#narration mode

She reaches out and taps him on the brow with a clawed fingertip, and his flight stutters, the holographic glow of a misplaced game construct flickering out as his real wings struggle to pick up the slack and he spirals lower.  The energy discharge from his eyes is fading rapidly, leaving him blinking hard and looking more than half-stunned, but a telekinetic hold catches and steadies his descent, angling him toward a ship that can hardly be seen, tossed on the surface of the waves.

Tavros lands on the deck feet first a few moments later (with her assistance), but none too gracefully, his claws scraping on wet wood as he finds himself suddenly fighting for balance and met with a slap in the face of salty, cold spray.  It's storm-dark, the moons hidden from view and only an occasional flash of lightning to illuminate his way, though there's still a hint of eerie afterimage glow crackling from his gaze... and a few stark, silvered streaks around his left eye, almost like healed scars.

1nsurmountabull:

Alcyon waited with bated breath for Handmaid and Tavros to get to the ship. He issued a few more orders in the process, but his men were too busy celebrating that Gl'bgolyb was dead. Eh, it's fine. They had the right to celebrate, and Handmaid's approach made a few of them kinda sidestep further away, giving the trio some privacy.

Tavros' feet hit the deck, and Alcyon was there in moments to offer a hand to stabilize him. "Woah, woah, Tavros... you okay? You did amazing, alright? Need a hand?"

Handmaid seemed satisfied that Tavros was with Alcyon, and nodded her head before... seemingly just disappearing. Jeez.

"Hey, guys? Get the mediculler up here, just in case."

ad1ostoreador:

A deep breath, and Tavros staggers to one side, nearly toppling. In his defense, the ship just lurched under his feet and he's got no sealegs to speak of.  He braces himself, hands on his knees and wings splayed out for balance, and tries to summon a reply, but his pan is swimming and there's a coppery taste when he sniffs.

Nope, standing isn't working out so well for him, judging from the way he's leaning increasingly off-kilter to one side with an expression of intense concentration, and then....

Thud.  He's out, facedown on the wet deck.

1nsurmountabull:

Alcyon yelped, and quickly got down to try to help get Tavros up and on his back. Or... perhaps it's not best to move him too much. The mediculler made an appearance shortly after, and Alcyon called him over in a hurry. The mediculler set to work immediately trying to figure out exactly what was wrong with him. Alcyon practically already had the best medicull facility on-planet on his phone, eager to make sure he had a place to get Tavros looked at once the immediate first aid was done.

ad1ostoreador:

There isn't a mark on him, other than the strange scars over one eye and temple, but even those look as though they're perigees old. Nosebleeds aren't an uncommon response to psychic overexertion, of course, he isn't bleeding from the ears or eyes, and his eyes themselves still look healthy, not burned out or blinded.  He's just... unconscious enough that he isn't responding to prodding or queries, right now.  His wings and horns make moving him a hassle... he can't lie on his back or sides, but he's too out of it to protest being handled at all.

1nsurmountabull:

Alcyon's apologizing to him for all the manhandling, and the mediculler seemed satisfied that Tavros wasn't at risk of dying. The scars worried Alcyon, since he was... pretty sure he'd never seen those before. Didn't matter, though, did it? He got authorization to bring Tavros to the hospital, and he'd use his teleporter to do it. But... first.

He rooted around in his pocket for a metal sphere, imprinted with a glowing orange Nitram symbol. He paused, and said a quiet good by to Gl'bgolyb. He may have been unfathomably pleased that she was gone, now, but... if Tavros was to be believed, she wasn't really pure evil. It wouldn't hurt him to say good bye, and apologize for having to kill her. Or, rather, have her killed.

Regardless, he pressed on the center of the Nitram symbol, and lobbed the device into the ocean. It was a gift from a friend, and something that would hopefully prevent any lasting ecological impact from Gl'bgolyb's death. Something that would help break her down into her core components.... and hopefully not count as desecrating her remains. He'd get Tavros teleported to safety, to the medicull offices he trusted, and who actually had some custom stuff designed for winged trolls.

One can imagine why that'd be the case.

ad1ostoreador:

Indeed one can.  Tavros, at any rate, doesn't begin to rouse until some hours later, in a pattern that seems to fit quite normally with psychic exhaustion.

