Avacyn was tucked into a pile of furs, but she couldn't even burrow into them very much without accidentally knocking one of the mushrooms that had begun to grow from the bony patches of scales on her forelegs and shoulders. Not long after the day she rolled around in the weird glowing mushrooms with her brother and saw the cloaked fireflies the scales and her horns started to feel painful and kind of itchy which really made no sense cause how could something without skin on it feel itchy? But other the next couple of days after that the same sort of mushroom and fungi that they had messed with seemed to take root on the places where it was like bone was exposed and the one time her mom tried to clean them off it hurt so bad that she wouldn't let her do it again.

Then her dad started acting all weird too and had glowy stuff coming out of him kind of like blood or tears but different and that's when Irilyth made them move to a different cave on the island, separating them from the rest of the family. Avacyn knew it had to be because she and her dad had seen the firefly guy and it was all that guy's fault that this was happening to them, but Irilyth wouldn't know that and now she had to be here without her brother and she hated it. She frowned and looked at the stupid mushrooms again, eyeing the spot on one of her legs that had an extra dense cluster of the glowing fungi in the spot where the first couple had popped up. It was like they took revenge on her for trying to get rid of them in the first place.

"Avacyn Mendacium"

"...think you can break me? You can't break me... I'm already broken!"

Alastor muttered softly to himself in the quiet of the cave he and his daughter had been isolated to for extended quarantine following their outbreak of strange, unexplainable symptoms. After he'd encountered the firefly entity again down by the lake, Alastor had noticed his beloved little Avacyn acting strange, complaining of itching beneath the scales on her forelegs and shoulders. Shortly after, those glowing mushrooms had sprouted between the scaly plates, panicking both he and his wife. Despite his and Manea's best efforts to help their little girl, removing the mushrooms proved to be impossible without causing terrible pain to her.

Not long after, Alastor heard Lurid's voice constantly over and over in his head, teasing him, taunting and mocking him. He'd tried to ignore it, drown it out with his thoughts, especially now that he knew it wasn't really Lurid. But the voice never left him. It had become a permanent occupant in his brain, whispering into his thoughts, trying to take control of his mind. Soon after, Alastor had felt a nosebleed start inexplicably—except the fluid that fell from his nostrils wasn't blood, but a viscous substance that glowed blue like everything else in the fucking world. Irilyth had tried to diagnose what was going on with them, but the best she could come up with was some sort of reaction to fungus exposure. Yeah, no shit! He could've guessed that and he didn't know the first thing about medicine!

As Avacyn's condition worsened—as did his—it was decided that he and his daughter would quarantine themselves together for a period of time until their symptoms vanished. Manea and Saracyn had thankfully remained healthy so far and he intended to keep it that way. He brought Ava and some supplies to one of the furthest caves. Neither ventured out. Irilyth would bring regular meals out to them and drop them by the entrance, but otherwise, they had no contact with the outside world. But the symptoms didn't seem to be going away. That glowing fluid continued to spill from his nose like blood, and every so often he'd feel it build up in his eyes like they were watering, but it was more of that glowing ooze. No amount of wiping it away helped, but he didn't know where it was coming from.

And the voices... gods above and below be damned, that fucking voice of Lurid in his head didn't stop fucking talking! It was all Alastor could do to keep from pounding his skull into the cave walls to shut her up. His brain felt like he had two wolves living inside of it, vying for control—himself and the phantom. Every day was a struggle and strain, but somehow he kept a hold of his fragmented mind, if only for his daughter's sake. He didn't want to worry her more than she already was. He was pacing back and forth near the mouth of the cave and muttering to himself, unable to sit still with this gnawing anxiousness inside of him. "Won't get me... They won't get me or my daughter... Kill all those fuckers if they come here... Eat their hearts and fuck their bodies..." Fangs bared as the violent and chaotic thoughts swirled in his unhinged brain.

On one turn, obsidian eyes glanced into the cave to spot the glowing form of his daughter, her marking shining bright, but also noting the glow of the mushrooms on her. His heart ached for her; he wanted so badly to heal her and make her better, but short of ripping each mushroom off which would cause her debilitating pain, Alastor was at a loss for ideas. Chewing on his lip, Alastor stopped his pacing and moved deeper into the cave, coming to settle on the furs beside his daughter and curl protectively around her tiny form. "How is my little star feeling today? Are you hungry, or thirsty? Can Daddy do anything for you, sweetheart?" he asked, smiling as if nothing was wrong, despite the glowing fluid still running from his nose like a constant nosebleed.

