Sabrina (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} nomorepaths) wrote in ![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} dunwichgame,@ 2024-01-16 20:26:00 |
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SABRINA & NIKOLAI
He knows I'm not the one.
WHAT: The Sea God's Bride seeks revenge, the Sea God issues a warning
WHERE: the shoreline
WHEN: Around lunch
WARNINGS: npc death, monsters, gun use, violence, and implied nudity
STATUS: Complete
WHERE: the shoreline
WHEN: Around lunch
WARNINGS: npc death, monsters, gun use, violence, and implied nudity
STATUS: Complete
The fog had become an issue. Sabrina had hoped it was just a normal weather pattern. Fog in January on a coastal town? Shouldn’t have been a big deal. No doubt it was happening up and down the east coast. But the fog had grown heavier, stuck around longer than it should. And now there were actual monsters. Not just the possibility of them. Not just trails of blood or footprints left behind, no answers to be had. She hated how the fog rolled off the surrounding sea, the scent of the ocean mingling further inland. There was no escaping it, the heaviness settling over her, latched onto her shoulders. She tried not to look over her shoulder every time she stepped outside, to ignore the creeping worry that ran along her spine, waiting for something to come. Sabrina drew in a deep breath and pushed her anxiety down as she stepped into Heritage Handcrafts. The owner waved to her and Sabrina reciprocated before ducking into the back to find Nikolai. Her shoulders relaxed a bit as she spotted him, a genuine smile spreading across her lips as she watched him at work. She loved watching him build something or planning something out. Almost didn’t want to interrupt it for something as tedious as lunch plans.
Nikolai had been bent over a worktable, muttering to himself as he kept re-working the plans for a sculpture that had been commissioned. He knew it was possible, but there were a few sections that just weren't looking right. He was so absorbed in his drawings that it took him a long minute to realize that he had a visitor. It was apparent the moment he saw Sabrina, because he dropped everything, face lighting up in a smile as he crossed over to greet her with a kiss, wrapping his arms around her in a hug. "Hey- I didn't keep you waiting too long, did I?" he asked, giving her a small squeeze before he turned to find his coat, shrugging it on before wrapping his scarf around his neck. "I'm good when you are."
“It’s all good,” Sabrina assured him before reaching for his hand as they headed out of the shop together. The fog crept up on them as soon as they were outside. She forced down the desire to gag as the scent of the sea lingered in the air. It reminded her of the dreams when she was underwater, of the crown and the bodies, the thing slithering by her, not quite visible but its presence massive all the same. “I was thinking Italian?” The restaurant wasn’t far from his work. Close enough to walk to. Hopefully without encountering any of the monsters that were apparently creeping in and out of the fog. She didn’t sense anything nearby besides mortals moving about as they usually did.
Nikolai laced their fingers together as they stepped out of the shop. He blinked- it had been foggy on his way in, but he hadn't expected it to linger quite this much even hours later. The air was brisk, cold, and he tugged his scarf up over his ears with his free hand. "Italian sounds perfect," he replied with a smile, turning with her down the sidewalk. "And perhaps we could take a little walk afterward? If you have the time."
Sabrina would have made the time to walk with him if she hadn’t already had it in her schedule. “I’m free for the rest of the day. Unless an emergency pops up.” She was hopeful that there wouldn’t be any calls about monsters but with the increasing fog and the reports MIST had gotten, she wasn’t going to hold her breath. “How’s work…” She didn’t quite get the rest of the sentence out, head whipping toward the sound of someone calling out for their mother. It could have been nothing. Kids called out for their moms all the time, but the child’s voice was piercing, an anguish behind it that didn’t sound like tattling on a sibling. Maybe they were simply lost. An easy enough fix. There was a shriek afterward, a wailing that was cut off by the roaring of something that wasn’t human. Sabrina glanced over at Nikolai and then back at the fog, trying to make out of the shape of the child that was somewhere inside it.
