Ilphyl Palace Run

[spacetogrow]

Content Warning

Parts of Ilphyl’s past deal with religiously motivated child abuse, sexism (albeit fantasy sexism as it is against male drow), transphobia and fantasy racism. If you want to engage with Ilphyl’s Palace, but not this content, let me know and I can make sure you stay on an alternate route. I’ll also put warnings on particular rooms if it seems likely to come up, and use the subject lines of threads to add in warnings if it comes up unexpectedly.

Goal
Find and return Ilphyl's consciousness to prominence. You know it will take the form of a small bat, but aren't sure how you know this.

Comments

True Heart (?:??)

[spacetogrow]

This space is underground but natural. The walls appear to be the roots of a tree above your head forming a domed wall/ceiling, while the floor is heavily covered by various mushrooms and flowering plants. Above, gaps in the roots show a starlit sky with beams of moonlight illuminating it, and glowing vines hanging through to ground level. It smells like a forest right after rain, and seems far more phosphorescent than any real place could be.

A gravel-covered path leads down to a central flat stone, directly over what must be the trunk of the tree.

Re: True Heart (?:??)

[terribletwos]

Where are we? Is this a cave?

Re: True Heart (?:??)

[spacetogrow]

This is the center. Here.

[offers bat, who is looking more alert]

Bring them to the center of the room and let them fly. They were lost, but aren't now.

Re: True Heart (?:??)

[terribletwos]

[Is holding a bat now]

Oh, so we were helping them get out of that other place.

[Carefully carries bat to the center as instructed and opens his hands to give the bat a launching pad]

Go for it, buddy!

Re: True Heart (?:??)

[spacetogrow]

[As soon as you take the bat, you get the strong sense that Ilphyl is beside you, even if it still looks, feels, sounds and smells like a bat]

[they give a little high-pitched chirp and stretch out their wings for flight before taking off.]

[Congratulations you have completed this Palace run; feel free to go back to rooms you skipped if you like.]

Re: True Heart (?:??)

[terribletwos]

[Is confused but smiles at the bat going along their way]

I hope that helped...

[Maybe will go back to the temple since the most was going on there]

Re: True Heart (?:??)

[beexceptional]

Are you safe here?

Re: True Heart (?:??)

[spacetogrow]

Yes. If I'm not safe here, I'm not safe anywhere.

Re: True Heart (?:??)

[beexceptional]

Good.

Is the little bat here?

[Looking around because]

[Listen, she was having some PTSD flashback, she didn't notice.]

Re: True Heart (?:??)

[spacetogrow]

No, they are with me.

[has mostly concealed them in their shirt, but presents, a sleepy-looking black and white bat]

Re: True Heart (?:??)

[beexceptional]

Oh!

Well.

Good, that's good! I've been looking for them. [Coming over and going to kneel down to look over the bat.]

Re: True Heart (?:??)

[spacetogrow]

[they looks a bit disoriented but is waking up and starting to be alert]

Do you want to take them?

Re: True Heart (?:??)

[beexceptional]

...

I think so. I'm supposed to find them and help them take control.

[She holds out her hand.]

They'll be safe. I won't let anyone hurt them.

Re: True Heart (?:??)

[spacetogrow]

[the bat hopes over to her hands]

[it looks, sounds, feels and smells like a Perfectly Normal Bat, but there is the sense that Ilphyl is standing right next to her]

Okay, but you also need to let them fly. Because they need to be out with you as well as able to come back here.

[once their hands are free, the child points at the openings in the ceiling]

Re: True Heart (?:??)

[beexceptional]

[Will cradle the bat close, being careful to not squish or anything.]

[Oh no, tiny bat, being trusted to keep teammate safe, OH NO OH NO OH NO]

[She can do this, she's fine, this is fine!]

[She looks up.]

So I need to let them fly out there on their own, or get them out there and then let them fly?

Re: True Heart (?:??)

[spacetogrow]

They can make it on their own if you carry them to the center of the room and let them go.

[the bat cheeps; you can do this Chloe]

Re: True Heart (?:??)

[beexceptional]

....oh. I...

I think I get it.

[Sometimes you can only push somewhere to where they need to be, and then you have to let them figure it out.]

[Like she did getting Adrien into school.]

[Her heart aches because she also remembers how that turned out.]

[For a moment, her grip gets a little tighter.]

[But....]

[He was also happier.]

[And that might have been worth it.]

[She lets out a breath, her grip loosening as she stands up.]

Let's go, Ilphyl. [And she turns to walk to the middle of the room.]

Re: True Heart (?:??)

[spacetogrow]

[the bat is continuing to chirp at you as they wake up]

[we can do this!]

Re: True Heart (?:??)

[beexceptional]

[There is a part of her that wants to hold on tight. She likes Nymph. She likes Ilphyl. She likes feeling like she belongs with people for once.]

[The thought of letting go is frightening because the last time she did, she lost someone important. And even if he seemed willing to talk here-]

[She lost him again.]

[But he was happier.]

[He was happier then he had been, and part of it was being free. Free from the home that trapped him, being able to decide.]

....please come back. [Its a soft whisper to the bat.] I....I know I'm not the best person. I know I'm mean and cruel.

But Nymph is the first place where I don't feel lonely.

So please come back.

[Then she raises her hands up and opens them for the bat.]

Re: True Heart (?:??)

[spacetogrow]

[there is a limit to what a bat can do to show affection, but you do get a lick before the bat takes off, and circles a few times as if trying to be reassuring before exiting.]

[Congrats, you have completed the run! Feel free to go back to explore if you like.]

Re: True Heart (?:??)

[beexceptional]

[Oh no.]

[Even getting licked by an animal can't counter the feelings.]

[She]

[She is gonna go back, she thinks.]

[Just]

[She is having a lot of feelings and she wants to be sure things are fine.]

[Also I wanna touch.]

Re: True Heart (?:??)

[spacetogrow]

[=feel free to head back to a different comment!]