His neck pops from how quickly he whips around in surprise. If this was an attempted robbery, then the perpetrator wasn't acting with much skill.
" What? "
L brings a finger up to the side of his mouth. Once he realizes that the barrel of a gun wasn't being brought to his temple, any sense of urgency in his mind came to a halt.
He reaches down and smacks away the man's hand from his shirt. The cotton was stretch like that. With an unchanged expression, the detective presents his query:
" Do you mean the flowers? No, I don't know how to get rid of them yet. The health department hasn't made an announcement regarding this unusual illness either. That is peculiar to me. "
Why, just this morning, L had noticed the pollen scattered over his own skin.
" It's spreading everywhere like weeds, but, if it was a simple case of traveling via air like a respiratory illness, everyone would be a carrier by now at least. "
His hand is swatted away and the stocky man can't even bring it in himself to be bothered with it. The way the English Roses, multiple of them now, clung to his neck and the back of his scalp like a botanical scarf made him itch in a way that made such small slights trivial.
"Ugh."
The noise leaves him before he can even think to help it. His one shoulder hitching up to try an shrug the blooms off before his fingers twitch at the urge to pluck at them.
He abstains.
"Jesus Fuckin Christ, 'course ya don't know Nowt. Can't be helped when ya just go grabbin any ol' Muppet on the street for answers."
Brown, irritated eyes look to the seemingly unbothered man whom *he* had grabbed mind you- and pauses....When he had said Muppet, he hadn't meant like the actual little felt lined puppets. But peering at this stranger, he can't help but notice a bit of a similarity to the one..the guy with the big eyes..and the explosives. Crazy Henry? David couldn't recall it in the moment.
"...Nah, you're right. Sorry 'bout-- that."
Comparing the lankier man to a marionette-puppet hybrid seems to have soothed some of his earlier agitation. If going off the way he gestures towards the end of L's white sweater where he had grabbed prior.
"It's likely just somethin' that'll pass in a few days or whatever. These things never last long anyways."
Sure the first week had been fine. The pollen had been plentiful and maybe his allergies had been whack, but who's weren't when an entire city was painted yellow?
At least be grateful it wasn't Bradford Pear.
It was not fine, however, when after that first week he had felt something scratchy and distracting curl up around his favorite English Rose tattoo-- Flowers. And he hadn't even done anything yet.
The growing annoyance and unease lights a desperation he hasn't felt in a while that results in him reaching out blindly and catching the hem of the nearest person's clothes.
"Aye- uh- is there a way to make this shit go 'way?"
This is an event rerun. For more information on how to participate and the rules that apply, please check our EVENT RERUN GUIDE! If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask!
It’s a relatively quiet day, all things considered. No sudden outages, major bugs or hacker attacks. By all means, it was a perfectly normal day.
“Got any fives?”
“Go fish.”
Arcturus blinks and picks up their twelfth card.
“I don’t think you are playing this right.”
“Whatever do you mean?” Taygeta tilts its head curiously and asks back. “Do you have any fives?”
Arcturus removes one card from their hand and slides it over. With a triumphant beep, Taygeta pulls three cards from its own hand and places the stack of fives to the side. Arcturus stares blankly at the cards, then back at them.
“Again, I don’t think-”
The door to the breakroom swings open, banging loudly on the wall behind it. In the doorway stands none other than Edward, their much… tolerated janitor, armed with a broom currently held in an attack position. He scans the room and points the broom bristles at the only two people inside.
“Did one of you two take my lunch?” He asks in an even tone that does not correlate with the white-knuckled grip he has on the broom handle. “One that had my name on it in capital letters. And ‘Do not Eat’ right under that.”
Both of them shake their heads slowly. Edward exhales and lowers the broom to the ground.
“Well, then someone is clearly lying, because you are the last two people I asked.” He looks around the breakroom one last time, as if his lunchbox could hide in a corner somewhere before turning around. “Since nobody is willing to confess, I am going to review the security tapes. Sorry for the interruption.”
The door closes much more gently than it was opened and the breakroom is silent for a moment. Only a moment though, before Arcturus turns back to the cards still on the table.
“So, about those fives-”
“Isn’t it interesting,” Taygeta ignores them, still staring at the doorway, “How people are tempted to lie even when that might hurt them in the long run?”
Compelled by the question, Arctutus lowers their cards to the table.
