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.

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[Listen check 28 X( No secrets for you!]

[ her eyes scan his when he leans so close, and she looks ready to kiss him, herself, but instead she brushes her lips to the side, feather light against his cheek. she doesn't respond to what he said, instead imploring: ]

Help Vi for me, Des. I couldn't stand to see her fade away, and if her connection to Malaak'a isn't severed soon...

Even the return of spring won't be enough to return her to herself.

She'll die, just from her essence being torn in two as it tries to recover.

[Oh good another promise he has to keep. Des doesn't even hesitate, however- anything she asks of him, it's hers.] I'll fix it. I promise.

[Tonight, if he has to.

He finally pulls away from her, though it's very slowly, backing away as if it's the hardest thing he's ever had to do, but he doesn't get far enough before he cups her face in his hands and says, very intensely:]

I love you, Jade. Whatever happens, don't forget that. You could've freed me. [He runs his thumb along her jawline.] We'll see how the next one goes.

[he finally pulls away entirely and steps back.]

[ her expression twists a bit at his words, but she nods, very very slightly. ] I love you too, Des.

I won't forget. [ what he just said, and that she loves him, like she did once before, that much is clear. ]

Your friend Nick. Introduce him to the O'Keefe family - they're with the Knights. [ she gives a sad half-smile ] Who knew I had family right around the corner?

They can help stop her nightmares, if they work together.

Nick? [Des balks a little at the suggestion, like somewhere in all his emotions and everything else that just happened, she found his bitchface and dragged it out screaming.] Is that-

[You know what, no. He trusts her.] The O'Keefes. Got it. First thing I do when I get to Wynn's place.

Edited 2014-03-21 05:17 (UTC)

[ she nods to him, and then looks past him to rafael, who has been studying the floor lost in thought listening to all this, because no matter how much character development's he had, watching des and jade together isn't any easier, yo. she moves around des with airy ease, stepping closer to him and buffy. ] Rafael.

I understand. I don't want you to think that I'm anything less than happy for the purpose you've found here. [ she can still sound a little wistfully sad though, as his eyes drag up to meet hers. ] I have a gift for you.

[ well, buffy can take a hint. she takes a step away from rafael instinctively, knowing jade is coming. knowing that's a looming shadow that dwarfs her in comparison. she drops her gaze. ]

I'll - [ saying anything to excuse herself seems intrusive by itself. so she shuts up and turns to step closer to des as jade departs him. she briefly touches his arm, mingled sympathy and concern in her gaze. this isn't easy on any of them. ]

Nick?

[Des is still shellshocked before it catches up to him that the world has moved on from that and when Jade moves over to Rafael and Buffy moves over to him, he hesitates, and then throws an arm around Buffy's shoulders.]

[ rafael stares at her as she approaches, swallowing once, his eyes dragging behind her to buffy and des for a half second, before zoning back in on the ghost of a woman before him. ] A gift?

[ she pulls him into a more decisive hug, tearing up at the contact and burying her face halfway against his chest to hide it. she quietly utters what she's been wanting to admit all night; ] I'm sorry.

[ things got so muddled in the past few months. maybe the divide that were rent between them would never fully heal, but she can say this much. she's sorry that she ever let it get out of hand. she's sorry for not being honest enough. she's sorry he's going through this now. she's sorry it's all come between them. most of all, she's just sorry for being mad instead of focusing on the fact that she at least still had him here. ]

[Des is now shellshocked for an entirely different reason and he looks momentarily panicked, like he has no idea what to do with this. The apology hits him and he sinks against her arms and returns the hug, resting his chin on the top of her head.]

I deserved it, Blondie. [He swallows hard and then says what he's refused to say for four months now,because he never stopped believing he was right.] I'm sorry.

[ jade affixes rafael with the tiniest, bittersweet smile ] You got to hear me sing your words, just now. Now I want to give you mine. [ and she leans forward, leaning her temple against his as she wraps her arms around him, and his eyes fall closed as if he can hear something that no one else in the room can. as he starts to open them again, light seems to fill her from the inside out slowly as she too begins to fade away, a whispered word echoing through all their minds: ] Remember.

[ as she vanishes, rafael's eyes fully open and he looks around as if in a daze, as the entire club fills again with the strains of music foreign to the driving beats of pulsing techno. and amid it all is the distant beautiful voice of a woman, that draws rafael towards the door, pushing it open as if he's not even fully aware of what he's doing. he moves directly for the dj's sound booth, also suspended up here on the walkways, not saying a word to any of the others. he's a man on a mission. ]

I get it.

[ it took a literal miracle for her to be able to say that, but she does. she draws back, smiling up at him with big ol' puppy eyes. she gets why he did it, and how much it must have hurt him to do it. she gets that self-flagellation probably played its own role, too. ]

It's - [ but suddenly rafael is moving out of the corner of her eyes and buffy whips her head around to follow him with a confused look. ] Hey!

