RP:No Ordinary Illness

This is a Bard's Guild RP.

Part of the Vakmatharas' Jar Arc

Summary: Pilar, exhausted from her constant watch over the plague victims, finally takes a break. Her old friend, Daermon, is there to make sure she actually sleeps, and when she awakes, he offers a way to save Yozenra's life: a bonding. By exchanging blood, Yozenra should become strong enough to shake off the illness. But, when they try, it only gives her a little more time. Daermon comes to the conclusion that dark magic is afoot and leaves to investigate, while Pilar continues to care for Yozenra and the other patients.

Chartsend Guard Barracks

Pilar had been spending most of her time tending the sick, lately. Making elixirs, cleaning sheets, changing bedpans... It wasn't glamorous work, but it needed to be done. So many people had fallen ill that the clinic itself was full, and so the guards had given their barracks to be used to house more of the sick. The news was spreading almost as fast as the epidemic, and tourism had all but ceased. Pilar tried to give everyone equal treatment, but she always spent a little extra time with one particular patient. Yozenra. The naga had been in human form when she fainted from the sickness, but during one of her increasingly rare bouts of consciousness, she had changed back. Her tail stuck out from under the sheets, and Pilar had to manually coil it up to keep it out of the way. At the moment, Pilar was dabbing at Yozenra's sweaty, feverish brow with a cool, wet cloth. The naga's breathing was heavy, strained, and Pilar's face was set in a deep frown.

Daermon was as distant as ever from events in the world. He had come upon something nearly all elder vampires face at one point or another, the fact that he went on and others did not. It tended to make them not seem to care as much. But then, there wasn't much room for his skills against a plague and he wasn't nearly so kind as to want to tend to the sick. He walked the plague filled streets with impunity. Grisly stuff plagues. He'd seen a few in his time.

“Pilar.” The vampire looked up from her patient at a guard-turned-nurse. He had a mask and gloves on, but his eyes conveyed concern. “You look exhausted. Did you ever go home last night?” Pilar said nothing. That was enough. “Gods, Pilar, you won't be able to help anyone if you run yourself ragged. Get some rest.” “But Yozenra--” “She's stable. I promise to send for you if anything changes. Please.” “I...” Pilar looked at Yozenra. “... Just for a little bit. I'll be back soon.” The latter could have been spoken to either the guard or Yozenra. Who could say? Pilar got up and headed outside, her body stiff and her eyes already starting to droop.

A short distance away, a familiar voice called down from a rooftop. "You look like crap. And not the fancy kind. Like...crap crap." It had been some time since the pair had spoken last. And that was the first thing he says. It was either going to force a smile or a tear, and either option would be dealt with accordingly. 

Pilar looked up. “Daermon...? What are you doing up there?” She swayed in place slightly. She was too tired for his antics, too tired...

"Avoiding the crowds." he lied, dropping to the street beside her and scooping her up into his arms without a word. "Let's get you home." he says, and perhaps she'd fall asleep on the way. Let's assume she did in fact. Let's assume that she slept and he took her back to her house, then stripped her naked and placed her in bed and that was how she was going to wake up...with him bringing coffee and food many hours later. 

Pilar's House

Pilar, indeed, conked out almost immediately. When she awoke and found herself in her own bed, stark naked, she wondered if it had all been a dream. Then she wondered why she was naked. And then Daermon appeared. “Eek!”

"Relax. Firstly, I've seen it all before. Secondly and more importantly, I've seen yours also more than once. Your clothes were ****ing gross. There was no way I was putting you into bed with them." he says, offering the coffee how she liked and the tray of food. There was even a bottle of warmed blood. "The real thing you should be worried about is how I showered with you..." he says, grinning behind his own coffee. 

Pilar, blushing, slowly sat up, taking the coffee in her hands. “Shut up, you did not,” she replied before sipping the coffee. Loaded with cream and sugar. Perfect. “Thanks, Daermon.” She looked over the food. Honey-glazed pastries. Also perfect.

The elder vampire grinned broadly. "Whatever you need to tell yourself." he says with a hint of mischief. "Let's just say if you weren't a staunch lesbian, I'd have woken you up the fun way. You should really be more careful...wearing yourself out that much is very unwise." he suggests, though it wasn't in a lecturing tone, more understanding. 

Pilar lowered her coffee and looked down into it sadly. “I... I couldn't leave her...” Her sad eyes rose to meet his. “Yozenra's sick.”

"I know." he says sitting beside her on the bed, steaming cup in hand. "I'm many things, but stupid isn't one of them. You're a good person, but even you wouldn't run yourself so ragged without a good reason." he says, sipping slowly. "How is she?" 

“Not good. She's unconscious more often than not, she's feverish, she can hardly breathe... It's taking everything just to keep her from getting worse,” Pilar said. “We've only lost a couple people, but it's also only been a week since the first patient, and one of the two we lost was just a child.” She took a steadying breath. “And on top of everything, Iblis has disappeared.”

