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

"Oh...oh no," MK said as he took in the look of the house. Blue cracks. Epsilon. Avoid those. Ice. Super avoid those. He frowned. The shadows were so short. So close. MK felt like they were scared. He looked around and saw the items on the porch. He walked toward them to check out the items.

"Alright. Let's see what we got here."

You start walking toward the porch and practically trip over a bow on your way.

Glancing around there is an area set of for target practice, and there is a single arrow sticking out of one of the targets. There is also a coiled rope halfway between here and there.

MK flailed and fell over. He looked down at the bow. He grabbed the bow. He stood up and looked from the bow, to the rope, to the arrow. MK shrugged and went to grab the rope next then go for aid arrow.

When you touch the bow, you feel darkness within yourself that scares you -- both like and not like what you normally feel about yourself, since these are Macaque's feelings. You feel nervous about that darkness hurting those who you've come to love. You vow to keep them safe despite it.

The darkness made MK gasp. Oh. Ooooooh. He swallowed.

"Macaque..." He said softly then reached for the rope.

The rope is tied in an intricate knot that is at once chaotic and rhythmically beautiful.

You are Macaque and you are afraid.

You're fighting a rebellion against Heaven, a battle you never wanted, but that you agreed to fight because you could never leave Wukong's side, no matter what. You believe in him, no matter what. And he wanted this, he thinks you're all ready, so away you went. By his side, where you belong.

But you've been separated. It's chaos, you can't find him. You scream his name, only to be interrupted by a Celestial agent striking out at you. You do your best to fight and look around at the same time. Where the hell could he be? You've known for a while, always have known on some level, that the battle was lost, but that only makes it more vital that you find him, get to him. He can't die, but all the same you worry, every time you're apart you worry endlessly.

And then you spot him, going for the Jade Emperor, and your stomach drops. You don't care how, but you have to get over there, he needs you, and you're stuck here fighting some nobody--

And then you and your brothers are surrounded, and there's no alternative but to give up. You know that, and still you fight, because it's what he wanted, it's the only way you'll reach him, help him.

You spot Wukong at the tip of the Jade Emperor's sword, laying down his staff. Your brothers are telling you to give up, as they are, and you know it's the right thing. The only way you escape with your life.

Your eyes sting and your throat burns. Not for the folly of the rebellion, but for your failure to be with him when he needed you most.

MK fell to his knees. His hand still clutching the rope. Tears stung his eyes again. He picked up the rope and held it close. That feeling. That guilt and sadness hit so close to him. He wasn't there when Monkey King needed him either. At the mech. When she possessed him. He hesitated and questioned and then it was over. MK tried to swallow the sad noises that threaten to burst from his chest. He can't break down. Not here. Not now.

His legs won't move. He has to move but his legs felt like they were made of lead.

You feel your shadow heating up below you, somehow. Like it's trying to warm you up, but can't quite work up the energy.

"I...I'm sorry. I just...I..." His hand reached down to hold the hand of his shadow.

"I know. I know..." MK said softly. He pushed himself up and stumbled forward. The arrow. He had to get the arrow.

The shadow does its best to hold your hand for a moment. It only feels half-real.

When you touch the arrow, you feel useless. You feel pointless. What good are all the skills you have, f you can't be what they need? You hide it well, but you always feel like you're floundering. Stumbling. Like you're doomed to fail at everything important that you want to do. You're determined nevertheless, and you won't let those feelings win. You can't.

MK pulled the arrow out and fell over. It was so much all at once. Too much. He curled in on himself and laid there. He fumbled for the candies and dropped one onto the ground. He watched it roll away. Slowly he reached for it, trying to grab it. It was just outside his reach. It was so hard to move. To feel anything but these twisted hurting emotions. Emotions that resonated with his own in a dark twisted harmony and echoed loudly through his entire being thanks to that emptiness.

"I think-" Red Son starts, looking back for MK, only to see him on the ground. "Noodle Boy?!" He is quick to move over to him in a flare of fire, leaning down beside him. "MK, what's wrong?"

"It's...so much..." MK could smell the candy and slowly reached for it. Just a slow lazy grab. The tears fell down his face. He could get the echo but it wasn't enough. He wanted to hug Macaque. Tell him he didn't fail. That the darkness wasn't that scary. That he didn't fail. That he wasn't useless.

Red Son reaches for the candy and MK. He's going to pull MK into his arms and hug him on the ground and hold up the candy to his mouth. "I know. I know its a lot, but we can do this. For Macaque."

