Now he’d gone and done it. Haiku wouldn’t ever make it back to Aaven and his family because he was going to die down here in the Hallows. It wouldn’t be so bad, Bowen would be close, but the method of torture to death was incredibly unpleasant. He was being consumed from the inside out by the mushrooms that how littered his body.

At first it was annoying, then as they began to itch and become more prominent in his eye and ear Haiku started to scratch them. As soon as he did a glowing liquid the consistency of blood began to seep from their base. No matter how terrible Haiku tried not to itch at them or detach them in any way. Maybe they would consume him faster if they did.

Haiku wasn’t sure what to do, they’d popped up seemingly out of nowhere. He knew he couldn’t be around anyone, but more than anything he wanted to just hold tightly to Bowen until his body became mycelium. Haiku made his way towards the infirmary, no matter how much he’d wanted to remain in Bowen’s room. Surely there was something to help him find relief.


"Bowen & Haiku"

I have a white raven companion named Prose if she isn't mentioned assume she is nearby

Syanna's paws scurried about the quiet infirmary, gathering up various bottles and herbs in a hurry. The medical ward was quiet and mostly dark, save for a few candles burning throughout the room. Artorias had ordered all the rooms to be illuminated for some reason. The Aegis had begun to show a greater fear of the darkness, not that she could really blame him. This strange darkness had created this fucked up world, and now wolves all over the Hallows were suffering from an extreme and unknown illness. She herself had contracted it as well, evidenced by the small glowing mushrooms sprouting from out around her ears. Gods above, she knew she shouldn't have tried eating that mushroom! Syana just prayed that Ezra was unaffected over in Fenmyre and wasn't also sick.

Setting out her work supplies on a bench, Syanna grabbed a piece of clean linen and dabbed at her mushroom-infested ears, scowling at the brightly colored fluid that pulled away on the cloth. She'd never seen or heard of fungi growing on living tissue before, but she'd also never experienced anything like what was fucking up this world before. Syanna popped open a brown bottle, the acrid stench of something acidic spilling out once the stopper was removed. She had found the leftover antiseptic in the castle's storerooms a while ago but never had a use for it. Now she did.

Dabbing some of the antiseptic onto the cloth, Syanna took a deep breath and then pressed the fluid-soaked cloth to the mushrooms over her ears. As she suspected, the burn that came was almost unbearable. Fangs gritted together, her body tensed up and it took all her self control to not rip the rag away from her skin right away. Die, you fucking fungus, die! The pain was searing, like dipping your paw into lava, but she resisted, forcing herself to stay strong to expose the mushrooms to the chemicals for as long as possible. Maybe this would burn them away, cleanse her skin of whatever had infected her. At least then she'd have a cure.

She resisted for as long as she could, but when the burning and stinging didn't go away but only intensified, Syanna had to pull the cloth away with a whine of pain, tossing it to the table. The cloth was covered in that glowing ooze, and a quick exploratory tap of her paw to the mushrooms confirmed that they were indeed leaking more of that fluid now that she'd tried to chemical peel them off. Shit, that hadn't gone according to plan. If only she had another way to test them that she could more readily reach than the ones on her own head...

"Syanna Alluráin"

As her mate, Ezra may enter her threads not marked as Private.
____________________

Haiku had been struck with the illness that had also infected so many others in The Hallows. While it didn't seem lethal so far, neither of them wanted it to persist long enough to find out if it very well could be lethal. There was nothing that Bowen could do for him, however. The copper and snow fae hadn't been graced with the healing touch. She was much better at taking life than fixing it. So, all she could do was watch as the fungi continued to grow from her lover's face. As he rubbed at it, a sickening ooze started to pour from the mushrooms. He was miserable and she was helpless.

"Maybe Gwyn will have discovered something by now," the small fae spoke hopefully. With a gentle nudge and a sweet smile, she moved beside the big man. Together, they made their way to the infirmary. Upon entering, Bowen noticed that they weren't the only ones present. That was no surprise, but what did surprise her was the russet fae that seemed to be throwing a tantrum as she tossed a cloth away with a sound of frustration. Green eyes fixed on the fae's face and, as she turned, Bowen realized that the woman was afflicted with the same mycelic invasion that Haiku was cursed with.

Casting a glance towards Haiku, Bowen moved into the room. "Any luck?" She questioned the fae, waiting for Haiku to come up beside her.

"Bowen"

Despite his warning that he didn’t want her to catch whatever had caused him to look like this Bowen was loyally at his side. He couldn’t control her, just offer his wishes and logic. She would make up her own mind and Haiku admired that about her. The danger didn’t really matter when they were possibly witnessing the end of the world either. Bowen wasn’t a healer like he was, and didn’t try and diagnose or cure, only offer her own suggestions and the two of them headed to the infirmary to consult with Gwynevere.

