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

Essentially the guy in charge of a bunch of prostitutes.

[ this is the face of an oblivious kid who has never thought about such a thing once in her life ]

Ohhhhhhhhhh. Huh. S'been a while since I had a martini moment.

[He's from New York and sticks to alleys a lot. He's absolutely seen prostitutes.]

A martini moment?

Uh huh. Kaito and I went on an undercover mission together to an 18+ pool bar run by yakuza to win back Kaito's friend's jewel-encrusted pool cue.

My, ah, my dad was there 'cuz they were about to bust the yakuza for weapons dealing, not that I knew that at the time, sssooooo I distracted him with sake to give Kaito time to do his thing.

And he bought me martinis, which I thought were juice.

I would think a jewel encrusted pool cue would make for a poor pool cue.

....how...

How did your dad not recognize you?

It wasn't for actually playing with. More of a symbol, y'know? There was a whole big thing about how it was the cue of champions. Kaito winning it back for Jii-san saved Jii-san's pool bar from the brink of going under.

[ The nonsense, Donnie. The absolute nonsense that was her life. ]

Dad was distracted with work and Kaito'd given me a makeover. Hair, make-up, pretty dress, the works.

....

That isn't-

[S-sigh.]

There is something disturbing there for boozing up a woman who had to at least remind him of his daughter.

[ ... ...

...

...

t. taps. taps her fingers together. looks away.

tap. tap. tap. ]

It was ... maybe a little bad ...

... that I still spoke in third person a lot back then ...

[ and even that didn't tip him off. ]

....I think this may be a later talk on how to healthily call your dad out.

[ blows out a breath, realising that ... one, yeah, this really isn't the time, and two, she's really not sure she wants to make this in any way a thing if it isn't on her terms ]

Ah, I've got the memo on that already ... [ toe dipped in, toe summarily removed. mild regrets: she has them. ]

So, next item?

Its a good memo.

Yes. [The burned piece of wood.] On three.

[And three count GO.]

You are Macaque, and you're helping kill your sworn brother.

It needs to happen. Azure has been on a tear for a while, doing whatever means he thought justified the end of his ideal future, not caring who got hurt. And now he's after Wukong and MK and that cannot stand.

But still... once, you were brothers. Even if he was jealous of your position with Wukong. Even if he didn't see much use for you outside of that. And so this hurts.

You tap your staff onto the ground, joining Mei and Tang and the others in sealing Azure and the Jade Emperor's crumbling power in with Wukong and MK. Trusting them to do whatever needs doing.

Your power flows into the connection, helping to do the unthinkable in service of preventing something more unthinkable.

As has always been the way with you.

[ Korone is just ... quiet after that, frowning a little, looking aside as lets his feelings wash over and through her and gathers up her own thoughts on it in their wake ]

[his hand drifts up to the side of his neck.]

[He takes a breath. Let's it out slowly.]

Sometimes that guy is needed.

Mm. Sometimes.

[ She leans gently against his side. ]

... Still hurts.

It is.

[His arm tightens around her.]

...so loneliness and the sacrifice of trying to deal with that.

Rejection, sacrifice, abandonment, loneliness ...

[ No wonder Epsilon's cracks are so prevalent in this place. ]

Loss.

[ When Donnie tightens his hold, she turns towards him just that bit more to give him a proper hug. ]

And two voids to fill. I think ... I might need a sip of hot chocolate first. Do you want some too?

Please.

[He hugs her close, face buried against her shoulder.]

Edited 2024-03-13 22:02 (UTC)

[ He's taller than her (if only slightly), but Korone still does her best to tuck her in tight and safe against herself. She pops up the pillowfort and ushers him inside without ever once letting go of him, and then pulls out the thermos. ]

Here we go. I have it on good authority that I'm a pretty good teddy bear, so let's get comfy for a few minutes.

You are an excellent teddy bear.

[Going to keep close to her and going to take the thermos to take a few sips and hold it back out.]

...so not the slippery slope.

[ Settling in as cosy as she can get. Bonus points if she's allowed to be teddy bear in his lap, ]

Aww, thank you, beloved.

[ Takes a long, long sip of hot chocolate, letting the warm sweetness and Feelings soothe her. She'll hold it back out again after, happy to share for as long as he needs it. ]

Not the slippery slope, yeah ... [ Hmm. ] ... I don't know if I like the thought, but I keep coming back to that last memory.

[She absolutely can. It also allows him to be squished a bit.]

.... [He takes a deep breath. Holds it. Let's it out.]

[His hold on her tightens.]

Sometimes.

Someone has to be that person.

No one wants to be that person.

But sometimes you have to be.

[ Getting to squish and be squished is Choco Korone's true calling in life.

She breathes with him, holding him snug and secure. Lets him tuck himself away against her shoulder if he wants to. She might even be able to offer him some quiet cooing rumbles of affection and reassurance. ]

Sometimes you have to, no matter how much it hurts. [ Does she like the thought? No. Would anyone? No.

And that feeling is fair. The pain is fair. It's reasonable, understandable. That doesn't change the fact that sometimes ...

Sometimes, you have to. ]

It was a choice made for the sake of a future he felt was worth fighting for. It hurts, it's heavy; there's no looking away from that. But it wasn't about despair.

[He he absolutely tucked against her. Trilling softly. Gentle affection. Rubbing slow circles on her back.]

[He nods against her shoulder.]

It isn't about despair.

Sometimes it has to be done. Sometimes its about protection as much as sadness and pragmatism. Its.

Its not great.

But it isn't the worst.

[ The coo settles into a slow, steady purr, soothed and soothing. ]

It was the best they could do with the hand they'd been dealt. [ She hugs him tighter, nuzzling against him where it won't risk knocking his goggles askew. ] And that's ... that's really all you can do. Your best.

... I'm glad he wasn't alone there.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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