Waking up in completely unfamiliar surroundings, surrounded by equipment he can't identify and doesn't trust, though, is probably a recipe for some sudden ungainly wing-beating and possibly a set of electrodes being yanked off abruptly on pure reflex, depending on how much freedom of motion he has upon awakening.

1nsurmountabull:

He's not restrained or anything, but the way the bed is set up means that his wings don't actually hit anything. Him ripping off the electrodes was far more disruptive, and it elicited a distressed noise from Alcyon, who was apparently in the block with him.

"WOAH, woah, calm down, Tavros! You're okay, it's fine." He tried to stop him from taking all the electrodes off, and he was pleased to see Tavros could move just fine, at least. "We're at a medicull office on my planet, Tavros. You passed out shortly after Gl'bgolyb... Passed. I didn't think it was safe to leave you out at sea, so..."

ad1ostoreador:

The lack of restraint is a good thing, because Tavros wouldn't have handled it well.  He's still a bit wild-eyed and disoriented now, having scrambled up into a crouch like he's prepared to launch himself away from the medical platform, but relaxes minutely upon finding no worse than a few adhesive patches on his hide, where the electrodes were jerked off.  He stares at Alcyon for a few beats, then recognition dawns, and he exhales.  "....Oh...."

He swallows, wings slowly folding down again.  "....yeah, no... I'm, uh, okay?  How... long...?"

1nsurmountabull:

There we go. He seems to be doing better. A mediculler rushed towards the block, apparently alerted by the removed electrodes, but Alcyon gave him an affable smile and a shake of his head. No worries here.

"A few hours. The medicullers say you showed some signs of psionic overexertion, but that's kind of to be expected. On the other hand, you were really out cold. I was almost worried it was worse than they thought but... You're up now, which is a great sign."

He got a bit closer, turning off whichever monitoring machine was attached to the electrodes Tavros ripped off.

"There were some worrying differences, mostly in how long you were out, but at least you weren't bleeding from your gander bulbs or aural clots. So... Could be worse?" He joked, hoping it wouldn't be too insensitive.

"Seriously, though... You feel okay? Need something to eat?"

ad1ostoreador:

"....Could definitely be, uh, worse...." Tavros acknowledges, voice a bit hoarse. "....just water? I'm okay... she's, she was just... a lot."  He drops his gaze, ears low.

His pan still hurts, but it's more residual ache than active migraine.  He can deal with that.  Hours, though? Gamzee must be worried.  "....It's done now, though.... right?  There weren't any, uh.... casualties, from her...?"

1nsurmountabull:

Right, water. Alcyon called out to a mediculler, who went to go grab Tavros some water. "Yeah, I bet. But you did really, really well... And yeah. She's passed away, and she didn't make a peep. Handmaid had a psionic dampening field of some kind around Gl'b and you for most of it, and... Well. There weren't no casualties."

He sighed. "We lost several dozen intercepting the Empress' ships, but that wasn't Gl'b's doing, or yours. I wish I could've focused more on directing them, but... I needed to keep you and Gl'b safe until you were done. I hope they understand..."

ad1ostoreador:

"..." He gives his head a small shake, regretful.  "...Sorry, I tried to... not take too long.  She was just.... lonely." An oversimplification, probably. Lonely, and completely amoral by any trollish standards, and utterly apathetic toward the vast majority of their species... but she'd cared for her daughters.  Tavros could understand that part.

"...Could you, um, tell Handmaid thanks, for me...?"  He vaguely remembers starting to fall, and being caught.

1nsurmountabull:

"It's fine. It would've been a lot worse without your help, and they came upon us before you even started. So, really, you did better than anyone could've hoped. And... Yeah. I kinda... Gathered that, from when you talked about her last time. I do wish we didn't have to kill her..."

If only she wasn't capable of terrible amounts of damage. "Totally. I'll send her a text now, yeah?" He took his palmhusk out and sent Handmaid a text, and then another one to Gamzee.

ad1ostoreador:

Tavros shakes his head again, in response to the wish. "...she was too dangerous... does, um, the Condesce know, yet...? You won't have to... worry about that anymore." If that water's arrived, he takes a few moments to sip from the cup.  "...doesn't it all feel lighter, now?"

1nsurmountabull:

"I know she was..." Alcyon's quiet, before he chuckled to himself. "I bet she does. And if she doesn't... Well. She'll know soon."

