[Heart Game] From the ashes we can build

[castaside]

WHO: Macaque, Red Son, Wukong, Korone, Donnie, Cole, Wash
WHAT: Soul fixin'
WHEN: March 9
WHERE: Red Son's house, Blossomcrown
WARNINGS: will be marked

Comments

Re: Level C

[othellovonryan]

Donnie freezes in place after the dodging. Sets his foot back on the elevator. Looks at the hole.

"Okay," he said. Purple energy forms at his back. Spidershell has many uses, but that's why ninpo is useful. He can still access the hover pack. "Lets see if its floor is lava rules," he said, and he'll hover out of the elevator, on high alert for more projectiles.

Re: Level C

[castaside]

Nothing happens. The staff just stands there, unimpressed with the hovering.

There is a new hole that needs dealt with, but other than that it's just the staff.

Re: Level C

[othellovonryan]

"Okay. Its floor is lava rules," Donnie said, hovering off the ground. He will venture further, lowering his goggles to scan the room, see if there's anything peculiar movement in the shadows or signs for other traps.

Re: Level C

[castaside]

Not a single thing. There is nothing. The entire place is still and quiet. No other objects flying around.

The staff stands there, waiting.

Re: Level C

[othellovonryan]

All right.

He will move close to the staff. Still looking around.

Pooookes the staff and jerks back in case the staff is also lava.

Re: Level C

[castaside]

The staff doesn't move, doesn't wobble, don't anything. It just stands there. You get the physical sense that you're poking an immovable wall rather than a staff that's balanced on the ground.

Re: Level C

[othellovonryan]

"Well, at least its not lava," he said. Pushing the staff some more and yeah.

Yeah, that ain't moving.

"I'm guessing this is a monkey thing?" He calls over to the elevator.

Re: Level C

[noodleboi]

"Me and Monkey King can move it! And the gauntlet lets you too!" MK said pointing at the ground. He looked over at Monkey King.

"You want it or me? Or should we just toss the gauntlet?"

Re: Level C

[othellovonryan]

"I already have two different staff options," Donnie said, flying back over to the elevator. "I can bring you over though so we don't trigger the trap again."

Re: Level C

[retirementsnotsopeachy]

"You're probably overthinking it, turtle kid. MK can get the staff and I'm keeping an eye out for more of those shard things."

Wukong was also debating the filling of the hole. They had many options between them. But who's to use, and which?

Re: Level C

[noodleboi]

"Alright. You got it," MK nodded and held out his arms for Donnie to pick him up.

"Let's get the staff. Then fix the hole. Figure out what we wanna put there," MK said with a nod. They had a plan.

Re: Level C

[othellovonryan]

"You want to risk more holes?" Donnie asked. Maybe the trap won't trigger again.

OR MAYBE IT WOULD.

And then its more holes to fill.

Donnie grabs MK and then lifts him like he's a couple of grapes. "Besides, its not hard," he said, giving a bit of a yank up to wrap arms around MK's middle so he has easy use of hands.

Then going to hover MK on over to the staff for pulling.

Re: Level C

[noodleboi]

"I might have something that can help with the filling of the holes. Autumn powers let us create rocks. We can probably keep them floating and move people around. So no one has to touch the ground. First things first," MK said.

He spit on his hands and grabbed the staff once he was in range. He pulled hard.

"Come back to daddy~"

Re: Level C

[castaside]

When you touch the staff, you don’t get a memory. What you do get are echoing screams that startle you and are so loud that they hurt your now-sensitive ears. Covering them is a help, if you do, but it can’t block the screams out entirely.

Below the staff, where the hill just was, is Macaque, lying supine, writhing on the ground. The staff is jammed through his right eye which is trickling blood. Pull the staff out, and the trickle will become a gush.

In order to progress, you’ll need to yank the staff out. You’ll have to effectively, symbolically, kill him.

This is Macaque’s soul, of course. He won’t really be dying if you do this. But, as Macaque looks so real and his screams thunder through you, good luck telling yourself that.

