HAZEL DAMASCA
Banshee
Posts: 98
Age:
18
Occupation:
Student
Status:
Single
Played by:
Jodi
Girls just want to have funds
Last seen Nov 4, 2024 21:23:17 GMT
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Post by HAZEL DAMASCA on Sept 7, 2023 13:32:09 GMT
Whenever she thought about starting college in September she would get a rush of excitement usually followed by nausea because her body failed to regulate intense emotions. It was a working progress, okay. Anyway, it was perfectly reasonable to get a wave of sickness whenever she thought about college. It was usually excitement nausea rather than being nervous. However, she wasn’t going to enjoy being a freshman again. The bottom of the social hierarchy and there was no way her parents were going to let her attend any college parties. Well, maybe. It was a working progress and if Abi’s dad would let her go then surely she could convince her parents to let her go. There was no way she could start college without being able to drive though. Hazel wasn’t prepared to catch public transport all the way to college. Ew. But it wasn’t as simple as jumping behind the wheel for her because everytime she thought about it she would break out in a mild sweat thinking about what happened with Abi. It was an accident, everyone knew that, but still Hazel was scared it could happen to her. But her mom had decided today was the day to get started on driving lessons, waking Hazel up at the crack of dawn (it was 9am) and driving them both to an empty parking lot. Her dad had taken Bo to the park so it was just the two of them. A huge sigh left Hazel as she climbed into the driving seat. “Surely we could have done this like… next weekend?” Her fingers fumbled under the seat until she found the lever, ungracefully trying to drag herself closer to the seat. “Gosh! If dad had this any further back he’d be in the trunk.” Finally she was close enough that her feet could touch the pedals. She turned the key in the ignition and the vehicle came to life. Easy enough. Hazel reached for the stick, pushing it into drive, then released the handbrake. Again, easy. She pressed down on the gas, but a little too harshly and the car bolted forward as Hazel let out a scream and slammed her foot down on the brake, nearly sending them both through the windshield. She turned to her mom, with a sheepish smile on her face. “Maybe driving isn’t for me?” Suddenly the thought of getting on the bus didn’t seem that bad. Way better than being sat behind a steering wheel. FREYJA DAMASCA  |
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FREYJA DAMASCA
Psychic
Posts: 184
Age:
28
Occupation:
Analyst at The Mystic Falls Courier
Status:
Married
Partner:
Theo Damasca
Played by:
Julia
“But it’s hard, when you’re hurt, to let somebody wreck you again.”
Last seen Nov 17, 2024 18:29:01 GMT
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Post by FREYJA DAMASCA on Sept 19, 2023 17:59:58 GMT
 ━ they set me on fire, and i did a lot of burning ━
And while she could think of no nightmare worse than teaching Hazel to drive after thinking she almost lost her in one, it was necessary. Everybody━in Freyja’s mind, anyway━should know how to drive, and Hazel was going to be leaving for college at the end of the summer (another thing Freyja was dreading), so she’d have to know if she was on her own. If she was… being more independent.
Ugh, she was hardly even a teenager, and now she was becoming an adult? Freyja hated it and loved it all at the same time. Their baby was becoming a woman, and that was terrifying, but she was so, so proud.
And she had to suck it up. Hazel wasn’t even the one driving that night, but she was clearly still shaken by what’d happened, and Freyja knew she had to be the one to give her lessons. She’d been through it━learning to drive after being traumatized by it━and as she kissed Theo and Bo goodbye (they were only going a few hundred feet away), she knew they would have a big heart-to-heart today.
Freyja remained in the passenger’s seat, her seatbelt done up, and smiled as she watched Hazel take her dad’s spot. “Delaying it won’t make it any easier,” She said softly, then laughed as Hazel adjusted the seat. “Yeah, it’s the worst.” Freyja snickered, always irritated when Theo drove the van and she had to adjust her seat━it was never the same. “Make sure you can fully press the brake pedal all the way down from your seat.” She guided; the first lesson of many.
She watched as Hazel turned the key━not for too long, thankfully━then pressed the brake and put the car into gear. “Now━” But before she could instruct her, Hazel was shooting the car forward, then abruptly stopping it. Freyja hissed quietly, her hands slapping the dash as she fell forward, then the belt locked suddenly and had her pressed against the seat again.
Freyja looked sideways at Hazel and frowned, shaking her head. “It’s okay, love━just takes a while sometimes. Make sure you’re only usin’ one foot, okay?” She looked down at Hazel’s feet, then up at her face, one hand reaching across to rub her shoulder comfortingly. “Ease off th’brake without pressin’ the gas, okay? Just let th’car coast for a bit, test the brakes━you can stop whenever ya need to.” She smiled encouragingly. “See how much━or how little━pressure it takes t’stop or slow down. And, when you’re ready, you can try pressin’ the gas. Just barely put your foot on it, Hazelnut. On different cars it’s gon’ have more or less power━some are touchy and some ain’t━but testin’ how quick this one speeds up is gonna be easiest, huh?” She spoke in a level voice, trying to be as positive and encouraging as possible. No matter how awful she was at driving, or how impatient Freyja might’ve become, she couldn’t push Hazel or take any of it out on her. It just wasn’t fair, and she’d never learn that way.
