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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on May 25, 2017 22:42:56 GMT -5
The Geodesic Caverns were an odd location for sure. The unusual flora and fauna, the glowing crystals that kept it in perpetual daylight, the almost tangible flow of chaotic energy that cycled through the floating island's underbelly... very strange, but certainly a fascinating location that matched the overall feel of Dimensional Island.
Nonetheless, the living arrangement that had been established in a small corner of the caverns seemed out of place even for a realm like this. From the couch adorned with a crochet blanket, to the shelves stocked with jars of bizarre liquids and powders, to the steel cauldron resting above the fire pit, to the refrigerator that couldn't have possibly been plugged into anything... it was quaint, but jarring.
It was here where, in a burst of purple light, Swift and Patrick appeared. The former had a stone cold look on her face, one of determination but also of resentment.
"RAINFLOWER!" Swift paced around the room, looking around for the mischievous fairy that resided there. Everything seemed to be in order, or at least as much order as one could get out of the potion maker. There was the candy bowl, there were their ingredients lining the shelves, there was the cauldron, albeit surprisingly empty for once...
The only thing that wasn't there was Rainflower.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 25, 2017 22:51:15 GMT -5
Patrick just stood there in the middle of the room, watching Swift pace with heavy eyes. He had spent the whole day worrying about Evan. Panicking over the fact that his best buddy was sprouting extra arms and longer hair and what have you. It was late now. By that point, he had exhausted just about all of his energy, and the spell needed to transport Swift and himself to the caverns really took the cake.
"Swift... I know you're worried about Evan. I am too. But... is this really the best way to go about helping him? Enlisting the help of a..." He raised an eyebrow and addressed one of the voices in his head. "W-What did you call them, Ray? Oh yeah, a psychotic, genderless freakshow with a fetish for seeing people get turned inside-out?"
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on May 25, 2017 22:59:49 GMT -5
"Patrick, listen," Swift firmly stated as she looked around the corner, checking the tunnels for any sight or scent of the fairy. "I HATE that it's come to this. I REALLY, REALLY hate it. But I'm willing to bet that Rainflower will know a thing or two about whatever magical illness Evan has. And even if they don't, can't say I didn't try!"
She looked back at him over her shoulder. "Evan needs help, Patrick, regardless of where it comes from. Besides, Rainflower... thinks they're our friend, and..." She paused, then let out a disgusted groan. "...friends help each other, right?"
Having practically barfed up that philosophy, Swift looked down the hall again and sniffed the air. "Okay, so... there's a fresh trail heading this way. I guess Rainflower's out collecting samples. Let's go." Then she dashed off into the cave, hardly waiting a millisecond for Patrick to catch up.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 25, 2017 23:06:59 GMT -5
"WHOA! Whoa whoa whoa wait!" Patrick hastily scrambled after her, flailing his arms in a vain attempt to get her attention. "Swift, wait! You know I can't match your hanyo speed!"
This is ridiculous... Ray muttered. I can't believe we're actually asking for help from the same lunatic that turned Evan into a butterfly. What makes you think they'll fix him now that he's turning into a spider?!
Swift does have a point, Ray, Van responded. Making deals with Rainflower is always risky business, but I would rather take that chance than prolong Evan's suffering. Transformations are their forte, after all.
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on May 26, 2017 21:39:58 GMT -5
"Ugh... Go figure," Swift growled as she bolted through the caverns. "The one time I actually need them and they go AWOL on me. This better be worth it, I swear to God..."
She skidded to a halt at a fork in the path, sniffing around for the freshest trail of the fairy's scent. It seemed to be all over the place, mingling with the scents of the plants growing along the walls and the creatures lurking in the shadows. "RAINFLOWER! WHERE ARE YOU?! RAINFLOWER!!!"
