|
|
Post by ParamountKeymaster on Mar 27, 2017 17:34:26 GMT -5
(...or "How to Cure Aflutterfly-ism")
In the midst of the aflutterfly-sparked chaos, in the epicenter of the mall's food court, a rift in space briefly opened in an explosion of bright purple light.
"-BISCUITS!"
When the light faded and the portal sealed shut, it revealed one human and one wolf hanyo, the former of whom held a bullfrox in one arm and an aflutterfly in the other.
"WHOA, WE'RE HERE NOW!" Rio loudly noted. "COOL! CHANGE OF PACE, VERY NICE..."
Evan sighed and took a quick look around the food court. Predictably, it was in no better condition than the Plaza had been. Tables and chairs were toppled over, food and drinks were spilled on nearly every square inch of the floor, and the customers and employees were now raiding the various kitchens as miniature, winged, hyper versions of themselves. He dreaded to imagine what the rest of the mall looked like. Probably the sole saving grace of their venue was that it wasn't on fire; the same couldn't be said for an alarming number of buildings throughout the city.
He looked down at Cat and Rio, then at Swift. "Think we beat 'em? I told Alex to meet us here. Figured he'd void portal himself right to us..."
"AND YANG!"
"Yeah, Yang too."
|
|
|
|
Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Mar 27, 2017 18:49:42 GMT -5
Swift took a deep breath and adjusted her hat. She had a LOT of pent-up anger, but reuniting with Evan, learning that the end of their torment was nigh, and getting away from where most of the action was taking place was doing its part to relax her. She could certainly appreciate the positive reinforcements the circumstances provided her, even if the situation at hand was still predominantly horrid.
She looked up at Evan, then glanced around the court, sniffing the air for any familiar scents. With a deadpan frown, she replied, "Hard to tell with all the overlapping smells of floor food and sugarcane."
Cat whine-croaked in agreement, wriggling her way out of Evan's grip before hopping up onto a nearby chair. From there, she started scanning the room, anxious to find Alex and Yang and get this over and done with.
"HEY!" Swift shouted to whoever might've been listening. "ANYONE HERE SEEN A GUY WITH BLACK HAIR AND BLUE ROBES?!"
"THE RACCOON GUY?! JUST SAW HIM IN THE PLAZA!"
"WAS HE A RAVENCLAW?!"
"CAN'T SAY I HAVE! OR CAN I?!"
"YOU CHECK HOT TOPIC?!"
"I CAN BE THAT GUY IF YOU WANT ME TO!"
"OKAY, SHUT UP, SORRY I ASKED!" Swift slumped and rubbed her temples, ears erect and mouth pursed. She was getting angry again.
|
|
|
|
Post by gantzgun74 on Mar 29, 2017 17:04:52 GMT -5
Evan's phone started ringing a second later. It was revealed to be a text message.
------------------------
Me and Yang are currently in the 'Walmart' outlet, we wanted to grab a turkey baster for what SHOULD be the first step of this little escapade. Please meet us there. For conveniences sake, we've picked the Electronics section there to meet up once we've found what we need. So if you get there ahead of us, WAIT FOR US THERE. And don't worry, we'll hurry. Just hurry yourself.
|
|
|
|
Post by DMis on Mar 29, 2017 21:47:56 GMT -5
Yang was keeping close to Alex. "So want to run the turkey baster thing by me again?"
|
|
|
|
Post by gantzgun74 on Mar 29, 2017 21:51:51 GMT -5
"It's for Rio." He answers simplistically. "That way he only drinks the one drop he needs as opposed to the rest of the mixture... I presume we'll need all of the remaining drops IN IT to cure this plague." As he spoke, he and Yang continued pouring over the aisles, looking for what he needed. "Come on... It has to be here somewhere..."
----------------
Back with Evan and the others.
|
|
|
|
Post by ParamountKeymaster on Mar 29, 2017 22:00:08 GMT -5
After a slight jump, Evan was quick to pull his phone out of his pocket, reading the message in silence. Well, silence on his part, at least...
