The Ghoul, The Bad, and the Undead - Strange Magics

[Ancelas]

The rain fell and lightning flashed, occasionally drawn down to lash their enemies, while bursts of light and color all about them signaled the marshaling of arcane power at the Blackguards' disposal. Vanya pulled deep from the well of power within her, and with that power came a surge of spitefulness and hate. She had destroyed the ghoul that had tried to attack her Verdi, and she had turned to ensure Natasha and Incognitus were safe, when a cheer rose up from within the camp - the fight was over. The battle had been won.

Vanya breathed heavily as she looked out over the camp, the rain plastering her long hair to her face, one hand holding her staff in a white-knuckled grip while the long fingers of her other hand was spread, ready to conjure more power at a moment's notice. The rush of her own blood filled her ears, her heart thudded heavily in her chest, and for one cruel moment, she felt... disappointment... that there were no other creatures for her to vent her fury upon.

And then came the sudden horror, and shame, as she recognized the thoughts racing through her head.

[CautionCat]

Verdi was caught up in the fight, ready to defend himself and the others, when the ghoul came close. He managed to dodge the blows, but Vanya's reaction was... Worrysome.

Did she have control of that? The change, the wickedness. Something felt... Very off. Once the fight was won, and she stood at the bottom of the slope, heavy breathing, elongated fingers... Verdi stood, and watched, until her body language changed. Her shoulders slumped, and her head lowered.

Did it pass? He glaced to Natasha, who seemed also concerned. After a short moment, he slid down the now muddy slope on his feet, and trotted to Vanya's side.

"Are you... Alright? Will you be alright?"

[opius]

Tactics and preparedness had won against the forces of chaos and undeath, and among the rallying cheers was Gallium's voice. The metal clad protector banged his hammer against his shield, radiant sparks illuminating the symbol of the Mordinsamman.

So swept up in corralling the fighters back to the center of camp, Gallium was none the wiser to Vanya's lapse in composure - or her shame. He only turned briefly toward the duo, rain obscuring much of what he might have seen. "Well fought- we heal wounded and clean the mess. Alagh!"

And so he trundled off toward the middle of camp.

(Passive insight/Perception failure. Vanya can confidently assume Gallium caught none of that.)

[Ancelas]

Vanya tensed at Verdi's voice and cast a quick glance toward Galium, her eyes reflective in the darkness, beneath her rain-matted hair. She clenched her fists and muttured to herself to calm down.

"Fine," she said quickly, sharper than she intended. Cursing herself, she softened her voice but did not turn to Verdi just yet. "Are... are you alright? Natasha?"

[CautionCat]

"Mmn... Your body language says otherwise." He nodded, and knelt down to examine Natasha.
"I'm fine, but Natasha took a few marks it looks like..." They gave Natasha a good scritch, and looked up to Vanya.

"You seem to be changing a lot more... Pronounced lately when you use your magic."

[Ancelas]

Vanya clasped her hands to her chest, feeling both annoyed and touched that he had noticed. She bit her lip before answering, instinct telling her to play it off - and had Verdi been anyone else, she might have. There was no accusation in his voice, though... just concern.

She looked over to him, her eyes no longer gleaming in the faint light of the camp. She looked normal. Wet, but normal.

"...Sometimes," she confessed. "I've never really needed to use my magic to defend myself, until the events at the landfill. And in the jungle, I need to do so more and more. I think... I think it sometimes... brings out something in me. Something... unpleasant."

[CautionCat]

"It's... The hag blood, right?" He frowned a little, and stood up, eyes on her. "Is there... Something we could do to make that not happen so strong? Or... Is this just the nature of it?"

Verdi was quite concerned, and cared quite a bit about Vanya. Their friendship was strong before, and now it was gently blossoming into something more.

"Maybe there's a blessing that could control it..."

[Ancelas]

Vanya felt a surge of affection for Verdi as he expressed his concern, and before she realized it, she had already taken a step toward him. She forced herself to be still and counted to ten.

"I just need a little time to... calm down," she confessed. "I'm not accustomed to all this... excitement." She flashed a brief smile. "I think it's a good thing to test my limits, though. In... safe company."

[CautionCat]

Verdi nodded. "Yes, you haven't had to use your magic, so that is understandable." He smiled, and moved toward her, taking her hands in his.
"If you ever fall too far, I will be sure to get you back. Maybe we can find a sort of... grounding... thing that could bring you out of it easier. Words, gestures... Taking your hand to bring you back? I am not sure what would work. Once we get to New Haven, I am sure we will have some time to work out some kinks."

[Ancelas]

Vanya felt a tingling thrill run up her spine at Verdi's touch, and her hand clasped his tightly. Time to work out some kinks... Vanya's face flushed and she moved to lean against him. "I... think that would be a good idea. I think we should... we should check on the others, yes? And... maybe go somewhere dry..."

[CautionCat]

Verdi nodded, and rested his hand on the back of her head, hair soaked. They were both soaked.

"There's plenty of tents, or we could go inside to Bone's... Strange little pocket home."

[Ancelas]

Vanya nodded. "I'd like to get warmed up."

[opius]

The camp was relatively active for some time as preparations were made to journey into the strange door Bones had conjured. Verdi had time to check in with the others, receive healing from Lia, and take in the lay of the camp in its current state.

As of that moment, the periphery of camp was quiet and still. The storm above persisted, but the rain was light, and the lightning distant. The house of man and crocodile was dry and well illuminated by torches, and the research camp's tents and homestead-like fixtures were untouched by combat this time.

With plenty of options available, Verdi lead Vanya toward the tents. The two discovered a large, unoccupied bell tent near one side of camp. Inside were towels, blankets, and the basic amenities one would expect from a multi-season habitat. After some asking around, Verdi learned that most of the other researchers heading to the Cottage to decompress, and it seemed no one would be claiming this particular tent for the evening.

[CautionCat]

"Well, this should be good for us tonight." Verdi said, as he moved his way into the tent. "It's dry, and with some magic, we can stay dry..."

He sighed, and dropped his pack on the floor of the tent, kneeling down to undo his bedroll from it. "Something doesn't seem right with the way the undead have been acting around here. I don't know if there's... some kind of panic with us destroying those dark sources or what."

[Ancelas]

Vanya followed Verdi into the tent, releasing a sigh of relief as she did so. A bit of privacy, away from the eyes and ears of others... and a dry place to clean up. This was very much what she needed. Verdi's presence heightened the enjoyment, even if there was a low, steady heat that had been bothering her since their conversation earlier. She set her own pack down and began to use her magic to dry out her hair and her clothes, moving slowly so as to dislodge any dirt and grit as well.

"It feels almost like plugging a dam... with every hole we seal, the pressure builds somewhere else. This ghoul plague was definitely orchestrated by that necromancer, but... where did he gather so many bodies from? There may be another source of black magic in the jungle nearby that needs to be sealed. Which would inevitably make things difficult elsewhere..."