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

[graveflowers]

[ for the most part, vi hasn't given a fuck in either direction about this bullshit. des is a big boy, he knew he was going to get his ass kicked for this. the people kicking his ass knew what they were doing too. the only fucks vi gave were about myri. but when rafael looks over at their resident cleric she snaps and finds her voice, her arm tightening around myri's shoulders. ]

No! Are you insane! It nearly killed her last time and now you're demanding she clean up your fucking mess? Maybe you should have thought about that before you decided beating a guy to death was a good fucking plan!

[ she doesn't care if she's throwing des under the bus. he would have done the same thing. ]

[witchwoman]

[Alright, so Rafael is a great singer and all but nothing has sounded more like music to her ears than when he asks for her help. The moment only lasts a second before Vi is tightening her hold, though.

Part of her knows that it's for her own good, that they're trying to protect her, but it's so hard for her to be actually caught in the middle like this.]

Please... [She turns to look at Violet over her shoulder.] He needs me.

[Right now, she doesn't care about the senseless violence, doesn't want to decide who to pin the blame on. All she can think about is her friend who is dying right in front of her. She knows that they don't believe her, but she can feel him slipping away, can sense him fading...]

I'll be careful. I just... I need to do this. Please.

[bigbad]

[Spike has finally recovered from his headache, so he turns around and punches Rafael in the face (atk 33, dmg 12). He doesn't like that Rafael's even considering asking Myri, let alone actually asking. But he doesn't want Des to die either. He gives Rafael a parting glare and walks over to stand in front of Myri. He doesn't... really feel the need to explain himself. There's been plenty of senseless violence all around. What's a little more?]

You don't have to. We can find another way. One that doesn't risk you. There are options, pet.

[graveflowers]

Spike! [ her shout is harsh, like wtf is wrong with you! but she turns her attention away from him quickly because there are more important things at hand. ]

Myri, no. He can heal himself, he can't die. But you can. Don't. Please. He wouldn't want you to. [ she's aware she's pleading a little, even as she loosens her grip slightly, but myri is her family. she can't lose her. ] He's immortal, you're not.

[notaroundme]

[And Elena walks into...the biggest fucking mess ever. Seriously, she's pissed, but what the fuck is wrong with you people?]

What the hell happened?

[She runs over to Des, because jesus he's a mess. She knows that Myri shouldn't heal him, not in his condition. It'll take too much out of her.]

Someone do something useful and find me a first aid kit!?

[And then she'll try to stop any bleeding with her...hands. (Treat Injury 15 to try and stabilize him).]

[65]

[finnick is definitely … team vi right now. which is good since they're also both working on restraining myri.] There are other ways, Myri. Ways that won't hurt you. [his eyes say something else — no matter how much she thinks des ~needs~ her, finnick needs her more.] Let someone else try. [diplomacy MOTHERFUCKING NAT 20; 39 total.]

1/-

[rationalizes]

[ the door opens again, and this time gar and kat and mark are there, the three of them dripping wet from their walk from the parking garage. apparently it's

pouring rain out suddenly.

unseasonable as that may be.

gar is going to take off her rain-shodden jacket when she takes in what's going on and her mouth falls open in complete shock, as her head whips around the room to look at them all. ] What in the world happened? [ she rushes forward to elena's side, glancing over with wide eyes at the broken table and glass everywhere. ]

2/-

[shootfirst]

[ kat walks in more slowly behind her, shaking off an umbrella, and just stands near the door, surveying the scene with distaste but a lack of gar's astonishment. ] ... I would say I'm surprised, but that'd be some straight up bullshit.

3/3

[nosdacariad]

[ as luthir quietly wanders out from down the hall to see what's all the commotion, mark steps in past kat, staring at des, appalled ] Jesus. We're gone for five minutes and there are lynchings?

[nothingsodivine]

[Des stabilizes thanks to Elena and from this close, she can see that some of the bruising and lacerations are receding very slowly and that process must be painful because Des is wincing as he starts to return to consciousness. He's murmuring something the whole time in a groaning voice, like someone in the middle of a particularly awful dream.]

