Wonderer's Wish World: An Empty Land

New Party Meeting

Now, Kipo supposed it was a good time to reflect. After all, what did she have now, other than time? Besides, she had a lot to think about, and none of it simple.

Grief. It really did eat away at a person, didn't it? Kipo had lost so much during the course of these last few months, and each and every loss hurt her, like she being stabbed with each and every person they lost. Kipo couldn't even recognise herself anymore, she was so different from the person she had been when she first came here...

Before, if she had been looking to describe herself, Kipo would say she was a good person. A god person, who always tried to do the right thing. And she always did do the right thing, and the right thing usually worked out.

Maybe she was even some sort if hero, if she ever cared enough to describe herself like that.

Now, though, Kipo wasn't so sure.

She still tried to do the right thing, but that was the thing, wasn't it? She had tried to, but it hadn't worked out that way. What was that one saying? The road to hell is paved with good intentions? Kipo supposed that was true here, or true enough. She did try, didn't she? It just... didn't work out. How could they have known it wouldn't work out, but wasn't it the thought that counted? That they did their best? Didn't that count for... anything?

Kipo hated it, but she knew the answer to that. It didn't. For all their planning, and all their strengths, it wasn't enough. And now they were here.

But... were was here? How did they get here? In her mind, Kipo posed it as a philosophical question, but there was a simple, awful answer to that, too.

Half an hour ago, Kipo remembered pushing open the doors, and then rushing in ahead of them, ever the instinctual leader, even if she didn't like it. But her friends: Fei Fei, Tulip, Mabel, Coraline, Kai and Luz were right behind her, ready to back her, and to fight whatever was in front of them.

Immediately, Kipo's eyes sought out the World. She was unsure what she was looking for, but she knew as she looked around that none of these, whatever they were, were it.

Five creatures stared down at the new arrivals, varying expressions on their faces, ranging from bewildered, to angry.

Only one of them was even vaguely humanoid, though it only served to make them creepier, in Kipo's opinion. They were hanging from a chair, literally hanging, their long limbs draping off of it as they sat limply on it. They were... long and skinny, curled around themselves like a snake, and though their limbs were tangled together, Kipo suspected that all of them were twice as long as Kipo was, and Kipo wasn't short. And on the end of each of their limbs was a flipper instead of hands or feet. So it was a water creature, Kipo realized. Which meant that it was... Piranha. Probably. They-or she, Kipo supposed, looked furious, her features scrunched up tightly as she glared at Kipo and her friends.

The one next to her was slightly more normal, though, only slightly. It was an alligator, or maybe a crocodile, Kipo couldn't say she could tell the difference. It had long limbs, like Piranha, though these were slightly more proportional to it's body than the one's on Piranha was. Kipo thought back, trying to remember which one this could be, and then mentally face palmed when she remembered Alligator. So. Probably an Alligator then. Unfortunately, Kipo could read his expression, either because his long snout made it already difficult, or because he was hiding it.

The next one was... strange. Kipo blinked at them, unable to really figure out what she was seeing until she realized it wasn't supposed to be an animal, or a human, but instead a simple looking white ghost. That... was a little weird, and Kipo could not, for the life of her, figure out why they looked so different, or who they were, until she looked at everyone else and then decided that 'Cactus' was the only one that even slightly fit. She supposed it made sense, with their strange little arms hanging from their side and their simple rounded shape, but it still through Kipo for a loop. Cactus was cowering behind their chair, clearly trying to find from the newcomers, even though Kipo assumed that they each knew they were looking for the World. Not any of the watchers.