Welcome to my world, built with you in mind ¦ Solo thread.

[Lyra Horváth]

The Black Forest, Germany
Late August 2027.

It had been a year and a half since she had escaped to the forests of Europe, most notably the Black Forest. She hadn’t needed to, of course. She had the safety and stability that had kept her away. She had a physical and mental shelter in Rob, a safe place to be all month around and not just for the full moon. That was until three weeks ago when she hadn’t.

Until she had disappeared again.

In her feral years, she had lived off the grid out of necessity for the most part; having little to no money or stable income to stay in the one place. No finances to fall back on, to purchase food and safety; most of all a steady supply of Wolfsbane. For the most part she would have to ration out the little amounts she could afford. Unable to afford a whole week worth like the experts recommended, she had found herself having to make do. Sometimes taking just a lower dose per day, other times just taking the higher dose in the immediate days before the full moon when the pain and nausea, the restlessness became unbearable.

Things were different now of course. Thanks to an organised business manager and accountant she could afford it all three times over. Somewhere to stay, enough food to keep her for months, all the Wolfsbane she could ever need. Or even Awarewolf. Due to the patent on it, it was still slightly more expensive than the old fashioned alternative that was Wolfsbane, but it was definitely more effective with a lot less side effects to be had for sure. Lyra had found the best medicine for the full moon was simply to be near her mate. Wolfsbane or Awarewolf be damned, nothing could be the almost high she had felt being with Rob during the run up to the full moon, the transformation and even the recovery after it. Frankly, it was with surprise she had found it some of the best times of her young life, grown to even look forward to it. But not anymore, all that had been thrown away now that Rob had walked away from her that night.

A spasm down her body of agonising pain distracted her from that thought though, and reminded her of it all at the same time.

”Fuck” grunting through gritted teeth she cursed herself again. She hadn’t realised how close it was to the full moon until she looked up through the trees last night and felt the first dull aches in her joints. It was a distraction from the hunger pains admittedly, but for now she didn’t want to do anything about either of them.

Letting her head roll back onto her neck she tilted her face skyward into the pale light of the moon and a small part of her hoped this would soon pass.

[Lyra Horváth]

This was partially a punishment for herself. She knew she could afford a room somewhere in the village nearby. Could afford a hearty meal and could most of all afford all the doses of Wolfsbane she needed. And yet she didn’t. Lyra felt this self-inflicted hell was just what she needed. Perhaps Rob had been right all along and she had lost herself along the way. Maybe he had left her because she wasn’t the self assured bitch she had once been. Some small part of her hoped that going back to survival mode would bring that out in her again. By shutting off the insignificant parts of her, she would find herself again. In reality it was unlikely of course, but for now Lyra was too damaged to see that.

After Rob had walked away in the Shard that night, after she had crumbled; Lyra had hardened once more and walked away herself. She had stayed away from Rob’s flat that had become her home. With simply the one set of clothes on her back she had taken a room at one of the more exclusive hotels in Diagon Alley. Pre-paying a month in advance for both the room and the discretion of the staff, then setting up a charge to her account in Gringotts. A hastily scribbled note had been written, and left for Hanna for when she eventually did come looking for her. She had removed her make up and changed into some more basic clothes and then she had gone. Even if she didn’t stay there like she was planning, it would be there and in her name. The only thing that was hers. A cover up for anyone who had come looking for her she supposed.

But now, as the light rain began to fall on the sickly pallor that was her face, and another pang shot across her body, she loathed herself for her choices. She wouldn’t change them of course; she’d made her bed and she would lie in it. As she glanced around the forest clearing she was glad for it in a way. The wards were still up and there was nobody getting in to see what a mess she’d made for herself; the half built foundations and walls of the cottage she had planned to surprise Rob with for their anniversary, or Christmas, or maybe even her birthday, honestly whatever she could keep it secret till, were still there, but lying in the shade of them now she was pleased it would go no further. Maybe after the full moon, when she was back at full strength she would go as far as actually tearing it all down. A simple enough structure; it was to be a three bedroomed escape for them during the full moon, or holidays or admittedly whenever they wanted away from it all. The deep pit of the Black Forest was the perfect hideaway for that in Lyra’s mind, but the protective wards that surrounded the clearing she had chosen had made it even better.