I didn't know. I didn't know.

[witchwoman]

[Between Vi, Spike, and Finnick all ganging up on her with logic and telling her that it doesn't have to be here and all the reasons why she shouldn't... Well, it doesn't change her mind at all but it gives Elena time to swoop in and be a bad ass. As the bleeding stops and Des' own healing abilities kick in, the urge to rush to his side start to fade. Being so focused on him apparently gives her bat hearing because she catches those murmurings (listen 19).]

What..? [She untangles herself from Vi's arms, giving all three of her bodyguards a reassuring glance. She isn't going to do anything stupid but she does want to go to him. Crouching beside him, she places a hand on his shoulder, fighting the urge to give in to her gift (will save nat 20) but only trying to comfort him.] What didn't you know, Des? Talk to us... please. [(hahahah diplomacy 30 because she learned from the best manipulators around on a trip to Illinois...)]

[bigbad]

[Spike comes behind Myri, ready to yank her away if she starts healing. But so far she seems all right. He gives Des a slightly sheepish look. Things are definitely not all right between them, but... he did just... kill him a little bit.]

Sorry about nearly doing you in, mate.

1/2

[savemyself]

[ isabella had been about to move towards rafael, when suddenly spike slams his fist into his face. rage colors her features as she very ineffectually tries to slam a fist of her own at spike's chest, but just winds up... hurting herself slightly. ] What is wrong with you? [ she looks hurt, and somewhat lost, but it sweeps away into concern as she turns back to raf ] Rafael. You should not be here now.

[romanticidal]

[ he looks almost sick to his stomach as he makes eye contact with isabella, and he keeps shaking his head, taking another few steps away, unable to look at des as he wakes. ] Bella--

You--


[ and then he closes his eyes, turning away and muttering: ] Si. Si, not this.

[nothingsodivine]

He's staying right where he is. [Des coughs hoarsely, finally coming to enough to sit up. He rubs his jaw and cracks his neck and seems to be making sure his face is still working properly before he acknowledges Myri.]

I didn't know it was gonna get this bad. [He tries to stand up and falters (dex 13) and decides... he should probably stay on the ground.] Look at you all. Finest bunch of idiots I've ever had the opportunity to meet.

[notaroundme]

[Elena tries to help him as he sits up, and stays seated as he decides to do that too, though she shifts away from him to give him space, watching him with concern even as his wounds start to heal before her eyes.

Also, her hands and wrists are covered in his blood. That's...not the most pleasant feeling, but she feels like leaving to wash them right now would be inappropriate.]

That's no excuse for taking matters into your own hands.

[But the real anger that should be in her voice is gone now. She gets why he did it, and he seems to understand that it backfired.]

[slay]

You "didn't know." [ wow guess how much buffy fucking cares. zero. she zero cares. her voice is all but a scoff, disregarding the dramatics of other entrances, because she's 100% zero'd in on the situation with rafael and des right now. ] It doesn't matter if you thought it'd work out. You went behind our backs, behind all of our backs. You didn't trust us.

This wasn't your call to make, and that? You did know.

[graveflowers]

[ vi watches myri go without stopping her but she is far from reassured because she doesn't trust that girl a lick when it comes to her gift. after just a couple of seconds she follows after her and reaches down to brush a hand against des' shoulder. because she does feel a tiny sliver of bad for being willing to sacrifice him for myri. a tiny, tiny sliver. infinitesimal. and so myri won't do it, she... totally heals him (infuse with life +15 hp) to make him feel a little better, squeezing his shoulder like shut up and act hurt still because i am not admitting i just did that.

and it's a little bit solidarity, because she gets it. he lied to them and he fucked up, but he got raf a free pass to a life without the black scourge over his head and no one wanted that more than jade. ]

[rationalizes]

[ gar looks fed the fuck up, and blusters out in buffy's direction: ] That-- that doesn't mean we turn on each other, like animals. Yes! What he did was certainly wrong! But he doesn't deserve this!

