Whatever it Takes

[redlightgreenlight]

Who: Valdis and Open with Some Closed
What: Valdis does stuff around the Serena Eterna, feel free to join her
When: November
Where: All over
Warnings: In each starter



I’m a Product of the System | Open | CW: None

She’s mostly been forgiven for Tiamat’s actions, but it’s still all out there for people to look at on the photo wall. Valdis remembers some of these, but thankfully Ash’s death isn’t on there. There are other photos since the last time she was here, with other passengers, which is of course why she is here, to see what everyone else has been up to. She’s not the only murderer on the ship, they all play their parts when needed.

“When was the last time you killed someone,” she asks absently to the next approaching person.

A Catastrophe | Open | CW: None

Part of her no longer cares about dying, and with the daggers out of the way and the important people having their names to protect them, Tiamat has no more power. Or at least not enough to scare her. She has the twin blades out and practices with them, slashing with a speed that would terrify most. Valdis isn’t afraid to show off her power and skill, they are necessary to survival. With a single, swift slash one of the dummies falls into two pieces and she turns on the other, prepared to ruin that one as well.

And Yet a Masterpiece | Max and Ash | CW: Probably gonna be NSFW

Being in love with three people isn’t fair, but it is wonderful that she has found them all at the same time. Valdis had gone from no one, to so many she doesn’t want to ever leave the Eterna and lose them, but that might not be something that is up to any of them, and all good things eventually end. Still Ash’s emotions upon hearing that she knows when he and Max are together shows her a very missed opportunity. So she will text both.

Max, I still haven’t properly made it up to you after Tiamat and I think we need to talk to Ash about how all this is going to work. Dinner at 8?

Ash, we’ve been dating for a bit now, and I know you are also dating Max, and I am also dating Max. We should discuss this, don’t you think? Dinner at 8?

But I’m Half-diseased | Open | CW: Blood

Valdis sits in Sand Dollar, sketching scene after scene, person after person. Some are passengers and others people from her past. One might be familiar to those who went on the excursion, Fenrir. Occasionally she’ll close her eyes and hold her breath until something passes, other moments she is paler than usual, and some of the drawings have red splatters on them. She has several empty cups of coffee on the table and several red stained napkins. Anyone looking at her would know she is clearly unwell, but she’ll greet anyone who approaches with a smile and a polite greeting.

Wildcard | PM or just go for it

Comments

CW: discussion of death, murder and decapitation

[midnightroads]

"Last Halloween, when I puppeted Ossie's body to cut off Chase's head. You knew about that, right?"

Oh, hi there. This is absolutely how Valdis wanted to learn Bash is back, right?

[redlightgreenlight]

Valdis tips her head, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

"I didn't know that particular detail."

She's not sure she should welcome him back, he might not be happy to be here.

"But I did miss that party, arrived almost literally the next day."

[midnightroads]

"Fucking timing. You woulda probably been good to have, as it all went down."

He prowls closer to her. With some people, this would be where a hug would be offered, but not Valdis.

[redlightgreenlight]

Valdis sighs, glad he doesn't get too personal. She doesn't dislike Bash anymore, but she has no desire to be touched.

"Yeah, my ability to kill people on a massive scale is super helpful at murder parties."

She's actually surprised that Tiamat's body count wasn't higher.

"You missed the fun possession time this October, really could have used you."

Dinner at 8!

[professionalriot]

The day I say no to you? Send me to a doctor, cause something would have to be wrong with me. See you at 8.

He might have something he wants to talk to her about as well. Ash decided on a suit. He likes the way she looks at him when he's wearing one. Even remembers a tie. Arriving a couple of minutes early he gets a glass of whiskey to sip on. Something well aged and smoky.

Dinner at 8!

[maximumcake]

There's nothing to make up for, but I agree we should all get on the same page. Dinner at 8 sounds good. I'll bring dessert.

Max arrives at eight o'clock on the dot. He's in a suit, too. (When isn't he?) This one is one of his favorites, dark navy paired with a gold tie. He has a black forest cake on a platter with him. Because he said he's bring dessert.

"Hey Ash, what are you drinking?" He might want one too.

[redlightgreenlight]

Valdis shows up a few moments after Max, which is unusual because she is usually always on time, but she's wearing a black, sequined, form fitting dress and black heels. They both look sharp and handsome in their suits, having either one on her arm is wonderful, but she somehow has ended up with both.

"Hello, boys." She's carrying a bottle of red wine for herself and them if they desire. "Fancy meeting you both here."

She is eyeing that cake though.

I’m a Product of the System

[yourexoduslaughing]

"Oh, it's gotta be over six months ago by now? I offered to do it when the ship was sinking but nobody took me up on it!" Flan says cheerily to the lady that she knows as Max's girlfriend and the lady that got killed by Harvey. (which, again, why? how did that get anyone closer to escaping?)

[redlightgreenlight]

Valdis glances over at Flan, the woman she only knows as something mysterious and powerful and entirely too joyful.

"I can't imagine why people wouldn't take you up on it, death taxes are so much fun."

[yourexoduslaughing]

"No death-tax on an expedition!" Flan beams. "Though like, honestly, even that's not really enough to convince me to go back out. I did it once to try it, and that was enough for me! It was even a nice quick death but still, no thanks! It feels naaaaasty waking up."

