Things had gotten strange. Everything had changed in the blink of an eye. Suddenly the spirits were all around them and then, without warning, the spirits were inside of them. Each wolf was affected in different ways. Some had become fearful. Others despondent. Others angry and vengeful. After almost being attacked by one of Ashen's wolves, Ikigai found herself outside of her family's territory and in the woods between Ashen and the Armada. The girl curled up beneathe one of the willows, tucking her limbs beneath her and wrapping her long, obsidian tail around her body.

Iki looked towards the ground and noticed the red and pink droplets pooling there. She'd tried to wipe them from her face earlier, but they just kept coming. After a while, the girl had given up. Settled beside the very stream where she'd spent her time with Kotori, the Ashen princess looked down at her own reflection. Magenta crystals protruded from her skull in a crownlike pattern. Rivulets of crimson and rose slid from around those crystals and from her eyes as well. It was shocking to see, but she'd become accustomed to it. The spirits had chosen her, after all. She had seen the other wolves and they were far worse off than she was.

With an exhausted sigh, the pallid princess curled up, placing her chin on one bent foreleg. Her head throbbed in pain and even the sounds of the rustling leaves was too much to bear. Iki closed her eyes and began to cry. Soft, breathy sobs pulled from the girl. Too much more and she might very well be sick from the pain.

"Speech"

Kotori was used to doing what he wanted when he wanted and how he wanted but suddenly he had work to do.  With so many wolves sick in the pack Kotori was a rarity with remaining in good shape.  The idea of relaxing had come to his mind but instead, he came out here, hoping to find her again.  Ikigai had been in his thoughts lately and how could she not be?  Before things had grown to this depth of strange she had already had a notion of spirits and reacted in a way they seemed to like.  She was probably just fine like him, right?  If anyone deserved to be in good condition it was her.  Kotori had challenged the spirits and was curious if that had anything to do with his being well or if it was his contact with the ashen princess.

The woods had mushrooms growing all around where the water ran and crystals clung to trees and rocks.  Kotori kept his ears pinned back and was growing better at ignoring the fireflies as they moved about.  The brownish wolf had no interest in touching anything that was abnormal for concern of catching the sickness that was all over.

He grew close to where he met Ikigai last time and once more she was there.  Kotori was shocked with how she looked though.  Of all the wolves to get the sickness why would spirits choose her?  She had humbled herself and prayed to them!  Kotori knew she was a proud wolf or at least was until spirits came into the matter.  The wolf picked up his gait to reach her, feeling sick as he spotted her tears and the ooze both draining.  

“Iki,” he hadn’t even really shortened her name before but now she seemed a sad sight.  The boy felt sympathy which wasn’t a thing he normally did.  Emotional attachments were just not things he’d ever really felt.  Right now though he felt sorry for her whether it was due to the crystals, the ooze, her pitiful look, or the tears it just all conglomerated together.  He walked forward till he was right next to her which was showing more care than she might realize with his dislike for it.

“I thought for sure you would have been spared with how you talked to them,” his words were soft as he sat down next to her inwardly debating the wisdom of touch.  How bad is it?”  He had heard of different levels of suffering but clearly, everyone was suffering.  “Do you know anything of why they are doing this?”


Kotori Fatalis

 

The approach of paws and the sound of her name on a soft voice brought the girls throbbing skull lifting from the ground. Through a pink sheen she looked upon the concerned face of Kotori. His words were sympathetic and were full of sadness. Iki would have given her head a shake, but she knew that it would have been too painful. It was difficult to even keep her eyes open and, more than anything, she just wanted to sleep. There was nowhere safe to rest, however. There was danger everywhere and she wouldn't be able to defend herself. For fear that something would happen to her, Iki had sent her cat off to hide.

How bad was it? "It hurts... so bad." Speaking hurt. Breathing hurt. Iki wondered if she had crystals in her lungs. They seemed to sprout from wherever her skin was broken, so why wouldn't they be inside of her as well? The girl held out her foreleg. From fresh bite wounds, more of the magenta colored crystals were protruding. "The ones without crystals and mushrooms... the ones that just bleed glowing ozze. It seems to make them crazy. Aggressive." The vibrant liquid still trickled from the wound as she looked down upon it. "It's not safe anywhere."