HAZEL DAMASCA | |
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HAZEL DAMASCA
Banshee
Posts: 98
Age:
18
Occupation:
Student
Status:
Single
Played by:
Jodi
Girls just want to have funds
Last seen Nov 4, 2024 21:23:17 GMT
|
Post by HAZEL DAMASCA on Oct 18, 2023 18:36:31 GMT
Hazel wasn’t saying to delay it for like ever, but maybe until next weekend. The next weekend would roll around though and Hazel would probably make up an excuse as to why she couldn’t do a lesson that weekend. Her mom was quick to see through her excuses. It was super scary getting behind the wheel and controlling a massive car that could literally kill someone. She’d been unfortunate to witness it first hand. The questions about whether it could have been avoided were quickly put to bed by her parents when they reminded her that if she was hearing all those weird noises then death was almost certain. Which meant so long as there weren’t any weird noises coming from the radio no one was going to die on her first lesson. Well, Hazel thought she was going to die when the car shot forward, causing her to slam on the brake hard. Her heart shot into her mouth as the car came to an abrupt halt, convinced she’d almost killed her mom and herself. She took a deep breath as her mom spoke. “One foot.” She repeated as she glanced down at her own feet to check the right foot was far out the way. Again, she took another deep breath, telling herself to calm down. It was fine, everything was fine. Her mom was right next to her and just her presence was bringing Hazel’s anxiety down. Slowly she pulled her foot off the brake and the car started to coast forward gently. Instead of jamming her foot down on the pedal she pressed softly, slowing the car down. “Okay, okay… I think I got this.” She transferred her foot to the gas, pressing it lightly so the car coasted rolled a little faster until they came to the end of the row of parking spots. “Left... I’m gonna go left.” She turned the steering wheel, trying to control both the wheel and her foot on the gas but overturned too far, driving the car onto the wrong side of the road. Again, it felt the car was out of control as she tried to swerve back onto the right side of the road, her foot still on the gas as if the brake pedal didn’t even exist to her. FREYJA DAMASCA |
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FREYJA DAMASCA
Psychic
Posts: 184
Age:
28
Occupation:
Analyst at The Mystic Falls Courier
Status:
Married
Partner:
Theo Damasca
Played by:
Julia
“But it’s hard, when you’re hurt, to let somebody wreck you again.”
Last seen Nov 17, 2024 18:29:01 GMT
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Post by FREYJA DAMASCA on Nov 20, 2023 17:09:49 GMT
━ they set me on fire, and i did a lot of burning ━
She was doing well, and when she announced she’d turn, Freyja didn’t think anything of it━but she should’ve. Hazel turned a little wide and stayed turning for too long, putting her on the opposite side, but it didn’t matter━it wasn’t like there was anyone around. They could adjust it. She forgot━for a second━that her daughter was a little bundle of nerves right now, and Hazel tried to correct it, though she kept pressing the gas. “Ease off the gas pedal, honey,” Freyja said, trying not to let the unease show in her voice. “See if ya can come to a slow, smooth stop. Slowly press the brake ‘til you feel a bit of a rollback━like your shoulders hittin’ the seat.” But not slamming them.
After a moment, Freyja started with her advice again, “When you’re turnin’, you wanna brake for the first half of the turn━just barely brake━then slowly gas halfway through. Maybe try goin’ up this way,” She pointed to where they’d started, “And you’ve got lotsa room t’turn back ‘round. When you’re comin’ this way, try t’stick to that curb right there.” Freyja motioned to it, “Let it guide ya ‘round. If you hit it, it’s okay,” She smiled warmly, trying to stave off another breakdown. “Hubcaps are, what, ten bucks? Wouldn’t be the first time someone scraped a curb while drivin’ this car.” It happened from time to time and, unless Hazel hit it hard and bent a rim, it wasn’t cause for concern.
“We can start whenever you’re ready.” And when they did, Freyja took a deep breath, trying to settle her own nerves about all this. “I dunno… if you wanna talk ‘bout it, but I wanna say that I know how ya feel. And not just in an ‘I’ve lived more life than you’ kinda way,” She smiled sadly at Hazel.
“I know I’ve mentioned your uncle Bo a few times,” And they visited his grave whenever they went to her parents’ place, though she’d never given Hazel a ton of information about him, only that he’d died suddenly in an accident when she was a teenager. “... He died when I was your age,” She puffed out a shaky breath, her eyes welling with tears as she looked out the windshield. “He was comin’ t’pick me up from practice━I wanted t’be in the Olympics once upon a time, y’know━and it was rainin’ real hard. I guess he… lost control and swerved into a ditch. Those back country roads are fuckin’ awful when it’s dark and wet,” Freyja lifted a hand to quickly swat a tear from her cheek. “Anyway,” She sighed, smiling sideways at Hazel again. “It was a really long time ‘fore I could drive again. I know it’s different, ‘cause I wasn’t in the car, but I know the kinda fear that comes with it. I know what it’s like t’sit in front of the steerin’ wheel and just bawl ‘cause I just couldn’t do it. It was too scary.” She almost reached over to touch Hazel’s shoulder or her head, but she thought better of it━that might distract her. “And you know you can talk to us ‘bout anythin’, but I just… want you t’know that I get it.” And if that made it easier for Hazel to talk about, then Freyja knew she had to share.