The water's here, and it's clean and crisp, and there's plenty of it! "Oh, absolutely. Bull got the voodoos out of my pan, and thanks to you, now Gl'b's gone. It's like... I'm almost thinking too clearly, you know? She's always been there, putting pressure on my pan. Now... I feel fantastic. I really don't know how to thank you enough."

ad1ostoreador:

Tavros nods quickly, then winces a little and touches his temple, rethinking the motion. "Um, yeah.... I'm just glad you and everyone here are free of it, now..." Another careful sip. "I... should get back, though... my, uh, mate must be worrying lots..."

1nsurmountabull:

"Yeah, thanks. You seem a bit out of it... Just remember to hydrate, get plenty of rest... if you need medicine, or anything like that, let me know and I'll get you whatever you need. Oh, and if you have a mediculler on your planet, and they need anything, feel free to ask them to hit me up. I'll do what I can to get them stocked up."

He wasn't sure if he should offer a hand to Tavros to help him out of the hospital bed.

"... Just remember to take care of yourself, okay, Tavros?"

ad1ostoreador:

Tavros is inevitably like 90% more likely to remember to put someone else in touch with someone who can help them, than he is to avail himself of the same offer.  Probably Alcyon can expect to hear from Marsti sometime.  "Thanks... I'll be fine, though, I just need to, uh, rest, like you said... don't worry."

1nsurmountabull:

Inadvertent galaxy pan planning from Alcyon, then.

"Okay. You need help getting up? Or... you wanna just head back hive when you feel like it? I can leave you here to get your bearings on your own if you want."

ad1ostoreador:

Tavros steadies himself for a moment or two, taking the time just to consider the prospect of getting up under his own steam.  His head is still aching and he feels... light-headed at best, but subtly restless about being away from Nexia in a way he can't really define.

He rustles his wings slightly, at his back, and shifts around to swing his feet to the floor.  "I... think I'm good to, uh, get up, now..."  A rueful, unsure smile, touching at his wrist to ascertain his transportalizer is still there and intact.  "Thanks..."

1nsurmountabull:

"Okay. I understand." Alcyon nodded. He waved his palmhusk to make sure Tavros could see it. "Text me if you need anything, while you're here the medicullers will get you anything you need, and when you're ready to head hive, go ahead. I'm going to take care of some stuff here, since I'm going to have a lot to take care of from here on out... but you're always welcome to visit, Tavros, and I'm definitely going to invite you here when you're feeling better and the dust has settled. Again, thanks. I'll see you soon, alright?"

And he'd wait just long enough for Tavros to be able to respond, before giving him a little "good bye" salute, and heading on out of there. He wanted to fuss over him, but it was probably better for Tavros' mate to do that instead.

ad1ostoreador:

Tavros nods again, offering a little wave. "I'll, uh... see you around.  And maybe sometime you can visit, too... now that you don't have to always be... watching her..."

1nsurmountabull:

It was a rough topic for him. Just in general, because the overbearing thought that Gl'bgolyb was just... There, in the bottom of the ocean, and capable of wiping out entire castes in one fell swoop and they were functionally only alive by the grace of the Handmaid...

"I know. But removing her is something that even Handmaid hasn't suggested to me, and even if she didn't fight it, she's still massive and almost totally incomprehensible. And even if you don't... Fight "release"... It still hurts. And when anyone, person or animal or lusus or... Or whatever Gl'bgolyb is, gets hurt, they make noise. And with Gl'bgolyb's psychic influence, that's a risk that could get a lot of people killed."

He took a heavy breath, trying to remain steady. "I've thought about killing her a lot, but if I do anything wrong, or I can't keep her psychic influence contained... That's a lot of people who are going to die for my fuckup. And, frankly, that'd be on a scale way beyond even the worst of the battles from the rebellion, and I... Can't do that in good conscience."

See, though, Alcyon's feeling cruel but for other reasons. "... I know she feels lonely. But I've heard... Things, about Gl'bgolyb, and about other things like her, and trying to reach out and connect with her on any level greater than trying to soothe her to sleep scares me. I've never communed with anything... Anyone?... So psychically massive."

At it's core, Alcyon just felt out of his depth. And he couldn't stomach the potential consequences for failure.

ad1ostoreador:

"I... can talk to her.  Creatures... like her."  Tavros doesn't like to use the word 'talk' about the way he communes with beasts, but it might be a little bit closer to accurate in a case like Gl'bgolyb.  "She's maybe... kind of easier in a way. More... conscious, or thinking clearer still.  She can, um, communicate instead of just... reacting."  He rakes a hand through his hair, back to pacing as he talks.