"WHOOP! PHONE'S RINGING! GOT A MESSAGE! WHO'S IT FROM? WHAT'S IT SAY? WHAT'S GOING ON, DUDE? WHAT'S THE DEAL? THE BUSINESS? THE 411? WHAT'S GOOD IN THE HOOD, YO?!"
"Rio, shut up!"
"GOT IT! SHUTTING UP NOW! NOTHING TO SAY HERE! YOU WON'T HEAR A PEEP OUTTA ME! NOT ONE WORD! AIN'T NOTHING TO BE SAID, NO WAY, NO HOW! WHAT'S THAT SOUND? NOT ME!"
Evan groaned, put his phone away, and poked the tiny aflutterfly mage on the head. "Hush." Then he reached into the neck of his hoodie and pulled out the Paramount Key, addressing Swift all the while. "They're at Wal-Mart. Gonna meet 'em in electronics."
With their destination set, Evan plunged the key into his chest and turned it in the right directions to surround himself with a white aura. He then tucked it away again, grabbed Cat and started sprinting further into the mall at nigh inhuman speed. Why bother unlocking his full physical potential for this? Why not? Alex told him to hurry, after all...
"WHOOOOOOOOOO!!! GOTTA GO FAST!!!"
...and Evan certainly couldn't argue with that.
|
|
|
|
Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Mar 29, 2017 22:13:17 GMT -5
"Wal-Mart. Gotcha." Swift gave a thumbs up, then started revving up in anticipation.
The moment Cat heard where they were going... that's when her brain started doing things. You know the kind of thing. Murderers and mad dog stuff. ...Well, actually, just the typical mad scientist inner processes she dreamed up on a regular basis. An electronics section was the absolute perfect gathering point, as far as she was concerned.
Once Evan was ready to take off, Cat readied herself to be carried once more. Sure enough, he lifted her into his arms and burst into a sprint, with Cat raising a finger and letting out a mighty bark-croak like a general charging into battle. Swift followed close beside them, easily matching Evan's supercharged speed.
Cat and Rio's voices were equally grating to the wolf girl's ears. This crisis couldn't be resolved soon enough.
In practically nothing flat, Wal-Mart came into view at the end of the heavily trashed corridor. Swift charged ahead of Evan, pausing in the store entrance and quickly scanning her surroundings. "Okay, electronics, electronics, electronics, electronics, THIS WAY!" She then continued on her way, leading Evan and their companions through the store.
A relieved smile crossed her face when Swift caught a fresh human scent. It grew into a wide, anxious grin when she spotted blue and yellow up ahead. "YO!!!"
|
|
|
|
Post by gantzgun74 on Mar 29, 2017 22:46:04 GMT -5
Alex had already ripped out the Turkey baster from it's packaging and was pulling out the potion vial he labeled as 'AC', gently dabbing the baster into the concotion and squeezing the top so it could soak in a few drops. IT was about then he saw Evan and Swift quickly approaching and the kid couldn't help but grin like the dickens. "Good! You're here! Now let's make this quick. Where's Rio?" Evan did little more then hold up the Rio Afflutterfly and Alex was momentarily... Unsure... That was some odd barrier magic there... Oh whatever, it wasn't like they had time to argue on this. ANYWAY, he pulled out a cup from a void portal and dropped the single drop into the cup before placing it on the floor. The gray liquid must've looked a bit odd to Rio as Alex took a step back.
"Hey Rio. Yang here was kind enough to tell me what kind of juice you really liked. Would you like a sip of it? Well there you go. I know you must want the whole thing but... Given your current size, that little drop should be enough." He popped the top back on the cure and put it away before Rio could get any ideas in his current form.
|
|
|
|
Post by DMis on Mar 29, 2017 23:03:21 GMT -5
Yang waved to the group. "Hope you guys didn't have any problems," she offered.
|
|
|
|
Post by ParamountKeymaster on Mar 30, 2017 0:17:46 GMT -5
"Hey!" Evan panted as he slowed to a halt in front of Alex and Yang, his aura fading soon thereafter. He nodded to Yang in particular, responding, "It's an aflutterfly epidemic. There are ALWAYS problems when this happens."