"Well, let's hope there aren't any emergencies." Nikolai fell quiet, head tilted toward hers as they walked, but then he heard the child's voice. His own head turned in the same direction as hers, frowning into the fog. And then there was the shriek and a roar, and he hesitated for a second. "Should we go look?" He had pistols and a dagger on him- he didn't have his usual sword, but hoped he wouldn't need it. Honestly, he hoped he wouldn't need any of his weaponry, but it still felt strange to go around without anything, so he usually had something on hand. And Sabrina had powers, so he wasn't too worried about her ability to defend herself if needed. Normally, he wouldn't charge right in, but if it were a child, well- he wouldn't forgive himself if he'd stood back and done nothing, leaving a child to some terrible fate.
A shiver ran down her spine as Sabrina nodded. They couldn’t leave a child to some awful fate. She thrust her hands out in front of her, sending wind to scatter the fog as she started running toward the child’s cries. It was difficult to see, even as the wind pushed the fog aside to give the two of them a path forward. She couldn’t see any creature as she followed the child’s voice. They were near the waterfront, but Sabrina wasn’t sure if they’d passed by enough of the businesses to hit the main road that cut between the shops and rocky shoreline. The scent of the sea was stronger, but that could have just been in her mind. Everything smelled salty and briney when she was on this side of the town. The ground beneath her feet was no longer smooth as the child finally came into view but Sabrina didn’t dare look down, not wanting confirmation that they’d come to the rocky shoreline. If she didn’t see it then it wasn’t there. “Hello?” she called out to the little girl that was several feet in front of them. She didn’t look injured.
Nikolai kept one hand on his dagger, the other free as they started forward. He wasn't entirely sure how long they walked, but they heard the child continuing to cry out. The fog definitely spooked him out, and if it weren't for the change in the sky from daylight to night time, he would have wondered if this might be something similar to the Fold, some surge of magic causing all of this. The child came into view. She was small, no older than perhaps six or seven. Nikolai was quiet as Sabrina called out, not wanting to scare the girl. "Hello!" the girl called out. "I've lost my family. Can you help me?" Something about her was..odd. She didn't look like she'd just been crying, and she appeared alone. Nikolai reached a hand to Sabrina, placing it lightly at her back.
Something was wrong. The girl had been crying out moments before they could see her, her terror a living breathing thing, but now she was dry eyed, looking no worse for wear. Sabrina glanced around, trying to sense anything that she could about where they had headed to, for anything that might give her insight into what was happening. People had mentioned creatures with claws and teeth, ones that were giant cats, but this felt different. It felt familiar. She stepped back, pressing closer to Nikolai as she realized the fear that she could taste in the air was her own. “No,” she whispered, staring hard at the child that Sabrina was certain wasn’t actually one. The girl smiled, something dark and unpleasant that made Sabrina’s stomach clench. She knew that smile, she knew those eyes. Sabrina pressed her hand into Nikolai’s chest, fingers curling tightly in his coat. “We need to go. Right now. We need to go.” But the girl was already changing, her body growing, expanding larger than should have been possible. Her dress ripped from her body as her limbs changed, feet twisting into multiple tentacles that slammed onto the ground as her laugh echoed into the air.
Nikolai stepped closer to Sabrina as she pressed closer. When the little girl smiled, he felt a chill go down his spine, and he was already stepping backwards, sliding an arm around Sabrina as she spoke. "Yes, that's- good idea." His eyes widened as the transformation occurred, the girl's facial features distorting as she grew, tentacles bursting out over the sand. Nikolai could feel the darkness inside him, rising up in response and he hesitated, trying to keep it down. "Sabrina, I think you should run. Call for help- I'll distract it- this- whatever it is."
“Y̷̥̿̑o̵͙̔̕ủ̷̬͐ ̴̖̩̿̈́ċ̸̤a̵͓̿ǹ̸̟'̴̖̈́ț̶͖̈́ ̸̣͇̿r̸̝̪͐ǔ̴̮͇n̵̻͓̋,̵̺̓́͜ ̷͓͎̆Ŝ̷̤̋a̷̮̫̾b̴͚̯̈̍r̷̥͋̃ḯ̵̠̗̂ṉ̵̗̾͐a̷̒
"What does she mean?" Nikolai asked quietly, glancing at Sabrina. The thing was moving too quickly, and he could already feel his nails growing, hands going darker. Nikolai could feel the anger and darkness thick around them as she continued toward them. Another two steps and he felt wings unfold at his back, claws transforming. He wasn't going to hurt Sabrina, but he started forward at the monster, intending to knock her over. He heard a scream, and a tentacle knocked him aside. He rolled, pushing back up onto his feet to go at her again, his every instinct screaming at him to protect Sabrina.
