undergrounds | Kissing Frogs Doesn't Always Guarantee A Prince

Cooper should have known things wouldn't quiet down for long. He'd been back at his own apartment for only a few days when he awoke one evening to find a group of honest-to-God fairies in his room. They were small, multicolored, and absolutely lovely. They were also glaring at him like he was the devil himself. Their spokeswoman was quick to pipe up and inform him that, during his binge eating during the past month, they had lost several of their brethren and sistern. This was not to go unpunished. Before Cooper could say so much as a word in protest, he felt himself enveloped in a cloud of dust and felt himself suddenly shrinking in size.

When the dust settled, his clothes now on the ground around him, everything looked a lot bigger. He had a mirror in his bathroom and awkwardly walked into the room, perching on his new hind legs to get a good look at....just what was he? Whatever it was, this was not going to be good. He was well and truly cursed.

Wandering Around London (OTA)

Getting out of his apartment had been a hassle. After spending a full day in his new form, he'd given up hope that it was just going to magically wear off. He'd had to break a window and pray that he didn't end up with glass in his paws. He gingerly made his way down the fire escape.and then down to the street. He had an idea of getting into Circle Midnight territory and finding one of his witchy friends. They would know how to set things right. The fact he had to get from Southwark to Enfield on four legs was something he didn't want to think about. Shuffling down the street, people openly stared. Most had never even heard of a binturong before, let alone seen one with their own eyes. He heard several people talk about the 'weird-looking dog'. He hoped they didn't call animal control on him.

When a familiar scent hit his nose, Cooper looked up. Here was someone he knew. Maybe they could help him! He ran up to them with a clumsy gait, all big, pleading eyes and made a sound rather like a high-pitched siren and a wailing cat mixed together. Translation? "Help me!"

Fairy Tale Ending (Open to curse-breakers only)

After surviving London's mean streets, it was a relief to be among friends once more. Cooper was lying down with his whiskery little head on his paws, staring up at all the faces around him. There was a lot of discussion going on as to the best methods to lift a curse. Cooper didn't know the first thing about magic, so most of it went over his head. The occasional yes-or-no question, the only kind he was able to answer in his current form, was directed his way. He answered with brief shakes of his head. Sighing mournfully, he closed his eyes to the din of conversation going on around him. This was promising to be a very long night.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"My, you've gotten yourself into a spot, haven't you?" Faust could clock black magic from a mile away, and a curse -- well, those were his specialty. He looked rather intrigued by Cooper's unusual appearance in particular. Not a toad, not a rat, but an exotic animal.

Of course he hadn't the faintest what Cooper actually was; he was a doctor, not a veterinarian. "Crossed the wrong magical being, I see. Have we met before...?" Not that it really mattered.

As Cooper skidded to a stop, he realized he'd never seen Faust before. His scent was merely similar. Must have used the same cologne as someone else Cooper knew. It was damned suspicious how the man knew he was cursed just by a look. Still, out of all the people to run into on the streets, meeting someone who knew exactly what was wrong with him was a lucky break. He shook his head in response to Faust's question.

He tilted his head back and gave out a keen wailing noise that was sure to set teeth on edge. All in all, it was rather pathetic sounding. He set his front paws on Faust's legs, mindful of the claws, and looked up with a pair of brown eyes. If the good doctor knew what had been done to him, maybe he knew a way to reverse it too.

"There, there," said Faust, reaching down to pet the fur on top of Cooper's head. "The good news for you is that I've dealt with quite a few cases like yours. Yes... quite a few..."

His smile went vague and distant as he recalled fond memories of curses cast on unsuspecting enemies. Oh, the good old days. Bleeding profusely from multiple orifices, coming down with new and exciting diseases. Whatever happened to that fellow he afflicted with kuru? Ah, well.

"Of course, treating something like this is more of an art than a science."

Ahem, focus, mystery man. Fond memories or not, there was still a smallish cursed creature down there by your feet. Buddy, he didn't care if this was painting the Sistine Chapel or cloning Dolly the sheep. He just wanted to be back in his old body.

In his current form, Cooper had a pair of very distinct grey eyebrows. He raised them up as if to ask, "So what are you going to do about this?" As long as it didn't involve taking him apart, he was game for just about anything he could imagine.

"I think the first thing we should do," said Faust amiably, "Is get you to the clinic. Or at least somewhere a bit more isolated. Otherwise, we might attract a little too much attention."

