World Tree MUSH

Hello Morioh~ 

It's a wonderful, sunny day in Morioh. Just past lunch time on the weekend! And prime season for all of those touristy types at that. The town has seen an influx in both population and spending, especially at the many curiousities that dot the place. 

Case in point? One particularly ugly and grim 'statue'. There's a weird feeling to this statue for those with the talents to sense it, drawing the supernaturally inclined as well as the eagle-eyed curiousity seekers. Chrollo Lucilfer just so happens to be both of those things. 

The thief may draw a bit of attention himself actually. For all his stealthy nature, he stands out a bit. Boots, expensive looking designer black jeans with gold buttons going up the legs, matching a white belt. A t-shirt with purple lettering spelling out the english word "SPIDER", complete with absurdly shiney glitter, and an open jacket-hoody in a dark grey lined with white fur on cuffs and hood. 

That ultra-pale skin and the forehead tattoo scream 'foreigner' and probably off-worlder too. Chrollo is utterly ignoring any passers' by. He's crouched, face-to-face with that weird mouth at about three feet off. 

Eyes are intent as he stares, grim determination matching that of the statue. Chrollo almost looks like he's having a staring contest. 

To those with the sense, inclination, or sheer power, the nen around his eyes glows lightly with a purple aura. It's tinged with curiousity, suspicion, and most of all? 

A little bit of excitement. The Head of the Spider has found a new thing to admire. Whether to, and /how/ to steal this landmark are the strands of thought in his head. Hmmmm! 

A flash of light. And the cheap plastic Bodak camera goes off as he takes his thirtieth picture of the last hour at a new and undiscovered angle.

The Vine(s) into Morioh have been disgorging offworlders of various stripe, enough that the Speedwagon Foundation has finally gone public with the announcement that alternate universes are indeed a thing and that people should not panic needlessly -- most of these off-worlders are benign, and there's been extensive study into the worlds outside.

Ironic, too, that now this world knows more about what goes on outside it than the BIZARRE happenings inside it!

Either way, this means that aside from a few weird looks, and more than a few people giving him a wide berth, Chrollo hasn't been bothered by anyone as he studies the weird stone with life inside it.

Unrelated, Josuke isn't in school today -- the half-day on Saturday would be over, and there wouldn't be school on Sunday -- so he's not in his school uniform. No, he's in a lime-green long-sleeved shirt and brown jacket (fall means it's starting to get nippy out), loose black slacks, and of course his ever-present Bally brand loafers.

Related? Josuke is passing by the life-containing rock. And sure, he sees Chrollo. But he knows that rock is weird, even just to the eye, and also that there are people outside who can sense it. In fact, Chrollo may sense the be-pompadour'd delinquent, given Josuke himself is host to a power that most in his world don't have.

Though his policy is not to react to off-worlders in Morioh unless they try to interact with him, since it tends to make them feel singled-out. So as he passes by, he merely goes through his usual routine. He raises his hand in a semi-wave, and says to the rock, as he walks past, "Yo, Angelo."

Weirdly, there's a spark in the rock's life energy, and then...

"Nrrrgh!"

...Did... did the rock just grunt? And was a grunt of greeting? Or something else?

It takes a passing Stand user for Chrollo's curiousity and time investment in this local attraction to truly pay off. The life energy spike flares brilliantly to the man's nen-enhanced senses. It's almost indistinguishable really, though this may mostly be due to Chrollo's own opinions and emotional connection to nen as a concept. Even for one so dull and twisted of emotion, a nen user still has a strong connection to desires and emotions that make their life force what it is. 

They're just weird like that. 

The Spider is quick to make the connection though as the stone grunts. There's the space of a single blink as his mind questions what he just heard. With steps that are a little too quick and a little too quiet, Chrollo Lucilfer walks up behind Josuke and basically tries to circle his way around outside of immediate slapping-away range. 

