Poppy wasn't completely certain where she had to go -- just knew that she had to remove herself and Lydia from the Outback as quickly as possible. There was no doubt that Soerl was following. She could hear the same raspy breathing as her own, only much deeper at that moment. Moving served a second purpose, too, since she seemed to be leading the werewolf away. But where to?
Jay's eyes widened suddenly, and he threw a full-force jab at Poppy's head. Fortunately for her, she ducked out of the way. His skin blanched visibly. He looked like he'd seen a ghost.
"Is he trying to really knock her out or something?"
"No? Jay wouldn't do that?"
Jay reached forward, grabbing the arm that was raised in a block, and twisted it. Unlike most times, when he would let go after a moment or two, once the point had scored, he kept twisting, a little longer than necessary. His eyes were wide, bright, and terrified looking.
There was a cry of pain from Poppy as her arm was twisted much farther than she expected, and she tried to strike out against Jay from her somewhat bad position.
"What the hell is he doing?!"
The world was becoming more and more of a blur to Lydia as she and Poppy moved. At least the stain in her now very ruined CG Hoody had stopped growing. Still, she had lost a lot of blood, so her movements slowed and she became more lethargic, leaning further and further into Poppy. Close to losing consciousness perhaps? She never was that sturdy and hardy of a girl...
"Something's wrong..."
He's definitely following the women, but he's above. Moving along rooftops. His glowing emerald green eyes likely stick out like a sore thumb in the darkness, though.
A growl is his only response, but not a human one, a very canine one. His vision blurs. Bones cracking are audible. Soerl's emerald eyes light up brightly and he pulls his head back and howls before diving right at Lydia, claws extended! She was in his way.
Pale blues widen as large as saucers as she sees the transforming minstrel diving her way. She can't quite put two and two together though... as she's busy trying to shove him away. Claws find their way on flesh though, and crimson stained the sleeve of her hoody as she shrieked.
Every step that Poppy thought she could make, she took. There was no chance that they could be too far away -- too far just wasn't enough right now. One more step, two more, and it wasn't too long before she just couldn't keep them up. So, Lydia was lowered onto a bench near a butchershop, and Poppy took a rough seat onto the sidewalk next to it.
It dawned on her then, seeing the canines. His appearance. "Oh gods..." The whisper barely escaped her before she darted to the side, trying to escape him. She couldn't use her magic on him! It was Soerl after all... but she's too slow for Soerl in such a state and screams as canines pierce the flesh of her arm, staining the hoody even further.
Poppy tried to move away from the battle between herself and Jay, eyes turned toward the other ring. "Lydia!" Something was certainly not right with that, and she was trying to get out and then back in to help.
Soerl bounds away after landing the bite. He lands crouched down once again. His eyes continue to glow and his fangs now have fresh blood on them.
No mercy. When her attention was drawn away from Jay, he drove his knee into Poppy's gut. Hard.
Lowered onto the bench she groaned lightly as her good arm moved, hand absently resting over her injured forearm. Pale blues squinted upwards at the moment, pausing on the blurred freckles in the sky, and the dim lamp near the bench. Head lolling to the side, brows furrowed faintly as she took in Poppy's condition.
She didn't have time to be frightened by the sirens signaling the sudden death round, as she was currently terrified by the werewolf coming at her. She barely moved in time to avoid the claws and sent a boot up to try and knock him away as she put herself at the other side of the ring. "Soerl, come on! Snap out of it..." Pale blues became lighter, alit with a faint white glow.
"Lydia! Run!"
Last edited by Lydia Loran on Thu Jun 05, 2008 1:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
Poppy coughed and held up a hand to signify that she was all right. They both probably looked quite a mess, sitting under the lamplight, but she needed just a few moments to rest before moving on. She'd have to pace herself.
