new orleans ♔ some people they call me monster | some people they call me saint

[romanticidal]

♬ Opera Singer - Cake

WHO || Rafael, Buffy, Spike, Des, Jack, Thomas, Myri, Finnick, Elena, Gar, Kat, Burt [closed]
WHAT || The Knights infiltrate NOVA to try to locate the experiments and relics mentioned by Chad & company. Shenanigans ensue.
WHERE || NOVA HQ, New Orleans
WHEN || Sunday, Nov 18th, 2012
HOW || Actionspam, don't sweat tag order! Keep it a rollin'.

Months ago, Finnick learned from Burt Becksworth about a number of construction projects Chad had contracted on the building. At the time of discovering the occult room, it was assumed the construction was to create the secret areas behind the auditorium, however, Kat's finally managed to hack into NOVA financial records and trace the contracts down.

It seems there was another, much more expensive, project, adding restructuring to the locked off basement level, to which there is no access through the public elevators. Schematics show that there is one accessible elevator shaft that goes to the lobby, which requires a key to activate the lower floor. Thomas considers it a better bet, however, to use the nearby quarry underground entrance through which construction trucks used to reach the site. Thomas will be leading a team through the underground tunnel in hopes of finding a space large enough to host the 'experiments' that Chad and company were afraid of the Knights discovering while nosing around the building.

Meanwhile, Jack wishes to discover if there are any remaining 'relics' in the building, and if so, to confiscate or document them. The heightened security within the building has made access much more problematic, and its taken awhile for him to acquire the security protocols necessary to be able to create a looped camera feed. Now that's everything's in place, he'll be infiltrating the building to override the cams, allowing Buffy, Elena, and Rafael to join him on the fourteenth floor for one last sweep of the occult room.

The situation has also grown more complicated in other ways since eavesdropping on Chad's cabal. In a gutsy move, Burt Becksworth has created an inescapable situation for Rafael and Finnick, forcing them to comply in preparing for an album and tour, lest they destroy their own reputations and become infamous in the business for backing out of their 'contracts' and letting down legion of NOVA fans. Finnick is an ideal situation to try and discover more about Burt's plans, however, and perhaps to find out incidental information concerning Chad's "Back the Fans" tour.

Comments

[notaroundme]

[Elena slips out the elevator door before it even opens halfway, peering down the hallways and heading towards the back exit, hoping desperately that it's clear the entire way. (navigation: 17, spot: 23)]

[slay]

Jack's in trouble fighting some hulked out priest, Anderson, who took his crazy pills from Iscariot. [ her words all run together in a sudden burst of babble. her worry comes first, before the actual update. ] From what I can tell, the whole Catholic Church wants Rafael's head on a stick, and they sent their biggest gun to get in our way.

Jack told us to bail - so, how can we help with your bad time, 'cause operation relic retrieval's a super bust.

[shootfirst]

[ it's later in the day, so it's not as packed as usual, but there are definitely some people milling about not too far from the elevators. the back halls, however, are clear. ]

Yeah well, we're sorta fighting melting zombies down here so you might wanna try to hack that service elevator and give us a hand.

[notaroundme]

[She heads back as fast as she can without alerting the people near the elevators too much. She doesn't want to looked panicked.

She leans into the elevator.]

We're good. Let's go.

[slay]

Got it. [ she hangs up without another word, not wanting to distract kat. ] Zombies down the service elevator. We need to help them. Chances are, Mr. I-Missed-When-The-Crusades-Ended won't know to follow us down there, either. [ she looks to rafael. ] Can you fight? [ because she sure as fuck can ... maybe ... ]

[romanticidal]

Si. [ the service elevator is around the corner, and they can make it there with no real problems, the masses CRIT FAILED THEIR SPOT CHECKS and look right past y'all. B)

but once in the elevator it requires a key to turn it to the basement level. ]

[notaroundme]

[Oh my god you guys, how did escaping out the backdoor turn into staying. And fighting zombies.]

This is crazy, you realize that, right?

[But she said they needed help, so she presses her lips together, and just nods.]

