knightsoflegend | briefing ♔ i will never know myself until i do this on my own

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briefing ♔ i will never know myself until i do this on my own

This is War- 30 Seconds to Mars

WHO || Wynn, Jack, Hasmed, Lis'sa, Dovan, Solace, Koraith, Christos, Tia, Nessa, Grant, Buffy, Myri, Finnick, Spike, Gar, Archer, Des, Fred Jr., Dumage, Mark, Alainn, Zero, Colin, Lan, Eric, Val'drin, Risa, Anastacia, Faith O., Max R., Belle, Kadir, Edain, Sydney, Zatanna, Aurelius, Jaina, Erky, Davin, Riddick, Jordan, Henry, Leia, Willow, Kate, Allison, Francesca, Bo, Han, Aedan, Rocket, Drax, Nathan, Maxwell, Sam, Faith L., Cora, Dimitri, Alanna, Jaime, Klaus, Gus, Andrew, Stiles, Lydia, Gold, Jackson, Adam, Miles, Penelope, David, Derek, Andie, Kali, Cara, Nels, Taradiddle, Abigail, Astrid, Bambi, Frankie, Rose, Helen, Alaric, Alice, Lissa, Alex, Emma F., Cordelia, Zoe, Sebastian, Malina, Alcide, Phineas, Fiona, Arthur, Faye, Mars, Kate, Lila, Jameson, Felicity, Thoster, Adi, Brantley, Hook, Emma, Eleven, Alisha, Will, Dean, Grimrot [Closed]
WHAT || Andres War Briefing
WHERE || Knights HQ, Round Table Room
WHEN || September 19th [forward dated]
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread, please call dibs in the dibs plurk!

On the eve of battle, an impressive array of Knights gathers in the Round Table room of the castle. The usually cavernous room seems tightly packed with this many bodies, and places at the Table are reserved for Wynn, the Section Heads, all those who have had any hand in the Talisman mission, including New York, and Christos, but who's going to argue with him, really. The air buzzes with a mixture of impending dread and on some fronts, excitement. It's hard to deny that there are those in the room who have wanted to make a move on Andres for years.

Wynn waits for the appointed hour, before nodding for the doors to be sealed and calling the meeting to order.

"Before we begin, I'd like to thank each and every one of you, many who have traveled an extensive distance at a moment's notice to join us here today. I understand that many of you have little idea what you have agreed to, but I hope that before the end of this meeting, you will come to understand what we are doing, and why it must be done.

Andres' Isle has been held under the sway of the man who calls himself their "Prime Minister" for nearly a decade. In these ten years, he has turned what was once an idyllic country steeped in tradition into a tightly controlled fascist nation disguised as representative of its people.

Andres is far from the only country to fall to such a fate over the course of history, and it has never been the prerogative of this Knighthood to enforce our own personal vision of some sort of world order onto any nation. We are protectors of justice, and our enemy has always been both that which comes from the darkest depths of Shadow, and intolerance and prejudice that stems from this world.

But Dimitris Sarandis has proven to be an exception, an embodiment of all the ideals we stand against, who has aspired to systematize the kind of violence and hatred that threatens the welfare of countless innocents under his rule. He has used his position to exploit Shadowkind on the island to the point of conducting torturous experiments on them, designed to help him accomplish his goal of forcibly enslaving non-humans, so that they may serve what he sees as the superior race of homo sapiens.

As if this were not enough, Dimitris knows of our existence, and wishes to tear down our organization, understanding that we pose a threat to all he seeks to accomplish. To this end, he has conspired against us, kidnapped members of our organization and subjected them to brutal and vile torture, and attempted to blackmail us through detaining Sir Thomas Bancroft and now Sir Samcelot, into complying with his whims - to leave his regime alone entirely, to turn over our most ancient, powerful artifact, and for me to submit to death at his hand.

Killing Dimitris alone will not stop the system he has created, and will not help free the people of Andres. Most citizens of the country remain innocent, terrified into compliance, or completely ignorant of what Sarandis does behind closed doors. These people deserve our help, and the only way to do so is to show them the evil that lurks at the heart of their government, gain their support in uprooting that evil, and assist them in stabilizing their country thereafter.