"It's, um... if I can commune with her enough that she understands... if she's willing, then there's ways to make it... painless.   If she's reluctant... there's ways to make it fast."

1nsurmountabull:

Alcyon was quiet. Nervous. "... Aren't you scared? I mean, I know the way the two of us commune with animals is different, but... Any time I've brushed against her mind with mine, it's like... I've seen recordings of looking into the deep ocean. It feels like that to me, as well as empty, and suffocating at the same time. I feel like any time I might try to commune with her, she'd... Her mind would consume mine."

It was a harrowing sensation when he'd first experienced it, and he was afraid to even consider trying it again. Or to have anyone else try in his stead.

"I... I mean, I guess you're right about that. We could probably find ways to make it painless, or perhaps fast enough that Handmaid could psychically shield us long enough to do what has to be done. It... It could work."

ad1ostoreador:

Tavros is quiet for a moment.  "...Have you ever, uh... been somewhere that's so quiet and so dark that there's just... nothing? No sound at all. No light, no gravity.  Nothing to feel, or sense... no ordinary beasts at all, not even tiny scuttlers..."  He gives his head a little shake, shoulders shrugging restlessly, as if physically ridding himself of the memory.

"Parts of the... Ring were like that.  Big... parts.  I guess if you're... out there long enough, and the only thing to... sense is very big, very old things... you start to, uh, hear and understand them better.  Plus, you don't want to accidentally... fly into one."  He grimaces.

1nsurmountabull:

Alcyon... froze. No, frankly, he hadn't been in any sort of environment, exactly. He had experienced something quite, quite close, and the mere thought of it was actually making him start to sweat. His breathing became audible, and it was actually noticeable that he was trying to control the speed at which he was breathing. Whether it was to ensure he kept breathing, or that he didn't start breathing too quickly, was anyone's guess.

"I-I... N-n-no. I ha... haven't..." Alcyon had to try very, very hard to put up a facade that No Really He Was Totally Fine Actually, and he gulped like something was stuck in his throat. "I-I bet that... if you were able to, you'd want... you'd want to connect with... with anything you can, yeah... so, the Ring was... pretty rough, for you, I bet, huh...?"

He folded his arms, and his muscles tensed. Just don't think about anything like that. It's fine. There's a goal to achieve, and a plan to make, so focus, and you can deal with whatever's going on in your pan later.

"So you can... talk to her. Right. And it doesn't scare you. So you can... handle trying to arrange with... her... to potentially help her pass on. I...here..."

He had brought a bag for this little strategy meeting, and within was multiple maps and a model of Alternia. He placed it out where Tav could see it, and pointed to a portion of the ocean. "Glb'golyb is here. She's... uh... really deep underwater. You can reach her with communing pretty easily above water here..." He pointed to a small landmass nearby.

"But I could probably get us a subaquatic machine to get us closer, if you need it... and, uh, I bet Bull wouldn't mind lending me a waterproof machine, if we could... I don't know, develop a sedative for her, or something?"

ad1ostoreador:

Sensory deprivation. Fun times, clearly.  When one's choices were communing with eldritch creatures of dubious sanity, or losing one's own from the isolation... well, Tavros had risked the horrorterrors.  His ears lower, as he watches the reactions play across Alcyon's face, and he grimaces a little apologetically at what is clearly an unpleasant train of thought.  "Um... more or less, I can commune with her, anyway..."

He leans over the map to look down on it, head tilting as he orients it to his mental sense of her location, though something like a flicker of surprise crosses his own features, gaze lifting to Alcyon's face, then dropping again quickly.  Okay, maybe the isolation of the Ring's done freakish things with his range, too.  He doesn't bring it up, though.  No point in making a big deal about being able to sense her and 'reach' her where he stands... though the thought of climbing into a subaquatic vehicle and being trapped in a tiny cramped enclosed space under a lot of water results in his own Facial Journey, which clearly ends in the vicinity of 'no thank you'.  "...I, uh, definitely... don't think we need to go that close.  There are a few... different ideas that, um, might work... but some of them depend on her being... reasonably cooperative, and others might depend on having a very... powerful weapon."

1nsurmountabull:

Technically, Alcyon can reach her from here too, but it's not... Easy. And also, it's not the same as trying to have a full conversation. It's more that he can brush against her, mentally, but it's less a horizontal distance problem and more a vertical distance problem. The lady is real deep.