Her ears perked and her eyes widened. Somewhere deeper within the cave, piercing through the echoing cacophony of animal calls, was a disturbing sound that took her a while to adequately describe. It was like... a sick cat being sucked up by a vacuum cleaner operated by a screaming banshee. Whatever it was, even at a distance, it freaked Swift out.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 26, 2017 21:49:50 GMT -5
It took him a while, but finally Patrick caught up to Swift, slowing to a stop next to her and pausing to catch his breath. Soon thereafter, he quickly straightened up and nervously scanned his surroundings. Even he heard that strange noise, his mind immediately racing when he did. "W-What was that...?"
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on May 26, 2017 22:11:58 GMT -5
For a moment, Swift could only stare into the cave with dread. Then she shook herself off and marched onward with her eyes narrowed. This business with Evan's transformation had made her paranoid. "It's just some weird animal that lives down here. These caverns are loaded with 'em. Now c'mon. The sooner we find Rainflower, the better."
Her ear twitched slightly when a thought crossed her mind. "Actually... Van, do you think you could find 'em with a tracking spell? I'm having a hard time tracing this scent to the source and I'd rather not run around in circles down here."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 26, 2017 22:20:03 GMT -5
Following closely behind her this time, Patrick tilted his head in confusion. Then he twitched slightly as he was instantly replaced with the personality that had been addressed.
"That does sound like a good idea..." Van mused as he studied the cavern walls. "Though I must admit, I'm... very tired. I'll do my best, but I can't guarantee results."
Rooting himself where he stood, Van closed his eyes and released a sphere of yellow light that spread out in all directions, sweeping through the tunnels of the cave. To his surprise, it didn't take long at all for a familiar signal to bounce back. "Oh, good. We're heading in the right direction."
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on May 26, 2017 22:34:36 GMT -5
Swift sighed with relief and continued to charge ahead. "Good to know. They must be close then."
She looked back at Van over her shoulder. "Let's just hope this exchange doesn't take as long as this hunt. I've already spent more time down here than I care to- OOF!!!"
Upon collision, Swift stumbled back into Van while Rainflower fell flat on their butt. The latter smirked awkwardly and rubbed their head, only slightly bemused by the rough encounter, quickly recovering and giving the duo a mile-wide smile.
"SWIFT! PATRICK!"
"Aaaaand here we go..."
Rainflower fluttered up to Swift, giddily staring her in the face. "Hey, how ya doing, what brings you here?!" Up close, it was clear that the fairy was greatly disheveled. Their hair was mussed, their face and arms were dirty, and they were carrying... a rope for some reason...
Swift took a deep breath and steeled her nerves. She already wanted to punch Rainflower's stupid face, but she had to be reasonable with them. This was why she was there. "Actually... it's kind of a long story. The bottom line of which is we need a potion."
"Well then, you came to the right place, Cutie-buns!" Rainflower looked behind them, then back at Swift with a nervous, toothy grin. "But, uh... I'm kinda in the middle of something..."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 26, 2017 22:43:26 GMT -5
Van was only moderately startled by Rainflower's arrival, promptly catching Swift when she stumbled back from their collision. His expression was one of exhausted resolve. The look of someone who just wanted to get this over with. "It's Van, actually..."
He took a few steps forward and raised a hand. "Rainflower, listen. We... genuinely need your help. As we speak, Evan is undergoing a bizarre transformation brought on by some sort of magical illness, one that none of us have the slightest clue how to combat. Not even my spells have been effective against it. We were hoping that... you might have some idea what we're up against and how we might turn Evan back to normal."
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on May 26, 2017 22:53:38 GMT -5
"Ooooooooh..." Rainflower tapped their chin and raised an eyebrow, indeed very intrigued. "Well then... step into my office!"
They then proceeded to fly through the caverns and back towards their home, Swift and Van trailing behind them. "So a transformation, you say? Interesting! What kind of transformation we talking here?"
"Well, whatever it is, it's causing Evan to take on distinctly spiderlike attributes," Swift explained. "I-It started out yesterday like a cold, what with the congestion and fever, but within twenty-four hours, he's grown four extra arms, six extra eyes, fangs, and long, thick body hair."
"I see." The psychotic grin on Rainflower's face seemed to convey that they knew where this was going. "Spider traits, huh? Tell me... Evan wouldn't happen to be afraid of spiders, would he?"
