daybreakacademy

Entry tags:

[yikes]

Who: Adelaide & you! Plus some closed prompts.
When: ~July 6th
What: The rampages strike another person, with results that are perhaps a little bloodier than intended.
Where: Around campus, mostly.
Warnings: Violence & blood, at the very least.

a; closed to yuya
[She doesn’t think twice about it, really. The craving she feels getting to her. It’s something she’s felt a lot. It’s something she’s been feeling for months. The desire for blood, the desire to get it straight from the source. Usually, she’s able to ignore it - but why should she? There are so many people here, and so many of them just won’t care.

So why should she stop herself from being herself? That’s what she’s thinking, as she rounds the corner and sees a familiar face.]

Oh, hey.

b;
[It was quick, at least. Maybe that’s mostly because of her, though. She’s fast, and efficient, and she feels better than ever with fresh blood in her veins.

And down the front of her shirt.

Adelaide looks like a horror show, as she wanders the campus, and she doesn’t seem all that bothered by it. There’s blood on her face, smeared like she tried to wipe it away with her arm, and there’s a glint in her eyes. She seems like she’s looking for something, a determined glint in her eyes and moving with purpose.

Whatever she’s looking for, you might want to hope it’s not you.]

c; closed to rex & sherlock
[She’s managed to find her way to her destination. It’s not difficult, tracking Rex. She’s gotten better and better at predicting where he’ll be, and asides from that, she knows his smell by now. They’ve spent so much time together, and they’ve always been so close...She could easily pick him out from a crowd, and find him from miles away.

And she wants him. She’s spent so much time waffling on that, but that’s what she truly wants, isn’t it?]

Rex.

[There’s still blood down her front, and when she grins at him her teeth are sharp.]

I’ve been looking for you.

d;
[All good things must come to an end - and all bad things, too. It hits her, abruptly, that what she’s done is terrible. That what she’s done could ruin her.

God.

She hopes she hasn’t hurt anyone too badly. There’s too much evidence to hope she hasn’t hurt anyone at all. She’s a monster. She finally snapped and someone else paid the price and now what is she going to do? She tried so hard, and she tried to keep it a secret for so long, and now it’s all just…

Ruined. It’s all ruined.

Adelaide knows she shouldn’t run away, but she can’t think of anything else to do. She goes to the roof, in the form of a fluffy back cat, and finds a spot to curl up as she tries to think of what to do now.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

They are being tended to, I assure you.

[Ana is stable, she knows that personally. Hieke and Ekkehardt have any others under control and she has full confidence in their abilities. Now, she's worried about what caused Adelaide to lash out. Especially seeing her clear remorse in the aftermath.]

But you are also a victim of this incident. It would be foolish to ignore your needs. I do not believe you did this intentionally, or that you were entirely in your right mind at the time. Help me understand.

[Adelaide just wants to curl in on herself and stop existing.]

I don't know what happened. I just- I just wanted to hurt them. I thought - I don't know what I was thinking.

[She takes a shuddering breath, tears welling up in her eyes. It's almost funny, in a way, that the more she attacks people the more human she becomes.]

Do you feel as though your thoughts were not your own?

[Angela sits down beside Adelaide and one wing unfolds to cover her back in a protective motion.]

It felt like...Things I would think, but never want to act on.

It was all me. [She sniffs, tears starting to fall.]

If you would not typically act on these thoughts, then I am inclined to believe it was not entirely you.

[Angela ponders this for a moment, grimacing.]

I will vouch for you, because I firmly believe you did not act purposefully. But I will need you to be as open and honest with me as you can about the incident. I promise you that I am on your side, Miss Cooke.

[And she means that.]

[But they're still her thoughts. Surely just thinking them is bad enough, she wants to protest.

But she can't make herself do that. All the fight has left her, now, and she just lowers her head.]

I don't know what I can say.

Can you tell me a bit about your feeding habits, Miss Cooke?

[It's a bit personal, to ask a vampire these questions, but it might explain some things. Her face is a perfect picture of motherly concern as she prompts a bit.]

Do you feed regularly, for example?

[She tenses on that. She hates the way that sounds. Feeding. It seems so...

Cruel.]

No.

[It's painful to admit, that maybe part of the reason it doesn't happen is because she doesn't take care of herself.]

I don't...I don't want to hurt anything.

[Oh, Adelaide...Angela smiles sympathetically. She appreciates that fear, but you still have to take care of yourself.]

I know, Adelaide. I understand. Daybreak does have ample donated blood stores, which students of vampiric nature are welcome to. Donations were completely voluntary. I will make sure you have better access to this resource in the future.

[She'll phrase this as professionally as she can and hope Adelaide understands that the issue can be examined and approached without accusation.]

Your loss of control could be brought on by the inconsistent schedule. I would professionally advise working on a plan to regulate it. However, given your inclinations against violence and the particular way you acted out, I am leaning towards an external influence. Illusions and mind altering magic can be very powerful, and make thoughts seem entirely your own when they are not.

[Why take care of yourself when you can Not, and take part in shady science experiments instead?]

...Okay.

[She can...do that. She can.

She tenses at the idea of it being magic that made her act like this. It doesn't - it would explain the fuzziness of her memories, but it doesn't make any sense. Why would somebody do that to her?

