new orleans ♔ for they have shed the blood of saints and prophets

[bancroft]

WHO || Thomas, Jack, Gar, Kat, Dumage, Mark, Myri, Buffy, Finnick, Spike, Rafael, Des, Elena, Chad Becksworth, The Mind Master, Decker Greenwall, Kitty Bonquas, Raoul Jacobson, Rynn, Devereaux, Keijen Blade [Closed]
WHAT || The Knights spy on an important meeting between Chad Becksworth and his compatriots... various downtime shenanigans ensue
WHERE || Various locations, New Orleans
WHEN || Friday, Oct 19th - November 12th [Backdated]
HOW || Actionspam, don't sweat tag order!!

[ Yesterday, members of team failboat went to the bayou hideout of the mysterious woman known only as "the Mind Master", on some intel from the captured Olean Gilbert. What they discovered was a very bizarre woman, who played mind games with them, and seemed to evince little concern for their interference. Another man, whom may have been Chad Becksworth entered, and told her that "Decker" was finished stalling and all was in readiness... The two of them fled before the Knights could get much information from either of them, and set a hideous creature to attack them: which appeared to be the result of a Frankenstein-like scientific process that sewed a human woman together with a giant snake.

The next day, another team of Knights infiltrated NOVA HQ to hack into appointment records and discover the names of those intended to meet with Chad Becksworth. Just as they downloaded the list, the scheduled meeting attendees arrived: it seemed they were meeting today, and the Dragon's Claws insisted that the younger Knights retire to the hotel, where all will be able to monitor the meeting onscreen as they spy on it and broadcast video. Knights' allies (Des, Rafael, Elena) are invited to watch as well. ]

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[ This log also covers any shenanigans the Knights have while staying in New Orleans, immediately following the last logs and extending over the next three weeks, when the next exciting shit go down.

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

[nothingsodivine]

I wasn't either. I was actually kinda sick to my stomach about it. [Des gives no fucks about your comfort level, Raf.] But I've got issues with higher powers, so it sorta figures I meet a nice girl and she's a deity.

[romanticidal]

[ he is going to very pointedly ignore des talking about 'meeting a nice girl' and the implications of that phrasing, and just move onto the next part of the sentence. k? k. ]

She has a touch of the divine, si, but that does not make her one of them, either. She is still mortal, though she will live a long, long time by mortal years. Her choices are still her own.

[nothingsodivine]

[He's quiet for moment- oddly quiet for a guy who never gets philosophical.] She told me a lot about dreams at Nightscape. Kinda stuck with me. You ever stopped to think, maybe the real reason she doesn't remember you is because you're her dream and she just finally had to wake up?

[Aww look. Maybe deep down, he doesn't ship himself/Jade.]

[romanticidal]

[ Blindfold- Morcheeba

He stares at Des for a long moment, and a heaviness seems to infect his posture ] ... If that is so, then what becomes of the dream once the dreamer has gone?

[nothingsodivine]

[Des makes a poof gesture with accompanying sound effects.] Who knows. All I know is she's a sad girl. Maybe it's you. Maybe it's something else.

[romanticidal]

... Buffy seems to think I am making a decision for Eterna, by looking for a way to restore her memories.

[nothingsodivine]

Well, speaking as a guy who has plenty to forget... It's a mixed bag. On one hand, if she wanted to forget, then that's her business. On the other hand, no one likes having a chunk of their brain missing. [He holds his two hands out imitating a balance.] You see what I'm getting at here, Ruffles?

Maybe you should just ask the lady what she wants.

[romanticidal]

Does it mean nothing, if she did not wish to have this done to her in the first place, and cannot remember that she had no choice?

[nothingsodivine]

Well, she's probably gonna be pissed at everyone involved, but brain-rape ain't nothing to scoff at. If you know her head's been messed with and it wasn't her choice, then you can't leave her like that. If afterwards, she wants to close it all up and be done with it, then you're gonna have to deal with that, but the worst you're doing now is undoing something terrible.

[He shrugs] Sometimes you don't get to be a knight in shining armor. Sometimes you get the shit jobs where no one comes out looking like a hero.

[romanticidal]

I have no way to prove what did or did not happen to her. [ he stares stonily at the floor, one hand on the piano keys ] And I am no hero, I assure you.

[nothingsodivine]

Well, I'd say roll the dice and take your chances, amigo. Either way, someone's gonna get hurt. [He pats Rafael on the back.] From one guy who isn't a hero to another.

[romanticidal]

[ he looks down at des' hand and then back up at the man as if taking a second to decide whether he's missing any sarcasm in the translation ] ... Thank you. For caring what happens to her.

[nothingsodivine]

Don't mention it. [This is totally sincere okay, bro. Just let it happen.] I wouldn't still be here if I didn't care.

[Okay, so half his reason for caring is Talisman-related, but... Jade is a huge part of it. He ain't gettin' paid for this.]

[romanticidal]

The Knights have been very kind as well, but for most of them, their main concern is to keep the Talisman out of enemy hands.

I cannot blame them. I recognize as well as they do what dangerous men can do with such power. But I do not want her to become collateral damage in this.

[nothingsodivine]

Don't get me wrong- I also want to make sure the Talisman stays out of enemy hands, but that girl doesn't deserve to be a pawn.

[Achievement unlocked: Des's Issues.] No one does.

[romanticidal]

[ wisdom check say what ] You feel strongly about that. I imagine you have your reasons.

[nothingsodivine]

Oh, I've got plenty of reasons for plenty of things. It's been a really long road.

[romanticidal]

Was this before you turned to private investigating?

[nothingsodivine]

There's no tragedy attached to that. [Well, there is, but...] I only started doing that, because advising didn't pay as well. I know a few things and I like mysteries. It worked out.

[romanticidal]

Advising? To law enforcement?

[nothingsodivine]

Law enforcement. Other PIs. Basically if something weird came up, I was the guy they called. [He snorts.] "Benefit of your experience, Descant," they said.

[He rolls his eyes.] I worked here in New Orleans for awhile and I got a call from two buddies who worked out of the French Quarter. Said they got a bead on something. Don't remember the specifics, but it got one of them killed and the next thing I know, me and the other guy are partners- he did the legwork, I hit the books. Then in '81, we picked up a case. This kid was selling off fake Talismans. [He shoots Rafael a look.] And that means exactly what you think it means. It brought down some seriously hardcore shit. My partner got killed, I got the kid out, but there were a lot of unexplained bodies. And since I had a nasty habit of showing up at the worst time, I got called in. All I got out of if was a slap on the wrist and a get-thee-the-hell-out from the New Orleans PD, promising I'd never get a consulting job in the town again. So I left. I couldn't get anymore work advising, so I got a PI license and I've been doing it since.

[He pauses, thoughtful.] Guess it is kinda tragic if you squint.

[romanticidal]

[ King of New Orleans - Better Than Ezra < puts your song cues in for you, you lazy bastard, because ilu

rafael looks appropriately surprised, obviously unaware until now that des had so much history with the mission. ] I am sorry... about your partner.

[nothingsodivine]

[I APPRECIATE YOU.

And he shrugs.]

People die. I'm used to it. Just gives me more reason to keep more people who don't deserve it from dying.

[romanticidal]

Si. [ a beat. ] It is strange, don't you think, that the 'legends' of the Talisman do not go back more than half a century.

[nothingsodivine]

[Des raises an eyebrow.] You going somewhere with that?