Soerl would have been sniffing the air, but Jay had done a number on his snout. It was already beginning to mend, however. The curse did have its benefits. The moment he landed near where Poppy and Lydia were, however, his vision began to swim. A "fffft" noise, like when a dog shakes its head could be heard.
Her lips parted, as if Lydia wanted to say something to Poppy before she heard Soerl land nearby. Her gaze shot that way (quick as she could manage at least, in her condition) as she backed further into the bench. Was he going to attack again? He had certainly been rather unpredictable thus far.
"And you, thoo?" Poppy took the sound to mean that something was wrong with Soerl, though it was tough for her to see clearly. The blood-soaked sleeve is brought up to drag across her features, before she got enough to her feet to close the rest of the distance, before flopping down. "Brother, can you come to your thenthes?"
Either Poppy got through to him or he simply lacked the strength to stay transformed. Likely a combination of the two. The fur on his body started to recede into nothing. Skin reappeared, and the werewolf's snout became Soerl's broken nose. He cried out a bit as bones shifted back into their proper positions. It always hurt to transform.
Lydia's gaze turned away from Soerl during his transformation. She couldn't bring herself to watch. Is that what they all went through? But how strange for him to transform in such a way. Grem only changed on full moons, right? His transformations were probably the same.. painful.. the cracking of bones. She frowned at the thought. And frowned further as she eyed her blood soaked hoody. She had been bitten... That's how the virus spreads.
Almost immediately, Poppy started to recognize Soerl within the creature, until the creature was gone and all that was left was the minstrel. She grabbed his face, much like she had done with Lydia, looking over the damage and trying to make sense of everything. "You'll be thine, Thoerl -- mm -- Soerl." There was a whistle-like quality to the "s" sound, but Poppy didn't think much of it. She just nodded hopefully, then turned back to get Lydia.
"...What?" He hadn't really heard Poppy. He didn't even know where he was, actually. He felt like lying in the road. His face definitely hurt. His pants had been spared during the initial change, so he was at least covered. "What the hell's going on?" The question was a little weak.
Poppy really didn't hear the questions, as she made a snorting sound during the first, and a coughing sound during the second. Of course, she was on her feet this time, so she had to be better off with some rest. Or it was a second wind. "C'mon, up with ya..." And she reached both hands out to offer her help to Lydia.
Was it possibility she'd change? Probability? Certainty? Would she become the same as Soerl? As Grem? A quiet, subdued, yet still somewhat panicked sob formed in her throat as wounded arm was held protectively to herself. Pale blues welling with tears, she glanced up towards the approaching Poppy, sights of her still smeared in blood placing her concern there instead. A brief glance was offered to the minstrel she knew, before she reached out with the good arm to grasp one of Poppy's hands.
His strength was lacking, he knew that much. It made him uneasy, since it was the first of many realizations. That sort of drain only came after a full transformation. His hat wasn't present, nor was his shirt. He looked up to his sister and shook his head, pulling himself to his feet. It was starting to dawn on him, now. The ring, with Lydia. That was the last thing he could remember.
It certainly was more than just a tragic experience for Lydia, wasn't it? Poppy could see it -- could almost feel the racing heartbeat of her friend, so when she did grasp the good arm, she used it to pull the elf close. "We're okay, we're okay, we're okay..." Sort of a quiet chant, and a careful hug, as she tried to get them both up and moving again.
It was strange, but in that moment Poppy reminded Lydia of Erin. She and Erin had been through some mighty tough times- beaten and bruised and bloodied together. And in the end it was always the reassurance to one another that pulled them through it. She took some solace that Erin didn't have to share this experience though, even as she hugged Poppy back with that one good arm of hers. Eyes squeezed shut in an effort to keep the tears back, but only succeeded in forcing them out. Sniffling quietly she moved along with Poppy, casting a wary glance towards Soerl. At least the danger had passed.
It was really only then that Soerl realized Lydia was there, with his sister. When he looked at the two of them, he realized what he'd done. He assumed too much, actually, thinking his sister's injuries were his fault as well. "...Oh no."
