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

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

[ 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. ]

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.

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

Stage next?

Maybe its something to help keep us safe?

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

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. ]

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

...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.

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. ]

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.]

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.

[ She lets the memory wash over her, and gives her wings a sharp ruffle when it ends. ]

Fighting someone who used to be a brother ... sworn brother? A jerk either way. [ Her brows furrow. ] Keeping his head and rising above despite the taunts, because the people he cares about were depending on him.

And they're a mirror?

...maybe they were a lot alike?

It does sound like Macaque though.

[Hmmmm, he will try the musical score.]

You are Macaque, and you're furious.

You're inside Choco's heart, apparently, and you're rifling through her like she's a pack of cards. Not much to be done, though, you need to get this done. The mission comes first. You've very used to putting things aside for the sake of a goal.

Most of the time.

You find a photo. And when you pick it up, you remember her father. Choco comes home from being tortured, from the multiverse, and he rejects her. Tells her that he doesn't know who she is, but she's not his daughter.

You scowl. You want to reach through time and find this motherfucker and knock him into the afterlife. How DARE he.

She deserves so much better. She deserves the world. And you're going to make sure she gets it.

You jam the photo into your pocket. No sense in others experiencing that.

[Donnie.exe is not responding. Please wait a few minutes.]

Alike? Nah, they -

[ ...? She stops the moment she notices the look on Donnie's face. ]

Donnie?

[More puzzles thrown into the pit.]

[He breathes in sharply.]

[Stares at her.]

[Opens his bag and drops it in there.] Don't touch that.

[Then he's going to just avoid ANY EXPLANATION by touching the blue vase.]

What? Donnie-!

[ She reaches out, but she's too slow to stop him. ]

There is no memory attached to this one, only a feeling. You are hopeful, desperately hopeful, that Wukong will be happier after your surgery. You clutch that hope so tightly that it is almost painful, but you refuse to let it go. This is a gift you can give him, give everyone. He'll be happier, and then you'll be happier.

...oh.

[OTHER VASE.]

Donnie, slow down -

[ AND YET, HE DOES NOT ]

Another feeling. Things are going wrong. You've slowly stopped feeling anything for first Wukong, and then MK. Stopped being able to fake it, even. So you try your best to carry on, and you worry.

You worry about Wukong hating you when he realizes what you've done. About hurting him worse, the opposite of what you intended. And that should make your stomach churn, but it doesn't. You can't feel anything.

They're just feelings.

About...the surgery...

[Fuck. He fucked up. He shouldn't have done this. He Shouldn't Have Done This.]

"Just" nothing; feelings are a lot. And the surgery is personal for you as well as him.

[ ... She pulls out her themos of hot chocolate. ]

I know you're not gonna want to dive into this here and now, but maybe we should take a minute to re-center ourselves?

....

[He will sit down on the ground then.]

[He's gonna pull out the blanket.]

[And holds out a hand for the thermos.]

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