"Alastor Mendacium"

Avacyn glanced up when she saw the shadow of her father drawing closer. She had gotten used to his pacing and mumbling after a couple days of being tucked away in the cave with him, but she still hadn't really gotten used to seeing the glowing ooze that was always dripping from his nose or eyes. She lifted her dark gaze to look at him, her white rimmed ears giving a little flick of worry. There didn't really seem to be any way to fix it just like there didn't seem to be any sort of way to fix the mushrooms that were constantly sprouting from under her scales and she hated it. She hated being here, she hated not getting to see her brother, she hated these painful mushrooms. She wanted everything to go back to how it was back before all the fireflies showed up and she saw that guy and bought the sparkly ticket from him. She just wanted things to be normal again.

She leaned into her father as he settled into the furs with her, wrapping around her and asking how she was feeling and if there was anything he could do for her. She didn't even know what she could ask for. She wasn't hungry or thirsty, she wasn't cold or hot. She was just miserable and she wanted these mushrooms off of her but she couldn't take them off without it hurting so, so bad. It was overwhelming in the worst way and her ears fell back against her head as she sniffled and her ebony eyes filled with tears. "I miss Sara and Momma," she told him with a quiver to her voice, looking down at the fur between her paws. It felt like anywhere that the mushrooms were was just constantly itchy, constantly irritating her, and she wanted them gone. She wanted them off, she wanted to be back with her family, she wanted her dad to be all better.

If she could get rid of the mushrooms then she wouldn't have to be separated from them any more, right? She eyed the mushrooms on her legs and every single fiber of her little body was screaming that they needed to be off of her, she needed to get them off, off, OFF. In a fit of emotional frustration she hooked one of the mushrooms with the claws of her opposite paw and gave it a hard yank, ripping one of them free and sending a blinding jolt of pain up her leg, making her cry out and whimper that dissolved into sobbing as she pressed her face into her father's dark fur. "I hate this, daddy! I hate it!" she cried, her voice muffled by his fur as she cried out her frustrations.

"Avacyn Mendacium"

Alastor watched Avacyn shuffle about in the furs until she was leaning against him, shifting himself so he could protect her while also being very careful to not bump any of the mushrooms on her. He didn't want to inadvertently cause her any harm, and without any practical or safe way to remove them from his daughter's body, he was left to simply shield her and manage their symptoms, which left little for him to actually do. His heart broke for his daughter, knowing how badly it affected her. Silently, the dire brute cursed the firefly demon and this sick, fucked up world for doing this to his daughter. He didn't care what happened to himself, but how dare any force natural or paranormal try to harm his child! The next time he saw the firefly entity, he would not be as cordial as he had been.

"It's not his fault... It's yours... You failed to protect your family..."

Alastor shook his head to rid his thoughts of the voices gnawing away at his psyche. Fuck off, ghosts... Obsidian black eyes turned down to meet his princess' matching pair as they filled with tears, Ava lamenting having to be away from Manea and Saracyn. Red-tipped ears folded to his skull and Alastor breathed a heavy sigh. "I know, darling... I know. I do too," he murmured to them in the quiet of their makeshift den. A frown creased Alastor's face while he watched Avacyn sulk, glancing back up to the cave entrance and to the dark night beyond. Perhaps if he could find the firefly demon again, he'd be able to barter for his daughter's recovery. He didn't have much to offer in exchange, but he would have given anything to make her better again. Nothing made him feel more useless as a father than being unable to help his suffering child.

"That's because you are a useless father... A failure of a parent... Did you really think you could do anything good with your life...?"

Fuck OFF, ghosts!

"You mean nothing to the world... Your family doesn't need you... You only destroy... They'd be better off if you were dead..."

Alastor grit his teeth and scratched at his ear with a claw as if he could rip the voices from his own head. The taunting lyrics of his ex-fiancee twisted him up, incensed his rage, reminded him that there was nothing he could do to fix this, nothing he could do to help his daughter. I'm not a useless father... he thought with a scowl.

