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

[silvermaid]

♬ 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.

Comments

[desperatewarning]

[Yep. This battlefield has a unicorn. Nick is staying protectively close to Faith, and given that it's impossible to read expressions on a fucking horse, it's hard to say how he's feeling about all this. He definitely doesn't like it, though. THIS IS NOT FUCKING NARNIA, OKAY. UNICORNS DON'T BELONG ON BATTLEFIELDS.

He snorts and shakes his head pawing at the ground with a hoof.] I don't know what I expected...

[graveflowers]

[ at luthir's question she looks up, glancing around to get her bearings so she can answer him. ] This was my home. We might... want to... not be here, actually. It's not... safe. [ because home for vi meant monsters hunting down her and her fellow legionnaires. it's not the middle east, not yet, she was too young -- it's her home being destroyed by monsters that don't know they're supposed to be just myths. an elephant trumpets somewhere and vi's head twists around to find him. ]

Hannibal. [ yes. the elephant is called hannibal. he crushes rocks. as she's looking around for her elephant, her eyes land on nick. ] We really shouldn't be here. This... this isn't good.

[ monsters, people. m o n s t e r s. and they have a freakin, pure white bastion of goodness. he sort of sticks out in the sea of demigod blood. ]

[moonheart]

[ faith takes a step forward, looking out over the field towards the elephant noise, staring at the thing for a second before she turns to survey the small group, shaking her head. ] Wait. Something's wrong.

Did someone else--

Was someone else touching us, when I pulled us in?

[graveflowers]

You know what is thoroughly not comforting at all in any way whatsoever? What you just said! What do you mean something is wrong?! [ yeah. THAT WOULD BE PANIC. ]

[desperatewarning]

[thank god horses don't have facial expressions, BECAUSE THE UNICORN IS FUCKING CONFUSED, but rather than voice that concern, he goes to stand near the panicking Violet before directing his attention to Faith.]

How do you mean?

[moonheart]

I told you I can only bring five people. And I pulled in everyone who was touching, but I felt... five auras. Not four. I don't understand why the other person wouldn't have shown up right here with us, if Myri or Finnick grabbed on at the last second.

[graveflowers]

[ having luthir and nick right next to her is only slightly calming, but she reins in the growing panic with some struggle. (will save 18) ]

It's my dream, right? [ yeah, vi, think that's obvious. but she's trying very hard not to have a full blown panic attack that she is allowed to be a little dumb when faced with the idea that someone latched on to faith like that fucking death eater who jumped to grimmauld place with the golden trio. :| ] Is it, is it... you know. You Know Who? He is sort of a staple to this place. Or, um. Keijen.

[desperatewarning]

[Close proximity means Nick can lean his horsey head over and blow on Vi's hair. It's a soothing gesture, because what he has to say next is... not soothing at all.]

No, that would be... obvious, I think.

[Another huff.] I don't want to alarm you further, Vi, but you might be carrying something within you.

[graveflowers]

No.

[moonheart]

That sounds pretty alarming. [ JUST SAYIN, UNICORN ] Can't you... use your magic and find out? Or whatever. [ she glances back at the monsters appearing on the horizon ] Uh. Maybe somewhere else, Vi's right.

[graveflowers]

[ her hands slide from her sides to settle across her stomach. ] This is some Bella Swan bullshit. He's a unicorn, not an EPT.

[desperatewarning]

Of course. [BUT YEAH. DEFINITELY NOT HERE. And because there might be precious cargo involved here, he kneels a bit, offering Vi a lift.

Violet.

You're going to get to ride.

A unicorn.

Your life is awesome.] Get on.

[luthir]

[ with NAT TWENTY CALM b/c someone has to keep it together for vi, luthir offers her a hand, nodding at her to get on the friggin' unicorn. ]

[graveflowers]

Oh my god, I'm in Narnia. [ everyone dies at the end of those books. and, ukw, vi ain't exactly susan pevensie. she's more of a jill pole. this is gonna end badly. but w/e she climbs on the fucking unicorn. ]

[desperatewarning]

[Well, apparently majestic unicorn grace goes to shit when you're carrying someone or Nick is a complete priss, because he's not that speedy or fucking majestic right now (dex 14), but whatever. He's carrying Vi to safety. That's happening.

He ain't fucking Falcor, okay.]

