Private - M x W Crystal Ladies

Blank had always found the crystallization of Zalra fascinating. It wasn't something that had just appeared overnight, it was a slow rot, of infection that had seeped into the roots of the plants and animals of the region meticulously changing them. Improving them. There were multiple stages of the infection, the first being small shards of the crystal forming on the skin. The crystals would form painful legions that would grow larger, feeding off the flesh beneath them, while transforming it into a crystalline replacement. Soon the infected would find their extremities entirely replaced with crystalline prosthetic. Sometimes they worked, sometimes they lay dormant, but regardless the crystal would want more, slowly consuming the creature until it was either died or had become something even stronger than before. In a way, the country of Zalra had followed the same suit of standard infection. It was the plant life that first showed signs. Some thought it was an act of god, and sold the first crystalized plants as exotic items. However, the disease slowly moved to edible, and harvestable goods, ruining the local economy. Of course, that was only enough to scare a handful people away, it wasn't until the bugs, and rats of the forest began to show symptoms that the true panic hit. The ground-dwelling animals were only the first of course, next came the larger animals, such as the deer and boar, before finally it began to affect humans and Yladians. By this time most of the forest had been painted in a brush of omnicolor crystal, and only the most steadfast remained. Determined to find a cure, they fought against the disease until it claimed them all.

It seemed centuries had passed since then as Blank pushed her way deep into the forest. The disease had made its way out from the center, leaving the outskirts painted with the occasional crystalized plant, and dusting. As she made her way in, however, she saw more and more green give way to the opaque shine of the crystals, until it had virtually replaced everything in sight. Despite it's a gradual change, it still felt like entering into the new and shiny world. One untouched by the efforts of humanity. Looking down at her had, Blank, saw small crystals began to form around the joints of her fingers. A quick wave sent them flying, however, as she laughed internally. "What plagued so many for so long is simple child's play to me." Strolling forward, her magic staff struck the ground in her stride as she used it as an impromptu walking stick. "A small dusting of ice, beneath a small layer of water, and I have managed to build a barrier that can defeat almost any pathogen."

This, of course, wasn't the actual reason Blank had become immune to the effects of the crystal plague, instead, the crystals just couldn't take root on someone so badly infected by the powers of the demonic rose she wore. The rose's effect, however, wasn't something obvious, and perhaps most of Vermilion's ladies would assume themselves naturally immune to such a disease. Regardless of the reason, Blank was confident in her ability to survive there despite the decades of attempts to do so.

"Now..." Blank said out loud to herself scanning the crystal foliage before her, "Where to meet with Magi..." it had been quite some time since the friends had, had a solo outing. In fact, the last time Blank had even seen her was at that awesome mansion in Stockbon. Her blood still boiled at the thought of that house slipping through her fingers, but the rest of the adventure had been mostly a blur. So she was quite happy to receive the message indicating they should meet for some sort of reunion. Or she was at first. Something about the message sent small shivers throughout her body as if something was clawing to get out. She had struggled to suppress those feelings long enough to come here, but the crystalized scenery was enough to take her mind off of it for now. She began to look for a nice place for the two of them to sit, before she became distracted, instead mentally designing a castle of crystal in this very location. Not that it really mattered, it wasn't like @Das Ein Magia couldn't find her here anyway, right?

 

More and more this place was becoming something the pinkette could not avoid. While the original meeting was going to be Norfova, this place somehow felt more... fitting?

A cage that covered life and kept it from the suffering of the elements. The quiet of no war, or famine, or much of anything else for that matter. It still lacked happiness though. Can life be happy if it's paralyzed? Maybe if it's mind was happy that was all that mattered... but that was for another time.

Stepping out of a shadow created by a low overhanging tree. Das Ein Magia emerged.

Megan was there. She looked so helpless just waiting around in such a silent but deadly land. There were some very powerful monsters to be found here Wendel had learned in the past. One of their future assignments was even to go to a mysterious palace of some kind at the center of Silent Grotto.

That was besides the point though. So much to do so little time considering how her body was faring. Who knew if the issues she had would get any worse over time? For now it was just a paleing of skin and her bleeding eye but what else could happen? Was this evolution normal? No one else was experiencing it that fast...

She had not died as much either. Perhaps it was that weird guy... whoever he was.

"Megan-chan. You need to be careful out here. It's not as safe as it looks, *snicker*."

A small bit of crystal appeared on her neck but just a flex of mana shattered it. It was odd how this actually threatened most people. Another proof that she was something more or other than just human at this point. She walked towards her slowly. Each step of her shoes clip clopping over the hardened crystalline surface. She wipe a small blood tear from her face and placed her hand's to her hips with what was the closest to a genuine smile the much more somber girl could offer. It was not meant to be a Magi or Wendy faux attempt either. It was her own smile.

Megan may be one of the few people she could get to understand who she was and that she didn't want to be just a Wendy replacement. Time would tell here.

"You look lost in thought Megan-chan ❤. I hope I didn't disturb you. How have you been? Gee whiz, It's been a long time *Giggle*. hasn't it?"

@Blank

 

"The throne would go right here... with a secret trap door to the basement hmmhmmhmm," Blank mumbled to herself as she motioned before herself with their staff. As she did so, she heard rustling behind her, followed by Magi's voice. Turning with a smile, Blank ran towards her friend with open arms yelling as she did so, "Magi!" As she approached, however, the rose on her wrist suddenly burst into bloom, sending a petal cascading to the ground, as a dark power coursed through the young girl's veins. The darkness moved deep within her, gripping Blank's heart with an icy chill. In a moment all of the joy of seeing her one and only friend before her was sucked away as her demeanor went from gleeful to somber.

