chicago ♔ it’s a tragedy to be left only with memories

[savemyself]

WHO || Failboat and friends [Closed]
WHAT || As the trial drags on, the Knights spend their last few months in Chicago and tensions mount
WHERE || Various locations, Chicago
WHEN || November 21st - The end of the trial?? [Back AND Forward dated]
HOW || Actionspam, don't sweat tag order


Everybody loves a media circus and the trial of Rafael Giovanni is no exception. If he was famous before, in the days following the shooting, now he's all people are talking about, and all the tabloids want to focus on. The complications presented at some of the early hearings by Jaka, regarding the identity of the Black Scourge and Rafael's alleged reaction have only made the story more appealing to the millions watching.

They've also caused the trial to drag out for months as facts are checked, evidence is poured over, and the jury becomes only more split on the issue. In the meantime, the holidays fly by, and one of the most terrible winters in years blankets Chicago in blizzards.

This log covers any work and non-work related shenanigans the Knights have while staying in Chicago, immediately following the last log and continuing for the next couple 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 Elena 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.

Comments

[witchwoman]

[The moment his arm moves around her, she sort of sags against him, like keeping herself upright on her own was too difficult.]

I'm not sure. I don't.... I want to believe we can, but...

[bigbad]

[He runs his knuckles over her shoulder soothingly.] But?

[witchwoman]

He hardly talks to me. All he wants to do is sleep and drink. And I can feel him hurting, but he won't talk to me about. He finally did, and it just... It didn't go well. I feel like he's pushing me away and I don't know how to stop it.

[Her gaze drops to the sidewalk and her voice is a near whisper.]

Or if I even should.

[bigbad]

[He's steering her gently in a direction that's vaguely hotel-wards. He's not gonna rush her back, but it won't be far when she's ready.]

Sounds like it'll take a bit more than you to stop it, love. He needs a shrink. Or an AA group. Maybe both.

[witchwoman]

[She doesn't protest the movement, but she shakes her head at his attempt to help.]

He doesn't want any of that. He just wants to lay in the dark and wait for it to go away. Every time I'm in the same room as him, I feel... [She shuts her eyes and turns her head away. it's not just Finnick, even if his case is the strongest since she feels the most for him. It's Vi, it's Mark, it's all of them to varying degrees, depending on what they were all feeling.]

I don't know if I can keep doing this.

[bigbad]

Then you shouldn't.

[His voice is quiet and sad, but steady. He squeezes her a little tighter.] Anything hurting you this bad's no bloody good. Sitting around waiting for change never helps.

[witchwoman]

You really think so? That wouldn't..? I don't want to just give up. I just don't know what else to do.

[bigbad]

It's not your battle, love. It's his. And if he's not letting you help, you can't force it on him. Might be he'll see sense and come back to you, but that's on him. All you can do is let 'im work through it.

[witchwoman]

I thought his battles were my battles. I thought... [She shakes her head, the lump in her throat cutting her off.] I just wish it could be like it was.

[slay]

[ buffy heard the resulting screeching breaks and horn and shouting involved in dodging the car, and it took her a while to make her way over through the crowd to approach. as she draws closer, she gets a feeling for the conversation, and worry furrows her brow. ]

Myri? [ she reaches one hand out to touch myri's arm, standing at spike's side. she turns to look up at him, searching for answers. ] What's going on?

[bigbad]

[Spike looks up to meet her eyes, expression sad on Myri's behalf. Sadder than he'd let Myri see. He might have given Finnick a hard time now and again, but he really had hoped the two would work out. He wanted Myri to be happy, and for a while, Finnick seemed like he could do it. Now, though? She's miserable. And he doesn't know how to help her feel better.]

Finnick.

[witchwoman]

Buffy..? [Myri looks confused for all of two seconds before the sight of the woman causes her to crumble and turn towards her. Her face is soon buried in Buffy's shoulder, muffled sobs shaking her small frame as she finally stops trying to hold it in. Only here, only surrounded by these two, can she feel like she can do that. They've been her strength for so long, after all. (will save 11)]

[slay]

[ buffy catches her in an embrace readily, because it's second nature to support her friends at this point. not even second - it's burned into her right to her bones. this is what she does, she takes care of them. she loves them. and right now, it's clear; myri could use a little of that.

her gaze is hard and her jaw works briefly as she watches spike for a moment, because finnick's not going to get off so easily for being responsible for this, but right now myri is the issue. so she softens the moment she glances down to the sobbing woman in her arms, and she turns to kiss the side of her head. ]

I know it doesn't feel like it right now. But, it's gonna be okay, Myri, I swear to you. We're right here. Whatever you need.

[bigbad]

[Spike shifts the arm that's not around Myri to Buffy's shoulder, keeping Myri warm and embraced from both sides.]

Just say the word, pet.