There was a lot to be felt in the moment, but before Poppy let herself go, she took a look back at Soerl. The gravity of things seemed to be settling in, and she ached to think about it. "Brother, do not run. Wait for me!" She was worried he'd go -- worried he'd go again.
There was a part of Lydia that wanted to reach out to Soerl as well. To assure him that all was okay, that he hadn't done anything wrong. She wanted to comfort and be there as a friend, but there was another part of her, a more selfish part. Though smaller, it still had some bearing on who she was. That part told her it wasn't okay-- what he had done.
Run. It was what he always did. It was what his body was screaming at him to do. "Sister... Lydia... I'm so sorry. I-I didn't mean to." He was already beginning to back away, despite Poppy's request. That sort of thing happened before. Each time it did, he had to run away.
"Please..." She was practically begging, but was still trying to keep herself and Lydia moving towards help, so she was serving to put even more distance between herself and Soerl. Already, her breathing was turning raspy again, trying not to cry but failing miserably at the moment.
Lydia's grip tightened just a little around Poppy, perhaps meant as a comforting gesture? Swallowing hard, she called out weakly to Soerl as she shook her head. "Don't go..." Her words sounded sincere, but honestly they were more for the sake of Poppy than anything at that moment.
His confusion was apparent. The forlorn expression he had understated his true feelings. He looked between Poppy and Lydia. Run! The voice was still there, screaming. He did not obey it, though. "Okay."
"Y-you don't haff to come, juth don't leaf..." She didn't want him to feel pressured, and didn't want him to feel trapped. No, she wanted to get Lydia help, and then make sure Soerl was all right. "We're going to the clinic..." There were still tears, though, streaking the drying blood on her face.
Poppy ought to get herself looked at too, something the elf would probably try to see to when they were at the clinic. Such a thing caused her to wince-- she hated clinics. Best she could hope for was they wouldn't insist upon a magical healing. That'd likely hurt more than Soerl's teeth sinking down into her bone did. She remained silent as Poppy spoke, uncertain what to say. Should she even say anything else? Could she really forgive Soerl...? It's not as if it were the minstrel that had done the damage.
And Soerl just nodded to his sister's words. Forgiveness was something he didn't expect from either of them. His long, golden hair was definitely a mess. He glanced down to his hands and saw the blood. It was all it took to cause him to break down, right in the street. "Just go." Quietly spoken, silent tears falling as he lifts his hands to reset his nose with a crack.
There wasn't a moment to spare -- in fact, they probably had less moments to spare than they had used already, but it didn't seem to make Poppy stop. She just nodded and took as much of Lydia's weight as she could bear (which was probably quite a bit,) and headed toward the clinic. She could see the sign from where they were, like a beacon...
Neither Lydia or Poppy had told the clinic workers exactly what had happened or how they sustained their injuries. Part of the reason was they weren't entirely sure how- at least with Poppy's injuries from Jay. A temporary bout of crazy? There was no way to really say, though it was certain he wasn't himself at all during the duel with Poppy. He wanted to hurt her and tried his best to accomplish that desire. Given her broken nose and dislocated shoulder he was relatively successful too.
It didn't come without its price though.
Lydia's arm slashed, punctured, and fractured, it was wrapped up and bound in a sling. Movements impeded and not feeling in the mood to rest she sat at her couch rather than trying to sleep in bed. How could she sleep now? After everything...
Finding out what Soerl really was came at a shock for sure, but it wasn't Lydia's first experience with a werewolf.. per se. It's not as if she had ever seen Grem transform first hand, nor had he ever attacked her. Still, she was familiar with some of the aspects of it, some of the traits those afflicted with it had, and the accompanying guilt- so far that seemed to be a common thread as well.