He immediately understood that the submarine idea was bad. "Alright... Yeah, either Psii, or Darkleer, or maybe Bull if we're in a pinch, could figure out a weapon... Handmaid would probably need to focus on making sure nothing leaked through... Hm... And then I have to make sure that we don't have any loyalists to worry about, too."

He nodded, and took a breath. Okay, he was... Calm enough, now. "Do you... Want me to be around when you talk to her? Or..."

ad1ostoreador:

Tavros isn't ruling out a weapon, but he's not entirely sure they need one.  There are things he can do, even if he doesn't like to think about how he learned them, or why.  And he trusts his own abilities more than he trusts an unfamiliar specibus not to go haywire in his hands.  "If... you can make sure any of the, uhh... loyalists don't get close enough to interrupt me? Wherever we, um, do this..."

He chews on his lip, ears lowering again.  "...And maybe... help shake me out of it, after, especially..."

1nsurmountabull:

Yeah. Yeah, he can do that. "Mhm. I can make sure if that. Once we've got things figured out, I'll mobilize to make sure we're safe on as many fronts as possible. Don't want you to get hurt or anything, plans to deal with Gl'bgolyb aside..."

It'll be a backup option, the weapon, that is. But Alcyon had some solid faith in Tavros, given how he seemed to know a lot more about Gl'b, and what she was, than he did.

"Okay. Anything I have to know about what you're going to do, on my end?"

ad1ostoreador:

Tavros nods in agreement, then rubs the back of his neck, unsure.  "I don't... think so, yet? I can talk to her, uh... any time, really, if you want me to go ahead now and... get a sense for how she might, uhh... take this.  Or... if you want to, um, get a lot of stuff ready first, so we can... move pretty fast, once we do know, it's... whichever you think would be better."

1nsurmountabull:

Alcyon thought about it for a moment, and took out his phone. "I have an idea. Just give me a second." He began texting someone, and furrowed his brow while he waited for a response- which came quickly.

"...Handmaid says that... we should not prepare a contingency too early, because, and I quote, "everything will go to hell in a handbasket". So I guess she means that it's okay to check in ahead of time?"

ad1ostoreador:

Tavros grimaces slightly.  "Oh... like, having a contingency is bad? Or doing things early is bad? Or...?"  He supposes there are worse things than a Handmaid prepared to tell them if they're about to make a very big mistake.

1nsurmountabull:

"Hm. She's... Not clear, but usually if she tells me not to do something this way, it's... Well. She's not saying a contingency won't be needed, she's just implying that preparing for the worst too early is bad. Hm. Maybe waiting for long enough to try to prepare something allows Condy to get control of Gl'b, or maybe Gl'b puts out another uh..."

He frowned. "Another psychic scream. And they've... Been getting more frequent, when she does them. Handmaid doesn't tend to give me a lot of details when things go wrong. She also doesn't give me these sorts of warnings often."

ad1ostoreador:

Tavros's brow furrows, and he hesitates for a beat or two.  "...So... I should, uh, make contact with her now, or... it's better not to, um, give her any warning?"  The latter choice seems... risky, to him.

1nsurmountabull:

"It's..." He had his phone out still, and he was texting Handmaid a bit longer...

"...Yeah, she says to stop being so cautious and to "Just handle it." So... I think she's saying that we shouldn't take a lot of time. So... if you want to head out, we can get closer, if you want. I can reach her from here, but I can't really... well. I can't really commune properly from this distance. I don't know if it's any different for you."

ad1ostoreador:

"Closer is, um, okay."  He doesn't deny it, but... it's still reflex to be somewhat cagey about the details, when he's still got a solid suspicion that his ancestor, in his own timeline, was killed for it.  "Do you have the coords for the, uhh... place you said was good?"

1nsurmountabull:

Gotcha, cool, cool. "Yeah. Just let me handle..." He thanked Handmaid, put the globe and the maps into his knapsack, slung it over his shoulder, and showed Tavros a piece of paper with relevant coordinates on it.

"Doesn't hurt to come prepared, you know? The coordinates are for a clear space near the sea, but away from the waystation that was built on the island."

ad1ostoreador:

Tavros leans over to take a look, and keys them into his wrist unit.  "You have a... transportalizer, right?  I can meet you there... I won't, um, start anything without you," he adds, indicating his own.  "Unless it's going to give you another bad pan-ache, being that close..."

