HAWKS PALACE

[doublefried]

The process of entering the palace is... smooth. Painless.


You are falling, but it's not scary at the speed you're going. You drop through the pre-dawn sky like a feather, light and easy on a breeze, descending towards a bright and multicolored island in a sea of dark trees.

When you land, you are somewhere new.

Comments

[rootsforyou]

ah.

[IT'S ACTUALLY JAIL...........

peers into one of the little cell windows, checking to see if Hawks is stuck in there]

[doublefried]

There's a stuffed animal shaped like him sitting on the cot, but it doesn't seem like the real one is in here!

[rootsforyou]

[is the door unlocked to the cell? SHE WOULD LIKE TO GO GET THE STUFFED VERSION OF HIM OUT OF THERE...]

[doublefried]

The door is unlocked! When she touches the handle she remembers being ordered to assassinate a gang leader and also carrying it out, but the door opens just fine.

[rootsforyou]

[hey hawks is everything okay in your society, right now,,???

wipes her hands on her robes like it will help make the memory less wild, and then goes to pick up the stuffed Hawks. it is coming out with her even if it also has a wild memory]

[doublefried]

It doesn't contain a memory, but it does contain an emotion! It is the feeling of being trapped in a situation you have no way out of and desperately wanting out.

[rootsforyou]

[THAT MIGHT BE WORSE THAN A MEMORY

hugs it. she's taking the stuffed Hawks with her. she's also going to poke her head into the next window down; she wants to make sure the real him isn't here at all]

[doublefried]

They all have stuffed animals! Except for the last one, which is occupied.

[rootsforyou]

[she would be tempted to collect all of the stuffed animals but she's too surprised by seeing a real person]

...? Madam?

[doublefried]

"Hey."

She waves.

[rootsforyou]

[does this lady look like anyone from the photos in the museum by chance]

Hello. If it isn't too rude, might I ask what you're doing in there?

[doublefried]

She was absolutely not in any of the museum photos.

"Well, I'm locked up because I killed someone."

[rootsforyou]

Somehow, I feel like that explanation should be a little more nuanced... Might I ask your name?

[doublefried]

"My hero name was Lady Nagant. You're looking for Hawks, right?"

[rootsforyou]

I am. Would you happen to know where he is? I'm sure he can handle himself just fine, but I'm a bit worried about him nonetheless.

[doublefried]

"Well, I'm pretty limited in what I can see, being in jail and all. But since you're backstage you're probably heading in the right direction."

[rootsforyou]

...Are you friends with him, by chance?

[doublefried]

"Nah. I had his job before him. I'm more of a chilling reminder than anything."

[rootsforyou]

...I see. I thought that you might want to meet with him. Should I send him this way, if I find him?

[doublefried]

"Dunno that he'll want to see me, really."

[rootsforyou]

If you're here, it seems like he should have a talk with you whether he wants to or not. You hold a place in his heart, after all.

[doublefried]

"Hah. Well, I'm willing to talk to him."

[rootsforyou]

[can she try the door to see if it's locked or not]

Then...it might be asking too much, but would you like to join me?

[doublefried]

It resists at first, but with a pull there's a memory. This time it's not an assassination.

This time it's an appointment with what sees to be some kind of therapist. While they're not dressed the same as the men with clipboards in some of the other memories, they have the same calculated gaze. Calm, businesslike, without a shred of empathy.

It's a general wellness check-in. They want to make sure you're not unstable. Is everything going okay? How are your stress levels? If you feel as though there's too much on your plate between your two roles, we can arrange for a substitute. As a reminder, your mental health is our highest priority.

We wouldn't want a repeat of the incident with your predecessor, after all -

It clicks open.

"In looking for the runaway bird, you mean?"

[rootsforyou]

[she flinches when the memory ends abruptly]

...Yes, that's right. It might be nice for the both of you to have a conversation after what you've been through.