laurence nimith (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
outdistanced) wrote2025-03-03 11:29 pm
outdistanced) wrote2025-03-03 11:29 pm
Entry tags:
memory: offer (cw: eyes)
1 2 3 4 5
The first time you heard the truth about the Tower, you weren't sure you believed it. Being kidnapped in the middle of the night to talk with some man you'd never even heard of? Who would believe it?
But Ms. Needle reveals herself as another Daphne demiflora, and takes you straight to the source. You see the Pink Sector for yourself - all those tubes with sets of preserved pink eyes, ready and waiting to be sold. And all right under your nose.
You throw up as soon as you're safely teleported away. It still feels so unreal, but there's no denying it, sickening as it is. And that gives you the explanation you didn't know you still needed.
"Shit. That pink eyed man. That's why he ran away with him." Iris, that is. The whole reason Ven wanted to talk to you. "They were going to take his eyes."
The eyes of a Lily demiflora are valuable things. That's common knowledge even in the Tower, where learning more about demiflora and their abilities is frowned upon, seen as encouragement to accept how different they are and use their powers instead of living like normal humans would. Even here, everyone knows what pink eyes mean. But that man isn't your priority. But just as you start to ask about where Iris is, Ms. Needle interrupts.
"That's another thing we have to tell you," she says, producing a ring and using it to pull up a projection with the pink-eyed man's picture. "That man Iris ran with. His name is Lillium White. He's also a wanted murderer."
Not just a projection - a bounty. The reality hits you like a bag of bricks as she continues on.
"He might be a demiflora like us, but that doesn't make him a victim. As of right now, we still don't know where he's taken Iris, or what exactly he's making him do."
"What?" Pink eyes - a Lily demiflora, with the power of hypnosis. So Iris didn't just leave. "S-So Iris was kidnapped?! Like, actually?! Why?! He's... He's Iris!"
Iris, Madam's son. Iris, your former best friend. Iris, who never once stopped using his powers of creation, even when he should have. Iris, who became nothing but an annoyance to everyone in the Tower. Iris, who could only make friends with an old lady and was shunned by everyone his own age, including you.
"As the last true Iris, he needs to be protected. Away from people that would use his powers for evil."
He wasn't supposed to be anyone special. But you can't argue Ms. Needle's point that he can easily be taken advantage of, because he always tries so very, very hard to see the best in everyone. Even you, after all these years, though you certainly don't deserve it - enough that even she can claim with confidence that Iris still loves you dearly.
"That's why you're so important to the Moon Mercenaries," she explains. "Your feelings can pull you to him. Sometimes, a Daphne's destination isn't a place, it's a person. It's not common... but with practice, we know you can pinpoint Iris's location. You can jump straight to him. Distance doesn't matter compared to love."
- suddenly your face is burning hot, right up to the tops of your ears, and she corrects herself with amusement, "Or friendship. Strong feelings. Things like that."
"I-I-I can't believe my powers could be used like that! Iris used to say--"
He'd always said you could travel together - that maybe, if he left the Tower someday, you could just use a portal and find him and go on adventures. And you'd never even considered it a real possibility, just something from those books he always loved. You'd never even been able to open a full portal, even when you tried to show him how it was done as a kid.
But that was all just fun and games. Fantasies of children who'd long since grown up, hurt and jaded. And now, Iris is in real trouble, even more than his own mother.
So when Ms. Needle asks if you'll help Ven find Iris and bring him somewhere safe, you know there's only one answer.
"Yes."
The first time you heard the truth about the Tower, you weren't sure you believed it. Being kidnapped in the middle of the night to talk with some man you'd never even heard of? Who would believe it?
But Ms. Needle reveals herself as another Daphne demiflora, and takes you straight to the source. You see the Pink Sector for yourself - all those tubes with sets of preserved pink eyes, ready and waiting to be sold. And all right under your nose.
You throw up as soon as you're safely teleported away. It still feels so unreal, but there's no denying it, sickening as it is. And that gives you the explanation you didn't know you still needed.
"Shit. That pink eyed man. That's why he ran away with him." Iris, that is. The whole reason Ven wanted to talk to you. "They were going to take his eyes."
The eyes of a Lily demiflora are valuable things. That's common knowledge even in the Tower, where learning more about demiflora and their abilities is frowned upon, seen as encouragement to accept how different they are and use their powers instead of living like normal humans would. Even here, everyone knows what pink eyes mean. But that man isn't your priority. But just as you start to ask about where Iris is, Ms. Needle interrupts.
"That's another thing we have to tell you," she says, producing a ring and using it to pull up a projection with the pink-eyed man's picture. "That man Iris ran with. His name is Lillium White. He's also a wanted murderer."
Not just a projection - a bounty. The reality hits you like a bag of bricks as she continues on.
"He might be a demiflora like us, but that doesn't make him a victim. As of right now, we still don't know where he's taken Iris, or what exactly he's making him do."
"What?" Pink eyes - a Lily demiflora, with the power of hypnosis. So Iris didn't just leave. "S-So Iris was kidnapped?! Like, actually?! Why?! He's... He's Iris!"
Iris, Madam's son. Iris, your former best friend. Iris, who never once stopped using his powers of creation, even when he should have. Iris, who became nothing but an annoyance to everyone in the Tower. Iris, who could only make friends with an old lady and was shunned by everyone his own age, including you.
"As the last true Iris, he needs to be protected. Away from people that would use his powers for evil."
He wasn't supposed to be anyone special. But you can't argue Ms. Needle's point that he can easily be taken advantage of, because he always tries so very, very hard to see the best in everyone. Even you, after all these years, though you certainly don't deserve it - enough that even she can claim with confidence that Iris still loves you dearly.
"That's why you're so important to the Moon Mercenaries," she explains. "Your feelings can pull you to him. Sometimes, a Daphne's destination isn't a place, it's a person. It's not common... but with practice, we know you can pinpoint Iris's location. You can jump straight to him. Distance doesn't matter compared to love."
- suddenly your face is burning hot, right up to the tops of your ears, and she corrects herself with amusement, "Or friendship. Strong feelings. Things like that."
"I-I-I can't believe my powers could be used like that! Iris used to say--"
He'd always said you could travel together - that maybe, if he left the Tower someday, you could just use a portal and find him and go on adventures. And you'd never even considered it a real possibility, just something from those books he always loved. You'd never even been able to open a full portal, even when you tried to show him how it was done as a kid.
But that was all just fun and games. Fantasies of children who'd long since grown up, hurt and jaded. And now, Iris is in real trouble, even more than his own mother.
So when Ms. Needle asks if you'll help Ven find Iris and bring him somewhere safe, you know there's only one answer.
"Yes."