MK took the candy, not even bothering to dust it off. He clung to Red Son and let out a few hard sobs. He just needed to let it out. Have a cry for a few minutes. The door. They had to open the door.

"It's all...sad. He's afraid. Afraid he's too dark or bad or useless. And he's not but what do we do? What do we use? These...all hurt," MK asked as he looked up at the void in the door.

Red Son pulls MK close and it would be...

Easy.

It would be so easy to put a positive memory, wouldn't it? Something nice and easy. Something that maybe wouldn't make it so deep.

But.

"They hurt," Red Son said softly. "But it felt like you could breathe, didn't it? When you felt I saw your darkness?"

MK nodded slowly. It did.

"Yes..." He said softly and looked up into his boyfriend's eyes. "It...it did..."

"This is like that," Red Son said, a hand going to his cheek. "This is his darkness. This is part of him. Of course he's afraid. This is where he feels like he lacks. Like reasons he should be left behind. But we wouldn't leave him behind, would we?"

"No. Never," MK was faster to respond there. He sniffled and sat up.

"Because...he wouldn't leave us," MK said with a nod. They couldn't run away. They had to keep going. They had to.

"We need...to figure out what memory. I...don't know which one we need. Any of these could work? But none of mine fit. A-Are any of yours about the mountain?"

Red Son lets hims sit up, but he is going to keep a hold of one hand. He'll reach into the hammerspace back and pull out a spare scarf and hold it out to MK to wipe his face.

"That's right. He would stay. And we'll stay," he said softly.

He shook his head. "No mountain. There's being uncertain in helping Cole with a nightmare and....and being worried about me in Pigeon Girl's heart, dragging me through a gauntlet of...too similar memories."

"Okay. Epsilon is here but I don't think that...means anything about what we should use. She</> is here. He's scared and hurting. I might have one. His shadow lantern but I don't...think it's right. This was also his home. That matters. Um..." MK took out his phone and started to look through it, looking at what the others, who posted, had.

"Okay. Wukong has something. Um...and you do too. The Sack of Yuan. Or the coin. Why are they both coins? A-Anyway. I'll text Monkey King."

He considers that. "The yuan coin wouldn't be....bad. He doesn't think anyone expects much from him. Fear of rejection. Finding the nerve to act anyway. It wouldn't be a bad thing here. It still fits with the theme, but a strength to move forward," he said.

"I'm asking Monkey King. His coin is about Macaque in the horde. Which is here. And feeling fear, loss, and hope. It might also fit. Waiting for him to get back to me. Either one sounds like it might work. ...What do you think is in the house waiting for us?"

When Wukong tosses MK the coin, he will get the following memory:

You are Macaque, and you are lonely.

You're in Wukong's treasure room, grumbling as you try and pick through the pile of priceless treasures he brought home and dumped just wherever. Attempting to sort things in some sort of order just because it pisses you off to see the results of Wukong's grand adventures treated so carelessly. As if his being away is just some casual thing he does for no real reason, when it feels extremely significant to you. Wukong being gone occupies your whole mind, even during the too-short occasions in which he's home.

Outwardly, you probably look like you're just grumping around, irritable about being left to deal with a mess. Inside, you're scared. You're so scared of him being gone, of it turning into a permanent thing, of him being done with you if you try to ask him to stop rushing off to the four corners of the world. He'd probably hate you if you asked that, and you can't risk it.

You're scared because your feelings for him feel too big, and he probably doesn't want that.

So you stay here. You sort through the shit he hauls back. You fluff up the nest and make sure everything he could want is within reach so that when he comes home, you're ready. You'll groom him until your fingers go numb so he'll stop and stay still for three blessed seconds and try not to cling too tightly at night.

You dream about the time he says is coming, when he'll be done gathering power and treasure and you can lay in the sun and eat fruit while the ages of the world pass by. You wonder if it will really happen, but it's a thought that keeps you company while you wait.

Re: Level S - South Door

Re: Level S - South Door

Re: Level S - South Door

Re: Level S - South Door

Re: Level S - South Door

Re: Level S - South Door

Re: Level S - South Door

Re: Level S - South Door

Re: Level S - South Door

Re: Level S - South Door

Re: Level S - South Door

Re: Level S - South Door

Re: Level S - South Door

Re: Level S - South Door

Re: Level S - South Door

Re: Level S - South Door

Re: Level S - South Door

Re: Level S - South Door

Re: Level S - South Door

Re: Level S - South Door

Re: Level S - South Door

Re: Level S - South Door

Re: Level S - South Door

Re: Level S - South Door

Re: Level S - South Door