castaside | Heart Game: dreamwalker variety

The monkeys chirp: extreme agreement.

[ She replies with a heartfelt chirp of gratitude and love. ]

For now ...

[ There are two more books and a whole lot of heart game to get through. She pushes herself up, and … hmm, bible next. ]

The Bible has notes and sticky tabs are filled with a lot of "FUCK HEAVEN" sentiment. He is clearly devastated over what happened to Lucifer and how he was treated both by Heaven and by the text.

He seems to be reading this book more to understand what Lucifer went through rather than trying to understand the other side of it.

[ FUCK HEAVEN, indeed. ]

Gotta bully Luci-oji more... [ Mumbling as she flicks through, brows furrowed and lips pursed. ]

Would it kill people to be kind? Are they deathly allergic to compassion and common decency? [ GRUMBLE. ] I get it, it's complicated, there's nuance and history and a lot I don't know or understand -

... But we'll help him on his way to a brighter future.

[ On that note, she finally -- and somewhat hesitantly -- moves on to JttW. ]

The monkeys chirp like laughter. Bullying Lucifer is approved.

Most of the sticky notes are screaming about how awful the great companions are. Toward the back of the book he appears to be trying harder to understand it, though still struggling to see the appeal in people that treated him so terribly.

Apparently the tabs are from more than one reading. It appears that Macaque is on his fourth reading of the text. The tabs from the latest reading are more self-deprecating, lamenting that if he hadn't fallen out with Wukong he would have been there and maybe Wukong wouldn't have had to go through this and trauma bond with these people.

None of it is positive, but it's clear that he's trying to get there.

[ She's read the book before — or rather: Blue read it years ago, and Korone did her best to yeet it all into the trash the moment she realised who Red Son actually was.

So none of this — including Macaque's self-deprecating commentary — is all that surprising. She still takes her time with it though, reading through each and every sticky note. Macaque deserves to be listened to and understood. ... And in her own small way, maybe she kinda gets it. Maybe. ]

You are getting there, Dad. It isn't easy to unpick, let alone rebuild ... but you're here. You're here and you're trying and you're moving forward. I'm proud of you.

The monkeys chirp contentedly. No words, just feelings. They're glad she thinks so.

[ She smiles faintly at the chirps. ]

I know you know this already, but I wanna say it again anyways: if you ever wanna talk about any of this ... or anything at all, I'd be happy to listen.

[ Anything else in the desk? ]

A few chirps from the monkeys that sound noncommittal but appreciative.

Nothing else in the desk! Just the elevator. No voids this time, just a button to open the doors.

[ Noncommittal but appreciative is exactly what Korone had been expecting.

After taking a minute (longer than strictly necessary, maybe—) to make sure everything in the desk is as she'd found it, she looks to the elevator.

The elevator she knew was there.

The elevator she is going to be completely normal about. It's fine. … And the lack of voids is a huge relief — yeah, she can focus on that. Focus on her dad.

…

She goes over and presses the button. ]

The elevator doors open. It is more than large enough to fit anyone, even accounting for Wash's power armor. It's well-lit and surprisingly modern in addition to being clean and spacious.

On the keypad you will see the following:

LOBBY

Level C

And then there is a small keyhole where you're clearly meant to fill in order to proceed any lower than Level C. It is different than the one that fit the staff before, looking more like an actual key goes in there.

After C is:

Level S

Level S1

Level U

And then another keyhole. And finally:

Level FE

[ She is going to be completely fine and normal about this and she is going! To focus! On what's important! AKA Macaque.

PTSD can fuck right off. ]

Keyholes, now? … That's probably a good sign? [ Or a neutral one, at least. ]

[ Tucking her wings in tight behind herself, Korone hits the button for level C. ]

The doors open at Level C. The construction yard from last time is no more. Instead there's a small, grassy hill with wildflowers growing on and around it. The moon is out despite it being daytime. On the top of the hill, Macaque is sitting with an unopened picnic basket.

"Hi, babygirl. Come sit down for a minute."

[ YEETS HERSELF out of the elevator as soon as the doors are open wide enough for her to fit through. ]

Dad-!

[ He doesn't have to ask twice; she makes a beeline straight for him. ]

He opens his arms for her, and mercifully, nothing happens except a big fatherly hug. No trauma this time, seems like.

"Do you not like the elevator? I can change it." The next moment, there's a fireman's pole in place of an elevator. It still requires a key and has a flat flange blocking the way down. "How's that?"

[ If the lack of trauma is a relief (IT IS), it's more for his sake than her own. She hugs him so tight, booping her forehead against his shoulder and chirping softly.

And then he offers to change the elevator. Wait, wha — ]

[ Reflex keeps the volume and pitch of her startled squeak just within Macceptable Parameters. ]

"I take it you approve. It'll be more fun this way, too."

I —

[ holy shit he just ]

[ swapped out a piece of his heart? for her? ]

You ... for me? Just like that?

"Just like that. It's really no problem. The central shaft is my way of getting around in here too, so it's considered part of the consciousness. And those parts I can change easily."

"Like this room. Before, I was so guarded that the only way to get access to the elevator was to temporarily destroy my consciousness. Now, I'm okay with people I trust exploring, so here I am with a picnic basket containing whatever you request, and a hill of wildflowers."

[ Just like that. ]

[ aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ]

[ She does relax some when he explains that it's under his conscious control. And the rest is — welp. Korone makes a wry li'l sound somewhere between a huff and a chuckle. Heart games, man. ]

Here you are. [ Squishes him into an even more thorough hug. ]

... If you say it's okay, I believe you. [ It's still HOLY SHIT though, because holy shit?! (She is a dab hand at having many feelings simultaneously.) ]

"It's really okay. As long as there's a vertical way to navigate the heart, I'll be fine." Of course he hugs her back, why wouldn't he?

"Something to eat or drink? I can pull anything out of this basket. But unlike last time, there's no taking it will you."

Vertical ... because layers, right? [ She hums. ] So if C is consciousness, does that make the others two layers of subconscious, the unconscious, and then ...

[ There's the faintest hint of a coo in her exhale. Macaque's hugs are the best. ]

[ She peers at the basket without making the slightest attempt to peel herself away from him. ]

Is there anything you've wanted to introduce me to?

"Subconscious is in two layers, then unconscious, and then -- well, I'm not sure what's at the bottom now. By definition it's hard for me to see."

The basket is empty. Marry Poppins Rules, apparently.

"It's hard for me to pick one place in particular. You're all over this heart now."

[ wait - ]

Me?

"Of course. How many daughters do you think I've got?"

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