[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 - mind]

[antreegonist]

"O-oh . . ."

Re: [future - mind]

[brotagonist]

So what do you want to do?

[offers his hand this time, since the shoulder thing made him flinch]

Re: [future - mind]

[antreegonist]

He stares at your hand, still struggling and panicky.

"I..."

Re: [future - mind]

[brotagonist]

C'mon. No one can find out the truth or decide but you, but I know you don't want to betray anyone, so you need to figure out the real best way forward. I'll support you, okay?

Re: [future - mind]

[antreegonist]

"I do? You will?"

Re: [future - mind]

[brotagonist]

Yeah. Even though you could to it on your own, too — I believe in you.

Re: [future - mind]

[antreegonist]

"Oh..."

He fades away...

Re: [future - mind]

[brotagonist]

I'll always...

[. . .

. . .okay. I'll reach for the box.]

Re: [future - mind]

[antreegonist]

When you touch the box, a tide of sheer, helpless, lost confusion sweeps over you.

Re: [future - mind]

[brotagonist]

[shivers till it's past. . .

finally gives a little leaf this memory, up to Mithos looking up at him from under the pillow and smiling; I do believe in your ability to move on and find new paths, alone or with others, I do. slips it into the box, closes it, and waits.]

Re: [future - mind]

[antreegonist]

You're in a large round chamber with a cloth hung all the way around the walls. It's raised a little to leave room for the doors (one on the left and one on the right). One end of the cloth is thick with colourful embroidery, but the rest -- a great deal of it, almost all of it -- is blank white. There's a neat pile of needleworking supplies and stray tags of cloth stacked under the embroidered section.

The top of the chamber is open to the stormy sky.

Re: [future - mind]

[brotagonist]

[. . . goes to look at the embroidery. . . '^']

Re: [future - mind]

[antreegonist]

The embroidery is a detailed visual timeline of Aather, from Beauty's forest to Three's cove to the ship to Wonderland itself, beautifully worked -- you can see how realms grew, the people and Personae he talked to, the things he did. You figure about as prominently as you'd expect.

Re: [future - mind]

[brotagonist]

[touches the blank canvas after, lightly]

This is amazing. Can hearts embroider faster, or something?

Re: [future - mind]

[antreegonist]

Patience again, but expectant rather than empty.

"Hearts can do a lot more things at once than hands sometimes, is all."

Re: [future - mind]

[brotagonist]

Guess so.

Just one more, right?

Re: [future - mind]

[antreegonist]

". . . yeah."

Re: [future - mind]

[brotagonist]

Should I ask?

Re: [future - mind]

[antreegonist]

"It's a bit more . . . mixed up than the others. Maybe the worst one to face. Ruining Aselia."

Re: [future - mind]

[brotagonist]

. . . when you broke the world in two.

Re: [future - mind]

[antreegonist]

"Yes."

Re: [future - mind]

[brotagonist]

[. . . nods]

Why's it over on this side?

Re: [future - mind]

[antreegonist]

"To remind me not to do it again."

Re: [future - mind]

[brotagonist]

[m-makes a sort of mrrf noise and runs his hand through his hair; you more than know that I believe you won't, bro.]

. . . I'll head up there.

Re: [future - mind]

[antreegonist]

He knows. Still.

"All right."