Video UN: glyphywitchy [Back dated to May 12]

[imaglyphwitch]

[It's been a few days since dying, and Luz had unfortunately kept this to herself. If you haven't been able to tell, this girl has been having a pretty rough month, and it didn't seem to be getting better. She lurched her device to focus, and, though coughing, was looking directly into the camera].

So. Uh. Died. First time, ha ha, not a fun experience. Kinda looking for some company, here or just on this thing otherwise. I should probably be getting rest, yes, but staring up at the ceiling regretting stuff and hating yourself can only keep out the quiet for so long.

Also, been out of the loop a bit. Someone update me on things?


[Action]


Luz was pretty sure that she was going to get an earful from people in the house, but ESPECIALLY from Ahiru, who had very much not wanted her to go on the mission. Luz had thought she could handle it and had handled somewhat similar situations before. Now, though, since they'd talked about it before, Luz knew it looked even WORSE.

Add the whole mix of self-loathing for being too weak to avoid death and the ever-present gloom of missing Fern and Varian, and Luz was pretty much a powder keg of emotions and blah. She was in her room right now, dimly lit with her purple lights and surrounded by a fort of stuffed animals and, well, Luz was a sight to see.

Comments

[onerthes]

Relaxing? Well, it's always good to relax more. Or did you mean meditation? I think we spoke about a sweat lodge not that long ago, didn't we?

[She just wanted to be sure which one she meant. They were definitely different sorts of relaxation after all.]

[imaglyphwitch]

No, the lodge thing. I can relax any time I want, as long as I have the tower or my reading nook. But real meditation I think could help with what we talked about before.

[onerthes]

Oh, my. That sounds like an excellent idea. We can head over to the sauna and make use of that for the sweat lodge right now, if you'd like.

[imaglyphwitch]

I think I could really use something like that right now.

[After talking with Luca and Ahiru, she figures it's a good time to take it easy now].

[onerthes]

Come then.

[She motioned for Luz to follow as she turned and started to head down the street to the teleportation circle.]

We can fly, though this would be much faster in this case. I know the nearest spot. It's like a web after all, and I get the feeling that you could use an escape from the mood in your home right now.

[imaglyphwitch]

Right.

Oh, I can forgo the flying this time. To be truthful, I'm just not in the mood.

[And that told you all that you needed to know about how Luz was feeling at that moment. Her, not flying? A fluke].

[onerthes]

Mmmm? [She looked over at her friend and reached an arm to curl around the shoulder as they set out.] That's a sign of just how much of a trial this situation's been for you, but I'm not surprised.

We'll get to the sauna quickly then. I want to take your mind off of this.

[imaglyphwitch]

[Luz gave her a weak smile]. It's pretty surprising to me too. If anyone should be up for flying, it's me. I love doing it usually. Now though, I'm feeling kinda creaky?

Please, Vira. I'd appreciate that.

[onerthes]

You're recovering. That's all. Don't worry about it.

[As they reached the little moaners, there was but a momentary flash before the world shifted back to the right part of the Cellar Door. She already had reservations for later today ... because... well, honestly, her skin didn't stay this glowing without effort. So, she was pretty sure she could just push it up.

It wasn't going to be a long walk now. As she smiled at her friend, she offered her a wink.]

You'll take to the skies again soon enough.

[imaglyphwitch]

[Luz nodded, taking a long breath. She was definitely taking a lot of breaths lately, if only to remind herself that she was human, she got tired and needed to rest when her body and mind were overwhelmed.

Once they reached Cellar Door, Luz started to feel slightly anxious, if only because her usual excitement in going to new places felt slightly dampened by how strangely disconnected she felt, coming back from death].

I know. It just feels like a lot right now.

[onerthes]

[Vira-Lorr kept an arm on her friend to offer support in the midst of all this. It was a whole lot to deal with, and it was very much a new and unpleasant experience for her friend. Of that, she was certain. While they entered the spa, she nodded sagely.]

Well, that's because it is a lot. The physical trauma is really the easy part in Trench. You're dealing with what's in the head, and that first experience can be very deeply wounding. It's ok not to force it.

[imaglyphwitch]

[Luz leaned on Vira Lorr slightly when arriving at the spa. Even traveling this long was going to tire Luz a little bit, so she appreciated the arm].

