❧ who am I?

[dramatispersonae]

You head into the hedge maze. Immediately after everyone has crossed the stone, the leaves rustle loudly, and the hedges spring to life behind you, swiftly blocking the way back. Your only option is to proceed forward.

The pathway turns slightly up ahead, then turns again, twisting and winding deeper into the garden, before eventually opening up into a small clearing.

Comments

[puppy_loves]

[craning up, leaning on Ben's leg, to try to look into the mirror, trying to use it to triangulate the entrance]

[primetimehero]

Oh--sorry, do you need this.

[ holding it for him, not quite tilted to ren's direction ]

[dramatispersonae]

You can see a flicker of silver in the mirror that's not present in the heavy greenery.

[puppy_loves]

I think we can use this to help us find where we're going. The reflection may show what we need, rather than the thing itself.

[primetimehero]

Oooh. Show the door its own reflection, then it'll know it's a door.

[ tilts the mirror more to the greenery, trying to catch the silver ]

[dramatispersonae]

You can see the doorhandle become a little more solid—enough to grasp.

[primetimehero]

[ reaches out for it immediately, eyes on the mirror ]

[puppy_loves]

[accompanying Ben, since he lacks opposable thumbs and is also very short]

[dramatispersonae]

The girl calls out from behind you.

“The path leads ahead, but you’re still in the maze. The paths go forward and backwards, but you always know that they’ll go either one way or the other. On my own I can’t see another way, but maybe you could think of something better.”

[primetimehero]

. . .uh.

Okay. Cool. Thanks? And bye. Hope you get your. . .things sorted out.

[puppy_loves]

I think this is part of getting her thing sorted out. To come up with an option that is not a binary.

[primetimehero]

What, like to the left?

[puppy_loves]

I don't know. Perhaps use the mirror to look around?

[primetimehero]

[ DOING THAT ]

She could do that. I wonder if it's like, something only we could do because we're two people, not one person by herself.

[puppy_loves]

She might already be doing that. If you see too many reflections, it can be hard to tell what is real. We're more likely to act on impulse.

[primetimehero]

Impulse! I'm good at that.

[ I RAN INTO GLASS THE OTHER DAY ]

[dramatispersonae]

The light seems to slowly grow dimmer as you continue along the narrow path. It’s difficult to see where you’re going—it starts to seem less of a hedge maze and more of a clustered forest path, wild and winding.

[primetimehero]

[ looking into the mirror and turning left and right to see if there is any other path BUT IF THERE ISN'T HE SUPPOSES GOING STRAIGHT IS OK TOO ]

[puppy_loves]

[just trusting that ben is interpreting their surroundings correctly!]

[dramatispersonae]

The world seems . . . more fragile in the mirror. Flatter, like the leaves are made of paper and crayon, instead of vivid colors.

[primetimehero]

[ :|a

presses his hand against the leaves with a notable amount of pressure. Just casually pushing onto leaves with all of his weight because he can ]

[puppy_loves]

[Hmmm]

[dramatispersonae]

They give a little under your fingertips.

[primetimehero]

[ just gonna sift through the leaves until he hits a point of not being able to do that anymore ]

I guess you don't really have to follow a maze. You could make yoyr own exit if you wanted.

[puppy_loves]

That's usually considered cheating, but if you're trapped...