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

[witchwoman]

[She stays close, leaning hard against Francesca, taking as much comfort from the embrace as she can possibly manage.]

What will help them? Even if we go back, we don't know that we can save them.

[socialgraces]

Myri, we have to believe we can. Hope is all we have sometimes, and belief in the power of our organization, of our friends, and the causes we all put our lives on the line for. Without that hope, that belief we will overcome and make a difference, we really have nothing but a bunch of social outcasts with shiny weapons.

[witchwoman]

I know. And I want to have hope. I need to. They expect me to. But I'm so tired and I hate that place, Francesca. I hate it so much.

[socialgraces]

I can't begrudge you that, Myri... no one can. It's impossible to imagine what you've been through, and what horrid memories returning will likely generate.

[ she softly smooths down a few blonde strands of loose hair across myri's shoulder as she tentatively continues: ] ... But know this: the opportunity we now have to cleanse a land so long devastated by corruption and bigotry - a country that has become an antithesis to all we as Knights, and decent people, stand for - will not only likely bring you renewed purpose, but also quite possibly act as a catharsis to all the guilt and pain you've amassed over these last several months.

[witchwoman]

Those people deserve to know what it is to live without fear. And those prisoners need us, they need me. I wanted to help them before and I couldn't. [She pulls in a shaky breath.] Thomas and Kat are obviously the most important. [And Amaranth but she's still feeling uneasy about actually bringing him up like he's on the same level as their human teammates. It's just hard for her to know if people would look at her strangely for it.]

I have every reason to go. Every reason, but... [It's still hard, though. War isn't an easy thing to jump into.]

[socialgraces]

Oh, no, Myri, you needn't make excuses for your uneasiness to me. I've tasted true fear and despair myself and that feeling... it's hard to say if it ever leaves you.

[witchwoman]

No, I doubt it ever will. But I can't let that fear stop me from doing what we must. I took an oath. More than that, it's what's right.

[socialgraces]

[ glad we got you to talk yourself around to reclaiming your determination, myri :) no more tears and uncertainty for you, gurl ] Of course it's right. You're right, on both those fronts. You have an obligation not only to this organization, and to yourself, but also to your friends, who trust you'll never give up fighting for them, fighting for what's right.

[witchwoman]

[She's an emotional roller coaster right now, but at least she's on an upswing.]

I keep wishing that Amaranth was here. He'd know what to do. [Myri's familiar tended to keep her balanced, grounded, moving forward. He was the one who could give her the nudge in the direction she needed.]

I guess it's up to me to figure that out on my own now.

[socialgraces]

[ oh god. i guess she never really thought about amaranth or had much interaction with him, but now she feels terrible. ] Amaranth. Where is he?

[witchwoman]

At the facility, I presume. There... there wasn't time to look for him while we were on the island. Sarandis had these creatures guarding the forest, so we had to turn back. And then everything happened with Kat, and we... [She lets out a shaky breath.]

He's been trapped there since I was taken. I couldn't go back for him when Spike and I escaped. [There's not a single thing she feels more guilty for in this world.]

[socialgraces]

Oh Myri. [ she... isn't really sure what to say in this situation, but she has enough respect for myri's relationship with amaranth to treat him as people ] If there's hope he's alive then-- then we'll soon have a chance to rescue him, as well.

[witchwoman]

I can't leave again without knowing, without finding him. He would never have left me like I left him. He would have stayed. He would have fought. He... [Amaranth had been by her side for her entire life. And now he was gone, possibly being tortured and experimented on. Or he could be dead. Myri liked to think that she would know if he died, but... could she say that for certain? Her eyes fill with tears again.]

[socialgraces]

You had no choice! [ she pulls on myri's shoulders firmly, forcing her to look at her ] What were you to do? Fight them all on your own?

It wasn't only your life at stake, but also Spike and Jack's.

[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.]