knightsoflegend | nyc ♔ all moonlight returned today

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nyc ♔ all moonlight returned today

WHO || Rafael, Isabella, Burt, Kat, Gar, Mark, Luthir, Buffy, Spike, Finnick, Violet, Elena, Archer, Des [closed]
WHAT || Burt invites everyone to celebrate their victory at the trial at the opening of his new nightclub in NYC
WHERE || New York City, NY
WHEN || Saturday, March 15th [forward dated]
HOW || Actionspam

It's over. After months of being sidelined by the trial of their friend Rafael, the Knights are finally free to return to England and see what headway the Dragon's Claws have made on discovering the location of the Talisman they seek.

But not everyone is so free to return. The consequence of getting Burt's assistance in disentangling Finnick from his contract and super-stardom was an ironclad agreement that allows Burt to sink his claws fully into Rafael's career. Considering that Burt knows their secret identity, non-disclosure agreement or not, the executive's renowned moral gray-itude doesn't exactly make it seem like a great plan to back out on the compromise.

They've at least been able to put off their goodbyes for a few days since the end of the trial, as Burt invited all of them to New York City for the opening of his brand new nightclub. Some of them flew out, while Archer and Des presumably drove their matching El Caminos cross-country in the days between. But now they've all met again in the Big Apple, for a celebration - and farewell of sorts.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ his smile is infectious to the point where buffy is ducking her chin to try and hide the fond one creeping across her own face. she steps in close to him as they settle into a space of dance floor, and all the sweaty disgusting bodies packing them in like sardines ~barely feel like scenery~ because rafael is there and they're together in this moment. for once, he's not drifting elsewhere, thinking of someone long gone. he's here.

they're here. for the last time until god knows when. the outlook isn't good, but being out of the starkly emotional moment on the roof helps her to gain perspective. his contract isn't forever, and this mission has already gone on for two years and it feels like they're nowhere (which would normally be bleakly depressing but not in this case, because in this case it means she'll probably see him again).

she slips her arms up around his shoulders, even though the music is loud and pulsing ~~and not hilary duff, jesus~~. her hips move in time with the song, effortless and casual for all appearances. ]

[ it's been so long since rafael adopted an actual honest-to-god smile that wasn't tinged with bitter self-hatred that it almost doesn't feel real... except that his hands on her hips are obviously very, very real.

they've slow danced before, at the castle, but apparently he has moves no matter what the tempo, probably because he has a +100 racial bonus for being italian. (dance 21, actually) ]

[ with a dance check of 18, she's not doing all that bad a job keeping up with him. there's light in her eyes as they hold his without wavering for even a moment, matching the scintillating grin that he's brought to her lips. she wears it openly now, because if she only has this night to be happy, she's going to enjoy it, dammit.

on the one hand, she wants to tell him she'll call, they'll hold onto each other, they'll watch for the light at the end of the tunnel, but she doesn't want to break the rhythm they have by trying to shout over the crowd or let go of the easy happiness that they've found in each other by addressing the upcoming strain. this is better. so she keeps quiet and close, pulsating to the beat against him. ]

[ it seems as if more is said without talking, as buffy says, and so they dance together in warm silence for the length of the number... at which point buffy feels a tapping on her shoulder.

isabella stands there, a strange, fiery determination in her eyes. her smile is a little tight as she looks between them and says, almost too demurely: ] May I cut in?

[ there's a flicker in her eyes that seems ready to challenge the request - because isabella can go back to chicago with him, she's not about to lose him. why does she need him now? but buffy refuses to allow it to ruin the time that she does have left, so the confrontational edge in her expression dissipates and she nods, stepping back. ]

All yours. [ she turns to smile at rafael. ] I'll find you.

[ does he look just the tiniest bit disappointed?

maybe so. but he obviously doesn't want isabella to see that so he covers it up with a smile, nodding to buffy. ] Si, carina. [ with that, he allows isabella to slide one hand around his neck and pull him into position to dance, drawing him away from her. ]

[ as buffy reaches the edge of the crowd, she'd hear a loud voice yelling her way, waving at her from a booth where she sits with gar and finnick. ] Hey!! Buffster!! Over here!