To do this, we will need to go beyond the usual parameters of our missions, with a militant, strategic push into the island designed to seize the castle, and take down Sarandis' rule." He pauses there, letting that sink in. "What I will not stand for is a callous attitude towards the innocents who we seek to protect on the Island, during this insurgency. Their safety will be paramount to our operation, and as such, speed is important to what we will be accomplishing. Dimitris expects retaliation, but he also underestimates our tactics. As such, rather than attacking the castle with an army, you will be deployed about the Island in a number of small teams, each with an objective that will help us cut off Dimitris from contact with his supporters, secure Sir Bancroft and Sir Samcelot's safety, free those who are imprisoned, and confront Sarandis, taking the castle in the process.

Details of these individual operations not withstanding, I imagine there are some questions. I open the floor to you to speak."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Yeah good time for a sense motive or else Dimitri would probably be ending this night in a bodybag.

She chuckles, though it sounds forced.] More than half, usually... we have a, training room. I pretty much live there when I'm staying here.

[As Rose moves inside the room, she pulls her hair back into a messy bun, exposing the cluster of tattoos along the back of her neck.

The room itself doesn't look particularly lived in, no personal touches aside from a certain napkin that has been placed in a frame that's too big for it. Without that, it could have been just another a room at a fancy English B&B. Nicely furnished but without the sense of homeliness that usually came when somebody made a space their own.

Rose rifles through a drawer, pulling out the kit in question and dumping it on the bed, something about being in constant motion helping her to keep it together.]

Sit - [Yep that sure sounded like she wasn't giving him a choice.]

[ he glances around the room with passing curiosity, but doesn't seem all that surprised to find it not particularly settled. he hasn't had a room of his own since he was four, and considering he knows rose was raised to hunt from age five, it seems natural to him.

he perches on the bed with amused obedience, glancing from the kit up to her, still dismissive about his wound, even as he lets her play doctor. ] It ain't a big deal.

[Pausing in the middle of pouring antiseptic onto a cotton ball, Rose's eyes flicker to Dean's, lips pressing into a thin line.]

Way I see it, one of two things is going to happen right now. Either you, let me do this, or I'm going to walk out of this room and start hitting things until I feel better and usually with me, things tend to be... people.

[Putting the lid back on the bottle, she tosses it aside, moving in to tilt Dean's chin up.]

I'd rather save that for Kyp. [Gently dabbing the cut on his lip.]

[ with a 33 fort save, he doesn't flinch for even half a second at the sting of the antiseptic, which is kind of sad, and a testament to how often he probably does this to himself, too. he holds his chin aloft, staring down the bridge of his nose at her as she works. ] If he and Elena are gonna tip their hand, this is the time for it.

[Probably for the best cause she might have told him not to be such a sook otherwise and by might have I mean definitely.

His words give her pause, the cotton ball hovering near his lip as lines crease her brow.]

I have no idea what to expect. [Giving an infinitesimal shake of her head as she dabs again.] Three months is a long time to be with somebody.

[ his eyes trace up her hand, studying the tiny shift in her expression. ] Yeah.

Guess it is. [ it doesn't really sound like he's talking about ... elena and kyp anymore, tbh. ]

[Rose's eyes catch Dean's, breathing changing as her hand lingers on his lip and it's clear from the way her expression changes that she knows exactly what he's talking about. (WS 8. SM 20 total.)

Her mouth opens, as if she's going to speak but closes it again, forcing her focus back on the cut on his lip before trying again.]

Hey, at least I don't snore...

[ that gets a warm chuckle, though he's the worst patient ever at holding still because talking while someone's trying to nurse your lip doesn't work great, dean. ] If you did, I would've packed it up months ago.

[ the humor in his eyes fades into something a little more thoughtful, a bit guarded even, as he considers her. ] That stuff you said back there. Guess I never would have expected to hear that outta you three months ago.

[In an unexpected show of patience, she stops cleaning the cut as he speaks, head tilting to one side as her hand hovers, snorting her amusement.]

Gee - thanks. [The sarcasm more playful then cutting as she dabs again.

Meeting his gaze once more, Rose's expression seems to mirror Dean's, one shoulder lifting in a light shrug.] I didn't really know you three months ago.

