andres ♔ a tiger's waiting to be tamed

[nosdacariad]

♬ clocks - coldplay

WHO || Prince Marcus Andres, Jeanne Gar, Myrilandel de Tanos, Finnick Odair, Spike, Buffy Summers, Sterling Archer, Desmond Descant, Dimitris Sarandis, Lara Tamon, Michael Collins, Dana Green
WHAT || The lost Prince of Andres leads a team of Knights in a coup against Dimitris Sarandis, to reclaim his throne
WHERE || Andres Isle
WHEN || September 19th, 2014
HOW || Actionspam

[ It seems that Wynn was hoping for Sir Mark Sandazhard to reveal his true identity, and to lead the charge against Dimitris Sarandis' tyrannical hold over the island he was born to rule.   He was not disappointed, and Prince Marcus Andres stands poised to lead the group of Knights who he's worked beside for two years, to confront Sarandis, save their friend Kat, and search the castle dungeon for the captive Dragon's Claw, Sir Thomas Bancroft.    

Before they attempt to answer the castle, however, it's time to reunite the Prince with his childhood friends on the Isle, who had long held out hope that he was still alive, including his once-betrothed, Countess Lara Tamon.  Their first task will be to convince Lara to make a risky attempt to draw Kat out of the castle.  

The fate of their captured allies, and the future of Andres Isle, lie in their hands.  ]

Comments

buffy summers ♔ ota

[slay]

[ Hanging out, looking generally despondent and ill at ease. She's making no particular effort to talk with anyone because she'd rather be alone with her very conflicting thoughts and feelings right now. ]

[nothingsodivine]

[despondent and ill at ease: table for two.

This doesn't stop des from leaning over the seat to engage, because he's a friend like that.] Just think. We do this and the job's half over.

[#failboatoptimism.]

[slay]

Your job is.

[ She continues to gaze out the window without turning toward him, chin resting on her palm with her elbow on the arm rest. ]

The rest of us just move onto something new.

[ Not to mention that Des has been saying that for literal years now. It’s always this one more thing. ]

[nothingsodivine]

Maybe something with fewer spiders.

[He doesn't even think he has much of a practice anymore. Being out of the office for three years sort of scares your client base away. Damn. Life after this is gonna be rough.]

[slay]

You're awfully optimistic for such a pessimist.

[nothingsodivine]

I'm trying a new thing called "things eventually have to get better, right?" It's like Diet Optimism.

[He stands up and plops his ass down in the aisle seat next to her.] You nervous?

[slay]

I'm dead.

[ Silence strikes. A moment later, she finally sits back, looking at him instead of out the window. ]

Did I tell you that?

[nothingsodivine]

[des stares at her.] No, I can honestly say that topic never came up over pancakes. [he shifts in his seat a bit, turning inwards to face her better.] Dead in what way?

[slay]

Before I came through the Veil. Sunnydale—that's where I'm from. I guess Wynn's been recruiting. [ She raises a hand to brush across her mouth, taking a deep breath and straightening her back. ] Faith told me.

[nothingsodivine]

Who the hell is Faith and why is she suddenly an expert?

[Des has to take a moment to check his local privilege because the idea of Buffy being dead isn't registering to him, so the minute the words slip out, he leans back a little, considering what she's saying.] No, but really. Who the hell is she?

[Des doesn't trust people's word on word alone. Too many people have claimed to be experts and turned out to be dead wrong in his time. And way too many people around here are good at lying and getting under people's skin for him to trust a situation like this.]

[slay]

She’s me.

[ But better. In every way. For a moment, she grows distant, but then looks back at Des, shaking her head. ]

My replacement. I died, and another girl got my powers. She died, and Faith got hers. Doing exactly what I’ve been doing here. Fighting demons, trying to protect people. That’s how it goes. One Slayer dies, another crops up to replace her. Just like that.

[nothingsodivine]

Bullshit.

[The addendum can barely leave her mouth before Des is interjecting immediately, but he stays quiet afterwards and lets her finish, all while regarding her with a look that says he'd like to speak with this Faith character and maybe use harsh-sounding words and possibly his gun.

He was going to the Rafael Giovanni School of IF IT UPSETS YOU, MURDER IT before it was cool.]

But you're not dead. [Des waves his hand.] And this isn't Sunnydale. It has different rules. Jade's mom didn't pick this girl out of a crowd and go "I like this one." She's just some dame. And wherever you're from sounds like shit if people like you are a dime a dozen, Blondie, but let's be honest, she can have all the same skills you do, but she's not you, regardless of what you think. What's she done lately that's so damn spectacular?

[slay]

What have I done?

