Netherworld Botany Conference Newbie

20250714

Prompt from DailyPrompt.com

It was a painfully undignified prophecy: “Once the flowers bloom, we’ll all be doomed.”
What made it perplexing was that the Netherworld didn’t have flowers. While there were lichen, mosses, and water plants in abundance, none of them had ever been known to flower. So either the prophecy was a bust… which was difficult to believe given it had been etched into the foundation stone of the Gateway itself… or some specific combination of factors would spell doom for everyone.
Needless to say, horticultural sciences had been a focus of Netherworld scholars since the prophecy was uncovered.
Junior Demon Hethet clutched her research paper tight, the scroll crinkling under her talons. This was her first time presenting at a conference and she was feeling rather faint. At least part of that would be the fact she hadn’t managed to eat breakfast, but the idea of choking down food right now… her stomach roiled at the mere thought. She’d just have to manage.
Looking around the other first-timers huddled in the entry she suspected they all felt the same. Well, except for that jammy fool who was bubbly and excited and kept trying to start conversations. Ugh. Read the room!
Her attention was so captured by the fool she barely registered the “Oh, hello there.” It wasn’t until a stir went through the crowd that she looked up.
Professor Ellix Caxtin!!! The most esteemed botanical expert of the past four hundred years!! Standing right in front of them! Inspecting the group with his hundred eyes!
And she thought she’d felt faint before.
“Well. What a lovely crop of new faces.” Professor Caxtin burbled. His voice was tragically poor, though that didn’t deter anyone from attending his presentations. “Are you all getting ready to give talks?”
Like everyone else Hethet smiled and nodded and desperately willed someone else to give a proper answer.
Jammy fool to the rescue! Hethet felt a surge of relief as they bounded out of the group to chirp “Hello!! Yes, it’s our first time! Any tips?”
Alright. Their earlier trespasses were forgiven.
“Oh, well… I don’t think I’m the best person for presentation tips.” Professor Caxtin demurred.
He inspected the group once more as Jammy earnestly disagreed, and the others meekly added their voices.
“Hm. Tell you what.” He smiled. “If you’ll indulge a doddering old demon… the shake place here is very good. I find their algae whip just the thing for a conference morning. Hearty without weighing on the gut. The perfect alternative to breakfast - at least for those of us who lack a youthful constitution!”
He chuckled, and the young demons dutifully tittered along. Many suddenly aware of their empty stomachs.
“I’d be delighted if you’d let me treat you all to a round of shakes and ask about your papers. I sometimes struggle to follow presentations in the proper hall, you see.”
“Breakfast and a warm-up? Sounds awesome!” Jammy bounded towards the shake place, Hethet trailing right behind. Mind buzzing and stomach grumbling.

Prompt was “Write a piece containing the line ‘once the flowers bloom, we’ll all be doomed’.”