It’s The End of the World as We Know It

[redlightgreenlight]

Who: Tiamat(Valdis), Clarke, The Captain and Skulduggery
What: The Beginning of the End Part 2
When: February
Where: The Bridge at Dawn
Warnings: Potential violence



After all that, waiting until dawn seems like little consequence. But wait she does, though she can’t help but send a little taunt to a particular party before making her way up to the bridge. The sun rises just over the edge of the water, the stars beginning to fade from view. She can sense Clarke not far behind, and the Skeleton must be here somewhere, though maybe they will get lucky and he’s elsewhere. Tiamat leans against the railing to look out over the realm a scared little child created, musing over the various outcomes of what is about to happen. Even if the Captain knows who she is, he’d entertained her before, there’s no reason to suspect he won’t now.

“Oh, Captain,” she says, still watching the sun come up. “Care to watch the sunrise with me?”

Comments

[redlightgreenlight]

[Fuck.

Tiamat had been so engrossed in her fun she completely missed the fact that Ava appeared. The absolute last person she wanted to see. Ever.

Luckily, she is stronger than the woman, so Ava will fail to hold her, even from inside.]

Nothing.

[A sort of tugging will lap at Ava's essence, an attempt to latch onto that pesky shifting soul and devour it.]

[decohere]

[she hisses and retreats further into scrambled particles, biting back with a rippling tear of quantum energy through both their forms. it's excruciatingly painful for herself, but if it can damage Tiamat even a little...]

Release him! You have no right!

[redlightgreenlight]

[Tiamat drops to her knees in pain, agony belonging to both of them coursing through her mind.]

That's....not me.

[Technically true]

Get out you worthless weasel.

[Sharp incorporeal claws attempt to tear into Ava's soul since Tiamat can't get a grip on the woman's essence.]

[decohere]

[her powers have recently allowed for her to phase deeper into things, rather than simply through them. she tested it with Skulduggery, on television sets. but never on another being... it's reckless and desperate and so is she, in this moment. the pain is hardly registering against the panicked desire to dig her friend back out from this beast's control.

Ava focuses on tendrils of thought and tunnels straight into Tiamat's mind, leaving her physical self behind completely.

VALDIS VALDIS

WHERE ARE YOU

CAN YOU HEAR ME

ÅNDELIG]

[redlightgreenlight]

[Ava will find no response to her desperate search for her friend.

Because there is nothing to find.]

Damn you.

[Those claws seize Ava, ripping her out of the body that she's possessing.

With a sharp shove, Ava will be cast back out onto the bridge, tangible once again.

Shadows waste no time diving at the women, intending to stab into her flesh.]

[decohere]

[so stunned by the ejection and being slammed back into her body all at once, she doesn't even try to dodge the coming shadows, just weakly covers her head beneath the crook of her arm and braces for impact.]

[be_seeing_you]

[Ava got here faster than him because he's still forced to open doors and go around walls instead of through them. But he arrives just in time to see his wife expelled out of Valdis's body. And, to see the impending attack.]

NO!

[He throws himself in front of her, wings spread wide. He's only a man. He cannot fight the likes of these shadows, but he will be a shield for the ones who can.]

[redlightgreenlight]

[The sharp edges of darkness tear into Peter's wings, while others stab into his back, but not deep.

Luckily for them both, Tiamat isn't truly interested in fighting and the shadows vanish at her command]

There's nothing you can do now, so just sit back and hope the stupid girl was right.

[decohere]

Peter! [she gasps and scrambles to grab hold of his shoulders, pulling him intangible as much as she can as the shadows tear through, not trusting the goddess to show any mercy.]

[be_seeing_you]

[He grunts from the pain, gritting his teeth as he falls to his knees in front of Ava. But that's all the noise he makes. He's determined not to give Tiamat the satisfaction of hearing him cry out.

He's expecting death. So, it's with a mixture of amazement and relief he finds he's only bleeding, and not even mortally. He'd like to think that's Ava's doing.]

