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

[olreliable]

Kidnapped me! His crazy vampire girlfriend left him, so he wanted me to cast a love spell or something. So he kidnapped me and Xander and... [stuff happened. stuff we don't fucking talk about.]

Anyway... Bad! Spike bad. Except he thinks he has a soul now? I don't know what that's about.

[slay]

Not just thinks. He does have one. [ She trusts Sehanine, even if she always had reservations about Spike. This is still something to think back on: maybe it gives context to her instinctive loathing? ] What vampire girlfriend?

[olreliable]

[she nods] Drusilla. She's a few fries short of a happy meal, but he seemed to really love her- or love anyone as much as a vampire can. [Immediately, willow looks sheepish because Angel is a thing. Time for damage control.]

He didn't have a soul the last time I knew him, though. Souls make it different. Like Angel!

[nailed it]

[slay]

[ Her expression falters at that, detaching from her confusion and turning into something somber, searching, and distant. Just on the edge of her mind, she can feel the familiar, instinctual reaction. The name feels familiar, reaches into some deep part of her that she didn’t even realize was there. ]

Angel? [ Her voice lilts up, straining hope at the end of the question. Yearning attaches to it without Buffy quite understanding why. Lips parted, the creases smooth out of her forehead, as if stunned into silence. Her eyes drop, searching some distant point in the room rather than looking at Willow, crawling into her own head in pursuit of an answer for why that resonates with her.

She comes up empty, and squeezes her eyes shut, blinking hard against the inexplicable sentiment that burns in her chest. In another moment, she’s shaken it off—literally. Her head tosses, and her eyes open to fix back on Willow. The confusion returns. ] Who’s Angel?

[olreliable]

Oh, wow... [Of all the questions that Willow thought Buffy might ask because of Veilnesia, this was not one of them. She's more surprised by this than the idea of Buffy forgetting who Willow is.]

You guys sort of... had a thing. [And then you sent him to hell. But he came back and helped us defeat the evil mayor.

...And then immediately peaced out. Wow, this story sucks. She is realizing that quickly.]

[slay]

[ Had a thing. Okay. That’s not so bad. She can handle that.

—Wait. “Souls make it different.” As in, Angel was an example. Of a soul-having vampire.

Buffy’s stomach lurches, recalling her ill-advised tryst with Spike. The nauseated feeling bubbles up in her throat—no, wait, that’s not a feeling, that’s actual bile. She raises a hand to cover her mouth, gaze growing distant and leaving Willow’s face.

What is wrong with her? Does she just attract the undead or something? Is she wearing a big old undead-shaped “do me” sign on her back? Is this a thing she should be seeking therapy for, like one of those disturbing balloon fetishes that people wind up on TLC for? ]

Oh God.

[ She drops her hand, taking a deep breath and shaking her head, blinking distress out of her eyes. ]

I’m not—I can’t … I gotta go.

[ Barreling past Willow, she leaves the conversation in the dust. Nonononono. ]