[a heart.]

[antreegonist]

There's a moment of nothing but light and sensation. Someone's looking you over and the scrutiny prickles and burns – it's nearly a physical pain, like fine little hooks digging past your skin, into the very meat of you. I know who you are, it says, and I know what you are, and that you don't have any business here --

“But you do,” says Mithos behind you. He's a tired, steady voice in your ear, a light hand on your shoulder. “I don't know what Dream's thinking, but everyone is welcome here in my heart; just keep in mind it's a real mess right now.”

Your vision clears.

((assume your characters wandered in here through a dream. also join #ihateyouihateyouiwanttocuddle on irc if you can!))

Comments

Re: [roots]

[squirreledaway]

...

[no, just, takes a moment to approach him]

Re: [roots]

[antreegonist]

He's trying to stab you again. It's super ineffective.

Re: [roots]

[squirreledaway]

[it's okay, he just... kind of stays there, trying to find the right thing to say, even if he knows it's ineffective]

... I don't know if I just... boxed up all of your bad feelings, Mithos, but... I'm hoping part of you hears me... Don't... um, let them bundle up... Don't be-- like Peridot.

[suuuuuch a raaaaging hypocriiiiite]

Re: [roots]

[antreegonist]

Nope rant rave shriek etc. He's quickly getting incoherent; that's how angry he is.

Re: [roots]

[squirreledaway]

[just... going to slowly back away, and then... turn to the trees...?

... Those are calling my name.]

Re: [roots]

[antreegonist]

There's three paths! Left to the solid one, right to the ghost one, center between them.

Re: [roots]

[squirreledaway]

[he... goes right.]

Re: [roots]

[antreegonist]

You pass quickly through the roots and approach the trunk of the ghostly tree. It's so large that this close, you can see that climbing it the normal way is inconceivable; instead, the bark itself forms a rough, ridged path up, more than wide enough to walk on. It looks pretty twisty, if you glance up; the jagged wound in the trunk has damaged it in places. But it's still navigable.

Re: [roots]

[squirreledaway]

[... there is like a sinking feeling that I can't quite place, but going ahead and making his way up the path...]

Re: [roots]

[antreegonist]

It's a long walk up and around . . . distance goes strange again, though. You reach the first branch of the tree much faster than you should.

There's a plain white wooden door set into the trunk here. The word BODY is written on it.

Do you enter or keep going up the path?

Re: [roots]

[squirreledaway]

[... well, okay, I will enter]

Re: [roots]

[antreegonist]

. . .