deercountry | [Open] Keep it locked up, keep it sealed tight

Entry tags:

[Open] Keep it locked up, keep it sealed tight

Who: Varian and YOU!
What: Varian's final corrupted days, his beasthood turn and the aftermath. See his corruption/monster page HERE!
When: First 2 weeks of Jan- before the event.
Where: Around the city!

Content Warnings: Applicable content warnings go here. Mentions of death, corruption, dissociation.

Hope you've stocked up - Last days of corruption

Anyone who's close to Varian will have noticed his slow corruption growth over the last two months. By the time January rolls around, things have gotten worse instead of better. By now his skin is made of a thick, black rock. This same black rock has turned his teeth into sharp fangs and his nails into claws. two amber horns sprout out from his head, and his elbows and one remaining ankle have spurs of the same stuff- as is the tail he's since gotten, flicking nervously as he paces around- firey red eyes darting around furtively.

He'd largely been keeping himself out of sight, trying to handle this alone, but his hallucinations have driven him onwards. He stares at things seemingly only he can see. If he comes across you, he'll grip your arm tightly (sorry if those claws hurt, he's not even thinking about it). He points at an empty spot of nothing, worry on his face.

"Eugene!" you are definitely not Eugene, but it's clear that's who he's seeing right now. "We- we gotta deal with these rocks before they take over everything! There's...there's got to be a cavern around here somewhere so we can cut them off, right?"

It's a long night - Monsterdom (Gaze and surrounding area)

Regardless of how much or how little help he gets in his final days of corruption, eventually, Fern decides enough is enough and the best way to handle this is to Fistfight God. Which is to say, he goes off to confront The Tower about this and gets himself killed by Never Mind in the process. Varian got there too late, and being the driving reason behind his boyfriend dying again was the final nail in the coffin for him.

The transformation is quick and sharp, and what's left is a a ten-foot rock monster spewing fire everywhere. His leg is still missing in this form, at least, which should help anyone with a quick ID-check. Varian himself rages through the city, slamming against buildings and breathing fire at anyone foolish enough to come close. It's definitely attracting the attention of nearby hunters- so perhaps finding a way to talk him back down before there's another death today would be for the best?

Nothing good is meant to stay - Aftermath

Eventually, Varian lets his friends in, lets them talk him down and the best hood fades. Parts of corruption still cling to him- his skin is still an unhealthy grey colour and his nails aren't quite back to normal yet. He's also sitting in a ball on the floor- partly out of shock and partly because he can't go anywhere without his leg - if someone could fetch him that, that would be awesome.

Or perhaps you come to him in the days that follow. He mostly stays near the Disaster House in Cassandra, as he waits for Fern to come back to life. He can be found inside the house, or sometimes sitting on the front porch, people-watching. Though he's certainly not better yet, day by day the signs of corruption lessen. Any visitors will get a tired smile, he's still a little withdrawn, but he's getting there.

"H-hey, thanks for checking in," nothing has changed how awkward he is at least! "Um...how are you doing?"

Because obviously, you're here for him to check up on you. Obviously.

[[OOC: The monster battle is intended to be open to any CR who want to take part. No ONE character will be responsible for talking him down from monsterdom, it is intended to be a team effort- hammering home that Varian is able to rely on his support network. Feel free to make separate threads, team up with other players, thread hop, etc. Do what you like, and we can wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey it so it happened around the same time- to make it easier than players trying to keep to one concurrent thread! Go nuts! As always please hit me up on

teeeff for anything! ]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Reaper had seen the monster that Varian had become, and while he might not know all the details of the shift, he could make some educated guesses. It didn't hurt that Fern was 'missing' when the rampage started. And Reaper considered intervening, but his version was not much to the liking of others he imagined. So he had followed and he had watched from the shadows.

This was beasthood, was it? He knew Varian had a shady past full of questionable deeds, but he would have thought the kid more resilient. This was the cost of getting close, wasn't it? It was good that he wasn't living there anymore.

Still, once the corruption had calmed, he made his appearance when Varian happened to be seated outside of the house. His arrival was proceeded by a black peacock fluttering down from a rooftop to come to stand on the fence, strutting along with a swish of extravagant tail feathers. Wraith came to a stop and gave a rustle of feathers, watchful.

