Mother stands for comfort

[imaglyphwitch]

Who: Luz and you (and specifically with Luca)
What: Luz tries to resist the hex, and not mutate herself until she finally falls to beast hood
When: Middle of February (sorry Luz, no birthday for you)
Where: All around Trench

She'd read the sermon and was sure that was when the trouble began. Luz had thought, after getting others who'd been sympathetic and lent an ear to her troubles, that she might be able to ride out the crazy of this month, that she'd get to her birthday in relative peace. Unfortunately, things didn't get better: instead, Luz found herself plagues by the past: her father leaving, the scorn of being that "weird" kid in her class, and the things that came with her Deerington and new Trench memories.

After Varian, Luz had been meticulous about trying to keep such thoughts from consuming her, trying to talk to others when she could, listening to advice and meditating more than she probably had any month. But the thoughts kept coming, and no matter what Luz did, she found she was feeling more depressed by the day, even though she interacted with people and did her best to keep her smile up.

And then one day, she found it was starting to feel worse than usual, enough that she even resorted to turning to her bird form if only to escape those memories. Now they were starting to compound, and images of the cave men and the Blood Cultists and their attacks on her began to plague her nightmares. It got so bad that she woke up feeling the cuts in her skin as clearly as she had back then, and she would be breathing hard and be so anxious she stayed in bed.

She had no idea how to stop this, and moments where she started to consider self-harm surfaced, shocking her so badly she took a cold bath, shivering and in tears, wondering what would happen next.

Comments

[onerthes]

Fabric shredded with the strike, but at first there was nothing more. Vira-Lorr ducked to the side as the thing struck, barely missing a full-body strike. The claws raked down her arm to her now unsheathed blade. Where they struck, there was tattered fabric and ivory-pale skin that looked more like chitin than actual flesh. It resisted, though there were scour marks that hadn't quite broken the skin yet.

She could only keep this up for so long until some attack strong enough to actually break the skin came along, and that was when things might get very ugly. Hissing at the discomfort of maintaining the armored form of her body, she popped a smoke bullet into the chamber of the gun part of her blade, aiming to keep as much distance as possible. "Calm down there, little one. You're going to get both of us hurt. I don't want to have to hurt you." And she wasn't entirely keen on getting hurt either.

sorry for no monster Luz, just her looking ferocious as she can

[imaglyphwitch]

The creature made contact, but had not expected that it's swipe would feel something resist. She leapt back, watching Vira intensely. It recognized that this prey was not soft and pliable, like the skin she was used to, and this was strange to her.

Moreover, something about this prey registered in her head, but only enough to give slight confusion. The creature was going to have to test out of there were a more tender part of the prey. Where it would not be protected.

She growled, moving back, ready to pounce.

The most adorable monster!

[onerthes]

Vira-Lorr stepped back, popping the gun closed while she watched. She didn't want to use a live round, not if this might possibly be a friend. True, that's how she'd gotten herself killed in the past but she was trying to be careful here. Circling with Luz and watching as the other studied her, she grimaced.

"You're not going to like the taste, beastie. I'm not as tasty as I used to be," she said softly, shaking her head. "If you want, I can get you some food." She had the gun at the ready with the smoke round, waiting for if it lunged. But maybe bribery would work?

[imaglyphwitch]

"BLOOD."

The words were raspy, full of venom and almost amusement. Prey, offering something to save its hide. She was not a creature that needed a bribe. There was only one thing she wanted, one driving force it needed, and what did this hard-skinned prey imagine it had to barter with?

"You give...blood?"

CW body horror/acid blood

[onerthes]

She blinked, horrified for just a moment before she reached to her side and pulled out a knife. There was a flex of her fingers and the palm of one hand softened visibly. "You would not want it. trust me. It isn't exactly... edible." She drew the blade shallowly, away from tendons.

It caused a thin dribble of blood, a virulent green color, to drip down to the ground. Where it touched, there was a sizzle and the ground started to eat away slowly. The wound was shallow enough that it clotted soon after it hardened, but the effect was obvious.

"Dangerous blood."

Re: CW body horror/acid blood

[imaglyphwitch]

So even further confusing her, the prey cut itself, as if it wanted to attract the creature MORE, and there was a growl in her throat, the hunger for blood permeating her senses.