1nsurmountabull:

"Yeah, just didn't want to like. Grab you or something, for it. And... Don't worry. As long as she doesn't raise her voice, I'm fine. Though... At this point, if she speaks up, it doesn't matter where I am. She's given me a migraine off-planet before."

Yeah, sounds like things were deteriorating here. "See you there then, dude. I'll get rid of this stuff and meet you there."

And there was a blip, and he was gone. He'd be back soon, having gone to the destination he had indicated.

It was a pretty barren place, and the coordinates were for rather close to the edge of the island. The whole area seemed like it was harsh and unforgiving, thankfully it wasn't raining, at least. But the sound of the sea was audible, even if it wasn't visible.

There were beasts here, seafowl and some sort of goat, probably, and seals... But the variety was limited.

ad1ostoreador:

Tavros is close behind him, popping over to the coordinates he was given, and taking a deep breath of the sea air, though his brow knits at the underlying pall of oppressive psychic weight.  It's enough to make him thankful, again, for the lack of horrorterror-adjacent beings on his own planet.

He looks toward the sound of waves, then offers Alcyon a small half-smile.  "...Time to, uh... see how cranky she's feeling..."  With that, he shuts his eyes, for minimal distractions, and slows his breathing, casting outward.  The little blips and flares of consciousness that are seabirds and hoofbeasts and paddling seawolves are noted, but passed over with a light skim, as he quests further.  Past teeming shallow-dwelling crustaceans and schooling fish, past sleek hunting beasts... past deeper many-armed creatures and scuttling bottomdwellers, and into the abyssal realms where the flickers of life thin out, rarer and rarer, slower and quieter, and finally none at all, except for the very deepest, darkest, coldest one of all, so immense it's hard to take in her psychic scale any more than her physical one.

He stays standing, though he sways a tiny bit on his feet, eyelids twitching like a restless dreamer, when the eddies of her inscrutable thoughts shift ever-so-slightly and he has some fraction of her attention.

1nsurmountabull:

Alcyon wasn't really enjoying it either, but he had some experience dealing with this specific psychic weight, so... As long as he wasn't reaching out to her himself, he had it covered. Mostly. He had a hand reached out to steady Tavros if necessary, and his own communing was reaching out to link with the wildlife to create a defensive surveillance web to make sure no one came near them.

He didn't want to distract Tavros, but... He wasn't privy to anything going on through his communing.

ad1ostoreador:

There's little fanfare, in the end.  Just a long spell of silence from Tavros, where he's on his feet, but otherwise breathing so slowly he might almost seem comatose.

Gl'bgolyb doesn't lash out at him... he's not even entirely sure she believes him, exactly, but there's a distant sense of acquiescence, even if it's layered with the apathy of so long a life he can't begin to fathom it.  She has nothing left to gain, here, and she knows it. And perhaps something approaching a conversation is rare enough for her that she tolerates the tiny imposition.

Finally, Tavros gives a shudder and comes back to himself like surfacing from icy water, dazed and blinking and taking several deep breaths.

1nsurmountabull:

Alcyon was quiet, and made sure Tavros was okay the whole time, and once he started to breathe heavily and deeply, Alcyon reached out to steady him. "You're alright Tavros! You're alright... come on, breathe slow and steady, okay?"

He wasn't going to ask, just yet, what had happened. What she had said. How she'd reacted.

It was something he couldn't even bring himself to do, so he could have the decency to let Tavros catch his breath at his own pace.

ad1ostoreador:

He's shaken, in the wake of it, for all that he's keeping his head down and catching his breath.  After a few long moments, he rubs a hand roughly over his eyes and face, collecting himself (and perhaps making sure his nose isn't actually bleeding, first).

It's not, but there's definitely a panache starting to trickle in at the edges, where the contact with her strained, and he very badly wants to see his wrigs, for no reason except that he can, and hers are all gone, or gone away, over and over and over.

"....M'good," he manages, eventually.  Tolerable, anyway.

1nsurmountabull:

Alcyon nodded, not entirely grasping what exactly happened, but he could tell it'd effected him. And, for the sake of all that's good, Tavros had some experience with stuff like Gl'bgolyb. Alcyon didn't want to imagine what'd happen if he'd tried this himself...