I’m a Product of the System

[actuallyawolf]

Ylva sidles up quietly, looking at the pictures as well.

"If you don't count the zombies that one time, and I mostly don't... Before I got here, there were some weretigers. Territorial, you know. Us or them." She nudges Valdis sideways, carefully. "How're you feeling?"

[redlightgreenlight]

"Weretigers? Is that why you and Siffleur don't get along?"

Everything Tiamat said to the woman comes flooding back, and of course the emotions that accompanied them. Valdis turns away from the photos.

"I'm doing alright."

[actuallyawolf]

"Nah. I don't like Siffleur because he's a cannibal and I think that's gross and weird."

She shakes her head. No sense in holding him responsible for the actions of some people who attacked them.

"Are you really doing okay?" The smallest of doubts, there.

But I’m Half-diseased

[ss_buttcrack]

"Hey, drop the 'everything's fine' act," Crichton says, sliding into the seat across from her invited or not.

"Valdis, you look like shit. What's going on? Is that your blood?"

[redlightgreenlight]

Valdis laughs and adds a few more lines to her current sketch. "I'm going to let you in on a little secret, Crichton. If I have touched your soul with my powers, I know what you are feeling even if we aren't in the same room. The stronger the emotion, the more I feel it. It's like...being back in the Labyrinth, except it's caused by a single person, not several dozen."

Which honestly tells him almost nothing.

[ss_buttcrack]

"That isn't very comforting." God, does that mean she knows when he's... nope. He is not finishing that line of thought.

"So, what you're telling me, without telling me, is someone close to you on this ship is having a monumentally bad time right now and you can feel it. Who?"

But I’m Half-diseased | Open | CW: Blood

[crushed_pearls]

Without a word, Erin skips ordering her intended boba and just takes a seat next to Valdis, folding her lover in a wing. She's seen it enough by now; Valdis only starts sketching when something is wrong, and from the looks of things...something's pretty wrong.

It's time to be here for her.

[redlightgreenlight]

"Hello, love." She says with a smile, adding a flourish to the sketch she's working on. "You can go order, I'm not going anywhere."

[crushed_pearls]

"I think I'll bask in your presence like the hypothetical hybrid of a cat and a lizard basks in a sunbeam." Just to emphasize the point and definitely not for the power of cuddles (shhh) Erin leans her head against Valdis's shoulder. "...Not to just come out and say it or anything but you kinda look like a young maiden in a Victorian play that dies of fucking consumption as a hamfisted metaphor for innocence."

product of the system

[cacophonish]

"Oh, uh..."

Jeff squints and thinks about it. After a few moments, he has his answer.

"Never?"

Okay, so yeah, he sounds a little uncertain about that, but that's only because, like, technically his body and magic were used to kill people, back when he'd been possessed. But Jeff doesn't have a single memory from that time, and even looking at photos won't trigger the tiniest recollection.

With all the fucked up shit that's happened with him-- here, in Duplicity, or even back home-- he's managed to retain his innocence in this regard, at least.

[redlightgreenlight]

"Lucky you."

The man next to her smells familiar, but the scent faded from the ship long ago. People are starting to return from the Nothing, there has to be something important happening. Something is happening.

"I'd welcome you back, but I think that would entirely depend on if you want to be back."

[cacophonish]

"I'm, uh..." He tilts his head and thinks. It's complicated, isn't it, whether this is a good thing or bad... "I think I'm glad to be back. I mean, better than not existing and... and Bash is here, too." He smiles fondly. "Besides, as fucked up as it is, this place is better than home for me. I mean, in... in some ways." A beat, then he brightens up. "And I'd miss you guys!"

Granted, he doesn't know Valdis well, but it's just. The people here. The community, the familiar faces, whether he's close with them or not. It's the enduring good that comes out of all the nightmares here.

Photos at Sea

[professionalriot]

Ash is out and about riding his newly acquired skateboard around the ship in the areas without carpet. It's not surfing but it will do.

This is a spot he hasn't been before. Or he passed it but never thought to stop. Seeing Valdis is all the encouragement he needs.

Ah. This is what she was talking about when she said she didn't want them having sex to end up on Photos at Sea. Good call, that would have been awkward. Still standing on his skateboard he shifts his hips back and forth to move the board back and forth.

"If the creepy undead shit on the last excursion doesn't count," He pauses to tick off the months in his head. "Ten months ago. Big pile of bodies...is there one of me?" He asks as he steps off the board so he can get a better look at the pictures.

[redlightgreenlight]

He hadn't told her much about the excursion, but she had sensed new death on him upon his return.

"Several, the invisible photographer seems to be everywhere at once sometimes."

She points out a few of him doing various things on the ship.

"Ah, remember this?"

The two giant hounds in the pool.

[professionalriot]

"It's a little creepy." He mutters as he examines the images. There is a rush of relief when he realizes his death wasn't captured on film. Other people had not been so lucky.

Ash grins when he sees the picture she is talking about. "Of course I remember that." Standing behind her he's looking at what she is looking at. There is more going on here then nostalgia. "That's when I fell hard for you. Couldn't have stopped it if I tried."

He pauses. "But, that's not why you are looking at these pictures."