[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: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

He looks down, towards the land and sea, towards the world . . .

"It's what I want."

Re: [future - heart]

[orange_sun]

...are you sure?

*because he's starting to get an idea of what's going on here*

Re: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

The spell's almost complete, the storm ferocious.

"I've tried everything else for them. It's my turn . . ."

Re: [future - heart]

[orange_sun]

So you're going to break it? All this?

Re: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

"It's not that simple."

The Great Seed is floating up before the two of you; you can see the shadow of a woman trapped inside.

Re: [future - heart]

[orange_sun]

Can you explain it?

Re: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

"She asked me to create a world where we could live as equals, so I won't destroy Aselia. But the Tree won't revive without the Seed, and if the Tree revives I'll lose her. But if I just leave them the way they are the world dies anyway. Its mana is almost gone."

Re: [future - heart]

[orange_sun]

So what does that leave? Sorry, my world doesn't work like this at all.

Re: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

"Half a world can live on what's left. Then it can go to the other half. The world can wait like that."

Re: [future - heart]

[orange_sun]

...so half the world will die, over and over? That kind of thing...

...it's not something you should decide unless the alternatives are a lot worse. And not something you should decide without knowing how it'll turn out.

Re: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

"Shows what you know."

Lightning strikes him, wreathing him and the Sword -- he raises it over his head. More lightning is striking down, spearing the earth . . . below you, Aselia comes apart . . .

Re: [future - heart]

[orange_sun]

...I do know, Mithos.

I made the same choice.

Re: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

Perhaps he answers --

But you can't see it, because you're caught in the storm too. For a long, long, minute, the entire world is lightning, and oh, it hurts.

Re: [future - heart]

[orange_sun]

*well. this sucks.

lightning is part of Josh's strongest element, and he remembers wielding this much power -- enough to shatter a continent or a world, enough to end an era. but he's tired and limited, and it's all he can do to shield himself from the worst of it.*

Re: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

It fades.

You're falling to earth. So is Mithos. He's unconscious.

Re: [future - heart]

[orange_sun]

*it takes him a moment to process that the storm is over, but when he does, he turns in midair; altering the wind a little so he can grab Mithos's unconscious body, then slowing their fall.*

Re: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

You grab him. He's battered from the lightning.

Instead of the Sword, he's holding a box.

Re: [future - heart]

[orange_sun]

*curling protectively around both of them, but making sure to seal that box if he can.*

Re: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

You feel . . . a flash of love and grief pitched to their highest extremes, all twisted up into something that isn't really either anymore, something awful . . .

He fades in your arms. The scene fades, though you still have the box. Something new is filling in its place.

Re: [future - heart]

[orange_sun]

*waiting to see what the new scene is*

Re: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

. . . you're sitting on top of a hill at sunrise. A road leads down from the hill, winding off into the distance.

A patch of fandalia flowers -- see icon -- is growing next to you.

There are two doors at the bottom of the hill as well, one to the left and one to the right.

Re: [future - heart]

[orange_sun]

*pausing a moment to breathe, running a fingertip over one of the flowers...petting plants seems to be a good instinct here*

Re: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

A memory. You're seated in a garden -- the herb garden you saw in the Truth area, though the real house is surrounded by forest -- listening to Martel play a slow, dreamy tune on a set of panpipes . . .

Re: [future - heart]

[orange_sun]

*....awww.

smiling a little, then heading down to the right-hand door.*

Re: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

You're at the top of the bark path, on the ghostly tree; the door you just came out through reads HEART.

There's a winding way down.