tucky | ♻ 014 | audio/spam

[audio]

Y'all doing okay? Merlin, Mason, Iris? And...

[She almost mentions Simon's name too, but she's unsure of how he feels about her right now - she hasn't yet been able to work up the courage to ask him if he's mad at her for having Merlin exorcise him, and she figures now isn't a good time for that conversation.]

And everyone else, yeah. Everybody. Some people up and disappeared; other people saw that, right? One second they was here and the next they was gone. And then they got replaced by these monsters here. Do you think they turned into them? Is that what happened?

[It's a terrifying (though, luckily, completely off-base) thought.]

Listen - these things are real nasty; I'm sure you've noticed that yourselves. I have had several close calls myself, and... I got my metal rod, from the port, but it ain't doing much. I'm gonna admit right now that I've mostly been running and hiding. How do you fight them? Can you use magic? Exorcisms? Can you--

[She suddenly gives a surprised, scared little yelp.]

-- shit.

[There's a rustling sound as she quickly shoves her phone in her pants pocket, and the sound of quick, light footsteps as she takes off - followed by the heavy, rumbling sound of something very big following. Run, Tucky, run.]

[spam]

[Ordinarily she'd try to take refuge in the chapel, but it doesn't feel safe to her anymore - Dillon's dying in there had partially tainted it for her, and whatever the hell is happening to the floor in the spot where it had happened has finished the job. It's been days since she last visited, and right now she has no plans to ever go back. Mostly, she can be found in the halls - traveling between floors when necessary, and checking up on her people. True to what she says in her broadcast, most of her defense against the monsters involves running as fast as possible, though when she's backed into a corner she can sometimes be found trying to fight one off with an iron fireplace poker. She's woefully unprepared for this. Some of those times she might get rescued, or even manage to find one off, but other times she won't; she'll die many times over the course of the week, sometimes two or three times in a row. The physical effects will be hard to ignore, but she'll push the emotional ones aside for the time being, numbing herself to them for the sake of her sanity.

When she's on her own (though she tries not to be), she moves as little as possible, using her cabin as home base during those first few days. She risks a trip to the dining hall when it gets too hard to ignore the hunger pangs, but it's far enough from her room that she doesn't want to make a habit of it - so she raids whatever is left out, taking as much of what she can find as she can carry.

Later in the week, she can also be found in the infirmary. Merlin works there and she's sticking to him like glue as much as possible; she'll also be trying to use her (very basic) first aid skills to help out the wounded, and (more likely) playing fetch and carry when people need things. She might even go out on rescue missions sometimes - going after people who need help getting to safety. She wants to be brave and heroic; she wants to make her warden proud.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

... You're gonna be okay, right?

I'll be happier once you're safe. But I'll be fine, Tiffany. You just take care of yourself.

I will. And I can try to take care of other people, too.

I'm gonna make good decisions here too, Merlin.

I trust you.

...do you have a weapon? I should have let you keep a sword. That was me making a bad decision.

I don't know how to use one; you were right.

I have that poker, but that's all.

I'll give you a knife when you get here.

Just - only fight if you can't run, Tiffany. I mean it.

Okay. I promise.

[And she will get there, eventually. She'll show up for a visit later that day.]

Merlin?

Tiffany. Are you alright? Are you hurt?

[He's not looking brilliant - not everything visiting today has needed medical attention - but he perks up when he sees her, and crosses the Infirmary immediately. He stays at arm's length for a moment, checking her over for any obvious signs of injury.]

I'm okay. My neck hurts.

[She'd been killed once on her way up - thrown hard against a wall by a felhunter, snapping her neck instantly.]

I'm still looking around for people, so I... I don't think I'm gonna stay here for the rest of the day. Okay?

[Merlin, of course, doesn't quite twig that she's death-tolling - normally he'd need to request her restoration, as he did after their first port.]

You...

[No, he wants to say. Stay here so I can protect you. But he can't force her, and he knows she'd only resent being imprisoned for her own safety.

He reaches in his bag for the sheathed knife he promised her, holds it out hilt-first for her to take. It bears repeating:]

Only fight if you can't run, Tiffany. I'm holding you to your promise, alright?

I know.

[She tucks the knife into the waistband of her jeans, then leans forward to hug Merlin.]

This has gotta be a flood, right? I'll be done in a few days.

Yeah. It'll be over soon.

[He hugs her tightly.]

Come back here whenever you need to, or want to. I know I'll be able to use your help.

I will. I wanna be with you.

[Her neck is still throbbing. She has to tell him, she thinks.]

Merlin?

[He draws back to look her in the face.]

Yes?

When I was coming up here, I met one of those monsters in the hallway. It swept me out of its way with its big paw, and I hit the wall, and...

[His brow furrows. He doesn't like where this is going but he can't presume.]

And?

And then nothing. Until I woke up on the floor and I was alone and my neck was hurting.

Merlin, I hit the wall head first, right here.

[She touches her neck.]

I think I died.

[Merlin moves closer, looks at her neck. There's nothing to see - no bruising, no broken skin, no scar. Just phantom pains, like after the kaiju.]

But you woke up right away? I couldn't tell from my Item that you...

[He frowns.]

You know this and you're still certain you want to go back out?

[She isn't certain. The infirmary seems nice and quiet and safe, at least right now. Most of her friends are wardens, and fighters; she's worried about them, but not scared for them. She's no doctor or nurse, but she could possibly be of some use here, if only to bring people things when they need them. She has grand thoughts of being a Barge-wide hero, bravely striking out on her own and bringing people to safety. She'd be praised and congratulated and lauded.

But it's not a particularly realistic idea. And there's also the problem of...]

... Merlin, I need to find Mason.

[Merlin nods. Risky or not, she loves Mason, she needs to see him. He can respect that - but he needs to think of her as well.]

Then try to find out where he is and then go to him. Searching the ship looking for him, it's - it's too dangerous.

If he's hurt he might not be able to answer his phone.

I know it's dangerous, and I'm scared. But I want to be the strong person who helps take care of people; I like being that person.

[And Merlin, honestly, likes her being the person who doesn't get killed by monsters repeatedly. It's painful to not just give an order when he's almost certain she'll follow. Because of that. And eventually he nods.]

It's your decision, Tiffany.

... You're gonna let me go?

[Merlin chews his bottom lip for a second. She's always been honest with him; he can be, too. He looks her in the eye.]

I don't want you to go. I want you to be here, where I can keep you safe. But I know you'd never be able to live with yourself, if someone you love was hurt and you couldn't be there for them, because I was selfish.

So I'm not - letting you. I'm telling you it's your choice.

[Merlin, she is pretty sure you are in fact the best person in the world. She throws her arms around him again.]

I love you, too.

♻ 014 | audio/spam

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