“It is an interesting question,” they admit, “Why do people lie? Is it a defense mechanism? An ancient instinct from the olden times that has incorporated itself seamlessly into our modern lives? And-”
“-Can it be overridden? And what would society be like if lying was no longer an option?” Taygeta picks up, looking back at their companion. “That would be an interesting thing to test, don’t you think?”
Arcturus has already risen from their seat, their card dispute momentarily forgotten.
“What do you have in mind?”
- - - - -
In multiple places in the city, a unique type of flower starts to bloom in spite of the coming winter. With their red and purple petals and a strong but sweet scent, they just beg to be picked, put in a little flower crown or gifted to a treasured friend.
But, unbeknownst to the city inhabitants, the pollen from these flowers is more tricky than that from the regular ones. Where ordinary flower pollen only brings allergies to the unfortunate few, this pollen is wired to render anyone who touches it unable to lie and more than willing to spill the truths that they’d rather hide.
Though it can be possible to resist the pollen’s influence, it is a difficult feat, even more so for people who have much to hide. Each time you try it will only get harder… In fact, those who attempt it too much will notice that flowers will start to grow on their body as well. These batches of flowers will bloom and wither within days, sometimes hours, only to reappear in a different part of the island mere moments later. Check your lodgings, maybe there are some hiding in your house right now?
- - - - -
Welcome to our next event rerun: A Crocus Among Us!
As stated, a pretty new species of flower has bloomed on the island regardless of the snowy weather rolling in. Though the flowers' life cycle is fairly quick, they do pop up everywhere--from cracks in the concrete to personal gardens to parks... even the beaches aren't immune to this hardy flower. And neither are you!
The pollen from these flowers have a special property: If touched by it, it becomes increasingly difficult to hide the truth from others. This can be in several forms:
Lying outright becomes almost impossible
Keeping the truth from someone becomes very difficult (like keeping quiet, or omitting a crucial fact)
Reserved people are more likely to over-share information
People feel compelled to tell truths about themselves
If someone tries to resist the effects of the pollen anyway, their own body will begin to sprout flowers on its own. A person may start slowly become covered in flowers, leaves, vines, petals, or other plant-like growths until they spill the beans!
Frequently Asked Questions:
"How long does the pollen effect last?"
The effect wears off in a couple hours, provided a person doesn't get any new pollen on them.
Also, the effects will stop if the character is no longer covered in pollen, so taking a shower and changing clothes would also help. Of course, for that they would need to know that it’s the flowers that cause this whole situation...!
"Will damaging the flowers stop the pollen effects?"
In theory it should, yet these flowers seem impervious to any type of damage. Removing them from the earth does not stop them from blooming, and more will appear in the place of any that were taken away.
"If there is a secret related to my muse that they do not know, will the truth pollen reveal it?"
If it is something that they did not have any way to know about beforehand, then no. The pollen can only reveal secrets that the muse is aware of in some capacity.
For example, if it is something that they knew but repressed enough to hide it from everyone including themselves, the pollen might get it out of them. Of course, someone would still need to ask a specific question for it to come up, or they would need to talk long enough to get that secret out of their own brain.
"If my muse is not human, will they still be affected?"
Yes! Anyone who can be covered by pollen will experience the same effects.
"How long will my muse be able to resist the effects of the pollen?"
It depends on your muse’s willpower and pain threshold. The more secrets your muse has, the harder - and more painful - it would be to resist the pollen. At some point, the truths will start spilling even through their teeth. Stronger ones might hold out for about a day, but it is very unlikely someone could go longer than that.
"What about flowers that sprout from people who try to resist the pollen, will they show up on muses that are not human?"
Sure, why wouldn’t they? You might even customize what specific flowers will grow from your muse if you want. Maybe their metallic chassis will get covered in lichen instead, or, if your muse is particularly big, small trees might suit them more.
"Does that affect my muse only visually, or can the flower growths hurt them?"
It is supposed to be a visual change only--while resisting the pollen itself may lead to pain, the flowers or other plant growths do not in and of themselves. But… Who knows? Maybe your muse was unlucky enough to get a bugged version that makes them feel pain where the flowers appear. See where your angsty heart leads you~
"How long will the event last?"
The event will run from May 1st until May 22nd at 11:59:59PM!
⌨ What’s a situation you’ve always wanted to RP with the muse?
I have always wanted to have David encounter someone from his past.
Which past? Either!! Both are great and hold so much weight at just the idea.
