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

You are Macaque, and you're torn.

You know that your mind and soul need to be fixed. That's clear now. You've been fighting with MK, and he's miserable. You can't feel anything about him or Wukong, and they both deserve better.

But every time you think you're resolved to see what can be done, you keep coming back to one thought: but what if I'm happier like this?

It's not enough, and you know it's not enough. All the happiness you could ever experience wouldn't be worth hurting those two over. But the thought is there all the same.

You haven't been able to love and be loved in so long, and you're loathe to maybe give it up. You will do what needs doing, but the fact remains that every time you think about fixing this you think about Red and that makes a large part of you fight it.

You just want to be happy. Happy with him. To love and be loved. Is that so wrong? Is that too much to ask?

MK wasn't fast enough this time. Red Son grabbed the lamp. MK looked around while Red Son was in the memory. He was trying to find any evidence of who broke the wall. Hair, fur, or maybe scratch marks?

"Oh I did. Well kinda. They were against mine. Honestly, the thing I really like is when he used his shadows to tie me up. I trust him. I trust you enough to tie me up and do what you want. I...really like it. You kinda introduced me to a kink before I even knew I had kinks. So thanks for that, Macaque."

Oh.

Red Son is staring at the lamp, all his feeling and fears reflected back at him. That fixing him would end what had grown between them. He takes a shuddering breath, a hand reaching up to rub at his eyes. Trying to keep back the tears that want to fall.

"He loves you, you know," Red Son said quietly. "He loves you so much. Even with his emotions messed with, the memory of how much he loves you drove him so far."

MK blinked and looked at Red Son. He reached out to brush his fingers under Red Son's eye. He cupped Red Son's cheek gently.

"...And I know he loves you too. With all his heart. And we both love him. That's why we're here."

Red Son leans into his touch. "Maybe not all his heart," he said softly, with a pained smile. "Its funny. He's so worried about me loving you more than him, but its clear how intense his feelings for you are," he said, holding out the lamp.

MK kept rubbing Red Son's cheek.

"Different flavors," He reminded Red Son. "When he loves you, it is with all his heart. He can do that. We do that. Don't we? Just different flavors. All loved so much. I know your feelings for him are really intense too. Like your feelings for me. And for Saya. If we looked up intense in the dictionary, it's gonna be you and Macaque in there. Like right next to the word. Mug shot style."

Red Son couldn't help, but laugh. His ridiculous Noodle Boy. "Perhaps. It would...it would be nice," he said, turning to kiss MK's palm.

"Its hard to not worry though. You and Wukong both shine so brightly. What is a fire compared to the suns?" He murmured, closing his eyes.

MK smiled and moved in closer. He brought up Doodgleque and leaned in to nuzzle noses with Red Son.

"What is the sun but a giant ball of fire in space?" He asked. "Your fire is bright. You offer warmth. You smell amazing. And he couldn't roast marshmallows on either of us. He could you," MK said with a giggle at the end.

"If you roast a marshmallow on me, I am turning it to cinders," Red Son threatened, face red and he shoves a bit at MK's face.

Only to bury his own against MK's neck. "The sun is also more than a fireball. Still. I just....I really don't want to lose the feeling. It was so easy to fall into it when I let myself."

MK giggled more at the threat. He wrapped his arms around Red Son and held him close.

"I don't think it will. I really don't. I know it won't. You mean so much to him. Before the surgery and you will after. It isn't going to disappear. You'll see."

Red Son sighed and nuzzled his neck. "I love you. And I love him. I don't want to lose what we were building," he said softly against MK's neck. Another soft sigh and he moved his chin to MK's shoulder. "I want to keep you, Mac."

There's a rumbling sound, and the whole maze shakes just a little. And then there's a loud noise from back where the two hallways seemed to have caved in, sort of like a crash but it sounds... odd.

Do you check it out?

Red Son looks up at the sound. Yyyyeah, can't really ignore that. Doubling back to see what happened.

When you make it back to where the noise came from, there's just a plan hallway. You wonder whether you were hearing things, but then you remember that this is where the wall was destroyed.

And now it isn't. The wall has been put back together like nothing happened.

UM?

He will reach out to touch the wall?

You get a sense that Macaque heard you just now. On whatever level. Heard you and understood. This is his answer. An intact wall where one had been broken.

Oh no.

"Shit," Red Son breathes, and is rubbing at his eyes again and now there are definitely tears falling. "You're just bullying me now."

He lets his head thud against the wall.

You get the sensation of Macaque chuckling and pressing a kiss to your head where it's touching the wall.

(Hurry up and get back out here so I can kiss you for real.)

"Daaamn Macaque. Busting out the bullying rizz here in the maze. You are just so good," MK said with a giant grin.

"Come on. Let's keep going. We gotta still fill that last void and see if we can find a memory that'll work."

Red Son's hair crackles.

"Bully," he said. He's not complaining, just embarrassed.

He steps away to grab onto MK and loops with his arm. "I might have one, but we need to check the last of the maze. Come on." Time to double back to where they were and keeping going right some more!!!

As you continue to go right, you come to the end of Corridor A, the final place to explore. You find a piece of stuffing like one uses in a pillow. It has a bit of blood on it, but it's easy to avoid it when you touch.

MK spotted the stuffing. He moved in first.

"I've already gotten blood all over me. What's a little more?" He made sure to try and grab it and avoid the blood. But hey, if any more splashed on him, wasn't like it would be the first time down here, right?

You are Macaque, and you're drunk. You also have dried blood on your face from where MK (rightfully) hit you, and a churning pit in your gut for about a dozen reasons.

Cole is delicately wiping the blood out of your fur while you lay on the bed and wonder why he's bothering. You did this to yourself, and you hurt MK, he should slam the door hard enough to hurt your head and not look back. But he hasn't.

He's trying to comfort you. Encourage you. Says that things will get better when you apologize. You want to go and do it now, but Choco's pendant limiter comes off tomorrow and you need to focus and sober up.

As soon as Cole's done with your face, you sling an arm over your eyes. You hate how thick and watery your voice sounds.

"I didn't want this, I swear I didn't."

MK rubbed his eye like it was hurting. He could feel the pain, feel the buzz of alcohol, and that want to fix things. To apologize. Korone had to come first. He put the stuffing in the bad. MK was happy that Cole was there for Macaque. Cole was good at being there for the people he cared about.

"I'm sorry I punched you, Macaque. I'll say it again outside. I am sorry."

"Why DID you punch him? I never...got your side of that story," Red Son said. He squeezed MK's arm reassuringly, heading back down the path along the right.

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