章節 192: 32. The Name Of The Game.
Day 5. and onwards.
I lay on the bed, trapped in this hellhole, without any reason at all. Sure, I drank the blood that was given to me, but this feeling of needing something did not lessen. I thought maybe it was my addiction, the craving for something more. However, it wasn't like this when Bran had trapped me inside the wall. Back then, I was a different creature. There was no burning hunger for blood, just a gut-wrenching need for something I couldn't identify. I was confused but getting more and more irritated, frustrated, and all other negative feelings that one can have. I had them in ever-increasing amounts.
I had to maintain my role and be strong. I refused to give Damon, or even number four, the satisfaction of admitting that my condition was worsening. Number four had come to visit, but he didn't speak much, only to the staff. Since the intercom wasn't open, I had no idea what they were saying about me. I was a pitiful addict, confined to get rid of my blood addiction.
I was just laying in my bed, not reacting at all as he looked at me, keeping his expression fully neutral. Of course, my faulty brain did not recognize subtle micro-expressions, and, as ironic as it was, my lie detection and my ability to read people were the first casualties of the storm raging in my mind.
Doctor Damon looked at me, as he usually did, with no love in his gaze, only clinical efficiency. He nodded and walked away without speaking to me. I had no idea what he expected me to do. Beg for blood or vomit my guts out? I wasn't a drunk or a drug addict. I had this intense need for something, but I didn't know what it was. My mind was whirring, but there was not anything particular thought that would have made any sense.
No, it wasn't a need for love or affection. It was just my life. I was a killer, and this was my punishment. It had been a forewarning during that spell, and now I would probably end up like that. It's a shame they didn't listen to me or understand it in time. This was simply my fate. The feeling wasn't meant for me. I was morphing probably into that hollow shell, too far gone in order to be anything human ever again.
I found myself lost in thought, contemplating the consequences of my actions at work. The worst fear plaguing my mind was the possibility of causing someone's death. I desperately tried to recall the decisions I had made and the potential ramifications they held. I couldn't help but wonder what a colossal mess I had created. Had I been sane enough to make the best procurements, or whenever had looked through the mission plan, had I missed something, and then those new things that I had made, would they or how many would lose their lives because of my mania?
How could I ever face those whom I had unleashed my anger upon, behaving like a petulant child? Me screaming my ass off in the middle of Central Hub over some late procurements or misunderstandings on some shipment. Not behavior of the leader. It was no surprise that Magnum had been called and alerted. Well, my reputation on certain bases was quite wild, and I was freaking ashamed of just how I had lost my temper over little things.
Additionally, I had made some medical decisions, which left me in a state of panic. Had I endangered someone? Had I misdiagnosed and made a grave mistake? I had done quite a lot of clinic consultations and there would be long-term ramifications for so many lives. These thoughts consumed me, refusing to relent. I was very skillfully knotting my mind and fast, into a deep state of self-loathe, anger towards myself, my mistakes, my burdens.
Despite my lack of appetite and desire to confide in anyone, I resolved to conceal my true state of being. I used my camouflage powers, combined with my ability to pretend, to present a healthier facade. The feline side of me fueled my determination to remain strong and hide any signs of weakness. It was just what I would do normally and despite the pack's experiences with me and my penchant for covering my state, no one cared. Not even check with energy gaze.
Mimi's brain worked tirelessly to maintain this charade, even as her internal system failed to properly reuse neurotransmitters, leading to their destruction. As a result, her ability to experience positive emotions such as love, affection, friendship, and enjoyment began to fade. Feeling by feeling faded away from her brain like dew in the morning and she adjusted. Negative emotions kept her mind in a whirlwind of self-blame and doubts. Serotonin and oxytocin amounts were soon too low to measure, and her brain did not get simulation in certain parts, that perceive positive emotions. These parts of her brain entered a state of dormancy and, as her condition worsened, they would continue to deteriorate.
Healing her brain would be a slow process, requiring ample neurotransmitters to regain the ability to feel these emotions. Her brain was unable to process oxytocin or serotonin as it should and it would take time to introduce them again as part of her brain chemistry. The gradual nature of this process went unnoticed as she lay on her bed, silently suffering, with no one truly aware of the turmoil in her mind.