Daermon nodded. "I gathered since I didn't find her here. I wouldn't worry about her. She's a grown spider...drow...thing. I'm sure she'll be fine." he says, studying Pilar with those coldly glacial hues. "Have you considered bonding Yozenra? It should cure her. You're not old, but you are powerful for your age. Feeding from an elder on a regular basis will do that for you. And it can never be said that I don't make strong women." he says, thinking for a moment about Daneyfey and Khitti. Both strong and powerful. Not necessarily because of him, but still, they were his fledglings. Pilar might not have been changed by him, but she was his too. 

“B-bonding? I can... do that?”

He leaned forward, setting his cup down. "You can do anything you want to badly enough. But yes, you might be able to bond her. I'd suggest the normal have a taste of blood to help fix her, but weak as she was, it would likely bond her to whoever tried. I'd offer, happily, but I'm not sure she or you would want that. Preferable to death, sure, but surely you both would like it better if she was yours and not mine." he says, looking into her eyes, being straight and frank as always. "I've never heard of a naga turning to a vampire, so I don't think that's possible." 

Pilar blushed. Yozenra, hers. "I... It's worth a shot. So I just... give her some of my blood?"

Daermon lightly slapped her knee. "Have you forgotten your own bonding so quickly?" he asks, reminding her of when he'd bonded her. "As with most things of a magical persuasion, it's about the intent and the ritual. You must want to bond her, be committed to the act. You will bite her, and take some of her blood. You will give her some of yours. You will know immediately if it works. Do not expect it to be like our bond. I am strong and old, having bonded many and well versed in the way it works. You will not be. You will both have to struggle to make the walls to separate each other. I think you can do it. More the point, I know you want to. You blush everytime you picture her. You smell of desire as well when you look at her. I'd be shocked if she didn't know it too. Snakes smell very keenly. But it would most likely save her life. In the positive, not the maybe category. Sure, she might fight off the sickness. Or you can guarantee it. She'll be able to touch your advanced healing and immune system. Your blood will only speed that along. And, once bonded safely to you, I could share mine as well if she didn't start to improve." he says. A smirk crossed his lips. "You're all very lucky I'm not a megalomaniac madman. I could turn every sick person to a vampire under my influence if I wished it. Well, those that survived the transformation. I'd estimate half likely would." he says in a detached way. "But I'm not that insane. Not yet. Let's hope no one else realizes that." 

Pilar blushed. "I... I'd need to... Get her permission. Or, I'd rather do that than not. But, if it'll save her life... I just hope she won't be mad."

"Heh..." he says, a little smile. "She won't. You two are crushing pretty hard on each other. When one of you finally butch's up a little, you'll realize what you were both missing." he says, not even a little appropriate. 

"Daermooon!" Pilar whined. An hour later, after finishing breakfast and showering, Pilar went back to the barracks, Daermon in tow. The moment they entered, they could smell it. Death. And if Daermon was particularly astute, he might sense what Pilar hadn't: the subtlest aura of dark magic. In one corner, a sheet had been drawn over a patient, and a nurse was writing something down on a clipboard. Pilar, frowning, hurried to Yozenra's side. Luckily, the naga was still alive, and was even awake. "Pilar...?" she croaked.

Chartsend Guard Barracks

Things were bad in the barracks. He leaned close to Pilar. "We don't have much time. These people are getting worse and I can...feel something." he says softly, whispering only for her. "Something bad." he says, "Something unnatural." he finishes, his eyes finding the naga. "If you don't want to do this here, we can move her. I can carry her." he offers. 

Pilar stroked Yozenra's cheek, looking at her with relief that she was still with them. She frowned at Daermon's words. Something unnatural? Was this epidemic more than just a nasty disease? “I don't want to move her if we don't have to,” she said. “Yozenra. Daermon had an idea that might... might cure you. If you're willing.” The naga coughed, then asked, weakly, “What... is it?” “He thought that maybe... maybe if we bonded, you'd be cured.” “Bonded...? But, aren't we already? You... fed from me...” “This is different,” Pilar said, looking to Daermon. He could explain it better.

Daermon knelt down, facing the snake woman. "It's a more permanent kind of bond. One not easily broken." he went into the details, outlining the benefits and drawbacks of the bond. "I confess to not know much of Naga immune systems or recovery, but..." he says, hesitating. "But your heart has already grown weaker in it's beats since we've been here. You're dying..." he says softly, reaching a hand out to touch hers.  