Alright, then. It can't get much worse, right?

[Famous last words...

And another problem.]

I hope one of you knows how to pick that lock.

[...Does that kind of thing even work in this case?]

[slay]

Never tried. [ buffy's going to set about trying to smash the buttons and then pulls a bobby pin free from her hair to try and jam it in the lock and jimmyrig it into operating (disable device 13). ]

[romanticidal]

[ it is not... working so well. rafael offers to try, asking for the bobby pin, but he doesn't have much luck either. he bangs a fist against the side of the elevator ] There must be a way. [ he looks up, and his eyes light. there's a tiny emergency hatch up top, yo ]

[notaroundme]

[Elena looks up, then over at Buffy.]

Give me a boost?

[slay]

[ with a strength check of 16, buffy's much more successful at crouching down and hoisting elena easily up to reach the hatch. ]

Should have guessed. When have we ever had it the easy way? [ she grimaces, a twinge in her injury at the pull of her working muscles. ]

[romanticidal]

[ and rafael will give buffy a boost, hopefully with an added assist from elena above (str 15). but he's gon' need a hand up, guys. ]

[notaroundme]

[Elena reaches the hatch, flips it open, and with Buffy's help climbs on top of the elevator. She turns then to steady Buffy as Raf helps her up and then reaches her arm out to Raf through the ceiling, knowing Buffy will do the same. Between the two of them, it should be pretty easy. (Let's be real, Buffy could do this by herself, but she wants to feel helpful. Str - 17]

[slay]

[ buffy grabs rafael's other arm (str 17) and hoists him up with added ease courtesy of elena's assist. which she actually does really appreciate bc owww injuries. ]

[romanticidal]

[ yep, they are a train of awesomeness right now. rafael settles the emergency panel back in and then looks down the side of the shaft. ] We will have to climb. [ he fixes buffy with a concern fais ] Can you do this?

[notaroundme]

[She's just going to...look down the shaft for a moment, unsure, then look to Buffy with a frown.

She's worried about her too.]

[slay]

[ she looks between them, put off by the surprise. ]

Guys. I'm fine. Not the first cable I've climbed down. [ beat. ] Or ... Actually, as far as I can remember, it might be. But that doesn't mean I can't do it. [ she knows they mean the injuries, but rafael's just as bad, and she's fought through bullet wounds before - she'll be fine. she starts the climb (climb 15). ]

[notaroundme]

[Buffy seems to do just fine, so she steps over to the edge, takes a deep breath, and follows after her.

Hopefully it's not too far. (Climb...5)]

[romanticidal]

[ she starts slipping, actually, and rafael reaches down to grab her (reflex save 24), but can't hold onto her hand for long (str 9). ] Hold on!

[notaroundme]

[Rafael's save gives her the time and help she needs to hang on (str 15). She looks up at him with wide but incredibly grateful eyes and she gives herself a second to calm herself down before she begins the climb down again (climb 13).]

Thanks...

[Holy shit that was close.]

[slay]

You guys okay? [ she calls it back. when she's convinced that, yes, they are, she goes on to sass and continues her climb. ] Let's try and make our worst case scenario dying after we make it to the others.

[romanticidal]

That is ideal, si. [ raf hops down to the cement for at the bottom of the shaft and starts examining the doors. He looks back at Buffy. ]

Do you believe you can pry these doors open?

[slay]

Did Marie Antoinette like cake? [ she drops down alongside him, and steps up to the doors. she rubs her hands together, then works to fight her fingertips into the doorjam, and pulls outward (str 28). ]

[romanticidal]

[ with a groan, the doors barely resist, as she peels them backwards like so much tinfoil. rafael's eyebrows shoot up slightly. damn gurl.

they find themselves facing the same lab as the others, excepting where people are drawn on there. they're at the furthest south point of that room, against the left wall. all of their frands are standing in the middle of a disgusting soup of bodies and body parts that seem to be steaming and melting into each other. gar and kat are half clothed in hazmat suits.

you may relocate your cute little butts here! ]