her on purpose, and doing his best to maintain that british stiff upper lip ] I've no desire to cause you any more inner torment, or to impact your self-esteem so strongly.

[ he looks up at her finally ] I'd stay your Knight if you wanted it, Buffy, but I see no evidence to suggest you'd prefer matters that way.

[slay]

They're not you. I don't want another knight. [ she deflates, guilt washing over her at him pointing out her petulance, and the saddened look that accompanies it. ] I want you to not be giving up on me right now.

[chessing]

I would never give up on you, Buffy. You're misconstruing the situation, because you seem intent on villainizing my behavior. [ his brow furrows and he looks baffled by where she's coming from with that. ] But if I'm the Knight that you want, our conversations have to be able to extend past dissatisfaction over the limitations of my availability. Having that simmer under every moment of our relationship won't allow for the productive union you're hoping for. [ he frowns ] That I'm hoping for, whether you choose to believe that or not.

I'm here now, and you have me at your disposal. As a mentor or friend, if that's what you're looking for, but not to be guilted for what has been beyond my control because of the oath of my office - something I endeavored to warn you about at the very outset of this partnership.

[slay]

[ there was a tenseness that straightened her shoulders at that, and she hedged a little, appraising him. because when he put it like that, she wasn't really sure what she wanted out of him.

she'd wanted those things at the start, for the past however many months when she couldn't have it, but thanks to his genius plan, she'd gotten by without it and learned to rely on herself instead, which left her unsure of what to do with it now that she did have it. that was why she'd come down here in the first place.

she shook her head, reaching up to wipe sweat away from her forehead with the back of her hand. ]

I don't ... [ she struggled through her own muddled feelings and found what she was looking for. ] I don't know how to act with you here. I - I got so used to you not being here, that it's like ... I'm supposed to wait, right? And let you mentor, and guide, and assign, and defer to your wisdom. But, I don't need any of that. I've been doing that all on my own. I don't know that I know how to ... defer. [ she deflated a little, finding the explanation lacking but the best she could manage. ]

[dragonsclaw]

[ something seems to click from her explanation, as if all this makes much more sense to him ] ... I certainly never expected you to defer to me anymore than anyone else when I arrived. I apologize if that's the impression that was made.

[slay]

I'm not? [ she says it in a tone of BUT THEN WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO. ]

[chessing]

My role is as a guide and adviser, not an employer. I'm not here to issue you orders. You already have your orders -- and you are already operating under a team leader.

[slay]

Well, yeah, but, I mean there's the team leader, and then there's my leader. And that's kinda you. Like - Like Kat always told Myri where she wanted her to be working.

[chessing]

I can offer advice -- as I attempted to do in the briefing -- but do you feel you require someone to tell you what to be working on? [ he raises one eyebrow, as if skeptical of the idea ]

[slay]

I. Well. ... No. Not really.

[dragonsclaw]

Then for me to appear and attempt to assert sudden authority would be to try to strip you of what agency you already possess. Our goal is to create Knights who have the strength to operate beyond simply following orders. And I know that one of the reasons Wynn chose to assign you to me was that he felt assured from meeting with you that you had the ability to make those important calls already, a part of your very nature, perhaps. He thinks of you as someone with leadership potential, and what I've heard of your fieldwork speaks to that.

And now I hope for a chance to see some of it for myself.

[slay]

So, what you're saying is ... I don't really have to change anything. You're here to - well, to help - but as observe-o-guy too. A-And I just ... keep doing what I was already doing? Unless I need you. Spontaneously.

[chessing]

Or even under less spontaneous circumstances.

[slay]

[ there's a long beat as she considers this because it seems, well, a lot less complicated and confusing and basically she overthought this epically and it's sinking in. oops. ]

Okay. I can do that.

[dragonsclaw]

That applies to now, as well, if you had anything else you wished to discuss.

[slay]

Well there is one thing ... [ she shifts, uncomfortable, then starts to unwrap her hands, settling in and taking a seat on a workout bench to get comfortable because this is gonna take a while. ] Do you know a lot about demons? Like ... crawly, sometimes-invisible ...

[chessing]

I can't say I've had much experience, first hand, although I've heard... accounts. Not everyone believes them, in this world, but I always have.

[slay]

Prepare your "I told you so"s, because there's something you need to know about this Brotherhood and NOVA business. [ she levels her gaze on his, somber. ] There have been demons around - and plenty of them. At first I thought it was ... I mean, I didn't think it was related. Just one in this ... alley, feeding on the homeless. But, they were there at NOVA today. Two of them, trying to get into the room where we ran into Gilbert.

[chessing]

[ jack considers her words very seriously, looking cautious to jump to conclusions. ]

The occult room. [ a small frown ] Do you think they may have summoned the creatures?

[slay]

I think that if I were going to try and stir up some big conspiracy against Shadowkind using magic, making an army would be my first order of business. Demons make a hell of one. They're not exactly smart, makes 'em easy to use.

[chessing]

You sound as if you know quite a bit about them. [ it's not an accusation, more of a question ] Is this in your experience, since you've started seeing them?

[slay]

[ she stops to think about that, considering it for a moment to long before just nodding. it doesn't entirely feel like it is - some of it, she realizes, might be her dreams bleeding through. some of it might be instinct. but on the whole ... ]

I've fought enough. They're not bright - most of them are like ... like giant bugs.

[dragonsclaw]

And you've defeated them in unarmed combat? Or with the assistance of blessed weapons?

[slay]

Uh ... yeah? [ the cluelessness painted in buffy's expression makes it clear that she's not entirely sure why that's laudable. ] I mean, Spike helped. Once.

[chessing]

Sir Spike sees them as well?