I think you're right. My emotional stuff has always felt worst to me than anything physical. That's what really kicks my rear.

So what do we do now?

[onerthes]

[She walked her towards one of the private sauna rooms, the one that she'd arranged. Opening the door in, she led her towards a bench and offered her a seat.]

For right now, I want you to relax. I'm going to get the coals heated properly and I'll put some incense out.

The stuff that they use in this city is actually helpful I think for our purposes.

[imaglyphwitch]

[Luz started to feel a little more at ease now, if only because they weren't so out in the open, and she felt like she could at least unwind a little bit here. No monsters or onlookers or animals, just the two of them].

Right. Of course. Yes.

[Luz took a long breath, the released it, trying to to relax].

[onerthes]

[Vira-Lorr would have locked the door if that weren't colossally unwise. Walking over to the center of the sauna, she settled down in front of the censer and turned a small switch. Somewhere below, a soft light exuded as the lunar orb powered up and the heat started to emanate from the rocks, growing steadily more hot.

Taking a bucket of water, she added essence and oils to it while settling down in front of Luz.]

I'm not putting 'active' chemicals in this. We're going to try and use meditation and relaxation to lul the mind into a euphoric state. I don't want to overtax you right now and I'd be concerned in using mushroom essences.

[...ya think?]

[imaglyphwitch]

[Luz wasn't sure what to expect here. At this point it was Vira's show, and she started it up with a soft light, warmth coming from the rocks and a pleasant smell from the censure].

That's fine! I don't want to have this with the mushrooms yet. Let me just gather myself.

[And here Luz closed her eyes and felt the heat on her skin, producing beads of sweat all over her body, but her head took a swim as the scents and the relaxed environment washed over her.

One long breath, an exhale. Luz fixed her gaze to Vira, then took another breath].

Please, continue.

[onerthes]

So. Now that you're starting to breathe the vapors. Remember that you're seeking the influence of your totem spirit. We're going to meditate, to relax and position ourselves while you attempt to open your mind. Relax and give up thinking for a little bit. Let the scents and the heat wash over you. As your head gets light, you are attempting to keep your mind open to receive guidance.

[She demonstrated a simple lotus position, sitting across from her friend to show her how to proceed. Admittedly, while she was taking the helm, soon the hope was that it would be Luz whose visions and meditations would take the lead of things.]

(OOC: IF you'd like to add a bit of something psychoactive for the two of them to experience a vision together, I certainly think that's within the realm of reasonable in the setting with the incense sticks.)

[imaglyphwitch]

Ok. Taking a deep breath.

[Luz knew she was the one taking the journey, so she'd have to be the one to willingly open the door to the place where things might get strange. She imitated the same position Vira had, taking the breath, letting the scent take center stage, feeling the heat rising to her skin. For a moment, it was almost uncomfortable, as Luz let Vira's words wash over her.

And then everything seemed to get small. The room seemed to dwarf, and slowly, she felt herself disappearing out of it and into a form of a sleek, wild looking timberwolf. It was, without Luz needing to verify it, as if she were with Tempest right now, in her body. Where once was the sauna now seemed to be sandy dunes spread before them while a blazing sun was overhead.

Luz began to run: no thirst, no fatigue seemed to creep over her body. It was nothing but the muffled thud of her paws as she ran on, sweating and hot but uninhibited, full of wanderlust].

[onerthes]

[Fluttering and flapping its wings to follow in the wake of the wolf was another. The multi-colored feathers along the wings belied the normal sleek black of the grackle with an almost rainbow hue that accented its plumage. It flew alongside and above, like any carrion bird, waiting to descend when the kill was done. Only the third eye that showed in its forehead showed who it was that followed in her train.

The world seemed to melt away as the meditation continued, only the vision that was being shared being the center. For Vira-Lorr, however, it was more a place to serve as protector and observer. This was not her quest after all.]

[imaglyphwitch]

[There seemed to be no end to the dunes around them: one area after another was just more sand expanse. But Luz the wolf kept moving on and on, sweaty and hot but full of vigor. the journey seemed like a quiet one. Finally, she stopped at a shady spot.

It was unclear why, but Luz began to dig. At first there did not seem to be a rhyme or reason for this: after all, what made this place so different from any place else? Gradually though, Luz felt something at her paws: it was cold and transparent, and Luz yelped in her wolfy voice as she saw it was, in fact ice, and then she and the backdrop seemed to get sucked into the ground, and then Luz seemed to fall into the hole and out into another world.

