chicago ♔ but close my eyes for a while | and force from the world a patient smile

[shootfirst]

♬ Evil - Interpol

WHO || Spike, Francesca, Archer, Myri, Finnick, Elena, Buffy, Des, Gar, Mark, Kat, Rafael, Isabella, Jaka, Burt, Violet, Luthir, Val'drin, ??[Closed]
WHAT || The Knights prepare for the trial of Rafael Giovanni and face a few revelations along the way
WHERE || Various locations, Chicago
WHEN || July 17th - November 21st  [Back AND Forward dated]
HOW || Actionspam, don't sweat tag order!!


The trial of Rafael Giovanni looms on the horizon, as summer gives way to fall, the chill in the air creating a definite atmosphere of foreboding as the date grows closer. It's not merely Rafael's freedom on the line after all - but also Des', thanks to the deal he struck with Iscariot. While Francesca and Val'drin work to uncover the secret of the mysterious hourglass artifact, lawyer Jaka Teken'Duis uses his ... unique legal powers to work towards a "Temporary Insanity" case for Rafael. The Knights, unhappy about the potential ramifications of such a plea, continue to seek any evidence they can to show Rafael was actually innocent, and place conspiracy charges back on Chad Becksworth and his ilk for what transpired. Not everything they learn, however, is what they were hoping to find...

Others wage more personal battles, as the coming autumn signals the encroaching winter, and Luthir and Violet's time draws shorter to find a way to stop her nightmares, lest they kill her. Elena plays a dangerous game, working to uncover more of her nature by training her doppelganger powers - with the enemy.

This log covers any work and non-work related shenanigans the Knights have while staying in Chicago, immediately following the three mission logs and continuing for four months. This will be the Knight's last time in Chicago before the trial: after which they plan to return to the castle to fully Knight Violet and Dawn and decide where to head next.

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. There will be a few group scenes, which I'll alert everyone to on Plurk. They may not all be posted immediately, so keep an eye on this post for new threads as time goes by. Please wait to post social threads here until we reach a certain point in the top group thread. I will alert you all when you are free to post.

Comments

[driveangry]

[ liam tips the rearview mirror casually with a finger, glancing at it subtly, to make sure no one's watching them. ] Rough day at the office?

[nothingsodivine]

[he rolls his eyes and slumps into the seat.]

Don't get me started- the sooner this is over, the happier I'll be.

[and maybe if he keeps telling himself that, he'll stop believing he doesn't care.

he squeezes his eyes shut.]

Tell me you got something. Anything.

[driveangry]

Y'know, when you said Giovanni had a 'shady past', I was hoping you meant hookers and blow.

[nothingsodivine]

If hookers mean "meat hooks" and blow means "blowing shit up."

[He pinches the bridge of his nose.] They got one of our guys on tape letting the guy who went after Jade in. They got a tape of Rafael meeting with the guy and we can't prove he didn't do it. And our fuckin' drow lawyer wants him to plead insanity and I bet you anything, that's not gonna fly as a draw. So unless you can pull a miracle outta your ass, we may be wasting each others' time. But considering your guy put me on this case in the first place, I ain't too broken up about it.

[driveangry]

Last I checked, you asked me to bury evidence, not solve all your personal problems.

[nothingsodivine]

It got worse. [THINGS HAPPENED, LIAM. STUFF HAPPENED.]

[driveangry]

You've been in the game how long, and that fact manages to surprise you?

[nothingsodivine]

I've never been in a game with this many pieces on the board. World War II had less bullshit than this. Every time I think I'm getting somewhere, I find another layer of fresh hell.

Tell me straight, Liam. Is there a chance that Fluffy could walk?

[driveangry]

There's a chance.

You want the good news or the bad news first?

[nothingsodivine]

Oh, what the hell. My day can't get any worse. Let's hear the bad news.

[driveangry]

Your boy Rafael might've been the best, but he also was a political icon. Emphasis on "icon". He was looking to deliver a message, let 'em know someone was watching.

Could've gotten away with all these crimes as unrelated incidents, if he hadn't left a goddamn calling card at a string of 'em.

[nothingsodivine]

Viva la Revolution or whatever the fuck they say in Italy. [He pinches the bridge of his nose.] So what's the good news?

[driveangry]

Someone else already did a lot of legwork in making it look like it wasn't him behind it all.

[nothingsodivine]

Jade. [He sucks in a breath between gritted teeth.]

[driveangry]

Unless you're gonna tell me she was this "Black Scourge" character, but I got my ins, and something tells me that ain't the case.

[nothingsodivine]

Wait. What? Who the fuck is that? [HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ON THIS CHESSBOARD.]

[driveangry]

[ eyebrow pop ] Giovanni's colorful nickname back in Italy. At least to the guys who didn't wanna see him coming. Some of the people who were into what he was doing took to calling him "Il Volpe" instead. Like he was some kind of twisted take on Zorro in their eyes. Sad state of affairs, when they set an assassin up as their people's hero of choice.

I told you he left a calling card. Wasn't exactly a red rose. [ he'll just casually slip over a file. it's full of photographs of bodies... most of which sport deep lash marks across the back. ] Autopsies show they were always scourged after they were taken out, but it's clear as crystal what he was doing. "Fuck with the Resistance, pay your penance." Doesn't make it any less jacked.

[nothingsodivine]

[Des stares at the photos with a look of unadulterated horror.

Not so much because Rafael is actually a sick puppy, but because of the real problem.]

How is this good news? If they find out this is Rafael, they won't even let him plead insanity- they'll be firing up the chair.

[driveangry]

Ok, fine. Maybe there ain't any good news.

[nothingsodivine]

[Des tosses the pictures up onto the dash.] I'll be sure to write to you when Iscariot's done flogging me.

[driveangry]

Hey, don't shoot the messenger. Like I said, most of it's covered in the direction of the girl, which means if they go digging up info on Giovanni specifically, they'll likely find butkis unless someone tips 'em off to start trying to connect him specifically to these crimes.

[nothingsodivine]

Which Iscariot will, if they think they're losing. [But it's something to think about. He opens the door.] I gotta have a chat with Fluffy's Gal Friday, see what she's got. [No sooner has he gotten out of the car, he ducks his head back.]

You may wanna keep your head down. If this goes south, I don't trust Iscariot not to try to burn my bridges for me. And let's not even talk about the monkey on my back I got from associating with those- [he jerks his thumb in a direction] clowns.

[driveangry]

[ dryly ] It's touching, the way you care.

[nothingsodivine]

I know. I'm a saint. [He reaches back in and grabs Liam's illicit collection of Black Scourge photography.] I'm borrowing these.

[YOU DON'T GET A SAY, LIAM, because he shuts the door right then.]