Swift flattened her ears, knowing what a touchy subject this was for Evan, but if this gave them the answers they needed, she had to be honest. "...Yes. Very."
"HA! Sounds like a classic case of phobiosis to me!" Rainflower chuckled as they swooped into their workshop. "Nasty disease, it is!"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 26, 2017 23:00:05 GMT -5
"Phobiosis?" Van repeated with a great deal of emphasis, mulling over that word in his head before he proceeded to elaborate. "So... '-osis,' as in a condition or disease... and 'phobia,' an intense fear? You're saying that this disease is transforming Evan into a spider specifically because he's afraid of them?"
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on May 26, 2017 23:21:24 GMT -5
"EXACTLY!!!" Rainflower hollered, pointing to Van with one hand while throwing their refrigerator door open with the other. As they proceeded to crawl inside and dig through their stock of potions, they continued, "Phobiosis was pretty rampant on my home world. Not common enough to cause an epidemic, but prominent enough that you could compare it to your human cancer. The disease codes itself depending on what the host is afraid of and rapidly alters their physical form to match that fear. So if you're scared of spiders, you grow extra arms and eyes. Scared of ghosts, you're forced out of your physical body. Scared of heights... PFFT, HAHAHAHA... I honestly envy the situation you'd find yourself in!"
Swift had to admit... the mere concept of this disease was nothing short of terrifying, logically so. To be forcibly, painfully transformed into whatever you fear most... She already pitied Evan's predicament, but this just made it feel that much worse. "I-Is it fatal??"
"Only if you're scared of dying! Now where did I put...? AHA!!! Wait... no... maybe..." The sound of glass bottles clanking together filled the room as Rainflower continued to rummage through the fridge. "So when did this start happening to Evan?"
"The spider traits only started appearing this morning. Yesterday he was just stuffy and feverish."
"Well then, it's a good thing you came to me when you did! Back home, there was no cure for this sucker!" Rainflower poked their head out of the fridge, holding up two bottles of orange fluid. "But I done figured it out! Only thing is there's just a small window of time in which it remains curable. Had you waited around any longer and Evan mighta been stuck like that!"
"Oh geez..." Swift grabbed her head, not even wanting to imagine how miserable Evan would've been if he had to remain a spider hybrid forever.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 26, 2017 23:29:26 GMT -5
Van grimaced awkwardly and rubbed his neck. Sounded like an especially cruel disease. Fascinating, but cruel. "Well... I suppose it's lucky that we came to you, Rainflower. We really appreciate you lending us your... expert advice."
He stepped closer to the fridge, looking to take the two vials from Rainflower. It really did feel like the solution to their problem was within reach. "So... are both of these the cure? Does he need to take all of it or just one?"
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on May 26, 2017 23:40:56 GMT -5
"Ehhhhhhhh no. Hold on." Rainflower quickly set the two bottles aside and reached back into the fridge. "Sorry, I just wanna be sure I'm grabbing the right thing!"
"W- Don't you think labeling these things might help?!" Swift protested. She wasn't exactly keen on the idea of Rainflower having to guess which potion was the right one to give Evan.
"It's okay! I'm an expert! Just gimme a moment and I'll have all of these identified lickity-"
Something promptly cut Rainflower off. It was a distant sound, but a loud one. That same horrid sound that had filled the cavern earlier. A sound that made Swift go rigid and Rainflower stand up straight with wide eyes and a small, timid grin.
"Uh-oh."
Swift raised an eyebrow. "Uh-oh, what?"
Without offering a straight answer, Rainflower hastily set two more orange potions down on the counter, closed the fridge and started flying away. "There! I know it's one of these four! BE RIGHT BACK!"
"HEY, WAIT!" Surprisingly, Swift's initial reaction was less angry and more panicked. "D-Do you need help?!"
"NO IT'S FINE JUST WAIT RIGHT THERE!!!" Rainflower shouted as they flew around a corner and vanished into the depths of the cave.
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