She was familiar with how lycanthropy spread too. Bites. Scratches. It was like a virus. And Soerl had bitten and scratched her. So surely there was a chance for her to become what he was... What if that happened? What would those close to her think? Would they feel for her the same way? Or would she have to see fear in their eyes any time she was around? Could Bane still love her if she had ... changed?
Lydia was terrified. Terrified of the prospect of being changed. Terrified of the possibility of a monster with growing. Terrified of the prospect of losing people for it.
She wanted to escape the terror, but she couldn't. Closing her eyes, she only saw it all again. Claws and teeth. The look of unmistakable guilt, sorrow and regret on Soerl's face. She'd never be able to forget that look. Eyes opened, she couldn't quite make herself tear her eyes off the blood drenched hoody in her lap. There were reminders everywhere she looked, and fears that wouldn't stop being whispered in her mind.
It was too much for her to take, but at least being alone in the respite of her own home Lydia didn't have to pretend to be strong. She didn't even have to pretend to be okay. When the world came crashing down she could weep and cower like the child she felt and no one would be the wiser...
It was almost hard to imagine what things would have been like for all of them. Hardly a day prior, Poppy would had guessed that life and family and friends were all going to fall apart again -- she guessed that four people's worlds had been shattered by what couldn't have possibly been helped. Not realistically, at least.
So, she decided there was no choice but to stay, and help. It seemed so unlikely, but Poppy had already managed what she felt was a breakthrough in her brother's thinking, and had even run into Jay at the Inn on her way through.
All that was left was for Poppy to check on her dear friend, Lydia. It wasn't close by, that was certain. But she didn't mind the short walk after she was left off the back of the old horse-drawn cart. Who would have guessed it? It was such a peaceful place after the rain had gone and dusk was setting in.
It didn't keep Poppy from worrying, though. So many times, it was easy to believe that control was easily seized and kept, but there were too many factors for that. Would Lydia become a werewolf? Would Jay? How could she expect them not to worry about something like that?
Many of the steps she took towards the brick home were watched carefully with her own hazel eyes, like she was worried she would misstep at any moment. One wrong step and look what happens?
There was some shuffling off to one side, but she attributed it to her brother probably following her, even if it actually wasn't. Instead, she was drawn to the great amount of wildflowers growing around Lydia's house. It was absolutely breathtaking, even without the proper sunshine. It just seemed to fit -- it called out as being exactly what Lydia would like.
A slow sigh escaped at the door, though. She didn't want this to go badly...
Outside the house, around the corner, Aeriel peered out towards the property's 'intruder'. With a curious cant of her head the gryphon chirped and warbled towards the stranger as she stepped forward, ruffling her feathers. At the very least, her behavior was improving as of late, so she didn't approach them to harass about treats- Lydia caved enough as it was. So with with a flutter of askew wings the creature leapt up and landed on the porch awning with a loud 'thunk'.
It wasn't too long after that the heavy oak door to the house opened somewhat slowly to allow Lydia to cautiously peer out. She hadn't been expecting any sort of company, nor did she really want it honestly. She still had plans to go out later (against doctor's orders at that) rather than succumb to 'stir-craziness'. There was some relief in that it was Poppy at the door rather than Bane, since she wasn't sure she was quite prepared to talk to him about the events that transpired, but still she frowned at the state she saw her friend in. Poppy looked in worse condition than she did!
"Hey Poppy..." The screen door was pulled open and held there as the tired looking and pale elf stepped aside to let her friend enter. "We seem to match." Wry words spoken as she glanced to her own arm sling, then she shook her head as pale blues lifted back up to glance about beyond Poppy. No one accompanied her did they? She almost expected to see Soerl, but not really... she couldn't imagine he would want to see her so soon. Though it wasn't as if she were in any sort of hurry to see him either.
"Mm.. feel free to come in and make yourself at home. If you want something to eat or drink I can get it?"
There was no real way for Poppy to tell what had made such a noise on the awning above the porch, but it did well to keep her guard up. In most cases, she was pretty careful, and this was Lydia, of course. So, she smiled as well as she could and stepped inside. "A glass of water would be nice, thanks."
