Kelyeah: Treehouse of Awesomeness

@HawkeyeRoy Wiping the dust|sand and revealing a confused|concerned reflection, the adventurer|Interloper would find it hard to focus on the contents of the forgotten|misplaced mirror. The tomb|hallway in the background seemed to be in two states at once, casting impossible lights|shadows across the glass. After blinking twice, the reflection was back to normal. Just a dusty mirror in a hall of mirrors. How Bella got here was unclear, but what was more important was finding an exit. The teal light bouncing through the maze found every corner of the reflective labyrinth, illuminating the path to a door. But the door was reflected many times, making its true location unclear.

BellaKhora twists her head around, staring at her surroundings in bafflement. she calls out. "Yvonne?" and listens to it bounce off the walls... No, she isn't here. But where is here? Shaking off the bewilderment, Bella flicks her eyes from mirror to mirror. That light must be coming from somewhere; she follows the beams, putting the concern and confusion of this displacement momentarily behind her in favor of finding answers.

Strange faces flittered around in the edges of each mirror, faintly coming through in the rays of light that weaved around the halls like tangled shoelaces. With each passing beam came a small pulse of calmness, of memory, and of knowledge. There was some strange sensation that these halls were known, that they carved a path to familiarity with their direction. The beams led BellaKhora to a round room of mirrors, a clearing in the reflective forest where a few green lights hung from the gilded ceiling. In the center were two strange cats, who seemed to have been just talking a moment earlier. The one with the long hair turned to speak first. "Greetings. Another Interloper... seems like everything is coming together. I am Sir William Trace, and this is Sir Norman Ives. Might we know your name, Interloper?"

As she stares, the sense of bafflement returns. She furrows her brow, and grits out a response. "...Bella. Why are you calling me an interloper, exactly? I'm not here on purpose." A pause, and the frustration twists into an embarrassed, sheepish expression. Courtesy borne from a balanced upbringing clawing it's way out from behind her worry. "Sorry for the rude introduction; I'm not really feeling super trusting of people I just met, in a place I feel I've been before but don't remember."

Norman nodded and spoke next. "Entirely understandable. Perhaps we can better explain what an Interloper is. But we would do best not to disorient you further, so how about we get somewhere more comfortable?" One of the mirrors slowly opened like a door, revealing a comfortable room with green carpet on the other side.

Oh. That was easier than She thought it would be. "Ah, um. Ok then." She takes a steadying breath in... And out. Then tentatively walks through the mirror.

If the path through the mirrors was carved in familiarity, this room was crafted from it. The green carpet, dark brown boiserie, and white ceilings gently enclosed a room of soft Victorian furniture and warm vibes. The two felines entered, taking a moment for Bella to relax before beginning an explanation of everything; with the help of a chalkboard, Norman and Trace explained the situation with Box, Traveler, the Interlopers, and the "copy" of BellaKhora.

Sitting there with a dazed expression, Bella ponders her own existence; and that of others. Copy... She shakes her head and returns to the present. It doesn't matter if there's a copy, both are real. "So who are you two exactly? Seeing as you know so much about this place and what's going to happen to me I figure you're pretty important."

"Well, as I said before, I'm Sir William Trace. I'm the head butler of Grimalkin Manor, as well as the head of the Steldomic Institute. I've served as Box's right hand man for a very long time. "And I, Sir Norman Ives, am the groundskeeper for the manor, and the primary servant of the Interloper. But as it stands, there's currently multiple Interlopers, and only one me." Trace nodded, looking to Norman and back to Bella. "Previously, there was only a single Interloper that took on multiple identities over time. Their names are not to be spoken or recorded in polite company." Norman continued where Trace stopped. "The First Interloper. Their presence became a pillar of Box's inspiration, his drive to create. So when they vanished, they took away Box's will to create - allowing Traveler to come back and take everything from Box, nearly dooming this universe. I can't help but feel partly responsible, considering my position."

Bella stares at Norman and Trace, looking annoyed. "Huh. This first interloper sounds like they kind of sucked." She glances around the room, then blinks. Right, what now? "So... Now that you've told me all of this, what am I supposed to do with this information? It's not like I have anywhere to go right now; Yvonne and my duplicate will be fine without me."

"It's important to know before you meet Box. We aren't meant to pass judgement on those who came before you - we just mean to give you a better understanding of this world." Trace looked to the door, smiling. "And here he comes now." The door opened to reveal a green-suited orange feline on the other side, stepping through with a smile on his face. "Hello! Yet another Interloper. This is the first time I believe I've had two together in the building at once. This is an exciting time! I'm Box, and I'm very pleased to meet you."

"...Um, Hi. My names is BellaKhora, but you probably knew that already." isn't this guy a god? Doesn't he have more important things to be doing? -# "Orange cat named Box... Why am I thinking about backwash?"

Box nodded, taking a seat on a nearby chaise. "Sorry if this seems a bit jarring - normally I'd be a bit gentler with getting everyone here, but the situation is getting a little... difficult. You wouldn't happen to be the adventurous type, would you?"

Bella's eyes shoot open as her head bobs up and down. "Yep, mhmm! Can do adventure! I didn't really get to continue my last one." She wiggles around in her seat.

"Good, good. Although, you technically are continuing that other one, just... not directly, yet. Your memories should merge later. Anyways, want to see where we make planets? We could use someone adventurous to give feedback on new worlds."

She stills slightly. "Ah, alright. I'm not entirely sure how I can help with world quality control, though? You're asking me to provide an opinion on an entire planet, and um... I don't think I'm qualified to do that?"

"Hmm, that's understandable. I'm going to go check on someone there though, would you like to come with me or just explore the mansion for a bit?"

Oh, well alright then. Seems as good a chance as any to explore. "Yeah ok! I should probably have some supervision in here anyway, right? I'll go with you." She clambers down off the tall chair and waves at Norman and Trace. "Bye bye for now, guys!"

The others waved, before Box headed out the door to lead Bella off to the planetary forge...