[Hey]
[Hey! Wake up, nincompoop]
Albern woke up in a dark room. He was lying on a chair, with a table just in front.
"Uhhhh, where am I?"
He looks around. The only light is coming from strange scented candles that are spread, letting off an unusual smell.
There are different ritualistic ornaments decorated around. He even notices what looks to be a skull to the side.
Albern struggles to get up. He holds his head, feeling a wave of grogginess hit his body.
He looks down and is surprised to see black dots painted all over his body.
"Nixin? Wha-wha happen to me?"
[You were out]
[You can thank me for waking you up]
"Where is?"
"She."
Albern tried to stand up, but his legs were wobbling like jelly; he stumbled around, and as his surroundings were starting to blur, he inevitably fell off the chair.
"Ahhhh"
Then he catches himself, standing back up. He shakes his head and groans.
"What the hell did she do to me?" He asks, moving his hand over the dots on his chest.
He scans around for Vanderbloom, but she's nowhere to be seen. Then he spots a black piece of fabric on a table in front of him. It's the cloak. But he also spots something else: A grey dress and some other garments folded on top.
"Wait a sec, don't tell me she's..." His nose twitches as his mind drifts to an interesting place.
"Oh little oneeeee."
A curvaceous blue figure strides behind him.
"Wha?!" He turns around drooling, but there's nothing there.
Then, two fingers gently tap his rear, making him yelp.
"You've been a bad little imp, haven't you?" Came a mature voice from behind, Soft blue hands brushed against his arms. He freezes in place and stammers about, as her silky hairs tickle his back.
"Hmmm. I could give you anything, you know."
"A-A-Anything?"
"Yes."
"So tell me. What is it you want from me?" She whispered.
"W-What do I want? I-I don't..." He mumbles, stumbling over his words.
She laughs and blows into his ear, making his body rigid.
Her lips quickly evaporated from his vision.
BOING! Out of nowhere, two big blue balloons bounced behind his head, making his pupils explode.
They jiggled with a voice of their own, "Why don't you turn around and take a closer look?"
He grates his teeth together, eyes locked to the back of his head, glued to their subtle hypnotic sway. Back and forth, and back and forth, and back and forth.
It drove him to the edge; he finally spins around like a tornado and leaps right towards them, only to see the real Vanderbloom, fully clothed in her black cloak, holding a plate of exotic fruit.
"Hm?" Albern landed on the surface of her cloak and subsequently fell off the surface.
Stars circle around his head as he's met with a firm, blue hand on his shoulder.
"You irresponsible fool", she reprimanded sternly with her deep, echoey voice.
Albern was in shock. He was still recovering from that 'interesting' vision. The whiplash from his hallucination and the more strict tone of voice left him feeling a certain way, to say the least.
"I'm Sorry!" He yelped hopelessly, bowing to her feet.
She stood over him for a moment. Then she knelt to his level, adjusting her tone to a more gentle one:
"That was incredibly reckless."
"You'll fall sick if you continue like this."
His eyebrow raises.
"Huh?"
The two looked at one another blankly.
"Are you new to using magic?" She asked
"Magic?" He tilted his head with a face of false innocence.
"You collapsed from mana exhaustion."
"Mana?
'Like mana from a game?'
How'd that happen?" He wondered.
She hovered her hand near the top of his head.
"Some time after you collapsed, your body increased in size."
"I'm unaware of any innate attribute in imps that could have caused this. So I'm willing to assume that this was the result of some form of spell that you cast on yourself."
"The effects wore out once you ran out of energy."
"That was most likely the cause of your mana exhaustion."
"Shrink!" He exclaimed.
"Wait, no no no no."
Nothing happens. Valderbloom stands up and places the fruit on the table.
"I've blocked off your mana pours; you won't be able to use magic for a little while," she clarifies.
"Wait, you can do that! Isn't that way too OP?!"
"It was a long and arduous process," she sighed with lowered shoulders, making Albern smile nervously. He looked down at the black dots painted on his body.
'I guess that's what this is.'
"Despite that, I'm glad that you seem to be doing ok," she said softly, brushing his cheek.
"Thanks, Vanderbloom."
Earlier, Albern tried to sound cool by saying he was going to just call her 'Valder' for short, but he realised that the longer name actually kind of suited her sense of authority. He was a hairsbreadth away from adding 'Ms' to the start.
She motioned to the plate of fruits on the table and said, "I prepared this for you. Try to eat as much as you can; it will help with the nausea... and any hallucinations."
He gulped at that last word, but she continued.
"If your symptoms worsen, please call out to me," she continues, moving away from him towards a door.
"Are you going outside?" He asked with a hint of concern for her safety.
"No."
She looked over her shoulder and hesitated for a moment.
"I'm going to cleanse myself. I'll return beside you shortly."
Albern simply nodded.
"Kay."
She managed one last look, then opened the door and entered.
Albern climbed back on top of the chair and sat at the table with a plate of abnormal fruit and a couple of incensed candles.
He sat in a meditative stance with his arms crossed, eyes closed and a hardened face.
Then Nixin's voice entered.
[Hmmm]
[Hey partnerrrr]
[heee hee he]
[That door doesn't have a lock on it, righhhht?]
Albern didn't respond.
[Hey...]
[Why don't you see if it does]
'I WILL NOT!!!'
[Aww, maaaan, aren't you even a little curious]
[What she really looks like under all those layers]
"No."
"I don't have any magic, I can't use shrink, and I won't do it."
[Yeah, you won't do it because you're too chicken]
[Don't you want to see it, for real this time]
"Nope, nope, and wait for it..."
"Nope"
[Heh]
[You really think she was closing her eyes when she was painting those stupid little dots on your body. C'mon, it's only fair]
He blushed a purple hue. Then he glanced towards the door.
Images of Vanterbloom sitting in a bathtub flashed into his head. Steam rising. Soft blue Legs raised high. A slow... and gentle... scrubbing motion. And just enough bubbles to prevent this chapter from being censored.
He waved away the thought and held up his arm, pointing to the dots.
"She barely even knows me, yet she did all this stuff to help me out."
"I'm not gonna betray her after all that."
[Nrgh, enough with all this sappiness]
[Fine, do whatever you want, but you don't have to sit around here, eating fruit like a baby]
[I got some new quests for you hee hee]
"Oh shit. I forgot, the timers for the old quests are up by now, aren't they?"
[That's right, friend]
[Here ya go]
---
[Current Quests]
[Steal undergarments: +10 Exp || 10:00]
[Peepin' Practice: +20 Exp || 10:00]
[Hide someone's clothes away from them: +30 Exp || 15:00]
---
"These quests are RIGGED!"
[I don't make the rules]
"You clearly do."
"These ones don't even say human in them"
"What's your obsession with her. I'm starting to think you might just have a crush."
[Well, I am a reflection of your mind]
"No, you ain't, quit lying"
[Hee hee hee]
[So what are you gonna doooo?]
"..."
[Gotta keep levelling up, if you wanna raise your mana cap]
[Or... Are ya gonna keep fallin' over, and relying on mommy's help to patch you up?]
"You conveniently forgot to tell me about the whole mana thing before."
"Little pest."
He sighs.
"Okay, the first one might be something."
"I'll just look around, just to stretch my legs a little"
"And... if I do find something... lying out in the open, I'll just pick it up, fold it and put it right back where I found it, okay?"
"I'll be doing her a favour"
"That counts, right?"
[Sure thing, bucko]
"For some cosmic, extra-terrestrial, utterly bizarre reason, I don't trust you."
[Hee hee]
[Operation Panty-Pirate-Protocol commences]
[Timer Start 10:00]