seaoftroubles | Haven end run preplay part 2: the bloodening

seaoftroubles

Duke gets his trouble triggered by Octavia in a kitchen accident and our crew discover that post-trouble bomb, it is EVEN MORE DIRE as he goes black-eyed and can't stop himself from trying to stalk whoever set him off
Lucifer and Octavia stop Duke from doing anything bad (has Octavia make him bleed maybe so he can use his massive power supply to knock Duke tf out?). Duke recovers and says "fuck this, we need to end it" and suggests they go back to Haven one final time to figure out how to end the troubles forever.
They arrive in Haven and Duke IMMEDIATELY goes into convulsions and vanishes in a burst of green smoke. OOPS.
Lucifer and Octavia find Gloria (and Dwight maybe? And/or Nathan?), find out about the "no marks killer" who has been going around killing troubled folks -- and all the troubles that are going off like crazy without Audrey around to talk them down. I imagine there's some "okay, that sucks but WHERE THE FUCK IS OUR BOYFRIEND????"
Duke is spotted around town murking folks, but they can't quite catch him
I may or may not write a scene of Duke and Croatoan while Duke is under his control
Trap set for Duke? Not at the police station. Gloria's house or the hospital/morgue, maybe, since she's coronering. Duke takes the bait, Lucifer pounces again to keep him from, getting away. After a false start or two during which Croat!Duke is DEEPLY UPSETTINGLY CREEPY AT THEM, Lucifer and Octavia manage to talk him around. (Possibly using Duke's new joy at being the subbiest sub who ever subbed!)
Duke starts leaking troubles when Croatoan realizes he's broken his hold. He panics, and Octavia or Lucifer cover his eyes to keep the troubles in. Gloria goes "I'll get some drugs!" and scoots to find something to drug Duke with if need be (and gets out of harms way ;D). Duke takes over the eye-covering -- and goes into muscle contractions as Croat tries pull aether out by another route. This doesn't last long before Croatoan APPEARS DRAMATICALLY IN THE DOOR looking like a gremlin cosplaying as a noir detective. Duke can't even see him -- he's covering his eyes -- but goes "FUCK THIS SHIT" and starts launching the troubles he still has control over at the guy. I really like the idea that at least one of them is radioactive. Maybe Croat!Duke killed the lady from the nonsense trouble episode and got her "shooting microwaves" power. Lucifer and Octavia also fight. Eventually Croat EXPLODES (or . . . dissolves . . . or otherwise dies grotesquely) and our three spend a moment just panting for breath and looking at each other, all "omg, is that it? did we win?"
Duke collapses dead. Weeping and gnashing of teeth. Lucifer gods the fuck out, wiping out the troubles in a giant aether-nado, and resurrects Duke, who's spent maybe 30 seconds dead -- but that's [mumble mumble] amount of time in Hell so he's still a littttttle bit fucked.
They go home and have more angsty h/c times yay!
(Also probably Octavia checks on Gloria first and maybe convinces her to retire to Baltimore XP)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia snorted, as she turned her attention back to the cutting board (where she'd kept the knife very safely against it, thank you) and reached for one of the vegetables.

"Okay, any other helpful tips?"

From:

betterthanaplan

Of course she had! That was what made his joke funny.

"Mmm, let's see how you do," he said. "Ah, wait, hang on, there is this first."

He kissed her cheek in return.

"Now you're ready."

From:

okteiviakom

"Ridiculous man," Octavia huffed, not selling any sort of offense even a little bit.

She made her first cut, confident.

From:

betterthanaplan

“I’m the tripiest,” Duke agreed. He leaned into just a little as he watched her work.

He loved watching her work. Loved watching her do just about anything, really.

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia had a lot of competence in her favor in doing a lot of things, and a big stubborn streak to make up for the things where she didn't. This was more the former, even if only a fraction of her knife skills had been developed cutting vegetables or fruit. She kept cutting the one at hand, not necessarily with practiced ease, but ease all the same.

But then there was a part that was harder, an unfortunate surprise, and the blade slipped. Cut her finger. And not a little nick, but a gash.

Which would've still been fine if she just hadn't moved. The blood would've stayed where it was.

But impulse had her hiss and yank the hand back.

From:

betterthanaplan

Duke reacted fast, pulling back and away the moment she hissed -- but it wasn't fast enough. A drop of blood hit the last knuckle on his index finger. He had just enough time to spot it before it soaked in --

And his body reacted.

The rush wasn't the same as it had been before Mara pumped so much more aether into him. It wasn't a wave that rolled over and through him that he could ride out. It was a sledgehammer. A wrecking ball. A wall. He stiffened, trying desperately to control the urge to lunge for Octavia and that injured finger, to rip into her and devour the trouble he could sense inside her.

