T - Callypso, Blue

[Nathalia]

The faint smells of spice floating through the Capital seem to have had horribly adverse effects on poor Iso. Her body has begun to lengthen slowly...too much...and too painful.
She’s begun coughing small amounts of black fluid all over and stumbling through the streets. A doctor is what she needs, and a Corvie by the name of Courante happens to be nearby.
The streets within 50 feet of Iso fill with an impenetrable fog unless they are 5 feet or closer to her...and the air is on fire with magic.
(Your goal is to have the two meet and see if Courante can’t find anything in his stash or items to help her... Once they’ve gotten a little way in, your next goal will be revealed.)

[Callypso]

Iso had taken to the streets.

She had been feeling distracted and restless with the desire to just get out of the house. Also, she had an incredible craving for something sweet, which she attributed to her current condition. Her Great-Aunt Polina had offered to venture into the main square in her stead, insisting her niece not be out this time of night. The badger had relented almost instantly when Iso had leveled a silent glare in her general direction. It was difficult enough being treated as a cripple by the rest of Card society; she preferred not to have that attitude at home as well. She apologized for her abrasive demeanor and promised to return shortly after she had secured the first sugary delicacy to come across her path, though she wasn’t permitted departure until her aunt had wrapped her in a shawl.

The ferret stepped out into the cobbled streets and inhaled deeply. There was a heavy spiced scent in the air which wasn’t entirely unpleasant, though it was a strong reminder of Iso’s desire for a sugary confection. She padded off down the streets, enjoying the quiet calm of the brisk evening and particularly savoring the solitude. Iso cared greatly for her aunt, but after years hermetic living it was jarring to adjust to someone else’s presence in your home. Not to mention the fact that Aberforth had been visiting frequently to help with home repairs and had been slowly moving his belongings into her – their house. No, she found that her aunt’s presence comforting and was grateful for Aberforth’s help, but tonight, tonight she wanted this moment for herself.

Several blocks later Iso found herself beginning to choke on the heavily scented air. The smell had been pleasant at first, but now it felt as though it were smothering her, forcing the breath from her lungs. At first, she thought her struggle was a mere side-effect of a pregnant woman pushing herself too far, but it quickly became apparent that this was no ordinary cramp.

Her vision was beginning to haze as her surroundings spun softly around her. Suddenly, her limbs began to ache and she felt as thought she were being slowly pulled apart. The ferret stumbled a few feet and her stomach lurched as a wave of nausea hit. She attempted to steady herself but instead barreled into a nearby shop whose windows were darkened, the building closed for the night. Iso placed a paw on the storefront’s wall and stared at the ground, hoping the dizziness would pass. Instead, the street seemed to buckle and sway beneath her. She shut her eyes and tried to feel for her pulse; it was much too quick. Pain seared through her body as the feeling of being stretched increased and she vomited. Once she finished purging, she coughed to clear her throat of bile and attempted to suck in more air, but this time an inky black fluid left her lips and splashed upon the cobblestones.

Eyes widening, Iso backed up a few paces then stumbled drunkenly down the way she came. She needed to get home, needed help. Now. Her vision was growing hazier as her body throbbed with pain, or was that mist stretching over the street? Before she knew it she found herself enveloped in a wall of fog, only able to see 5 feet in any direction. Her heart leaped into her throat and she coughed again – more black substance. Iso generally wasn’t one to panic, but these symptoms were unlike anything she had experienced before. She wondered vaguely if she had brushed across a magical item… the Outer Bazaar was a hotbed of illegal item trading, and even greater breeding pool of negligence. Or was it some unheard of pregnancy complication? She stumbled blindly along, calling for help, when a flash of yellow loomed in her peripheral. Coughing and gasping from the pain wracking her body, she turned back and lumbered awkwardly where the color had been.

From out of the fog, a Corvie vermin with a mechanical limb for a tail loomed out. Iso, coughing harder then ever, the black substance trickling from her muzzle down her throat, practically ran into the other Card and pawed his shoulders in desperation.

For the love of Spades, help me!

[Blue]

Courante walked the streets of the Capital, third eye roaming around in his head, seemingly keeping track of every little thing he passed. Nothing much seemed to be going on that particular night. That is, until an odd fog rolled in out of nowhere, blinding the Corvie temporarily.

He slowed his pace, and eventually stopped, peering into the gloom. Suits, he really couldn't see a thing! But, since standing there would get him nowhere fast, he began walking again, padding along cautiously, so as to not bump into anyone or anything.

Soon, he found the fog beginning to thin out. With the sudden increase in vision, he could see another Corvie, bright pink slashes going across her dark black fur. The Card seemed to be in intense pain, which was only more apparent by the dark fluid running out of her mouth and onto her fur.

Before he knew it, the other Corvie was on him, trying to grab at his shoulders in despair. Even some of the liquid that ran from her mouth splashed up onto his fur as well. It wasn't a pleasant experience, but judging by the agony in her voice, she needed help. And fast.

His mechanical tail helped grab onto the young Corvie to position her on his back as he activated his ability. She hardly seemed to weigh anything, but he didn't want to take any chances. He wasn't young himself, after all.