[witchwoman]

[This is what she needs, what she's needed for awhile now. Having people there to validate her feelings, to make her feel like she's allowed to be upset, to be scared, to be worried... Trying to take care of everyone was exhausting and all that Myri wanted was for someone to tell her that they would take care of everything for her, just for a moment. So she just cries on them, lets them hold her. A few moments pass and she eventually takes a deep breath to slowly pull herself together.]

I tried to talk to him... like you said, but... it all came out wrong.

[slay]

Wrong how? [ it's gently needling, because she wants to draw more information out, but she's careful not to sound like she's somehow accusing myri of screwing it up. more likely, finnick had screwed it up. buffy is a big believer in myri's perfection yo. ]

[bigbad]

[Spike rubs his hand over Myri's arm, soothing. He's also of the opinion that it's probably Finnick's fault, especially from what she's already told him, but he'll let Myri answer in her own way now.]

[witchwoman]

I made him... [She sniffs and shakes her head, trying not to cry again.] He felt like I was judging him. I never wanted to... I just wanted to stop hiding, to stop being afraid of what was happening.

But he- [Her voice cracks.] I told him I couldn't just keep doing this, and he... all he could say was 'then don't.' And I just keep hearing it.

[To be fair, all this was about an hour or so ago, but when all you have are your own thoughts, time stretches on and makes it feel like forever.]

[slay]

[ that is break-up talk. actually that's a full-on break-up when you summarize it that way.

buffy's heart sinks into her stomach, because somehow, she'd hitched her wagon to myri and finnick. they'd always been perfect complements to one another; finnick was pragmatic and goal-oriented, and myri focused on people, used her feelings to guide herself. but they both loved - with all of their hearts. she was sure that if anyone could make it, it'd be those two.

but they hadn't. or, they weren't, as it looked right now, and that loosens her grip on the hope she's been holding onto that things can somehow go back to normal. nothing about this is normal. it's really dramatic in buffy's world view right now ok ~love isn't real.~ jade forgot des and everything was horrible and then she died and rafael tried to kill himself and now buffy and myri are breaking up and love is pain.

and as far as buffy knows, she's never felt something like that. rejection, yes. hurting someone else, yes. but being so wholly devastated? never. she has no experience to reach from to know how to help myri. no idea of what could possibly make this better or what she can say. ]

I'm so sorry. [ she digs from the bottom of her stomach to try to find something more meaningful to say, but there's nothing. maybe that's it - maybe there just isn't anything that can make this better. ] Myri, you did what you needed to do. If how he's been is hurting you ... maybe a step back is what you both need, until Finnick finds a way to work out ... whatever's making him this way.

[bigbad]

[Spike nods along with what Buffy's saying. He'd been telling Myri about the same thing before Buffy came along. If the relationship was hurting Myri so much an Finnick wasn't doing anything to fix it, then Myri needed out. It's better for her, despite how much it must hurt now, and it may even be better for him, long run. Can't get much lower than rock bottom, and losing Myri has to be rock bottom. Maybe it'll be the push he needs to get himself together and win her back.

He can't say that, though. He doesn't want to give Myri false hope. This might not be the end, but for now, at least, it seems to be.]

It's his loss, yeah? If he can't pull his head out of his arse enough to take care of you, he's not worth your while.

[witchwoman]

I can't just... I shouldn't have said anything. I feel like I ruined it. And now... I just need to get away. I can't go back there. How am I supposed to go back there?

[She had run from the hotel and now the idea of going back is damn near terrifying.]

[slay]

We can take the day, walk around the city some. And tonight, you can stay in my room. Any night. As long as you need. But, Myri, you did the right thing. If you hadn't said anything, you'd just keep being unhappy and nothing would ever change.

[bigbad]

She's right. Would've been a slow death, rather than a fast break. [He looks up at Buffy, hand slipping off her shoulder finally. His arm is still firmly around Myri, however. He's not going anywhere.] All right. Got anywhere you've been dying to see?

[witchwoman]

[They're trying to help, and in some part they are, but the idea that her relationship was doomed to fail, no matter what, just twists like a knife in her gut. She takes a shaking breath and focuses on the comfort of having them near, having them care so much that she can feel it. She leans her head against Spike's shoulder and gives Buffy a weak smile.]

I've read some things about the planetarium? Where I came from, the gods came from the stars. I've wanted to go for awhile, but... it seemed like a bad time.

[slay]

[ strangely (or perhaps not so strangely) the thought of gods coming from the stars just makes her think of if she'll feel jade's presence in the planetarium the same way it's been suffocating in the court room and the hotel suite for months. but a part of her wants to go all the more for it - alone with her thoughts and the chance to miss someone they've all lost instead of being caught up in the grief of those more entitled to feel it, or the intentional destruction of everyone's memory of her. ]

Seems to me like the perfect time.