enchanted forest . mingle

[misconceived]

WHO Forest planet occupants!
BROADCAST N/A
ACTION Enchanted Forest / Spa Time
WHEN Upon reaching the system (Jan. 4) to leaving it (Jan. 31)

[ It's another day, another planet for the Drift Fleet to explore. Whether it be relaxing in the landing field, checking out the spa (and subsequently getting urged to enter the woods), or taking on the Enchanted Forest's game, there's enough to do for stir-crazy Fleet members.

Just remember one thing: make it look good. ]

Comments

[parricida]

[--to Garak, who stares at both of them. The other boy looks awfully like Robin, enough that Garak wonders if he's is brother.]

Hello, my dear.

[He says it mildly, but his eyes are narrowed.]

A new friend?

[birdsbirdsbirds]

[this is not how he would have liked the illusion shattered. he looks increasingly anxious that Garak is there, seeing this, and it only gets worse as the boy named "Crow" grins wide with a mouth as sharp as the rest of him.]

Look, brother! What do you hope to do? Come with me, I'll save you he'll never know come WITH me before he knows he sees you can't be here just run run run run run .

[that last one was loud, echoes ominously through the trees... but Robin isn't moving, and the boy quickly goes from grinning to frowning, disappointed.]

Ah-- [look, there are his words.] Not new.

[parricida]

[Garak's eyes narrow as he stares at Crow. He has to be an illusion, just as Mila was-- but this boy looks far more dangerous than Mila ever would. Taking two steps forward, he grips Robin's elbow quite tightly, with a patient little smile.]

No, I didn't think so.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

[they both look... kind of surprised... that Garak grabbed his elbow.

the noise of the forest settles down. after a moment, it's just birds and rustling leaves, and Robin looking uncomfortably at Garak and Crow looking between the both of them, his frown growing thinner and thinner. but, the spell is broken, and the boy eventually leaves. he slinks back into the forest, watching until he's swallowed up by shadows and nowhere to be seen.

...which just leaves Garak and Robin, alone, by the side of the road. despite all of that, Robin's able to offer a weak smile.]

Figures.

[parricida]

I find it best not to interact with them at all, my dear. A word of advice.

[He drops his arm and exhales softly, his muscles slowly relaxing.]

[birdsbirdsbirds]

Ah, this... [he drops his arm, looks back into the trees...] ...Is really not how I would have liked us to have met in person...

[he's still a little... on edge. calming down, but he's got a long way to go.]

[parricida]

Ah, well. We can always lie when people ask us years from now.

[Now, if that was Robin's illusion, his own ought to be along any moment now. He exhales softly.]

I think we ought to be going, hm?

[birdsbirdsbirds]

[he forces another smile onto his face, more for himself than Garak.]

I suppose you're right. I'm not sure how far it is to the end, from here.

[but he'll start walking. let's... get away from the bad illusion spot and maybe he'll start to think clearly again.]

[parricida]

I can't imagine it's too far.

[He glances around. Yes, best they leave soon-- because as worrying as the illusions are, they're far more dangerous because of the emotions they inspire. Garak is far too eager to see his own illusion for his own liking; best to take himself away from temptation.

They make it half a mile without seeing anything, and despite himself, Garak finds himself anxious. Surely she'll come? Surely he's due an illusion as well? Just wait, he tells himself, just wait, she'll be here, and how pathetic, that he wants to see her so badly he'd content himself with just an illusion.

He needn't have worried. At the next corner they round, there she is.]

Mila.

[He breathes out her name without realizing it, but he can't help it: it's his mother, and oh, it's been years since he's seen her. She looks just the same as ever-- her eyes the same shade of blue, narrowed in a sensible expression, her white hair coiled back into a tight coil, her skin a darker shade of grey than Garak's own.

Elim, she says, and for a moment she allows herself a slight smile.]

[birdsbirdsbirds]

[well.

he'd spent most of that half-mile carefully weighing out different things, being very quiet as he brought himself back to normalcy. by the time more strange things start happening, he can almost forget that his talk with Crow ever happened. he could at least talk about it, laugh about it, detached and uncaring as he should be.

he stops at this new illusion--surprised, initially that it's not one of his own. it doesn't take a spectacular jump in logic to imagine who this older woman could be, though. he looks between the both of them and then, fittingly, puts a cautious hand on Garak's shoulder.

[parricida]

[Distantly, he feels Robin's hand on his shoulder. He ought to pull away, ought to ignore the illusion before him-- but each time he tells himself to look away, he finds he's still staring. It's greedy, the way he stares, the way he craves every word the figure says-- it's nothing more than an illusion, no more real than a holodeck program, and yet it's the closest he'll most likely ever get.]

I, ah-- my manners are gone. Robin, Mila.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

[boy... is this what it's like? hallucination or not, he thinks it would be rude to not acknowledge someone another person cares about, so... he looks the figure over, nods, and smiles politely.]

Hello, Mila.

[does she say anything? he wonders...]

[parricida]

[She does not, in fact-- a simple nod of her head, short and sharp, is all Robin gets. But that's not the illusion at fault; that's simply Mila.

Garak barks out a laugh and shakes his head. His eyes linger on his mother, though.]

Pathetic. Come along. We can't be far.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

[if that's the way it's going to be, Robin starts walking... but he keeps his hand on Garak's shoulder until he knows he's actually going to come with him too. consider it returning the favor.]