Kotori then asked why and this time Ikigai did shake her head, though lightly, and she paid for it. Flashes of white light cut through her skull and the girl cringed, gasping lightly for breath as the pain continued. Another soft sob pulled from her and the girl raised her paws to her head, grasping it lightly with her dexterous digits. "I think the spirits are trying to tell us something," she whispered through her tears. "I think we need to find out what it is. Maybe they're trying to prove that we're all connected. That we're all one." She didn't have any proof of this, however.

"Speech"

She was in a lot of pain, maybe that should have been obvious?  Kotori had assumed so but had hoped he was wrong.  If he was a fully selfless wolf he’d be there next to her, pressed against her and trying to offer close comfort.  Kotori imagined he wasn’t that selfless as he really didn’t want to risk catching whatever had caused it.  The notion of touching them but Kotori had even cut himself on a dang crystal.  Admittedly Kotori’s knowledge of healing was pretty limited as he’d given up on it early but none of this made sense from what he had learned.

So it again went back to Ikigai being the closest to being right, whether or not she was completely right.  What didn’t make sense logically was probably down this spiritual route she’d explained to him through these few visits.  The horned-boy grimaced at the bite marks she showed him.  Kotori let out a slow sigh, “Things aren’t exactly calm at my pack also.  Plenty of sick wolves there as well.” Looking up at the dark sky, trying to ignore all the unnatural lights from various sources he added softly, “Maybe it's everywhere, all Boreas, all Auster, maybe as far as land goes.” Then looking back to her, “but who knows.

The spirits wanted to tell them something through suffering?  The idea of proving they were all connected seemed to be stretching it but he had doubted her other times and been proven she must have been right. “Well, I’ve got no symptoms so what would that mean?  I’m not connected?” Kotori slowly shook his head, “It doesn’t make any sense to me.” Slowly he sat down close to her but careful not to touch while trying not to make it obvious.  “What can I do?” After a seconds thought added on, “You’re safe at the moment.  I’m here right now.” He was probably more dangerous than most animals right now after all, he was in physically good shape which seemed a rarity.

"Kotori Fatalis"

The boy spoke about the difficult times in his own pack and Iki sighed, her brow furrowing. It was bad everywhere. She knew that it was. The pale girl could feel it in her bones. In her very blood. She felt so connected to all of it. The crystals, the mushrooms... they all pulsed in tune to her heartbeat. How could she not feel in tune with it all?

"It's everywhere, Kotori. Everywhere." She was so tired. So physically exhausted that it was difficult to even keep her head up. The pain was so intense that Ikigai was forced to close her mercuric eyes. Her breathing came in shallow little gasps and she once again buried her face in the darkness between her forelegs. More of the magenta ooze was transferred from her face to her long, pale limbs, but it hardly mattered. Ikigai wondered if she would be like this forever, or if the spirits would eventually decide that the creatures of the world had learned their lesson.

Kotori lay down beside her, but was careful not to touch her. She didn't blame him, but it made her a little sad. Right now, all she wanted was to be protected, but no one could protect her from herself. The crystals were growing from the inside. She wouldn't be free of them until the spirits decided that it would be so. "Just keep me safe for a little while, Kotori," she released his name on a soft, barely audible whisper. She was so... so tired...

"Speech"

Kotori was at a loss on how to help her and while he imagined she might feel better with a physical touch that was a hard thing to talk himself into.  Not that she wasn’t pretty on her own nor that he’d mind cuddling with her but the crystals just gave him the shivers.  He was doing so good at avoiding touching a single mushroom and crystal.  Kotori had literally used sticks and rocks when dealing with the things while studying them.

Kotori let out a slow deep sigh, “I had a thought recently,” Kotori shared just for the sake of offering her a distraction, “maybe the spirits you mention, maybe they take the form of fireflies?” Kotori’s eyes flicked up at the little lights that flickered in the sky.  “So maybe something about when the moon causes the mushrooms and crystals to grow, and the strangeness in the land cause the spirits to come up?”  It sounded like a story someone might tell a kid for entertainment but honestly, this whole scenario was like a dark joke with no point.  Might as well think up a story and wonder if it's ridiculous enough to have a grain of reality in it.  “Well, mostly just curious about why all the fireflies.  Probably the least important detail right now though.”

Truly, it sounded dumb.  He was just talking in case she wanted to listen.

"Kotori Fatalis"

Firefly Shoppe- Kotori

You have been infected with strain 3 of the Ooze.