"Oh, no...? Your daughter is mutilating herself right now and you're not even paying attention..."

With a blink of surprise, Alastor glanced down just in time to see Avacyn grip one of the mushrooms on her legs with her leonine claws. "Avacyn!" Alastor shouted, but it was too late. His little violet daughter ripped the mushroom off her leg with a shrill cry and pained whimper. Alastor reacted quick, bringing a giant paw to scoop Ava and tug her tighter, tactfully pulling her paws away from her own legs and the glowing fungi that had infected her. Her cries of agony and despair shattered his stony heart. "I know, sweetheart, I know. I hate it too." He lifted his head so a few drips of glowing liquid wouldn't land on her head, sniffling it back like he had a runny nose. Inside his head, the voices laughed at him, and with each cackling laugh, he felt the anxiety gripping his heart squeeze it tighter. "We're going to get better. We just have to be patient for a bit."

That was a lie, but Alastor wasn't going to frighten his child with the truth. He glanced down at his daughter once more, swallowing hard while he watched her sob into his thick fur. He glanced back to the cave entrance, knowing what was waiting for them just outside. During one of their meal drop-offs, Alastor had asked Irilyth to prepare him a mixture of nightshade extract and lavender oil—just in case. The vial should be waiting for him behind a rock just outside, but Alastor had refused to retrieve it. He was holding out hope, praying for their sickness to pass naturally. But if he and Avacyn began getting worse, or if he saw his daughter suffering beyond cure, he knew what had to be done. He wouldn't let his child suffer in agony. He loved her so, so much and he would do anything to keep her from torment—even if it meant taking the most extreme measure. He hadn't told Manea. She didn't need to know his failsafe plan. She'd find out anyway if he had to use it.

"Would you like to hear a story, my little star? Or maybe you'd like me to sing you a song?" asked Alastor, turning his smile down to his sniffling daughter while carefully stroking her back with one giant paw. He was grasping at straws, doing anything he could to soothe her and make their time in quarantine bearable. Alastor was living entirely for Avacyn now. She was all that mattered.

"Alastor Mendacium"

Avacyn cried harder as her father scooped her up, pulling her paws apart from her legs as he held her. As she fought with the need and instinct to claw all the mushrooms off of her and the fear of the pain it was going to cause if she did, her claws gripped into his fur and she clung to him out of a lack of knowing what else to do. It was so hard to believe him when he reassured her that everything was going to be okay, that they were going to get better. She didn't want to be patient, she wanted all the fungi gone right now, she wanted her dad's glowing ooze to be gone right now, she wanted their family to all be whole again right now. She didn't want to wait any more. She wanted him to be right though. She wanted to believe that they would get better and to believe that her father told her the truth. It was her one little hope that she clung to.

Slowly she started to get some kind of control on her sobbing and lifted her head away from his now damp fur as she looked up at him with glassy, tear filled obsidian eyes, listening to his offer to tell her a story or sing her a song as she took little hiccuping breaths with ugly sniffles. At least she had her dad with her. She didn't want him to be sick too, but having him here did at least make it a little bit better. She loved her father very much with his smile and matching eyes and make the awfulness of it all slightly less awful. She gave a little nod to accept the offer, but when she opened her mouth to speak the breath in hit her lungs wrong and she got caught up in a fit of coughing.

The coughs shook her little body as she put her head back on his chest again, gripping his fur to hold herself steady till it passed. She had coughed a little bit here and there since all this started, but it just seemed to keep getting worse, especially whenever she just couldn't keep herself from messing with the mushrooms. Her lungs felt all stuffy and fuzzy and it was a weird feeling that was maybe even worse than the constant ache and itch from around her scales. The fit of coughing eventually passed leaving her a little lightheaded and tired so she left her head resting on her father's chest, but she still wanted to hear his story. "Tell me a story, daddy," she said as she lightly nuzzled into his fur, her voice a little hoarse and wheezy.

