castaside | Heart Game: dreamwalker variety

There's a flash of deep purple light just as your eyes close, and you "wake up" on the ground. Those who were in Macaque's heart game will recognize it, although the vibes are slightly different in that it seems a good deal more peaceful.

You have all the items you had on you when the dream took you, and your abilities seem to be working. They may not work correctly in all places, however. Things go awry in heart games.

You're in what appears to be a hotel lobby if one stuck it in the middle of a jungle. The night sky is starless and a bright full moon watches over you. Instead of walls, thick trees surround the lobby space, though the tree canopy isn't too thick to allow the moon's light to shine through. You can hear all sorts of animal life: cicadas, frogs gently singing, the chirp of insects... and monkeys. Every now and then there's a rustle in the trees and a faceless monkey made of pure shadows will peek out at you, curious little buggers that they are.

As expected, there are shadows here. You feel watched over, safe, comforted. No matter which way you face, your shadow is always in front of you.

On the North end of the area, there is an elevator, closed at present. Between you and that there is a single desk, made with wood that is an inky purple which appears to be natural wood rather than a stain.

Edited 2025-02-19 22:32 (UTC)

Candid's eyes snap open. Or they closed? He isn't sure but he knows where he is. He ran into some glitter and suddenly felt sleepy. Now he was in an all too familiar lobby. It isn't his memories though. No. He wasn't in here. The original was. But he has those memories still. Memories of a group going here, trying to fix things, regrets and worries he made it worse.

"I'm...oh. Ooookay, Candid. Remember the rules. Damage nothing. Kill nothing. Only touch. Don't...don't think I can fix things myself. Macaque? Can you hear me?" He asks first and foremost. Somehow he's ended up back in Macaque's heart and he needs to know if, somehow, Macaque also knows.

The shadow below Candid morphs into Macaque's familiar shape. It gives him a thumbs up. Yes, he knows you're here and it's okay.

Okay. Macaque knows and it's okay. Alright. He nods and will move to the desk for now. He'll touch it, tracing the purple wood with his fingers before looking to see if there are any drawers to open.

The desk itself carries no memory, but you feel a sense of being nearly frantic to have a structure in your life that won't collapse beneath its own weight, and one that you might actually not destroy (for once). It seems like that might be happening, and you feel equal parts relieved and afraid of it.

On the desk there are several items: a desk lamp, a text book on Japanese language, and a text book on psychology. In the drawer is an empty liquor bottle, a miniature ice skate, and a small, clean napkin with a red and white check pattern.

[ 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.

Candid resonates with that feeling of a need for structure and being terrified it might shatter. Not the same but it's similar to his own fears. Macaque's have to weigh more in his mind. After so long. He reaches out for the desk lamp first, gently touching it and seeing if he can turn it on.

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.

Heart Game: dreamwalker variety

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