deercountry | faceless man counting crumpled bills // OPEN

Luz couldn't wait to see what Rose would get up to, once she really got going.

I like landscapes, but I also draw people too. I have some nice and not so nice paintings I can show you back at the house!

She thought that this might be the case. Rose had been stifling herself, and Jack was the person that eased her into the idea that she might not really need to do that anymore. But she also loved him, so Luz could imagine there was some pain in that memory too.

It was coming about slowly, and Luz, inspired, activated a small light glyph for Rose.

Concentrate on that. Maybe it will help.

She wanted to study and study and learn and research and experiment. Though, the talk of art made her wonder...she was fairly certain Trench locals wouldn't see the need for an art gallery. But that didn't mean that the need wasn't there. There had to be beauty to counter the ugliness this place could cause.

I love landscapes, I love portraits. And I can't wait to see them! It's felt like too long since I enjoyed art for its own sake.

That was pretty much the case. Jack had been afraid that if she'd married Cal, she'd let him dull her spirit. But. What if she didn't let him? And if he tried, what if she wouldn't let him succeed? It's all academic now, but she wants to think that she's strong. Stronger than she'd originally given herself credit for.

The light revealed Rose's eyes, not dog's eyes. And her lower legs were rapidly losing curly red dog fur, leaving skin in its wake. Before long, she'd do just about anything for a bathrobe.

We can do this.

Luz had not had the chance to think that they should ever make an art exhibit in Trench: she drew for fun, and sometimes for sanity, because some of the nightmares she had needed to have a physical form and worked as a little bit of therapy for her. Rose was certainly onto something though.

I'll show you whenever you come over to the house, ok? I have a few of them up in my room!

She was glad that they were at least moving into a better place. Rose certainly seemed to be moving more into her own mind and less of the beasts. What was more, it looked like the beast was slowly starting to move on from Rose, and Luz was more fixated on making sure her friend turned back that it was only now slowly dawning on her what had happened in HER case when she transformed back].

Yes we can! And when we do, I'll toss you a glyph, and you hold your breath. It'll keep you invisible long enough for me to grab you something to wear, ok?

Rose couldn't draw to save her life. But maybe that was why she gravitated towards art that was interesting, challenging, daring her to find understanding. And she'd already been here long enough to understand why someone would need an outlet for their nightmares.

That would be wonderful. I'd love to see them.

She was. She was lucid enough to be terrified of what she'd become, how fast it all had been, but she was trying to keep that terror stomped down until she could deal with it later. A clear head. A clear head was what she needed to keep now that her thoughts were hers again. And her front legs started to look more like arms, to shed hair.

Oh, thank goodness. I'd cheerfully take a burlap bag if that was all that was available.

That was fine! Rose expressed herself in plenty of other ways, ones that Luz felt a small but reserved bit of envy for. Rose may not have known it, but she wore class and grit flawlessly, with inner strength Luz couldn't but admire. That, and Luz knew Rose likely had another hobby she excelled at.

If you ever come over, I'll be sure to show them to you, ok?

[Luz was going to keep her back to talking as if she were already in that mode, because it seemed that this was where Rose wanted to be anyhow. It helped that the two of them tended to talk to each other quite a lot].

Let's hope we can get something better than that! A cloak, at least. You might be nude, but you'd look SO COOL, like a skyclad witch or a dryad!

Could you tell that Luz had an appreciation for art?

Her main hobby was learning and she had a terrific memory for what she'd read, watched, or experienced. She had a good mind for languages, too, teaching herself Spanish, French, and German by finding copies of books she'd already read in those languages and trying to reconcile the two. Now she could read (and speak) all three almost flawlessly.

That would be wonderful! I'd love to see all of them!

And it makes her wish she had one of Jack's drawings. Just one. It wouldn't have to be the one of her wearing the Heart of the Ocean and not a stitch else, one of his others would have been more than welcome.

Hmm. I think I can live with those comparisons? Yes, I think I rather like them!

Just a bit, yes, but that was endearing.

See, clearly Rose was so much smarter and cleverer than her decade would have admitted. Luz would have been super elated to know that she could speak with Rose in Spanish! Of course, Luz could speak in English just fine, but it was still nifty to know!

You will, trust me!

Having art would have just been a boon. Really.

Hey, why not try focusing on what they would look like. That might make this go much easier!

It might not, but it was worth a shot, right?

Maybe. But she knows she wants to grow old. Very old, so that maybe she can see some of the progress she's been told about first-hand. And Rose's accent was likely atrocious, but she'd love to speak Spanish with Luz any time the other young woman wanted.

Thank you!

Yes, it would. Maybe one day, this place would see fit to give her the Picassos which had been lost in the North Atlantic. She had done enough reading to find out that she was right and Cal was wrong (as usual) and Picasso was a once in a generation genius. In the meantime, who knew how many other artists were out there?

Okay...I'm picturing The Birth of Venus as inspiration. Of course my hair isn't as terrifyingly long as hers.

[Luz would be happy enough just hearing Rose make the attempt. As for growing old, well, Luz hoped that was something that Rose got to see happen for herself.

No problem!

Luz hoped she had lots of time to see as much art as she wanted. Of course, Luz also put up some select art pieces in her room that she wanted Rose to see].

Ha ha, no way! Besides, your hair is way more striking!

Rose knows enough about basic pronunciation rules to not completely mangle the language, but she didn't know anyone fluent in it during her time. French, yes. German, yes. but she didn't know why not Spanish. Had she thought about it for a while, she would have realized much of the problem on her own, but right now her mind was in flux.