"Avacyn Mendacium"

Oh, how little Avacyn's shaking sobs crushed him inside... Alastor was at a loss for what to do. Nothing in his life before now had ever made him feel as totally helpless and out of control as this plague did. Life had been easy before his family. He hadn't had to care about things like apocalypses or give a damn about anyone else's feelings. With family came love, and with love came a need to protect and provide. Alastor had never been a very caring wolf, and to some degree he still wasn't, but his children had brought to life a part of him he'd long thought dead. He'd found devotion, affection, tenderness, love for his children that had softened his jagged edges left behind by a ruthless life. He would burn hells and tear down heavens to give his daughter the world, and right now he was being defeated by a mushroom. A fucking mushroom! Alastor was pissed—pissed at the world, pissed at whatever had caused this, pissed that it had affected his child.

The whispers in his head started up again and Alastor tugged Avacyn closer to his chest while she clung to him and sobbed. He stared out the cave entrance, his heart rate spiking. "...not gonna take her... Can't take her..." he muttered to himself as dark voices from the past crawled out of the dredges of his brain. No one would take his daughter from him. He'd kill whatever came through that entrance after her. Was that shadows moving outside? Or was someone actually there? Dark eyes narrowed and lips pulled back from teeth in a silent growl, just daring someone to come in this cave. He blinked a few times to clear the glowing goop from his eyes and watched the door. Nobody came. Was he imagining things? Hadn't someone just been there?

Sniffling and running a paw across his fluorescent fluid dripping nose, Alastor did his best to try and clear his sinuses that had become clogged from the ooze like a bad cold. A slight shuffle against him drew Alastor's attention back down to the little bundle of violet and navy fur tucked up into him, his expression softening in an instant while he gazed into those bleary tear-filled eyes that matched his own so perfectly. Eyes as rich and dark as black diamonds, beautiful in every aspect. Avacyn would no doubt steal the breaths and hearts of many a boy in her lifetime. It was so funny for Alastor to think of how she wore them so perfectly, where he had received hushed whispers and skeptical glances from the Mirovis wolves for his odd colored irises. She would never know such bigotry. Avacyn was perfect in every single way, despite the worrying amount of glowing mushrooms sprouting off of her.

Then all of a sudden her coughing started up again. That had been the most concerning part of her ailments. Alastor knew a cough could be as benign as allergies or as fatal as pneumonia. In this case, he feared the mushrooms had something to do with it, and he prayed it wasn't severe or could be reversed. With a gentle paw, he rubbed Avacyn's back until her coughing had subsided, scooping up a nearby bowl and water skin and filling it for her to drink. His daughter asked him to tell her a story, and so he would. The dire brute pursed his lips and hummed while he ran through his mental library to find a tale worth telling her.

"Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, lived a prince. He was dashing, and handsome, and juuuuust the right amount of crazy to be fun! But the prince was lonely. As a young boy, he had found a beautiful princess, and the two had been destined to be married. But then, one day, the princess disappeared. She had left him behind and was never heard from again. The prince was lost, and he didn't know what to do. He searched high and low for his princess, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not find her. The prince was heartbroken, for the princess that made him feel special and loved had hurt him so deeply and left him all alone. He wandered his kingdom without aim, drifting like a leaf on the wind."

"Then one day, just as the prince was giving up hope of ever feeling like he mattered, he found another princess. She was brave and strong and far more beautiful than any wolf he'd ever seen before! And she was in danger. A massive beast was attempting to eat her! The prince, bewitched by her prowess, leapt into the fray to fight the monster with her. It was a dangerous fight; teeth and fangs gnashed, claws ripped and tore, blood painted the walls and floor of the beast's cave! Anyone else would have been slain by the monster—but not the prince and princess. Working together, they killed the beast, and in the aftermath, they found love in one another. The prince had found a wolf who saw him for what he was and loved him all the same, and the princess found a wolf so closely matching her it was like they shared the same soul."

"Over time, their love grew, and the princess desired what all princesses want: a kingdom of her own, a castle, and a family. The prince, who had never had a family before, was terrified by the idea, but he trusted his love, and together they had two beautiful children: another prince and princess, both as breathtaking and unique as the stars in the sky. It wasn't an easy road, and they faced many challenges along the way—including some annoying mushrooms—but with their family, the prince and princess worked to create the world they wanted to give to their children, and they built a kingdom together that one day would be ruled by their children, and then their children's children, and so on for all generations to come."