Blank's hands dropped to her side as she continued to move forward as she attempted hug was abandoned. "Ah is it?" Blank replied as she took a moment to scan the forest. "I've seen a few crystal deer or rather a former deer that had fallen to the disease. They were aggressive and strong, but no match for my ice."

As if to prove her point Blank idly froze one of the crystalized flowers in front of her, before flicking a wrist. The resulting wind shattered the remnants of the flora sending shards of ice and crystal alike into the wind.

Turning she regarded Magi once more like something...faint... tugged at her from far away. Magi's look had changed that was for certain, but it was hard to say if that was all it was. Blank could not tell if her new costume was indicative of a full personality swap, or if she had been holding back her costume desires all along. Blank felt phantom fingers, dancing across the spine of her neck, taunting her as she tried to reconcile Magi's transformation. Unlike before, the question continued to turn in her mind.

Pensively, Blank turned cocked her head to the side choosing her words, "Lost in thought? Hm, yes I was. I was thinking about how nice of a place this is. Everything is covered in crystal is a breath taking the site. I ...uh... was thinking how nice it would be if I could set up some sort of base here. Like the house, we found in stockbon, only better, more regal, more fitting for people like us."

Blank squatted, near the base of the flower she had destroyed only moments ago. Idly she reached out retrieving a crystalized petal that fallen before the spell. Lightly she played with it in her hand, "I know that the disease destroys the creatures bodies, but do you think it does the same to their mind? Like, are those deer, I fought earlier, still deer? I thought about this a bit while I was on the way here, but it was only till now that I realized the answer. The flowers, the trees, the rocks, the plains, none of them move after being infected. Only the animals do. Regarding composition, they are all almost identical. If it was the will of the crystal to attack, and destroy...don't you think they'd been moving too? Grappling, and tripping us, as we walk forward? All we see are the animals. I think they are alive within, and maybe even aware of their change... Free from constraints like needing to eat or sleep. Maybe it isn't even a disease but rather a blessing of sorts. One that the native people simply never understood."

The fingers finnally stopped dancing across her spine, as the void finnally released its grip. For some reason Blank thought she could sense some sort of happiness coming from it as it faded. As if it had completed an unknown task. Slightly preturbed, she stooed wipping off invisible dirt from her skirt as she turned back to Magi with a lopsidded smile, "We never really hang out, just the two of us, do we? We should turn this area into our own castle, force the realm to bow before us! We will be known across the land as the Cyrstal Princesses, or the crystal maidens!"

 

"Aww... no hugs? I'm not offended Megan-chan❤. Don't worry. It's a tiny bit harder to upset me with small things like that these days. I'd prefer if you called me Wendel or, Das Ein Magia, Magia for short. I'm... so tired of being called Magi or Wendy. You seem to have grown up a lot inside. Me too. If that's what you'd call it."

Wendel watched Megan... or rather Blank? She would have to be certain which name was desired by her only recently made friend. As the Ice Witch mentioned how easily she fell a deer. Das Ein Magia giggled and politely listened.

"It is good to end a cute little deer's pain quickly. This place, does a very strange thing. I do like the quiet here though. It's... uh... peaceful. Still, no life at all isn't very good. People should be happy, not gone. Unless you disagree?"

The pinkette glanced away from Megan and shifted her position a little without actually moving much. She may have seemed very casual right now, and in a way she was, but Wendel was also trying to see how Megan would respond to her comments. It would help her understand who Megan was now. It was very likely that everyone who received a rose underwent a change like Wendel did.

...But by how much? Did any of them figure out what was going on? Who they were? Wree they really just themselves/ Wendel... didn't really like that idea considering she hated the thought of just being Wendy 2. Even though Raina would be just fine with that wouldn't she?

Megan's own glare made Wendel think that maybe she too was trying to figure some stuff out. That was why she needed to talk to her most of all. She had a feeling she would be the one to ask of her previously made friendships... If they could still be called that.

A base?

"That would be cool beans but don't we have one? *Snicker* don't be a dummy now. Vermy wouldn't want us too far away."

She spoke loyally but there was a small edge to her words. Revealing how much she hated Vermillion was not wise. Not when they all, including herself, were bound to serve the vampire. It was..outside of her control. For now.

"Hehehehe,... wowzers❤."

As Megan went on, Magia found that Megan really did like to think about stuff more than she had first thought way back when. Then again... she was pretty inept then so thinking was not Wendy's thing.

"It would be neat if they were alive wouldn't it? Just resting peacefully inside crystal shells? I think it's like... well. You know how when someone is in a lot of pain and then they take a drowsy medicine that makes them sleepy? When you go to sleep, you don't feel it. The animals, they don't like the medicine because it hurts them really bad, but they will be a lot better after it finishes making them shiny all over you know? Even if they can't feel or think under all that. It's better than being alive in a world like this right? What you did for that deer was a good thing. Anything that is hopeless is better off not having to deal with it anymore."

Hanging out and making a castle? Becoming a ruler and making people bow? Wendel had only one thing she truly wanted.

She wouldn't bring her thoughts on that matter up quite yet though.

"I think we have a place called Silent Palace coming up eventually don't we? I opened the route and don't even get to go! Gee whiz... well, you can tell me if it looks like a good castle for us right? ...Oh and... Megan-chan? Blank-chan? ...I have a really strange question for you. Hehehehe, don't think I'm weird okay?"

@Blank