It's easier to just believe she's a monster.]

Why would someone do that? Why...to me?

A good question. There are countless reasons for someone to target a student, or it could be random chance. It could even be accidental. An ability that the user is unaware of, or a spell misfiring.

[They could be prejudiced against vampires. They could dislike Adelaide and have poor temper control. They could just be a dick. It's no use trying to figure it out with the information she has right now.]

Unfortunately it would be impossible to say at this stage who or what is responsible and why. It will be investigated further, I will make sure of that.

[Angela's voice turns soft and motherly.]

For now, you are clearly shaken and upset. How can I help you calm down?

[She goes quiet for a moment, before she looks up at Angela.]

What if it was just me?

[Her hands ball into fists, and tears start to fall down her face.

She hasn't cried since being turned. She hasn't been able to. But with this much blood in her system, her body can produce tears. Isn't it terrible, how hurting others has made her so much more human?]

This is all my fault.

[Angela thinks about that for a moment. She wants to give an honest answer. Her response is, as with almost everything she says, medical and precise.]

If it was just you, acting on your own natural thoughts despite never having those thoughts or urges before, than I would recommend psychological evaluation and therapy first and foremost. From their recommendations, I would act accordingly to help you readjust and better manage your condition.

[From her pocket, Angela produces a white and yellow handkerchief and hands it to Adelaide.]

Why do you want so badly to believe that you are beyond redemption?

[Isn't that just the question? And it's not like it's one Adelaide has an answer to.

It's something she's been afraid of, since she was turned. That she was just as terrible as the vampire who made this happen. That she could be just as cruel and vicious and it became true. She has no idea how many people she's hurt, but she can't get the taste of blood out of her mouth or get the blood off her clothes. The proof of what she's done is right there.

She hiccups, before covering her mouth to try to muffle her sobs.]

I don't- I don't know.

[Oh, Adelaide...Angela's heart really goes out to her. If she believed this was intentional, she'd have nothing to say. But Adelaide's reaction to what she's done is enough evidence for her. Perhaps she has too much faith in the world.]

Then perhaps it's worth asking if you aren't so bad after all. You are not the monster you seem to think you are. A monster feels no remorse. What you are feeling now...that is proof to me that you are not a monster, Adelaide.

[She rests her hand on Adelaide's arm.]

You are more than this incident.

[When she says it like that, she can almost believe her. She can almost believe that she's not as bad as she thinks she is, that she didn't deserve what happened and it's not a sign of who she is.

But she's still afraid.]

What if this happens again?

A good question. Without knowing the cause, we can't definitively prevent a repeat incident. What we can do is take some precautions.

[She has a few tricks up her sleeve, should Adelaide choose to accept any of them.]

For example, we can look at some of the possible causes and eliminate or reduce the chances of them interfering again. It is more than doable to ward away mind controlling magics with something as simple as an imbued piece of jewelry, which I am sure I can provide you without needing to do paperwork. I would be glad to help you work out a dietary plan for your needs. If you are willing, I can arrange for you to be seen by the counselor on occasion to make sure that if there is a visible decline in your health, we can take further action.

We- [And she stresses the word.] -will do our best to ensure that nobody is harmed again. Yourself included.

...Okay.

[Okay. Maybe things aren't doomed to be terrible forever. She sniffles, before rubbing at her eyes. She's sure she looks an absolute mess, and that's not helping her case, but...

She's just. So tired. She just wishes this had never happened. She wishes things had stayed okay forever.]

Okay.

In that case, let's get you some place where you can clean up and start tonight over. You look as though you could use a bit of a reset.

[Angela stands and offers Adelaide a hand to help her up. She's genuinely happy to hear Adelaide willing to try and heal from this. And Angela will investigate further, as she promised. In the meantime:]

I can escort you back to your dorm, but you can come to the infirmary to speak with me any time you'd like.

[She takes the hand, nervously, pulling herself up.]

...Right.

[She pauses for a moment, trying to think of the words to say.]

Do I...have to go back to my dorm? I don't- I...

[She makes a frustrated noise, annoyed with herself.]

Hm? I suppose not, no. There are showers and beds elsewhere on campus, including in the infirmary itself if you'd rather have supervision tonight.

[Angela tilts her head.]

Should I make arrangements to move your room, or will you be able to return once some time has passed?

...I don't know. But. For tonight, I'd like to stay somewhere else, if that's okay?

[She doesn't know if she wants to stay in the infirmary. What if someone she hurt is there?

She can't face them, not so soon.]

Yes, of course. I can make arrangements for a private room elsewhere.

[On the one hand, she'd like to keep Adelaide close and make sure she's really alright. On the other, it's written all over her face that the infirmary is low on the list of places she wants to spend the rest of her night.

Either way, Adelaide won't have to go back to her dorm until she's ready. That much she can promise without too much trouble.]

I- [Am proud of you, for picking yourself back up.] -will give you my contact information, in case you need to talk.

Thank you.

[She appreciates it. She doesn't feel like she deserves it, but she appreciates it. A lot.]

I'll try not to bother you too badly.

[At that, Angela just smiles sympathetically.]

Don't worry about that. Just worry about feeling better.

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