Far enough away to not be outright calling the delinquent out for a fight, yet close enough to be an obstacle that can't be avoided. Chrollo waves his touristy (stolen) camera at the rock. 

"Excuse me. You look local. Would you mind telling me about that rock?" It's phrased very politely despite the spider making a nuisance of himself. Chrollo's gaze is sharp as he looks Josuke up and down appraisingly. Hmmmmmm! 

He makes no secret of the fact that he's getting the young man's measure.

"...Whoa," Josuke emits as he suddenly notices the (presumed) offworlder he'd just seen kind of hopping in front of him. He pauses in his walking -- since to not do so would mean him smacking into Chrollo! Fortunately he doesn't seem to take this as an attack, nor take offense to it. He just blinks, looking surprised.

Though the question registers, and he... actually gives a slight sheepish look, raisng a hand to rub at the back of his neck. He looks to the rock again, and then to Chrollo. "W-well, uh... I guess it's kind of a landmark. There's a few of 'em in town."

After a few moments, he seems to get his confidence back. Oddly, right about the time Chrollo's sizing him up! He's pretty tall for a local here, and a bit more broad, particularly at the shoulders and in the chest. And his features aren't quite the same; they're a little... 'rounder', perhaps? A little more western, to the astute eye. "Morioh's pretty small, but it's got its charms," he notes, with a tilted head. He smirks here, and adds, "It gets touristy in the summer, so we gotta have a variety of things the tourists'd be interested in. If it's all the same as everywhere else, it's not interesting."

He does talk like the typical delinquent, there's that. Except he seems really good at giving a lot of words that don't really SAY anything...

The tourist isn't moving even after that answer, no matter how appropriate it may be. Chrollo's expression doesn't change much. His curiousity is still open, eyes just as determined as they were when staring at the rock. Pause. 

Up goes the camera. Josuke has a second and only a second, to duck out of the picture if he so desires. SNAP! 

No permission asked even though he talks so politely. Could it be some weird offworlder thing??? 

Chrollo is pretty average for height, and his build firmly in the 'athletic gymnast' type, hands almost hitting feminine range with those painist's fingers of his. The gothy looks isn't helping that trend. 

"I've traveled to some interesting places. Large towns. Small places with hardly more than twenty people inhabiting them. Even an isolated research facility or two. Every single one of them had things of value, if you were sharp enough to see it." 

It's a slight risk, but Chrollo decides to get pushy. "I'd love to see Morioh's charms. You strike me as an eagle-eyed young man. You can help. Mister...?" The Spider intentionally makes his tone ambiguous whether it's a demand or a clipped asking. 

One hand brushes a furred cuff with his camera. 

"I will owe you a favor, if you do." There's the hook with delicious bait on it. "We can start with this rock."

Maybe Josuke did inherit some of the old man's vanity. Because in the second that he could have been jumping out of the picture, using Crazy Diamond to relocate himself/turn Chrollo around/destroy the camera...

Josuke actually poses!

Hands brought up to his face, one hand flat under his chin, the other held at his forehead with fingers splayed. Instinctive surprise? Maybe all Joestars do that when surprised?! Well, either way, Chrollo has a nice souvenir, even if he gets nothing else.

But... poor Chrollo -- with the unasked-for picture, Josuke's mentally got him pegged as an American!

But there's an upward-lilting voice, an unasked question, and Josuke catches it. He gives a polite bow -- his delinquent looks aren't completely a facade, but Chrollo's given him no reason to go off on him. "Higashikata Josuke," he offers politely. As for 'helping' him see the spots in town? Josuke tilts his head. "Well... I'm not really doing anything," he admits. "So I can show you a few. There's a fair bit of legend surrounding them -- the ghost room in the tunnel and Ghost Girl Alley especially."

The pose...actually catches Chrollo a little off guard. That was not an expected outcome. Oh now he /has/ to get to know this young man. There's something intriguing, and not /just/ the signs of what he would classify as a Nen user. 

Chrollo laughs, a slow thing and a rare sign of actual humanity from the thief outside of his now missing Troupe. How long has it been since he honestly smiled? 

With a sigh that's both amused and wistful, he finally moves to no longer block Josuke's path. He'll stay a step behind, glancing backwards at the Angelo Stone. When in Yorknew City... 

"A pleasure, Mister Higashikata." The briefest of pauses. He rolls around his options. Time to invest some trust. 

"Chrollo Lucilfer. I'm grateful. Legends mean a lot to me. I'm a seller of unique and precious artefacts, and the like, so getting a local's point of view helps. I am told there are many unique things in Morioh." He's not technically lying, but he's definitely not saying everything. 

Brows knit just a tiny bit. His smile becomes a bit sad. "Is that alley home to just one ghost? Can you see others?" Chrollo notably doesn't even question the existence of ghosts. 

Right! "Yo, Angelo. Did I do that right?"

The laughter gets a smile from Josuke. He has a very honest smile, one that isn't the understated thing Chrollo might have seen from the locals thus far. This teenager doesn't really seem to hide his feelings, it seems.

Chrollo also offers his name in return, and Josuke nods. "Pleased to meet you!" he offers brightly.

Ah, a seller of artifacts! Josuke gives a 'pout' -- though it's not to express any upset; he just has an expressive face, and the thoughtful twist of his mouth looks a bit like a pout -- and taps his chin. "Hmm... I don't know about 'artifacts' in Morioh, but there's plenty of antiques," he notes. "Some of the houses further out in the country used to belong to actual samurai. Those are outside the city, though. Most of them are private residences, so you'll need to get permission from their owners to look at them."

The quesiton of the ghosts gets a blink. "...W-well uh. I don't think she's there anymore," he notes. "She was one of the first people to disappear in Morioh." Pause. "...Probably. Up until recently the rate of disappearances was pretty high. Once it stopped, she kind of... moved on, I guess."

That. That thing. He's doing the thing again, that talking without saying anything. Or at least, not saying EVERYTHING. He knows more than he's telling. Lots more.

And indeed, Josuke doesn't have to answer whether it was done right or not. The rock almost immediately answers with that same, "Nrrrgh!" that it gave when Josuke spoke to it. So that's a good sign that yes, Chrollo did it right.

It's so /wonderful/ to get a bit of information even when one's not specifically out to case a place. Chrollo tucks that mention of the expensive houses out in the country. Countryside, money, and old things connected to dead warriors. The thrill and potential for thievery is obvious. 

Morioh might be about to experience a string of things dissappearing, rather than people. 

"It would be rude of me to not be invited inside. I would hate to not show manners." This skirts the truth obscenely as to basically be lying through his teeth. 

"I take it that this ghost didn't exactly die of natural causes. The way you speak of it, Mister Josuke, you sound like there was a crime spree. It'd be a shame if a town like this was dangerous." Offers Chrollo rather indelicately for how polite he is. There's just no consideration for norms being shown off. 

The talking rock answers his question. "Well. Any town has it's demons and it's angels. Besides, with you to guide me around, I'm sure there won't be any problems." A nod to Josuke. Once again his attention is back on the rock, or at least he's looking at the rock with his eyes. His /attention/ is on Josuke. 

Time to really see whether or not Josuke has the potential he suspects. Without so much as a hint of warning, Chrollo closes his eyes. He reaches his hand out towards the Angelo stone. Breathing slowing, he skillfully manipulates both emotions and his Nen. Chrollo glows to those with the ability to sense such things, palpable life aura tinged with a kind of calm worthy of the highest of Buddhist monks. It's purple, and the aura grows to try to wrap around the stone. 

Or perhaps even Josuke. Chrollo isn't using bloodlust here, so touching it won't hurt, but it might feel odd. There's something missing in there. Something vital to being a full person. A broken thing that can't be fixed. 

Chrollo has a gaping hole in his heart that has yet to be filled.

Josuke nods. "Yeah, the cops take a dim view of breaking and entering, too," he adds. "You'd probably have to get to know people here, since there's... well, this is probably anywhere you go in Japan, but there's a pretty clear 'wall' between tourists and locals."

And then there's the question of the ghost girl. Josuke winces a little. "No, she didn't," he admits. "And... well, nobody really knows what happened to most of the people who disappeared. No bodies were ever found, anything like that. But everyone's pretty sure they're all dead, especially the Speedwagon Foundation. They put some investigation in on it, but they didn't find much more."

And that... actually edges closer to an outright lie, since they did find the cause, and the culprit! But Josuke shakes his head, and reassures, "There hasn't been another of those mysterious disappearances since the summer of last year, so we're all cautiously optimistic that it's over finally."

But then Chrollo starts to glow, and Josuke draws a breath of surprise. He reaches out towards the Angelo Rock, though... and Josuke makes to take hold of his hand and pull it away. "H-hey, be careful, it's not really clear what makes this rock do that...!"

Though with Chrollo's senses all the more open now, he might sense it all the more strongly. Not just from the rock, which very definitely contains the life force of a human being -- at least, it WAS a human being. The 'soul' is not really 'there' anymore, not completely. Logistically speaking, the rock contains nothing more than a spark of life force, desires, and memories -- dark desires to hurt more people, and twisted memories of horrific crimes (like seriously Chrollo, if you can see these they might even give YOU pause!). And...

Red.

SO. MUCH. RED.

However, the 'divine spark' is not there. It's an almost-complete human, but the 'higher soul' is not there.

And Josuke himself? A lot of purple, since he's trying not to say too much. But it's mixed heavily with whatever color Chrollo may perceive as kindness. And even then, there's an undertone -- maybe the 'lining' of Josuke's aura as Chrollo perceives it -- of aggression. It's very definitely there in Josuke, but tempered by so many other things.

...That is, if Chrollo can see anything past the Angelo Rock's SO MUCH RED.

Smirk. Now he's letting himself be a little cocky. "Oh don't worry. I can be very persuasive when I put my mind to something I want." Cops. Ugh! There's a flicker of distaste in his gaze for a second. 

More information for Chrollo's mental file of 'things to check out in Morioh'. This speedwagon foundation is certainly a curio, but he doesn't press. There are more immediate things! Such as, for instance, Josuke being all reassuring! He's missed this kind of optimism. It reminds him of Shalnark, only without any outward signs of the tech thief's open sociopathy. 

"Hopefully the culprit doesn't start again. But that's rude of me. Better to not tempt fate." Offers the man offhand, waving his camera briefly. 

GLOWING! Lots of it, in fact. The thief wasn't sure what he expected. He thought a nen user was responsible for the thing, but even a conjuror's summoned items don't have /this/ much nen packed into them. No, it looks like a human! A full human stuffed into a rock, with the kind of Red that evokes a single individual. 

Chrollo can't see the memories, thank goodness, or even he would have issues with the sheer depths of depravity issued on those that didn't deserve it. The anger and desire to hurt and enjoy it reminds him of dear, lost Uvogin. Memories of the symphony of death that he orchestrated in memory of his dead Troupe member plays in his mind. 

It's for that reason that when Chrollo turns to look at Josuke and his Nen fades? Tears fall down his face. Not out of horror. But this is the look of a man who misses someone dearly. Could he have lost a friend to a monster like Angelo!? 

The break in his voice is slight. Chrollo indeed caught the tinge of aggression in Josuke's aura. He puts two and two together. Kindness, aggression, a swirling mix of emotions in that life aura. 

Wiping his tears on a sleeve, there's a piece of paper shoved Josuke's way. "Fascinating. I like this town...may I call you Josuke? There's much for me to learn here. But that's enough for today. I hear an old friend's spirit calling. Let me get set up in a hotel, and then we can do the grand tour. Lunch will be on me." 

The promise of /food/ and possible trouble is in the works!