Mariella was in the kitchen in Ireland, feeling exhausted. Wulfe had been particularly unpleasant, insisting on teaching them the basics of magic. It was a time-consuming and challenging process, but Mariella did as he instructed. It had been a tough lesson for them once again. It had been a lesson in humility once again.
They gathered in a large room where Wulfe assessed their progress. He noticed that they could now conjure their magic into ropes, but it was time to take it further. Mariella had assumed that there was not much else in the basics of magic, but she was, unfortunately, wrong.
Looking at Damon, Wulfe said, "Alright, now I want you to create functional bunny ears for me. They should be movable, allow me to hear, and have sensation. Show me what you've got."
Damon fell right into Wulfe's trap. He didn't use much of his magic rope, but created a pair of bunny ears on top of Wulfe's head. He just focused, used a few incantations, and looked smug as black long ears adorned Wulfe's head.
Wulfe shook his head and sighed, saying, "Once again, you've only switched things around. You need to give me actual extra sets of ears, not take them from some poor bunny and replace my own."
Damon frowned, and he was about to say something as Wulfe then showed, whispering something and producing a black bunny in his arms. The bunny had human ears instead of its own. Wulfe showed his own head, indicating that his ears were missing.
His voice was calm, smug, as he directed his words to Damon, "You've simply made a switcheroo again. You must create additional sets of ears for me, rather than stealing them from an innocent bunny."
Wulfe focused, and the bunny soon had its ears back. He let the bunny down, and it hopped onto the floor. Mariella couldn't resist and proceeded to pick it up, cuddling it. She wanted it to have a good home, so she sent it to Magic House to be cared for. Wulfe shook his head, knowing that there was more to come.
Mariella had to focus again, and it was now a bigger class learning together. Now Constantine and Dresden were also their teachers, which meant they were being bullied by them as well. But having multiple teachers meant that Salvatores and wolves were all together, and they had to perform.
Wulfe said, "Now, use your magic ropes to create those ears for me."
He showed by conjuring his magic. It was bright as ever, almost white light in his hands, dividing it into strands, and then spinning those strands over Dresden. This was what magic was all about. Use your magic to create things, not just hope, and switch things around. When he was ready, Dresden had long, fluffy white bunny ears. He twitched and moved them, trying to get used to his enhanced hearing. Mariella laughed as Dresden put his ear flat sideways, clearly irritated.
He snapped at Wulfe, "Very funny. I didn't ask you to do this to me."
Wulfe simply smiled and replied, "Well, Dresden, my boy, consider it a brief lesson. Don't think you're above having some fun just because you want to be moody and dark. Learn to let go."
Mariella couldn't resist and walked up to Dresden, stroking his ears and running her hand through their incredibly soft fur. They were quite rigid, but oh so wonderful to touch.
Dresden grunted, tolerated Mariella cuddling his new ears, but then he smiled and eventually said, "They are actually quite sensitive."
Constantine smiled as he conjured his magic into a rope. He was in this lesson as well. His magic strand had some black strands on it, making it look almost like a Christmas wreath. He focused and looked at Wulfe, spun, muttering under his breath, and the air around Wulfe's head began to shimmer. After Constantine had prepared his spell, Wulfe had huge elephant ears.
Wulfe smirked and moved his ears back and forth like an elephant, saying, "Not bad, but since you haven't touched an elephant, the texture isn't quite right." He ran his hands over his ears, too.
He then focused and made the ears disappear.
Wulfe turned to Salvatores and said, "Divide your rope into strands, and you'll have better control over it. wove your magic into what you need it to be and then put it into place. "
Number one focused and divided his rope into several strands, muttering with beads of sweat on his forehead. He soon stopped, lowered his hands, and smiled smugly, wiping his brow. Mariella felt something peculiar - her hearing had improved, but at the same time, her head felt warm on the sides.
Mimosa burst into laughter, and Mariella asked her, "What's so funny?"
Wulfe snapped his fingers and handed Mariella a mirror. She looked at herself and saw long, floppy hound ears adorning her head. They were brown and black, covered in silky fur, but they touched almost her shoulders. She touched her ears, realizing they were sensitive and could be moved. It was strange to have all of these new muscles and how to use them. She turned one of the heavy ears and saw that it functioned properly. Damon had succeeded.