Reaper glided down a full minute later, using Wraith to assess the situation before physically coming. He came to rest silently on his feet by the fence gate and eased his hip to rest against it, folding his arms over his chest.]

Do you require anything?

[Varian would never regret coming close to anyone (much less Fern) because as much as that connection was what eventually broke him- it was the connections he'd made here that brought him back. That made it so he didn't have to be killed as a monster to stop him from destroying half the city.

The peacock- extra as he is- is a sign of only one person and the sight of him brings a tired smile to Varian's face- one that only grew when the man himself made an appearance. ]

Trust me, I'm not allowed to require anything. I've pretty much got round-the-clock care. I had to sneak out to get here.

[His tone isn't bitter, it's actually pretty grateful. As anti-social as he tends to be, it's something he's needed.]

It's good to see you.

[Reaper was casual in his assessment of how Varian was doing. The kid looked exhausted, which felt similar to how he had experienced death previously. Clearly it took a lot out of a person to twist into a monster by corruption and then have to be returned. There were plenty of signs of the fading corruption still after all.

Wraith fluttered down from the fence to strut over to Varian like the Omen owned the place. Then hopped up to knee and another hop to settle on Varian's shoulder.]

You clearly brought much concern with your condition. It seems you're back now. Let's hope a lesson was learned.

[He grunted at the kind words, shrugging his shoulders.]

It's a courtesy call. I know what it's like to lose. [Himself. The people he cared for. Name it and he had probably lost something like it at some point.]

[Never again will Varian underestimate just how badly corruption could affect someone.
He's not felt this bad since he actually died a while back.]

Yeah, trust me, a lesson has definitely been learned. Not planning on doing that ever again if I can help it.

[A tiny smirk pulls at his lips at Reaper's attempt to rebuff his gratitude. ]

Ohhhh, I see. Just a courtesy call. [He sees RIGHT through you, buddy.] Well. It's good to see you for this courtesy call.

[The smirk falters, just a little. ]

...I guess you've been through more than most of us, huh?

Sounds like you need to be far more on top of being self aware. That's the hard part.

[It was easy to backslide into old habits, but it seemed based on the fact that Varian was surrounded by many people who cared for him that it would be possible. People that cared would be hovering and checking in and hovering more.

He grunted and maintained his composure to keep up the front of courtesy call. Wraith was less supportive to that and began to preen Varian's hair.]

I won't stay long. You seem like you're in good hands.

[He folded his arms over his chest.]

Let's not make a comparison of experiences. Everyone deals with their own personal battles. [He probably had based solely on his occupation and years of experience. He wasn't about to belittle anyone's experiences though.]

Tell me about it. I'm...working on figuring out how to do that.

[They were certainly hovering a lot, and Varian couldn't fault them for it after what happened. He deserved to be babysat right now. He smiles lightly, reaching up to pet Wraith's feathers gently, letting him carry on with the preening.]

I am, but I reiterate that it's good to see you anyway.

[His smile fades, just a touch.]

...Yeah. I think I was... well, I was worried about everyone else's personal battles and not my own? It definitely...stopped me from opening up about how I was feeling when I should have. I was afraid of adding to people burdens, I guess? Still am, a little.

Hmpt, now that you've given everyone the scare, you'll be nagged into submission. Who knows, maybe you learned a lesson that will stick.

[Reaper kept his hovering to a minimum as he had always had a more hands-off style, but he made certain that those he put under his wing were taken care of. Tough love and all that.

He grunted softly at the reiterated, making an annoyed noise when Wraith did what he clearly wouldn't.]

You aren't terrible to check in on.

[He made a noise of understanding. He had suffered for a long time over his own personal demons. It was easier to shrug off personal concerns when everyone else was such a mess.]

I understand. [And he did.] You have two choices: you give yourself permission to open up, or you learn to compartmentalize and let it loose on your own. [Guess which one he learned to do?]

Oh, trust me, a lesson has been well and truly learned. You won't see me repeating that one.