Where the hell's he going?

[He pulls away from Buffy and looks at Spike- HI, SPIKE. PEOPLE REMEMBER YOU EXIST.] C'mon. The least we can do is keep him from falling down any rabbit holes.

[ y'know what rafael is doing

rafael has found himself a microphone

and that mysterious accompaniment means we're about to get full on divinely mystical musical up in here, because rafael starts to sing, with an intensity that's arresting, as if the words are simply coming to him as he goes.

it shouldn't be very surprising that jade's last gift is a song.

♬ remember me - josh groban ]

Remember, I will still be here
As long as you hold me, in your memory

Remember, when your dreams have ended
Time can be transcended
Just remember me

I am the one star that keeps burning, so brightly,
It is the last light, to fade into the rising sun

I'm with you
Whenever you tell, my story
For I am all I've done

Remember, I will still be here
As long as you hold me, in your memory
Remember me

I am the one voice in the cold wind, that whispers
And if you listen, you'll hear me call across the sky

As long as I still can reach out, and touch you
Then I will never die

Remember, I'll never leave you
If you will only
Remember me

Remember me...

Remember, I will still be here
As long as you hold me
In your memory

Remember, when your dreams have ended
Time can be transcended
I live forever
Remember me

Remember me
Remember... me...

[ rafael delivers the number from the balcony, drawing the attention of every patron in the club, who a) didn't expect to get an actual performance from their celebrity superstar guest tonight and b) just can't look away, because his performance check is a FIFTY ONE.

there aren't a lot of dry eyes in the house tonight. ]

Yeah, that'd be a shame. [He sure... doesn't sound like he'd be so upset right now. Maybe the goddess was wrong about him having a soul. Or maybe it was just hard to see Buffy and Rafael so oogly eyed and in love. He'd thought it was hard with them constantly being morons about each other. He has a feeling he had no idea what hard feels like.

He sighs, gritting his teeth, and starts towards the door, not looking at Des.]

Suppose we'd better.

[Oh good, he's bloody singing.]

[Oh.

Well, that's not so bad. Des manages a pretty decent will save to not cry, because he's been PRETTY GOOD at that mostly. He does seem pretty inspired by the music and excuses himself.]

I'll be back. [He claps Spike on the shoulder and squeezes Buffy's as he passes between them.] Don't leave without me.

[ will save 13 means buffy is trying really really hard not to cry but tears are silently coming out anyway, because rafael just misses her. and she'll always be a part of him, and that won't ever change, but for now it feels like something she'd never expected to happen: it feels like he's letting her go. ]

[ there's silence when he finishes the song, before patrons of the club burst into cheers and applause. rafael, however, drops his head, eyes closed, as if exhaling a long breath and a lot of emotions along with it. he holds that pose for an extended minute, before handing the mic back off without really looking, and starting to wander back down the walkway slowly. ]

[ that will save carries over. she scrubs her hands over her cheeks to wipe away the tears and surges forward to meet him over in the dj booth, touching a hand to his arm. ]

You ready? [ did he have his moment is he good now she doesn't want to rush him but - ] I've got you for one more night. Two guesses how I wanna spend it. [ it's not what it sounds like. but he's heard jade (presumably) in the vip room - vi's in trouble if this shit keeps up, and that makes buffy more eager for keijen's blood and this shitty trap he's trying to set. ]

I... I think so, yes. [ he glances up at her, grateful. ] Although... [ his face contorts and he rubs his forehead with a groan. ] I should call Isabella, Buffy. I ... upset her much.

I am feeling very much the fool for somehow never having-- [ he swallows, and looks up at the ceiling ] Even suspected, how she felt.

I get it. [ she nods. ] Honestly, I don't think anyone noticed. [ so for once it's not just rafael being a clueless fuck. ] So ... I'll give you a minute. It's quieter up here. [ she jerks a thumb over her shoulder. ] I'll go see who else is on Team Kick Keijen Ass.

[ he nods, somewhat absently. ] And Buffy?

[ he hesitates, but then says: ] I am glad you were here, for this.

Me too. [ whether she's actually glad she was here to experience this is up for debate still (fuck you sehaneagejie and your slayer confusing destiny shit she's not sure how she feels about all that yet), but she knows she's glad that he was here to go through it with her, and all the parts with him at her side have absolutely felt right. ] I meant what I said on the roof. [ she won't reiterate that she loves him beyond that; in fact, she'll deflect, turning to go and waving a hand over her back to pretend she's referencing something else. ] We're gonna be lost without you.

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romanticidal - 2014-03-22 01:50 (UTC) - Expand

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