HAZEL DAMASCA | |
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HAZEL DAMASCA
Banshee
Posts: 98
Age:
18
Occupation:
Student
Status:
Single
Played by:
Jodi
Girls just want to have funds
Last seen Nov 4, 2024 21:23:17 GMT
|
Post by HAZEL DAMASCA on Dec 12, 2023 21:12:25 GMT
It was crazy there were people out there who drove stick. Hazel was struggling to turn around the darn corner, never mind having to remember what gear to be in. Her dad was the one who taught her how to ride a bicycle. He held onto the back of her seat until one day he was convinced she was ready to pedal solo, except she wasn’t. Hazel tippled off the bicycle within seconds, but it didn’t deter her. She jumped straight back on her baby sparkly pink bicycle and tried again, until she did it. Her dad cheered her on as she cycled along the path, looking a little wobbly but after a few seconds she managed to steady herself. Now her mom was the one holding onto the seat, until Hazel was ready to go off on her own. The car was nothing like her Barbie bicycle though. It was a deadly weapon. If she lost control of her bicycle she’d probably only hurt herself, whereas if she lost control of the car she could kill other people. It was a thought that rested with her as she climbed into the driving seat. The only comfort was that her mom was next to her and she wasn’t about to let her daughter kill someone. Another problem was she was scared of damaging her parent’s car, even though she witnessed her dad kiss a bollard once in a parking lot. Her mom assured her it was fine though. She smiled, nodding at her mom as she did so. Following the curd sounded easy enough. Her hands clasped around the steering wheel as she geared herself up to start again. The pull off was smoother than before and she crawled along the road, heading to where her mom pointed. Her attention was pulled between her mom and the road. How did people even multi-task whilst driving? If she checked her phone right now there’s a chance she’d bounce off another car. “I don’t think there’s anything more to say.” Hazel said with a shrug, her eyes still glued on the road as they were coming up to the corner. At a snail's pace the car started to turn as she focused on following the curb, but her attention was completely snatched away from the road when her mom mentioned Uncle Bo. Hazel gently touched the brake, careful not to send them both flying, again. The F word sounded foreign coming from her mom’s mouth, unlike Lex who dropped it in every other sentence. It was probably his first word as a baby. The car rolled to a stop before Hazel applied the parking brake, surprising herself that she even remembered. “You never said… about Uncle Bo… I’m sorry about that mom.” She knew Uncle Bo had died when her mom was younger, but Hazel never asked anything more. Too polite to ask. “I’m just worried something bad will happen whilst I’m behind the wheel…. I’m not scared of driving. I’m scared I’m drawn to death, like I attract it.” And almost as if climbing into the driver’s seat of the car was completely irresponsible of her. FREYJA DAMASCA wrap with yours? |
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FREYJA DAMASCA
Psychic
Posts: 184
Age:
28
Occupation:
Analyst at The Mystic Falls Courier
Status:
Married
Partner:
Theo Damasca
Played by:
Julia
“But it’s hard, when you’re hurt, to let somebody wreck you again.”
Last seen Nov 17, 2024 18:29:01 GMT
|
Post by FREYJA DAMASCA on Jan 14, 2024 19:38:07 GMT
━ they set me on fire, and i did a lot of burning ━
Thankfully, it seemed to work. Hazel was doing great around the corner before she pulled to a stop, and Freyja didn’t say anything about it━if she thought it was too much to keep talking and drive, then that was fine. It was about her comfort level right now.
“Oh, baby,” Freyja puffed, leaning over to wrap an arm around Hazel. When she leaned back, she cupped her daughter’s cheek in one hand. “You don’t attract it. When people die, it attracts you, so that you can make sure someone knows they’re there. It’s different. You’d never hit someone ‘cause of your ability, but ya might see an accident happen. Ya might take a wrong turn ‘cause somethin’s leadin’ ya there. It’s the other way around━you go to it. It doesn’t find you. Does that make sense?” She didn’t know how much of a comfort it’d be, but she wanted to be honest with Hazel, and give her something concrete to hold onto.
“I think you’re gonna be able t’sense it, too. Y’know, if you start hearin’ things again, you realize you went the wrong way, just call someone. Doesn’t gotta be me or your dad as long as it’s someone ya trust. Then they’re gonna keep you comfortable, they’ll know where ya are, and they’ll be there when ya come out of it.” It was the best advice she could give━apart from “talk to your dad,” who definitely knew more about this than she did.
Freyja leaned in to press a kiss right between Hazel’s eyes, then shifted back to her seat. “Alright, you were doin’ real good there, so let’s go again. Turn back ‘round and do it on the next turn.” She smiled proudly over at her little girl, her baby, who was doing so damn good despite all she’d been through.
HAZEL DAMASCA | zee end |
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