Which is why im SOOO Stoked that Danny (Mr. Ghostface) is here!
He doesn't KNOW that's him yet BUT THE POTENTIAL!!! IT COMPELS ME.
Something absolutely gut wrenching and heart tearing at the realization that:
1) one of the Killers that tormented you is real and here
2) This means that all that was in fact NOT made up and IS real and you're NOT CRAZY!!!
3) Once the initial shell shock disappears he's just gonna become that 1 sound meme of the guy getting told 'make me' and he just goes "AH-0haha-- FINALLY!!"
its a lot of emotions and I'm so so excited for it.
But outside of that I think it's fun to touch on the undiagnosed parts of himself. Like the obvious concussion damage, potentially Mad Cow disease (he was there for the peak of it baby!) and also his fun new mental state of 'huh i sure can't remember a huge portion of my life considering It's 2026 and I was taken in 2001 and i only have 8-ish? years of my life that I can remember during all that and not in great detail...anyways!'
Just a lot of potential in the whats to come, yknow?
Honestly I think it's trying to remember his cadence and vernacular. 96% of the time the reason I take so long to reply to most things on David is because I have my 6 reference tabs up and using them when he speaks.
There's an entire way that the Manc language sits between the more 'sophisticated' accents of England. Usually the ones that get made fun of the most are: Cockney, Manc & Scouse! And it's not untelling that those regions belong to the more impoverished...
So I get to sit there a lot an think about how his language dictates his initial impressions--but I love being able to use it! Like when he gets to greet people with 'Aye up!' and ' Alright?' it always catches people off guard.
Send one of the following to ask the mun… (please specify muse for multis)
✍ Favorite thing about writing the muse?
👀Favorite thing about the muse’s appearance?
🌌Favorite alternate version of the muse?
💕Favorite ship for the muse?
💔Least favorite ship for the muse?
💢Something about the muse that annoys you?
😈Worst thing you’ve ever done to your muse?
😂Funniest thing that’s ever happened to your muse?
💡 What inspires you to write the muse?
📷 Favorite picture/screencap of your muse?
📑 Favorite part of your muse’s backstory?
📝 Favorite headcanon for your muse?
😒 Is there anything canon about your muse that you ignore?
🔮 What do you see in your muse’s future?
🔥 Unpopular opinion about your muse?
💭 Favorite memory of the muse?
😩 Hardest thing about writing the muse?
⌨ What’s a situation you’ve always wanted to RP with the muse?
🎭 How similar are you and the muse?
He is eager to browse music with David. It was nice to make friends with someone who had a similar taste in it. The smile that he looks up to greet David with melts into a stunned silence.
The shirt he had given him was paired nicely with a spectacular looking leather jacket. One that made Geto actually look at David in a different context. One that pinged around in his head, that his friend was attractive. Incredibly so.
He clears his throat at the question.
"Ah- yeah. I'm fine. Your outfit looks really good. Like the Oasis shirt, of course. Didn't know you had a jacket like that, but it suits you."
He himself had procured new clothes. Baggier, wide-legged pants. Leaning into street fashion instead of just comfort. A subtle embroidered pattern on the side of each leg adds a bit of intrigue to otherwise plain-looking pants.
He's all grins at the compliment and tugs down on the front lapels to tug it up snug against the back of his neck. Smug in his own way that can only come from a guy who was being ego boosted.
"Well that's not true. I did in fact used to own this back in Manchester. I didn't expect it t' make an appearance here of all places. I'm almost back to my usual fit from That Place before.."
David lets his grin taper off into a thoughtful expression. Hand moving from his jacket to his short cropped hair, giving it a light run through.
"Only thing missin' was that white hair I had back then. But it was kinda shaggy an a bit all over the place. Not as clean cut. White dye is hard t' come by normally so it's a Mither t' get."
He does finally pause to return the favor given to him, eyes tracing over the casual fare Geto was sporting. His head tipping at the subtle nature of the designs in his overall black ensemble.
"I like ya Keks too. You got a way of lookin' sharp on your own."
Octavo's slender fingers look made to tickle the ivories, though they are marked by many small scars, pale against his gray skin. His nails are naturally black and pointed, but he's filed them down to something closer to human.
"You've got a bit of experience already; that's good." He lays a hand on the keys, playing a simple series of ascending notes. "Is that what made you choose it for today's lesson?"
