1st petal.

[courageuse]

✿a) early morning: action ; 1338 Benny Road ; housemates

[When Ib opened her eyes, she expected to be back in her world, in the art gallery with her parents and Garry. Instead, she found herself in a foreign bed in what looked to be a foreign house.

...Was it a trick? She'd gone through the painting once to get to that other world, but did going back through bring her here instead of home? If that was the case, well...it was time to get to work.

She gets up and examines her room, dresses herself, brushes her hair, and goes out to the rest of the house. The first thing she notices is the family portraits. At first, she stares in disbelief at the fact that she's there and her parents are not. Even stranger, she has no idea who those other people are. Her next instinct is to turn around, walk a few steps away, and then whirl around, as if expecting something to happen. She stares it down before walking away, casting a wary glance back at it.

Maybe it was because she didn't have a rose...

Right. She doesn't have a rose. That unsettles her. And since Garry went through the painting, too, she might as well look for him while she was at it.

Housemates can either find this little girl performing her little ritual with the pictures and possible paintings around the house or looking through cabinets, opening doors of all kinds, all the while looking like she's searching for something in particular.]

✿b) afternoon: action ; annie's flowers ; everyone

[You can find Ib staring intently through the window of the flower shop, close enough to where her nose is almost touching the glass, but still far enough away to mind her manners (and the window's cleanliness).]

✿c) evening: phone ; everyone

[Well, her search around the house and around town shows her that it's more than just her here this time.

There's a tiny yawn before a small, quiet, and rather young voice speaks up.]

...Hello. My name is Ib. There are a lot of people here, but I was wondering if anyone's seen a man with purple hair that talks like a lady.

[The comment about the man doesn't sound like she's poking fun, but instead carries a sense of innocence and naivete.]

Comments

b; enter another shady looking adult

[cabbagehead]

[ Adachi was just walking back home from the grocery store when he happened to pass by the flower shop and see a certain girl staring rather intently at the flowers. This wouldn't be too unusual, no. But the fact that he didn't see anyone with her when she looked so young? Yeah, that doesn't settle too well with him. He knows there's bad people here. He's technically one of them, after all. But he can't just leave a kid by themselves just waiting to get hurt or something! So he'll call out to her from a little distance away just so he doesn't spook her too badly. ]

Hey, kid. Thinking about getting some flowers?

[ ....Yeah, just as awkward as ever. ]

b; who, you or adachi? hehehe i'm hilarious

[courageuse]

[She steps away from the window and turns her attention to Adachi. Now it's his turn to be stared at. After a few very long seconds, she shakes her head.]

I'm looking for a special one.

[Another glance at the window.]

...It's not here.

wow, rude!!!!

[cabbagehead]

[ A special flower? Huh. He thought they were all pretty much the same. But maybe she just can't see it from the window? ]
Have you actually gone inside? They might have more flowers in the back that you can't see through the window.

just like ur face

[courageuse]

Really? [She steps up to the window again, stands on her tip toes and squints her eyes, just in case it was possible to see them that way. Little kid logic.

Nope. A little defeated, she sighs.]

It could be a trap, though...

no urs

[cabbagehead]

A trap?

[ That really is little kid logic. But it's okay, because he's still a man-child at heart. So he'll just play along since he totally has no idea what horrors she actually experienced. ]

Hm. It could be. Maybe I'll go in first and make sure it's safe. Then I'll do a signal for you showing it's okay! That sound good to you?

[ But what should the signal be... ]

c

[recklessice]

[Startled at the 'purple haired guy'.]

Hello, Ib.

A friend of mine is the same as you described, but he's doesn't sound like a lady.

[Maybe she meant someone else.]

c

[courageuse]

[She gets a little excited there for a second, but sounding like a lady seems to be a necessary requirement.

Still, no harm in making sure!]

Really? What's your friend's name? My friend's name is Garry.

c

[recklessice]

[Chuckles on the name.]

Close, but not too close. His name is Gakupo.

c

[courageuse]

I see...

Do all people who have purple hair have a name that starts with a "G" sound?

[As a nine year old who has only heard of two people fitting this description, this is her logical conclusion.]

B;

[encored]

[peering right back at her through the other side of the window..... what suspiciously un-dronelike behavior! he'll point to the door questioningly before moseying in that direction to open it for her]

This shop is open, you know.

B;

[courageuse]

[She looks a bit surprised at first, and then slightly embarrassed. Through it all, though, there's definitely a hint of confusion.]

Oh...is this your shop, sir?

[encored]

[he blinks ones before waving a hand] Oh, no, not at all. I simply shop here often. I'm not certain if there's a non-drone about who might help you with your order, though. [a shrug; he doesn't really trust the drone shopkeepers to do a good job.]

If you need anything in particular, I could lend you aid in the meantime.

[courageuse]

Oh...I was worried that it might be dangerous inside.

[Well, now she knows that that's not the case.]

I'm looking for my special red rose. It wasn't with me when I woke up, so I thought it might be here.

c

[snacklist]

[Al will take this question as seriously as it's intended, as he's seen much weirder things than that here.]

Um... No, sorry.

c

[courageuse]

[She sounds pretty disappointed, but she remembers to be polite!]

Ah. Well, thank you very much, anyway.

[...Ib can't help but insist, just in case! She's tentative as she speaks, kind of desperate, but not wanting to seem rude or anything.]

Not even cowering away from something scary?

[snacklist]

I'm sorry, no.

[But he feels really guilty, she sounded so hopeful and he isn't the sort that enjoys crushing that.]

But... maybe I just haven't met them yet.

[courageuse]

[She perks up a bit at that, and it's evident in her voice.]

Maybe... There are lots of people here.

In the other world, there were just three of us, and it took me a little bit to meet him even then.

B

[grumpiest_tree]

[Groot is walking by when he notices the child staring at the flowers in the window.]

I know, terrifying, isn't it? Scores of flowers slowly dying and being put on display as they do. It's like ancient Roman crucifixion, if you ask me.

B

[courageuse]

They're dying...?

[She seems a little panicked. If her rose really is in there, it would be really bad for her if it was dying.

But, Roman ???. She doesn't know that word.]

What is Roman..."cru...ci...fixion"?

[grumpiest_tree]

Ah, sorry, sometimes I forget humans do not readily know their history without studying it or being taught it.

[Groot pauses a moment as he looks the young girl over.]

It's probably something you shouldn't worry yourself about just now, actually. Let's just say, it was not a good time to anger the Romans.

[He gestures back to the shop.]

But yes, dying. Not all of those plants are within pots, you see. Those bouquets and displays in water are only drawing out the inevitable for those poor flora. Without their roots, very few plants from Earth can live long.

[courageuse]

[She accepts the explanation and nods in understanding. She can only guess that is was something bad, like the stuff her mom always told her to ignore and that she'd learn when she got older.

She's not as upset anymore, knowing that her own flower was pretty much immune to that kind of dying, at least as far as she'd seen.

Ib glances back into the flower shop and to see what he means.]

Oh...is that why mommy always has to get rid of them after a little bit?

[A bit of silence.]

That's sad...

...There are plants that aren't from earth?

b)

[fishsingers]

[Luka chuckles at the sight]

Would you like one?

b)

[courageuse]

[She looks at Luka and smiles a bit hesitantly and weakly.]

I would like mine back. It was gone when I got here...

But...I don't think it's here.

[fishsingers]

One of your own?

...I'm afraid when we're brought here, we lose all our possessions.

[courageuse]

Oh... Do you think my flower will be okay, though?