knightsoflegend | manhattan ♔ there is no knot so steadfast | it won't go broke in the middle of monsoons

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manhattan ♔ there is no knot so steadfast | it won't go broke in the middle of monsoons

♬ two years before the mast - astronautalis

WHO || Violet Reedhym, Luthir Reedhym, Myrilandel de Tanos, Finnick Odair, Anastacia O'Keefe, Faith O'Keefe, Nicholas Starkweather
WHAT || The Knights attempt to free Vi from the influence of the Nightmare God Malaak'a
WHERE || Manhattan, New York
WHEN || June 7th, 2014
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread.

Some choices are almost impossible to make. For a year, the Knights have watched Violet fading, the way she always does with the winter thanks to her connection to her mother Persephone. Except in this case, there was no getting better with the arrival of spring. If anything, she's only spiraled further into depression, and it's clear that if this continues, it will spell the end of her sooner than later.

Keijen Blade appeared to several of the Knights in their dreams, to caution them of Vi's impending fate, and to tell them that their plan to save her will end in blood. Of course, he had his own alternative to offer: that she take a deal from Malaak'a that would allow the god to see through her eyes into this world. Realizing that the plan offered by Sehanine to use Faith O'Keefe's dreamwalking ability to sever the connection might simply result in someone giving their life to save hers, Vi agreed to take the offer in one month. However, on the evening of their wedding, Luthir talked her into going through with the goddess' plan, promising not to go into her dream with them.

Their car pulls up in front of Des' horrible rundown apartment building, where they're meant to track down Nicholas Starkweather - a friend of Des', who is apparently also a unicorn. Look, he knows people.

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[That's a horse. That's a... well, it's not a horse. But it is. And it's also that very tall man. And a horse. Uhmmmmmmm.]

[ remember to breathe, anastacia. look at those hearts in her eyes. ] Majestic as I remember.

[Yeah, yeah. Damn right he's majestic. Except he's a noble and genuinely humble creature, so it's just sort of a casual acknowledgement of her words.] I'll make certain Violet and your daughter return safely.

[He glances over at Violet on the couch, expectantly. The Unicorn gave his word that he will protect you!!!

The Unicorn who still sounds like Stephen Merchant. SHHHH.]

I can tell you some things before we go in. We're going to be diving right into your nightmare-scape, so it's not going to be a very pleasant place. But we'll have some control over things, and there are certain powers I can extend to you, with Nick's help.

But long story short, we need to find the source of the darkness in your nightmare, and take it down.

[ she stands up slowly. she is more and more not liking this plan. ] It's no biggie, I'm used to the nightmares, I know them by heart. Lots of death, dramatic deaths, deathy deaths. It'll be swell. [ lol no. but she moves over to stand next to the fucking talking unicorn like this is my life, how. ] It's Vi, you really have to stop calling me Violet.

You're used to experiencing them in a dream-like state. This will be different. It will feel as if you're awake.

And you'll be doing more than experiencing them passively. You'll be taking the reins, reacting to things, controlling them. You need to be strong, Vi, if you want to win this fight, because it will be a fight. Can you do that?

[ thanks for calling her vi, ana. she glances at luthir, frowning slightly. no, she really doubts she can. ] Do you want an honest answer or some patented bullshit?

Vi. [The Unicorn sticks his face in her face and snorts gently. BELIEVE GIRL. But since she's not actively protesting, he turns to Faith and lowers his head so that his horn touches just above her heart.

~UNICORN MAGIC~]

[ faith's entire body takes on a strange, heavenly glow, and she looks down at herself and the horn pressed to her chest in amazement. ] I'm a nightlight! [ uh right back to business. she looks to vi ] If you don't think we can do this with just the three of us, we're going to need to bring someone who can help pull you through. He's going to try to get inside-- well, I mean, we already will be inside your head, but you know what I mean. You'll have to remember that none of it's real.

[ a beat ] Except for whoever we bring with. Everything that happens to us will be very real.

[ she shakes her head. ] No. They're saying here. [ she wants to correct faith, because it is real, she remembers some of it, with clarity. but she knows that faith means, she's just choosing to ignore it because no one is coming with her. ]

I'll be fine.

Vi, please... This is why we're here. We came to help you.

Nothing will happen to them.

[No one informed Nick of Blade's warning, okay. He's just perplexed as hell. Which is an odd look on a unicorn.

But really. He can gore people with his horn. Bitches won't be touching her friends.]

Nothing I can stop, anyway.

[ luthir watches all this with a carefully impassive expression, but he can't stop himself from asking faith and nick: ] If something happens to her in the dream then, what happens to her in real life?

[ YES WHAT HAPPENS????? vi is really invested in this answer. even as she takes an unconscious step away from nick and faith. she is already not a fan of this plan, if she's pushed any further to bring other people along she's just going to jump out the window and run the fuck away. ]

Well, I mean, if it happens in the dream, it happens to us, because we're actually going into the dream. Our consciousness, I mean. So it'll be... real.

If we die there, game over out here.

[WELL. This is going well. The unicorn shakes his head again.] But no one is going to die. I swear by it.

[(Diplomacy 22) Trust in his unicorn wisdom, Vi.]

[ vi don't trust shit right now, sorry hooves. (will save nat 20) but at least she blurts out why. faith deserves to know. ]

Blade said if we did this... it would end in blood.

Uh, duh. But it's gonna be the bad guy's. Did he forget to tell you that part?

I think he knows me well enough to know that bad guy blood on my hands isn't going to bother me. [ :| ]

It's such a vague statement. [The Unicorn snorts. Tieflings.] And I'm something of an expert on those.

[If it's possible for a unicorn to look sheepish, the look he gives Anastacia is precisely that. He turns back to Vi.] If he knows you as well as he says, he would have said anything to get you to do what he wanted.

It seems it would better serve their ends to try to drive you away from the path that might help you, if they're counting on you needing to make a deal with them in order to survive this. What wouldn't they say to make you afraid to give it a try?

Fear can be a very powerful, effective tool.

[ internally screaming. ] Because I already said yes!

[ oh.

fuck.

she didn't want to say that. ]

[TIME FOR FINNICK TO PIPE THE FUCK UP.] You agreed to say yes when he comes back in a month. It's not the same. Just let them do this, Vi. It'll all work out.

[ crying that vi finally bombs her will save and it's all finnick's fault. her shoulders slump and she sighs heavily. ] Fine.

[ she looks over at luthir, chin wobbling. ] Break your promise. Come with me. I can't... I can't do it on my own.

Edited 2014-06-11 07:05 (UTC)

[ luthir stares at her for a moment, and then moves closer, one hand on her shoulder as he pulls her to him and lights a kiss on her forehead, before murmuring against her hair. ] There is nothing we cannot do together.

[ he turns to faith ] I will go.

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desperatewarning - 2014-06-11 15:41 (UTC) - Expand

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moonheart - 2014-06-11 17:28 (UTC) - Expand

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