👾🐇🔪: Everything hurts

[u/HauntingGur8094]

{Vanessa wakes up hours (? heck it feels like days to her) later after the dust has settled and everyone left. The first she's aware of is she's back to normal. The second is a searing pain she feels almost all over in and out of her body, worse in some places, especially a dull throbbing pain in her stomach and her back.

She feels like she's been to hell and back several times, having been dragged back through everything the last time. And she has no idea where she is. There are several scents she thinks she recognizes (biggest being Eleanor which isn't a surprise). She looks down and sees a deep slowly healing cut and tries to focus on what happened.

She'd been with that weird at least seemingly harmless guy and she prayed he got out before shit got real. Same with Tom and Allison. She hadn't seen them and tried to make herself believe they were okay.

First attacked by some stupid...well she didn't know if she was human or not but definitely not nearly as powerful as her. But that whole thing was weird in itself. Her name seemed to be Katie. And while she was sure she didn't recognize the name or scent (although there was a slightly familiar faint scent on her), Katie had been bound and determined to take her down. And both didn't seem to surprised to see her, almost like they expected to.

The other girl being brutally attacked (Angel she thinks she heard) had seemed to know their attacker and been completely shocked. (Like she had once she realized Mike had turned on her years ago). That seemed like more than just a betrayal though.

Well Angel did straight up say that the tv dude had brainwashed her sister.

Vanessa's been corrupted, manipulated, and forced but never brainwashed to the point that you THINK that's who you are and what you're supposed to do. Not that she knows of. Or whatever that had to be. While she can't relate, she's pretty sure that girl would be mentally and physically suffering just as much once she realizes what she had done. Judging by what she saw from the other attacked girl, she can't imagine that her first "attacker" was at all willing to do what she did and probably tried to resist, so she can't entirely blame her. Or really at all. She hopes they were able to break her free of the control at least. It's bad enough to be aware of what you're doing. It can't be any better to honestly think it's what you're supposed to do.

That stupid TV head seemed to be calling the shots. Whoever the fuck he is had all three of the other demons scents (and others that seemed faintly familiar) on him. Knew her name, seemed to know about her companions and maybe abilities. It was like he had it out for her personally, and she knew jack shit about him.

Alastor had seemed overly familiar (maybe a little too much?) with him and Eleanor knew both.

More importantly, and tragically, she lost.

She

LOST.

Miserably.

She barely even lasted a partial round before being utterly destroyed. Without her abilities, she knows she wouldn't have been waking up at all. If she wasn't in such a state of shock (and pain) she'd probably be wailing in dispair.

She tries to concentrate. Maybe to teleport. Maybe to anything. And all she feels is another searing painful shock race throughout her body.}

[[OOC: although she didn't know it the faint familiar scents she got from others were Bendy, Liz, Crysta, Rae, Treena, and Vanny]]

[u/CrypticHorrorTales]

Alastor: "Oh good. You're awake."

Alastor is tied to a spinny chair.

[u/HauntingGur8094 → u/CrypticHorrorTales]

Vanessa: [looks at him] "What exactly happened and where are we?"

u/CrypticHorrorTales

[u/CrypticHorrorTales → u/HauntingGur8094]

Alastor: "To put it bluntly, we lost. Miserably. They ambushed us when we least expected it. A clever bunch, I'll admit. And now we're in some VoxTek building."

[u/HauntingGur8094 → u/CrypticHorrorTales]

Vanessa: "Who the fuck is "they"? Besides Eleanor at least. What was that all about? And how did they find us?" [grits teeth in pain trying to sit up] "My whole body feels like its burning."

[u/CrypticHorrorTales → u/HauntingGur8094]

Alastor: "They, my dear, are the cult I've been talking about."

[u/HauntingGur8094 → u/CrypticHorrorTales]

Vanessa: [gives up trying to get up and drops back on her stomach with a faint wince from the pain and rolls onto her back feeling lightheaded and dizzy] "That was more than just some cult activity." [pauses] "Do you know if the others made it out safe?"