Re: Level C

[othellovonryan]

Well, this is why we make noise cancelling headphones, now don't we? With the sudden loud noise, they shut off toe block out the sounds.

Well, as well as one can block out magical hearing, but it keeps him from flinching too badly, his arms tightening around MK and-

Oh.

Oh fuck.

Re: Level C

[noodleboi]

No. NO! This...MK's eyes widen as he heard the screams. They can't be shut out. He stared at Macaque writhing and screaming under him. He couldn't turn off his hearing! He tried but it wouldn't cut out the sounds of those SCREAMS! MK's hands shook as he gripped the staff. He couldn't move. He could only stare. This was how it happened? This was how he died?! Screaming in pain and the staff had to come out. It had to.

Blood. There was blood everywhere. All of the blood. So much.

Tears fell as he started down at Macaque. It hurt. His ears hurt but his heart hurt more.

"I...I'm sorry!" He tried to cry back over the screams. He pulled the staff. He pulled it out.

"I'M SORRY!"

Re: Level C cw: blood, death

[castaside]

Just before the staff comes out, Macaque's screams plead with you not to. But they're screaming Wukong's name.

When the staff comes out, it's with a small spray of blood and viscera. And then the blood starts flowing, and Macaque's screams fade into stillness.

He remains on the ground after he bleeds out, his corpse's face going slack and turning so his one-eyed gaze is locked on the elevator.

Re: Level C

[bluediligence]

[ The screams hurt.

… But nothing hurts worse than seeing Macaque in such pain, writing in agony.

Korone pushes through and yeets herself to him, so fast she may as well have teleported, skidding to her knees by his side. ]

Sensei-!

Re: Level C

[castaside]

No more shards fly out of the sky when you touch the ground. Macaque is laying there screaming WUkong's name, pleading with him not to... something. Yank the staff out, probably.

He doesn't appear to be comforted by your presence, sadly. This is the past. You weren't there, so he can't perceive you.

Re: Level C

[schrodingerscockroach]

He flinches at the screaming before the helmet cuts out the noise, deafening him. His head whips around to Donnie and MK and-

Fuck, the kids.

He's already moving over. Did it have to happen? Surely not. If there was biofoam in the supply closet, he definitely grabbed that, already reaching in his bag for it.

Re: Level C

[castaside]

MK already yanked the staff. Macaque starts bleeding from his eye, and his screams die down as the sound in this space returns to eerie silence.

He's already gone by the time Wash would get there.

Re: Level C

[forgingfires]

"No-" Red Son gasped, staring at the scene.

The scene that haunted his life.

The scene he saw in Choco's heart.

The scene he knows happened, but he didn't want to happen, the reason he used that cursed chant to prevent-

He's fire and then he's by Macaque, and its a memory, he knows its a memory, but he still throws spring healing at him anyway.

Re: Level C

[castaside]

The Spring healing does nothing for Macaque as he bleeds out from his now-hollow eye socket. He doesn't seem to see you or perceive you in any way, but you've got a front row seat for his screams fading into silence and his body going slack.

Re: Level C

[retirementsnotsopeachy]

There was the real challenge.

The screams snapped Wukong out of his current focus and he whipped around, eyes wide. Knowing that wasn't how that happened didn't stop the shock, or his blood running cold, and he froze for just a minute before jumping into action. "Kids!"

He rushed to MK and Donnie's sides, his hands moving to place one on each of their shoulders. This would linger on them both the most, so he needed to be there for them as the staff was pulled free.

Re: Level C

[castaside]

Macaque screams Wukong's name, pleading for him to stop. It's in the past, of course, but it might be a challenge to accept that when he's right there, his screams ringing in your overly sensitive ears.

You're right there as MK pulls the staff out, and Macaque's blood sprays in a small fountain, the rest of his blood staining the hillside red. His screams fade out and thin into silence that feels much heavier than before.