Haiku leaned against the sweet woman as she offered her careful affection before the two of them set off. He mostly allowed Bowen to lead, he couldn’t see very well anyway and she still knew the castle layout better than he did. Followed until they reached the apothecary and were met by another wolf, one he knew was not Gwyn.

Bowen asked after her information and that was when Haiku turned the corner and realized she was similarly affected as he was.


"Bowen & Haiku"

I have a white raven companion named Prose if she isn't mentioned assume she is nearby

The sound of feet approaching the infirmary caught Syanna unaware, the vixen-coated fae turning to regard the two newcomers with alert eyes. The one she somewhat knew—sister to the alpha, or something—but her larger companions as wholly unknown. He did not belong to the Hallows, that much she knew. It looked like the large brute had also come down with the same affliction she was currently suffering from. Glowing mushrooms sprouted from eyes and ears as well as sporadically across his body. He seemed to be suffering from a much more advanced case of their affliction though. The tiny fae asked if she'd had any luck and Syanna simply sighed, moving to usher the two of them into the infirmary.

"Not so much on myself, I'm afraid," she replied. "How long has he been showing the symptoms?" It seemed every wolf in the Hallows was suffering from some strange illness these days, save for the caramel creme girl. Syanna and Gwyn were stretched thin trying to help everyone they could, but none of their medicines or techniques seemed to be working. Not yet, at least. Syanna wasn't a quitter though; she wouldn't accept defeat until the mushrooms killed her. Would they kill her? She had no idea if they were fatal or not.

Syanna motioned for Haiku to sit beside her work table with her supplies, giving him a cursory examination. "What would you like me to do?" She looked between the younger brute and fae with curious emerald eyes. If they were seeking a remedy, all she could offer were attempts. If they were looking for comfort, she could offer kind words and painkillers. But if they were offering him as a means of trying to find a cure...

"Syanna Alluráin"

As her mate, Ezra may enter her threads not marked as Private.
____________________

Haiku came up beside her and there was no fear in Bowen. She leaned lightly against his shoulder, offering physical reassurance where she could. There wasn't much else that she could do for him since the healing arts were beyond her. She could love him though and stay close. Care for him when he needed it. Keep his spirits up.

The autumnal fae asked after Haiku's symptoms, saying that she'd had no luck on her own. That was... disheartening, but Bowen didn't let it show. She shifted her emerald gaze upwards, prompting her lover to answer the woman's question as he saw fit. In the mean time, she looked back to the fae as they were asked what they wanted her to do. Bo's brow furrowed lightly. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "I was hoping that my sister might have answers, or something that might at least make Haiku a little more comfortable."

As the trio stood there, Bowen frowned. "You're uh..." Taking up one of the clean squares of cloth, she stepped towards the foxy woman, motioning towards her face before gently wiping away a trail of the ooze that was ready to drip onto the infirmary floor. "You're leaking." She was used to helping Haiku keep tabs on his own ooze covered growths, so it was just reflex by now when she noticed the seepage.

"Bowen"

Haiku didn’t have mushrooms growing out of his mouth so he could talk, but it felt like he was disturbing the mushrooms growing out of his ears whenever he spoke. He could see clearly out of his left eye and he watched Syanna, she was afflicted much like he was. Haiku wasn’t doing nearly as well. "Not long after the sun disappeared.” He answered, he was one of the first to feel himself infected.

The young man had tried his paw as best he could at treating himself, but absolutely nothing had worked for him. Syanna asked what it was she could do, and Haiku didn’t see there being anything. If she hadn’t found something that worked, what was there to do? He might have started to lose hope, but he had Bowen beside him. She was his comfort in this terrible darkness that he wasn’t so sure he was going to come out of. Bowen was his light in the shadow, his hope, his everything. Especially right now.

He looked away when Bowen told Syanna about her own glowing mess on her face. Haiku knew what it was like, he wasn’t sure how long he could live through this. If he was going to live through this.

"Bowen & Haiku"

I have a white raven companion named Prose if she isn't mentioned assume she is nearby

Syanna frowned a little when the young woman said they were looking for Gwyn to have answers. Nobody had answers for the strangeness of the world or the sudden onset symptoms of these rare diseases. Something to comfort the brute, she did have, however. Managing symptoms was all she had been doing, and though it did make Syanna feel useless as a healer to some degree, it was all she could do to keep herself busy. She inspected the clusters of mushrooms on the brute's face. They were larger than hers, and she wondered if they had to do with how rapidly the symptoms had come on for him, or if it was the biological variances between them. Were brutes more prone to the mycelium growths? Were larger wolves predisposed over smaller wolves? These were all hypotheses, of course; Syanna had no solid evidence or research to support her theories.

"I'm afraid neither Gwynevere nor I have any answers," she admitted with a dejected sigh. "But methods for comfort and easing pain, I do have." Syanna blinked in surprise when Bowen came closer to dab away some of the glowing ooze from around her face, an embarrassed flush crossing her cheeks in the candlelight while ears flipped back. She'd become so used to the mushrooms just leaking at all hours of the day that she'd begun to ignore the sensations of goop on her fur. "Um, thank you." Syanna reached forward once Bowen had pulled back and took the now glowing cloth from the fae, making sure it didn't make contact with the girl's skin. They still didn't know how contagious these illnesses were. "I'll dispose of that for you. Don't want to chance cross-contamination." A little smile to the girl, then Syanna was on her paws and moving.