[ buffy manages to compose herself fully before heading over - any outward signs that she'd been crying only a few minutes before are gone as she surges towards her friends (nat 20 disguise check i should make that official somewhere i guess). she hurries through the crowd. ]

Hey! You guys better not have gotten too far ahead of me.

We're done drinking for the night. [UGH WHY DID HE GET STUCK WITH THIS SHIT. SILENTLY CURSING ISABELLA IN HIS HEAD BECAUSE CLEARLY THIS IS HER FAULT.] There are more important things at hand.

[ gar frowns in kat's direction, scooting over so that buffy can join her side of the booth. ] I rather think Kat might have gotten a little too far ahead of all of us.

[ she nods ] But Finnick's correct. Nadia showed up. It seems Keijen Blade is in the city... and wants us to come pay him a visit before the night is out. [ her reluctant tone makes it clear what she thinks of that plan. ] It's very obviously a trap.

[ drunk kat, meanwhile, is completely distracted now that buffy's actually over here. apparently she forgot what she wanted to say to her, and gar is blathering on about work again, so her gaze drifts out the way buffy just came from, and she gets this look on her face. ] Ho-ly-balls. What's going on over there?

[ ♬ tu amor - kaci

glancing back that way, it is not hard at all to figure out what she's gawking at. the music changes to something with a slightly spanish flair, which seems just a little too coincidental really. but it's given isa and rafael the chance to show off some real dance moves, the kind of trained mumbo-jumbo that speaks of a lot of hours of practice and classes, which he could no doubt have afforded for her. the way they both move is impressive as hell (raf with a 24 dance, and isa with a NAT 20), but what's harder to look away from is exactly what kind of a dance she seems to have dragged him into.

with nothing short of an extremely sultry look on her face, she's engaged him into a passionate Latin style dance, involving dips and spins, and her taking the initiative to all but wrap her leg around his hip and wind up all up in his grill. she seems to be saying something, insistently, as they hold there, and his expression changes from complete bewilderment at this whole situation to shocked realization. he starts to shake his head, releasing her as if to take a step back, but she doesn't give him a chance, before she yanks him in for a long kiss by the lapel. ]

[ effectively distracted from the actual plot by kat's reaction, buffy turns her head to search out the source of her shock, and the joyous, girlish grin melts away as she watches isabella pull rafael in for a passionate kiss (spot 31). her stomach drops, but she can't pull her eyes away, even as the color drains out of her.

she's not elena. she's not going to assert herself and cause a scene or drag isabella away by her hair. instead, it creeps inside of her and gnaws at her already prevalent self-doubt. hearing him say those words had seemed surreal, and now the reason begins to sink in: it felt too good to be true because it was. any blind hope she'd had of actually standing a chance with him is whittled away by the sight, and bile rises up into her throat until she has no choice but to force herself to look away or throw up in the middle of burt's new nightclub.

the music is suddenly deafening, pounding against her ears and through her chest, and the crowd of sweating bodies becomes stifling, suffocating her. dizzied by how suddenly overwhelmed she is, she can't force her eyes to focus on kat as she looks back.

it takes her a minute to steel herself for an answer. don't think about rafael and isabella. don't. the anguish grips her but she forces it back, shutting her eyes briefly to center herself. gar and finnick were talking about something important - keijen. keijen and nadia were here, laying a trap for all of them.

she opens her eyes and fixes her gaze on gar, nodding. ]

If Keijen wants a fight, I say we give him one. Let's grab Des and Spike and get going. [ she's only prioritizing tanks because the others deserve a fun night of letting loose. elena's clearly enjoying herself, and there's no reason to keep that from continuing. ] If we know it's a trap, they can't very well spring it on us. [ the distraction, at this point, is welcome: she'd very much like something to hit. she wants to bury herself in the job that she had chosen over any chance of being with rafael. isabella and rafael would go back to chicago together and forget buffy had ever entered their lives. and buffy would go back to doing what she does best. ]