Everything was somehow happening too fast and too slow all at once. It was like Sabrina was frozen inside her own body for a moment, watching everything else happen but not quite hearing it. All she could hear was the sound of the waves crashing against the shore as though they were beckoning her to go forward. To let them drag her out to sea. But then Nikolai was knocked aside by a tentacle and whatever hold The Deep One had over her snapped. She lashed out, sending fire raining down on the Creature-That-Was-Alice. Her roar was excruciatingly loud and Sabrina pressed her hands to her ears as she dodged the tentacle that tried to wrap itself around her. She teleported toward Nikolai as she sent more fire toward the creature, singeing a tentacle. It healed almost instantly. “I think she’s trying to get me to the ocean,” Sabrina told him, grabbing onto him to teleport the two as another tentacle swiped at them.
Nikolai winced as fire rained down, but he managed to distract her long enough for Sabrina to singe a tentacle. "I'm not letting her take you. You're staying wherever you want to be." If he'd had time to think about it, he would have been more surprised that he was more or less conscience, in control of his bearings and his actions. They teleported out of the creature's reach, and he turned to Sabrina. "Are you safe if you stay? Or do you need to leave? I can give you time, try to get rid of her."
“I’m not leaving you here alone with her.” She didn’t doubt that he could defend himself, especially with his own creature pushing through for control. But running wasn’t the answer. She’d been doing that for months now. Avoiding this area, trying not to think about what had happened to Alice in the sea. “I̴̻̐̒ ̶̠̿̇j̷̹̫̈́̈u̶̘͑͘s̸͓̯̚t̴̗͋ ̴͇͗ẅ̶̖͍́ã̴̧̓n̷͓̈́́ṫ̸̯̻ ̷̼͉̐͠y̴̨̿o̵̟̊͑u̸̞̥̓̅.” Sabrina shuddered at the voice that reverberated in her head, digging itself deeper into her mind. It was cold, fathomless and with a darkness that she’d only ever experienced twice before and never wanted to be dragged into ever again. Was it a threat or a promise that was weaved into the words? If she went, did that mean everyone else would be spared? At least of whatever wrath the creature in the sea might bring forth? Two tentacles struck next, one managing to grasp Sabrina by the ankle and slam her down into the ground, knocking the wind out of her. Everything hurt as she was dragged across the rocky sand and toward the ocean, the fog closing in around her.
"No!" Nikolai's voice didn't sound entirely like his as he cried out. Everything felt like it was in slow motion as Sabrina was dragged and Nikolai reached for his pistol, aiming a shot at the monster. It hit a tentacle, then grazed what looked like her side, slowing the creature down. Nikolai ran at her, aiming one more shot at her before slipping it back into his holster, hand pulling out his dagger. His vision blurred at the edges and he lunged, aiming the dagger for any soft spot as he tackled her down. She struggled against him, and he let the creature inside him take over, rage at the thing trying to take what wasn't hers overwhelming him. Tentacles released Sabrina as they tried to wrap around Nikolai, but the creature he became wouldn't stop until she fell unconscious, pushing up just out of reach before flying at her, claws extended. When she finally fell, it landed on the sand with a thump, snapping her neck before straightening, stumbling a few steps backwards before falling down. Nikolai was only sort of aware of what the creature had done, but the effects of it came into focus as he slowly pushed back into consciousness a minute or so later. Everything hurt, and he was pretty sure he was bleeding- was his arm broken? Just his hand? "Sabrina-?"
