❧ the inner garden

[dramatispersonae]

You stumble into yet another garden, spinning and off-kilter and peculiar. This space is dominated by a massive waterfall pouring from the sky, casting a heavy wet mist into the air. The foliage is wild and overgrown, untamed and untrimmed. The flowers and leaves seem incredibly real, but everything else is offputtingly two-dimensional—rocks and boulders are papier-mâché, the stones beneath your feet are nothing but cardboard puzzle pieces, and flimsy trees hang from the ceiling by string.

Mobiles of birds and bugs swing around, hung from tree branches, spinning in the breeze, casting wild shadows. Crooked stacks of books—some short, some as tall as trees themselves—line the path, and a persistent, faint drumming sound echoes through the quiet space.

Under the waterfall, there is a single doorway.

[use this space to talk to each other and catch up, before proceeding to endgame]

Comments

[puppy_loves]

A construct.

[primetimehero]

[ . . .points mirror to everything ]

A whatnow?

[whyitgottabeblack]

Come again, Ren? [waving as he approaches]

[primetimehero]

--oh.

There we go!

[allinyourhead]

Oh, good, you're not dead.

[exchanged]

[looking around, surprised--]

... the drumming...

[fullmoonblooms]

[looking down at the cardboard puzzle pieces]

What's all this...?

[adropintheocean]

[his bird is gone...]

Another -- part of her?

[whyitgottabeblack]

It's weird for sure.

[after a moment] You make it through okay?

[allinyourhead]

…[looking where he came from.]

Well, okay, then.

[adropintheocean]

[glances at the books, tempted, but reaches out to touch one of the flowers instead; for anyone who looks he's kind of mussed and distraught and embarrassed]

. . . well.

[whyitgottabeblack]

How was the path you picked?

[pitching]

[throws his face into the ground and makes a loud BLUH of exasperation]

[heartrending]

[just glares at everything]

[trope_attack]

Hi Mocha!

[whyitgottabeblack]

[has his key aka his magic wand here in Aather out but lowers it when he realizes he's made it to... somewhere else with familiar people]

What...?

[exchanged]

... are you okay?

[simple_not_boring]

Something happen?

[simple_not_boring]

...I feel like I should be more surprised than I am.

[takeabow]

Well, that was cheery.

[dicktionary]

[visibly shaken]

Oh. ...Okay, cool.

[whyitgottabeblack]

[coming over to survey him]

Hey there~

[bluejade]

... I don't understnad.

[soldieronwards]

[bright red]

Dammit! Damn her.

[exchanged]

... what?

[grand_finale]

[scowls]

I wasn't finished!

[whyitgottabeblack]

[starts laughing, no context needed]