Poppy noted the sling; noted the tired expression settled onto the elf's face, and it wasn't hard at all to figure that she was having a rough time since the attack. So, she did what she felt was best and followed Lydia to the kitchen. "You know, I managed to catch up with Jay earlier. He seemed like he felt horrible about everything, but..." She shook her head and found a seat wherever one was available -- probably at a table.
It likely wasn't hard to fill in the empty spaces. There had been some similarities to what had happened to both of them, and the same could probably be said for Jay and Soerl. As much as it hurt, and as sad as it was, they all seemed to be sharing the same sort of misgivings, but weren't quite sure how to help.
"I don't know. I feel like being mad at him would be hypocritical. You know, because of my brother." Actually, it wasn't hypocritical at all, but Poppy wasn't quite sure how to express it. She would be hard pressed to ever be in a situation where she was mad at Soerl -- she just didn't work that way. "He wanted me to tell you he was sorry. And I--" Shoulders slumped, and Poppy pursed her lips for a second. "Well, I told Jay that the full moon's in two weeks..." She didn't seem to finish the statement, but she had certainly mentioned it in such a way that Lydia might draw similar conclusions. Finishing the statement seemed to be out of the question, though.
Closing the two doors Lydia turned to lead Poppy towards the kitchen. The living room they passed in the process was nothing spectacular and didn't have much out of the ordinary that the usual living room would. It was sorta tidy with the usual essentials. The only things that might have stood out was the wood burning stove in the corner, the phonograph and records scattered on the coffee table, the inordinate amount of doilies laying around, and a couple framed children's drawings hanging on the walls- though they weren't confined to just the living room.
When they entered the kitchen Lydia opened a cabinet to pull out a glass then proceeded to fill it with water as she listened to Poppy. Back to the other girl, a brief frown crossed her lips before she turned to set the water in front of her and take a seat across from her. "I had been worried about Jay..." In spite of what he had done to Poppy she still worried about him, and what the extent of his injuries were. "Gods... that whole night just went wrong didn't it?" A wry smile completely void of humor was offered with the drily spoken statement.
"I'm not sure what got into Jay, but that wasn't him." Much like Soerl wasn't quite himself either, she knew. "I can't blame you if you were mad at him though.. but really... I'm not even mad at Soerl. I don't even hate him." She shook her head, sighing at her own words. Hearing about the full moon though, well, that brought on another frown. "Full moon... so Jay could change as well." Brows furrowed, she rested her hand on the part of her arm where Soerl had bitten her. It was obvious she wasn't happy about the prospect of it happening to her, nor did she wish it on someone else.
Poppy took a sip of her water while considering what Lydia had said. It seemed like an understatement to say that the night "just went wrong," but she understood exactly what the green haired elf was trying to say. It hadn't just been a night of unfortunate events -- no, it seemed that everything was orchestrated in a way that no one would walk away with a clear conscious. Even Poppy herself felt bad for her part, even if it was, for the most part, innocent.
She felt bad. In fact, when she looked over Lydia's wounds, and considered what might be ahead for her, Poppy almost felt sick. It wasn't as if Lydia had done anything wrong, right? "I'm really sorry any of this happened, you know? It seems like all of us are suffering in some way."
It really was true, too. It wasn't as if any of them were bad people, or that someone could even think they deserved to deal with what had been called a "mauling" in more than one place, already. "I feel bad that you and Jay even have to consider the possibility of claws and fur and..." She shook her head and continued on, "And Soerl? He never wanted this. For himself or anyone else."
Silence followed for a short moment. She fiddled with the water glass that Lydia had given her, using that left hand to turn the cup around in its own condensation. Two weeks was all the time they had. In two weeks, they would have a great many answers to questions they hadn't even managed to ask, yet. There would be time to assess, reassess, and make determinations based on what was to happen in the near future. It just took some time to get the ball rolling.
