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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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.

[ 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.

[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.

No.

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.

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

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.

[ 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. ]

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. ]

[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.]

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-- ]

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.

[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.

[ 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... ]

[ 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. ]

Edited 2014-06-13 06:16 (UTC)

[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?!?]

[ 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!" ]

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. ]

Edited 2014-06-13 15:29 (UTC)

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. ]

[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.

[ wear it like a crown -- rebekka karijord ]

I can't do anything. [ is she really supposed to just do nothing and watch jade die, again, and feel awful about it, which is a daily occurance? because that's the whole point of the nightmares, she's not sure how being aware of it is going to help her. especially because she doesn't feel strong. she feels helpless.

even more so because of this mysterious fifth aura.

what if it is a baby and not just some... remnant of malaak'a creeping in her brain for a year?

she can't even take care of fully capable grown adults. she can't even take care of herself. how in the hell is she supposed to protect an infant from the never ending clusterfuck of their lives? ]

I can never do anything, that's the whole point. Its always too late, I know that, I can't stop it. I'm going to keep being too late in the future, I know. How is that supposed to help! It's still going to hurt, I'm still going to blame myself, that's what grief is. I'm always going to be afraid. [ her hand moves out in the direction of finnick and myri, sweeping past jade. she can't gather all of them into the same motion, elena and kat and isabella off in the balcony, but it's meant to be understood as all of them. aside from that, though, she doesn't move, but neither do her eyes stray far from the center of the stage. ] This is my family!

I don't... understand how letting it happen is going to prove anything. This doesn't make sense.

Edited 2014-06-14 02:37 (UTC)

You're proving that you're not going to repeat the past. [ faith shakes her head and moves closer to her, standing right in front of her, and gesturing in the same direction she did ] You got one part of that right - the most important part. This is your family. Do you really think that your family is the thing that makes you weak? Look your husband there in the eyes, and tell him that.

Because I don't believe it for a second. I think that the only thing that's kept you from self-destructing under the pressure of the past, the pressure this god keeps piling on, when you might otherwise be able to move past it like people do - because that's what grief is, working things out so you can move beyond them, not holding onto them forever - the only thing that's kept you going is your family.

I think you'd do anything for them. And that's strength, Vi. That's not fear talking.

She's right. [Nick takes another step forward.] And they're out there beyond the dream, waiting for you to come home. They all believe you can do this. And if you can't believe in yourself, then believe in them. Let that be your strength.

[ she looks at luthir automatically. even if she can't tell him that he makes her weak -- which is the point. he doesn't. she's been saying for months that he and finnick and myri and the rest of her messy little family are the only reason she didn't ask rafael for directions to his suicide bridge.

her hand reaches out to take his, fingers tangling together.

she can believe in them. she does. but believing they make her stronger, too... it's not as simple. she's fucking exhausted from trying so hard all the time just to be able to manage a smile, however fleeting it may have been. she can't make it through a day without breaking down, even with them surrounding her. she can understand the concept, the execution could use a little work.

but she's alive.

so... there's that. ]

So, basically, and I'm just paraphrasing here... Watching Harry Potter and drinking wine with Finnick makes me strong? And braiding Myri's hair and figuring out how Elena takes her coffee makes me strong? [ she glances down, rubbing her forehead with her free hand. ] I told Finnick Harry Potter was fucking important.

[ and if you don't speak violet: she gets it and she does believe in them. maybe the fact that her stupid best friend and her beautiful, delicate sister and her perfect fucking elf husband believe in her is enough. she can be neville. bring on the snake. ]

[ luthir knots his fingers through hers and wraps his other hand around the back of her head to pull her forehead to his. ] Finnick should know not to question you when it comes to such things. [ it's said with a barely contained smile, because around them, even as she speaks, the scene is fading, less coherent, as if someone's set off the fog machine again. even the yelling begins to sound blurred, and the more vi concentrates on luthir and her memories of her friends and family, the more she does feel a very visceral sense of strength flooding through her.

thanks to unicorn magic, faith can share her dream ability to switch out her physical stats for any of her mental ones. so vi can use her wisdom score in lieu of her str, dex, and con :3 ]

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