Once she was safely situated, he began to make off into the night, running as fast as possible to get back to the inn where he was staying while in the city. He didn't have much with him in terms of items, but perhaps he could find something that would be of use in this crisis? He dearly hoped he would.

Moderate Magical Ability: When activated, he can carry up to 120 lbs of extra weight for 24 hours straight, one day per week. He is left feeling tired and somewhat drained for the 24 hours following that period.

[Callypso]

Iso had always prided herself on quick assessment of situations, immediate action and following through to heal whomever ailed. This, though, this had enveloped her from nowhere and defeated her within seconds. It was impossible for her to adequately process these thoughts at the moment, but the vague notions of confusion and disappointment floating foggily through her mind. She had done what she could with the circumstances, and if that meant accosting a stranger for assistance, so be it.

Lamp posts, shop fronts and cobblestones oozed together in a blur as the ferret found herself thundering down the street. She had tried to lift her head to estimate their destination by the direction, but the combination of the vermin’s footfalls thundering down the street and the pain wracking her body prevented her from doing much other than hanging limply from the other Corvie’s back. Hazy thoughts paraded through her skull but the moment she tried to focus on any one thought it vanished, intangible.

The galloping motion was making her nauseous and she did her best to keep herself from spilling the contents of her stomach all over the stranger, who was hopefully bringing her to help and safety. As it was, the acrid taste of bile bubbled up in her throat and she kept coughing up that ghastly black fluid. The dark substance had matted the fur around her muzzle and down her throat.

One thought finally pushed its way to the forefront of her mind: My baby. My baby!. Whatever happened to her, she pleaded silently, let it not affect her unborn litter. She groaned audibly, tears spilling over to mix stickily with the unknown dark liquid dribbling down her jaw. Suits, let her get out of this alive.

With that final coherent thought, her eyes rolled back into her skull. What little strength she had been using to keep herself steady upon the other Corvie's back left her, and the ferret slipped into unconsciousness.

[Blue]

Courante had never moved so fast before in his life. But when he felt the other Corvie slipping off his back, he slowed down to help keep her where she was. He noticed then that she had passed out. The angle in which she was draped over him also revealed something else.

She was pregnant.

Using his mechanical limb to hold her in place, he began moving at a quicker pace again, making sure all the while to not harm the swell in her belly. He knew he just had to try his hardest to help this poor woman out, especially now that he knew she was carrying children.

He was closer to the inn than he thought, since he soon saw the building rise out of the gloom. Courante slowed down yet again as he came up to the door. He did his best not to be too much of a disturbance as he made his way to his room.

Once inside, he closed his room door behind him, and placed the Corvie onto his bed. She was still very much unconscious. Not wasting any time, he immediately went to his small bag that he had brought along with him, and began to search inside it for anything that would be helpful. His hopes began to sink as he found nothing of use. Nothing at all. Some money, a few tools (in case his tail started acting up) and a small can of oil wasn't going to be of any use.

Mind beginning to race, he looked at the woman again. Still out cold. That was when Courante knew he had to go get help. That black liquid coming out of her...that was never anything good. He only hoped help wouldn't come too late as he ran back out of his room.

[Callypso]

Something soft shifted beneath her as her eyes fluttered open. She shut them immediately, the world spinning and the lights too bright. She breathed slowly, hoping that increasing her flow of oxygen would somehow ease her dizziness and pain. Slowly, she opened her eyes again. She was on a strange bed, the furniture was minimal and standard. Where was she? She tried to turn herself on her belly, but the motion proved to be too much. A wave of nausea hit and she promptly vomited over the edge of the bed, the acidic bile mixing unpleasantly with the black substance that hadn’t ceased trickling down her maw. The smell threatened to make her sick again, and she gingerly tucked her head back onto the bed, facing away from where she had just been sick.

It eventually occurred to her that she was alone and that no one had come to her side while she had been ill. She was terrified, though she had no further harm come to her that she could tell. A bag flickered to the forefront of her mind. While she was vomiting she had seen a bag nearby that had looked like it had been roughly rifled through. Perhaps whoever had picked her up had actually meant to help.

Another bolt of pain shot through her body. She winced and tried to curl up in defense against the horrible feeling, but any movement only served to make the pounding in her head increase and her stomach clench in protest. The doctor stared despairingly at the wall nearest to her and coughed up more of the sticky black fluid. She moaned softly to herself and closed her eyes. All she wanted was the pain to cease. Suits, please let whoever had brought her here return soon…

[Nathalia]

((The black substance pooling out of her appears to be mildly acidic once it hits the air, causing anything that is not Iso to begin dissolving very slowly unless something is put on it to stop it, but what?!
Can Courante find out before it's too late? Search your items, using something for the contest will not completely delete it from your inventory as it normally would!

Be careful of the way she keeps twitching and look out for sounds by the door...something might be trying to get in...))