"Alastor Mendacium"

Firefly Shoppe- Avacyn

The sickness deepens... You feel an uncontrollable hunger for mushrooms...

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:

• 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.
  
• Xtra shrink potion- 2 /
  It comes in an extra tiny bottle. There’s barely even one drop!
  
• Potion of Perception- 3 /
  This bottle of silvery liquid has a pair of glasses etched onto it… whatever that means.
  

Firefly Shoppe- Alastor

The sickness deepens... Your health isn't the only thing diminishing. You feel poorer... 100 Gemstones poorer, to be exact.

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:

• Deer Dad's Blessing- 3 /
  Lets you become more like your favorite deer dad!
  
• Opaque Sack of Mushrooms/Crystals- 1 /
  Running out of event currency and not sure what else to spend it on? Gamble on this mysterious pouch and potentially find more mushrooms/crystals within it! Or perhaps something else!
  
• Crystal Bath Bomb- 2 /
  It looks like a bunch of crystals, glitter, and plants rolled into some mud. The seller assures you it’s good for styling your coat texture exactly how you’ve always wanted it.
  

Avancyn rested her head on her father's chest while he told her his story, listening to it and focusing on his words to help keep her mind off of the other stuff going on. She enjoyed picturing the stuff he was describing, letting her dark eyes drift closed while she let the scene he painted for her play out on her eyelids. A little smile pulled onto her lips while she imagined the prince and princess, especially when he talked about how they had worked together to best the giant beast and killed it together. She imagined it was her and Saracyn fighting some fearsome beast when they were big and strong like their parents. Her ears perked when he said how they were were so similar that they shared a soul. Their mother had mentioned some stuff about the Mendacium family and the stuff they believed and why she and her brother were so special before and she knew that their souls were a big deal. When her father started saying how the prince and princess had two children of their own she started to pick up on the fact that it was actually her mother and father that he was talking about and when he mentioned the mushrooms she knew it just had to be them and the story of how they met. She grinned as he finished his story, her tail wagging gently. "Dad, was that-" she started to ask, but when she tried to open her eyes everything was all blurry.

She stopped, blinking and shaking her head to try and focus her eyes, but when she did she suddenly realized she wasn't laying on her father any more. Avacyn opened her eyes and she was suddenly all alone in the cave, everything weird and misty around her. Her ears fell back against her head and she looked around for a moment, feeling a bit of panic. Where was she? One of the glowing mushrooms on her shoulder caught her eye in the edge of her vision and she turned her head to look at it, her stomach suddenly growling even though she had just eaten a couple of hours before. It was weirdly enticing with the same sort of feeling like she just had to do something like she had when she ripped off one of the other mushrooms on her leg earlier. She knew it was a bad, bad idea but she just reeeeally wanted to eat one of them. She swallowed uncertainly as she eyed the mushroom, hesitantly opening her mouth to take a bite.

Right before she could though she heard a voice that she had only heard once before and it made her jump, turning her ebony gaze to look at the cloaked firefly figure that was once again standing behind a table with some stuff laid out on it. She frowned as she looked up at him accusingly, listening to him tell her to only pick one thing if she could afford it just like last time. She ignored the stuff for a moment, glaring up at the weird figure. "Why did you hurt me and my dad?!" she questioned with a pout. "You said you liked me! You don't just make mushrooms glow on wolves you like... and if that is what you do then that's not very nice." She huffed, making herself cough a couple of times as she looked at the table of stuff for a moment. Suddenly realizing that a pile of crystals and mushrooms were beside her along with the glowing coupon that he had given her last time. She didn't know if it was really a good idea buying stuff from him after what had happened last time, but she did have this coupon and if she didn't use it then all of this was just for nothing. She frowned and considered for a moment before really looking at the items in front of her.