[ as kat slams a hand on the table and whoops: "Hell yeah!", gar follows buffy's gaze, and casts a troubled look at finnick like ukw i don't think buffy really has her thinking-straight cap on right now maybe...

meanwhile, across the room rafael wrenches himself away from isabella, gripping her by the arms as they appear to argue for a moment. he's still shaking his head, wide-eyed, but then she peels away and stalks out of the crowd towards the door. rafael tries to push after her, but ends up tunneled out by the crowd to the side where their booth is. he shouts over the crowd after her. ]

Bella! Bella, come back!

[ meanwhile kat snorts watching this, poking her straw in her drink as she leans waaaay over and says, a little too loud: ] Can somebody say too soon? [ she jerks an elbow into finnick's side with a raucous laugh ] I mean, am I right? [ oh my god when did we all start talking like archer. ]

[meanwhile, adam sandler's somebody kill me please is montaging in finnick's head. WHAT IS THIS FRESH HELL. time to herd the cats ... (Diplomacy 29)] Or we could wait until the majority of the team sobers up before making any rash decisions.

Edited (you can't expect me to remember my mods off the top of my head tbh) 2014-03-19 17:48 (UTC)

[Des's listen check of NINE means he did not hear jack or shit before coming up to the table.] Christ. Is everyone in heat?

[Said the guy making out with Brad Pitt five minutes ago. He did get a 21 wis check to assume Raf was not as into it as Isabella was, so at least he's not on Team Rafael Is a Slut... unfortunately it also means he assumes that Buffy... realizes this too.]

[ with her crit failed will save gar is so overcome by everything that she is just utterly grateful for finnick's rational brain over there and is gonna leap on that shit. though first she says: ] I most certainly am not. [ just b/c clearly des wants to know that. ] But Finnick is right. I'm not certain it's a good idea to-- leap into anything and leave half of them behind in this state.

Leap into what? [His expression twists into a grimace.] Y'know, some of us may have made plans tonight, so how 'bout we don't bring the chaos home...

[ so fifteen minutes late and carrying starbucks (no, literally, that coffee machine was very starbucks-y), vi shows back up at the table with four coffees stolen from the break room and suddenly there are too many people. w/e she shoves a coffee at kat, and gently passes the other two to finnick and gar -- notably the only one that is made how the recipient likes it is finnick's because she spends enough time with him to actually know how he takes his coffee.

which leaves the last one in the middle of the table. go for it, drunks, see what happens. her arms cross in front of her, and she leans against the edge of the booth next to finnick. they're gonna need a bigger booth. ] Regardless of your plans, this is a team vote. As in the whole team. All of us.

[ how many times do you think they'll have to say it in one form or another? ]

Team vote on what?

[/casually hijacks this thread, because Des failed his listen check and has to have his hand held through everything.]

Keijen Blade is in town and requesting to see us. If your plans aren't too pressing. [he's giving des a look like ARE YOUR PLANS TO KEEP MAKING OUT WITH BRAD PITT??????]

[Des's expression goes grim, suddenly.] Well, I'm going.

[HE'S NOT PART OF THE TEAM. IF THE TEAM VOTES IT DOWN, HE'LL GO ANYWAY.

HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT.]

Go for it. [ look who was expecting that bullshit. des is only part of the team when he wants to be. ] The rest of us are going to get sober -- [ LOOKING AT U, KAT ] -- and actually talk about the logistics and pros and cons of running on to his home turf with absolutely no preparation and a blood alcohol level that could mow down a small rhinoceros.

[ at this point rafael comes over, running a hand through the back of his curly hair, looking like completely and utterly shell shocked, but also a little worried. ] I-- [ and then he looks like he doesn't know what the hell he was about to say and shakes his head and looks back over his shoulder in the direction of the door, not having heard of their conversation ] I think I must go hunt down Isabella. She--

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