Wulfe praised number one, saying, "Well done. Those suits her. She is such a hound sometimes when she wants something and she has a good nose."
Mariella focused. She was trying to get them to go away, even if they were cute.
They were not very useful, and asked, "How do I get rid of these?"
Wulfe replied, "Again, use your magic and willpower. Combine them to make the ears go away."
The Salvatores were all impressed and began to focus as well. As former dog and cat show judges, they gave each other ears from various breeds, although not all attempts were successful. Well, they were successful in terms that ears have been given, but the recipient was less happy about what they got.
Number ten was less impressed when number two gave him poodle ears with long fur, and number three gave puppy ears from a German Shepherd to Mimosa, which flopped all over the place. Constantine ended up with Persian cat ears, and Mariella finally got rid of the floppy ears. She focused, and number one ended up with actual bunny ears, albeit floppy ones.
It was a laborious task, but they managed to accomplish it. Mariella now had a better understanding of just how challenging this would continue to be.
However, after hours of magical lessons, they found themselves pleasantly distracted, allowing them to focus more on their learning and less on Mimi and her situation.
Wulfe informed them, "We will continue tomorrow if you are up to it, so make sure to rest up. I suggest cutting back on intimate activities, like fucking like bunnies and getting more sleep, as it can be quite draining. Also, don't forget to eat. Shall we go grab something to eat now?"
They were all exhausted, and although exchanging ears had been fun, it had taken a toll on them. Learning how to remove the ears was a lesson in itself, as those who failed to do so would have to keep them on.
As they entered the kitchen, Wulfe mentioned, "Tomorrow, we will be focusing on tails. Some of you may sport a tail for a while, and it's not as easy to remove as ears. Plus, you may feel a bit tired, so it will be entertaining to see you with those funny tails."
Mariella rolled her eyes at the idea of animal body parts. Even if it was funny, it was not really proper for them to have animal body parts in their bodies.
Wulfe softly asked her, "Why do you think having animal parts is demeaning? Are you not more animal than human? Embracing your true nature is also a lesson. You are animals. You are not humans but hybrids, more felines than vampires, despite all of what has happened."
Damon remarked dryly, "And you are our zookeeper."
Wulfe simply smiled, finding this distraction from his unicorn troubles enjoyable. Oh, she would be such an excellent teacher for them all about all things animal because she was one who knew that she was more animal than anything human.
Mariella sighed inwardly as she took another bite of her food. Damon ate calmly, not as bothered by the situation. This interruption hindered Mariella's plans of getting to know everyone and discovering what they could accomplish together. Magic lessons would continue, and her carefully thought-out plans were now thrown out the window. As if they had worked earlier, she thought bitterly.
It had only been a day before the reality of living with a pack of males and their obsession with sports had revealed itself to her. Salvatores had never been so passionate about watching sports or even TV. However, Mariella understood that the timing had not been right before, as they had been preoccupied with their personal demons.
Meaning they had fucked their problems away and now they had grown not to need that much bedtime therapy anymore. Now, with life taking a new turn, it was their chance to bond with each other. She was no longer the center of attention for everyone.
It had been quite frustrating for her. She had been looking forward to a karaoke night with Tim, Taylor, wizards, Wulfe, Magnum, Murdock, and Dexter. Instead, they all gathered in front of the TV to watch sports, instructing her to get them snacks and not to disturb them. They claimed it was an important match. Damon had even told her to fetch snacks for the boys before he and several Salvatores joined in to watch the game. It was unbelievable.
This was all new to her, and maybe eventually they would be interested in trying something different, like watching a different TV show. She reluctantly went to get them snacks and then headed to her potion lab. However, she found that Dresden and Constantine had left a mess behind from their work. It irritated her, and she couldn't help but think about talking to them regarding the proper cleanliness standards in her lab.
It was a difficult time for the group. They knew Mimi was going through something, and they felt powerless to help her. In reality, they hadn't even admitted to themselves that they were afraid of her. They were too scared to confront her, lacking trust in themselves and even Wulfe's ability to control her. Their minds were filled with horrifying images of what she might become. So, for now, they didn't go to see her or talk to her. At least not yet.
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