Your attention blurs and refocuses. It feels as if you are in a dream as you find yourself alone in the mist. Fireflies gather and light the way to a table with a figure waiting behind it. On the table lay three items, with their prices beside them. "Choose w̶̢̧͉̥̻̟͈͙̽̉̆̿̈͒͋̓̇̍͌̇̎͠͝ì̵̢̝̄͐́͆̓̚ṣ̶̛͙̟͎̤̞̤͎̹̙̭̪͔̓̐̾̂͆̄͆͌̈̈́̏̚͜͝͠ȩ̴͔̱̗̜̾̉̀̓̀͆͛̊̂̍̕̚̚̚ͅl̵̢̦̲̼̠̖̜̺̮̜̺͋̈́y̴̧̨̧̪̗̥̘͇̾͑͗͜͠, and only choose o̷͕̭̊̃̌̊̏̀ņ̸̼͚͉͔̒͐̊e̵̮̯͛̔̀̑͜," the figure says, looming over the table as his eyes seem to peer into your soul. Are they... moving? "If you can afford it, that is. Beware, however, for there are many d̷̡̯͉̎̊̈́͐͠á̴̬̪̣̝̞̅̀̈́̄ṉ̸̢̠̤̹̥̙̜͋͆̚g̷̛͍̹̣̬̙͖̝̘̃̈e̷͓͕̖͓̝̤̿͐͐͜͠ŗ̵̤͚͔̟̹̳̽̒͝ş̸̛͓͔̩̥̦͛̊̈̾̐̒̓ ̴̺͔̃̇̆ahead." He does not seem like he's in the negotiating mood...


I̵̜̖͎͓͒̑̕n̸͓̗̘̫͉̗̻͐̔̿̊͆̋͝v̵̦̹̠͉̖̼̮̎̌͆ȩ̸͕̦͔̳̩̈́͜n̶͍̝̙̯̣̹̫̩͋t̶̟͈̟̲̜̙̣̋̿̓̆̅͊͝͝ŏ̶̼͊r̶̖͎̙͔̥͎͙͈̊̍͝͠y̴̧͔̭͒͆̉̕͝:

• Mushroom Bath Bomb- 2 /
  It looks like a bunch of mushrooms, grass, and plants rolled into some mud. The seller assures you it’s good for styling your coat pattern exactly how you’ve always wanted it.
  
• Serious Steroids- 1 /
  The cloaked figure assures you it’s not really steroids but he does say it’ll make your body more resilient, he won’t tell you what’s in them though.
  
• Glittering Concoction- 2 /
  Smells like mushrooms, glitters like crystals.
  

Ikigai

The sickness deepens... You are temporarily disabled by your illness (-15% in all fights and races until event's conclusion).


You gain:

• A Temporary Debuff - You're pretty sick. You get -15% in all fights and races until event's conclusion.
  

Kotori’s head jerks in shock as he looks about the mist in confusion.  The fireflies get a suspicious look as he moves forward.  Did this mean the things really were all a bunch of spirits? Quietly he followed them to the table as he regarded the firefly man solemnly, observing him cautiously for a moment.

“So, are you the spirit causing all of this?” Kotori asked the question as cautiously as he watched the man.  Narrowing eyes he considered what to do next. He’d welcome a fight but this guy was telling him to buy something with those mushrooms or crystals he found?

The wolf's eyes flick from man to potions back and forth.  Two of them had some idea of what they did but he didn’t need his coat pampered nor did he expect steroids would help Iki or his family from their condition.  The wolf tapped a paw on the glittering concoction and offered over the mushrooms, “Alright, I guess I’ll take this thing.”  

“Did you cause all of this, or can you tell me what is causing it?”  The realization had come this guy might not be the one who caused all of this, hell for all he knew this dude could help.  Before attacking him Kotori might as well find out what side he’s on in the mess.


Kotori Fatalis

 

Firefly Shoppe- Kotori

The wolf asked questions and the figure listened. "Perhaps I am not even a spirit at all," he said. "Perhaps I'm something better... Or maybe worse. I may even be a victim too, but for now I'm just a humble shopkeeper." He bowed and the mists consumed him, leaving Kotori with the concoction between his paws.


You gain:

• Glittering Concoction- Smells like mushrooms, glitters like crystals.
  

You lose:

• Currency (x2)- Used in Firefly's Shoppe, and perhaps elsewhere...