He feels his head turn to follow those fingers as they play the rising scale as a test. Likely to see that the instrument was in-tune and ready for the meticulous task of being taught with.
"It's familiar. An don't require my mouth. Instruments that make the lips buzz just feel.....weird."
David's face pulls into a sideways scowl at the memory of those hours with that dingy little recorder when he was younger. That summer had been nothing but buzzing lips and sore jaws- and not even for anything worth while in his opinion.
"What 'bout you? Obviously you're, well, good 'nuff to teach this stuff. There any instrument you'd have turned me away from to teach?"
even without the backdrop of the entity's myriad realms, danny could spot that scarred face from thirty yards in a crowd. the thought of someone else having been brought here like him is curious, to say the least, and gets the gears turning in his head. even without his tools there's no point to planning a new story in a place like this - not yet, anyway - and so he settles for reconnaissance. it's an easy enough task when he himself can disappear into the throngs of people with little effort, and danny keeps his distance as he follows the wandering david king on his way about the island.
it's almost a relief when he chooses to stop into a pub after a couple of hours. not that he'd been growing tired, but that it seemed the man was unlikely to ever pick somewhere and settle for a moment. just as restless as in the trials, he supposed.
the real gambit is when he joins the other man at the bar and leans on his elbows, feigning exhaustion as he slumps into the counter with perhaps a little more drama than intended, smashing one of his knees into the underside of the bar.
'what a fuckin' day.' he rotates on his elbows to look at the only other patron in his neck of the woods - by design, of course - and glances sidelong at david. this is new for him: he's never met someone after spilling their guts with the mask on. there's a sort of thrill to it, he thinks, as he concocts his cover story. 'tell me something, man - is this island full of crazy shit, or am i just unlucky?'
Restless was one way to put it, when it came to the former brawler. As is evident with how he twitches with a jump of his knee at the dramatic spill of the man whom settles near to him at the counter. A sympathy twinge at the impact of that knee into the underside.
There is only just a pint in his hand, not even to his mouth yet, when the inconspicuous man turns to him. The initial expression on his face holds something akin to bemusement swirled with annoyance until the words settle proper in his mind. Some joke to be made about the real-time lag of his mind, likely due to all the accumulated concussions of his life.
"Unlucky?"
That much at least helps solidify that the man beside him didn't seem to be a native of this unnatural place. It alone gets those sturdy shoulders to relax just enough that he doesn't feel the tenseness in his neck anymore.
"Well- maybe. 'Specially if you've come here of all places. But yeah, this island's got Owt you could think of. What, you fell into that pit outside?"
It's only half a joke. The other half genuine curiosity if the way his nicked brow raises to confirm.
L.L. was smart. Something that had been echoed from the lips of the few who truly knew him. His early days at school hadn't been muddled from the few years he's been away. He was never motivated to do more than what was asked of him. It would take no effort to be the top of his class, yet the nickname of a know-it-all never haunted him like it did now.
A know-it-all didn't remember it all. Not all at once. His greatest plans required months of excruciating patience to solve any and all minute issues that could arise. Accounting for human error and mechanical error. Accounting for time delays and internal fighting. Accounting for miscalculation.
Accounting for everything but the human heart.
His ached and bled and screamed with a force he hadn't felt since killing the first woman he ever loved.
His face turned downward, clinging to the soft shadows the flowers created. He didn't know who was mourning for now. Nunnally was still alive, he believed so with all he had. He missed her terribly. Enough for a soft wheeze to squeeze out of his lungs.
David's words had a point. No, he knew he was right. A complete stranger able to point out the obvious that even he struggled to grasp on to. He was loved despite it all. He was missed despite it all.
It took several long minutes for L.L. to find his composure. To carefully pluck his broken and bleeding parts up from glowing petals and back into his freezing chest. He breathed deeply.
"...Yeah," He utters rather anticlimactically, the thickness in his voice giving away the battle he's barely won.
"I think you're right. She's never been the one to do something ever out of maliciousness or cruelty. Even her... hardest decisions were made with me in mind. I need to remember that while I'm stuck here, away from her."
He looked back across to the chasm to the lights. An ocean between their life raft and the shore.
"Thank you, David. Sorry for asking you something so absurd."
There is some part of the chill from the wind, though a good portion of it comes from the hesitation in his muscles while he lets the silence lapse between them. His brown eyes glance to L.L. for only a second, too aware of the rawness of human emotions and how they grip the ones who fall into them...then give him privacy as he looks away shortly after.