Pilar swallowed the lump in her throat. Dying... Yozenra, however, was calm, and took Daermon's hand. "I... I suspected as much." Pilar looked at her with wide eyes. "Y-Yozenra...!" The tired naga looked to Pilar. "I'm sorry... I haven't..." she coughed, then took a wheezing breath. "... haven't given up. Just... Just prepared for it, I guess... I... I'm willing to try this... bonding thing... If you are." Pilar nodded, tears welling in her eyes. "I'll try anything to save you." She gently moved Yozenra's dreads from her neck. "Ready?" "Ready." Pilar leaned in and sank her fangs into Yozenra's throat. The moment the blood touched her tongue, Pilar gagged. The blood tasted rank, unlike any Pilar had ever had before. More like cheese that had gone by than the fine wine Pilar was used to from Yozenra. And there was something else, too, something... unnatural. Something that set her body alight, but not in a good way. She forced herself to swallow a mouthful, then pulled away, coughing. "Y-your blood... It's... It... This is no mundane illness."

The elder vampire had indeed been right it seemed. "Give her some of yours and I will chase it with mine in a few moments. It will give her body the best chance short of actually knowing what it is that ravages her." he says, though they were drawing a crowd. "I'll be right back." he says, moving to tell the men to give them some space, that it didn't concern them and to give Pilar and Yozenra time alone for a moment. 

Pilar nodded, then cut her wrist with her fang. She placed it to Yozenra's lips, and the naga drank. The bond was complete, thoughts and memories flooding back and forth between them. But... Yozenra wasn't showing much improvement. The naga coughed, red spittle staining her hand.

Daermon was back soon enough and was moving to sit beside her. "I won't bother asking. I can feel your bond along our own. Like a road running parallel to the one I'm one." he says, eyes closed. "Yozenra, this might be...more violent a reaction than Pilar's blood. I can't promise it won't hurt, but again, the best course I can see since we don't know how to cure you. Do you want some of my blood?" he asks, making her concentrate on his face, making her choose what might happen. There were no guarantees and his eyes didn't offer any. Only hope. 

Yozenra looked into his eyes and nodded. With death the only other option, what was there to lose? Pilar took the naga's hand in hers.

Daermon slit his wrist with a claw and held it above her open mouth. He let a few drops slip into her mouth. Three, four, five, then he stopped. "Not too much." he says, still concerned about all the things he didn't know, about how her body would react, about it all. His wound stopped bleeding and closed and he cleaned the blood off with his tongue as he watched and waited, listening to her heart beat. 

Yozenra went into a coughing fit as the drops touched her tongue. Pilar held her hand, unable to help. Yozenra's heartbeat had stabilized, was even stronger, but it wasn't by much. Eventually, the coughing stopped, and Yozenra breathed easier. It was still heavy, but she no longer wheezed. They had given her more time... But that was about it. "Pilar..." "Yes?" Yozenra reached up and cupped the vampire's cheek. "I... I want you to... to know... in case I don't make it... I..." she coughed. "I... love you." Pilar's breath caught in her chest and, before she could respond. Yozenra's eyes slid closed. "Yozenra!" Pilar felt for her pulse, and sighed in relief. She'd just fainted.

Daermon slowly shook his head. "You've given her time, but that's about it. The cause of the illness will have to be dealt with, whatever it is. If it was natural that would have worked. She'd be up doing a jig right now." he says, looking about. "Some dark magic at work here." 

Pilar looked to Daermon. "We... We have to stop it. Or, overpower it, or something. I... I don't know if I can bear losing anyone else."

The elder vampire rubbed his stubbled face. "How?" he asked easily enough. "Do you know what's causing it? Or more likely, who? This level of dark magic...it could be some kind of god for all we know. I could give her more blood, but I can't vouch for what it might do to her. I'm still not convinced she couldn't succumb to vampirism." he says, looking to the passed out naga. "This is a time I have no real advice for. I had hoped that would work, for at least her. There must be someone looking into it?" he asks. 

“We've just been trying to treat them... Dark magic wasn't even something we considered.” Pilar's face took on a strange (for her) look. Serious. Determined. “I'm going to find out. I'm going to save her. I'm going to save all of them.” Her face went back to its normal, melancholy, slightly-confused expression. “I just... don't know how.”

"Detective work. You'll have to trace the route of the disease back to its origin. If you can find the first person who contracted it, the first place it started, then you can perhaps figure out the how and maybe the why. I don't pretend to have a lot of knowledge of this kind of thing, but it's the same with any major crime. Just slightly different." he says, touching her shoulder in a warm moment.

Pilar touched his hand, not taking her eyes off Yozenra. “I... I hope she wakes up soon... So I can tell her how much she means to me.” With Yozenra's death a very real possibility, Pilar had finally opened her eyes and admitted to herself that yes, she did love her.

Daermon likely wouldn't have called it love himself, for he was cynical in his old age and didn't think two people could know if they were in love until they'd made an effort of being together. Living with someone can change how you see them after all, but this was a thought he kept to himself and instead squeezed her hand. "You stay here and do that. I'll go see if I can learn anything we don't already know. I'll help where I can." he says, squeezing again then rising up to go. 

“Thanks, Daermon,” Pilar said. “As soon as my shift is over, I'm going to start digging. I'll let you know if I find anything.”

With a dip of his head, the elder left the barracks to see what he could learn on the streets, to see where perhaps his nose led him as well.