[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 S

[bluediligence]

[ Korone, for her part, seems ...

Okay?

A long, long, long way from fine, but she's steady and she's dealing. ]

We can assume West is covered, so three way RNG works for me.

Re: Level S

[othellovonryan]

[He activates a number generator for directions and]

Let's go North.

Re: Level S

[bluediligence]

North it is.

[ ONWARDS. NORTHWARDS. Korone sticks close to Donnie, but stops herself from reaching for his hand like she wants to. ]

Level S - North Room

[castaside]

The room brings you to Macaque’s shadow theater. The purple light that seems to be coming from no source in particular is interrupted by glowing blue cracks that wind through the audience seating and up to the stage. There are icicles here and there which frame the stage like sharp little Christmas lights. Your shadow is correspondingly dappled.

There are a series of items lined up on the stage. If you watch your step, you should be able to get to them without much trouble avoiding the blue cracks. There is also a single glittering item in the stands where the audience would sit, over on the right hand side about ten rows back from the stage.

Re: Level S - North Room

[othellovonryan]

"Well....not...the worst room for us?" Donnie said. He holds out his arms for her. "I can hover easier than your wings?"

Re: Level S - North Room

[bluediligence]

[ MAKING A FUCKING FACE AT THE ICE ]

[ AND THE CRACKS ]

You got the warnings, right? About ice and glowy eyes and all that?

[ But she'll climb aboard the Donnie Express. ]

Re: Level S - North Room

[othellovonryan]

Yes, I did.

[Picking her up.] Want to see what's in the stands first?

Re: Level S - North Room

[bluediligence]

[ She figured that Mac wouldn't let anyone within fifty feet of his heart without giving them as much warning as he could about the dangers they might run into, but. Still. She had to check. ]

Sure.

And I've got my pendant set to shield just in case.

Re: Level S - North Room

[othellovonryan]

[He nods.] And I have back ups if needed.

[But he'll keep a firm hold around her and hover into the air to head for the glittering thing in the stands.]

Re: Level S - North Room

[bluediligence]

Back ups?

[ In this house we stan LOOKING BEFORE WE LEAP, so Korone does not immediately reach for the item - which turns out to be a ring. ]

Okay. I'm gonna touch.

[ She waits a beat, though, giving Donnie enough time to say no. If he doesn't ...

Time to pick up a ring. ]

Re: Level S - North Room

[othellovonryan]

Fabricate walls. But they take a few moments longer than your shields. [He can get them up fast, but not cast fast.]

Got it. Hopefully there will be less...screaming....

[He keeps a firm hold on her though.]

Re: Level S - North Room

[castaside]

The ring is pretty, and you feel that it is very important to what you're doing here.

Re: Level S - North Room

[bluediligence]

Gold monkey, huh ...

[ She turns it over in her hand, examining it without putting it on. ]

It feels important. [ And it looks like it's the perfect size for her, which isn't spooky at all, wow. ] No memory, though. Unless I need to put it on.

Re: Level S - North Room

[othellovonryan]

...try it out? He didn't really warn about gold or rubies.

Re: Level S - North Room

[bluediligence]

[ A little smile. ]

I'm, uh. I can be a li'l overly cautious in heart games. [ She bites back an apology, albeit only just.

But.

Okay.

She puts on the ring. ]

Re: Level S - North Room

[castaside]

The ring shines briefly, brilliantly. Just for a moment, and then it fades out. It fits you perfectly, like it was meant for your finger.

You feel strongly that you need to hang onto this.

Re: Level S - North Room

[bluediligence]

... Okay. No memory, definitely a key item.

Stage next?

Re: Level S - North Room

[othellovonryan]

Maybe its something to help keep us safe?

[But off to the stage! Very careful to hover around those ice shards.]

Re: Level S - North Room

[bluediligence]

Maybe ...

Or maybe it could actually be a key to something, somewhere.

[ Korone is keeping an eagle eye out for potential dangers, and also to hopefully get a good look at the items from a safe distance. ]

Re: Level S - North Room

[castaside]

On the stage you find five items, lined up as if they're waiting for you.

> One Chinese-style blue and white vase with a prominent crack spreading from the rim and down the neck
> One identical vase, but rather than a crack, there is black ink on it to make it resemble the crack in the other vase
> An iridescent feather
> A silver hand mirror
> A musical score

Re: Level S - North Room

[othellovonryan]

...so the one vase is definitely Macaque copying something about the other vase. [Carefully setting down Korone where she isn't stepping on anything Bad.]

The feather and hand mirror might be you related.

Re: Level S - North Room

[bluediligence]

Ten out of ten stars for Donnie Airlines. [ Excellent flight, very appreciated. ]

[ She tries not to bristle at the mirror. SHE TRIES. SHE REALLY TRIES NOT TO BRISTLE. The tension in her wings gives it away though. ]

... Yeah. They could be. [ Tears her gaze away from the mirror to look at the vases. ] And I'd bet you're right about the vases.

[ ... ]

[ Okay. Okay. Let's try.

She reaches for the mirror. ]

Re: Level S - North Room

[othellovonryan]

Your rating is appreciated and archived.

[He is going to wait before touching anything until after she touches the mirror.]

[She might start crying, this is Very Possible.]

Re: Level S - North Room

[castaside]

You are Macaque, and you're fighting your former Brother.

Peng is a fierce warrior, despite the way their tongue flaps. You and Mei are working well as a team, keeping focused, but Peng never ceases to try to get to you. Always has. They make a hobby out of taunting you, speaking your inadequacies aloud.

They accuse you of fighting side by side with your own replacement: MK. You know it's true, and still it stings, as it was meant to. You don't like that they're right, but you knew it was coming.

You keep fighting. Thinking first, not reacting, the way you always have with them. MK and Wukong are depending on you, and so is Mei, so you can't fail at this. They've called you a coward and you have been, but no longer.

They try to flee the field, and you turn your back. Accuse THEM of being the coward. And when you turn, they strike -- just as planned.

You turn back, and you smile.

This time, you haven't failed.

Re: Level S - North Room

[castaside]

You find a ring with a golden monkey symbol on the band. In the setting is a single deep red jewel that is irregularly cut. It fits perfectly on Choco's finger.

If Donnie tries to touch it with his hands or his machines, his touch passes through the ring. He can look at it, but no touching.