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

WOO

[savemyself]

I am not in the mood for your wisecracks today, güey. [ she slams the sword back into the stand ]

[nothingsodivine]

And I'm not in the mood to deal with high-maintenance Spanish dames, so we're both gonna have a great day. [He bares his teeth in a tight grin and flops down on the couch.]

How bad?

[savemyself]

Rafael was the most successful man in our... profession in all of Italy, and information about his identity was being leaked to any of half a dozen enemies. [ testily ] I would say it is very bad.

[nothingsodivine]

[Des tugs at the collar of his shirt.] So I best start getting fitted for my priest collar?

[Not happening. He sighs.] We can't take Jaka's offer. You know that, right?

[savemyself]

We don't know whether Iscariot will see fit to accept it or no. It is a gamble. But what other options have we?

[nothingsodivine]

You know what option we have. [He gives her a look. The thing. That thing.]

[savemyself]

Framing Jade, si.

[nothingsodivine]

It's the only thing we've got. You think Jaka'll buy it?

[savemyself]

[ des' life is really hard right now, across many threads ]

It is dangerous, even if we can make certain no one suspects Rafael. To tie those assassinations into this case...

[nothingsodivine]

There's also a chance the second the evidence goes live at the trial, he'll flip his cannoli and plead guilty just to save her rep.

[Because Rafael is not Des. Des believes in pragmatism and the fact that Jade would rather be known as the worst scum of the universe than let Rafael go to prison and him go to Iscariot.]

[savemyself]

I can almost guarantee it. [ she sounds a little more bitter than usual. ] Then what? What other way do we have?

[nothingsodivine]

[He thinks on it for a long time. There's not a whole lot that can be done- he knows what information Liam's given him and how THAT coming out and getting tied to Rafael is a big no-no. They know Jade could easily take the fall for the crimes, but for Rafael's big mouth. And they know Jaka is really committed to this insanity plea.]

Maybe we can have it both ways.

[savemyself]

How do you mean?

[nothingsodivine]

They want a crime of passion. We give 'em a crime of passion. We drag up Rafael's shit- all of it, even the really naughty bits that you and your boy don't think anyone knows about- and pin it on Jade. Spin the whole story like Rafael did lose his mind at the concert. He did kill Jade. He killed her because he couldn't handle the thought of the woman he loved being that much of a psycho. If he tries to protest, we get the shrink to bullshit some excuse about how he was so consumed with grief, he tried to convince himself he was the bad guy to spare himself the agony of losing the woman he thought Jade was.

The only crime Rafael'll get pegged for is Jade's murder, which'll be brushed off with the insanity plea. It'll put 'em on ice for awhile, but he'll get away clean. He can start over. It'd be like Jade's giving him another chance.

[savemyself]

Ruthless... but not without logic. And then, perhaps, we can truly put that life behind us, without fearing it returning any day.

But... I should warn you. The last time anyone dared to try to besmirch Jade's name in such a way, Rafael was... mercilessly unforgiving. Perhaps it would be different now that she would not have to live with the consequences, however...

[nothingsodivine]

I can't die, princess. What's he gonna do? Shoot me?

[a beat]

And if anyone's gonna put their name on this plan, it'll be me. I got the information without your help. You didn't do shit. So when Fluffy's wrath comes down, it comes down on just me. Got it?

[savemyself]

If you expect me to argue the point, you are wrong. I ... cannot afford to lose him. Not like this.

[nothingsodivine]

I didn't think you'd argue, but I wanted you to know you have my permission to throw me under the bus. [He grins cheekily.] I won't get raw about it.

[savemyself]

No offense, but... if it meant Rafael would be protected? I would not much care if you did.

[nothingsodivine]

That's what I like about you, Isabella. [He stands up and stretches his arms over his head.] You don't pretend like I matter to this dog and pony show.

[savemyself]

It is not that I don't like you, Desmond, but everyone must choose where their loyalties lie.

[nothingsodivine]

It's Des. [He drops his arms back down at his sides.] And it's not about liking- though I'm gonna file that away, 'cause I'm pretty sure you hate everyone who ain't Rafael. It's about the fact that all that crap I said before is bullshit. This isn't a family. It's barely a team. It's an accident waiting to happen. The only reason I'm still here is because I can't get what I want without 'em. At the end of the day, I know what I want, and that's it.

[Nat. 20. Bluff.]

[savemyself]

[ which is so much overkill b/c she crit failed her sense motive (unsure). I guess des' bluff still nat 20 convinces himself, so there's that. ] Then we are not so different. And what I want is what is best for Rafael. They are a means to that end, and I hope that soon this can be over - and we can be rid of them from our lives.

[nothingsodivine]

If this goes the way I want, I won't have much of a life for them to be in.

[BECAUSE HE WILL BE DEAD.

And that's why it's better he doesn't care, better he burns his bridges, because in the end, he doesn't want to live any sort of life with them. They want to turn him into a pampered contented housecat an eternal staple of their little family for generations to come and he can't be that. And some nagging voice says that maybe if he hadn't resisted Jade so long, maybe if things had been different, he would have been the one who died and that would be the fitting end to the story.

He doesn't have many options for breaking the curse naturally- it's the Talisman or nothing at all.]

[savemyself]

As far as I am concerned, they have already long overstayed their welcome. If it is this Talisman they want, I imagine they will be off to find it, as soon as the trial is over and done.