He managed to croak out a single, agonized syllable before he couldn't fight it anymore.

"Run."

Edited Date: 2024-11-13 04:17 pm (UTC)

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia felt him pull back, and immediately realized what had happened. What she'd done.

(Stupid, careless --)

Instinct took over immediately and she ducked away from him before whipping around - which was when she saw his eyes. Black, not silver. Not his usual trouble, something worse, something Mara.

He managed his one strained syllable right as she bolted for the door.

From:

betterthanaplan

At least they were on the same page!

Though unfortunately the best Duke could do to control this latest horrifying iteration of Haven fuckery was restrain himself to a stalk as he went after her.

She wouldn't be able to convince him of her lack of trouble anymore. He could sense it in her; not just the unusual resistance to radiation that set his old trouble off. He could specifically sense the aether.

And he -- or the lizard brain part of him now fully under the sway of his own aether -- wanted it.

Edited Date: 2024-11-13 06:42 pm (UTC)

From:

okteiviakom

This was definitely different. He'd been able to contain it, before, especially with what had had to have been barely a drop of blood. He hadn't come after her like this.

Octavia didn't look back. She rushed out into the hallway, nearly stumbling on the way, catching the door frame just in time.

All she had to do right now was get out of the house. That was all that mattered, she couldn't let herself get trapped.

From:

betterthanaplan

Duke kept himself from rushing, but that didn't help his long legs from eating up the distance as she ran.

He didn't stumble. He didn't pause. (He tried to, oh god, he tried!) He just. Kept. Coming.

From:

okteiviakom

Yeah. Yeah, he did. Octavia couldn't let herself think about how terrifying that was.

But he was still in there. Right? He was.

"I'm gonna fix this!"

She skittered to the front door. She'd just have to get it open. That was all. Then she'd be able to run down the street. Open space.

From:

betterthanaplan

Duke managed another strangled syllable. "How?"

Oh god, he wanted. He always wanted her, but now, he wanted what was in her. All his darker impulses were roaring for it, along with a force he only barely understood.

He wasn't full of troubles anymore. And something inside him needed them. And would get them at any cost.

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia got to the door, unwilling to look back, much too aware he was right at her heels. The distances inside the house were too short.

"Lucifer."

She tore the door open, and bolted out.

From:

betterthanaplan

A little seed of hope sprouted in Duke's chest.

The rest of him was still on her heels, grabbing for her just as she got the door open, fingers brushing the fabric of her sleeve before she was out of reach.

He didn't stop. Didn't curse. He just. Kept. Stalking.

From:

okteiviakom

Something in Octavia felt pure terror at feeling Duke's hand graze her sleeve, but she didn't allow herself to think about it.

She sprinted, with all the power she had in her body, trying to put more distance between them as she also tried to fumble her phone out of her pocket. She'd achieved one goal (get out), she could achieve another (tell Lucifer).

From:

betterthanaplan

It took everything Duke had not to break into a run after her. She was getting away. The trouble inside her was getting away!

His jaw was clenched so tight it sent shockwaves of pain through his neck. His hands were clenched so hard at his sides his fingernails drew blood.

But he kept that same steady pace, long even strides. Like the killer in a slasher movie, always there, following.

From:

okteiviakom

The little bit of extra distance was all Octavia needed. It wasn't going to be something she could keep up forever, but hopefully she wouldn't have to.

More fumbling with the phone. Then she clasped it to her ear.

Pick up, Lucifer, pick up.

From:

my_own_advocate

Of course Lucifer picked up. He always picked up.

Though he did sound a tad bit confused. "Yes, darling?"

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia sounded breathless, and not in a good way.

"It's Duke, his trouble -- he's after me, hurry!"

From:

my_own_advocate

"But--"

--that wasn't how Duke managed his--

"I'm on my way," Lucifer said, as the panic in her voice hit him like a brick.

He was out the door in moments.

From:

okteiviakom

And Octavia kept running, down along Griffin Way, towards the port. A glance back confirmed what she already knew: Duke was still coming.

But she had hope, now.

From:

betterthanaplan

Duke was still there. Still after her.

Starting to despair that this reaction was ever going to wear off.

(But he was so hungry, and what he craved was in her veins, one taste wasn’t enough. . . .)

From:

my_own_advocate

And there he was.

And there she was.

And there was-- "Duke!" Lucifer snarled, landing between them with his wings still outstretched. "Stop."

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia heard wings, and then Lucifer's voice. She skittered to a stop, almost falling over, lungs and legs burning.

Turned around, eyes wide.

From:

betterthanaplan

Duke reared back, the force driving his body flinching instinctively from those wings. He tried to wrench back control, steering into the swerve as it were, and turn around at least, but instead he was darting sideways, picking up speed to try and veer around him.