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

[witchwoman]

Really? [Her hand pulled back slightly in her confusion.] I thought you wanted nothing to do with it? Isn't that why Francesca came? To help you find a way out?

[Either he changed his mind or he had lied before. Neither option sat well with her, but obviously a change of heart would be the better option. Still, it worried her. What if he chose to stay? What if fighting with the Knights was too much and he chose this life instead?]

[65]

Yes, but — [it was still a big change on top of like 50 other ~big changes~ in his life, and although he didn't really want the fame itself anymore, that didn't stop him from not wanting the sense of familiarity it gave him.

but he hasn't been awake long enough to find good words to articulate that, and even if he had been myri's response was exactly what he needed to fall into an ice cold river of guilt, withdraw, and never bring up feeling that way again.]

It's all right, I was joking. I didn't mean it. [bluff 33. he's trying to ride on looking tired enough for her to be like "oh finnick just failed at delivering a shitty joke" or something instead of ... you know ... the truth. ]

[witchwoman]

[Even with all her worries and her concerns, the moment he gives her a beautiful lie to hold onto, she believes it (sense motive 6). She wants things to feel normal, like they were before. She wants to believe that the fact that they love each other matters more than anything else. ]

Oh. [Even if she does think he was joking, she doesn't think it was very funny. She shifts slightly to push herself up enough to press a soft kiss to his forehead before turning back around to lay next to him, facing away.] I love you. [She says quietly, even if they just talked about that a few moments before. She does what she can to keep her tone even.]

[65]

I love you, too. [it all feels so wrong. the fact that there's this large of a disconnect between them feels wrong. finnick wants to fix it, but what can he do? they can't have a come to jesus talk, that isn't an option. it's all just too much. it's too much all over again. so ... ] I think I might go back to sleep for a little longer, okay?

[witchwoman]

[She nods, just a slight shift while she remains close to him.]

Do you want me to..? [Stay? Go? She's not certain right now.]

[65]

You can stay if you want. [he's not all that certain, either. but he hates pushing her away.]

[witchwoman]

[It's not the reassurance that she wanted, but the idea of walking away hurts too much. So she stays, but she doesn't grab for his hand. Instead, she just curls slightly and shuts her eyes to shut out her thoughts. She reminds herself that he loves her and tries to take comfort in the feel of him beside her. So why does she still feel so alone?]

[65]

[he can feel that there's a kind of tension in her, and the tension makes it difficult for him to get back to sleep. he hates worrying her. but the sooner he can close his eyes and focus on his breathing until he's out cold again, the sooner he can escape that feeling.]