RODRIGUE AND PATAPON Ep01-01 - The Quest 1.

6h30. ''A parrot dead while in quarantine has been diagnosed with the avian virus, the coroner on the case confirmed the diagnostic of the veterinarian Jean-Marc, a little butter pot salt and vinegar''

The alarm clock started at the sound of the radio. Rodrigue the little butter pot regular wakes up abruptly after an agitated night. He must be for 7h00 at the local of the Opposition Party for the meeting.

He stretches his arms and legs and then walks toward the bathroom to take his shower. Hanged on the bathroom's door, there is a frame picturing a Pacifist Garden Dwarf. Entering the shower, he starts the think at the stories his grand-father used to tell him about their origin, and thinks about his work even if he doesn't work today.

The origin of the Little Butter Pot goes back many years ago, in 1923 more exactly. That year, Malaguaya, the witch of the Middle-West, wanted to punish the Pacifists Garden Dwarves by transforming them into Little Butter Pots. Rodrigue would like to see his fellows going back to their original shape. But for now, it suits him good. His Little Butter Pot anatomy got him a job at the ''Bet for Betting'' center, a casino that only employs Little Butter Pots. He works there as a pigeons racing presenter. The pay is good, so he's happy with it, and it only takes him two minutes to get ready, he only has to comb his hair once out the shower. Every time he combs them, he wonders how it was

when they were still Pacifists Garden Dwarves. They got transformed before his birth, so he only heard stories.

6h40. The toaster spits two toasts out. Rodrigue takes a knife out of his cutleries arsenal and opens his head to spread some butter on his toasts. At 6h50, he's ready to go. He takes three apples in one hand, his parrot Ronic's cage in the other hand, gives him an apple and goes toward the lobby.

To encourage them in their efforts toward a total submission of the Pacifists Garden Dwarves, or Little Butter Cup, the witch Malaguaya gave to the Opposition Party members the ability to teleport to their meeting place from their houses or shacks. However, they can't teleport to their workplace or to their friend's place. Through teleportation, Rodrigue and Ronic only take few seconds to get to the Opposition Party meetings. For Malaguaya, the party allows her to get closer from her dream to lead an army of Pacifists Garden Dwarves, giving them the ability to teleport to the meeting place is a great way to keep them motivated in their mission.

At 6h54, he's at the door of the meeting's place. Six minutes earlier like usual. Rodrigue places Ronic's cage on his usual stool and go greets his colleagues.

2.
Today, it is a strategic reunion on schedule, to discuss the plan, do some update on it and decide what to submit to the Middle-South witch, the assistant of Malaguaya. Ten LBP must be present at those Opposition Party reunions. Nine of them are there at the

moment: Balea, the President, LBP Apple and cinnamon; Rodrigue, his assistant, LBP Regular; PlusPlus, the Vice-President, LBP Regular; Colorglaz, the secretary, LBP Apples; MultiAction, the publicist, LBP Strawberries; Sprink W, a female security agent, LBP Relish gingerbread; Kuvalu, the other security agent, LBP Strong mustard; Next, the intern, female LBP Cherry and cinnamon; MilchProtein, the chief of the spy department, LBP Nature, and of course Ronic is there too, a parrot and the registrar of those meetings. At 10h01, Sprink M, LBP Roasted banana arrives holding a cup of coffee. He's the treasurer. Everyone is there, the reunion can start.

10h20. First pause. The LBP get up and go toward a corner of the room, near the coffee table, to talk. Ronic starts his second apple. Suddenly, while going for a second bite, he sees two red dots in his apple, where he took the first bite. Surprised, he stares at those two red dots. His eyes enlarge when he realizes that those two red dots were actually a pair of eyes and that those red eyes were staring at him. The red eyes disappear. - Probably a hallucination, he is thinking.

Halfway through the apple, the red eyes reappear with some hairy blue skin around. Ronic almost chokes his bite and coughs. Worried, Rodrigue looks at him.

