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

[rationalizes]

Yes, here we are. [ she sounds a wee bit terrified, but here we goooooo. they move into the lobby, and gar heads to the desk to ask after jack. ] Has Sir Chessing has been in here today? [ the girl looks between them for a moment, and her nat 20 knowledge local check means she heard all the gossip already, damn gurl. so she stares at gar like I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER WITH THE DRAGONS CLAW, but shakes her head.

"I think he went out earlier today. Never came back." ]

[nothingsodivine]

[WORD THAT BETTER, GOSSIP GIRL.]

What d'you mean never came back? Didn't he call? The whole castle's on DEFCON Chartreuse at this point.

[rationalizes]

And... and he gave no indication of where he was going? [ gar pales a bit, glancing at des with growing panic in her eyes.

the girl shrugs, filing her nails over here.

"It's not my job to keep tabs on the Dragon's Claws 24/7. They come and go as they please."

gar nods absently, backing away as she mumbles: ] O-of course not. Yes, thank you...

[nothingsodivine]

[Guuurl. Des glares at her.] Thanks, puddin'.

[And he backs up with Gar.] You wanna tell me about how Chessing always harbored a secret desire to join the circus that he might have acted on in a panic or should we be worried?

[rationalizes]

I'm already worried. He must have gotten the call, unless he's turned his phone off, but I can't imagine...

[nothingsodivine]

What? That something might have happened right after Wynn goes full Churchill?

[A beat.]

This might be too soon in your relationship, but you could try tracking his phone.

1/2

[rationalizes]

Of course, why didn't I-- [ think of that invasion of privacy??? w/e she takes out her phone, and maybe she already has his hacked b/c she got a nat 20 check to do so so it happens with surprising and disturbing ease (unsure). what she finds, however, makes her look even more confused than ever. ]

But it... it says he's--

[chessing]

Here? [ the voice comes from behind them, and gar whips around, jaw dropping as her cheeks turn bright red with embarrassment. jack is standing in the doorway in his trenchcoat and hat, looking between them with an expression that makes it clear he... heard at least some of that. ]

[nothingsodivine]

[Oh well. That was anticlimactic. Des breathes a sigh of relief.]

So I don't have to hunt down circuses in the area. Thank God.

1/2

[rationalizes]

We... were afraid something had happened. [ she sounds a bit chagrined by the admission, as if hesitant to announce that they'd doubted his ability to fend for himself. ]

[dragonsclaw]

[ jack stares at her, and des barely needs to roll a wisdom check to notice the longing behind his polite gaze, the warmth that comes to his eyes as he studies her. he doesn't spare des so much as a second glance, as if he's already forgotten he's there. ] No, nothing... nothing terribly portentous happened, you needn't worry about that. Aside from-- [ and he nods at the phone in her hand, his expression humbling a bit at the acknowledgment of wynn's announcement. ] There was something I was hoping to do before... before you'd returned.

[nothingsodivine]

[Des deeply relates to that look on a personal level to the point where he actively has to look away and rub the back of his neck.]

Should I give you two a moment?

[rationalizes]

[ gar got a nat 20 wisdom check to remember gossip girl over there, so she looks over her shoulder and then says: ] Perhaps we should speak in the other room? [ jack nods and gestures for her to move down the hall, and into a spare room. gar casts a grateful look over her shoulder at des, and heads after him, shutting the door (mostly) behind them, although it's still open a crack so if he's anywhere near the actual hall and not keeping the receptionist company, he can make a listen check. ]

[nothingsodivine]

[He is so over Gossip Girl's life, so he just... casually drops some eaves. (listen 20 total)]

1/-

[rationalizes]

[ by the time he wanders over, they're already mid-convo so he hears: ]

-- shouldn't have come chasing after you like this. I'm... I'm terribly sorry if it's in any way out of line.

2/-

[chessing]

Out of line? Not at all. I'm only sorry that we... well, we never had a chance in the wake of what happened to even share a moment to really ... discuss matters.

3/-

[rationalizes]

Well, I could understand if I were--

If I were the last person you wished to see at the time.

4/-

[dragonsclaw]

That was hardly the case. Why else would I have come to see you off?

5/-

[rationalizes]

I... I suppose I hadn't thought of it that way. You'd be surprised, just how many different excuses I was capable of coming up with on the plane ride. I thought perhaps you were simply trying to... to do the right thing.

6/-

[chessing]

Well, I certainly am trying to do precisely that. And I've had a bit of time to mull over what that might mean. [ there's a dry humor in his voice as he adds: ] ... At the encouragement of some of your friends, as well.

7/-

[rationalizes]

What the... right thing to do would be, you mean?

8/-

[dragonsclaw]

More than that. What the right thing is for... you and I. Apart from what anyone else might think.

9/-

[rationalizes]

For you and I...? [ she sounds a bit dazed as she repeats it, and he can hear footsteps moving across the room slowly, likely jack crossing to her. ] I wasn't even certain whether it... whether it meant that there was...

10/-

[chessing]

Jeanne, the truth of it is... I've been in love with you for a very long time. I tried, I certainly tried, to do everything I could to drive these thoughts from my mind, afraid of what it might cost you as well as me if I forsook the oaths I'd sworn to. But whatever it was that came over us both the other evening, it wasn't born of a moment's impulse. And while I certainly regret the situation in which it placed us, I can't bring myself to regret that it meant stealing so much as a moment with you.

11/-

[rationalizes]

You-- [ gar sounds absolutely thunderstruck by the pronouncement. ] Jack, I--