The first thing looked like the same weird bottle he had tried to sell her last time and there was barely even anything in the second bottle so she wasn't sure if she wanted either of those. The last bottle did seem pretty cool through with it's shiny silver liquid that had a pretty gleam to it that reflected the light from the firefly guy's own glow and the glow from her brightly shining marking around her eye. She didn't know what the symbol on the side was supposed to mean, but she guessed that was the most appealing of the options. She glanced down at the stuff beside her and picked up two of the mushrooms and one of the crystals, putting them on the table. "I'll take this, I guess," she told him, picking up the shiny silver potion and removing it from the table in exchange. She sat the bottle down beside her and then picked up the glowing coupon, putting it on the table as well. "While you're here... What does this do?"

ooc: Used three currency to buy a Potion of Perception and used a previously purchased Coupon

"Avacyn Mendacium"

As Alastor told his story to his daughter, he smiled and watched Avacyn get settled into the crook between his shoulder and chest, leaning her head onto him like a pillow. Seeing how she smiled and reacted to each twist of his story brought a little more joy into the manic paranoia swirling about in his head and distracted him from the creeping and encroaching darkness just outside their cave. As he wound down his tale, he felt Avacyn's tiny tail beating against his foreleg in an energetic wag, glancing down to see her grinning with her eyes closed, like she was awake and asleep at the same time. She began to mumble something, and the she flopped limp to the ground as if consciousness had left her body in a blink. Alastor's heart missed a beat as cold terror gripped him. "Avacyn?" he called her name, nudging her gently with his paw. Her body was warm, but totally limp and unresponsive. "Avacyn, sweetie? Wake up for daddy, please. Avacyn? Avacyn!" No matter how hard he tried, he could not rouse his daughter. Were it not for her slowly rising and falling chest, he might have mistaken her for dead, but instead she seemed to be in some sort of deep sleep-like trance.

While he tried to wake his daughter from whatever spell had fallen over her, darkness crept into his vision, causing him to blackout momentarily, and when his vision returned the firefly demon was back in front of him, trying to peddle his wares again. Obsidian black eyes peered up at the entity, staring back with the same intensity as if Alastor himself were trying to peer through its very being. He was caught somewhere between blind rage and carefully measured control. He remembered how lashing out against the firefly demon had gone before, but at the same time he wanted to tear that cloak from him and rip whatever was underneath to shreds for what it had done to his daughter. He didn't give a damn about himself, but he would burn hells and tear down heavens for his children's wellbeing. Rising to large paws, Alastor strode up to the entity, glancing down at the items on the table, leaving drips of glowing ooze falling from his nostrils where he walked.

"You should really think about finding permanent retail locations," Alastor said. "You'd get a more steady stream of business that way." Alastor coughed to keep some of the glowing ooze from dripping down his sinuses and picked up the bath bomb, turning it around in his paw as he examined its rustic texture. "Are you responsible for the world being like this? For doing this to my daughter?" He raised a curious brow to the entity. "Do you have a name? I'm Alastor. But you already knew that, didn't you?" Beside him, the two crystals he'd collected had materialized out of thin air. Alastor scooped them up and placed them on the table, then tossed the bath bomb casually between his paws, waiting to see if the entity would humor his curiosity or just leave him with more questions than answers.

OOC: Alastor is purchasing the crystal bath bomb with his two crystals.

"Alastor Mendacium"

Firefly Shoppe- Avacyn

The young wolf spoke and the figure said nothing for a long time. "Ill-content and malice breed misery and pain. Perhaps I am just a liason, or perhaps I am a judge. But truly, I do not think I have been nice many a time." The cryptid looms over the stall towards Avacyn, "Should we dig deeper, little wolf, or are you content with my answer?"

To her asking about the coupon, the figure pulls back and gestures to his stock, "It'll allow you to pick two items instead of just one, although you will need to pay for both, of course." He prepares the potion for her. "So, anything else?"


You gain:

• Potion of Perception- This bottle of silvery liquid has a pair of glasses etched onto it… whatever that means.
  
• One Additional Shop Purchase- Allows you to buy one more item, if you choose.
  

You lose:

• Currency (x3)- Used in Firefly's Shoppe, and perhaps elsewhere...
  
• Coupon- Looks like a regular voucher but it glows. Apparently it’s good for one bonus purchase next time the Firefly Shoppe is nearby.
  
  

Firefly Shoppe- Alastor

The familiar wolf looked at him with rage and the figure seemed almost amused for a brief moment at the response as Alastor reeled in his reaction. He asked many things, and the collective listened. Only when he was finished did the figure speak.

"I am not as responsible as many wolves seem to think. Pointing blame helps no one," he began slowly. "Your daughter remains unharmed on my part this far, father wolf. She is a kind and caring creature."

