Lucinda shook her hair about, half stumbling out of the water as she did, and the shaking did not help her already poor balance. For now she was relatively fine, she had been up for a day already, she could manage...what day was it? It was...Yes thats it, the 7th, she can manage to not sleep for 2 more days right?  Already on edge as the moon grows closer to being full, on edge from more people staring at her, she embarrassed herself at the SAWS meeting, everyone else was just being kind to her. She ruined it.

She needed sleep, which is exactly what she didn't need. Her eyes were already darkened from the bags under them, water was what she needed, just to swim and rest in the water, those living in the lake likely wouldn't appreciate it, but it helped her to stay awake as good as any cup of coffee. Not that she really drank it, the smell made her gag it was that strong. But anything to avoid the nightmares.

As she climbed out of the water and went to get her stuff however, she noticed the towel deciding to put on a show, as much as she wanted to wanted to be on alert, sleep deprivation had dulled her senses, she stood there and scanned for the intruder, although that isn't the right word, she was in a public area so its not like others can't come along, its how she met Zeta. And where she had lost several pairs of...clothing items that she learned to only come in basic cover clothing and what is generally considered 'beach body ready' clothing.

"Who's there?" She snapped, sounding much more aggressive and snarling then she had wanted, her eyes darted about further as she crept towards her towel, like she is ready to pounce and grab it like prey. "Show yourself or so help me Merlin I will hex you." She made her usual threat, so far no one has submitted when she has made her threat, but overall she decided it was still a good threat, she never specified what hex and its not like she can't hex. She knows atleast one.

His appearance was unbeknownst to Lucinda. He thought cockishly that he was always noticeable, apparently not. Then again the tree does offer nice shade.

“It’s Rigel. I’m reading over here.” He waved and smiled.

He closed his book. Stood up and started to walk over to her slowly, open body language so there was no aggression in his approach. He stood next to her stash of clothing and personables.

“How’re you feeling?” He said with a furrowed brow above a concerned and empathetic smile.

Lucinda glared at him, watching him go towards her clothing and self consciously covering her body with her arms, realizing she's only in a couple of small clothing pieces. Her body shuddered in the cold air, made worse by being dripping wet from the water. She stared at her towel still in the air then glanced towards her wand.

"What do you want." She snarled as she started to creep forwards in an attempt to retrieve her wand, she looked RIgel up and down as she did so, being careful around him, he beat her before in a fight. She would not let him do it again. So she watched as she approached towards her wand.

As she approached the rawness of her injuries on her left abdomen became more visible, the water not helping with disguising it very well either. Her eyes did appear very worn down, bags formed under them from lack of sleep, er skin appears more pale and her body sways slightly. "You here to shout about me more?"

“Don’t really want anything? I’m just out here reading. Now that I got you though, I just wanted to say I’m sorry for outing you.” He pushed the towel closer to her to ease her. She must have been freezing. He saw her glance towards her wand, after he pushed the towel around her and covered her, he sheathed his to hopefully make her at comfort.

He popped a weather charm around his little tree spot, everything within that bubble turned green, dissipated the snow and removed the cool breeze. The bubble was about eight feet high, revitalized some branches and added leaves with an orange glow to the ends of the lucky few. The bark resumed its nice and bituminous brown luster, the circle of grass was green and grew violently to the middle of its lifespan. In the middle of the circle was a calm Rigel Acrux, whom patted his hand, telegraphed Lucinda to join him in the nice summer breeze.

Lucinda snarled again, grabbing her towel to start drying herself from him and his spells. "Oh yeah, thanks for that. Really helpful isn't it. Trying my best not to freak out then being outed, called a liar and finding out you stole from my friend. Yeah sure apology accepted. Real good." She tried to sound sarcastic, but it just came out as aggressive and violent as she snapped at him.

Then she moved to take her wand, making a complicated wand wave as hot air blasted her body, drying it much quicker then a towel and warming her up like a nice shower. Although she was fairly careful with her hair she still groaned and spent awhile to get it sorted out again, giving up on having it by her ears, which would be the warmer way for her to do things she took a band from her jean pockets to tie it into a ponytail.

She looked over at the magical bubble, although it was cold, being somewhere at 3 degrees likely due to averaging, if she got it right. Maths wasn't the greatest as she only got a small amount of muggle education, plus she was tired, plus she was agitated, plus she was distracted and finally, plus she wasn't in a situation she needed maths. Usually in Transfiguration she did...she didn't want to think about that poor rat. Her first year had some unexpected bangs in it.

Regardless she finally thought, even with it being at that, it isn't that cold they need to make a bubble of another season right? She gave a hmph towards him as she instead focused casting on trying to cast the hot air charm again, aiming to get her towel and clothing dry and warm, her clothing weren't wet, but nice warm clothing is always good to warm you up.

“Right.” He let her finish. His patience was being tested and when its being tested, it usually is the only opportunity to practice having patience.

“Which is why I’m saying I’m sorry.” He leaned back against the tree and relaxed himself. He didn’t want to set her off, she was extremely emotional and erratic from his point of view.

“All I want is to help you fight, believe it or not - I want equality for all. I was raised by muggles,” he laughed, “I know some semblance of inequality.”

Lucinda tried to snort but only snarled again. He was pushing it, she slipped her shirt on then her jeans. Now both nice and warm from the air her wand created. "Surprising to hear a slytherin talk about other peoples heritage that isn't insulting them." She growled out while looking back towards the water. Unfortunately they were outside. Defenestration was not a possibility.