For a moment, anyway. Once the smell of her blood hit her nose, she reeled back in distaste. Even before seeing the acid blood, she could smell something very wrong with this blood. The creature could not make the distinction between regular prey's blood and the Vile Bloods, at least not until blood was spilled, and Vira had made it much easier to quell any bloodlust the creature had for her.

She seemed to slink away, losing interest in their fight now, starting to turn from Vira.

[onerthes]

"Wait," she said, calling out. There were still a few drips of that acrid blood, but she had it under control for the moment. "We can get you some fresh meat if you come with me. It isn't blood, not the same way, but I can get you meat, or even have the fishermen bring fresh catches for you..."

Why keep trying? Well, she was relatively safe. If she could keep this one talking, feed it something less hazardous, she might be able to calm it down enough to find out who it is...

[imaglyphwitch]

The creature, of course, really had no idea of most of what she was saying. She did mention blood, and she knew that much, so she slunk back, staring at the not-prey. If it was offering good blood, maybe she didn't need to leave just yet.

"B...l...ood," it rasped, salivating just to get her point across. Oh, and if Vira were staring at the top of its head, she'd see the remains of the hoodie a certain teenager wore.

[onerthes]

She saw the hoodie, and two and two were starting to come together. She wasn't about to let Luz anywhere near the hunters. Hell no. But, she also realized that in her haste to ward off the danger, Luz was probably one of the only people who could safely ingest her blood. still, this was better.

"Yes. Blood, Come." She said it as she started to move in the direction of the road leading down to the coast. Ok, so it was going to be not ideal blood, but fish blood was blood and she was hoping that was enough right now.

[imaglyphwitch]

Simple words. That worked. The creature followed, warily at first, but after a moment, the appetite came back and now she was following the not-prey, hoping to satiate the gnawing hunger.

Its expectations were dashed when it realized where they were headed.

"Wait." The water. "No. No fish blood."

[onerthes]

She had enough intelligence to recognize the direction they were headed, did she? That was good. "I know somewhere we can get other blood. You won't like it, but blood is there." She turned and pointed in the direction of the Luminarium in the distance. She didn't exactly like it either. Their methods when someone was this far gone weren't always safe.

[imaglyphwitch]

She understood where they were going, yes. She then said some things that she did NOT understand, but she did get pointing. The creature paused, looking into the distance, then back at Vira before continuing on.

So far, it looked like the creature was trusting Vira.

[onerthes]

She breathed a sigh of relief and started to move at a measured pace in the direction of the Lumenarium. That district would take them a little while, but she knew routes that weren't too obvious, might avoid hunter detection. she did, however, type out a message to send while they walked, asking for them to find a small supply of blood and to prepare to receive a patient.

"I will meet someone there. They will have your blood, yes?" she said, looking back at Luz nervously.

Damn it I knew it was weird when you hadn't replied, sorry

[imaglyphwitch]

The creature growled but seemed to be receptive to this. The creepy thing is that even when creature Luz seemed to be trailing behind, she'd be right next to Vira a moment later, as if she'd never been behind at all. That was how fast she was right now.

"Blood," she replied, agreeing. "Will follow?"

hehe

[onerthes]

She blinked the first time that happened, but simply nodded to the 'creature' that was following with her. She was, at the very least, sure that if Luz was calm while they were approaching this, blood would be provided to get her somewhere where they could offer treatment. Hopefully, or she'd have someone's head.

"Yes. Blood. Plenty of blood I am certain." That, at least, they had in spades where she was going.

Re: hehe

[imaglyphwitch]

"No lie."

It was a hard, raspy reply, one that sounded very much not like Luz. The reason there was, of course, the need for blood was purely her corruption, and somewhere in there, there was Vira's young friend trying to get out. The more direct way of trying to get her to a place where they could administer to her was probably a good idea.

If she were to listen to reason.

"Fresh?"

Because now, apparently, there had to be caveats.

Re: hehe

[onerthes]

"No lie..." But oh she did have to say that didn't she? Vira-Lorr winced and gave an apologetic smile. "Mostly fresh. Preserved and prepared. It will be warm, but preserved." No, she'd thought about being deceptive, but not in this. Luz was showing every sign of being more than a little aware, so she wasn't going to assume she was bestial or foolish right now.