When Alastor introduced himself and asked for the cryptid's name, the creature buzzed as if excited for a second. "Of course, Alastor, I am familiar with your name and being. As for my, I have been called several things. And we-" he gestured as many fireflies exited his coat, filling the space nearly instantly- "have been called many, many more." As the fireflies filled Alastor's vision, the cloaked man faded, his voice lingering for only a moment.

"But what shall you call me? And what would you name us?"


You gain:

• Crystal Bath Bomb- It looks like a bunch of crystals, glitter, and plants rolled into some mud. The seller assures you it’s good for styling your coat texture exactly how you’ve always wanted it.
  

You lose:

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

Avacyn kept waiting for the weird guy to say something and began to wonder if he'd give her any kind of response or not, but right before she was about to question him again he did, telling her about how ill-content and malice bred misery and pain and how he was just a liaison or maybe a judge. She didn't really know exactly what all that was supposed to mean, but she was at least able to figure out the connection he made between not being content and being mean lead to being sad and in pain and that he didn't directly cause what was happening which made her a little less mad at him. She didn't think she had been ill-content or that she had malice against anyone... She was happy with her life with her parents and family. Maybe she tried to get revenge against her brother a couple of times... but he always started it! Either way, she gave a little shrug when he said that he didn't think he had been nice very many times. "Oh well... I don't think my momma or daddy are very nice most of the time either... Except to me and my brother and our family! They're very nice to us!" He asked if they should dig deeper and even though she kind of liked talking to the firefly man and hearing his fancy words she kind of just wanted to get back to her dad so she gave a little shake of her head. "I'm content, I guess."

Once he explained that the coupon she bought from him before would allow her to buy something else with the crystals she had left she hummed and eyed the other two vials he had again. They hadn't really seemed all that appealing the first time, especially when what she really wanted was for these mushrooms growing from her to go away, but it felt silly not to buy something and waste the coupon she had. After a moment of consideration she picked up another crystal and put it on the table, taking the bottle of "steroids" in its place. Maybe she'd get lucky and one of these things would help her with the mushroom problem after all, but even if they didn't she tried to give the firefly guy the benefit of the doubt that these would be good things. "Thanks for the things," she said, holding the bottle of steroids and the silvery potion between her white dipped paws. "Can I go back to my dad now?"

"Avacyn Mendacium"

The entity seemed amused by his forced restraint, but even more enthused when Alastor attempted to make conversation with it. He wondered if paranormal entities cared for things like small talk, but he didn't suppose anyone else would think to ask a cryptid's name, so this was probably the most normal conversation the entity had ever had. The entity confirmed that he did remember Alastor and knew about him. He didn't receive a direct answer from the firefly entity, though it did say it had been called many things. Then it asked what Alastor would call and name him before it disappeared in a cloud of luminescent fireflies.

Alastor blinked his eyes and found himself back in the cave with Avacyn. His daughter had fallen into a steady sleep, her little chest rising and falling while she clutched two tiny bottles in her paws. The dark brute glanced down at the glittering bath bomb in his own paws, realizing his daughter had also met the entity properly now rather than just through a reflection. How interesting... Alastor considered the entity's words, listening to them echo in his brain. "What shall you call me? And what would you name us?" The brute ran his tongue over his dry lips, rolling the bomb in between his paws while he pondered that simple yet profound question.

Alastor thought about the entity. It had appeared to him once before, when he'd stumbled into its lair. It had harmed him, cursed him, damned him for his past and his actions. Yet it had also given him the chance to meet his wife, the life he lived now, and the "curse" had become his children's gifts—the same gift that had spared the life of his son. The entity had given him and his daughter gifts, sought them out when they were alone, and despite everything going on, Alastor believed the entity when it said it wasn't responsible. The firefly cryptid was a being between worlds, appearing whenever the realms of the living and the dead seemed to converge. It was neither benevolent nor malevolent. It was somewhere in between light and dark, existing on the fringes of light and shadow. It wasn't good nor evil—it simply was. What did one call something that lived in the space in between?

A little smirk touched Alastor's lips as he murmured a single word, one that fit the entity perfectly in his mind.

"Penumbra."

"Alastor Mendacium"