puredream Winning Entry

Tormic didn’t know why this kept happening, but as it stood he was once more coated in different shades of pinks and reds from rosy hues to bright and fiery hots; and his shop was no better for wear. The cooties and lovebugs came in swarms as the season drew near. Soon, he imagined with eye-widening notions, they would take over Darkwood Forest until not a speckle of leafy green or ashened brown could be detected under their crunch exterior. Tormic brushed his second skin off once more as if to rid himself of the flailing legs underneath his skin.

He didn’t know where they went the rest of the year – nor did he really care. While Tormic was known in Mistica as being cheerful and accommodating all creatures, he couldn’t stand all manners of pink that made up the medley of bugs and furry critters of love. By the end of Infestation, his eyes would be a rubbed pink that complemented the crunchy shells sliding up and down his yellowed skin.

Perhaps, it was because Tormic had never been in love that he felt such a teeth grinding vexation towards these creatures. He had fancied many of the sprites of the woods, but none had been able to pierce his heart completely. In short, Tormic had never been touched by the arrow, and therefore had no matching affections for the bugs that now plagued him.

“Hey, Torm!” Sunny’s delicate voice drifted through the double walls. The cheery Cheran popped her head in while brushing off the pest from the doorway as if she was pinching a too ripe berry. However, Tormic noted the bright turning of her lips upward were not present today, but torn from constant gnawing as her face appeared taunt and haggard in concern. Her foliage looked no better as if it hadn’t been getting enough water.

“Hello, Sunny,” Tormic replied with a wary slit of his eyes. He was not use to seeing the Cheran rub her paws together in such a manner. “I thought you were going over to Gordon’s for dinner.” The exotic Siddy had recently taken up wooing her with his light and leafy cooking rather then laying it on like heavy cream as he was known for with the ladies. He claimed it was because Sunny was more like a light and thin mousse which took hours to prepare and thus needed to be treated as such. Tormic had no idea what any of that meant.

“I was,” Sunny wrung her paws more forcefully this time even sending a leaf to the ground before it disappeared under a mass of bugs. “But the cooties have infested his shop and eating any supply he gets in. My shop is not much better. I can’t grow anything, because as soon as I do they all eat it up.” She shook her head, her shoulders hunched at her ears. “My customers are getting plump sick of it.”

Tormic’s stomach dropped at this. Sunny’s food supplied much of Mistica. Other shops owners depended on her for many of their ingredients and in some causes the fruits were used for dyes for clothing and plushies. If Sunny had no product then no one else would. “What can I do you for?” He asked, though he could guess the answer.

“I was hoping to pick up a Skunkie or two from you.” Sunny’s lips twitched as if she too had foresight. Skunkies were used to create spray to chase off the cooties and lovebugs. Its stench scared all by the luvstinks away. However, he had sold all his and they didn’t come out of hibernation for another two weeks. Sunny would be ran out of business before then.

“Volcan ordered the last one,” Tormic admitted feeling bad for her. He didn’t know what the dragon needed with it, but apparently it was cool enough in the Inferno Terrain for even the crawlers to venture down there without feel of being broiled alive in their thick shells.

Sunny drooped her head and her shoulders down so low her leafs brushed the back of a Luvsune. Tormic’s stomach dropped at the sight. Sunny had always been good to him. She had helped him set up shop and spent long hours chasing down product with him for no commission like the other residents. She even gave him her aging fruit to feed his pals. He was obligated to feel stomach twisting remorse. So that is why he agreed to unhopeful mission.

“But,” He amended hoping to bring a smile to the overgrown pet’s face, “I am going into the forest today. I will see what I can do ok?”

~~~~

“Why did I do this?” Tormic asked the trees as he wandered the forest. It had been hours after he had promised Sunny to look and he hadn’t been able to locate a single pal that was not in some manner stained like a white sock in a red wash. Not that he didn’t blame the others for hiding - even with trying to entice them with their favorite treats it wasn’t worth it - it was a bloody battlefield in the forest as the lovebugs danced in swarmed and the cooties chased each other around in good fun.

One clutter of bumbleluves’s stingers came dangerously close to his face forcing him to swat them away. As he waddled backwards, he felt his foot slip on an unknown insect. As it let out a loud shriek, he tumbled down into a ravine that was frequented by many pals in the hot summer months, but now was overrun by lovebugs. Landing in the middle of them, his body was pinched with numerous cute bites and the bugs attempted to get him to play with them while leaving him immobilized.

“Why did I agree to this?” Tormic repeated, his tongue feeling herbed over.

Perhaps, it was because Tormic had never been in love that he felt such a teeth grinding vexation towards these creatures. But then again, who was he kidding? He didn’t need to be in love to tell him that he would be showing up at Pandoria’s doorstep and paying for a shipment of lovebug spray in the morning. He couldn’t stand to see Sunny displeased. By the end of Infestation, his eyes would be a rubbed pink and he would be out several hundreds in Mistic Points, but at least life would go on for another eleven months. He really hated being such a nice guy.