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

"Worrying about you is actually helpful. It's...harder for anxiety to get to me when I have to worry about my loved ones," he said, offering one last nuzzle to Macaque as he melts away.

He looks to MK and gently caresses his cheek. "Your presence helps. We just need to keep cool heads. Mark your map and let's go," he said, and moved forward, hand on the right wall.

Feeling much better now, you head back out to the main corridor. It doesn't seem so daunting now. You can breathe. You still feel weirded out, but it's easily dealt with given that your mate is with you.

You head up a long hallway that turns around in a U shape. Down to the bottom again. On your way wiggling back up again, suddenly two walls close in ahead of you and behind you, trapping you in one spot. There is no immediate way to free yourself. There is another half-portrait on the wall, what looks to be the same one as before but a different piece of it.

Panic starts to very slowly creep in again.

What if you're lost in here? What will you do? Who will miss you?

They had each other. They could get through this as long as they did. MK was much more level now. Then the trap happened. The walls slid closed and trapped them. No going forward. No going back. They could probably smash through the walls easily enough but who knows what that would do to Macaque. He looked at the portrait. Okay. So there's another...oh. Oops.

Uh. Guess we grab it and put it with the other one? Let's see," MK reached out to touch the portrait.

For a few brief moments, Red Son's hold on MK gets-

Very tight.

A slight shake to his arms.

He.

Breathes. Slow. Even. Forcing himself too. Its fine. Its fine, they're not TRAPPED trapped, Macaque has a way out for them. There is a way out for them. Its Fine.

They're fine.

"Right. That's a good first step," he said, reaching out to touch the painting too.

The portrait makes you feel at ease, but that sort of ease that you know is brief. A quick fix between bouts of lowkey anxiety. A respite too quick to even really appreciate it before you're in need of another. Like the person you love coming home only to announce they're leaving again, and for you to wonder why you're not worth staying for.

You just want to be enough.

MK shook as he felt the feelings. Oh. Oh it was both so nice and yet not enough. So familiar. He kept his hand on the painting.

"Macaque, you are enough. Monkey King knows he lost sight of why he was getting immortalities and power. He knows he forgot it was for the two of you. For you and the monkeys. You are enough. He made a mistake. I know you're enough for me," He looked to Red Son to continue.

Red Son breathes in sharply. Swallowing hard.

"It can be so hard to feel like enough," he said softly. "Even when you're happy. So happy. To have them back. To see them and know they're okay and they've returned and for a while, things can be nice. But its still so hard to feel settled because you never know what they need so you can feel like you're enough."

Something he's always wondered about himself.

"But you will find people who do think you're enough." His voice is soft and earnest. "And hopefully one day you'll be able to see what they do. You don't need to be anything else for me, Mac. You are so much. Something I needed. Someone I could show the ugly parts without fear of hurting them or myself. Someone who understood what it's like to try and be something kinder, gentler than I was because of those bright lights that draw us in. And so much more, I could go on, but I might set MK on fire. And I want to say it to your face."

There is a distinct pause, and the torn portrait of Macaque shakes, and then repairs itself. In short order, it is whole. He even has both eyes.

And the walls open. You are met with a wave of fresh air, like a cool and refreshing breeze, and you feel rejuvenated. Any encroaching panic is gone for now.

In short order, you find yourself back at the main hallway at the entrance to corridor F. You can see your string far down to your left. To the left there are two corridors, A and B, and to you right, there are three: C, D, and G.

"Oh that feels much better," MK said and let his head fall back with the wave of air. He sighed and snuggled against Red Son. He nuzzled his mate's shoulder.

"You better make sure you got candles ready for when you get to talk to him. If fire is gonna be a problem," MK said. He looked at where they ended up.

"So we keep going right...right?"

Red Son let's out his own shuddering breath. That is DEFINITELY a lot better.

Red Son turns to MK, nuzzling the top of his mate's head.

Only to blush at that. "That-embarassment...swooshing! Is different!" He protested.

He looks back down the hall and nods. "We keep going right," he said, turning to head down the next hall on the right.

You head down the hall to corridor G. The hallways try to work their spell on you, making you feel lost and unbalanced and uncertain, but it works a little less for now.

The corridor hooks around and continues without branching. After a while, you feel another breeze. This one is uncomfortably warm (unless you're Red Son and then it's just "this is less cool than usual"). Do you investigate?

MK chuckled at Red Son's flustered response. He shrugged.

"I mean...is it that different?" He asked. Then he felt the feelings coming back. He had an idea.

"Hey Macaque? Honestly, you're pretty cool. Like, in a rad way. You are. Don't let anyone tell you different!"

Then came that rush of hot air.

"Whoa. That's hot. Should we check it out? Might be another void or memory."

The affirmation helps keep the feeling at bay. You feel a measure of relief. It will creep back in again soon, but you seem to have discovered a way to make it manageable. Excellent work!

"It's very different! One is... uncomfortable and the other...isn't," he said, rubbing at his face.