It was icy, snowy, and desolate, but in the distance there was something like a cave there. While Luz felt compared to go there, she couldn't help but hear cruel laugher here: it sounded suspiciously like the men who had tortured her a year ago].

[onerthes]

[Vira-Lorr had watched from the branch with idle curiosity the longer that Luz had been pawing, wondering what it was that she saw in there. when the hole opened up, and the great wolf was sucked in, the bird lunged and flapped her wings, barely following before the darkness swallowed up in the ground once more.

She was now circling again, agitated. Those voices ... they didn't sound familiar and yet they did. She didn't like the sound of this and cawed once in concern, though she didn't stop Luz. Visions were visions, though as she thought of her rapier, she could feel her talons sharpen, just in case.]

[imaglyphwitch]

[Luz held back the growl in her throat. Caves. They still troubled her to this day. And why was she going from one area to another? Hot, then cold, and now back at the memories of people that hurt her.

The low growl, however, turned into a yelp of pain as she felt the stinging in her back, and she was flat on the ground. She couldn't see it, but suddenly everything got dark, and all around them was the smell of blood. She squeezed her eyes shut, because of course this was the OTHER place she didn't want to go: the factory, where she got the scars that were still on her back to this day. She felt the pain reigniting and she whined, scrabbling on the ground, closing her eyes and trying to make this all go away.

In the distance, outside of her pain, there were footsteps, and a far away voice calling out.

"Kid. Hey! Hey kid!"

And wolf Luz could barely hear, she felt so consumed with her pain right now.

[onerthes]

Vira-Lorr heard the voice and saw her friend struggling. the grackle flapped its wings, coming down very close and proceeding to caw loudly. The caws of a grackle were loud, obnoxious and overwhelming things. When flocks of them landed like a plague of blackbirds, the sound was cacophonous enough to drown out traffic. Alone, it was still enough to cut through the sensations and create something that hopefully snapped her out of this.

Flapping forward and then back, she kept it up, trying to get her attention and lead her in the direction of the voice, rather than this hellish place she wanted no part of.

almost wish I had an icon of young Eda!

[imaglyphwitch]

The piercing sound cut through Luz's pain, and the wolf started, her ears perked, the pain throbbing, but gently subsiding. It shook her a little, and then allowed her to hear the voice. It was familiar and, more so, it was the voice of someone that stopped her in her tracks.

"E-eda?"

And it was, or something like her anyway. This was where dreams got strange. She didn't see Eda as she knew her, but as the younger Eda she saw in pictures: red haired, bright eyes and a mischievous personality. It was actually more of a merge of other person, someone Luz would find out left too: Mebh, her wolf friend.

"In the flesh! So what are you doing, suffering out here in the snow? And what's with that bird?"

She pointed at the Grackle, looking at it squinty eyed a moment, then smiled.

"Oh, I get it. She's the one that woke you up. Heh. Looks like you're doing good even though I'm not there."

Luz was sputtering, trying to deny this, but young Eda shook her head.

"Nope, sorry, don't want to hear a word about it. But you DID want to see me one more time, and I can't blame you. Yeesh. You were not looking your best out there. Boy. You really do get into trouble in these places."

Young Eda looked wistful, then laughed.

"Good thing I'm not the Eda you know, or I'd probably start blubbering right now! Ah, I turned into such an old softie. But anyway. You're wondering why you went from the desert to the ice, right? Come on pupil. You can make a guess."

Luz looked over at Vira Lorr, as if to say help?

hehe I can only imagine.

[onerthes]

In that moment? Everyone was able to find out that yes, grackles could laugh. It was like a repeating shrill piping repeating as she was found out. The talons relaxed and she settled on the wolf's shoulder, clearly bobbing her head in amusement. Why yes, she was the one who'd helped wake her up. nice of this Eda to notice!

She bobbed her head again, amused. Yeah, she could definitely take a certain amusement that Eda was just going to Eda. Cocking her head. She paused and thought about this. Another shrill cry and she flapped over to one of the big blocks of ice, pecking at it and then looking at her. Maybe there was something in the ice?

(OOC: She's guessing there's something in the ice, but it could be whatever you want is the answer.)