nyc ♔ took what i hated | and made it a part of me

[narcosynthesis]

♬ right now - korn

WHO || Keijen Blade, Nadia Reichenov, Tia Ellison, Rose Hathaway, Sterling Archer, Spike, Klaus Mikaelson
WHAT || The Knights attend a Keijen Blade concert to try to learn more about the villain's plan
WHERE || NYC, New York
WHEN || June 7th, 2014, evening.
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread.

Whatever purpose the Church of the Lord's Humanity has in turning out a string of divinely Shadowkind musical artists, one thing can be said for certain: it's been an effective plan. Nothing proves this more than the gigantic crowd funneling into the outdoor arena where Heatless Passion is performing in NYC tonight. Goths and metalheads of both the human and non-human variety stream in, and it's difficult to tell whose strange red eyes or horns are costume and whose are natural.

The Knights' tickets are provided for, and tia leads the way inside, in a black leather dress and tall boots with numerous buckles on. it's a little clear that this is far from her element (maybe because she used to teach kindergarten), but she does her best to look confident as they're shoved through the crowd. She's established a rudimentary mindlink between them, that allows to communicate telepathically with one another, and as they move she reminds them:

Keep close. Stay sharp.

Comments

[telekinect]

[ tia is busy staring at spike with wide horrified eyes. ] What-- [ she tries valiantly to help spike break away from the suggestive influence, but man, even she... can't do anything. ] I've never seen anything like this.

[bigbad]

I know. She's a thousand times better than Señor Olive Garden. [Cause clearly Tia's never seen anything like Nadia's amazing singing. He glares at Rose.] Let go.

[littledhampir]

Yeah, like that's going to happen.

[Lets try something new. (Bluff 17).]

Trust me, if you want to get her attention, you don't want to be one of those people running to the front of the crowd.

[Rose switches focus from Spike to Tia again]

In my experience, punching or kissing works pretty well but I'm only volunteering to do one of those things. [She's basically grasping at straws because when Tia doesn't know things? Uh oh.]

1/2

[coldheritage]

[ the crowd is practically breaking down the barrier up front right now, but nadia just smiles down at the crowd, though a great spot check of 20+ might catch on the screens that the smile is empty, a look of hollow sadness behind her eyes as she sings (perform 31).

♬ circle - lacuna coil ]

What is it for ?
What is sacred?
In my circle of regrets...
Circle of regrets

Today I'm drawing circles -
In my memory, in the pages of my life...

That's me for a long time
I can't run away... (long time)

These stone tears are falling down on me, all my regrets!
There stone tears are falling down on me, all my regrets! (I don't want this feeling...)


I need more
All I want is to break
My circle of regrets
Circle of regrets

Is there any solution ?
I want to find the way to escape... to go away.

[telekinect]

I'm not certain either is going to do the trick, honestly. [ she's just staring at spike like omfgwutisgoingoninyourhead ] Whatever she's doing has thrown iron walls up. I can't even get in there to get a glimpse of what's going on in his head.

[bigbad]

She looks so sad... [spot 28. He yanks away harder (str 23).] Let me through. It's all right, she knows me. We've got this sort of... connection. She threw me off a balcony once with her mind.

[littledhampir]

[In response to Spike's words, Rose looks towards the singer, squinting and failing to see what he does. (Spot 11). The distraction however, is unfortunately enough that she's unable to keep hold of Spike (Str 18) and he's moving away from her before she can even respond.]

Want me to stick with him? No guarantees I can control him but I can at least keep an eye on things... [Rose reluctant to leave their group but at the same time. Captain of the Lovesick brigade probably shouldn't be wandering off on his own.]

[asuma]

[Klaus is s-so amused by all of this, but has kept himself quiet up until now. When Spike wanders off and no one has any idea how they should go about stopping them, he just kind of throws out the obvious.]

Or we could always snap his neck. [This is said s-so off-handed and casual like it ain't not thang.] Somehow I doubt he would pose much of a problem without the proper use of his arms and legs. [Look it's pretty much common knowledge that Spike is a vampire by now and, at least in Klaus' experience, that is the equivalent of forcing someone like Spike to take a short nap.]

Though that fails to address the obvious problem here. [Which is Miss Thang on stage. Who they are apparently not allowed to confront directly as it might throw this entire operation off course.]

[telekinection]

[ tia hesitates a moment, experience reminding her what a great idea it always is to split the party. but she knows that she's not strong enough to push through that crowd and keep up. she nods at rose. ] Go. But call if you need back-up. [ she taps her temple, implying she doesn't mean on her phone.

then she turns to give klaus a Look. as if he's one of her kindergarten students who just knocked over someone's block castle. ] Let's keep violence against our own as a last resort. For now.

[ she follows his gaze back up to nadia. ] If I can get closer, maybe I can read her mind. She might be so occupied with performing and maintaining the spell that she won't notice. [ she frowns, clearly uncertain just how much of a 'might' that is ]

[littledhampir]

[ Got it.

Rose nods at Tia before turning on her heels and starts to elbow her way through the masses, trying to keep an eye on the back of Spike's peroxide blonde head (Spot 24... sure NOW she gets a good roll) so she doesn't lose him in the chaos.]

Hey - Sir Pines-A-Lot. Wait up!

[asuma]

[And off they go. Good luck, Rose. Klaus turns back toward Tia once Spike and his new chaperone disappear into the crowd.]

Not to call your skill into question, but would that really be wise given that you can't even get into his head at the moment? [Nodding in the direction that Spike took off in. Because whatever was happening to him, was happening because of that woman on stage. Look he is naturally cautious. He's trying to be a team player and give two shits if these people die.]