[Running her teeth over her lower lip, the cut seems to become the most fascinating thing in the world to her.] You could have left at any time. Wynn wouldn't have expected you to keep looking this long but... you stayed. Everyone else left or was called back but you - stayed.

[ he considers that for a moment, too, before saying quietly: ] Maybe I get what it means to you, to see this through.

To see an end to it.

[Her expression shifts, running through multiple emotions til finally settling on something best described as deep gratitude.]

Did you, ever get that?

'Fraid not. [ his eyes drop askance finally, brow furrowing ] Maybe that's why I'm so set on helping you find yours. I know just how much it sucks living with the alternative.

[Her lips twist into a small frown, lines creasing her brow as silence hangs for a moment before Rose tilts his chin up, not to get to his lip but so he would look at her again.]

You know if you decide against the alternative? You won't have to do it alone.

[ his lip quirks up halfway in a pained shadow of a smile, but there's a softness in his gaze that's legitimate enough. his eyes drift, however, across her face, tracing a wandering path down to her own mouth, letting her words hang there without a reply as he seems to get caught up in studying her face, lingering there at her lips. he finally meets her eyes again as he says with that hint of wry gratitude: ] Gettin' the message.

[It's a moment when Rose doesn't breathe let alone speak, watching him drink her in as her hand rests against his stubbled chin.

His words prompt her to breathe again and the smile she wears, though small, comes easily for a change.]

Good. [Voice low, her thumb brushes his jaw before Rose forces her hand and gaze to fall away, refocusing her attention on the first aid kit though it's clear she's very much distracted from her initial task.]

[ she'd be able to feel him watching her, and there's almost a sense that in that moment he can see right through her, that whatever supernatural ability lets him perceive invisible monsters runs deeper than that, and that he can tell what she's thinking and feeling. a single glance to meet his gaze would be enough to add to that feeling of being exposed, because with his nat 20 sense motive check, dean really can read her like a book right now.

he doesn't look put off by any of it, either. he seems to be looking her over with renewed appreciation as a woman, as if dimitri's accusations combined with their intimate discussions today have changed something, shoved some tension out into the light that's been easy enough to bury under verbal repartee and a focus on the job.

but he seems to catch himself too, and with an infinitesimal unconscious glance toward the door, recognize what just happened, and how it might cause any mutual acknowledgment on their part of what's going on to suddenly put them in the wrong in this situation. (wis 20) so he searches for a change of topic to shift the mood, and-- mostly comes up short. ] So, uh.

They really put that Archer guy on the big stealth mission? Whose brilliant idea was that one?

[Try as she might, Rose can’t help but look back (Will Save 8), breath hitching in her throat as the hardened mask she’s worn for months falls away under his gaze and he’d see the startling revelation for her, that she cares for him more than she should, in ways she knows she’s not supposed to and every promise she’s made him today has been about more than obligation, than right or wrong.

Stripped bare there’s a look of vulnerability to her that few people have ever seen; hope and even surprise going to war with confusion and guilt as Rose tries to read the look on Dean’s face but gleams very little from the moment. (Sense Motive 10). It’s all she can do to catch up with this sudden onslaught of emotions and for Rose it’s as unsettling as it is a relief to have a sense that maybe there is one person that does actually know her.

She catches that look to the door but lacks the wisdom in the moment to realize what he’s trying to do right now (Worst timed crit fail). Taking that shift as a sign of rejection, Rose forces herself to look away in the hopes that he won’t see the hurt that twists her features as she tries to clear the lump in her throat and harshly tosses the bottle of antiseptic back into the first aid kit,]

I’ve given up trying to figure out how they do things around here. [Turning her back on him so she could put the kit away and buy herself some time to put back her walls.]

[ he misses the pained expression on her face with a crit fail of his own ahahah, moron twins. but that doesn't mean he doesn't catch the sudden harsh change in her demeanor, in her voice, in the way she turns away from him. (wis 20. again.) he turns to watch her, bewilderment crossing his features as he tries to figure out what the fuck just happened. #whiplash ]

Hey. [ there's a cautiousness to the entreaty, but it's impossible to miss the concern knitting his brow. ] Look at me.