- Are you okay? asks Rodrigue while walking toward him; - Y-Yes, it-it-it is fine, answers Ronic stammering; - Finish your apple, the reunion will resume in two minutes.

Ronic throws his half eaten apple through the window behind him. His heart is beating very fast. - I got to reduce my caffeine consumption in the morning. I will change also the batteries of the MasteuBurner0034A when we'll get back home in the afternoon, coffee was tasting chlorine this morning, he's thinking, must be why I'm having hallucinations.

The reunion resumes.

- Ronic, can you tell us what is the last sentence that has been said before we went on break? asks Balea;. - Y-Yes, n-no pr-pr-proble-em-m. N-N-Next p-p-pro-po-sed... - Master, his eyes are reds, interrupts Kuvalu; - Rodrigue, asks Balea, can you tell me how many coffees Ronic took this morning? - Euh, I have no idea, he was already up when I woke up this morning. He was filling up his new coffee machine when I entered the kitchen, answers Rodrigue, incredulously; - Ah! Does the new coffeemaker MasteuBurner0034A works well? asks MultiAction; - Ronic loves it. It is working all day long, says Rodrigue; - Please Rodrigue, says Balea with authority, watch his coffee consumption. He is now unable to finish a sentence. So, where were we...

Ronic, still on the nerves, has trouble to keep concentrated for the rest of the meeting. At the end of it, at 13h30, he starts eating his third apple to relax. After few bites, he notices again the red eyes in the middle of the apple, but this time with blue skin around and a mouth. Ronics screams and loses some feathers when he sees the apple transforming into the face of a blue squirrel with red eyes, and getting back into an apple. Ronic freaks out. Rodrigue looks at him incredulously. Realising he's been once again victim of hallucinations, he takes another bite and finish his apple. - It must be that chlorine based detergent I used yesterday night to clean the coffeemaker that has caused those hallucinations, but will change the battery anyway just in case, he's thinking.

3.
Once at home, Ronic starts to coughs again. Exhausted after a long meeting with the Opposition Party, Rodrigue makes himself a long island iced tea and decides to sit down to read a book. Two hours later, the phone rings.

- Hello? - Hey Rodrigue, how are you doing? - Hi Patapon! Tired, but I'm fine; - Listen, it goes worst and worse. I don't know what to do anymore, I peel from everywhere! answers Patapon; - Ow, it didn't heal? - No, the cream that the doctor prescribed me doesn't work; - Wasn't it genetic you said?

- Yes, my mom and sister have it too, but not as bad as me; - Is it still as itchy as it was? - No, it is only peeling; - You should go see Jean-Marc, he's good; - Isn't he a veterinarian? - Yes, but I often go to see him when I'm sick. You know, animals often get a better care than us; - So true.

Ronic starts to cough again, much deeper this time.

- I have no idea what's wrong with Ronic, but he's coughing like crazy and he is hysterical. I'll go check on him and I'll call you back; - Okay no problem.

Rodrigue hangs off and goes to give syrup against the cough to Ronic, along with an apple to help him swallowing it. He then goes in the basement and calls back Patapon.

- Back! I have no idea what he has; I just hope it'll get better; - Ow, hope it too! Armand got sick too last week, but he's now fine. It cost me a lot in antibiotics, but at least now he's all right, so that's what matter; - What did he have? asks Rodrigue; - The flu, says Patapon;

- There isn't a vaccine for that? - Not for the type he had; - True, there are so many types of flu, there can't be a vaccine for every types. Oh well, I gave syrup to Ronic for his cough, but I don't know why he's so agitated. It's like if he would have seen a ghost!

Ronics sees again the face of the blue squirrel with red eyes appearing in the apple. He freaks out, chokes and gets a hysterical crisis.

- Weird; - Yes, but we'll see, says Rodrigue. But why don't you come over here to have a drink? I'll search for you the phone number of Jean-Marc and you could pass by during the week at ''bet for Betting'' to see him; - Yeah okay, and I'll show you how it looks like so you can tell me what you think about it. - Hehe, answers Rodrigue laughing, as long as we don't know what is the problem, there isn't much to say about it. Having a drink won't do you any harm and help you relax... and I'll keep an eye on Ronic! - Well ok then, see you later.

