[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]

[oneknightstands]

Mithos—calm down!

Re: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

"Shut up!"

Re: [future - heart]

[oneknightstands]

It's not unreasonable to be discouraged. Anyone would be in such a situation as yours, but that's no reason to take hasty actions that might have consequences that you would not wish to face.

Re: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

"Everything has consequences! At least it's worth it this time!"

Re: [future - heart]

[oneknightstands]

Mithos . . .

Re: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

"It's too late, anyway."

Re: [future - heart]

[oneknightstands]

What do you mean?

Re: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

"It can't be stopped, human. It's already here."

Lightning begins to spear the land below; he watches it. He's not laughing or triumphant, just bleak.

Re: [future - heart]

[oneknightstands]

[looks down at the land, then back to Mithos]

If you could have made them listen, what would you have said?

Re: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

"...all we wanted was a place where we could live..."

Re: [future - heart]

[oneknightstands]

Without the strife of wars or the injustice that they create?

Re: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

"That would be nice . . . though injustice is there, even in the places without war."

Re: [future - heart]

[oneknightstands]

Then you could work together to fight it.

Re: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

"Haha . . . we'll see."

And the lightning hits you both, and oh, it hurts.

Re: [future - heart]

[oneknightstands]

[lets out a strangled sound of pain, gritting his teeth through it]

Re: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

For a long minute, that's all there is.

When it ends, you're both falling; he's no longer holding the Sword, just a box.

Re: [future - heart]

[oneknightstands]

[gasps, catching his breath and taking in his surroundings]

Mithos—!

[reaches out for him]

Re: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

You can haul him in. He's not conscious.

Re: [future - heart]

[oneknightstands]

[does exactly that, getting an arm around him to pull him close, is he still breathing?]

Re: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

Yes!

Re: [future - heart]

[oneknightstands]

[yay good not dead yet]

[reaching for the box now]

Re: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

Touch it and you feel -- love and grief pitched to their highest extremes, twisted up until they've turned into something else entirely, something awful . . .

Re: [future - heart]

[oneknightstands]

[swallows, strained, and moves to close it]

Re: [future - heart]

[antreegonist]

He fades, and so does the scene.

You are no longer falling.

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 is growing next to you.

There are two doors at the bottom of the hill as well, one to the left (which leads back to 'love') and one to the right.

Re: [future - heart]

[oneknightstands]

[sits heavily on the hill, staring out at the sunset for a moment]