Imagine Luz is creepier and more imposing than this

[imaglyphwitch]

The answer came in a snarl, one that seemed clearly dubious about receiving only lukewarm, non-fresh blood. Of course, the beast was still hovering around being Luz still, so this was really the only reason they were having a conversation like this in the first place.

It was also because it was Vira Lorr, and though they didn't have a Bond, a part of Luz still remembered who she was. That was something even corruption couldn't fully make her forget.

As they approached the building though, the beast seemed to show signs of reluctance, starting to sidestep and growl as if seeing someone it disliked.

It seemed she might need a little bit of reassurance.

Those icons are too adorable for a Chupacabra

[onerthes]

"Easy," Vira-Lorr said in a soothing tone. She stopped walking and turned to the side so that she was facing Luz and able to look at the building. "I will call them to send one person out. Just one. We're going to help you, ok?" She was trying to keep this as calm as possible. For all that Luz wasn't as imposing as, say, Winter in beast form, she was still making her nervous. Natives had seen and seemed glad that this beast was being kept under control, taken to the treatment facilities. As long as the sleeper had this in control, they kept their distance.

Taking her omni out, she started to type out a simple message, telling them to send only one, and assuring them her protection, that they needed to calm her and sedate her so she could get treatment.

Well now you get a sad(ish) one!

[imaglyphwitch]

The creature kept the growl in its throat but seemed to at least be thinking about what Vira was saying. It was fighting the natural urge to flee and attack another bystander, because at its base there was a promise of blood mixed in with her memories of this Sleeper. It tried to assure itself that it was the blood it wanted, as it craved some this instant, but it had been running and feeding for some time and was tired. In its bones it could feel the fatigue and the fighting Luz was doing to try and come back. It was feeble and needed help, but could at least manage to swallow the urge to feed and continue to run.

"Stay."

It managed that small request, the humanity in Luz still begging to be seen, to remember it was her despite all of this and her own self doubt right now.

Re: Well now you get a sad(ish) one!

[onerthes]

"Luz, dear. I'm not leaving even if someone tried to make me." She offered her a solemn smile and walked in a little closer, offering a hand to rest on the beast's shoulder if she was willing to let it happen. "I'm going to make sure we get you the help you need. Blood and anything else."

She definitely wasn't about to leave her friend in danger. No thank you.

Re: Well now you get a sad(ish) one!

[imaglyphwitch]

Vira stared into the eyes of the beast, and in that moment, there was none of the amber color of the monster craving blood: instead, it was the warm brown of the girl that admired her so much. Even in this state, where she was holding onto the scraps of herself and falling into conflict with corruption, a part of her still couldn't help but want to cling to Vira now.

"Thanks. Thank. You."

It was, however, getting easier for the beast to talk, as if it were starting to come easily now.

Re: Well now you get a sad(ish) one!

[onerthes]

She quickly added a message that she was seeing signs of improvement. The reply back assured her that if that was the case, different staff were being sent. As one might have expected, they knew to send very different people if corruption couldn't be reversed.

Smiling at her friend, she nodded. "You're my friend, Luz. It's always a pleasure to help." She was just glad enough of Luz was in there to help in the first place right now.

This icon is beast Luz right now

[imaglyphwitch]

As it turned out, even corrupted Luz recognized things that resonated in her. With everything that had happened in Deerington, it was hard for Luz to ever truly forget Vira, even if the beast was still overpowering her urges right now.

There was still so much Luz needed to overcome.

It did, however, trot to the building as Vira had instructed, then looked back at her expectantly.

Haha the most adorable of beasts

[onerthes]

She followed soon afterwards, and the door eventually opened. While she rested a reassuring hand on the beast's shoulder, one of the Ministers came out. They had first a transfusion set up, but as soon as they saw Luz, they put the needle away and produced a bowl before giving her a quizzical look.

"I believe we're already making progress. I will stay with her throughout," she said. That got a nod, though there was a slightly annoyed expression as they started to pour out warmblood for Luz into the bowl. It was pretty obvious to the minister that Vira-Lorr was playing favorites here and that she was making sure someone didn't get taken to the wrong sections of the Luminarium, where patients didn't always leave.