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

[slay]

Mmm. Yeah, that mass attempted exodus really helped with the feelings of rightness.

[bigbad]

[He knows what she means. It had been hard, seeing so many teammates, people he cared about, threatening to leave.]

Don't let them get you down, love. You're trying to get everyone through this safely and defeat the bad guys. They just can't see the first part through their hurt feelings.

[slay]

Gee, that makes it better. "You weren't wrong, Buffy, you just hurt all your best friends' feelings." [ she sighs. ] I know I owe Gar an apology. She's the team leader, that was her decision to make. I shouldn't have gone off the handle to begin with. But, I just can't ... ignore that it's what she should have been saying.

[bigbad]

[Buffy would rather be a leader than a follower. If it wasn't already clear in every action, in how she takes charge in the field and never hesitates to put forth her opinion like it bloody ought to be the opinion everyone listens to, it's clear now. Buffy should be team leader. Not that Spike's got anything against Gar, she just doesn't have the same attitude Buffy does.]

Considering we were bloody betrayed by one of our own? You could've gone a great deal more off the handle. [Seriously, Spike wouldn't have blinked if someone had shot him.] They'll get over it. Gar too. [And hopefully not regret going with Gar's choice over Buffy's.]

[slay]

Yeah.

[ her tone is one that seems to indicate it's a hope that spike's right, not a firm faith or belief. she hunches her shoulders. ]

You okay? I know you and Mark were ...

[bigbad]

[Spike rolls his eyes.]

I'm fine. Never could stand the blighter. Really, only so much whinging about how not good enough he is at anything before I stop trying to make him feel better and just start agreeing.

[slay]

You can't seem to stand most people, Spike. Even the ones you like.

[bigbad]

I can stand you. [A beat. He nudges her, giving a hint of a smile.] Most of the time, at least.

[slay]

Wow. Most of the time. So, the truth comes out.

[bigbad]

You know, eighty percent or so. When you're not punching me. [Obviously, this is a lie, as he's always bitched about the punching a lot more than he's actually minded.]

[slay]

Gee, thanks. [ she rolls her eyes, but she's chuckling slightly all the same. ]

[bigbad]

[He smiles. He likes hearing her laugh. Doesn't happen often enough.] Still beating out Little Italy.

[slay]

[ awkward. she shoots him a sort of side-eye for that, because they both know exactly what spike is holding against rafael and they also both realize, she's sure, that the feeling isn't mutual. it's a problem, too, that buffy's interests are so strongly outside of the knights. maybe that was what had contributed to her being so quick to disavow mark.

her best friend, and the man she loved were both really just ... free-lancers, along for the ride. she'd grown far closer to them in these past months than she'd been to the team she'd been with since day one. spike and myri remained enormously important to her, and she loved the others as well, but des and rafael were ... everything. ]

We should probably head back.

[bigbad]

Wouldn't want to miss out on all the fun research they've got going on. [He glances over at her, clearly aware he said the wrong thing.] Sorry. I know how you feel about him. I shouldn't... insult him.

[slay]

Nah, I get it. Besides. Equal opportunity insulting. Gotta make sure it goes all the way around. [ but seriously, she understands. being friends with jade was ... impossibly painful. losing her was worse, though. she knows how spike feels about her and she doesn't know what she'd do without him so she can't take advantage of feeling secure with him and not allow him to have emotions. it wouldn't be fair. ]

[bigbad]

Well, good. Because he's a bloody idiot. [Spike doesn't exactly love the idea of Buffy dating other people, but he wants her to be happy. Even if it's not with him. That Rafael is blind enough not to see how Buffy feels about him and ask her out is insane to him. It's Buffy. How can he not love her?]

[slay]

Look, Spike, I - I know that this probably doesn't ... [ help. anything. whatsoever. she awkwardly cants her head, hands wringing in front of her. so she just leaps to her point anyway. ] Thank you. [ she isn't silly enough to believe his insults of rafael are entirely driven by bitter jealousy. if it were a female friend who didn't want to be with her, the thought would never cross her mind, in fact; it would just be good friend behavior. scowl that he's being so stupid for not returning her affections because buffy is too love-struck to do it herself. ]

[bigbad]

[He glances towards her, tilting his head to the side as his lip quirks up into a bit of a smile. He doesn't say it, but it's clear he appreciates it. It's good to hear that he's doing well at being a friend, not just some guy who's in love with her. He turns back to look out at the city again.]

Guess I'll have to insult him more often.

[slay]

[ that gets her to laugh out loud, shutting her eyes as she does. ] Mm, yeah, insult the dangerous assassin. See where that one gets you. [ she gives his arm a little slap and then moves to stand. ] I'm heading back to the suite.

[bigbad]

[He gives her a real smile, now, and nods. He turns back to look out at the city.]

You do that, love. I'll be along shortly.