[bigbad]

He's immortal. He can take it. [He looks down at Des again. He's supposed to be able to take it, anyway. That was damn close.] She's right, you know. We're supposed to be a bloody team.

[nothingsodivine]

A team. [Des laughs and finally manages to get to his feet, thanks to Vi speeding up his healing.] Spare me your moral indignation, Blondie. You don't even know what the hell you're talking about. It was my call- more than it was your call. Rafael ain't a member of your sparkly little order. You're here out of loyalty to him and because his crap got mixed up in your crap. I'm the one who put my ass on the line to save his hide from Iscariot- the only people who had a real stake in this were him and me and if the broadcast is anything to go by, I'd say I did a hell of a lot better making him look like a victim than he did. And I did it without relying on those sons of bitches, the Grays.

[He paces, glass from the table crunching under his feet.] But that's not the point. The point is name me one person on this fucking team who hasn't screwed everyone over or fucked up or caused a problem or put all of us at risk.

[He points at Kat.] The Car-Killer, herself. [He points at Mark.] The guy who let Roger James in the back door. [He points at Elena.] The girl who's been getting lessons from the bastard working on the other side and letting him skim God only knows what off the top of her head every second she's with him. [He points to Rafael.] Do I need to make the obvious joke?

[And then he swings his focus to Buffy.] And you, Buffy, do you wanna tell me right now you've never made a decision without consulting the rest of the group? Or do you wanna tell everyone in this room right now the real reason you don't want Rafael in the nuthouse, and how much that benefits everyone as a whole?

[He doesn't linger on that, he just swings his focus to the whole room.] We all fucked up or will fuck up. The important thing is getting through this whatever way you have to. You have a fucking job to finish, so maybe it's about time some of you sorted out where your priorities are and got your heads out of your asses, because the other side is winning and this is why.

[shootfirst]

[ there's an awkward beat of shocked silence after des' spiel, broken by kat's sudden scoff and eye roll ] Are we really dragging your car back into this? Are we seriously not over that?

[bigbad]

[Spike's nat 20 will save means he resists the urge to punch Des in the stupid face. He contains his anger and frustration into ]

Really? Your argument's that it's ok cause other people have buggered it up before you? Did you practice that one in the mirror while you were deliberately planning to bugger up? [Because really, spur of the moment car murders are NOT ON THE SAME LEVEL with something he's obviously planned out with Jaka and not talked to anyone about.] If you were so certain this was right, why couldn't you tell us?

[witchwoman]

[Pushing herself back to standing, Myri hangs back in shock as Des unloads on them, singling some of them out. All of it feels like the start of what happened when Mark nearly left (and she along with him). Her stomach twists and she shakes her head silently as the other start to chime in. All this is going to do is turn into a shouting match. She steps forward and moves to stand in front of Des, placing a hand on his chest, not pushing or threatening, just looking up at him with calm resolution.]

No one asked you to put yourself on the line for Rafael. You chose to put your stake into this, to make it a game you needed to win. And you continue to be so desperate to separate yourself from us, yet you have tied your fate to his. The only way that we are going to see this through is if we do it as a... [family] team. That means no more secrets. [Her hands drops away from him and she turns to the rest of them.] No more... [She just gestures to the room around them as if to say NO MORE SHIT LIKE THIS.] It has to stop. Or we're going to kill each other before they even have to try.

[graveflowers]

[ maybe it's the excessive depression or the lack of sleep or the overwhelming sense of apathy, but vi isn't all that bothered by his speech since it's something they all sort of know in the back of their minds. except the car part, but she supposes he deserves something completely unimportant to harp on about. and everything myri said is true, also. they just suck at the execution. it could use a little work.

she puts her hand on des' arm as she passes for another top up (infuse with life +19 hp) in case sometime tries to deck him again, which doesn't seem entirely out of the question at the moment, and heads over to luthir, adding quietly as she goes: ] He didn't tell us because we would have stopped him.