"You say you want to help but you call me a liar and steal from my friends. How is that helpful?" She asked in the calmest voice she could, still sounding like she is an inch from tearing him another mouth with her teeth. She rubbed her eyes to clear them as she swayed a little with the wind pushing into her.

With a rather jagged and forced movement she muttered. "Accio flask." And waited as her gaze dug deep into Rigel, not letting him out of her sight, expecting him to attack her if she looked away, still wary and put off from how quickly he floored her in the SAWS meeting.

“You don’t have to believe me. I came here to read, not to argue. Also it’s not helpful, that’s why I apologized. Are you listening to me?” He looked her in the eyes, and stood up, dropped his books.

“Don’t be so on edge, I didn’t help at all. That is why I’m sorry. I am truly for equality. If you don’t want me on your side that’s fine, and remember you hit me. I let you do it once. Cool it.”

He sat down, opened his book. He wasn’t really reading just waited and gauged her response.

She shook her head as she caught a metal flask, as she opened it up and used the lid as a cup to pour some steaming tea she started to snarl in reply. "If it wasn't helpful then why did you do it?" She warmed her hands with the cup of tea as she closed the flask and placed it towards the ground.

"You try acting like you're so cool and calm, like you're so perfect yet you contradict yourself." She spat as she went to sip at the tea, soon reeling back from it and giving a colourful wave of curses as she burns her tongue on the still steaming hot drink. Followed by a roar as she yeeted the cup, cursing more as she got splashed by some of her beverage.

After the wave of words that would could your ears to blister. She gave up, tossing her towel to the ground before she sat down and curled into her usual protective ball, hugging her hoodie close to keep warm and cozy as she started to sob. "I just can't anymore..." She gasped out weakly.

The flask that she caught with her hands unraveled by her touch. Opened up to a steamed liquid inside. Rigel looked up as she recoiled. She fell into a ball, hurled her legs closer having pulled them in.

He got up, gently set his book aside. He walked towards her and as he walked the bubble that was a nice summer breeze followed with him and soon enthralled within it was both of the lakeside teenagers. He sat next to her and brought his knees up as well. He leaned close enough to here where if she wanted to she could sob on his shoulder.

“I’m here if you ever want to talk.” Was all he could say. He waited for her, and if she didn’t talk he would sit with her in silence.

"Do you need me to get Zeta?"

Lucinda shook her head weakly, curling tighter into her ball as she broke down further. "i-i-i-i...i'm fine.." She very badly lied as she tried to keep up being tough, even though it was too late now, she buried herself so he couldn't see her face although by the constant shuddering and shaking of her body it was very obvious she was crying.

"D-don't bother her...a-and don't ever go..." She got broken up by several sudden bursts of her crying and sobbing, before attempting to resume in a weaker tone. "don't go near her..." She sobbed out. "S-she is all...I have.." She muttered, attempting to be quiet with the last part but she gave out a loud sob with it, so her attempts failed.

"I-ignore that..." She shouts suddenly as she pulled her head out to look at him, her cheeks slightly red and she looked flustered with tears running down her face. "J-j-just..." She shuddered and shook her head. Then planted her face back into her ball. "I-i just need to get out of here..." She said, finally managing to say something quieter.

“You’re alright, just let it out.” He said as he wrapped one arm around her. He thought of almost every action that might be able to alleviate her suffering. What he needed to do was pick back up his psychology book and read the spot where he left off; The Effects of Werewolf Transformation on the Brain.

He hadn’t learned quite enough to be able to slip layman's advice into any conversation just yet. Rigel had just started to read this book yesterday. All he could do now is listen and attempt to comfort her.

“This is temporary. This does not last forever, I know you don’t believe that, but I promise you it’s true. Just take some deep breaths with me.”

Lucinda shook her head more inside her ball. "N-no...it is all the time...I only get a few days a month where...things are okay..." She sobbed as she tucked tighter in. "One week its one thing, then its the full moon, then its wearing off from the full moon...then its back to..." She let out a stuttered gasp as she tried to catch her breath. "Its constant...i just can't..."

She gained back some composure. "I can't sleep...so its constant feeling the moon coming the entire week, if I tried to sleep I get..." She stopped and dug her nails into her arms, not hard enough to pierce her skin, but her knuckles turned white with the grip. "That doesn't even start on the howlers..."

She wiped at her face before looking peaking out at Rigel, she didn't want to appear vulnerable before him but she couldn't help herself, she had already broken down, there isn't anything she could do but ride it out. "Most of my family sent me cards apologizing that I survived. And half disowned me. My own parents don't know what to do with me or feel like they can look at me." She put her hands flat on her eyes and bent into the ball more.

Rigel was astonished at the depth of Lucinda’s story. He never bothered to ask but the assumed naivety of the seventeen year old meant he was the main character in everyone’s storyline. He assumed only bad and terrible things could happen to him. His pretentiousness and pompous attitude disintegrated completely in the summer bubble. He let her finish speaking and when she seemed to be done he let the words float into the air, deciphering to the depths they would allow him. He patted and rubbed on her back, sometimes grabbed her shoulder to pull her in closer to comfort her.

“Blood doesn’t make a family. If they disowned you, they’re not your family. It doesn’t make it hurt less but it might help you later. Zeta? Yeah, she is your family. She’d fight to the ends of the earth for you. So would I if you’d let me. I’m glad you survived, Lucinda. The more this goes on the better you learn how to cope, you can’t escape this. It is out of your control, what you can do is get better at dealing with it. You’ve come a long way. I’m proud of you.”

His voice choked at the end of his sentence. Rigel couldn’t stand being helpless when others suffer, it is his biggest fear.