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

And the ice.

It might be a mix of things.

...I'm gonna try something.

[DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THOSE TATTOOS, KORONE? You've definitely seen Donnie's by now.]

[Which he's gonna use to see if he can make a door to go through the window without getting cut up.]

[ Korone will just HOLD ON TIGHT and keep a sharp eye (and ear) out for potential trouble. ]

- almost forgot you could do this!

A door appears in the window, taking on the same glass as the window itself but with clear hinges. Seems like it can be opened without breaking anything.

Never pass on a chance to make your own doors.

[All right. Time to open the door and head inside!]

I passed on it 'cuz I want you to give me my first real tattoo.

[ SHE'S JUST SAYING ]

Inside the tower seems to be more or less torn up. From where you enter, there's a spiral staircase that leads up into the very tip of the spire. There's also one leading down, to the ground. Both look fairly rusty, missing a few stairs, but climbable.

[WHY YOU SAY THIS NOW.]

[He trips a bit over the doorframe and has to catch himself on the railing, over arm around Korone.]

That-

LATER!

[ omfg - ]

Later.

[ squishes her arms around him a bit, hiding a grin against his plastron ]

Let's go up.

Menace.

[Grumble grumble, BUT HEADING UPSTAIRS.]

Your menace.

[ UP THEY GO ]

Upstairs, there is a single room, with a pointed ceiling because clearly. There is a painting or drawing tacked onto the wall, a shepherd's crook leaning against another wall, and a ship in a bottle sitting on the floor.

Unfortunately. Overly dramatic sigh.

[Up the stairs and then he'll put her down.]

[Oooooh.]

A ship in the bottle? [Gonna investigate.]

[ Heh. There's a hint of a trill at his griping, something affectionate and teasing. But then she's down on her feet and she sobers herself up some; they still have a job to do. ]

I'll take a look at the art after.

[ She'd rather wait just in case Donnie needs an assist. ]

It is a very intricate ship in a very dusty, cloudy bottle. Obviously it took someone a great deal of time, but that looks to have been so long ago. Parts of the ship are falling off, dangling at odd angles. One of the sails is torn.

Do you touch it?

[He's absolutely gonna touch it.]

You are worried about being alone. When you're not alone, you fret about it. You know the feeling of being tossed aside. That terrible sensation of being thrown, not knowing where you're going to land.

You don't ever want to feel that again.

[Oh]

[Oh no]

....I kind of want to see if fixing the ship would help.

Its.

Lonely.

Lonely …

[ Oh.

Oh no. ]

I'd … I understand the feeling of wanting to fix it. But I'm not sure we should interfere with it that much. [ Her hesitance is clear. So clear that Donnie won't be able to miss it. ] Loneliness is something we can help with on the outside.

....

Its really hard not to. [As it is, he's brushing away dust from the bottle.]

We can help outside though. That is true.

Really, really hard. [ She rests a hand on his shoulder, light enough to be easily shrugged off if he doesn't want it. ] I get it.

Maybe we can leave him a note? That way we're not changing anything for him; we're just ... reaching out.

.....

A note sounds good.

[He will. Put down the bottle.]

[ Korone sits down next to him, and pulls out her notebook and some pens. A few of them are purple, because of course. ]

Here. We could write one each ... or write one together?

[ Either way, she offers him the pens and paper. ]

[He sits down beside her.]

We should check the other memories before leaving something. Just in case its not just....loneliness.

... Mm.

[ She leans, very, very gently, against his arm. It's barely more than a brush of contact; a question, rather than a demand. ]

It wouldn't surprise me if there's elements of loss and grief. Maybe ... struggling to let go. That kind of thing. The feeling of being stuck waiting for someone who might not ever come. [ It's a guesstimate based on the prevalence of the cracks and the clocktower. ]

I can check the art and the crook.

[Donnie leans back against her.]

[He nods.] It would explain the clock.

Are you sure? Loneliness can hit you rather hard.

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door