He wasn't bleeding, or visibly hurt, but he seemed, evidently, distressed. "Hey. Tavros, why don't we... head back? Back to the meadow. You can catch your breath there, okay? We can talk about it when you're ready." He didn't want to force Tavros to be here any longer than he had to, and he reached out with his influence to try to subtly lull Gl'bgolyb to sleep.

Perhaps he had never gotten her attention himself... it would explain why he'd managed to get her to sleep without having something like this happen to him.

He was beyond thankful for that.

ad1ostoreador:

Tavros takes another deep breath, after a few more beats of silence, and his wings rustle together, before he nods.  "...Yeah.  Meadow," he echoes.  "I'll... meet you there."

It's hard, having an actual exchange of thoughts and ideas with a creature of her age and psychic depth.  His head feels like it ought to be ringing like a struck bell, still.  Scooped out and left with nothing but static and ghostly afterimages and a lingering impression of loss.

He'll get to the meadow, even if it takes him a couple of tries to manage the fine motor control necessary to revert to the previous set of coordinates, then totter over to the nearest available boulder or log and sit down.  At least his color's looking slightly less washed out, by then.

1nsurmountabull:

Hm. He didn't like that. Alcyon did go ahead before him, and made sure there was a place for him to sit. Thankfully, Tavros got there just fine, so Alcyon didn't need to port himself back to make sure Tavros wasn't... wandering himself into the sea or some shit.

Alcyon sat beside him, in silence, and brought a few animals from nearby closer to try to give Tavros some kind of grounding... while attempting to repel as much of Gl'bgolyb's psychic presence as he could. There was only so much he could do, but if he could alleviate the pressure in any way, he would.

ad1ostoreador:

Tavros is rubbing one temple, just in front of his horn, and grimaces apologetically when he meets Alcyon's eyes again. "...So, yeah.... she's a lot..." He hesitates a beat longer, then clears his throat. "...she is.... okay with it. As okay as can be.... expected, I guess."

1nsurmountabull:

Alcyon nodded. "Yeah, uh. It was pretty bad when I first tried... And I didn't even try to talk with her. Thanks, Tavros. You've helped more than you know..."

After the small beat, Alcyon looked... Surprised. "... Really? Huh. That's... Okay. That's good. So now we just need to figure out how to kill her, and to do it as painlessly as possible. It's... It's the least we can do."

He reached out, about to touch Tavros' shoulder, and then second guessed it. "But are you alright? If... If you need to go back hive, and distance yourself for a bit to recover, I can take it from here. I've got a few ideas I can pursue, and update you on it later, if you need."

ad1ostoreador:

"There's.... a thing I think I could, um, do. Which.... I learned from... someone awful, because she... took control of me to do it, once, but it would... be peaceful. For Gl'bgolyb. And less risky than, uh, trying to mess with a specibus and find the right... strifekind and still make it fast and painless..." He swallows, looking away.

1nsurmountabull:

"...Are... you sure you want to do that, Tavros?" Alcyon said, frowning and concerned. "I... mean, if it's peaceful for her, that's for the best. Can you give me an idea of what it is? Or if there's anything I can do to help you with it?"

ad1ostoreador:

Tavros struggles for a moment, to put something he understands by doing into words, one hand gesturing absently midair.  "...It's just... going really deep.  Deeper than thinking, or reacting, or seeing... and then..." He shrugs slightly.  He doesn't have the medical vocabulary to talk about brainstems and autonomic functions, even if the brainmatter of a psychic monstrosity as old as the planet, if not older, happened to be organized anything like the brainmatter of a troll.  "...Slowing everything down too far... in the parts that usually just, um, happen by themselves..."

1nsurmountabull:

He may not have the vocabulary, but the general idea is clear enough to Alcyon. He took a deep breath, drumming his fingers on his knee. "Sorry you had to go through that. Being... controlled, and made to do that. I don't know if you really should, in that case... but the idea is a good one. I could... I could try to do it? I think I know how I'd... do something like that."

Though, given his reaction to the idea of contacting her in the first place, he might not be able to manage it.

ad1ostoreador:

"I can do it," Tavros says, simply.  "It's.... it's not, um, anyone who's still around to try and make me do things... and I wouldn't, uh... tell Gl'bgolyb I'd do something myself, and then... not do it.  You could... probably help keep her feeling sleepy and calm, though, while I do... but I don't think she really wants to be... here, anymore."