[She leans against the dresser, back still to him as she tries to ignore his plea but her will saves have been awful throughout this whole conversation so why stop now? (8)

With a shuddering exhale, Rose turns back to look at him, this time catching the concern on his face as confusion layers the hurt that's still there. (SM 21).]

[ ♬ touch - daughter

he just rolled a nat 20 again i can't make this shit up. his eyes widen a bit when he realizes that he's hurt her feelings, by trying to brush this aside right now, and he finds himself getting to his feet before he can really consider whether this is a good idea or not (as he crit fails a will save and rolls a 2 on a wisdom check...). he crosses right towards her in a couple strides, so that she feels all but caught between him and the dresser, and he raises one hand to cup her cheek, in what's meant to be a gesture that's part reassurance, and part to keep her from looking away from him, from cutting him out, before he can get through to her, talk her down.

but instead of finding any reassuring words to say, or apologies to make, he finds himself stopping too close to her, feeling like he just broke past the point of no return without really thinking about it, just by being the one to extend an undisguised tender touch first. looking between her eyes as his fingers curl against her jaw, he looks a little surprised to be finding himself standing here, but before he can dissect it all that much or talk himself out of it, he captures her mouth in a kiss, cutting off any effectively stupid comments from either of them. (crit... fail). ]

[Lets just start by saying she sure did crit fail her Will save...

It's that first touch that sees her hastily built walls crumble around her, pressing her cheek to his hand as she revels in the tenderness she hasn't known she's been craving until Dean is the first to show it to her and her eyes close, not to shut him out but to lose herself in it, the warmth of his body against hers, his scent surrounding her and the knowledge that whatever it is she's feeling, she's not alone in it because right here, right now, he's right there with her. (Sense Motive 22).

When his lips find hers, she doesn't hesitate at first, one arm slipping around his body to hold him to her as her own lips part, any and all words silenced as Rose lets go of the hurt, her fingers curling around the material of his shirt as she presses hard against him, seeking that closeness.

There's a part of her that wants to exist only in this moment, to ignore everything that's led up to it and all the reasons why they were wrong to do this but reality slams into her, forcing Rose to break the kiss even if she can't bring herself to unravel from him (Wis 16).

Her breath is hot against his face as the loss of connection allows her to breathe once and Rose presses her forehead to his, eyes still closed as if worried that opening them might shatter the moment.]

Stay - [That word more breath than voice.] Can you just... stay, until we have to go?

[ in the fiftieth crit fail in a row here, dean doesn't seem able to draw away at all, so he also keeps his forehead pressed to hers, eyes closed, as his fingers slide back through the hair she has drawn back into a bun, seeming to want to tug it loose, but refraining. he answers in an unfairly attractive husky voice of his own: ] I ain't going anywhere.

[Extremely unfair, as Rose fails another will save (9), the sound of Dean's voice eliciting a physical response as she leans into him, her grip on his shirt tightening as his fingers running back through her hair sends a shiver down her spine.

She turns her head just enough so that her mouth is hovering painfully close to his, their close proximity clouding her head as Rose can't help but wonder if it would really be so bad to be doing this right now, especially after everything they'd been through, separately and together. (Wis 10).]

We shouldn't... [The hushed whisper sounding more like something she thought she should say, rather than what she actually believes.]

Yeah. [ his voice is more gravelly than ever this low and close, and his hand slides back around her waist as he pushes imperceptibly closer with his hips, body language running contrary to his words. ] Probably shouldn't. [ somehow, he makes that sound like a factor making it all the more appealing to him, and he doesn't budge, other than to turn his head so that his lips brush hers again, not a real kiss, but almost an encouragement. ]

[What to do when one rolls a Wisdom Check of 19... but Crit Fails their Will Save.

She might know it's wrong, knows that she should stop this right now for a hundred different reasons and yet even now as guilt makes her chest ache, she can't bring herself to pull away, to lose the first thing that's made her feel really alive in months and so it's almost too easy for her to meet his lips, to flatten her hand against the muscled contours of his back as her hips rock forward and despite a sound akin to a strangled sob getting trapped in the back of her throat, everything about the way she's responding to him screams that this is what she wants.]

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