"If there's anything I can do to help, Lydia..." The rest probably went without saying. Even Poppy seemed to have a remorseful expression on her face at the idea that the sweet elf might turn into some large, murderous rampaging creature of the full moon.
"I know Soerl didn't mean for things to go the way they did... I don't think anyone really meant for things to spiral out of control. Just.. gods, it sure came out of nowhere didn't it?" Lydia nearly grinned wrily at the thought of it. Things had been going so good lately, and somewhere in the back of her mind she just knew things were overdue to fall apart in some way. She hadn't thought it'd be this way... but it happened.
"It's a possibility though... not for certain. I'm still.. still really hoping that me and Jay won't..." She trailed off, certain Poppy knew where she was going with that. This is one thing she wanted to at least try and remain optimistic about. If she gave up now and just accepted things as they were (or could be)? She just wouldn't be able to take it.
"Still not sure how Bane's going to react." Quiet words, mostly to herself as she shook her head. "I figure I won't tell the rest of my friends about this. If-if things don't change, I'd rather not worry them for nothing." Bane was a different story though. He had a right to know. "It's not exactly an easy thing to come clean with... any werewolf I've known has either kept it secret or been at least a little reluctant to share that fact."
Lydia smiled faintly to her friend then. "And I appreciate you wanting to help.. you just being here has been really great of you. If there's anything you need from me either.. I'm here. I know things probably haven't been easy for you either." Soerl was Poppy's brother after all.
Poppy seemed to consider Lydia's words as they were spoken, and nodded in comprehension as she drank her water. Lydia was certainly right that no one expected (or wanted) anything like this to happen. Since it did happen, though, it was easy to know that it would facilitate a change in each and every one of those involved, and not necessarily a change that meant teeth and claws and fur.
"I appreciate your offer of help, Lydia. Sometimes I feel as if maybe I need it more than I'm willing to admit." There was a short snorting laugh afterwards, but it seemed like it probably hurt a little more than it was worth, since a wince followed.
The last of the glass of water was finished, and then Poppy stood. She had determined that Lydia was all right, and had seen she could keep her spirits up, so it felt like things were in control, at least for the present moment. "Please, don't hesitate to come and get me, if you need me. I have a little place at the Econ-Omni right now -- you're welcome there any time."
Poppy made sure that Lydia was following, as she headed back toward the front door of the house. "You should stay optimistic, though. It is possible to live a fairly normal life as a werewolf, I imagine." There was no hesitation when she mentioned it this time. "My brother has managed it for a while now, it seems. Although, I think the future will hold some hardships for him because of it. Chin-up, though. We're all here to help one another."
At the door, Poppy waited so that she could say her goodbyes to Lydia. She would have stayed longer, but it was already late, and she imagined everyone needed rest.
Lydia frowned at Poppy's words about needing help more than she was willing to admit. It sounded so very much like herself as well. In times of stress she struggled alone- not because there was no one there for her, because plenty of people would extend a helping hand to her. No, it was because she often slapped that hand away.
She moved along with Poppy towards the door as they conversed. "I have a friend who lives there. At the Econ-Omni place... so I know where it is. Shouldn't have a problem finding you if I need anything." A small smile was offered, waning just a touch at some memories. "And I was ... really good friends with a werewolf once, so I know it's manageable. I think I worry more about reactions from people than the change itself." She shook her head, almost dismissively.
"I really appreciate you coming by though.. it means a lot. And I hope.. we can all move past this. There's no reason for Soerl or any of us to have to suffer hardships because of an accident." She could hope, right? Leaning in, Lydia embraced Poppy in a warm, if brief, hug. "You're welcome to drop by here again any time you want. We all should try to be here for each other..."
Upon her friend's departure Lydia shut the door behind her and slumped against it with a sigh. Such a brave face she put on, but she felt anything but brave. Did everyone else feel just as terrified as she?
