castaside | Heart Game: dreamwalker variety

[ On the ground? NoPE

NOPE. SHE IS NOT; she is on her feet immediately, ready to - ... pause! Dad's here; I'm safe soothes her feathers as quickly as the adrenaline surge had ruffled them.

She takes a breath and rocks back on her heels, looking around the familiar lobby. Dad's heart. She's in his heart. Somehow. For some reason. ]

Dad? ... Are you okay?

The shadow on the floor gives her a thumbs up. Everything's okay.

[ He's saying he's okay …

Okay.

… But.

Heart game. But heart game. Korone furrows her brow, even as she nods slowly. ]

Good to know. Okay. ... Can you tell me if I'm here to help with something?

The shadow monkeys in the tree chirp a few times: comfort, ease, knowledge.

The shadow shakes its head. Not to help, just to observe. Things have changed around here.

[ OPENS MOUTH ]

[ … closes … mouth ]

[ HM. Excuse her while she paces around in loose circles for a couple of minutes, tapping her chin. Head tilting as she listens to those chirps. ]

Back in those other places, when we'd get shoved into heart games ... if it was safe to avoid playing along, I would. [ She really, really hates these things. Deeply. Viscerally. ... For the most part, and she's trying not to get too tangled in those weeds. ] But Papaque is Papaque ... [ She trusts him, and she trusts that he trusts her. ]

[ Her pacing slows, and she looks to the shadow. ]

Do you want me to? Look around, that is.

The shadow shrugs. If she doesn't want to, he's not going to force her.

But he gives another thumbs up sign. It's okay, she can look around and he's not bothered.

[ HmmmMMMMmmmm. Hm. Hm. Hm. She sits down right there on the floor, her hand still at her chin.

After a moment, she chirps: knowledge? ]

The monkeys chirp back: knowledge. Invitation. Change (for the better).

[ Invitation, huh. Korone can't help a quiet huff of a chuckle, and her humming dips closer to a pigeon-y burble. Says, half to herself, ] Quality time and bonding ...

[ She pats her shadow with her free hand, smiling. ]

Stating for the record, Papaque: you can count on me not to do anything I don't wanna do, and I know you won't push me.

The shadow smiles and rests its hand over hers. He knows that. Giving her choices is the defining characteristic of his parenting.

[ He's going to get a headbutt at the first opportunity. ]

You're an amazing dad. [ Chirps affectionately, and eventually climbs back up to her feet. Time to check out that desk! ]

The monkeys chirp happily.

The desk is made of inky purple wood that seems to be a natural color rather than a stain. On the desk is a lamp, a vial of oil, two textbooks, and a swatch of purple silk.

[ Purple silk? ... Is that the Father's Day terrorism? ]

Let's see ...

[ She examines the lamp first. ]

The light snaps on, although it's moonlight and not incandescent light.

You are Macaque, and you're standing on a hill minutes after dusk, looking down on the ground below you which is sprinkled with flat stones that glow in the moonlight.

You turn to MK, who is sitting on a blanket beside a mostly-eaten picnic. He's still afraid to have you touch him, but it's okay. You don't need to.

You point to the stones. "We'll each take one and make it into something. It'll be something that's just ours."

MK brightens and it's like staring into the sunrise.

[ Awwwwwwwwww! ]

Awww …

[ Ladies and gentlemen, this bird is a sap and so is her dad. Korone fluffs her wings, smiling. ]

I'm happy for you guys. You're good for each other. [ She touches the bottle of oil next. ]

You are Macaque, and you have a job to do. You feel your fingertips dipping into a jar of pleasantly scented oil, then your hands rubbing together to warm it, and then there are feathers beneath your fingers. You're an expert in grooming, and you know just what to do in a way that feels good and straightens them.

The gentle voice of your daughter is sweet in your ears, which catch every inflection. You talk about everything and nothing, things large and small, with a fluid exchange between them. Easy and effortless.

You commit this moment to memory, so it'll be with you literally forever.

[ She thought she'd braced for it.

SHE THOUGHT.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. soft. SOFT. excuse her for a moment while her wings do their very best to imitate a dandelion puff. ]

[ Fumbles an attempt at words and just cheeps instead, softened as always to account for his hearing. ]

The soft sounds of the forest around her, the monkeys and cicadas and frogs etc, swell just a bit, as if the sounds themselves are giving her a hug.

[ cheep cheep chirp CHIRP ]

You're a menace and I love you.

[ deep breath! sets down the bottle to lightly pap herself on both cheeks! only once she's got the featherpuff situation under control does she reach for the textbooks, examining them one at a time. ]

The monkey chirp: guilty.

One textbook seems to be for studying both Japanese and English, weirdly enough. When she touches it, she'll get a feeling of Macaque wanting to be closer to his kids, to speak the languages of their homelands. A sense of determination to make a home for them that's as home-as-defined-by-them as possible.

The other textbook has to do with combustion engines. She'll get a few flashes of Macaque leaning against something, watching Red Son tinker, asking questions that he hopes are intelligent and appreciating this particular method of bonding. Red Son seems super satisfied with himself.

[ oh wow you'll never guess what time it is ]

[ it's tear up o'clock! already! she hugs the language textbook tight, then bonks her forehead against it. ]

The textbook warms up a few degrees, comfortable warmth. Around her the monkeys chatter happily. Below her, the shadow gives an imitation of a hug with its arms.

[ can she use her shadow magic to give the shadow a shadow hug, because she's gonna try.

either way. once she's gotten some of the dokis out and is no longer in danger of actually crying, she picks up that second textbook — and makes a happy little sound somewhere between a giggle and a pigeon-y coo. ]

Super relatable and super cute.

[ she touches the silk next ]

Touching the silk gives you a series of feelings and images. Macaque's kids gifting him his room and his perfect nest. Red Son sitting in said nest in a bathrobe demanding a claiming bite.

Most prominent is laying in there snuggling with Wash, talking about... everything. Their histories, their present, parenting, heart games, the list goes on. Macaque has rarely enjoyed just talking so openly to someone, and it motivates him to want that with more people. He's so grateful that Wash is who he is and that they are what they are to each other.

Yeah Choco your dad is a smitten kitten.

[ this direct hit from a different angle catapults her straight back into tearyville. god. korone blinks hard and swallows, smiling so brightly her cheeks ache. ]

I'm, I'm glad too. For both of you. More than I know how to say.

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