“S̸̠̪̍͌a̵͇͕̋̾b̷͙̻́̅ȑ̴͚i̴͖͒̑n̸̝̓͝a̶͍͝ .” It tried to delve deeper into her mind, tugging at the synapses that would make her crawl the last few feet into the water. Nikolai’s voice reverberated louder though and Sabrina pushed herself up, blocking the other voice out as best she could. She crawled over to where he lay, the creature that had been Alice only a few feet away and clearly dead with how her neck was twisted. Was it his blood or Alice’s that she felt as she knelt beside him, trying to figure out where he was injured and how badly. Her face was wet, vision cloudy. It took Sabrina a moment to realize it was because she was crying, every breath she took sounded more like a sob as she took Nikolai’s hand in hers. How did she heal it? She was supposed to be able to heal it but she couldn’t think clearly. They were still too close to the ocean, the voice trying to press past her barriers again. Sabrina clenched her eyes shut and screamed, the air around them sparking as dark clouds rolled into the sky above them. Lightning struck the ocean beyond, over and over, before the voice finally retreated, the tide taking Alice’s body back out to the sea. Sabrina tried to take a breath but she couldn’t seem to do so, another sob wracking through her body. “I can’t do this again.”
Nikolai breathed a little easier as Sabrina came into view. His eyes drifted shut, but then she was crying- no, worse, and he opened his eyes, pushing himself up to sit. Yep, the arm it was. Thankfully, she had taken his good arm, and he tugged her gently closer. "Hey, I'm here," he started quietly, sliding his arm around her and pressing a kiss to her temple. "We're okay." Lightning struck in the distance, and Nikolai shivered- his coat and shirt had ripped when his wings appeared, but thankfully he was dressed from the waist down. He gently rocked her side to side, letting her cry it out for as long as she needed to. He hadn't heard everything that had happened to her before, but she'd spoken of the Sea God, and he was able to figure that this might be related. He'd heard the voice of the child-monster just as she did, had felt the rage and bitterness of the thing before she'd attacked. And he had a feeling that she hadn't really let herself let go about it before.
Sabrina clung to him, arms wrapped tightly around him as she pressed her face into the crook of his neck. It wasn’t just the Sea God. It was that. It was Vecna invading her mind and taking her memories. The church in Dunwich taking something from her as well. It was The Void, the Endless, The Darkness and every other damnable Eldritch horror that she’d dealt with back home. Each of them stripping away another piece of her until she’d given her life so the world could go on. And then been ripped away from a peaceful afterlife only to do it all again. Over and over to keep balance to a world that hated her. It was a father she’d loved and had never wanted her. A father who’d wanted her so that she would help him destroy the world and then tossed her aside and tried to kill her when she refused. It was always something. It was never going to end. Not even in Dunwich. Now there was just some new endless chaos that she was meant to endure. Get back up and keep smiling. Maybe sacrifice herself all over again. Would it even last this time? It hadn’t any of the others. She’d only be brought back to do it all over again. Who would she lose in the process now? Daimon? Nikolai? Sookie? All of them? Sabrina didn’t have any of the words she needed to say, she wasn’t sure she’d have been able to voice them even if she did. Her throat hurt, voice raw as she continued to sob, not caring about the cold nipping at her exposed skin.
Nikolai was quiet, holding her closely. He didn't know everything she had been through, but he could tell that she'd been through enough. And he wondered if she'd ever let herself cry, the way she was sobbing and grasping onto him. He didn't mind that- he was relieved that she trusted him enough to see her like this, and he spoke quiet words of reassurance into her hair. He was there with her, and she wasn't alone. He swore that he would do everything in his power to keep her safe for as long as he was able to. She didn't ever have to do any of this alone. And on and on he went, letting her take as much time as she needed.
She didn’t hear much of what he said at first, but slowly she was able to make sense of his words. The sobbing stopped, but her breathing was still shaky, coming out in little hiccups as she relaxed her hold on him. Sabrina didn’t move away completely, but she remembered how to do some things again. She focused on his body, her eyes still closed, and slowly the injuries he’d sustained corrected themselves. Bones healed, scratches and wounds closed up as if he’d never been hurt at all. The waves crashed against the shore and Sabrina tensed, holding onto Nikolai a little tighter before teleporting them away from the shoreline. They were in his house, the big bathtub behind them. The last place she could recall being truly happy in Dunwich.
Nikolai breathed a sigh as his injuries healed up. He never wanted to assume that she'd do this for him, but he had to admit that it definitely beat the alternative, based on some of what he'd seen on television here. It felt different than it did when the Grisha healed him, and didn't take quite as long, and he wrapped both arms around her once everything healed. And then they were in his bathroom, and he couldn't help his low chuckle. "Let me fix you a bath? I can bring lunch up here for us and join you, if you'd like?" He could reach out to Ellery, let her know that he'd need the afternoon. He was sure she'd understand- even she had mentioned some of the strange happenings going on in town. But Nikolai was hesitant to leave Sabrina's side, not until he was sure she was okay.
