castaside | [Heart Game] From the ashes we can build

"Cole's place," MK said softly. He focused on his Autumn powers. He was ready this time. Sand started to form around his arms as he stepped forward with Red Son. He kept his eyes wide and his ears peeled for any sounds. Any shrapnel.

There is no sound in here other than the two of you. No sign of shrapnel. Everything is still and peaceful.

"Okay. It looks good," he said, stepping forward a little more confidently. "Maybe his bedroom first? Or the kitchen?"

MK nodded. He looked between the two rooms.

"I'm gonna say bedroom. I got a feeling," MK said and kept the sand ready and clinging to his arms. Just in case. They headed for the bedroom.

"All right," Red Son agreed and headed for the bedroom with MK.

In Macaque’s bedroom, there is a giant void at the head of his bed. There are also two items by the nightstand: one leaning against it on the floor, and one resting on top of it.

"....well then. I guess we have another hole."

But he heads over to the nightstand first, to see what those items are.

"And we need to fill it," MK said as he moved with Red Son. He also took a look at the two items.

There is a small but weighty anchor leaning against the nightstand, and a small sack on top of it.

"I wonder if there's something like peacefully resting in the memories," he said, looking at the two before reaching for the sack.

By the way the small sack jingles, it's full of something small and metallic.

You feel safe holding it, and curious about what's inside.

Well, he'll give into the curiosity. Opening the bag to see what's inside.

There are several dozen Yuan coins in the bag. As you peek inside, you get a memory:

You are Macaque, and you are torn.

Wukong is stuck in the scroll, along with your brother the Demon Bull King and his family. You helped MK, and no one seems to be expecting much from you, and it would be easy to walk away...

You can't. You did that once and regretted it every day since. Never again.

Your hands clench into fists as something inside you fights the urge to volunteer to go into the scroll with the kid. It could happen again. You could find him, and he could turn his back. He has the kid now, what could he need you for? Especially after everything.

But you walk out, and grumble to save face, and throw your lot in with Wukong. Just as you always have.

Ah.

More time of what happened while he was trapped. Or would be trapped. A reminder of he really doesn't know what will happen, between the time he was taken and the rest of them, beyond freedom and a day at the beach.

What he'll live through in the scroll, or how his family came to agree is a mystery.

He looks over the coins thoughtfully.

There is no further memory in the coins. You feel a cautious optimism when you look at them, however.

"Only one way to find out..." MK reached and touched the anchor.

When you touch the anchor, you feel intense relief. You know that there is someone who will stay with you, no matter what. It's all you've ever wanted. The feeling is so intense it feels uncontainable. And it frightens you, because you've had that and lost it before, but you can't throw the chance away. It hurts, but that doesn't matter, because you hope. Even still, you hope.

The relief was needed. So needed right now. He smiled as he picked it up. He held it close. He had someone. Macaque had someone. Given where it was, MK was sure it was Cole. Hope. He needed to keep this close. He looked at Red Son.

"This is good. It didn't have a memory though. What about yours?"

"His debating whether or not to help you get Wukong from out of the scroll," he said, idling flitting the coins between his fingers. "It is a decision to reach out to help even if it means risking Wukong hurting him..."

"Good thing that wasn't what happened," MK said. He looked at the void in the bed and back at the anchor.

"So it's his bed. This is about having someone close and being hopeful. I think this should go in there. What do you think?"

Red Son looks at the bed, considering it. There is having someone close and being hopeful. Then there was taking a chance to let someone in.

This was a place to feel like home. But also the bedroom which isn't always the most PERSONAL space for Macaque.

"I want to take a look in the other rooms, just in case," Red Son said. "Macaque will sleep with people without it being home, we should understand the area first."

Edited 2024-03-09 23:29 (UTC)

MK blinked and nodded. Oh. That made sense.

"Good point. Okay. Uh living room next then the kitchen?" He asked and headed out the door and back into the living room to look around there.

"Yes, I think so." He'll hold onto the coins and cautious optimism and will go into the living room to look around.

In the living room, in addition to furniture and beams of sunlight, you find a stone with a spiral carved into it, and a small branch of plum blossom that is in bloom despite that is divorced from any soil or water.

He'll move to the plum blossom branch and pick it up.

Re: Level S - East Door

Re: Level S - East Door

Re: Level S - East Door

Re: Level S - East Door

Re: Level S - East Door

Re: Level S - East Door

Re: Level S - East Door

Re: Level S - East Door

Re: Level S - East Door

Re: Level S - East Door

Re: Level S - East Door

Re: Level S - East Door

Re: Level S - East Door

Re: Level S - East Door

Re: Level S - East Door

Re: Level S - East Door

Re: Level S - East Door

Re: Level S - East Door

Re: Level S - East Door

Re: Level S - East Door

Re: Level S - East Door

Re: Level S - East Door

Re: Level S - East Door

Re: Level S - East Door

Re: Level S - East Door