I'm all right. Nothing fatal. I'm all right. Leave me, Ava. Stop her.

[Sorry, Tiamat, he doesn't take orders from you.]

[redlightgreenlight]

Quit being stupid. This is going to happen. So keep your strength for fighting an actual enemy should one arise.

[decohere]

[it's true that there is a greater enemy lurking, that Tiamat herself isn't the threat that has her worried.

except. Ava still believes it's her doing that has bound the Captain in his current form. and that with him neutralized, they have no chance against the invaders.

a quick kiss to Peter's cheek, she rises shakily back to her feet, standing protectively between Tiamat and the rest, snarling.]

Free him.

[redlightgreenlight]

[Tiamat sighs heavily.

The stupidity of mortals knows no bounds. Even lesser immortals are complete idiots these days.

She gestures to the Captain.]

It is not my power sealing him, therefore I cannot undo what has been done.

[decohere]

Then whose! [Tiamat being here can't be any coincidence, she has to be responsible somehow...]

If not you then who did this!

[redlightgreenlight]

[Tiamat smiles, seemingly satisfied in some way.]

I believe her name was Arilanna Tayrey.

[decohere]

Where is she?

[they had been in contact, and then they hadn't... Ava figured she had gone further into hiding. knew that Ari owed her no explanations or details of her plans... Ava had been too late to stop her last time too but this defeat tastes far far worse.]

[redlightgreenlight]

Gone.

[The smile remains the same, scarlet eyes filled with patient amusement.]

Like all the other ghosts.

[decohere]

...

[her fingernails pierce into her palms as she folds them tightly into fists. she has no reason to believe Tiamat is lying, because certainly Tayrey would be here now to claim her victory. to flag down the new ship for negotiation.

Ava curses, turns away from Tiamat. she's right, fighting against her isn't worth her time. and she can't waste energy being mad at a girl who is no longer here, even if they now have to deal with the consequences of her actions.

she tries flagging down her allies instead, to regroup.]

[be_seeing_you]

[This is going to happen. Blast it all, she's right. He still won't do her the kindness of saying so aloud.

He rises behind Ava, dripping blood from his wings, still, but he's able to stand up tall. Only flesh wounds. They may have worse to endure, yet. Before he turns to follow Ava he has one last thing to say to Tiamat.]

This likely won't turn out any better for you than for us. If you have any inclination for self-preservation at all, you'll help us stop this.

[redlightgreenlight]

At least we'll have a chance to fight instead of slowly slipping into the Nothing.

[Tiamat will give them no more attention. The freighter will arrive shortly.]

[decohere]

[she spares Tiamat one last disgusted snarl. as much as she'd enjoy tearing her apart to get Valdis back, her focus is elsewhere.

she fusses over 6's wings, trying to smooth out injured feathers.]

How many... do you think will show up. To defend the ship? [she's torn between doubt and hope, that they won't be in this alone.]

[be_seeing_you]

Then we've better make sure it's worth it.

[Ava fusses with his feathers. He lets her, despite the twinge of pain that comes from moving some of them. It's nothing. It doesn't matter.

He looks her right in the eye when he answers, confident despite everything.]

All of them. They will all fight. They will all have different reasons, but one thing is clear now. If we want to survive this, we must face it together.

[decohere]

[her fingers gently brush over the corner of his mouth, wishes she could take that pain away, but knowing there's likely more to come.

she swallows down doubts, still convinced half the ship will jump ship at the first opportunity... but most everyone here has someone to lose.]

And the Lieutenant isn't even here to face the consequences of what she's done... [she sighs out, frustrated and regretful.]

[be_seeing_you]

As misguided as she was, I don't believe she would have missed this on purpose. She is an unfortunate casualty, just as we are.

[And yet... part of him is relieved Ari isn't here, because he is certain she would have taken that offer made by Malin to free herself and damn the rest of them. And, for that, he doesn't think he would be able to find it in him to forgive her. Better that the temptation was never placed before her at all.]