thehometree | Glimmer, glitter, shine...

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Glimmer, glitter, shine...

One by one, new adventurers now arrive in the Tree. As one gain wings and rises to the second floor, another light brings in the next person. Soon, a steady stream of people from all kinds of worlds, times and realities come to join the others. Whether confused, angry, excited or scared, your arrival is welcomed with nothing but joy as the fireflies and glow worms descend to greet their new friends.

The Tree offers no explanation and no reason, but the truth is undeniable.

As you will soon realize, it isn't easy to be tiny.

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"That's - strange," she says out loud, thinking maybe hearing some of her thought process will put Korra more at ease.

"I think you came here before I did. I haven't seen either of those." She frowns. "Houses. If they don't have occupants already, this is supposed to be a prolonged stay."

"I was afraid of that," Korra admits with a quick look up at the hole in the ceiling.

"Aside from the people showing up like us, this place looked empty when I checked it out earlier. That means it's new--new and meant for us." Just as Kuvira suspects.

"Is this a prison?" It may be big and well appointed - and the weirdest she can imagine - but this is all very unsettling.

"It could be. Obviously they want us for something, if they've gone through this much trouble."

Korra gives Kuvira a considering look.

"If we want to figure out what's going on, we should work together," she says, working hard to keep her expression even. "If you're okay with that--I know I'm not at my best right now."

Kuvira looks back steadily. She's out of her depth, and there isn't anyone she feels like she can look to for direction, not yet. Korra is here but weakened and uncertain. If someone is to make decisions and plans it's going to have to be her.

She reaches out, and clasps the Avatar's shoulder. "There's still a lot you can do that I can't. It would be my honor, Korra."

Finally, she manages to bring a small smile to Korra's face. It means a little more than Kuvira might think, that those words are coming from someone who Korra had been unconsciously jealous of for the past few years. Someone who had been doing good in the world while Korra had still been struggling with just simply walking.

Toph's words echo in her head now. Your problem is you've been disconnected from everything. Kuvira might not be her parents or her friends from Republic City, but she's familiar. It would be a good first step to take, figuratively speaking.

Korra puts her hand over Kuvira's, looking a little less uncertain now. "I guess it's settled then. We should check out the rest of this tree and try testing the mist outside again later."

She nods decisively

"We should. It may be too much to hope for, that we can tunnel out of here, but we still need to check. Even if nothing else presents itself, you should find me and tell me where you plan to sleep." Kuvira will not shadow her everywhere. She doesn't seem like she needs it, thankfully.

Time to prepare for a bit of a stay, Korra supposes. Hopefully it wouldn't be one that lasts too long.

"We should just use the houses on the other floors, since they're already there," she says thoughtfully. "Let's take a look at those first, see if we can find anything."

Kuvira really doesn't want to resign herself to this. It doesn't look like there's a choice, though.

She decides against offering the Avatar one of her cable spools. Korra doesn't carry water with her and there's scarcely any earth to bend, but she still has air and fire. "All right. I haven't seen those yet anyway."

"No better time to check them out," Korra says, already turning on her heels.

She leads them toward the stream of life, pausing just in front of it. After a determined glance at her wings, Korra jumps into the air and takes off. Though she seems to struggle a bit, she eventually makes it through the hole in the ceiling.

Kuvira doesn't really like the feel of the light. It's just... strange, and inexplicable.

She hangs back a bit before following, not sure about her trajectory, and has to get a running start before jumping. The armor is heavy. To speed her way Kuvira broadcasts one of her cables when she's close enough, and lets it guide her up as she flies. Flying, admittedly, she enjoys the feeling of. Unlike dance, it doesn't need a partner, but it reminds her of that all the same.

Korra waits for her on the second floor, gaze a little distant as she watches the life stream. She seems to shake off her odd mood when she sees Kuvira, though, walking over to her.

"There's a few people already poking around, but I think most of the people we showed up with are still down there." She gestures at the four houses lined up against the walls of the tree. "Doesn't look like these will fit all of us, so there must be more on the higher levels."

"The ceiling here looks as high as in the other chamber, and I think the walls are the same distance," she estimates, craning her neck. She's not sure whether it would be promising or not, if there wasn't enough space for everyone. Through her outfit Kuvira can feel that it's a little chilly in here, not dramatically but enough that sleeping inside the tree might be uncomfortable.

"Is that a leaf on the next floor?"

Korra tilts her head up, squinting until she sees what Kuvira does. "Oh yeah. There's a fern up there and some other plants. Water basins, too... at least, I think that's what they're supposed to be."

Her attention drifts as she examines the houses on the current floor, until it's caught by the hole in one part of the wall. Somehow she'd missed it the first time around.

"Think that goes anywhere?" She asks Kuvira, pointing.

"There's just one way to find out." It occurs to Kuvira that she should be able to fly a straight line, too, not just up and down, so a few steps in she starts to move the wings, breaks into a trot and skims along the floor, touching down a few times just long enough to push herself off again.

Landing at the hole, which becomes almost a hallway, she assumes a serious face again. Kuvira likes the flying, but feels like she shouldn't, she should stay professional.

Korra takes off after Kuvira just a second later, wings fluttering behind her as she flies at a slightly slower pace. She learned her lesson the first time around.

Once they've stepped out onto the branch, Korra immediately notices the slab of rock and the flowers surrounding it. "Is that...some kind of altar?"

Through the door - wow, they're high up. "That's what it looks like. Come on."

Skimming and hopping seems to be a good way to cover distance. Kuvira's not at all certain of her flying ability and that's a very long way to fall if she misjudges, but she has absolute faith that she can catch herself with her cables. In the end she doesn't have to - she corrects her course with a cable, not knowing how to turn in the air, though.

There is food, or what looks like food, laid out on the stone slab, but instead of focusing on it Kuvira lays a hand on the stone, reassured to find something of her element.

As Kuvira examines the stone, Korra surveys the new area with critical eyes, only relaxing slightly when nothing jumps out at them. Then, she joins Kuvira at the altar, though she doesn't reach out to touch anything just yet.

"So I guess the question now is, who's the food for? If it's for us, this isn't going to last us very long, with the number of people showing up." Korra picks up one of the nuts now, hefting it in her hand. She's really hoping their "kind hosts" already thought of the supply problem. With the mist keeping them boxed in, there's not really much they can do for food on their own.

The stone is good and solid, and Kuvira has to make herself turn away from it. She isn't sure she's ever been away from her element for as long as this. Her own armor and the scraps of metal and rock inside, much of it carried by people, are hardly the same as walking on it.

Kuvira looks at the piled food, makes a quick estimation of how many people she saw, and then bumps it up a bit. "A day or so. Not a lot longer rationed, I'm not sure how well any of this keeps." And she knows next to nothing about foraging or hunting. "I'd say there are easier ways to kill us, but I'm not sure the logic of whoever did this is that clear."

Korra nods grimly. "We should spread the word about the rations in case people start getting hungry. After that...we can figure something out."

She puts the nut back onto the pile, hands on her hips as she scans the area again.

"Looks like that's all there is here. We should check the rest of the tree."

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Glimmer, glitter, shine...

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