And Rose wants to grow old. Positively ancient! She needs the time to squeeze in all of the living she wants to do, the things and experiences she wants. The progress she wants to help happen.

She wanted to not just see it, she wanted to display it for others to enjoy and talk about. She wanted others to feel free to express themselves, both the good and the bad, through art. So yes, she almost certainly was going to start an art gallery.

You think so? Grandmother deWitt, may her soul rot, said it made me look too Irish.

And much of the remaining dog hair was shed, the dog body slowly, painfully starting to become human again.

Luz figured that the influx of Spanish people hadn't quite happened in the Americas just yet, so Rose wouldn't have had a chance to them as much. That was certainly not on HER.

The concept of getting old in a place like Trench seemed very far off though, so Luz was just going to have to take Rose's word for it that she could make that happen.

She did have every intention of seeing if Rose made something like that happen though. The arcade was pretty much a thing of Luz's dreams, the art gallery seemed more something for Rose (and her, honestly).

Huh. Right, right, I forget that the Irish weren't considered white yet. That takes a little time.

Ooh, she was coming along!

Rose wondered. Even in Spain, they conformed to her and her mother and Cal, rather than her conforming to them. She knew none of those she was with knew or understood Spanish. And it really was unfair, to expect them to adhere to their reality, rather than maintain their own. Though, it was an odd experience, seeing them pick out large calamari rings thinking they were onions while Rose knew exactly what the buffet table indicated.

She'll grow old here, she'll grow old in her own world after she'd secured passage to Santa Barbara. To ride a horse in the surf, ride the roller coaster and drink cheap beer until she threw up. What Jack had wanted them to experience together, experienced by herself alone. But that prospect no longer seemed as scary as it used to.

The arcade was heady, almost more than she could handle at a time. Hence why she reached out to Luz and the karaoke, one of the best decisions she'd made in her entire life, either there or here.

Money talks. And my father's Bukater relations had both the money and the time with the money to overlook the fact that they were Irish. Even if grandmother deWitt got sauced at every gathering and said her piece, loudly and in great detail. But she's gone, my father is gone, it's just me.

And the form began to have its head look more like a person, though it's still a dog ram's head on a human body. How embarrassing!

Luz would not have been surprised about Rose being seen to n Spain. It was in Europe where it was still considered "civilized," and Luz had Caribbean Spanish heritage, which would have been considered less so back then. Some things, unfortunately, still help some pretty awful connotations.

And Luz would hopefully one day experience those things too (maybe not the beer part of course. Luz still had a little bit of an aversion to that stuff).

Luz wasn't surprised that the arcade seemed like a lot to take in. Karaoke, on the other hand, was a thing everyone could do, and they happened to bond on that specific thing!

I see. That is a lot of politics in just having money! Remind me to find a way not to be poor or too rich!

Eda would have been scandalized had she heard that.

You're almost there!

She'd try to argue that other Spanish-speaking countries were just as valid, but be overruled by the opinions of the time. She didn't know how to argue the point, though, except through feelings alone and that was often dismissed as the rantings of a silly woman who didn't know her place.

Rose would do her best to live until Luz was at least old enough to remember. She didn't know if it were possible, just that she'd try to do it.

And she loved Karaoke, even more so with Luz. They'd have to do that again soon.

Too poor is awful. Too rich is...awful in its own ways, but I know which most people would prefer.

She was. Her limbs were looking more like human limbs by the moment and her torso was also beginning to take on human shape again. Her head was slowly following the rest.

Luz was all too aware that there were people who had feelings about her nationality, most of colored by the color of her skin or how "white" she should perceive herself. Luz had always felt she was different in one way or another, so it hardly registered anymore.

Luz would appreciate that, of course.

Who didn't love Karaoke anyway? Heartless people, that's who.

Oh sure. One of those leaves you hungry and prone to sickness, so obviously we know the answer to that!

Luz looked over and blushed. "I think I need to your that cloak soon."

Rose was woefully ignorant of such things. She knew she had a lot to learn about society and its people, knew that terrible things were coming in the future, but also that some progress would be made. Not enough. Not nearly enough. Not yet.

She was trying to do the sum in her head and she'd have to live into her hundreds to even try. But, she'd heard stories of the elderly who hadn't passed until they were over 110, so in theory it was possible.

She'd agree with that!

Yes. I like the methods here far better. No one gets to feel superior and if they do, they're considered wrong.

Rose couldn't talk yet, but Goodness gracious! came through loud and clear.

There was still a lot on Earth, particularly in America, that needed to be fixed. Time would change and challenge some things and bring new problems. But they would at least make it so Rose wouldn't have to be considered property anymore.

If she thought she'd live that long, good luck to her!

Exactly. No one SHOULD feel superior to anyone else here. We all come from different worlds and different time periods. We just try to do our best, really.

Luz gave her a small thumbs up. Don't worry. I won't let you be stuck all vulnerable, ok? I'd give you the clothes off my back before I let that happen!

faceless man counting crumpled bills // OPEN

Re: (CW: PTSD?)

Re: (CW: PTSD?)

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html, my mortal enemy!

Re: html, my mortal enemy!

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(CW: racism, period prejudice)

That sounds about right

the answer is almost always racism/classism. even when it doesn't seem to be. :(

Too true

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(CW: ignorance, racial inequality, death)

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