[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 (sub 1) - East Door

[castaside]

You are Macaque, and you are a failure.

With Wukong imprisoned under the mountain, you tried to keep your brothers together. You tried, but you weren't strong enough. You're not Wukong. DBK left to pursue a Celestial maiden. The other three, thick as thieves, see little use for you without Wukong around.

They come by Flowerfruit Mountain occasionally, but for the most part you're on your own. You used to be accustomed to this, but then you let yourself grow warm with the sounds of chatter and drinks around a full table. That was naive at best, foolish at worst.

You really should just go. You're not needed here anymore. Except you can't bear to leave the monkeys. They miss their King. You're not Wukong, you're not what anyone needs, but you keep trying anyway. Taking care of them as best you can, because you're the only one left to do it.

You'll probably mess this up too.

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

[bluediligence]

[ She comes out of that one with her eyes stinging in sympathy ]

Oh, Macchan ...

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

[othellovonryan]

....we're going to terrorize him so much.

[There will only be LOVE and ACCEPTANCE and WANT FOR HIM AROUND in Birdtile house.]

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

[bluediligence]

Damn right we are. [ And there it is, that spark of fierce, undying determination. ]

We can't change his past, but we can be here for him now and into the future. And that's ... that's something we're both good at.

[ She tries, then, to very gently lean into the silksteel purple threads within her soul; the lines of code that spell out him and her and us and we and together, connecting her and donnie. ]

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

[othellovonryan]

[Donnie reaches out in turn. A pulse of love, affection, assurance of 'not being alone.' There is him, his purple, but also all the countless other threads that came with the ninpo.]

We are. We'll make sure he knows he'll always have a home with us.

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

[bluediligence]

[ The ninpo is incredible. It's a lot; it's so much that it could be overwhelming, but - ...

... but it's not as scary as she'd feared. It just ... is, and it is love. Acceptance. Belonging.

Together ]

Always. No matter what.

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

[othellovonryan]

Always. He'll never be alone.

[He bonks his forehead against hers.]

We should head downstairs. I love our emotional talks, but we have work to do.

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

[bluediligence]

[ It's a bonk she returns ... along with a quick, chaste kiss. Then she stands, easily pulling him up with her. ]

You love them?

[ Back to work. Their monkeydad needs them. ]

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

[othellovonryan]

They are immensely tiring, but also helpful. [He gets to his feet, squeezing her hand as he tugs her downstairs.]

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

[bluediligence]

As long as they're helpful. I trust you to tell me if they're not. [ She hadn't realised she'd hurt his feelings earlier, and he hadn't pointed it out until she opened up ...

But that's something for them both to work on, maybe. ]

It felt ... important, this time. To try to talk it through instead of leaving it for later, even with the mission. So ...

Thank you, beloved. For meeting me in the middle.

[ DOWN. TO. MORE FEELINGS. ]

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

[castaside]

The spiral staircase winds down for a very long time before you get to the ground. Every floor you go down, you feel like you want to reach out to the other to ensure yourself that they're still with you. You're worried about being left alone.

When you finally get to the bottom, you find:

> A glinting gold item that stands out in the ashy din
> A fireplace poker
> A potted plant which is very dead
> A burned piece of wood that's absolutely covered in blood

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

[othellovonryan]

[Well we are definitely holding hands the full way down. He squeezes her hand.]

Let's see what that is. [Toooo the glinting object.]

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

[bluediligence]

[ Handholding all the way. ]

Yeah ...

[ Maybe it's something like the ring she found in the theater? ]

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

[castaside]

You find an intricate golden masquerade mask covered in shining feathers. It has a golden monkey on one edge, near the very edge, unobtrusive.

Like before, you feel that this is important to hang onto.

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

[bluediligence]

[ She tucks it carefully into her bag. ]

I'll take good care of it. [ Who she's talking to, she doesn't know. But it feels important to say outloud. ]

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

[othellovonryan]

The fireplace poker first?

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

[bluediligence]

Sounds good. [ Deep breath. ] Together, on three.

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

[othellovonryan]

[He nods.]

[And with another count down, grabbing that poker.]

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door cw: immolation

[castaside]

You are (both) Macaque, and you are running. You have young monkeys climbing all over you, and more in your cradled arms as you run, your lungs burning from exertion and smoke.

You chance a look back. The flames are climbing the mountain, right on your heels. Heaven's holy fire, you think bitterly, come to cleanse Wukong's lands and all his subjects. As if imprisoning him wasn't bad enough.

The flames rush up to meet you, searing the end of your tail. You jump, diving through the waterfall and the seals, dropping the monkeys because you know that it won't be a pretty landing.

You cover your ears as the monkeys you couldn't save burn and scream. You hear every bit of those sounds anyway, and you feel sick. You feel useless.

More than anything, you feel alone.

The kids scatter as you wail with impotent grief. First a scream of your own, raspy from the smoke, then quieter sobs that echo through the cavern.

Wukong would have been able to save them. Why weren't you?

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door cw: immolation

[bluediligence]

[ They burned the mountain.

Why? Why would they do that? Korone can't make a sound, barely feels like she can breathe. Tears flood down her cheeks. Horror and nausea choke her.

But -

She's not alone here. She turns to look at Donnie, wide-eyed and pale-faced. ]

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door cw: immolation

[othellovonryan]

[Oh]

[Fuck.]

[He breathes in deep and sharp and the memory is quickly getting filed away because it isn't the first time he's seen the world around him burn.]

[It isn't even the hundredth time he's seen it burn around him.]

[Though all those times aren't his memories, but it leaves him able to sort it, push it into something he can contain, even if for the first time, he can feel the person actually feeling DESPAIR at the memory.]

[But he looks to Korone, because she doesn't have the advantage of the Kraang's history knocking around in her head.]

[He quickly moves, tugging her close, pressing her face under his neck, and hugging her tight.]

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door cw: immolation

[bluediligence]

[ It's a hug she's more than willing to throw herself into, wrapping her arms tight around him. ]

I-I've ... I've seen a lot. But that ...

[ All that senseless destruction. And for what? To "teach someone a lesson?" Fuck that. It was cruelty, plain and simple. ]

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door cw: immolation

[othellovonryan]

A show of power. Of strength.

[Donnie says it with a hollow tone. Its not the strength and power of someone who is determined to be better.]

[Its the power that the Kraang would speak of. The kind to reinforce their will upon those they deemed lesser.]

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

[castaside]

You also find a golden item. There were two in this area, not that it was easy to tell through the ash. You find a golden cloak. It fits you perfectly, over your battleshell and other mechanical implements and hangs down to your knees. It is flowing and impossibly light, but to the touch, thick and sturdy.

You get the sense that this is important for you specifically to keep.

Re: Level S (sub 1) - East Door

[othellovonryan]

[Oh. This...]

[This feels important and he picks it up. Draping it over himself.]