When Alex asked about Rio, Evan simply held him up at arm's length. Unsurprisingly, Rio perked up at the sight of the familiar face. "HI, BLUE GUY! WOW, LONG TIME, NO SEE! HOW YA BEEN?!"
Rather than receiving a straightforward answer, Rio was presented with a vial of grey, watery fluid. "AWWWWW, WELL THANK YOU! THAT'S SO SWEET OF YA! LEMME TELL YA, I AM A-RUNNIN' DRY OVER HERE! THESE LOONIES HAVE BEEN YAKING MY EARS OFF NON-FRIGGING-STOP! IT'S LIKE 'CURE THIS' AND 'CAVERNS THAT' AND 'GO OVER HERE' AND 'THE PLAZA'S ON FIRE' AND BLABBITY BLAH BLEH BLEBBITY BLOO YAP YAP BLAH BLAR DRIVEL DRIVEL- WHOA!!!"
Rio's babbling was promptly cut off when Evan knelt down and dabbed the aflutterfly in the cure head-first like he was a chip in a bowl of dip. The tiny mage laughed at the experience, then he was placed on the floor, stumbling around for a moment in dizzy circles.
"WHOA-HO-HOOOOO...! EVAN, GETTING A LITTLE FRISKY, ARE WE? I MEAN SLOW DOWN, BUDDY! WE'RE ALL HAVING FUN HERE, BUT THAT'S... no reason to just... go and... pull a p... party foul like... that..."
POOF
A cloud of grey smoke enveloped the green aflutterfly, quickly spreading out in a wide yet contained burst. It dissipated within five seconds, and when the smoke cleared, what remained in its wake was a full-sized, fully-clothed, wingless, one hundred percent human Rio.
"Uuuuuuuuuugh..."
The mage lay sprawled out on the floor, awkwardly twisted and very clearly in a great deal of agony. His eyes were tightly closed to protect his pounding head from the onslaught of florescent lights above him. Slowly and weakly, using every ounce of energy he had, he rested one arm over his face and the other over his churning stomach. Seeing this pitiful display, Evan could only shake his head, staring down at Rio with utmost sympathy. Been there, done that...
It took a moment, but eventually, Rio took a deep breath and mustered the strength to softly croak out a sentence.
"Thank you..."
|
|
|
|
Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Mar 30, 2017 0:30:18 GMT -5
Swift sighed and removed her vest, bunching it up, pushing it out of her barrier, and gently slipping it under Rio's head. In the quietest voice she could manage, she whispered, "Just take it easy, buddy. It's a miserable couple of minutes, but it'll pass soon enough."
Cat let out an awkward chirp, jumping out of Evan's hands and onto the floor next to Rio. In all fairness, she really was upset to see her teammate in such a miserable state, expressing this concern by resting her chin on his shoulder. She couldn't begin to imagine the migraine he must've had.
That didn't make her any less anxious to be turned back to normal, of course.
Still, the least the bullfrox could do was stare up at Alex and Yang with a gentle, oddly endearing look of gratitude. Likewise, Swift took a deep breath and softly smirked at them, then at Evan. Almost there...
|
|
|
|
Post by gantzgun74 on Apr 1, 2017 22:50:21 GMT -5
"Well..." Alex muttered, picking up the cup and throwing it away in a trash bin. "Least we know the cure works. Still, we should make this fast." He pulls out his phone and checks over his messages. "According to Erin, the Affluterflies trying to invade the ITS are being held back by a barrier, but we shouldn't take too long getting this cure whipped up into some kind of form that we can spread to all of the others."
