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

[slay]

You don't mean that. You can't mean that. [ buffy shakes her head, passionate as she persists. ] I mean, hello, even ignoring the extreme levels of dead I'd be if you hadn't been there with the inviso-spider, Myri, that's not why we need you. It's not the - the healing, and the magic, it's you. The person that you are. You're my strength. I can't do this without you. Maybe you do believe the others can, but I am telling you that I know I can't.

[bigbad]

[Spike's torn. He agrees with Buffy in some ways. He needs Myri too. He doesn't want her to leave. He loves her. But he also doesn't want her to be hurting, not like she is right now. If leaving will make her feel better... how can they keep her? How can they make her stay when all their pain is hurting her?]

Being able to punch through a brick wall's not the only kind of strength, pet. You're strong and brave in ways we could never touch. You're the heart of the team, you know. With you gone... we'd truly be lost.

[He takes a deep breath. Funny how he does that even though his lungs are dead and it doesn't really do anything.]

But if it's what you need to do to heal.... well, can you feel our pain through the phone?

[witchwoman]

I don't want to go. Stargods, please know that I don't want it to be like this. I just don't see another way. [Making decisions right after emotional trauma is probably not the smartest, but she certainly doesn't realize that. She tries to smile at Spike's question but fails miserably.]

No, it only works when I'm near a person.

[slay]

I see another way! I see lots of other ways. For starters, taking some time to see if detaching from the angst factory that is Finnick Odair to see if it was really just his crap sucking the life out of you. [ oh sorry was that a bit honest. the potential loss is setting in now and buffy is desperate. ]

[bigbad]

[Yeah ok if she doesn't actually want to go Spike is back on team keep Myri here. Especially since Buffy has a bloody good point.]

How bout giving it some time? Finnick goes far away to his penthouse, you stay with Buffy, and lean on us for a bit. Wait and see if you can't heal here.

[witchwoman]

[She wants to believe that it's an option, that it can be so easy. But all she can imagine is the next time she sees him, the next group meeting to discuss the mission. How could she manage to function on the team?]

I don't... [She shakes her head, because her own emotions are too overwhelming right now. Everything feels white hot and painfully cold all at once.] I don't know if I can. I want to, but...

[It's too much, too hard to think about. She ducks her head and can't stop the tears this time (will save crit fail).]

[slay]

[ she slips an arm around myri in the booth now, tugging her other hand away from spike so she can pull her friend into a hug, smoothing one hand over her hair. she doesn't say anything, not now. the best she can do is offer comfort. anything more would just prove to be more confusing for her, she's certain. ]

[bigbad]

[Spike just stares across at them, not sure how to help. At this point the waiter comes with their food. She looks really uncomfortable, like she might ask I they need something, but Spike glares at her (intimidate 32) and she hurries away, leaving the food on the table in a disorganized mess.]

[witchwoman]

[Spike, don't be rude. Myri could not care less though. She buries her face into Buffy's shoulder, openly sobbing at this point because a crit fail is serious okay. The food arriving makes her aware of where she is, which causes to her slowly calm down enough to reduce the tears to sniffles over the spam of a few minutes. She looks horrible, devastated, and the thought of trying to eat right now is laughable.]

All I want to do is run. [She says quietly, because she's ashamed to admit it.] Everything in me is screaming to run until it no longer hurts. Before the Veil took me, that's how I lived. I had no friends, no family. I just searched for a home that I didn't even know really existed. And then I found you all, and you became my home. But it's so broken now and I'm afraid it will never be right again. I'm afraid it will never stop hurting.

[slay]

I can't promise you it will, because I honestly don't know. But, I know I'd rather be here with all of you than anywhere else. No matter how bad things get.

[bigbad]

Yeah, me too. That's the thing about family, love. We stick together. Good times and bad. [He reaches across the table, squeezing her arm.]

You've got a lot of people who love you, pet. Not just us. There's Elena too, and Kat. Vi. Even bloody Archer probably cares in his own way. And we absolutely want you here.

[witchwoman]

[Myri is usually so aware of everyone and everything, or she tries to be. But as things with Finnick spiraled out of control, Myri had lost sight of so much. She hadn't thought about her squire at all since this all started. Realizing that made her feel terrible and for a moment, she just sits in shock and shame. The others would be fine without her. Her friendship with Kat was so special, but she knew that the mage would be fine without her. And as for Vi... well, she felt nearly as useless with her as she did with Finnick.

But Elena deserved better, deserved a mentor who wouldn't fall apart like this.]

I know you do. I never thought you didn't... [She knew they cared, knew they wanted her near.] I've just never felt anything like this before.

[slay]

And with any luck, you won't have to again. But if you decide to go now, you won't see things get better. You'll still be worried, but you'll be worried without your family.

[bigbad]

She's got a point. [As much as it hurts Myri to feel their pain, he has a feeling it would hurt even more being far away where she couldn't even fret over them.]

[witchwoman]

I'll... I'll think about it. [It's the most she can agree to for now. Everything is too fresh to think that it will fade enough to be able to face him again. Her gaze drops to her lap again and a piece of hair fall from behind her ear. As she reaches to push it back, she pauses, twisting the lock around her fingers. Her gazes shifts to Buffy slowly.]

My hair... Do you think we could..? [Emotional snap decisions, yay!]

[slay]

[ she smiles, threading her fingers affectionately through locks of myri's hair. she considers it a moment before pursing her lips and nodding. ] I think we can work something out.

[bigbad]

I've got bleach. You know, for if Kat doesn't have some sort of dye-removal spell.

[witchwoman]

[She manages a smile for them, one more genuine than previously in the night.]

You're both so wonderful... I don't know what I'd do without you.

[slay]

Probably the same as what either of us would do without you. Something very unpretty.

[bigbad]

Let's not find out, yeah? [STAY WITH THEM.]

[witchwoman]

[Myri just nods, not really agreeing with them or fighting either of them on those comments. She's got a lot of thinking to do on the subject of what is the best thing for her, going forward. The instinct in her to make the both of them feel better and promise to stay is overwhelming, but she knows that they'd want it to be her own decision and not a reaction to their emotions.

So to quell that urge, she will stuff her face with pancakes. Om nom.]

[slay]

[ LATER AT THE PLANETARIUM.

jk i literally don't know a thing about astronomy someone else is going to have to talk about the planetarium. ]

[bigbad]

[I have actually been to the planetarium in question I guess it's on me.

Anyway Spike's delicately smoking a little bit (his flesh, not his cigarettes) since it's daytime. He's not actually hurt (fort 25) but I like the effect so shut up there's a little smoke. They're greeted with this funky-ass sight as they enter.]

What say we head to one of the parts without windows? They've got some shows that sound fun.

[witchwoman]

[Myri hates the way that Spike ends up hurt when they travel during the day. She hates more than she can't actually do anything if really damages himself. So when they end up inside, she brushes her hands uselessly against his coat and frets a little.]

Yes, a show sounds wonderful. [She heads for the information desk so that they get some tickets. The next available show is something about Cosmic Wonder so she just buys three tickets with her knights credit card.]

She says it's starting in about fifteen minutes, so we should head that way.

[slay]

[ look at you guys doing research and shit. i don't even know what a planetarium does. ]

What do you think a Cosmic Wonder is? I mean, is it, like, a pyramid, but all ... star- and planet-shaped? [ buffy is squinting, glancing up and around to take in the whole experience of this place while she chatters absently. ] 'Cause then you have to think, hey, are the other cosmic thingies getting jealous, not being upgraded to Wonder status? What's the protocol?