imeeji_frontstage | Flowers of Heaven II: Star of Bethlehem

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Flowers of Heaven II: Star of Bethlehem

Who: lost(?) idols
Where: ???? a mysterious courtyard
When: day 490

[ You awaken to the feeling of cool stone at your back, and a night sky overhead.

All around is a courtyard—a wide circle of marble tile, alternating black and white, interspersed with stone benches and flowerbeds and ornamental trees, all lit by the lambent gleam of strangely vivid starlight.

It is beautiful. And it is decaying. The stone is cracked; the flowers wild and overflowing between the cracked stone; the trees bent and twisted with age, the ground around them littered with fallen fruit. There is a fountain in the center of this space, but it too is broken-down: the water sits stagnant, and nothing remains of the design except a basin and the shattered base of a once-golden sculpture.

—And surrounding it all are not walls, but dense mounds of kudzu, climbing over itself until it towers as high as any watchtower.

How did you get here?
The last thing you vaguely recall is a sudden fit of drowsiness. There’s no sign of any guide or host around, and your powers don’t currently work either. In fact, if you have any corruptions, whether mental or physical, they too are … gone? No, perhaps that's not quite it; you can still feel them—faint, like a phantom limb. Invisible, and unable to affect you.
But there is one notable exception to the rule: all wings, corruption-induced or not, remain in place, as natural as the starlight.

There are other idols around you, all waking up the same way. Is this meant to be some kind of game…? ]

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...disgusting. [ but unfortunately kind of... familiar. he gets up, a bit sluggishly, but eventually he manages to peel himself off the side of the fountain and make his way toward the central pedestal. he quirks his head this way and that way... eventually reaching down to press his hand to it. or see if there's a portion of it that can be fiddled with. ]

[ there doesn't seem to be a portion of it that can be fiddled with—

rather, it doesn't entirely seem to be there at all. perhaps representing something that used to be there. ]

[ ...the garden had been looking kind of... dead, so he seriously doubts that he's going to find the missing piece, but he's not doing anything else and he may as well take a walk to clear his head. maybe he'll find it. ]

[ time to poke around the garden for the missing piece, whatever it is, ...is there anything that sticks out to a particularly keen eye? ]

[ well, there's a number of archways overgrown with kudzu vines—so thick it would be hard to get through them. but there are two that seem to have been cleared out—one, leading to a set of stone stairs; the other, which leads to a path curiously overgrown with moss and wildflowers. ]

[ he heads towards the two paths... inclining his head to look at them both, but ultimately opting for the overgrown path, mostly because it looks a bit more dangerous. and mysterious! and that's a bit too hard to resist. ]

[ MYSTERY! EXCITEMENT!

heading to the overgrown path, the air feels—livelier, fresher, cleaner. it lacks the stale kind of feeling that the rest of the outer courtyard has; the growth is new and vibrant, and the moss and grasses are soft underfoot.

it looks like the path leads out into a clearing or courtyard, up ahead; there's a growing tree, surrounded by flowers, and on its branches hang a few golden fruits. ]

[ this comes as a bit of a surprise. he looks a little... stunned, especially given everything he's encountered thus far, so he's immediately on edge. he cautiously moves forward, looking around until his eyes eventually land on the tree. ]

[ he approaches, looking down at the flowers, but eventually looking up to those stupid tempting fruits. he's already put enough stupid shit in his mouth for one afternoon. ]

[ is the fruit bearing tree surrounded by flowers the only thing that's here? ...and what happens if he just tries to climb the tree? ]

[ it's a perfectly sturdy tree—even though it's on the younger side, and not terribly tall, it looks like it would bear his weight just fine. though— ]

[ there's in fact someone else in this clearing. she looks like a person, glancing up at him from inspecting the flowers, but two large, white, feathered wings extend from her back. ]

—you're here!