[ Buffy’s voice level briefly raises, but she glances around the plane, then drops it and looks back at him. ]

I couldn’t save Kat. I couldn’t save Thomas—I actually almost got all of us killed trying. Sehanine said she brought me here because someone had to fight the demons back. Faith just came through the Veil. What makes you think she didn’t figure out that she ordered the wrong Slayer?

[nothingsodivine]

You almost made a bad call- we all do it. It's human. Saving Kat would have caused a political scandal and got us all very dead. Sometimes being heroic is knowing when to step back and come at it from a different angle, otherwise you're being me. You've seen the calls I make when given free reign to do what I think is best.

Sehanine didn't want a blunt instrument- she wanted someone with compassion. Look at her daughter and tell me that woman wants anything less in her champions. The timing's bad, but I think she would have given you the decency of an eviction notice if she was looking to replace you. And if you're still not convinced... You can always do what Fluffy said. Talk to her.

[A beat and he grimaces.] Or talk to them.

[slay]

What makes you think she’d even answer?

[ They probably would, but this isn’t their fight. This is the detour. The last thing she wants to do is summon half the divine powers she knows down when she’s feeling insecure, and not have them available for a quick favor when they’re really in danger. Disgruntled by the logic he provides, she turns to face out the window again. ]

I failed. Don’t you get it? If I died. If Faith became the new Slayer, it means I failed. What happens when I fail all of you and it’s not just my life on the line?

[nosdacariad]

[ speaking of awkward conversations

mark is gonna makes his way over here at some point too. maybe after his talk with finnick. we just don't know. i guess you can decide if this is before or after her talk with des for whether he's there or not. /hands in the air ]

... Hey.

[slay]

Hey.

[ Des went to the bathroom. It's gonna be a long trip.

Buffy looks up at Mark and offers a tired, fluttering smile. ]

How ya feelin?

[nosdacariad]

Honestly? It doesn't feel real.

I haven't set foot on home soil in almost a decade. It's strange to think of just... walking back in.

[slay]

I know it's probably the last thing you want to hear, but ... I'm sorry. About your family.

[ After all, that was the last serious talk they'd had. She looks sympathetic, gaze softening. ]

I didn't realize how bad it was. If I'd known ... Those things I said— [ Well, let's be honest, they would have only been 5% less harsh. ]

[nosdacariad]

No, you were right. [ he slumps down in the seat beside her, staring at the back of the one in front of him ] Being afraid has been my problem this whole time. Afraid of Dimitris, afraid of failing my people, afraid that I'm not... enough to be this hero Andres is supposed to need. And so I pushed it off, and pushed it off, thinking that I could always be more ready, more prepared, that there would be a better time for it, and because of that...

Well, because of that, people died. Our friends were captured, tortured, worse. Because I was afraid, and because even knowing that I wasn't going to be doing this alone, I keep thinking of it that way, and that's why I was always so afraid of failing.

There were a lot of nights where I laid awake and couldn't imagine any of you finding a reason to come fight for me, after what I'd done. And if I'd let my friends down that much, how was I going to avoid letting my people down if they wanted me for their King anyway?

[ he shakes his head ] So I just wanted you to know that... even with what you said, the fact that you were willing to forgive me helped me... put things in perspective. Helped me decide that I could do this, and that I wouldn't be doing it without people I trust at my back, people who have faith in me whether I deserve it or not.

[slay]

Your fear didn’t kill those people. Sarandis did.

[ Let’s just paint a target on the right person’s back in all of this, ok? She and Myri had a long talk about avoiding team in-fighting and self-flagellating and that kind of thing. They need to be on a united front, and Mark has obviously learned from his errors: right now, the best thing Buffy can do for him is make sure he knows that his mistakes don’t have to be carried with him. He doesn’t need to shoulder that guilt; he just has to tear down the person who’s really responsible. ]

And now you’re stepping up to do the right thing: that’s what matters. How could any of us not have faith in you, seeing what you’re doing now? What you’re willing to charge back into for your friends, for your people?

[nosdacariad]

[ his hardened expression melts into one of gratitude for her words, and it's clear that they mean a great deal to him. but his brows draw together, as if the idea of letting go of his burden of guilt is an alien one that he's never really considered before. ] I ... I just hope my people see it the way you do.

[slay]

I think they'd be crazy not to.

[ Leaning over, she pulls him into a half-assed hug, one arm reaching across his front to rest on the other shoulder so she can lean into him, chin on the shoulder nearest her. Sitting beside someone you're hugging is hard. ]

You're gonna be great.

[nosdacariad]

Guess I'll have to be, huh? [ he returns the awkward hug, and then gives her a smile as he gets to his feet ] Thanks again.

[slay]

S'what I'm here for.

[ She gives him a decisive nod, settling back into her seat. ]