4.
Two hours and a half later, it rings at the door. Rodrigue runs to open to Patapon and brings him in the kitchen, where he discovers Ronic stuck in the upper bars of his cage. Ronic starts to cough again. Rodrigue stands still, it is the first time he sees Ronic in

such a state. Following the advice of Patapon, he decides to bring him immediately at the veterinarian hospital. He manages to find Jean-Marc's phone number and give him to Patapon so he can call him while he's driving. Rodrigue is unable to concentrate on the road.

- You wanna drive? asks Rodrigue to Patapon nervously; - Okay, but first go back to your house; we have to change the car; - Euh okay, but why? - Visibly, you ain't okay eh? You know I can't drive your car, I don't have feet! I have to drive a car adapted for Snowmen, with brakes and speed controls behind the steering wheel; - Ow yes, true sorry, says Rodrigue nervously, I'm not thinking clearly at the moment, I forgot that detail; - Bah doesn't matter, hopefully we aren't far, says Patapon to reassure his friend; - I got to go see Malaguaya as soon as possible, thinks Rodrigue, we should be able to teleport at the hospital or at the veterinarian when needed.

Mouth wide open, Rodrigue spent the whole trajectory staring at Ronic. Patapon gives him an apple. Ronic screams, agitates himself violently in his cage while losing some feathers and starts to cough again. Surprised, Patapon drops the apple. The rest of the ride is done silently, with Ronic shaking in his cage.

5.
At the veterinarian hospital, it is the Doctor Barolo checking on Ronic. He also takes

care of the animals at ''Bet for Betting''. Unable to reach Jean-Marc, Rodrigue is rather happy to see the Doctor Barolo. He knows him well.

- Ah great! We got Barolo. He works at ''Bet for Betting'', so it should cost me less in medical fees. Jean-Marc must not be there, whispers Rodrigue to Patapon.

Barolo is also a Little Butter Pot. Rare are those working in the medical field, the majority is in the entertainment and leisure business. But the veterinarians associated to the casino Bet for Betting are also Little Butter Pots. The Doctor Barolo is a Relish gingerbread flavor. His speciality is animals, but he's been working with Jean-Marc long enough to know about birds and be able to study Ronic's case. After a complete examination, including blood tests, Barolo gives a serious look at Rodrigue and Patapon.

- You're saying that the cough and anxiety crisis started this morning? asks Barolo to Rodrigue; - Y-yes, at first I thought his agitation was due to an overdose of caffeine, but now, I don't know anymore, answers Rodrigue. It is the first time I see him like that; - His case seems to be pretty serious. There is a virus running at the moment. A type of flu, but which could cause death, continues Barolo; - It is d-d-dead-dly? - Yes, and contagious. But not on us Little Butter Cups and doesn't seem to affect Snowmen population.

He looks at Patapon closely.

- Has it been a while you have hyperthermia? asks Barolo to him; - Yes, very long time. I'm looking for a way to cure it, but nothing works and I'm told that it'll never entirely go away, that we can only slow down its progression. Do you know if it is true? - You do know that it doesn't affect at all your lifestyle and core organs? - Yes, but did you see it? It's ugly! How I am gonna be able to find a nice and sweet girl who ain't gonna run off when looking at me? - If you want, I can refer you to a colleague who performs experimental treatments on snowmnia hyperthermia; - Oh yeah, I would like that, says Patapon with his eyes wide open; - But it is pretty expensive and his clinic is located very far away from here. I could give you the details once I'm done with Ronic; - Wow! Thanks!

Barolo turns back to Rodrigue.

- Has he been in contact with other birds? - No. Are you gonna be able to do something for him? - I'm not sure. I have to put him in quarantine for few days, just to make sure his virus won't spread; - Is he gonna die? asks Rodrigue worried;