[ goes rigid... for about half a second, because he can't believe he didn't initially see her, but then he's relaxing and giving her a warm smile, even going as far as to chuckle. ]

I... sure am. [ he turns away from the tree, abandoning his idea to climb it, instead approaching her. ] Do you mind telling me where here is? I'm Caeli, by the way, it's a pleasure, Miss... [ trails off, leaving her to fill in the blank. ]

For my gratefulness to you—not in the specific, of course! But to you and your forebears, blessings, for by your generosity and sacrifices this one has been saved.

Truth be told, this one wasn't sure if it would still work, things being as they are.

... [ uhm, what. ]

I am going to assume you're referring to the state of this place... and, yeah, it's... not looking so hot. I imagine it's going to take some time to turn things around here.

I'm glad though, that you've been saved, ...

And since you're referring to yourself as 'this one' am I to also assume that you don't know your name or have I simply not been charming enough to get it from you?

[ a laugh as he looks down at the flowers she had been inspecting - which flowers had they been? ] Is this where you intend to stay? [ he looks back to her, holding out his hand. ] Or have you another place in mind?

Hm... this one had supposed that you knew a bit more, but perhaps she was mistaken—

This place can be made as new quite quickly—albeit with effort, the way this one was also raised up by your forebears. Alone, this is all this one—Haniel—may do, but together, the lost soul to which this place belongs may find new meaning and purpose.

None of us may truly stay here, though. After all, you have your own soul, do you not?

[ a chuckle. ] I hadn't meant to offend you or anything. Just... lighten the mood, you know, ease the tension.

Hah, well, that's good to hear, so... what are we waiting for? I wouldn't mind lending a hand... or two. It wouldn't be the first time.

And you're not wrong. I do have plans to leave and continue the life I lead before this place. A new chapter awaits me back home. [ he brings a hand to his chest. ] I do, one that burns brightly, and will continue to do so until the day I finally die...

This is neither this one's heart, nor yours—

—this one merely waits for the rite to be ready, for it requires many acting in concert.

...

Wait.

Let's, ah, let's back it up for a minute... we're in someone's heart???

Is this like that Ideal World thing?

Ideal world...?

...aren't all the worlds under heaven already beautiful and ideal?

[ she has no idea what that part is, ]

[ ...oh. is she naive and pure, kind of like a child. ~~or just a little stupid.~~ EITHER WAY. ]

...it had been a kind of dreamscape. Past mistakes, erased. Dead friends, alive. It was a perfect world, too perfect, and such a thing doesn't really exist. Life is beautiful, yes, but it's only as good as we make it. It was... fake, is all I meant, ...some kind of alternate reality thing.

Maybe you could explain to me what being in someone's heart means.

To experience another's heart in this way... is an ancient working. Originally—it was for those who strayed from their purpose, or felt they needed a cleansing, re-dedication...

...Some time ago, though, the rite was performed with this one at the heart, when she had become too weak to fulfill her purpose. Through the actions of those of you held in the Enemy's bondage, this one was yet able to rise again, renewed, and... find her own way, in spite of the Enemy's designs on influencing her heart.

This time, it is this one who enlists your aid, rather than the Enemy.

And whose heart are you trying to get us to help? ...assuming I'm understanding all of this correctly.

One of my cohort—you could say, a sort of sibling or cousin, as we choirs above are all siblings. After escaping the clutches of the throne of Lies, I came upon one who ailed similarly, fallen but not yet surrendered to the cause of the Enemy.

...ah. Say no more. I know what you mean.

I am glad your fallen comrade has yet to surrender, but I don't exactly feel like I'm helping all that much. I'm just kind of... ambling around. Is there something I can do outside of that, ..? [ he looks back to the tree, leaving her side and setting a hand on it. ] Like, is this field some kind of... representation of the capability she has, the willingness... it's there, but it's not being completely utilized. [ or something. ] And this tree - her strength? Just starting out, perhaps. Do we need to help it grow, plant more, cultivate this field... will any of that help?

[ does this boy need to farm a bitch, because he will. ]

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