[Somehow, turning into a ten-foot rage monster does wonders in teaching you how to NOT turn into a ten-foot rage monster. He snorts softly, a smile tugging at his lips. ]

Awww, thanks, Reaper. That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me.

[At least he's feeling well enough to give Reaper shit.]

That's...pretty much how it is. I think I'm gonna have to go for the former. Doing the latter is what got me where I ended up.

[Reaper hummed because he had heard that one before. He knew that changing tactics when they were deeply engrained was extremely difficult.]

Fear does work wonders in changing behaviours.

[He shook his head in the face of Varian's sass. That meant to him that the kid might be tired but was feeling better.]

I like to think I was nicer when you were hiding under my coat.

[It heartened him that Varian was going to have a go at him. That was more like it.]

I think you compartmentalize, but you never released the tension. I recommend boxing or punching pillows.

It really does. Nothing like being aware that your bad habits can turn you into a literal monster to make you want to do better.

[Thanks, Trench. He'd say he could have been able to figure this out without the looming threat of beasthood, but could he have really? He's not completely sure. ]

...Okay that's fair you were really nice then, you old softie.

[Yeah, he's just gonna call you out what you gonna do about it? He snorts, flexing his...tiny noodle arm.]

I really don't think I can throw a really good punch, Reaper.

Or you grab the monster status with both hands and remove your enemies one-by-one.

[Even as he said it, he knew that wouldn't happen. Varian had too many people rooted for him, doting on him, encouraging him to continue with the turned over leaf from the past. Varian was too young to be a monster for long. It took many years of questionable decisions and psychological damage to settle into the mode permanently.]

It was that or having to watch you ugly cry, so I took the path of least tissues.

[He could sass right back when he wanted to. At least Varian was clearly feeling better if this was going to turn into a sass-fest.]

I think you haven't been taught how to throw a proper punch and your first to fourth attempt has a high chance of breaking your knuckles.

Uh, no. Definitely not that one.

[As much as Varian liked to tell himself differently on occasion, he is healing from his past. Slowly but surely. The more years he has between then and now, the better he gets at not completely hating everything about himself. He's got a way to go yet, but he's already on the pathway towards growth. ]

I'll have you know my ugly cries are legendary.

[It was definitely a sign things were on the mend.]

Oh, I know. I definitely can't throw any kind of punch. Have you not seen my arms.

[He waves a little noodle arm, as evidence. ]

Edited 2022-01-19 20:32 (UTC)

Yes, you seem much too nice to have enemies requiring such extremes.

[He drawled that while pretending to be looking at the claws of his gloves. Such monstrous acts were far more his style when his vengeful nature had been stoked to flame. He had not yet dabbled much in corruption. Not yet anyway.]

Exactly why I didn't want to deal with it. The boat would have filled up with water and we would have capsized.

[He looked up at Varian before moving to approach. He eased into a crouch in front of Varian.]

Make a fist.

Hey now, I used to have plenty of enemies. Just...not as much anymore.

[Even the people he has a more hostile relationship with here aren't...that bad these days. He's learning to understand them and they're learning to understand him. ]

It's true! We would have all had a terrible time and none of us would have wanted that. Truly, you saved the day.

[He does as he's told, closing his hand into a (bad) fist.]

...Like this?

You hugged it out with them?

[Reaper was definitely the grudge keeper of the group, though he doubted the young ones actually knew that. He didn't have enemies that he was actively hostile towards around these parts, but he supposed that antagonizing some could count. He wasn't one to let by-gones go too quickly.]

Just the thought of having to endure you ugly crying ruins my day.

[As he reached out to correct Varian's very bad fist, it reminded him of teaching his son, his nephews and nieces to doing something similar. He was the go-to on such matters, and it felt natural to arrange Varian's fingers into a proper fist.]

Like that. Feel the difference? [Then he tapped Varian's index and middle finger knuckles.] Hurts them. [Then he tapped the ring and pinky finger knuckles.] Hurts you.

Definitely not. More...apologised and made right from my mistakes. ...Okay, except for Rapunzel. But hugs are like her...go-to in solving problems.

[So many hugs, all the time.

