Beyond The Crystal Flowers, Hell Blooms

The rest of the week came and went. As soon as Saturday rolled around, I woke up early and got to my computer to start preparing. I’d studied my ass off and even talked to my mom to make sure dropsgum and I had the privacy we needed to focus on our opening event for Through The Looking Glass.

Not that it was much of an issue—my mom mentioned being busy with something regardless and asked to talk to me later that evening, but nothing more. It was probably about dumb school stuff again, I was plenty prepared for that.

I opened Eclipse and clicked over to the secret moderation chat that the three of us shared within the group itself, already seeing a few notifications buried there.

dropsgum: Okay so let me make a list before i mix something up omg
dropsgum: Javilier belongs to Wintersreprieve, Tilak is japesandjokes character, krackatoc is Bilme, aaaand Iosperia belongs to heartsAlight
dropsgum: Right?
rainDrips: Yes, exactly.
rainDrips: It would be good to get this done in a timely manner to avoid stress on anyone’s scheduling, but I wouldn’t be too disappointed if things run longer than you’d expect.
rainDrips: When it comes to running RP events, I’ve found that when you estimate the length, you should always triple that and assume that’s how long it may actually take.
TowersFall: really????
rainDrips: Quite.
dropsgum: Wooooow….
dropsgum: Wellllll
dropsgum: Guess we gotta get to it then guys!!! We only have a couple hours, so!!
rainDrips: I suppose some last minute planning could help ease nerves.

In our private messages, I saw dropsgum request to call me, and I answered without a moment of hesitation.

“Sooo…” dropsgum said. “We got this?”

“We definitely got this.”

Or so I keep telling myself.

----------

“These grounds reek of cursed magic,” Iosperia uttered as she walked through through the clearing that had opened up before the group. "We shouldn’t stay here long.”

“That’ll depend on how long the investigation lasts,” Tilak said as he slung his bag over his shoulder. “I’ll need to test the flora, record the topography, and survey the estimated populations of the local fauna. That’s not something that’ll be done in a day.”

Iosperia and Tilak were dressed in a way that was far too showy for your average adventurer. For one, the two of them were Fleshlings, meaning that they were an uncommon sight by far. Iosperia wore a thick, light blue coat with a hood that covered most of her face along with a white fur trimming. The coat went down to her knees, to which she wore dark blue pants and brown traveling boots. Her hands were adorned with brown mittens, making her look as though she just walked out of the coldest corners of the world.

Tilak, on the other hand, was dressed much less modestly. He wore a black shirt adorned with white flower patterns and a pair of white shorts, with matching sandals. His skin was darker than Iosperia’s by a wide margin, though unlike her his piercing green eyes were on full display along with his fluffy black hair.

The forest around them was made of dark green glass, with trees that were several times as tall as anyone that would pass under them. The deep emerald color of the leaves allowed for the light to bleed through, casting the ground underneath in a sea of evergreen. Once the two passed into a clearing, though, a large meadow stretched out in front of them, with a lake at the center. The grass and colorful small flowers cracked and shattered underneath their feet, but the ground itself managed to stay strong.

And, without the coverage of trees, they were easily able to spot the individuals that were crouched at the edges of the water. Unlike most of the world, the water was a liquid, though no pool of it could be found that wasn’t crystal clear.

The first stranger, Bilme, wore an odd hat that resembled a mushroom cap, white as snow. Her hair was white to accompany it, long enough to reach her waist, with a cloak that covered her entire body below her neck colored with a slightly darker shade of white. In essence, she looked like a walking mushroom. Her brown eyes stood out among the odd outfit, along with her pale skin and freckles.

Javilier, on the other hand, wore his fancy tastes on his sleeve. He wore a red buttoned coat that fit snugly around him, adorned with golden epaulets. His dark blue pants and black shoes looked personally tailored as well, and on top of it all his blonde hair was combed neatly, with piercing blue eyes that could make you uncomfortable within seconds.

The crunch of the destroyed wildlife was all the two parties needed to look over at each other. “Heyyyyyy! You guys are Fleshlings too?” Tilak shouted and waved his arms. Bilme and Javilier both grimaced at the sight, but eventually, the latter spoke up.

krackatoc: omg javilier is so HOT
krackatoc: wait
krackatoc: srry continue

“And who are you? The assistants?” Javilier said.

Blime’s grimace deepened. “Or test subjects…”

“Neither of those,” Iosperia said. “Our guild received a job. Witnesses have reported disturbing events here, and we intend to survey the land and bring back whatever significant observations we can.”

“Yeah, that!” Tilak pointed at Iosperia, and she beamed with pride. “So, y’know, civilians reaaaally shouldn’t be here. Y’all should go picnic somewhere else, maybe? Please?”

“We’re not here on a picnic,” Blime said and sneered, “I’d never go on one with him if I had a choice.”

Javilier gasped. “Oh, you’re not exactly my first choice either. Anyways, this must be a mix-up, because our employers sent us here to do precisely the same thing.”

“Hm?” Confusion spread across Iosperia’s face, while Tilak slung a hand over her shoulder and leaned in.

“Wait, wait, wait! Nu-uh, there’s no way private hunters would be sent out to do an ecological survey.” He tried to pull Iosperia back, but she wrenched out of his grip and gave him a look for his touchiness. “Sorry, sorry,” he said. “But, seriously, there’s no way we’d get the same job, or that you’d get it at all.”

Iosperia didn’t waste time. She reached into her coat’s pocket and pulled out a small stick that extended into a glass scepter that looked like a permanent icicle. It glowed with a gentle blue energy that sent a chill down your spine with a mere glance.

dropsgum: SHE’S SOOOOOO COOOOOOOOL (´∀`*
dropsgum: Omigish this is the ic channels SHIT IM SORRY IM DELETING THIS PLEASE RP LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED OKAY!!!!

Tilak followed her lead and whipped out two knives. He stood at the ready to charge and incapacitate, just as he had learned for all of his life.

Frost began to materialize around her, a cold breeze brushing past everyone’s faces like the very edge of a razor. “If you were privately contracted, then you must be bounty hunters waiting to get the drop on us.” Her grip on her staff tightened.

“You’re about to learn we’re not just sitting ducks, y’here me?” Tilak smiled, a bloodthirsty tinge to his glee as he dug his feet into the ground. The ground cracked underneath him, but he paid it no heed.

Javilier screamed and hid behind Blime, who didn’t react at all. “WHAT!?”

“They’re looking for a fight,” Blime said, though Javilier shook his head and began to tremble.

“But we’re not bounty hunters! Honest! Please, please, please put your weapons away I mean what do you THINK you’re DOING what the HELL WE JUST MET YOU—“

Blime groaned and smacked him on the back of the head, sidestepping his attempts to make her a human shield. “Quit jumping the gun, unless you want to be the newest hosts for my spores…we aren’t assassins. Never will be. Someone obviously set us up.”

As the others continued RPing, I turned my attention to dropsgum’s voice.

“You think it’s a good time to start?”

“Mh, give them a couple more minutes. Don’t think either of our characters would uh…drop in now…”

Or maybe they should, before these characters started fighting within the first hour of the RP’s official opening.

“Now? Now? Now?”

“Okay, now! You start.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the time on my clock: 6:05 PM. Hm…it’s already getting late. Whatever my mom wanted, maybe she wasn’t worried about it anymore.

…

How wrong I was.