debriefing ♔ in the emptiness there's a solution | just look within yourself for absolution

[nepotism]

♬ locking up the sun- poets of the fall

WHO || Wynn, Buffy, Myri, Finnick, Spike, Gar, Archer, Des, Vi, Rafael, Fred Jr., Dumage, Mark, Rocket, open! [Closed]
WHAT || Andres Mission Debrief & Aftermath
WHERE || Knights HQ, lobby etc.
WHEN || September 18th [forward dated*]
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread, don't worry about maintaining tagging order.

There are plenty of missions that return to the castle a success - most of them, even. The defeated air of the solemn group that returns from their diplomatic mission to Andres Isle to hear the demands of dictator Dimitris Sarandis makes it quite clear that this wasn't one of those.

Starting with Sarandis' actual demands - for all Knights to withdraw from Andres under penalty of death, or for Wynn to offer his own head in return for Thomas' safe return - and ending with the unexpected, disturbing confession from Kat that she intended to stay behind on the island because she had "fallen in love with" the dictator, the events of the island made it very clear that Sarandis was cannily playing his hand to get the Knights where he wanted them.

Fred Jr. shoves open the doors with his unnatural strength, stalking in ahead of the group into the lobby. Whoever's on desk duty isn't going to have to roll a high wisdom check to see that these people are pissed... and distraught... and a myriad of other emotions on the bad end of the scale.

*I am changing the date of the briefing log and Andres log/live session to have taken place in September, to avoid us being in backdated hell forever, and to allow for a September squiring ceremony before apps are closed. Carry on... in the future!

Comments

[untethered]

It's just automatic, isn't it? [ she smiles in amusement. ]

[untethered]

You know you don't need magic to make anything of yourself, don't you? You never have. Magic or no, you're a good man, and a good Knight. And those things are powerful in their own right.

[beatupgrass]

[Rocket looks even more disheartened hearing that. He's not completely without sympathy, especially when Drax has took a few levels in zen and hasn't tried to take vengeance on the VEIL for taking his memories. And he knows how much it sucks to not remember how he met Groot... Or honestly a good chunk of his life in general. It's mainly the bad parts and then... well.]

It's like everything before Xandar and meetin' you guys barely happened.

[godblessyou]

Umm, hard to explain. I can show you!

[bigbad]

Maybe. You do make it hard on yourself.

[bigbad]

You're really having trouble with this mortality thing, huh? [He tilts his head, looking over at Des. He's not exactly unsympathetic. Well, not anymore unsympathetic than usual.]

[bigbad]

You sure about that? You're not very big.

[adamantiumed]

The truth. That they don't know what's keeping him comatose.

[beatupgrass]

[he plants his little paws on the bar and forces himself (with unsteady feet) to raise up to his full height while balancing on the barstool. (Balance 17 and even with a penalty... it's probably enough to keep him from falling over.)

That will save from earlier doesn't mean shit when his pride is at stake.] Barkeep. Hey. Don't listen t' him. [Lord that was a little slurred.] He don't know what he's talkin' about. Get me another. I'll show 'em lightweight.

[you had to insult his Napoleonic pride, didn't you, Spike?]

[lurings]

[ her eyebrows knit together briefly in confusion. clearly... it is. ] ...I don't....?

[postergirl]

Of course. It's all my fault. Silly me, to forget.

[bigbad]

[He rolls his eyes.] That's not what I said. But the fact remains that you're very charming when you want to be. I've no doubt if you put your mind to it, they'd all be eating out of your palm.

[A beat.]

Which is a weird image. But the point stands.

[nothingsodivine]

If you stopped being a vampire, wouldn't you have trouble with it? If Buffy stopped being superwoman, don't you think she'd have trouble with it... Except right. Of course. She did have that happen. And it sucked for her. And I don't think anywhere in all that did I turn to her and say, "Gee Buffy, other people deal with being mundane all the time. Suck it up."

[He hisses. Obviously he was... holding that in for awhile. And didn't mean to blurt it out.]

[everyredcent]

Likely why they tend to avoid the same room entirely on most days.

[bigbad]

[That was a lot more emotions than Spike was prepared for.]

...are people telling you to suck up your identity crisis?

[bigbad]

Don't be a stupid git. You're practically falling over.

[nothingsodivine]

In fewer words.

[It's sort of the gist of it. Mostly it amounts to people deal with this all of the time- the problems of one ex-immortal don't amount to a hill of beans when everything is this bad. It's sheer selfishness. And it is, in a sense. They do have things to worry about that have nothing to do with something he claimed he wanted for years. He needs to be strong and deal with this the way a person who has always lived a mortal life would.

He just can't. He put a gun to his head to try and chase the doubt away and it was a momentary relief, but here it is again.]

I think it's more about me being scared to death of it, and no one can even comprehend why, 'cause everyone else has lived with this idea in their heads that one day something will kill them. And I've only wished that I could find the one thing that could. And here I am.

Careful what you fucking wish for.

[undealt]

Thank you, Belle. [Well, that's something he needs to hear. His track record isn't defining him, nor is his ability to incinerate things. There's still something in him that's worth noting.]

Perhaps now isn't the best time to dwell on any of that. Not when we have so much ahead of us. [he takes her face in his hands gently.]

[beatupgrass]

[Wow you're officially the worst drinking partner ever, Spike. Fortunately for everyone in this bar, Rocket doesn't have his unfeasibly large gun. Unfortunately, he does have unfeasibly large muscle with him.

He glowers at Spike and then yells (loudly).]

Gr- Drax. Get over here and take care of this chump so I can drink in peace.

[You know he's drunk when he... forgets Drax is not Groot. And probably doesn't respond to his orders. Also that's just really sad. he misses his treeperson. SHUT UP.]

[untethered]

[ her expression is earnest, obviously pleased with his response. ] Exactly. Now isn't the time to... to dwell on anything else. There'll be plenty of time for that when things have settled down, after the Island.

[slay]

I'm just saying that if Sarandis were literally a big snake monster instead of a metaphorical one? It'd totally be that easy.

[spinerip]

At least I remember you. And our other friends. [He gives a vicious grin.] Our friendship is too mighty for the veil to conquer!

[olreliable]

He is the bad guy!! I mean... not the worst bad guy, but still really bad! Definitely not on the goodly good guy knighting list! He kidnapped me.

[witchwoman]

[the forceful approach doesn't really do much to snap her out of it. instead, myri drops her gaze and finds it difficult to breathe. focusing on amaranth seems to pull the worst of the pain to the forefront. she's failed him and he is very likely dead at this point. how on earth is any of that supposed to be okay?]

I can't-- I'm sorry... [Pushing herself off the bench, she starts to walk off, needing space and air to breathe. She's not running, but she can't just sit there anymore.]

[witchwoman]

Thank you. I just... [She steps closer to him, reaching for his hand.]

I don't know how I would manage any of this without you.