[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

[brotagonist]

[looks around]

[antreegonist]

*huh. just a window.*

[brotagonist]

Hello?

[antreegonist]

*that's all...*

[brotagonist]

[which window was it?]

[antreegonist]

*whichever was closest...if you didn't go far up the stairs, probably Undine's?*

[brotagonist]

[stands in front of it, a few feet back '-']

Please come out?

[antreegonist]

*nothing comes out, but the pieces of glass start sliding through each other to rearrange themselves into a stylized portrait of Undine.*

[brotagonist]

...hello. Thank you.

[nods to her, polite]

[antreegonist]

*she doesn't move again.*

[brotagonist]

[that's okay. closes his eyes for a moment and then heads back out the mirror door.]

[antreegonist]

*the label on the red dot is no longer gibberish; it's FIRST TOWER.*

[brotagonist]

[okay. '-' cycles the hands to the next thing, to see if there are any more gibberish names...]

[antreegonist]

*you cycle the hands to THEN; the HORROR mirror glitters and the divided world map appears with three new dots.

GARDEN
SECOND TOWER
LABORATORY*

[brotagonist]

[nothing wrong here; time to go to NOW, I guess]

[antreegonist]

*a map of reunited Aselia; four dots.

#!DEATHROOM#
THRONE
DOLLHOUSE
LIBRARY*

[brotagonist]

. . . dollhouse?

[...goes there, curious; I'll come back for you, glitchy thing.]

[antreegonist]

*off you go through HOPE...only to land in the front yard of Altessa's little house.

the yard is mostly just bare dirt with touches of grass, but for a small clump of red and blue flowers near the door. a clothesline has been hung up, with some shirts drying in the open air. beyond the fence are fields of high grass that billow and move with the wind. the sun is setting here, washing everything with gold.

the low wooden door is closed. you feel--unsure, looking at it, like you know you should go in but you're a little bit afraid to.*

[brotagonist]

[well screw that; going in.]

[antreegonist]

*it's rather more spacious than it looked from outside, but still cozy. it's not an exact replica of Altessa's house. there's a front room and then two doors: one to your left and one to your right.*

[brotagonist]

[...llleft?]

[antreegonist]

*the left door leads to Altessa's dining room. there's a long rectangular table that looks like it could sit a dozen people or so -- in fact, it's fully set for a meal, though the chairs are disarranged, the food half-eaten and abandoned. you can make out an odd small shape under the table.

sitting at the table are three women...Martel, Colette, and Tabatha. their hands are folded in their laps, their heads slightly bowed. they are breathing, but not moving otherwise.*

[brotagonist]

What the hell...?

[puts a hand on Colette's shoulder?]

[antreegonist]

*it's like she's asleep! asleep with very good posture...yes...*

[brotagonist]

[...:I... checks under the table.]