Between the Roots and Branches [Open to All]

[applesaucemod]

Don't worry, dreamers of Manhattan. There will be no humiliating episodes of sudden-onset-clumsiness tonight - at least, nothing more severe than what you might experience naturally. Your physical and mental faculties will be left perfectly intact. What a treat! And what luck, because if you do lose your footing, it's a long way down to the forest floor.

But hey, who wants to be on the boring old ground when there are so many wonderful treehouses to explore? There are dozens of them spread throughout the surrounding forest, connected by a series of bridges and catwalks (some, admittedly, a bit more stable than others). It's easy to forget - or fail to notice - that there really is no easy or conventional way down to the ground when you're surrounded by such splendor.

The houses' styles range from charming and rustic to modern and sleek, with many falling somewhere in between. There are viewing platforms for bird-watching or simply taking in the scenery (trees, mostly, though if you venture high enough, you'll be treated the sight of the forest canopy stretched across a valley far below). But the insides of the treehouses are comfortably furnished to varying degrees as well, so there's no need to immerse yourself in nature if you'd really rather not. Some are complete houses in their own right, with all the amenities of a Manhattan apartment and then some.

Go for a climb, or kick back and relax. The only enemies you'll find here are other dreamers... and, potentially, gravity.

Comments

[andhiswife]

"Erm..." Greta starts before lapsing into a silent contemplation of the door - and the slice of forest she can see through it. Iman never did shut it all the way.

Could she explore a little? She'd be perfectly happy to just stay in here. It's comfortable, quiet, and restful - and she could use some rest. One the other hand, she neither wants to make Iman just sit here when there are interesting things to explore, nor part company with her friend so soon. Unless she gets lucky in another dream, there's no telling when she'll next be able to spend time with Iman without looking over her shoulder.

Surely she'll be all right if she isn't alone. And if she doesn't look down.

"I think I could manage," she says. Her tone isn't exactly suffering from an overabundance of confidence, but she supposes if she can't handle being back on the platform, they'll both find out before they get a chance to make it too far.

[etherthief]

"We'll get you somewhere comfortable if it doesn't work out," says Iman encouragingly. She stands and reaches out to help Greta up. "There's just someone I'm hoping to find here."

And some others she'd rather not find, come to think of it. Well, that will be dealt with as it happens.

[andhiswife]

"Oh." So there's a sort of quest, then. That makes things more interesting than just wandering about for the sake of it would be, and Greta suspects she might do better if she has something specific to look out for. It'll keep her eyes from being drawn downward. "Who are we looking for?" she asks as she takes Iman's hand and gets to her feet.

[etherthief]

Iman grimaces at the entirely obvious question. She doesn't want to tell Greta any more than she's already told, but this will also go much faster if they're both looking. And she has no desire to keep Greta in the dark.

"Rush," she says. She doesn't have to say why. "You remember him, I trust."

[andhiswife]

"Of course." There's a faint trace of wry amusement in her tone, both because there was little chance of forgetting the man and because, less charitably, she doesn't expect him to be such pleasant company as to be worth seeking out.

Then again, doesn't Rush work for ROMAC as well? Maybe this is the safest way Iman could get in touch with him. Greta rather doubts they can be tracked by ROMAC here, and even if Rush were to side with his employers against Iman, it's not as if he can capture her.

Seeing the sense of it, if not the true purpose, Greta nods. "Well, he can't be that hard to find. Last time we were both in a dream-Wood, he crashed right into me." Here's hoping that doesn't happen again. She suspects it would be even less enjoyable the second time around.

[etherthief]

"Let's hope," Iman says softly. She's not sure what state he'll be in, if anything happening to him in reality would transfer to his physical or mental state here, and if it has, how well they'll be able to keep the situation from Greta. And of course there is the very real possibility that they wouldn't let him enter a REM state. With as much data as they've clearly gathered on the Rift it's entirely possible they'd be able to predict these communal dreams and keep him out on purpose.

Still, she has to try.

She keeps a hold of Greta's hand as she leads them out of the pod and onto the next bridge, leading to a broad viewing platform. "You okay?" she asks, glancing back.

[andhiswife]

Right. She has a task, now - go out, help Iman, find Rush - and that means no more freezing up like a startled rabbit whenever she's reminded that heights exist. Honestly, there's no excuse. It's not as if they bother her when she looks out the window to her apartment. And this isn't her Wood - there are no giants here.

Still, the steady pressure of Iman's hand around hers is a greater comfort than she's willing to admit. Maybe she never would have fallen if she hadn't been alone, if someone had been there to not let her.

When they leave the odd little hut, she makes a point of looking out and up - there are other bridges visible through the trees, other platforms, and she even spies a few people, but none of them are Rush. This isn't so bad; she has no problem trailing after Iman across the wide porch as she scans the surrounding area.

Once they reach the bridge, though, she has to look down - it's too narrow for her to not look where she's putting her feet. Her grip on Iman's hand tightens a little as she keeps her gaze stubbornly fixed on the bridge and not on the drop to either side of it. After a moment, she nods. "Yes. I think so."