Varian glances down at his hand, letting Reaper do what he needs, listening to what he has to say- genuinely paying attention. He nods, shifting his hand into a little...punchy motion.]

Oh okay, I can understand that. The ulnar nerve would definitely take a beating that other way. That makes a lot of sense.

That's sounds like a verbal hugging it out. [He had met Rapunzel, and she hadn't seemed to zealous about giving out hugs to unfamiliar people. Then again, Reaper wasn't exactly the hugging sort.] So she's actually an expert at not actually dealing with problems...

[Well, that was an attempt at a jab at least. It didn't seem like it would go anywhere yet, but it could be refined.]

When you jab like that, you want a quick motion from shoulder to elbow to hand. Remember you are hitting with your fist, but your whole body should flow into the motion. You're striking like a snake, right?

Hah. Uh...most of the time anyway.

[Because Rapunzel had sure made her mistakes too. He was living testament to that, so was Cass. The Princess was good and kind and wonderful, but she wasn't perfect. No one was. She had to learn a lot, too. ]

...Like a snake.

[He tries it again, following Reaper's new instructions- he's a bit better, he's a fast study at least- he's tongue might be sticking out a bit too. ]

Edited 2022-01-24 00:42 (UTC)

Let's hope it doesn't break her.

[That's all he'd say about it. He didn't claim to know Rapunzel well, but he had been around enough people with personal traumas to see one. He wasn't about to invest time into such things when he was only checking in, nothing more.

He held up his hand so that Varian could punch his palm after it seemed the teenager had a bit more confidence to try.]

Like a snake. Right here. [He gestured at his palm. It would give him an easier way to assess.]

Yeah. ...Let's hope.

[He's pretty sure it has already- but he's scared it could get worse here. This place was so good at picking at people's pain and making it a thousand times worse. He's worried about her. Especially with Cass. That's all a powderkeg waiting to go up.

He looks at he palm, and then at Reaper.]

Um. Right. Okay.

[He'll try a (snake???) punch at Reaper's palm, frowning in concentration. It's not very strong, but he's trying to follow through...like a snake. Putting his weedy little body into it.]

You don't sound convinced.

[Reaper tilted his head as he picked up on Varian's uncertainty. He didn't know this Rapunzel enough to want to even offer much in the way of assistance. No doubt there was plenty of going on behind the scenes that he didn't make himself aware about.

Well, it was an attempt. That's all he could call the punch that hit his palm. This was definitely a work in progress.]

Good. You might even bruise someone someday. You're going to practice that every day. Make a fist, jab out ten times. Both fists, alright?

I'm working on it. It's complicated.

[It's so complicated, even more so because it's NOT complicated for him anymore. He's been dragged right back into a conflict he's already got out of the other side of and he's not sure the best way to handle it.

He grimaces because ugh, exercise, but he'll take it. ]

Just punch...the air? Or... I guess I could put together a punching bag...

Don't. [That was growled.] You are still recovering, and if you take on too much, too soon, you might have a repeat incident.

[He doubted that anyone would listen to his advice about it, since all the bleeding hearts just wanted to help. He simply didn't think that Varian had come to a point of personal development to know when getting involved would come at personal cost.

He grunted, still holding up his palm.]

Or, you know, you could punch a pillow. Make it easy on yourself. Or I might just show up so I can continue to teach you more than one technique for punching.

[Varian opens his mouth to argue this fact, then quickly thinks better of it. Because he knows Reaper is right. He has a terrible habit of pushing himself too far, and right now the last thing he needs to do it take on any more. He needs time to heal. To breathe. ]

...I guess I could punch a pillow. That's...less effort.

[He says it a bit petulantly. He doesn't have to like taking it easier. He does brighten at the offer though.]

Wow, really? I'd- I'd really like that. I figure it's definitely something I need to get better at.

[It seemed that Varian would make the correct choice not to argue with him. That was some bit of productiveness.]

It is, but you have to have the right technique or it's not worth the practice.

[No one liked taking it easier, but it was going to have to happen. He'd been told self-care was important.]

Self-defense is important for everyone to know, even if you never have to use it.

[Open] Keep it locked up, keep it sealed tight

Aftermath

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