deercountry | Mother stands for comfort

Entry tags:

Mother stands for comfort

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

(OOC: We definitely can handwave treatment, but would you mind playing out Vira and cured Luz]?

(OOC: Love to. You wanna fast-forward to the two of them with her recovering in a private chamber?)

(OOC: Sure, we can do that! If you want to color it a bit, I'll have Luz react to coming "back" to herself).

[Hours passed. Blood was offered, and treatments were had. It took a while, particularly because Vira-lorr was intent on the mildest, least invasive methods being used. Eventually, though, as the blood and the ministrations were working, she was finally getting more relaxed.

She looked tired as she leaned against the bed in the treatment room, sighing up at Luz.]

Feeling a little more yourself?

[Luz stirred after a long sleep, opening her eyes and then immediately groaning. Ugh. Her body felt like it had been squeezed like an accordion for several hours, and she had a pretty horrible headache. She threw the covers over her and wrapped them around her protectively].

Yeah. If feeling like death is myself, I guess I am. Where am I?

[She smiled more broadly, reaching over to pat her on the hand and wink at her while she leaned against the bed with her shoulder. Vira-Lorr looked increasingly relieved, now that she could see her friend was getting well.]

Mmmm, the Luminarium at the moment. They're making sure that the beast state's cleared before they release you. It's... good to have you back.

Rawrlg.

[Incomprehensible, sure, but it was Luz's feeling right now. As she focused on Vira, Luz started to look slightly green].

I think I'm starting to remember bits and pieces. I didn't do anything too weird, did I?

Oh, only tried to drink my blood. It was a little alarming, though I think you were scared off when I showed you it was acid. [She winked at her and smiled all too mildly, considering what she just said.]

But it kind of helped. You couldn't feed, so ... we could talk. Sort of. How bad is your head pounding right now? I don't think a hangover cure will help.

Your blood?! So that's the kind of creature that I turned int-ow. OW. Ok, no getting excited. Oh darn. I became a vampire beast. Fiddlesticks.

[She was still rubbing her head, trying to soothe the pretty severe headache that was dominating her existence right now. She didn't even want to think about what would have happened if a hunter got a hold of her].

I didn't think you could talk to people so easily in beast mode. Argh. It's...not great, I guess. I can't really give an accurate assessment. It's painful though.

It could have been a lot worse. You became a vampire beast that could be reasoned with. Very important distinction. I think a lot of the others have not been quite so fortunate.

[She reached up to pat her friend on the shoulder.]

From the little I've seen, those transformed aren't usually as easy to work with. It's often a one-way street. It's good that you weren't quite that completely gone.

Not really thrilled about that vampire part though. That was one of the first things that attacked me in Deerington. But at least you could talk to me.

[That was how Varian and Scorpia had also brought her around before].

Maybe a part of me was unwilling to forget you. We've been through way too much to forget each other, after all.

I believe that, unless we are beyond salvation barring death, there's still some glimmer of the person that we were in. You probably hadn't fed enough to lose your mind completely, so it may have been only a recent transformation.

But I also like the thought that our bond of friendship was what called you back.

Maybe you're right about that. We were able to bring Varian back from his corruption, and his was worse! Maybe with mine, it took a bit of a nudge.

[More than that of course, since Luz still had only hazy impressions of that mode].

I'm thinking that might have been the main factor, otherwise I might not have even heard you.

Recognition and close bonds are important, but I guess that's sort of obvious. You're my friend, and I'm yours. We're going to listen to our friends more than others. It's one of the many reasons we keep our friends close.

...

One of the others being that I like having you around too. [She winked at her with that bad joke, patting her on the knee.]

Exactly! It's the reason I'm here at Trench!

[And why, as guilty as she felt about not having her mother or Boiling Isles family around, she still liked it here].

Thanks goodness for that, right?

Thank goodness for you being a wonderful friend and listening to little old me? Oh yes, I'll take that. [Wink] I will definitely say that the friendships I have built in coming here have given me such reasons to be willing to remain, to want to build something in this place.

I am determined to see this world as a beautiful place. One way or another.

[Ok, so Luz flushed a bit here, because even she could use reassuring words, and hearing all of that was honestly pretty affirming. She reached over and hugged Vira, letting out a low sigh].

I'll always listen to you Vira. Thanks for being my friend.

I agr-EEE!

[Ok, she was pretty sure her back wasn't supposed to pop like that].

I might be pushing it slightly.

mmm, one step at a time. Your body's going to take a little time to get back to normal.

[She tried not to look nervous, but she was checking her out, just to be certain.]

Are you alright?

Hey, you know me! I bounce back quickly!

[Which was true! Mostly. Luz tried to hop up, and did, and gave Vira a wide, toothy smile that was turning to a grimace].

Uh. Could you help me back to bed? That actually really, really hurt.

[She just laughed and rose, offering her an arm and her other hand to help guide her back onto the bed while she giggled and sighed, shaking her head.]

Lie down. Your body was transformed, the unpleasant way. Let's give this a day to try and get you back right as rain, mmm? We need a day for coming back from the dead. Might as well take the day off now, yes?

Bleeeh.

[Luz sunk back into bed, grumbling all the way].

Lousy-ah!-pains. Corruption is the worst. You're probably right though. I would only make things worse if I tried to push myself.

[She wormed herself into the blanket].

Thanks, Vira. It means a lot that you stayed and helped me. It couldn't have been easy.

It... was a lot less hard than you think. I was much more worried for you than myself. You were actually kind of dangerous like any beast, but...

[she gestured to herself and sighed, laughing softly.]

I don't really fear vampiric monsters that much anymore, so ... the stress was just in making sure you were still in there and keeping you safe.

[Luz nodded].

Well so much for hoping I'd be, like, a rabid otter or something. I should have known better. Varian had been a huge animal, there was no way I'd get off that light.

[At least she'd still been a little open to suggestion, but still. She also really had no idea what she was even LIKE in that form].

Ok, I wish it wasn't vampiric though. The more I have to deal with blood, the less I'm starting to like it.

It's disturbing, no question. And the more that blood is part of our lives, the less comfortable that I think we are. All of us, and you especially.

What we'll need to do is work to keep it so that you stay uncorrupted, yes? [A pause] And we should probably take pains to make sure I don't either. If the blood is any indication...

We don't want to see me in beast form.

The farm was enough for a long, long time.

[Luz still had the scars and the trauma to last for a good long time].

I'm trying to take things slow. Eat more, sleep more, take a little time off. That'll probably help, right?

Oh. Oh RIGHT. No, you're totally right there.

We should probably plan for what happens when either of us get corrupted again.

[When, sadly, not IF. When].

Re: She's trying definitely!

Re: She's trying definitely!

Re: She's trying definitely!

A little while later

Re: A little while later

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject