[a heart field trip]

[antreegonist]

*you're back on the island of Mithos's heart, on the dirt path through the meadow. the sky's still clouded and glassy, but it's no longer storming: you've arrived in the middle of a sunshower.

the freestanding door is there in its pool. the surrounding fog has thinned to translucence -- you can see a couple of large, four-legged shapes moving in it.*

Comments

[antreegonist]

*affirmative! but now it's also a visit.*

[brotagonist]

I still have the same question whether it's a dream or not, y'know. . .

[antreegonist]

*you make everyone here stronger and everyone is in lots of different places. . .*

[brotagonist]

So send me somewhere if you want me to go there?

[antreegonist]

*can't send you anywhere! just a seed.

you do get the urge to look up at the key and keyhole of the black tree though.*

[brotagonist]

Just a seed. Yeaaah, sure.

[looks up at them, then!]

[antreegonist]

*:)

they're . . . there . . . maybe you should use them*

[brotagonist]

[glances over at Guardian and reaches to ruffle]

You gonna take another nap?

[antreegonist]

*he is pretty zen himself. not as demonstrative as the real Mithos, but he leans into the ruffle before nodding.*

[brotagonist]

All right.

[gets up! KEY IN TREE, THEN.]

[antreegonist]

*the world shimmers and changes.

you are in a small round open courtyard. a clear sunflower motif has been stamped into the white stone walls. there's glassy blue sky overhead. it's cool here, verging a little into chilly. the trees grow in a circle of bare earth.

there is a small clock hung on the oak tree, and a keyhole still present in the trunk. the white key is in your hand.*

three full-length mirrors hang on the walls, equally spaced*

[brotagonist]

[glances at the walls curiously; how high are they?]

[antreegonist]

*not terribly high. nine feet?*

[brotagonist]

[...gonna try to do a chin-up on them at least, to see what's on the other side!]

[antreegonist]

*a spread of sky, clouds drifting below -- a gorgeous worldscape far beneath them...*

[brotagonist]

Whoa!

[lets himself back down and goes to look at the mirrors.]

[antreegonist]

*on one mirror's metal frame, the word HISTORY is carved. on the second, HORROR is carved. on the third, an earlier word has been scratched out entirely and the word HOPE is carved underneath.

they all show almost normal reflections! the one anomaly is that your eyes are blue.*

[brotagonist]

[...rubs at his eyes and touches the mirrorframe]

[antreegonist]

*warm metal. for all intents and purposes the mirrors seem completely ordinary, apart from the eye colour and the way you absolutely can't budge them from the wall.*

[brotagonist]

[wwweird :|a goes back to the tree to look at the clock!]

[antreegonist]

*the clock would fit neatly in your palm, and can be removed from the branch. it's gold with three identical black hands. instead of numbers, the words PAST, THEN, and NOW are etched around its edge. it ticks faintly, and you can see all the hands moving.

on the back of it is a small keyhole. seems like the white key could fit in there too.*

[brotagonist]

[yeah no way I'm not putting the key in the clock.]

[antreegonist]

*there's a feeling in the air like an indrawn breath. the floor becomes transparent under your feet, revealing the sky, clouds and distant land. cities, forests, lakes, a wide blue sea, desert to the east...

the three mirrors change colour to milky white, faint ripples passing over their surfaces. the watch's hands have stopped moving.*

[brotagonist]

...did I break it?!

[pokes at one]

[antreegonist]

*you can move its position with your finger now*