Sabrina nodded, even if she didn’t move away from him. A bath sounded like a good idea and none of the bathbombs he’d gotten for her smelled like the sea. “Yeah, I’d like that.” Her voice cracked as she spoke and Sabrina rubbed her throat, nose scrunching at the sound. “Can you let Daimon know what happened? And Julia.” The chances of her being ready to head out to help out with any emergencies was definitely slim.
Nikolai nodded, keeping an arm around her as he led her to the edge of the tub. He reached over to start the water, turning the knob for the drain stopper and checking the water's temperature. He handed Sabrina the basket to pick which bath bomb or bubbles she wanted to add, then helped her to undress and settle in the tub, more than happy to take care of her in this small way. It didn't take him long to get the message out to Julia and Daimon, then texting Ellery to let her know that an emergency had come up and he'd let her know when he'd be back in. If nothing else, he had a workshop at home and could do some planning there as well. He put together a quick lunch- a charcuterie tray of sorts, with breads, meats, cheeses, and other little finger foods, setting it all on a tray before bringing it up with a bottle of water and setting it on a small table next to the tub. He knelt down outside of the tub, arms crossed on the side of it. "Do you want to talk about it?"
The citrusy scents and heat of the water helped warm Sabrina’s frozen limbs, to ease the cold chill that had clutched tightly at her heart. The fear was still there at the edges. She doubted it would ever go away. Not as long as The Deep One was still out there and interested in her. She drew her knees to her, arms wrapping around her legs at Nikolai’s question. “I think that was Alice.” She didn’t look at him, chin resting on top of her knees. The child had transformed into the thing with her face at least, slightly distorted but Sabrina knew her voice, knew her eyes. “She was my boss. The one who sacrificed people.” Who’d nearly sacrificed her. “We gave her to the Sea God in my place.” Sabrina touched her throat, remembering the pearl necklace that had been there. “Apparently he doesn’t accept her in my place.” She looked at Nikolai then. “I heard him there. In my head.”
Nikolai was quiet, giving her time to say what she wanted- what she needed to. She looked so small, and he wanted to wrap her up in his arms, but he'd get to that in a little bit. He tilted his head as he listened, eyes widening when she spoke of hearing the god. "I- oh, that's terrible." He felt a pang of guilt for killing her, but honestly, it was all in self defense. And was it even him, when the shadow had been in control? He wasn't sure. Reaching out, he gently smoothed back a little bit of Sabrina's hair, tucking it behind her ear. "What did he say? Is he still there now?"
She looked away when he asked what the old god had said. “He just wants me.” She rested her chin back against her knees. “I don’t know if he’d go away then. He wasn’t around for at least a century before…now. I’m not sure if he succeeded in getting a bride the other times and he needs a new one every hundred years.” That was another terrifying layer added to it all. What did he do to them? How used up were they before he needed someone new? “But no. He’s not here now. I don’t hear him.” Sabrina hoped she wasn’t going to dream of him again. At least not the kind where he was actually in them and manipulating her. The heroic thing to do was probably let herself be taken but she was so tired of being heroic. Couldn’t she be selfish for once?
"I'm not going to let him take you." Nikolai lifted himself up on his knees to kiss her temple again. "We'll find a way around it. You're safe here, and we'll figure out a plan- there has to be a way to end this." Perhaps it was selfish. He didn't entirely care at the moment. "You're one of the best things to ever happen to me, and I'm not giving you up that easily. Sea god or not." Nikolai shifted a little to tug the side table with the tray a little closer. "Do you want me to join you, or stay here? I brought water and food- we'll both need it, after that encounter."
She felt a little better at his words. If anyone understood the call of duty, she knew it would be him. Sabrina might not have ever stepped foot in Ravka, but she’d heard him talk about it, could tell how much he loved his country and would sacrifice for his country. Maybe they weren’t there, but it meant something for him to choose her over everyone else. They both had chosen everyone else for so long. Sabrina reached out and brushed her fingers against his cheek. “You better get in this tub with me.” He was right about the food and water though. She was starving and everything he’d brought did look delicious.