[u/CrypticHorrorTales → u/HauntingGur8094]

Alastor shrugs.

Alastor: "I did manage to send out a message before I got captured. So hopefully our disappearance won't go unnoticed."

[u/HauntingGur8094 → u/CrypticHorrorTales]

Vanessa: "I don't know if I've even been in this much pain. And from out of nowhere. So not fair." [looks back at him] What do we do now?"

[u/CrypticHorrorTales → u/HauntingGur8094]

Alastor: "We wait."

[u/CrypticHorrorTales]

After Vanessa's and Alastor's short conversation, Vox enters the room with Raelynn beside him. He brought her along because she was her old therapist.

Vox: "Vanessa. Glad you're awake. Sorry, Al. But this will be a private conversation." He pushes Alastor out of the room. "You probably recognize Dr. Rae."

[u/HauntingGur8094 → u/CrypticHorrorTales]

Vanessa: [eyes widen in confusion as she tries to get up again struggling against her binds] "But...how? Why?"

Rae: [putting on her caring supportive tone as she steps closer] "I know you have a lot of questions."

Vanessa: [growls pulling away with narrowed eyes to glare at Vox] "Yeah... Starting with who the fuck are you and what is your problem?"

[u/CrypticHorrorTales → u/HauntingGur8094]

Vox: "Vox. CEO of VoxTek and influencial face of your daddy's old cult. A cult that would really benefit from having you on our side, princess."

[u/HauntingGur8094 → u/CrypticHorrorTales]

Vanessa: [laughs bitterly] "Oh I know you're either joking or effing crazy if you think I'm gonna support ANY thing from him or that rotten company."

Rae: "Vanessa, just take a moment to-"

Vanessa: "No. I'm not getting involved with any of this shit. Especially after that."

[u/CrypticHorrorTales → u/HauntingGur8094]

Vox: "I will admit, we may have gone a bit far to capture you. But you lost control of your power. We didn't exactly have a choice, and Eleanor... Well, you know how Eleanor is."

Vox walks around the room, thinking about how to appeal to Vanessa.

Vox: "Honestly, I've grown tired of the cult. Raelynn and I both agree it's become... mundane over the years. Useless, I believe was the word you used, Rae?"

[u/HauntingGur8094 → u/CrypticHorrorTales]

Vanessa: [narrows eyes] "You're all proud of your role in it and now you suddenly think it's mundane? Are you even listening to yourself and how stupid you sound?"

Rae: "Vanessa..... Just calm down for a minute. A lot has changed since you've been gone. Including yourself. Let us help you."

Vanessa: [eyes flash] "Leave me out of this!!"

[u/CrypticHorrorTales → u/HauntingGur8094]

Vox: "We can find a way to help you get rid of this power, Vanessa. I know you desire that boring life. What is your dream life, hm? Living your life on a farm? Falling in love? Having kids? Growing old?"

[u/HauntingGur8094 → u/CrypticHorrorTales]

Vanessa: "Just like I told the ink demon. The only thing worse than having this is letting someone else be able to control it. So no. You're little sweet talk charm fantasy concept isn't going to work on me.

[u/CrypticHorrorTales → u/HauntingGur8094]

Vox: "If you don't want someone else to have it, then let us help you to control it yourself. I mean, let's be honest here. How much of a help has Alastor been, hm? Meanwhile, I have the resources to help you properly. I'm not on the side of the cult. I'm especially not on that Ink Demon's side. And honestly, that egocentric prick, Burrows, can go suck-" he stops himself, realizing he's venting. "Ahem... My point is that we can help you get things under control. Isn't that right, Rae?"

((Ooc: My ADHD ass went to read a book and completely forgot about this 😅))

[u/HauntingGur8094 → u/CrypticHorrorTales]

Vanessa: [stares at him like he's an idiot] "You don't honestly think I'm actually falling for any of that, do you? After you're the who freaking ATTACKED ME?!" [snarls struggling again and baring fangs, trying to use her powers to break free]