QUIET MOUNDS - STEF HEART

[abardacttofollow]

You find yourself in a stone room that looks like some sort of medieval dungeon. There are (thankfully), no torture instruments, but there is a man strung up here. One large manacle is around his neck, chaining him stiffly to the door. His hands are free, but each foot is manacled to the matching bottom corner of the doorframe. There is a visible lock on each of the three manacles.

It's Stefen, and there's a knife in his chest. Despite that, he's alive, apparently alert, and doesn't look to be in pain, perhaps due to the lulling, sense-dulling music that seems to be coming from nowhere at all—in fact, if you were in pain before you entered, it's gone here. His wound is bleeding, but only a little, and he smiles his usual bright smile at you.

Behind him, but in front of the closed door he's bound to, you can see three double sets of strings running vertically. Where they meet the floor, they are fastened, and then each runs across the floor to the three doors on the opposite wall, then under them.

There is nothing else in this room.

((OOC: Here's how this will work! Since we're doing individual runs, rather than me putting up individual top levels for areas, just jump the post itself, and I'll run everything for you within your one thread. If you're wanting to do a run with someone else, just stay in the same thread together.))

Comments

[abardacttofollow]

He gives it to you, then leans down, kissing your head. It's almost an apology.

[twicebonded]

[. . . pulls a Stef and just. dissolves into bitter, bitter tears]

[abardacttofollow]

"Oh..." Vanyel looks just miserable about it. "I know. I know... but you still have your life ahead of you right now." He focuses to get enough physicality to hold your shoulders.

[twicebonded]

In this . . . divergent reality. Who even knows . . . I barely feel real. I feel like a figment of Stef's imagination sometimes. An imposter where I don't belong.

[abardacttofollow]

"Have you ever felt entirely real?" Vanyel asks you, a bit ruefully. He... sits, floating in the air. "In my reality, we'll be together again, he and I, even after this. That's our promise. In yours... well, you know your own reality best. But what do you think he'd say to you calling yourself an imposter?"

[twicebonded]

Together again . . .

[he grasps at that]

[abardacttofollow]

"I chose to stay in this world, even dead," Vanyel says. "So that, when Stefen has lived out his life, when he has done the task that has been set for him, we can guard this world together. I don't want another sudden ending. For either of us."

[twicebonded]

What about 'Lendel—

[looks horribly guilty as soon as that passes his lips]

[abardacttofollow]

Vanyel says, "I don't... have any way to know. Where he is, or what he's done. But life is long, especially when you're dead. I can only... hope."

After a moment, he adds wryly, "and since I'm just Stefen's understanding of me, I ... can't say more about my thoughts or feelings at the time about our 'Lendel. I wish I could. But ultimately, I'm just Stefen's feelings."

[twicebonded]

I. I know. Which makes it all the more callous for me to have said that.

[he rubs his face with his sleeve]

I love Stef . . . I just wish . . . I could do better by him.

[abardacttofollow]

"It's not callous to be torn up over your love," Vanyel says. "Stefen wouldn't think that."

[twicebonded]

But he's still so important. And I'm not comparing . . . I just want him to know I'm happy with him.

[abardacttofollow]

You feel a sudden, intense pulse of love all around you. Some of the snow even melts a little, though it almost instantly freezes again in the bitter cold.

"He knows," Vanyel says, soft. "Even if I don't always understand why."

[twicebonded]

[lets out a weak laugh, then looks around. where to from here?]

[abardacttofollow]

Back, it looks like — but the key he gave you should fit in one of the shackles on the Heart's Guard.

[twicebonded]

[back that way, then, trying not to linger]

[abardacttofollow]

[the Heart's Guard looks guilty when you come back]

I'm sorry, I should have warned you about that path...

[twicebonded]

. . . no. It's your life, our lives. And you're my love.

[abardacttofollow]

[flushes deeply] Still! I think... I think all the areas might be hard on you, because we're so deeply tied. But that one, probably, the most?

[twicebonded]

[smiles a little, though his lashes are damp]

What should I do now? Should I go to the others?

[abardacttofollow]

[beckons him closer] If you could undo my neck I could give you a nice kiss first.

[twicebonded]

[seems a little startled, then flustered, moving in quickly to obey]

[abardacttofollow]

[The key undoes the binding around his neck and he leans it forward a little for an eager kiss.]

[twicebonded]

[this is a little weird, but Vanyel is kissing him very fervently]

[abardacttofollow]

[he smiles into it, a bit sad and awkward]

I love you. I'm sorry this is hard.