Nikolai tilted his head toward her touch, breathing a laugh at her instruction. "Aye aye, Captain," he teased, leaning forward for a brief kiss before he pushed himself up to his feet. As he hadn't donned another shirt after his transformation, it didn't take long at all before he was settled in the tub with her, letting her lean back into him. "I think we might want to shift focus toward controlling the..thing," Nikolai started, his voice soft as he reached for a bit of food. "I transformed that time, but I was still conscious of myself and what I was doing, until the rage took over. There might be a way to make this..whatever it is.. to make it work."
Sabrina took a long drink of the water, letting it soothe her still aching throat. Her mouth twisted at his comment about working toward control. Was that what he really wanted? There was always a possibility they could eradicate the creature inside of him completely. She placed the bottle back onto the tray and leaned back against him. “It didn’t…it never went after me. Like to hurt me, I mean. I didn’t see much of what was happening while I was trying to get out of her grip, but the darkness inside of you was pretty intent on stopping Alice from getting me.” “But,” Sabrina shifted slightly so she could look at him. She held one of his hands, fingers tracing over the dark lines. “Do you really want to control it? Like yes, it could be useful, but not if you’re losing yourself. You were doing a pretty decent job shooting at it and with the daggers.”
"I'm coming to realize that. And I don't know how it picks and chooses. Or why." Nikolai sighed softly, thinking. "But that's twice now that it's come out to protect you. That can't be coincidence, could it?" He wasn't sure that he believed in coincidences. Things happened because of choices you made, actions you took. Or those of others. "If I can find a way to control it without entirely losing myself, it might be worth it." He looked down to where she was tracing over the lines on the back of his hands. "I'm faster, I can fly. That's really handy if I'm fighting more in the future. But..how do you balance that sort of darkness? How do you bring it under control? Can that even be done?"
Sabrina didn’t believe in coincidences either. Actions had consequences. They defined who someone was and what happened to them. To others. But she also knew fate could be a cruel mistress. Technically mistresses considering there were three of them. But darkness. Oh that she knew. She’d been pulled down deep into it ever since she was sixteen. She’d tried denying it and then mastering it. Finally, she’d had to accept it. Only then had she been able to really step onto the path of becoming who she would. “I had to learn to accept mine. I can’t change who my father is or that half of me is darkness. Or that my inheritance is the worst plane of existence in my universe. Trying to deny it only had it festering and being used against me. Kept me from learning what I could really do. But also, realizing it wasn’t all of me. That there were other parts to me as well. Dark and light. Heaven and Hell. Mortal and…well, whatever else. I’m still not entirely sure about that part.” Witch, half-demon, half-witch, antichrist…the list went on and on. “It’s not as easy as being like yes I accept this piece of me. It takes a lot of soul searching and mental craziness but it's possible.”
Nikolai was quiet as she spoke, listening to her words. He knew she'd understand what it was like- maybe not exactly, but it was somewhat of a relief to know that she wasn't afraid of this thing inside of him. "I wouldn't change a thing about you. I wish I could do more to help some of your hurts, to keep you safe and out of the attentions of some mad sea god, but I also know you're entirely capable." He pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "I'll think about it some more. But I think right now, if I can learn more about this..thing, if I can figure out a way to control it and work with it- it might not be such a bad thing." Nikolai offered a smile. "But we can think about all of that later. I think maybe now we eat, clean up, and maybe take a nap? I could give you a back rub, if you'd like."
“Okay, good.” It wasn’t something to do lightly, she knew that. So Sabrina was pleased he was going to consider it some more and not after the chaos they’d just endured. She squeezed his hand as she nodded. His plan seemed like a good one. She was hungry and she was exhausted. “You do more than you already know,” she assured him, bringing his hand she was holding up to her lips. She pressed a soft kiss to it. “Let’s save the back rub for when there’s less of a chance of me falling asleep on you.”
"Yeah? Good." Nikolai shifted a little to press a kiss to her cheek, then relaxed back against the side of the tub. "Go ahead and eat what you'd like, and I'll wash your hair when we're ready." They'd been through a lot that day, and he had a lot to think about with this power inside of him. But he could save that for another time- for now, getting them both food and rest was at the top of his list.