Oh, fly over me, evil angel;
Why can't I breathe, evil angel?

Bees hummed and wasps droned through the woods, birds chirped as they wheeled through the trees. Twitterpated with each other, they were oblivious to the dire woman in their midst. That is until what was quite possibly the loudest sneeze interrupted everyone's day. Atreyu excused herself in the following silence, feeling as though all eyes were suddenly on her. Keeping her pace, the feline-spotted woman ignored the feeling of being watched, deciding that it was only bugs and birds and she needn't worry. Another sneeze and Atreyu made up her mind about trying someone else's remedy. There wasn't a single cure in her mother's arsenal that truly treated seasonal allergies, despite the fact that Atreyu had struggled with them all of her life. She was just three months old when her first spring hit, and she sneezed the entire time. The coughing had followed, seasonal colds taking hold of her once small body.

Now, as she got older, she knew how to treat some symptoms but she had no cure for her allergies. Eventually, they would lead to a cold if she didn't get them sorted out. Atreyu needed to find someone who could help her. Not far off, the sound of waves lapping at the shore made it to Atreyu's black and pink ears. Following the sound, the spotted dire wolf was surprised by what she saw. A ring of stones, once again, but this ring had an inviting-looking pool in the center. Perhaps it was a healing spring, like back home with their hot springs.

She marched up to the water's edge, peering down to see if anything lived in the water. That would be the tell. A few crawdads and some minnows seemed to be all that lived in here, but that was enough for Atreyu. Wading into the water until her chest was covered, Atreyu waited and sneezed and waited some more. Maybe she had to drink the water for it to take effect, lapping at the water as she walked around in its shallows, Atreyu waited for something to happen. Maybe it was an act of desperation, Atreyu truly didn't care in that moment. These places seemed to hold a certain magic in them, though she could be reading the room wrong. Was there an herb nearby that she could eat to relieve this awful sneezing? Her nose was beginning to run.

It was the tell tale sign of an oncoming cold, her sinuses were congested for another spring. There was an itching tickle in the back of her throat that told her it was too late to prevent illness, she already had it. Atreyu moved to get out of the pool and dry off, shaking the water from her coat and deciding to do a little digging around to find something to help. Not finding anything, Atreyu lifted her muzzle skyward and let out a cry for help. It wasn't an emergency call, just one saying she needed assistance in finding medicine. Everything in her arsenal had failed.

Word count: 504 words. || Collectively: 504 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: Sorry it's so choppy, I suck at starters XDD

ART BY BRIENASKYSONG

melisande


⥼a free wolf, she took time to visit new places and scenery. midday was fresh, cloudy and low in humidity. a 'cleaner than most' day- she took advantage and set out to scout the hidden gems here. herbs always got her excited. and soon, her stash was great; too many to hold on her body so she made densites large enough to keep her treasures safe & warm. it often smelt of lavender and chamomile- one of her favorite teas. she carried her herbal collection everywhere she went, bringing it along in a larger pouch she made back in Polaris; collecting until she found a new pack to call home. as she imagined the many shelfs-, clean and in alphabetical order for her convenience, skimming through for the precise ingredients she'd use to make her hearts desire. brewing teas and making colorful elixirs, she aspired to make magical substances and induce change in a positive way. truly, mélisande was a progressing alchemist.
in the midst of day, the red wolf trotted lightly above the warm terrain. she swiveled through thickets to find the underground lake.. but her ears notify her of someone present-, the sound of consistent sneezing drawing her attention. instinctively, the tiny Mélisande paced herself, slowing down to cautiously emerge from the shrubs. her red eyes, previously narrowed with uncertainty, relaxed and softened on the looks of her made acquaintance: atreyu.
quickly, she strode forward then. her tail nub wagging with delight as a smile came over her beautiful features. "What a pleasure it is to find you again!" she closed the distance, standing by the damp wolf. tilting her head for a brief moment, her eyes scanned over the wolf, causing her ears to fall flat & brows to press forward. "Oh no.. are you alright? Was that you sneezing?.." concern flooded her features as she drew her lithe body into a slow sit.
allergies were the highlight of any spring season and when it strikes, it was tough. luckily, mélisande never had issues with this or any allergies for that matter. but it didn't mean her friends didn't. it created within her a sense of sympathy for atreyu. she'd need goldenrod or any antihistamine really. but where to find it and was this a correct diagnosis? more questions were due. "You're all wet. tsk, tsk.. that isn't ideal for you right now. where is bigs?" she paused, red eyes scanning around before returning back to the pink wolf. was arteyu attempting to soak in the spring water to 'heal'? a giggle was thus brought forth, bubbling out. "The water is lit by bioluminescent algae." she assured the other, amused.
she came to the conclusion of asking questions to better assist arteyu. "When did your sneezing spell begin? And do you have any other symptoms with it?" she asked, her voice calm and smooth- tender and caring to her friend. erect ears swiveled, catching the other's words before adding on, "Any relatives with these occurrences?" allergies were often times hereditary. she aimed to gauge the situation at hand with better clarity- thus artery's background was needed. with being wet, arteyu was destined for illness. the sneezing fit was a symptom of a bigger intolerance, but what? her mind pondered for some moments.⥽
wc: 545

"talk" "think"

table by scarlet/art by alo

Oh, fly over me, evil angel;
Why can't I breathe, evil angel?

After she let out her call, Atreyu didn't have to wait long for someone to show up. Her spotted tail gave an uncontrollably happy wave as she recognized the smaller woman, good, a fellow healer! Mélisande was a welcome sight, and after covering yet another sneeze, Atreyu gave her a warm smile. "It is good to see you, Mélisande. Yes, that is me sneezing...I can't find anything to fix it." She could see the concern in her acquaintance's face as she sat down. Atreyu followed her motions and reclined to sit down with her friend.

Luckily for Atreyu, it would seem as though the red woman knew what she was talking about. "I knew I shouldn't have tried, but nothing is working." She explained why she got in the pool, admitting that it was silly and foolish, she probably only exacerbated the seasonal cold she bore. "Bigs went to find me some more herbs, I told him to find something I haven't tried yet...he may be a while." Atreyu gave a raspy little laugh, then coughed a little, of course it was algae. "I may be a bit desperate." Atreyu shook her spotted head at herself, laughing a bit more. Bigs didn't know what he was looking for so it may have been a bit unfair for her to have sent him away.

Mélisande asked her how long the sneezing had been going on, "I'm not sure exactly, but it was around the same time that the first flowers started blooming." Atreyu knew she was allergic to many types of flowers, but she didn't know that those same flowers grew here. Oh well, can't escape all of our problems. Mélisande asked her more questions, and she made sure to answer each one. These were things the red woman would need to know, the smaller woman not truly prying only asking what she could to help. "Well, there is an itch in my throat that won't go away, and I have developed a slight cough."

The mention of relatives almost makes her watery eyes actually tear up, but through the lump in her throat, she answers. "My father had seasonal allergies, we would have sneezing competitions sometimes. This may be more than just allergens bothering my nose, however." She gave a laugh, the sound beginning to become hoarse. The memory of her father playing with her as a girl, and their tandem sneezing fits that would turn into who could sneeze the most in the shortest amount of time. She could see that Mélisande was mulling over what could be wrong with her, and the best way to fix it. "If it helps, I think I may already have a seasonal cold...that would explain why I haven't been able to find a fix yet." Atreyu was good at self-diagnosis but she could admit when she needed assistance.

Word count: 476 words. || Collectively: 1,525 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: ---

ART BY BRIENASKYSONG