[Comm] Pursuit of Diligence: Islak 1

Beanny and Islak stood in the greenhouse on a bright and beautiful morning. The sweet scent of flowers filled the air, and in the distance, one could hear leaves rustling in the breeze. As far as the eye could see, they were surrounded by vibrant blooms that shimmered in all sorts of colors. There were hues of pink, purple, blue, gold, and any type imaginable.

With her coral eyes, snow white curls, and somewhat wild enthusiasm, Beanny knelt on the soft soil, their fingers adeptly shaking out tiny seeds onto the ground. She was adorned in the crisp white dress and frilly apron befitting of her shop, but it was now speckled with dirt and coffee stains—a testament to her newfound identity.

“Islak! Take hold of those deep violet ones! The loveliest concoction will be produced by them! A tone of urgency and excitement could be heard in the voice that she called out to him with. 

Islak, on the contrary, was a dark-hued ginger-haired succubun whose demeanor didn’t quite match the radiance of the greenhouse. He loitered nearby, sapphire eyes darting schemingly as he tried to figure out whether he could scrounge enough seeds to pull off a little side business. “Do we really need the ambrosia flowers?” he muttered, scrunching his nose at the thought. “If they’re that precious, I don’t want to blow them all on your crazy experiments.”

With a twinkle in her eye, Beanny turned to face him. “Don’t you see, Islak? Every flower holds potential! We could uncover something no one's ever tasted before! I could even name the beverage after you!”

He arched an eyebrow, his regular expression wavering as her words piqued his interest. “Islak's Nitro Elixir?” he mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, coming up with a name on the spot. “Might not be a bad idea.”

“Exactly!” Beanny bounced back to her work, tossing another handful of seeds into the rich loam, her excitement infectious even to the reluctant Islak. She hopped to her feet, wiping her dirty hands on her apron, unaware of the mud streaks she was leaving across her chest. “Imagine what we could do with coffee made from these heavenly blooms! It could revolutionize our whole way of thinking about caffeine!”

“Are you sure those are the right seeds?” Islak asked, squinting at the bag Beanny had been holding. His tousled shirt was stained with dirt, a trademark of his half-hearted efforts at gardening. He drummed his hand nervously against his knee, his usual mischievous glint somewhat dulled by skepticism.

“Of course they are!” Beanny replied, her laughter ringing like a bell through the air. “These are the Celestial Flutter blossoms! Just wait and see! They’ll sprout the prettiest colors, and I’ll finally understand what makes them so special.” She then opened the pouch fully, letting a cascade of pearl-like seeds rain down into the soil like shooting stars.

As Beanny spoke, Islak's mind began to wander—not to the talk about the aroma or truth of coffee or the innovative concoctions, but to the shimmer of possible deviltry. Could he sweet-talk the other cherubuns into giving him some extra seeds to start a covert enterprise? These thoughts danced around his mind, all too ready to act upon them.

“Just think,” Beanny continued, undeterred, “if we could combine the ambrosia’s glow with a brew! It could give us a jolt both figuratively and literally! It could even have effects we can't predict!”

Her eyes sparkled with a zeal that pushed away the typical clouds of caution that hovered over Islak. Her concept had a certain allure; it may be an opportunity to not only create something extraordinary but to also become a part of something he had always observed from the sidelines. At that moment, he saw a flicker of hope in the shadows that often occupied his mind.

“Don’t get me started on your coffee, Beanny.” Islak chuckled, shrugging as he snatched a trowel. “You’ve been brewing too much of that experimental nonsense. Half the time, it’s not even drinkable. At least, not unless you want your ears to sprout petals.”

Beanny huffed, quick to defend her craft. “It might be unconventional, but coffee is like science! Each blend tells a story. Some might froth, others might... bubble over with surprises!” Her eyes twinkled playfully. “And who knows? One day, I might accidentally create the perfect blend. You know what they say, Islak. ‘Fortune favors the bold!’”

“Sure, but I’d just as soon favor gold, if you're offering,” Islak retorted in a cheeky way. Getting rich fast was something he would never stop thinking about. He turned to the nearby rows of shimmering flowers, their magical aura reflecting the ever-present potential of profit. “If you accidentally invent coffee that makes succubuns richer, I’m in.”

Beanny rolled her eyes again, though she couldn't help but smile at his antics. “You’d turn anything beautiful into a scheme, wouldn’t you? But I like my small pockets of positivity the way they are.”

“All right, all right.” He sighed dramatically, but the corners of his mouth lifted. “Let’s do it. But after this, you owe me some of that experimental mixture. Just keep your wild plans contained, would you?”

“Deal!” Beanny cheered, almost jumping with joy. She grabbed Islak’s arm and squeezed it, her enthusiasm vibrant as a newly bloomed flower. “Now, let’s get our hands dirty! Together, we’ll lay the groundwork for the most magnificent coffee cherubuns and succubuns have ever tasted!”

As the two began their delightful chaos in the greenhouse—spreading seeds, mixing dirt, and reimagining flavors—neither noticed how the luminous flowers around them seemed to hum with approval.

Slowly, as they continued planting with tunnel vision, the once-bright greenhouse started to darken. At this point in time, there were two opposing but complementary energies coming together over ambition, curiosity, and a smidge of playful inventiveness. Then, in the middle of the celestial splendor and unending wonder, an unlikely connection started to take shape—a fusion of chaos and imagination that combined Islak's sly charm with Beanny's wild passions.