HURRY UP PLEASE IT'S TIME

[unstill_life]

[ you have been here long enough

the third level, the overgrown level, should be familiar to you; the nature everywhere, the moss underneath your feet, the danging vines. what may not be familiar is the sound of a loud, ticking clock permeating through the area ... or the line of bright red roses trailing through the maze of library shelves, in a definite path. they lead toward the direction of the ticking sound. you're almost there ]

Comments

[fishpanties]

[. . . Roses.]

What's all this?

[Against her better judgement, she begins to follow the trail.]

[unstill_life]

[ the trail bends, curves through the tall library shelves. the ticking gets louder.

at one bend you can finally see -- the roses lead up and to a set of heavy golden doors. ]

[fishpanties]

[Ppppausing, and with effort she refrains from reaching down to touch one of her knives.]

Hello?

[unstill_life]

[ the doors do not respond. are you going to head forward ... ? ]

[fishpanties]

[H-Huff]

Suspicious.

[Heads forward, yes.]

[unstill_life]

[ the doors look heavy, but not impossibly so. ]

[fishpanties]

[Reaches out for a handle, if there is one!]

[unstill_life]

[ there are; two of them, in fact! ]

[fishpanties]

[ATTEMPTS TO OPEN 8|]

[unstill_life]

[ you try! but the doors won't budge. you're suddenly struck with some -- urge. you know you need to give this door something else; your wish. your desire. ]

[fishpanties]

. . . Oh.

[the word is an exhale, and she ducks her head.

I want to see this place destroyed. I don't want to leave . . . !]

[unstill_life]

[ no. you having a feel of wrongness. that isn't what you should be asking; that's not what this place would allow. ]

[fishpanties]

Tch. That's stupid.

[But if I can't have that, I want to fix my teammate's soul. Zaniah's.]

[unstill_life]

[ again, the same feeling. you can't change what's inside this place. ]

[fishpanties]

. . . You can't even grant that much, after all those times I died and killed for you?!

[unstill_life]

[ i'm sure the doors would apologize if they weren't doors. ]

[fishpanties]

[]

Fine.

[Then I want people to be able to visit each other after everything's over, but only those with no ill will towards the people they're visiting!]

[As she thinks that, she's thinking primarily of Teal and Iris and Lilac, but Canary and Fawn also come to mind.]

[unstill_life]

[ that's too much -- another limit. but there's some silent assent at iris, teal, and lilac.

the doors swing open. inside the room is dark, only the faint outlines of tables visible ... and a sapphire-colored block of stone, with a mop leaning on it. ]

[fishpanties]

[ . . . !!!]

[Strides over and snatches up that mop.]

[unstill_life]

[ the mop throbs as if with an unleashed energy, and all at once -- your memories are returned to you, neatly filing in, not overwhelming or like a usualy memory regain but returning to you and staying with you as if you had always had it.

you feel as if you're almost there -- you're almost done with this place. ]

[fishpanties]

[O-Oh.]

. . . Now what?

[unstill_life]

[ now -- !

you wake up in your bed. the cold wood of the mop is still a sensation in your hand but it's missing, and the memories of the dream are as vivid as if they were real.

if you look at the ground those roses do not appear again; but regardless you know the way to those golden doors. you know what will be behind them ... that same mop, and your ability to achieve your wish. ]