1nsurmountabull:

Alcyon was kind of quiet in response to that, but nodded. "...Yeah. Okay. If you're sure you want to do it, and you're sure you can handle it, I believe you. And I believe in you. So I'll do that for you, alright? Keep her sleepy and calm, and make sure it's not... that she doesn't have to stress during it. Okay?"

He reached out to try to pat Tavros' shoulder, but before he actually touched him - "Hey. Is it alright if I rub your shoulder? Or would you rather not be touched? I don't know if you want to do it now, or... if you want to try to get some rest. It hit you pretty hard, that communing..."

ad1ostoreador:

It's one of those questions Tavros doesn't know how to answer.  It's been a long time since he knew how to react to touch from people outside a very, very small circle, and sudden shoulder-pressure still tends to make him flinch more often than not. "...Maybe, uh... not, sorry, I mean, it's not you, but..." He clears his throat, and opts for a subject change.

"...I think, unless Handmaid says it needs to... um, happen now now... we should both be all rested up and stuff, first.  A couple of nights or so?  And if there's anything else you need to, uhh... get ready, or prepare for.  Probably that island would be a good place to meet, when it's time, though..."

1nsurmountabull:

"Nah, it's fine." And that would be the end of it. It's why he asked, you know? Probably best for Tavros to get the physical support and reassurance he could probably use elsewhere. He put his hand down, giving him a fairly winning smile. Hey, he knows just as well as anyone how important boundaries are.

"Hey, how 'bout you head hive, rest up, and I'll do what I can to make sure I get myself properly rested. Handmaid would have told me by now if we need to rush, so... either you hit me up when you're ready, or I'll text you when we're down to the wire, alright?"

ad1ostoreador:

Tavros nods, relieved.  He's... not entirely looking forward to telling Gamzee what he intends to do, here, but he's not dumb enough to think keeping it a secret would be a good idea for anyone involved, at least.  "Okay... yeah, let me know if anything, um, changes in a big or alarming way... and I'll get ready."

1nsurmountabull:

Affirmative. Alcyon heaved a big sigh, and he smiled a second time at Tavros. "Alright then. Thanks. I really can't say enough how much I appreciate your help. Hope with this all taken care of, things will be... well. Will be better."

He gave Tavros a thumbs up. "You wanna get hive to your mate? Probably a better place to be than here, eh?"

ad1ostoreador:

Another nod, and a bit of a sheepish smile.  Mostly, he wants to head this panache off before it veers into migraine territory entirely.  It's still skirting the edge enough that he thinks he can rest it off easily, especially if he's not lingering in Gl'bgolyb's psychic shadow to do so.  "...Things will definitely, um, get better for you, here.  You'll... see, once she's not around anymore."

1nsurmountabull:

"Heh. I bet." He got himself up on his feet, and gave him a little, sorta saluting kinda motion. "You take care of yourself, you hear? I'm gonna get to my work. Going to make certain that we've got Alternia safe until we've put our plan into action. And again, thanks."

ad1ostoreador:

He gives his head a tiny shake in response to that almost-salute.  "You've... done so much with it all, already.  More than I would have ever imagined seeing an Alternia able to, um, change.  You should be proud of everything you've done, here... but I'll see you later.  When everything's ready..."

With that, he stands up from his seat and adjusts his transportalizer coords, once again, with a nod to Alcyon before vanishing with a pop.

1nsurmountabull:

Sometimes, a night starts with waking up in a cold sweat, and by the time the sun starts creeping up over the horizon, you've somehow acquired a kismesis. You went out to make sure Loxi actually understood that and didn't rationalize himself into precisely the wrong conclusion again, and then you came back to... news. Gamzee's news.

You just need some time to process. To work any reflexive hurt out of your system.  You've known this was coming, after all.  You just... need some time for the sting of that 'can't you just be happy some motherfucker wants me' to fade.  (Some time for that nagging, shrill sing-song in your head to stop telling you you don't even rate a 'some motherfucker', see? You should really just call yourself Odysseus. Eeeeeeeeverybody else does!  You always have been an afterthought of a discarded stage prop to them, at best. A third-rate stand-in until whoever they really want shows up and pays them a shred of attention.)

(You want her to shut up and stay out of your pan.  You know that's not true. Some of it, anyway.)

You can deal with it, anyway.  It's fine, and you'll adjust to this, because you need him to be fine, too, and he's clearly never going to be, with just you.

Maybe they'll be good for each other.  A nice, casual, open pale thing.  All the things you aren't good at doing. Being.