Syanna strode over to a large medicine cabinet on the far wall and flung open the old doors, retrieving some meadowsweet. "Wait here, please," she told the wolves, then strode out of the infirmary and across the hall to the pharmacy, where she found some of her more recreational herbs. She returned with a few cannabis leaves, collecting them with the meadowsweet in a small parchment parcel and handing them to Bowen. "The white flowers are meadowsweet. They're for relieving any general pain. Chew them into a paste, then swallow," she explained to both wolves, but looking at Haiku as she spoke. "The green leaves are cannabis. That's for comfort. Chew one leaf at a time, then hold the paste beneath your tongue until you begin to feel it kick in." Turning to Bowen, she then passed the littler fae a small bottle containing a dark purple liquid. "Elderberry extract will help keep your immune system strong, since I imagine you'll be spending a lot of time around him." It wasn't much, but it was at least something she could offer them.

A more serious expression crossed the vixen-wolf's face then, and she looked to Bowen and Haiku with a grim look. "Before you go, could I... ask a favor of one of you?" Syanna hesitated for a moment before stepping over to her tools on the table, picking up a wickedly sharp scalpel from the wooden surface. She held it up over the candle between delicate digits, letting the flame begin to heat the blade. "Would one of you mind cutting one of the mushrooms off of me? I've been wanting to experiment on them, but I can't quite get them off. Just try to make it clean and quick, please." Syanna handed the scalpel over to the caramel girl, then lifted a leather strap and bit down hard on it before resting her head on the table, giving Bowen all the setup she needed. She fully anticipated this would hurt, but what was a little pain compared to possibly finding a cure for her friends and loved ones?

"Syanna Alluráin"

As her mate, Ezra may enter her threads not marked as Private.
____________________

Bo placed her paw over Haiku's much larger appendage when he told the woman just how long he'd been suffering. His ailments had started early and had taken hold quickly. She did what she could, but Bowen wasn't a healer. There was little that she could do for his physical disposition, but she tried to keep his spirits up as best she could. Bowen had hoped that coming here and conferring with others might help the man in some way. Maybe get him out of his own head for a while by brainstorming with other healers. So far, it didn't seem to be working.

Syanna thanked her for attending to the dripping ooze and took the rag away, talking about contamination. A soft, laughing scoff escaped the russet fae. "I'm not worried about that. If it happens, it happens. I won't stay away from him just because he looks a little different." Her tone was joking, but she was serious. She wouldn't stray from Haiku's side. They were in close proximity always and often the glowing ooze found its way to her fur. No big deal.

The woman gathered items, giving them to the pair with instructions. Bowen would take the elderberry syrup as a precaution, but if it didn't work, she was fine with that. After this, an odd request came. She was asked to cut one of the mushrooms off of the healers head. Hmm.


Bowen wasn't squeamish. She'd seen and done many things that would make another wolf's stomach roil. Taking up the dagger, the rust and snow fae quickly and cleanly cut away one of the growths off of the woman's head. With her other paw, she placed another square of linen over it in an attempt to staunch the flow of ooze. With her paw still on Syanna's head, Bo placed the knife on the table and placed the mushroom alongside it. Of course it had to have been painful, but she hoped it was worth it.

"Bowen"

Firefly Shoppe- Haiku

The sickness deepens... You feel a sharp ache in your bones, as if something just took hold, rooting itself into your system.

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:

• Go fast juice- 1 /
  The liquid in this bottle is thick and dark, and has something that looks surprisingly like muscle.
  
• Glittering Concoction- 2 /
  Smells like mushrooms, glitters like crystals.
  
• Fun shroom- 1 /
  An ordinary everyday mushroom that just has a little handwritten tag on it that reads “eat me”. It seems pretty risky, but it might pay off in the end. Maybe...
  

Syanna

The sickness deepens... You feel short of breath, but every breath you manage glows with glowing spores.

Bowen

You have been infected with strain 3 of the Ooze.

He didn’t want Bowen to have to suffer this disease, but he wouldn’t send her from his side. Part of him selfishly didn’t want to die alone, the other part scolded the first and knew he would give his life a thousand times if he would save Bowen. Suddenly Haiku groaned and fell to his knees, suddenly aching to the very core of his bones. Haiku groaned and blinked back open his eyes to find himself alone in a shrouded room with only the fireflies which were not fireflies beside him. Grimacing the young man forced himself to his paws and forward until he reached the shop keeper. He had no idea what any of the items were but one called to him.

Haiku offers his currency for the Glittering Concoction.

Firefly Shoppe- Haiku

You gain:

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

You lose:

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