He looked to Rio with a desperate expression. "Listen Rio, I know your head's killing you right now. But the very second you get your wits back we could really, REALLY use some magic right about now... Before this situation gets anymore out of control then it already is."
|
|
|
|
Post by DMis on Apr 1, 2017 23:40:10 GMT -5
Yang winced before kneeling down and offering Rio a pair of sunglasses. "These should help with the lights," she offered softly. Having had been through the headache before- she knew what the pain was like.
|
|
|
|
Post by ParamountKeymaster on Apr 2, 2017 11:43:37 GMT -5
"M... Much obliged..." Rio murmured, blindly accepting the sunglasses. "I... I am in agreement... although..."
He fumbled to put the glasses on. Once he had, he warily tried to open his eyes, discovering with a miserable groan that the tinted lenses only barely helped. "Indeed, I am... in need of a... a moment of... respite..."
Curing the city was still absolutely at the back of Rio's mind, but to his dismay, exhaustion trumped urgency. And to his credit, he was exhausted. Barely able to move, too weary to attempt a healing spell, and clearly so mentally drained that he wasn't even trying to speak in Unity dialect. He wanted to help, but he was simply in no condition to.
Evan let out a quiet sigh. Based on his own experiences, he guessed that Rio wouldn't even have the energy to stand for a good fifteen minutes. Maybe more. In any other circumstances, he would've wholeheartedly allowed the mage all the time he needed to relax... but they really and truly did not have that kind of time. The ITS was under siege as they spoke. They sooner they got this cure airborne, the better. He just wished there was some way he could speed up Rio's recovery.
Kendall had vanished some time ago. Again. Obviously. But maybe he could contact Lagola.
Or maybe...
Would it even work? Could it be applied this way? He had never tried it before, but if there was a possibility...
Evan shook his head and took on a stern look. He couldn't let himself doubt it. He could do this. This WOULD work.
He sat down on the floor and placed a hand on Rio's...
Fraymotif: What I Believe.
Once again, a white aura surrounded him. A faint one, but still noticeable.
The city would soon be cured. That much was certain. Right then and there, what Evan wanted most in the world was for Rio to be well again. For the pain and weakness to leave his body. For him to be whole again that very minute.
Evan's aura faded.
Rio opened his eyes.
"Whoa..."
Who said it? Either one. Take your pick.
Rio sat up and blinked, genuinely surprised by how wide awake he felt. He took a deep breath and placed a hand on his chest, smiling down at himself. He felt... good. Not exhausted, but not insanely energetic either. Just really, really GOOD.
"Wow, um...!" Rio chuckled slightly. "Whatever that was... thank you!"
"Much obliged, buddy." Evan seemed excited, almost to the point of tears, shooting Swift a big, dopey grin as he stood back up.
Rio followed suit, springing to his feet and stretching his back. "God, it feels good to be this tall again... Oh, I, uh... I guess I won't be needing these... Thanks, though." He promptly took the sunglasses back off and handed them to Yang. The smirk on his face seemed to hint that he was thanking her for more than just those. "Right then! Now how are we going to-?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Apr 2, 2017 12:01:11 GMT -5
Predictably, the moment Rio started speaking in Olde dialect, Cat started snickering in soft, clicking croaks. Swift just smirked and shook her head. Old habits die hard.
Okay, so... now they just had to wait for Rio to get better. But who knew how long that would take? The longer they waited, the worse the situation out there beca- wait, what was Evan doing?
Cat waddled back a few steps. Swift blinked, watching Evan work with reserved curiosity.
And whatever he did... it seemed to do the trick to get Rio up and moving!
"Whew! Nice!" Swift folded her arms and shot a grin back at her Rogue of Hope. Glad to see that he still knew how to handle himself in an aflutterfly crisis. Now they just had to figure out a way to...
"REAAAAAK!!!"
All eyes turned downward, staring at the bullfrox who had just screeched so loudly that she dropped the flyswatter that had still been clutched between her teeth. Once she had their attention, Cat glared at Rio, pointed to herself, then rapidly tapped her head. There was still work to be done.
|
|