[telekinect]

[ gurrrrl, don't you sass me ] As a telepath myself, I know how this works. If she's able to influence this many people at once, she has to be pouring everything she's got into doing it. That's why the spell on him is so impenetrable. But something's got to give to maintain that kind of hold, and it's likely to be the walls protecting her own mind.

[asuma]

[It's your migraine, boo. But who knows, maybe she'll be able to do it. Despite having had mind effecting powers of his own, Klaus wasn't exactly well-versed on the finer details of being able to bend another's will to his whims outside of repeatedly doing so.] Let's get a bit closer then, shall we?

[coldheritage]

[ rose manages to keep up more or less several yards behind spike in the crowd, as he strong arms his way up front. luckily, nadia is occupied entirely and doesn't notice his familiar bleached head even as it gets much closer to the stage. (spot 6)

♬ when a dead man walks - lacuna coil (perform 28) ]

Paranoia
In which I think that I'm not confident
Blood into my hands, blood into my hands,
Blood into my hands I can't deny
A buzz into my ears that makes me mad

But I don't look back
While I'm waiting to die
I don't look back
In a weird lullaby
I'll carry on

And the hope in my heart is dry

But I don't look back
And I cannot reply
I don't look back
While I'm waiting to lie
I'll carry on
While they want to decide for me
Once again, once again

Living in their cage, living in their cage,
They are killing me
Once again

Paranoia
In which I think I'm not that confident
A tiny hope that burns into my breath
A bitter smile delights me at the end

But I don't look back
While I'm waiting to die
I don't look back
In a weird lullaby
I'll carry on
And the hope in my heart is dry

I'll carry on
While they want to decide for me

[bigbad]

[Spike starts screaming her name and waving to get her attention as he gets closer but it... is pretty much what everyone else is doing so it's not THAT terrible a move.]

[littledhampir]

[With Spike at least in grabbing distance, Rose allows the movement of the crowd to help her blend in, dragging her eyes away from him to observe the fanatical crowd around them (Spot 27)]

[isisagent]

[Archer just stomps back and forth, watching everything happen. He's torn between writing Spike off completely, and sticking to the mission - or helping his stupid ass... despite not liking Spike all too much.]

God fucking Dammit... VLAD! Wait up! You stupid fuck.

[Archer surges through the crowd, with a Strength check of 21! He's less subtle than Rose, though, so he might just start an angry mosh pit when he catches up, because he slugs Spike in the back of the head with an Atk of 22, Damage 10.]

[telekinect]

[ rose gets a solid look into the eyes of some of the other patrons - enough to note the strange glassy-eyed gaze they all have, even as they feverishly reach towards the singer and push forward as close as they can get. it's very clear to her that it's the same look spike was just sporting, too.

tia actually manages a nat 20 escape artist check to slip through the crowd, subtly nudging people aside with TK where necessary until she's also near the stage, but on the opposite side from where spike is causing a scene. her fingers subtly slip to her temple and she stares up at nadia, concentrating fully. she also manages a nat 20 concentration check???? despite being jostled around, damn gurl. she is in the zone.

her eyes slip closed, lids fluttering a bit, before she relays to klaus: ] She doesn't feel me trying. I was right - her own walls are down. I can just barely slip through...

[asuma]

[Color Klaus impressed. In the meantime, he'll keep watch and make sure that no one in the crowd veers close enough to bump into Tia or compromise her concentration in any way.]

Find anything interesting?

[telekinect]

[ she hovers there for a moment, eyes still closed, protected from the crowd by klaus' hovering, before suddenly her eyes snap open and she stares in horror up at the stage. ] My God.

[asuma]

[Her reaction, while severe, is not entirely unexpected. Let's be real, it's not like they were expecting that she'd find a glimpse of birthdays rainbows and kittens in there.]

I don't suppose you'd care to elaborate.

[bigbad]

[Archer's attack hits Spike, though thanks to dmg reduction it... doesn't do much. He turns around and slugs Archer (atk nat 20, dmg 26).] Bugger off, I'm trying to listen!

[And he turns back to listen to the beautiful music.]

[coldheritage]

[ wow nadia STILL FAILED HER SPOT CHECK she is in the zone here, i guess.

better enjoy that close up view, spike, because she yells a thank you to the audience before launching into what must be the closing number for her band.

♬ dark adrenaline - lacuna coil (perform 27) ]

You can run, I will reach you

Oh, when the darkness calls I escape
This dream has taken me so far away
I feel my pulse race as I come
Into you

You can run, I will reach you
You can run...

[ spike and archer's slug fest, however, starts a wave of angry shoving and fists flying around them. yay... ]

[isisagent]

[Ow, my most of me. Archer stumbles around... seeing stars for a bit. Jesus, Spike really like's Nadia's music.]

Alright, fuck this!

[Archer grabs Spike's shoulder, and winds back for a Heroic Surge DoublePunch™... but a Will of 18 will help him swallow down the assuredly broken nose, and just try to tackle Spike with a grapple instead...]

NAGASAKI!

[Archer yells, and dives onto Spike. If Spike is paying attention, it provokes an Atk of Opportunity. Otherwise a 26 Touch attack to start the grapple, and a 25 Grapple check to try to hold him.]

[bigbad]

[Yeah, Spike's not paying attention. As soon as he was done punching Archer he went back to staring wistfully up at Nadia. But when Archer tries to grapple him, he twists out and away (grapple 25 but with a +18 mod).]

You're ruining the concert! If you make me miss this song, I'll bloody kill you.

[It's... hard to say if he's exaggerating or not.]