~Nathalia

[Blue]

Courante was able to get the innkeeper to go fetch someone who would hopefully help the poor woman currently in his room. Rushing back upstairs to check on her status, he opened the door to see her writhing on the bed, with a fresh puddle of what looked like more of the vile black substance plus the contents of her stomach on the floor. Closing the door behind him (and fastening the deadbolt for good measure), he turned back to the puddle to see that it was beginning to eat through the wood of the floor, albeit at a very slow pace. This realization made him look down at his own chest, which was covered in a coating of the disgusting black liquid. The fur there had begun to burn away.

Eyes wide, he rushed to the bathroom, forgetting the female Corvie on his bed for a moment. He took a cloth and ran it under the faucet to get it wet. He then proceeded to attempt to wipe at the black stain on his fur, but it wouldn't come off. Panicking, he racked his mind, trying to think of what to do.

He did have that small ability to produce some sort of sticky substance...it was never much, but maybe it could counteract whatever this black substance was? It always hardened up rather quickly though. Maybe there was a way to keep it in it's liquid form? Reheating it would probably work...

It has been quite awhile since he'd last coughed up the gunk from his throat, so it came out easily into the glass he'd snatched from his bedside table. As expected, it became hard almost right away. Just before he ran back downstairs again to make use of the inn's kitchen, he set the glass down to check up on his impromptu guest. Avoiding the mess on the floor, he stepped up to the bed. Touching her shoulder lightly, he could see that her eyes were slightly open, meaning she had definitely regained consciousness. Not to startle her, he whispered "Hopefully what I have here can help you. Please, please, tell me you'll be alright for a few more moments? Someone should be on their way to take a look at you."

With that, he stepped away quietly and headed towards the door. It was then that he heard someone stop behind the door. Expecting a knock to follow shortly, Courante waited for it. But it never came. Instead, whoever it was tried to open the door on their own, and thankfully, they couldn't enter due to it being locked. The mechanical Corvie stood frozen where he was, so very glad he had thought to lock the door. It was a habit he gotten into while in his own home, since one couldn't be too sure that someone wouldn't come to steal from him. His tail twitched nervously, as his third eye rolled around in his head, looking back at the bed and the Corvie lying there. His original two eyes were focused on the door, as the knob turned again, but again, it didn't open.

What the Suits was he going to do now?

Throat Ability: The SD or Rabbit you placed up has been affected! Once a week, this SD or rabbit is now able to discharge a sticky fluid from their throats. The fluid is hardens almost right away and there is about a half a cup worth excreted each time.

((ooc: Holy crap. Did I really just write all that? ))

[Nathalia]

((Too late was help offered.
The woman on the bed writhed in a sudden fit of agony as her body cracked and changed before his eyes.
Horns sprouted all over her skull and the black ooze retreated from its attempts at escape and instead covered her from head to toe, forming a solid mass of black, ink-like material that moves as she wishes it to.
The look of it is utterly bizarre and might frighten some smaller Cards, though she can form it to look astoundingly lovely should she so choose. Doing so takes a good deal of energy though. When tired or feeling especially angry, she will take on the true form this horrible substance has now given her.
Pictured below.))

~Nathalia

[Callypso]

An involuntary muscle spasm, a flutter of eyelids, pain wracking her entire body and the Corvie had regained consciousness. She twitched and gave a quiet whimper. Where had the stranger gone? She closed her eyes again to block out the world when a rustling caught her attention. She tried to lift her head, but couldn’t. Panic seized her and she closed her eyes again, willing the fear to leave her be. The tremors and shocks her own body was undergoing were horrible enough. A light touch fell upon her shoulder and her eyes flew open as far as they could, which was to say, only halfway. She tried to acknowledge the vermin’s sentence but found that she could only cough up more of the black fluid in response.

Another spasm rocked her form as the panic seized her heart again. Iso hated anything magical, anything that couldn’t be explained, and the fear that was welling up inside her had her staring at the door as though something awful was behind it. She didn’t understand it, but she knew she didn’t want that door open. The vermin had just stopped short of leaving the room when the door knob turned. Once. Twice.

Without warning the pain increased a hundredfold, her body suddenly seemingly out of her control as she flailed and squirmed upon the bed. She felt like she was on fire, as though she were being pulled apart in every direction. For a few split seconds, her eyes glazed over as she twitched and limbs flung out as though fighting off an invisible enemy. The ferret looked as though she was having a seizure or an epileptic fit, the way she jerked and rolled on a thankfully soft surface.

A sudden scream ripped from her throat as she regained some control back over her body and clutched at her skull, which felt like it was being split apart with a mallet. She squeaked in fear as her paws moved shakily over her head to find what felt like horns… Her cries were soon choked off as the thick, sticky substance which she had been spewing streamed from her mouth to encase her in a strange, inky substance.

Finally, her body relaxed as the last of the fluid left her muzzle. As the last drop left her lips, the pain immediately subsided. She lay there for several moments as if paralyzed. Her breathing was quick and sharp as if she had just run a marathon. Once she found her heart’s natural rhythm, she shuddered as the panic seized her again. Overcome with anxiety, she momentarily forgot her own horrors to turn herself back toward the Corvie, her eyes wide and crazed, alighting upon the door knob which turned a third time…