[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]

[antreegonist]

Aaaand he's blasted back!

Re: [roots]

[oneknightstands]

[okay good time to right that lid]

Re: [roots]

[antreegonist]

It clicks back into place, and Mithos immediately goes transparent, insubstantial.

"No--!"

Re: [roots]

[oneknightstands]

[turns back to look at him]

I'm sorry.

Re: [roots]

[antreegonist]

--rage blasts through you from the box, sudden and ferocious--destroy it--destroy everything--

Re: [roots]

[oneknightstands]

Nngh—[stumbles back, bracing himself against the box, his sword dropped and one hand to his head]

Re: [roots]

[antreegonist]

It fades fast.

Mithos is shrieking angrily, wordlessly, trying to stab you -- and failing -- and trying again -- and failing --

Re: [roots]

[oneknightstands]

[breathing slow and deep to center himself, shifts his posture to stand open, letting Mithos stab at him]

Re: [roots]

[antreegonist]

It's like a Magikarp using Splash, only with a ghost sword.

Re: [roots]

[oneknightstands]

[that is kind of sad :(]

Mithos . . .

Re: [roots]

[antreegonist]

He's getting more and more incoherent.

Re: [roots]

[oneknightstands]

[is he flagging at all?]

Re: [roots]

[antreegonist]

No. It is a little ridiculous.

Re: [roots]

[oneknightstands]

[ahh.]

I will not stop until I've done everything in my power to fix this, Mithos.

[turning to head for the ghost tree]

Re: [roots]

[antreegonist]

His railing fades behind you.

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]

[oneknightstands]

[steadily starts to make his way up that path, watching his step as he goes]

Re: [roots]

[antreegonist]

You feel pretty secure on the path; someone's looking out for you.

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]

[oneknightstands]

[might as well be methodical about this, goes in the door]

Re: [roots]

[antreegonist]

. . .