[moonheart]

Check this out. [ faith, meanwhile, starts GROWING IN SIZE until she's pretty huge and she scoops up your elf husband so that it's easier to keep up with the unicorn with her gigantic steps. congrats, you've been king kong'ed luthir. it was your flowing blonde hair.

vi, however, hears a familiar scream on the battlefield - a friend she knows is moments away from death. if she could only steer nick that way, maybe she'd make it on time-- ]

[graveflowers]

No, no, Nick, go back. Go back right now. We have to help her. [ part of her knows that it already happened, there's no point, she's dead and vi can't go back and save her. but vi isn't logical, she doesn't think with her head, she barely thinks at all, just reacts. and she's reacting by squeezing her thighs against the unicorn and tugging on his mane to get him to turn the fuck around. (and ftr her ride check was a 19. she's roman! this is her jam.)

she doesn't even notice faith king konging her husband. she is single minded to a fault. walt yelling "my son!" ] Turn around, please! I can help her. Please.

[desperatewarning]

[LOL NOPE. Not even bothered. (will save 26) To further emphasize the fact that he is a bloody unicorn and not a horse, he picks up a burst of speed (dex 19) and keeps moving forward.]

I'm sorry, Vi, but I can't lead you into a trap.

[moonheart]

[ she knows what she's going to see before she even watches it unfold - her friend stabbed through the chest with a blade, blood spurting out her mouth.

if only she'd been faster, tried harder, done more... ]

[graveflowers]

[ fine. you know what unicorns can't do though? stop people from jumping off them. :) fuck you poodles. because that's just what vi does, without a single thought to her own well being, leaping off the unicorn and falling to the ground in a heap as she struggles to get to her feet. (jump 17, tumble 14) it doesn't matter that it's already too late or that it's been too late for probably a decade. vi can't just... leave her there. not again. she has to do something. ]

[desperatewarning]

[Nick has to make a concentrated effort to slow his horsey butt down and he rears up in agitation once he finally skids to a stop, before running after her.]

Faith! [DO SOMETHING?!?]

[moonheart]

[ jesus. giant-faith turns as vi goes running past her towards her friend. a spot check of 15+ notices the encroaching darkness, but faith is too occupied trying to stop violet. she succeeds in putting a giant foot down in front of her with a nat 20 reflex save, casting a worried glance towards the bloody scene. ] It's not real, Vi. You can't let him control your emotions. You have to take charge!

[ but now it's too late, because the scene ahead is eaten up by a malevolent cloud of shadow that's overtaking everything around them, turning the whole world black. and they're left alone in that darkness for the span of a few seconds, before around them they start hearing screams in the distance.

vi knows what this part of the nightmare is too.

it's always the crowning jewel in it. faith shrinks back down, depositing luthir beside her as they squint through the darkness.

roger james' voice cuts through everything: "I SAID NOBODY MOVE!" ]

[graveflowers]

No. [ it's a weak, pleading moan at best and her head starts to shake. the rest of her starts trembling as well. ] I can't do this again.

[ it's always the same, memories flowing into one another like a messy collage of failures. some faster, some barely discernible, some she doesn't even remember. but then it ends here, where it started for her and it's in real time, strereo and color and she remembers every horrifying second of it. mark behind her, myri by the edge of the stage and finnick staring in horrified disbelief at her back.

her stomach heaves in horror and one hand presses against it like that will hold it all in. her eyes drift down again. she can't be. except for all the ways she definitely could be, it's not as if either she or luthir gave much of a fuck about protection, no matter the pointed glances and come to jesus talks finnick gave her. her fingers tighten and she swallows, fighting against tears and terror as she turns to faith.

this is the last one before malaak'a. she doesn't want any of them to get that far. she can't do this again and it will be the last time. one way or the other. her bright eyes are still sad and scared, but that constant defeat and sorrow has been replaced with a very, very shaky resolve. ]

What do I have to do?

[ because she can't stop jade from dying. she can't stop rafael from shooting. she can't stop roger james from existing. but she can stop this. she just can't look back.

that's worked out so well in the stories, after all. ]

[moonheart]

The 'lesson' of this nightmare seems to be what? That you're not strong enough to save your friends. That if you took what he could give you, you would be.

[ she shakes her head as the darkness starts to dissolve around them, slowly revealing that they're backstage. ] But I can give you limited control of your actions in the dream. He's not the one in charge right now. You are. So we have to show him just how strong you really are. Already. [ she reaches over and grabs vi by the shoulder ] So I want you to tell me what makes you strong. And let what's happening out there? [ she waves a hand vaguely at the stage ] Happen. Can you do that?

[ luthir casts a single worried look at nick, but then looks at vi and nods once solemnly. ]

[desperatewarning]

[There is a unicorn and an elf exchanging meaningful glances. You're in a D&D based rpg.

Nick steps forward a bit.] The past has already happened- it cannot be changed, Vi. The future- your future- is still being written. Don't focus on what you couldn't do. Focus on what you can do. Let him know you're not afraid anymore. Let him know he has no power here.