unintentional consequences

ELIZABETH

this is me saying that i would set myself on fire

She remembered breaking her arm when she was a kid. She'd fallen from a tree that her mom told her not to climb. She'd done it anyways because she liked the view. It looked a lot like the thick storybook she was reading. But the dashing prince didn't save her from the towering height when she lost her balance. It'd hurt. She'd cried. Then her mom had hugged her and splinted the wound until they'd been able to get to a healer. 

This felt worse. 

Elizabeth had enough of an instinct to plunge her hand into the pool, but the cool water did nothing for the searing heat that pulsed from the wound. It felt like she still had her hand pressed firmly in the flames, eating away at every cell and nerve with a vicious hunger, melting the skin from her hand like wax. 

Tears streamed from her eyes as it took everything in her not to pull it out of the water, the pain only amplifying with the sudden change in temperature. Her breaths stuttered, laboring through the overwhelming sensations radiating from the singular source, monopolizing her every thought. She sealed her eyes shut through it all, trying to collect the scattered pockets of clarity she could find and avoid looking at the damage that had been done. 

Amongst the raging fire of her thoughts, a cool breeze suddenly brushed through, calm and soothing as it smothered the heat that was eating away at her flesh. 

In a moment of relief, Elizabeth took a deep, trembling breath. She removed her hand from the water to clutch it close, glimpsing the unmarked skin that had replaced the angry red blisters. The memory remained, hot and fresh in her mind, a lingering sensation on her palm, but she could feel the balm of magic on the wound, cleansing her of the pain and giving her a chance to slow the racing of her heart.

to bring light to all of the dark places within you

// somebody told me that there's two sides to this life //

A coppery tang dyed Maea's thoughts, outlined them in a red so dark it might have been black. Blood dribbled slowly from the corner of a mouth clamped over a pale wrist, leaking stark red droplets that dripped, dripped onto black silk and seeped into the fabric. As the ruddy glow faded, she bit herself again, guiding another surge of upgraded healing magic towards Elizabeth. The pain... was there, yet registered only in belated streaks of lightning against her senses. At those times it wrapped a blissful silence around the swirling guilt, reassuring but only insofar as the Bloodboon it fueled couldn't hurt anyone but herself. Even after injuries had been mended, the power would soothe aches and relieve tension, replenish energy, maybe even reduce depth and color of old scars... Ah, but maybe Liz was like. Sunjata, who liked keeping her scars like trophies?

She stopped. A knot tightened in her gut, thick and heavy; pushing bile to her tongue, and turned the scrape of a boot upon gravel i to a startling sound that tore at her senses. Too loud. Too careless.
"I'm so sorry," she murmured, crimson clinging to pale lips even when the arm fell down, limp like a puppet whose strings had been cut. "I'm sorry, Liz, I didn't mean to hurt you – "

"You're always sorry, and nothing ever changes."

Danta's voice rose like the crack of a whip from the shadows of her mind, silencing her with a flinch. Wasn't that a fae spoken truth... She never learned, and never changed. Like a living jinx, except she wasn't even cursed; just careless and unskilled.

Maea

// I think I might've chosen darkness over light //

ELIZABETH

this is me saying that i would set myself on fire

As everything slowed and the world came back into focus, Elizabeth became aware of the water lapping the edge of the borrowed robes, soaking through to her sweater and the leggings underneath. She could smell the fire and salt and copper. The sound of gentle waves and rustling leaves and scuffing boots. It began to register, and she found the courage to look more fully at her hand and the burn that had vanished, another shaking breath of relief releasing the built tension.

Elizabeth shook her head at Maea's words, using her other hand to wipe the tears from her eyes. "It's okay. Accidents happen - " She'd turned to stand, pulling together what faculties she could to smile and reassure, but the efforts fell away in a tumble of shock as she saw the bright red blood splattered across pale skin. 

Her feet stumbled faster to get purchase under her as she rushed forward. "Oh gods, Maea, are you okay? You didn't have to do that." A flicker of guilt mixed with appreciation for the Ancient's bloodbane, but there was concern more than anything as she took in the severity of the wounds. 

"Hold on, I think I have some bandages in my bag." She still used her burned hand sparingly despite the healing, inexplicably worried that the pain might return or the magic might wear off, but Elizabeth gestured for Maea to remain where she was while she rushed to her satchel. It contained her usual writing supplies and a couple books, but she also carried with her basic first aide and snacks in case of emergencies when she was traveling. Bypassing the trail mix, she reached the roll of gauze, hastily gathering it so she could return to Maea. 

The adrenaline had returned. Although not as fierce, it made her breaths come quick and her eyes catalog everything with an analytical sweep. "Here. Let me see." Elizabeth offered her open hands halfway between them, forcing her voice to be calm and gentle. She hadn't missed the haunted look on Maea's face and she didn't want to startle or overstep, but the bleeding needed to be stopped, and they had a lot to discuss about everything that had just transpired.

to bring light to all of the dark places within you