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

[soft_robot]

"It is nice to meet you, Daniel Jackson," Baymax says very politely. He makes a slight waving gesture but focuses on keeping Daniel steady.

"And I am Baymax, a personal healthcare companion, designed to heal the sick and injured."

[peacefulexplorer]

Daniel isn't quite sure what to say to that.

"Nice to meet you," he echoes vaguely, and figures now is as good a time as any to move on from one salient point to the next. "You, um - I don't, I don't wanna be rude here, but this - this is a dream. Do you, um, do you frequently dream?"

[soft_robot]

Baymax's head tilts, as if he's truly processing the question. "Perhaps I am dreaming. I must be in my charging dock. Perhaps Hiro has added upgrades."

[peacefulexplorer]

"I didn't know mechanical beings were capable," he admits gently. He's not sure how advanced this thing is, but he doesn't want to send it into some sort of robotic equivalent of an existential crisis. "Hiro, is that - is that your creator?"

[soft_robot]

Slowly, precisely, Baymax shakes his head. "I was created by Tadshi Hamada. Now I am maintained by his brother Hiro Hamada."

[peacefulexplorer]

"Oh." Those names aren't even a little familiar. Frown needling his forehead, he tries again.

"So you're - a, a medical robot." Saying it aloud is helping with processing, so he's going to keep at it. "And you have dreams. Are you - are you from Earth?" he asks with a sudden, blazing curiosity as the thought occurs to him for the first time.

[soft_robot]

"Yes, accurate. I am a personal healthcare companion, designed to heal the sick and injured" Baymax repeats.

"This is the first time I have dreamed."

[peacefulexplorer]

"That's - well, if you'll excuse me, that's fascinating," he says, quiet and wondering. "Dreaming is an odd reflex, innately emotional, usually indicating some level of, of, well. Emotional depth and intelligence." Which would make Baymax the first non-organic lifeform Daniel's personally encountered who's capable of such a feat.

"That's incredible," he breathes.

[soft_robot]

"Thank you. I will have to commend Hiro on his improved programming," Baymax says, neutral face looking almost pleased. "I think he will be very proud."

[peacefulexplorer]

He can't contain the bemused smile that pulls on one side of his mouth. That was a definite note of happiness in its tone; emotional variation is certainly a part of its 'programming.'

"Well, you can also give him my thanks for giving you a good sense of air physics." The ground isn't very far off, and he's finding it easier to breathe now that it isn't quite so dizzying a drop. "That - could've gone pretty badly back there."