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

[biscuit_powered]

The tip of Asmodia's tail beats a tense tattoo on the wooden deck as Daniel speaks. The rest of her body is still but tense; she doesn't know of this Lucifer but she does know that she's not keen to introduce herself to any devil, let alone one supposedly at the top of some cosmology's command chain.

Hopefully he's enough like the major devils of home not to take any special interest in a fiend-tainted mortal who doesn't make it her business to be his business, or she'll have yet another reason to regret how badly she stands out in this world. She starts as Biscuit diplomatically puts his front paws on her tail and gently holds it down to stop her thumping. "He's manifested, then?" she asks, all humor gone from her voice. "You're certain his attention is on this region?"

[peacefulexplorer]

"I don't know if 'manifested' is the right word," he admits, caught between pensive consideration and sincere worry. "He's implied that he has a 'form' beyond what we see and the way he looks now is just - him 'wearing' a body, so to speak. I don't know how the mechanics work." And he doesn't want to think too closely on it either, though he invariably does so regardless. If there's any chance that the original owner of that body might still be in there -

"But yes," he continues, wrenching himself out of that disturbing line of thought. "He's, well, he's subject to the same constraints we all are. Can't leave the city, and I suspect he can't really do a whole lot of damage to it, either. Could be he just can't be bothered. Or it - could be the Rift's keeping him in check somehow." It would be one of the few things he'd have it to thank for.

[biscuit_powered]

Well, of course he looks like something else when he isn't physical -- or is incomprehensible when he isn't physical. That's par for the course if he's a major devil. Asmodia nods slowly. "Can you tell me what he presently looks like? Where I would be more likely to encounter him?"

If he's going to warn her, she'd like a little more information on how to take full advantage of the warning.

[peacefulexplorer]

"Male, bit taller than me, forty-something - walks a bit like he owns the place," Daniel rattles off easily. "He's not interested in keeping a low profile. And, thankfully, he doesn't really take an interest in anyone who doesn't take an interest in him. Probably can't stoop to be concerned with the mortals." Unless, of course, said mortals happen to be a subject of Lucifer's very unfortunate interest.

Daniel's still trying to figure out what exactly went wrong there. He shouldn't be surprised, not really, not when he makes the general habit of challenging every god he encounters.

"Just giving warning," he reiterates, making an effort to soften his tone somewhat. "It's highly unlikely he's gonna do much to target you or anyone specifically. He has other angels to worry about." Assuming Asmodia knows about angels, which - actually, does she know about angels? Are they a thing where she comes from? Maybe he should have saved that bombshell.

[biscuit_powered]

"Other angels?" Asmodia arches an eyebrow at him. She's relieved enough by the affirmation that this Lucifer likely won't take notice of her unless she does something to deliberately attract his attention, but they may need to work on some common terms here if he's going to call the same being both a devil and an angel. "I don't know what definition of angel you're working with, but he can't be an angel if he's the devil."

And just a subtle jab there re: Daniel's belief that there's something that can be called The Devil and that it's not Asmodeus.

[peacefulexplorer]

"Right, right, right." Daniel pauses to knead at the bridge of his nose briefly between pinched fingers. Cultural differences. He should be aware of this. Right. "Okay, so. In the mythology Lucifer originates from, he was originally an angel. An angel who fell, so to speak, and as a result became the Devil. But physiologically - er, biologically - however you choose to physically categorize a thing that isn't really physically categorizable - he's an angel. Technically. An archangel, actually, which makes him significantly more powerful -"

He drifts, grasping for a less dense, more linear way of explaining, and ultimately failing.

"Look," he says tiredly, "in my universe devils or angels don't exist period. Not in the conventional sense, anyway. In others, they apparently do. Obviously whatever rules that might, to you, typically apply aren't gonna necessarily bridge that interdimensional gap."

[biscuit_powered]

Cosmological differences. There isn't exactly a lot of wiggle room in Asmodia's world to go around pretending the gods (even those that are devils) don't exist, even if it is sometimes a matter of debate whether they're really quite the beings mortals understand them to be. For Daniel to claim that devils and angels just don't exist where he comes from is not only baffling but alarming, though at least he isn't going about denying the existence of gods in general. Yet, anyway.

"Yeah," she says dryly. "It's safe to say we have them where I come from. But not quite the same ones if this Lucifer is supposed to be so powerful, and not if he's meant to have been an angel."

[peacefulexplorer]

"No." His hands falls away to wrap loosely around his chest. Discussing Lucifer has had the predictable, unwanted side effect of stirring up an unpleasant reminder: Daniel's still on his radar, so to speak, and has recently moved into a very much unwarded apartment. He's going to need to talk to Gabe about that one. "There's - a lot of variation. Too much, some would say."

He looks back at her and tries to pull himself into something that looks vaguely more composed with a fleeting, tugging smile.

"So you're - you're covered when it comes to housing and whatnot, right?" he asks lightly in an utterly graceless shift in subject.

[biscuit_powered]

If he knows of angels and demons, she's a little surprised he hasn't said anything about her appearance...and maybe a little grateful that he isn't bringing it up. Most people here don't seem to know what to make of her, but that's not so very new, really.

"I, uh...yes. Yes, I've been provided for, there's...people. Who helped me." And who made it clear that theirs was a secret organization.

[peacefulexplorer]

"Uh-huh." She's being evasive, which he's willing to let slide. Given her rather distinctive appearance, it would make sense she'd want to stay under the radar.

He winces briefly, brow darkening with regret. "Yeah, just - you've probably heard this already but, uh, non-humans - or very obviously non-humans - they're not always seen well in public light. Unfortunately."

[biscuit_powered]

"I'd heard," she confirms dryly. Acidic as she may seem, though, she's visibly more relaxed now than she was when they first sat down, having decided (unconsciously, at least) that he's not a threat. She leans forward to rest her chin on her knees and heaves a sigh. "Don't worry, it's not that much different from home that way."

[peacefulexplorer]

Daniel hums in concerned sympathy, expression distant and uncertain. "I'm sorry."

He struggles momentarily to put together the appropriate wording for what he means to say next, unsure if it could be construed as offensive. He doesn't have a lot of choice in pushing forward, so he does.

"Not to say everyone reacts that way," he continues, making an effort to lighten his tone. "Quite a few of my closest friends were non-terrestrials, er, aliens. Some weren't even on this plane, so." He shrugs and lifts his eyebrows in what he hopes communicates a hesitant optimism. "If there's ever anything you need in the waking world, it wouldn't be out of my way."

[biscuit_powered]

"I just...didn't expect that so many people would be entirely unused to seeing non-humans," she admits. "But it's alright. I have the means to pass among these people. I will be fine." And it's only temporary, she doesn't remind him.

She does manage a faint smile of gratitude. "Thank you, though."

Even as she speaks, she can feel herself being...tugged away? She frowns, brow furrowing as the dream world goes more vague around her. "I think --" she starts to say, but already the sounds of the woods are layered over with what she vaguely recognizes as the sounds of the hall outside her door.