nextgenerationmarvel | A Measure of Desperation (Illyana and then others)

WHO: Kayla Connors, Illyana Rasputin
WHEN: Approximately a week after the incident in the kitchen
WHERE: X-Mansion Infirmary
WHAT: Illyana is brought in to help Kayla in dire straits

After the dramatic moments in the kitchen, Kayla's depression and lassitude had crumbled into what was virtually a waking coma. Her life force wasn't quite low enough to kill her outright, but her life force did not burn brightly enough to sustain anything like ordinary life. They had to summon Magik, the sorceress best known to the X-Men, in hopes that she would find a solution to their problems. Eventually, something of a solution had been found- but it required a rather complicated spell and the donation of accumulated life force from several people in order to patch up Kayla's own.

There would be consequences from this spell. The people involved wouldn't feel quite right for a few days afterwards- nothing like Kayla's extreme case, but some fatigue and mild depression were likely. Diluted elements of their personalities could be reflected in Kayla for some time thereafter. After such a prolonged period of lassitude and depression, it was likely that Kayla would manifest, after a rather long sleep, a significant manic phase.

Right now, the girl had been placed into a full magical coma, looking just as serene as a modern day Sleeping Beauty. It would be time for the magic to work its course.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Brianna felt like a horrible girlfriend for not seeing what was going on sooner. When she heard Kayla was in the infirmary, she'd gone to offer up whatever help necessary to help in her recovery.

She waited until Kayla was alone to stop in and see her.

"Hello, beautiful." the Englishwoman said with a small smile. "Is it a bad idea to ask how you feel?"

Kayla also felt like a horrible girlfriend, because she hadn't had anything much to offer Brianna over the last month or so. She could only imagine what she'd put her through. It was definitely time to be making up for some of that absence.

"Heya, gorgeous." Kayla replied with a huge grin. "I was feeling okay, and then you walked in and okay turned into 'awesome'." She laughed. "I gotta stay here overnight for observation, but trust me when I say I feel like- I feel like I could conquer the goddamn world right now.

Missed you, Bri." Kayla made a little 'come hither' gesture with her hand.

"I missed you, too." Brianna said, making her way over to Kayla as quickly as she could. She wrapped her arms around Kayla gently and kissed her forehead before kissing her on the lips.

"Are you quite done with making me worry? If not, let me know so that I can keep doing it. I've taken up knitting to help with the nerves though I've just stabbed myself with the bloody needle more often than not. I can handle a sword but not a knitting needle. Go figure that one." Brianna said.

Kayla for her part, did so with similar gentility, lest she accidentally crush her girlfriend. Though she was still a little skinnier than she should be, the colour had returned to her face. She returned the kisses happily.

"I damn well hope so. And knitting? All I know about knitting is that you stick the cloth with the pointy end." At least if Kayla tried it, the needle wouldn't actually stab her.

The last bit of it came out in a bit of a British accent. Kayla stopped for a moment.

"She warned me about that. The whole ... thing that happened with me. That I might kinda mimic other people for a bit." Again, in an accent more than slightly reminiscent of Brianna's own.

"I never imagined you speaking the Queen's English. It's pretty hot." Brianna said with a smile. "In fact, I wouldn't mind hearing it more often until it wears off."

"Well, she's our Queen in Canada, too." Kayla replied with a grin, kissing Brianna again. "It probably won't be consistent, though. I'll probably get little bits of other stuff from other people.

Like this annoying craving I have for a cigarette. Cigarettes are gross." Kayla wrinkled her face slightly. "And candy. But mostly you right now, because Jesus fuck, it's been way too long."

A month? Six weeks?

"Looking forward to tomorrow night when I can get the hell out of this hospital bed and into ours." And her bed could remain suspiciously neat and collecting dust, just as was proper.

"We should do something, though. Road trip or something. Just us. Then afterwards, something with the gang. But some girlfriend time first."

"Yes. We'll go somewhere beautiful, with sand and water. We'll relax and let you get better. Then later this summer we can find something for all of us to do. I just want to make sure you're totally healthy before we do." Brianna said.

She paused a moment.

"I was so scared, Kayla. This whole thing has been making me think about...everything. You, me...us." she said.

"I'm ... I think I'm already pretty much better. I have some hard eating, to do." She poked her side a little absently. "I'm a little ribby these days." It was easy to point a bit of fun at it, but she'd been pretty near starving herself near the end. With her metabolism, it would take some pretty serious effort to get back up to ideal weight.

"Brianna ..." Her stomach twisted up into knots. She didn't know what was coming after that. "I'm so sorry. I must have put you through hell. If there's anything I can do, seriously, to make it up to you ..."

"That's not what I meant, Kayla." Brianna said. "I just...I spent all this time worrying about what would happen if you didn't get better. I worried about what I'd do if you didn't wake up."

Her voice caught and she took a moment to compose herself.

"After my accident, you were there for me even when I treated you badly. You could have walked away. If you had, you wouldn't be in this bed. You started having problems after that terrible party I took you to." Brianna said.

"I'm the reason you got hurt. I won't let that happen ever again. You're too important to me. I...I can't imagine my life without you, Kayla. So I have to keep my life with you separate from whatever happens with the Hellfire Club. It's the only way I can be sure I never put you in danger again." Brianna said.

It was a close thing. It was a ridiculous stroke of fortune that the X-Men just happened to have access to a sorceress of considerable talent.

"Well ... I kinda accidentally caused that little accident." Kayla replied. "... with the super concussive pulse wave. But ..." She took a breath. "You didn't cause this. This wasn't your fault. We went to a party. And I was taken by two, they said it was two people. They're the ones that did that."

Her lips drew a little. "... the Hellfire Club is bad news, Brianna. Look what they did to me for kicks. Look what they did to Stephanie. They're all evil.

You don't need to tell me twice to stay away from them. I just ... I just wish you would too. Hope you will."

"They are, Kayla. I see that now." Brianna said. "I'm going to conclude my business with them and then I'm out. No more."

Brianna was serious though she wouldn't inform Kayla of her plan. Not yet. Not until it was over.

Not until she killed the ones responsible for hurting Kayla.

Kayla nodded and kissed Brianna again. "Okay." She had a feeling there was something more, but she didn't want to press right now.

"I love you. I'm sure I said that before everything started happening with this, but ... love you, Bri." She pulled her close.

"I love you, too. More than you know." Brianna said, hugging Kayla once again.

She didn't know how she'd make this happen but she'd find a way. Even if she had to sell her soul to do it.

A Measure of Desperation (Illyana and then others)

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