And technically, Faust was supposed to be keeping a low profile. It was how he kept his clinic operational without... well, interruptions. "Come along, then; it's practically next door."

A quick jaunt to Lambeth -- unless, of course, Cooper wanted to be carried.

Cooper got less attention walking beside Faust then he did by himself. Most everyone seemed to figure that he was just an extremely ugly, weird little dog out being walked with his owner. When they got to the clinic, there was a slight moment of hesitation. The place smelled far too clean and antiseptic for his tastes. Well, it wasn't as if he had any other options at his disposal.

He looked around the clinic, sniffing curiously for a few minutes before settling down. Have at him, strange doctor. He was ready for anything. (Or so he thought.)

Faust rummaged about in his tray, donned a stethoscope, and set to work listening to Cooper's heartbeat. A formality, of course; he had no idea what kind of animal Cooper was, let alone what its heartbeat was supposed to sound like. But people liked it when he went through the motions.

What he was really looking for was clues, little magical traces left behind that might hint as to the reason for his condition. "Why don't I ask you a few questions, then? Perhaps you could simply nod or shake your head? In my experience, there are two main sources of curses cast on individuals such as yourself -- witches and fae. So I ask you first: have you angered any witches lately? And second: what about the fae?"

Cooper hadn't been in a doctor's office in longer than he cared to remember. Vampires, of course, didn't get sick like mortals did. Still, the stethoscope does soothe any reservations he had about Faust being a real doctor.

He shook his head no at the first question. As far as witches went, he didn't have many ties to Circle Daybreak and the girls of the Shadow Coven loved him. His furry head shook a vigorous yes at the question about the fae. This is what he got for eating too many fairies without having any self-control.

"Hmm... unfortunate. Witch spells are a little easier to unravel. Well, let's see then. The fae are rather fond of tradition. Seven years, seven months, seven days, and seven hours spent knitting shirts out of nettles -- you know the sort of thing."

And even if Cooper didn't, of course, how was he to argue?

He reached over and dimmed the lights in the examination room, revealing that drawn on the floor was actually a faintly-glowing pentagram. "I'll just try a few basic measures first. Try not to move around too much, please."

Then Faust began to intone the words of a basic counterspell or two. The air around them radiated unseen power as he did so, and yet Cooper's furriness would remain unchanged.

He shifted tactics, trying instead to probe magically for information on how the magic had been woven together. At this point, Cooper might feel as though he was being prodded a bit, even watched by some invisible presence...

Wait, was Faust implying he might be stuck like this for seven years if the spell couldn't be broken? Oh, he was not on board for something like that. It was a relatively short period of time, as far as vampire lifespans went, but he was not about to spend the better part of a decade foraging around for roots and berries, or whatever it was his current form ate.

His tiny ears rose up high and his head whipped around as Faust worked his magic. He didn't like this one bit. He shifted around on his haunches a little, trying to stay in the same spot even as he felt something poke him in the ribs. Being low on the food chain was a new experience for the vampire.

"A dark and terrible magic," muttered Faust, though he was sort of distantly pleased that Cooper wasn't squirming about too much. He didn't like squirmers, especially in the midst of delicate operations.

Then he sat back, bumping the table behind him a bit as he did so. It was covered with papers, the odd bottle of medicine, little implements of his trade. "Well, I've good news and bad news for you, I think. The good news is that I am very nearly certain I know how to break your curse! The bad news is that the treatment may sting a bit."

Cooper looked apprehensive, at least as much as he could with a muzzle, as he was told the bad news. "A bit" could either mean being poked with a needle or having a spell shock him until he passed out. Well, it wasn't as if he had a whole lot of options here. He waited to see what Faust would do.

This attitude lasted for a few minutes as one solution was tried and then another without any progress being made. When Faust said he had an unorthodox treatment, Cooper certainly wasn't expecting what looked like a butcher's cleaver to be wielded. With an undignified yowl, he jumped off the table as Faust took a swipe at him.

Then followed a chase around the examination room as Faust seemed to be doing his best to chop the little cursed vampire apart. Cooper did his best to duck, dive, and dodge the swinging blade until he found himself near the door. He took the opportunity to run through it as fast as his little paws could carry him. Out through the clinic and then back into the night he went. He'd learned his lesson. He was only going to be asking help from people who actually liked him from now on.

Kissing Frogs Doesn't Always Guarantee A Prince

Wandering Around London

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