Red Son paused. "Is it?" He asked and hummed. Then he pulls off his jacket and holds it out to MK. "Wear that. I can try and catch flames, but at least my coat has enchantments to resist fire," he said before linking arms again and kicking up a breeze around them to try and help keep MK cool.

"But I'm sure the wonderful Mac wouldn't give us a challenge we can't overcome. He's been working hard for us."

Red Son will probably notice fairly quickly that the heat is coming from directly above them. Not fire, just heat.

Though the affirmation does help with the temperature a little bit, keeping the heat at bay.

MK kept the jacket and draped it over his shoulders. Two jackets in this heat? Oh this was gonna suck. He'd gonna be all sweaty. And not in the fun way. At least he would be protected. Mk couldn't tell where the heat was coming from. He looked around and tried to think of more compliments.

"Your shadow plays are amazing! And I need you. I was wrong. I was lying and wrong. I need you as my friend and as a mentor. I need you. And I'm gonna say all this again outside. Just wanted to tell you that."

MK sighed. "Any way. ...Why is it so hot in here?"

Red Son looks to the ceiling and puts a buffer of air between them and the ceiling.

"It could be pressure. It could also be intensity. I'm rather suspecting this room might be the panic attacks impulses when confronted with care," he said.

A pause. "You're incredibly handsome. Even without the glamours. Really, you're very attractive like that too, it's just a different kind. But I really love your ears. They're so unique and so you, and I like how you look when I stroke them," he said, trying to keep his own hair from flaring.

The shower of compliments doesn't do anything for the heat itself, but it does two things: first, you are reset to a baseline level of psychic AHHHH as you are ordinarily. This room is not getting to you at all, currently.

The second thing is that a particular tile on the ceiling starts glowing a soft red. Not overheated red, just a beacon of HEY LOOK UP HERE.

(Third effect might be that when you are done with the heart he might want to hear all that again. Or he might need to hear it again.)

"You know, I wanted to talk about how hot Macaque was but I wasn't sure if we should in here and then RED SON had to go and beat me to it. He's right, though. On all of it. Your ears are like the best ears ever. Even if they aren't ticklish," MK echoed and watched the spot start to glow.

"Okay. Hold on," Without warning he grabbed Red Son by the knees and lifted him up with ease.

"Up you go!"

"Get good next time," Red Son said with a smirk. "He deserves to hear how pretty handsome he is."

Red Son squawked as he's suddenly grabbed, flailing a bit to get his balance. "Why are-you and Dragon Girl are just like this?!" Because Mei absolutely did that for the peach.

"I can also FLY." He groused before huffing and reaching up to touch the tile.

You get a sense of amusement instead of isolation from the corridor.

When Red Son touches the tile and removes it, he will find a heating duct with a red scrap of fabric in it. It's quite hot in there but not dangerously so even for humans. Just uncomfortable.

Touching the tile gives you a memory:

You are Macaque, and you're quite comfortable.

You're resting beside a sleeping Red Son, cuddled up with his heat. Basking, really. Happy and satisfied in most ways, which is a pretty good record given that it's you. Just happy for the moment, against all odds.

You nuzzle closer and you can't be sure if it's instinctive or she's really partially awake, but she reaches up and strokes through your fur. You purr against her shoulder, soaking in the attention, whatever she can give. It's greedy and you know it, but at this moment you don't care. You'd give anything for time to stop right now, just for a bit.

You make a note to make a habit of this. You could get used to it.

"You know you love us~" MK said with a gremlin giggle. He looked up and smiled.

"Nice! Another memory!" He wasn't about to address the fact you can fly, Red Son. He knew it. This was way more fun.

"Alright. Another memory down. Look at us go!"

"Unfortunately," he said as he goes to remove the tile.

Then Red Son is absolutely blushing, hair flaring up. Why is this maze assaulting him?! "Ah...y-yes, there. May be two. The tile is one too," Red Son said and is going to reach up to grab the red fabric.

You grab the red fabric. It is fraying on the edges. It seems vaguely familiar...

You get the impression of Macaque, by himself, wrapping himself tight in his worn red scarf for warmth and comfort. It's a situation he's been in often over his many years. Sometimes of his own making, sometimes by circumstances beyond his control.

You get the sense of him wishing for something better. Wishing and hoping, but not optimistic.

"Two memories? Score! Alright. Grab 'em and I'll get you down. They good? Got a theory about the maze yet?"

MK asked as he waited for the all clear.

Re: Level U - East Door

Re: Level U - East Door

Re: Level U - East Door

Re: Level U - East Door

Re: Level U - East Door

Re: Level U - East Door

Re: Level U - East Door

Re: Level U - East Door

Re: Level U - East Door

Re: Level U - East Door

Re: Level U - East Door

Re: Level U - East Door

Re: Level U - East Door

Re: Level U - East Door

Re: Level U - East Door

Re: Level U - East Door

Re: Level U - East Door

Re: Level U - East Door

Re: Level U - East Door

Re: Level U - East Door

Re: Level U - East Door

Re: Level U - East Door

Re: Level U - East Door

Re: Level U - East Door

Re: Level U - East Door