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

[nosdacariad]

[ he scratches the back of his neck, scanning the horizon ] Like a traitor to the cause?

[witchwoman]

[Her smile drops and she steps forward by instinct. She wants to shield him from the hurt, the guilt.]

You aren't a traitor...

[nosdacariad]

[ he smiles weakly ] Some people might disagree with you.

[witchwoman]

In case you haven't noticed, I don't much care what other people think. [She had weighed the options and saw where he was coming from. She wished he felt like he could tell them more, but that wasn't her call to make. All she knew was that she trusted him.]

[nosdacariad]

About that.

I didn't get a chance to say... thanks. For having my back.

[witchwoman]

You don't need to thank me for that.

[nosdacariad]

No backsies.

[witchwoman]

[She ducks her head and laughs. Someone taught her that I guess, because I rolled and got a 16. Pop culture? Mark-speak? WHATEVER MYRI KNOWS THINGS.]

You would have done the same for me. [And she really believes that too.]

[nosdacariad]

Well, yeah. I told you we're friends.

[witchwoman]

[She nudges him with her hip.]

Family.

[nosdacariad]

[ he can't help but grin a bit ] ... Family.

[witchwoman]

[It's good to see him smile. It gives Myri hope.]

I know you can't tell us much. But... are they safe?

[nosdacariad]

[ he pales instantly at the mention ] It's... it's complicated.

[witchwoman]

I'm sorry. [She rushes the words out immediately.] I didn't mean to- I'm just worried.... about you, about them.

[nosdacariad]

[ ♬ afraid of everyone - the national

he nods a few times, brow furrowed, eyes lowered ] I - I know. And it means a lot, and I hope some day--

They're just... relying on me, and I'm the last man for the job. But I have to stop looking at it that way or they'll never-- I'll never--

[witchwoman]

[She loops her arm through his to hug it against her, since she is small and cannot actually hug him very well from here. Leaning her head against his shoulder, she jumps in.]

You'll save them. But Mark... [She turns her face up to him.] Anything you need... anything. I'll be there. I don't need to know why. Just tell me what you need done and I'll do it. Just... you're not alone. I know you're the only one that can handle this, and I have all the faith in the world that you'll do exactly that. But if there's anything I can do, I want you to know that I will without question.

[nosdacariad]

[ he hugs her arm back ] When I finally do... deal with all this, I'm gonna need all the help I can get.

[witchwoman]

We'll be here.

I wish you could talk to someone. It isn't fair to make you carry this weight all on your own.

[nosdacariad]

Like I've said: Wynn knows. We've... talked about it quite a bit.

[witchwoman]

[She nods, not completely satisfied because even the nicest people usually mean they wish you would talk to THEM when they say they wish you would talk to someone. Myri's a helper and she feels sort of lost on how to help him.]

That's good. Have you told him about what happened at the concert? Or did he already know?

[nosdacariad]

He... he didn't know. I had to tell him, after it... after it came out.

[witchwoman]

How did he take it?

[nosdacariad]

... 'Disappointed' is the word he harped on. [ ouch, wynn ]

[witchwoman]

[She winces a little.]

But he trusts you enough to continue. That means something, doesn't it?

[nosdacariad]

Wynn's always had a lot more faith in me than I think I deserve.