The lankier of the both of them does finally speak and David's head tips up beneath the stars in momentary thanks. Relieved about not wanting to have burdened L.L. with something heavier than the bones of his own body.
"Nah, it's Nowt t' apologize for. I've found this place has some kinda way with just...really messin' with ya."
His voice is a little softer than he meant for it to be before he tips his head back down across the city. Observing the way the night held the lights along the allies and the blue capped buildings helped to make him feel a bit better as well. Especially with the back drop of the mythical flowers swaying in the cold breezes around them.
" ......What kinda book were you readin' anyways b'fore I got up on ya?"
He was no philosopher, but sometimes a distraction was better in these moments than the echoing ache that followed. If not for the other, than for himself. It didn't do well to linger.
The warrior perceived him in great detail, and it forced Maru to straighten his spine, hold his chin high. He concluded that if he didn't respond accordingly, he could fail the impromptu inspection. He glanced around awkwardly, being distracted by a passing butterfly, a cool-looking cloud, but always snapped his attention back to the warrior until he finally spoke.
"Who?" he blabbed immediately, then quickly deduced who he may look like-- his twin. It was not common for Maru to be mistaken for his brother. His people recognized the differences beyond their appearances; their soul color, while similar in shade, contrasted one another and defined the twins. However, he could not expect Earthlings to have the self-same ability. While Tsurugi and Yuuka had pronounced power likened to his people's techniques, he learned that not all Earthlings could tap into that deep reservoir of cursed energy.
"Oh," he shook his head, "I'm Maru. Cross is my younger brother." He spoke quietly, as if correcting the warrior would award him trouble. "You have met my brother. Are you friends?"
"Maru.."
He says the name back to the pale haired other. The revelation that they are related makes muuuch more sense, and eases any sense of tension from his shoulders. His confusion always making him hackle just a smidge without meaning to.
It was hard to let go of old habits. And being wrong or being tricked were too common to truly be rid of the way uncertainty clenched at his body. But having the chipper nature of the younger in front of him helped with that.
"Friends?..Uh..well I don't wanna put words in his mouth so I won't speak for him- but I liked our impromptu chat. He seemed Well Safe with me."
Or as sound as a guy whom you meet on the edge of a cliff at twilight could be.
He clears his throat an stands back up again, trying to resume his usually disgruntled default.
"You can call me David, then...You also prone to standing along precarious precipices an look broodin'?"
Gojo says he might surprise him by being up on stage and he barks a laugh right back at him, shrugging his shoulders in a way that might suggest he was gonna throw him off, but he doesn't in the end. Instead he just swats the back of his hand against his chest in light jocularity.
"Karaoke bars are real popular in Japan, huh? Had a mate that would tell me 'bout them. She didn't go too often though, but said it was popular with kids."
He tries to think on if the Chalice might have parfaits and realizes that...no likely not, given how many people stream in and out of there. At least if he got him to a different bar they might have a few sweet treats to pacify him if he got too much liquor in his blood. (And make his hangover worse by virtue, but he wasn't gonna stop that!)
"No real Pubs down the Star Trail that i've noticed...well, there's been 1 or two but most of the best ones seem t' be in Fibonnaci. They have a whole pub crawl goin' on..but I'm not gonna drag ya out that way. If we hit the Star Trail, i'm sure we'll find a bar you can catch a break in."
He offers it with a half-grin an nods up to him some, a curious glint in those eyes.
"I'm sure you turned heads in ol' London. Or maybe not. I've only been there a few times m'self. Mostly for away games."
David doesn't shrug him away, which means Satoru presses even closer to him to sap some of his body heat. The comment about the karaoke bars makes him smile, almost enough to make the split on his lip hurt.
"My students really like them - and we used to go to them a lot more when I was a student, but now we only really go once in a blue moon. A - friend?....friend of mine named Utahime has a great voice, but she almost never goes with us."
He sighs dramatically, letting David lead the way as he explains the spaces they could possibly go. Lots of places in Fibonacci, but it's so far away they wouldn't bother tonight. The Star Trail was probably their best bet.
"You'd be right that I turned heads in London. I only went for business, so I didn't get to see much. Maybe we can go back someday or something."
He waves his hand as he says it, shivering when the wind picks up and blows through his coat.
"Ugh. Let's find somewhere quick, before I freeze half to death. We can even go somewhere that doesn't have parfaits, as long as it's warm."