None of it mattered now though, she thought in the ongoing silence. It wasn’t like she had anyone to share it with anymore.

Swallowing again she wondered what was worse, the longing ache in her chest for her mate that was no longer her mate anymore, so far away, or the pit of hunger mixed with the horrid nausea making her feel even worse. Closing her eyes, she sighed quietly and hoped for some semblance of sleep tonight, if nothing else just to pass the time to get the full moon over with.

[Lyra Horváth]

With a flash of lightning, another spasm ripped through her body. The rain was heavier now and acting a distraction of sorts, but it wasn’t enough. Hours had gone by and yet the pangs hadn’t worsened. The pangs for her mate. Her uncontrollable hunger. The pains of her transformation. When she had chosen to forgo any sort of intervention for her transformation this month as an unnecessary atonement, she knew she would regret it later, but she still went ahead of it. The unbearable heat rising from her skin was another symptom of the change she had long forgotten about. Being with Rob at the full moon, and taking a low dose of Awarewolf had allowed her to be rid of the majority of the side effects of Lycanthropy. So long she had been without this suffering.

And now it was all coming back with a vengeance.

Some time ago she had crawled out from the tarpaulin that was sheltering her from the storm that raged on in the forest, searching out an ease from the heavy rain. Even gone as far as stripping off her clothes, begging for any sort of alleviation the rain would bring her as it hit her skin. Praying for the chill it would bring to her hypersensitive skin going through the change. But it didn’t come. No, instead every drop was like a tiny daggers cutting through her skin.

A cry of anguish escaped her, desperate for any sort of relief.

Still, there would be none. In the forest she was alone with only the native wildlife that she’d later hunt. The wards on the are half built cottage stood in prevented any humans happening upon her; wizards or not. Alone again like she had once been, like she always thought she would be; until there was EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK . The man she had happened upon in some bar the evening after the full moon a year and a half ago. At first she had ignored the feeling that drew her towards him. Finding it easier to try not to think about him, no matter how much his face invaded her brain, or how much better he had made her feel that night in The Violet Hound. Having tried to actively avoid him around Diagon Alley, she had been caught unaware when he sought her out. The rest was history; a rushed but beautiful piece of history. The happy after ever she never thought she deserved. There had been up and downs of course, but they had worked things out. Or so she had thought. She had held herself together for the most part since Rob had walked away that night at The Shard. She had grown to have control over herself over the years. As a young child, and even an adolescent she would often be in trouble for outbursts of magic, spurned from outbursts of strong emotions, but she had gotten better. She had shut herself off when she had up and left, when she had gone wild. It had been easier then, as a way to survive to do so. In survival mode it was easy to be cold and emotionless, not her true self. And then Rob had chipped away at it all, bit by bit, beginning to uncover the sparkly little Hufflepuff that had once lay beneath the rough and ready dark horse that was Lyra Horváth.

And not all that was coming undone.

With hazy flashbacks to different times of their relationship, she was feeling herself come undone as the change took over. Every little moment was coming back to her as she found herself fighting in vain. Desperately she grasped at the shards of herself, as another shot of pain ran through her. Her body convulsed as every nerve ending stood to action and she felt her bones begin to splinter. The monster inside was taking over and no matter how hard she tried to hold on, this was a battle she wasn't winning. The beast was victorious as it always would be. It was excruciating that she had grown to love the ways her body shape changed and morphed with her mate by her side, but now it was just pure hell. She was still trying to hold on, still trying to fight the change when another flash rattled through the clearing. There had been barely any time between that and the thunder now. The storm was at it's highpoint, just as she was at the crucial point of her transformation. With the ear-shattering noise that was the storm, nobody could hear her screams of pain. Nobody could hear her cry with the torment of it. The wind and the rain paired with the clash of thunder ahead drowned out her cries that slowly shifted to howls and yelps as her transformation came to a close.

With another flash of lightning she was gone, running from the clearing, wild for the night.

fin.