seasonsgreetings | Event #7: Knocking on the 4th Wall (Inside the Metaverse)

Entry tags:

!4th wall

Event #7: Knocking on the 4th Wall (Inside the Metaverse)

Knocking on the 4th Wall
LOGS | NETWORK | OOC | MEMES | NAVIGATION

Prelude (Pre 4th Wall)

On March 14th, everyone received a message. The Research Center is ready to try another test to find ways to beat the Darkness. This time the test is not done with the robots that were previously used, but instead everyone who volunteers will be participating in a virtual reality simulator. They're asked to come over to the Center on March 15th.

The researchers will explain that the purpose of this simulation is to see how several fully powered power holders fair against the Darkness. They have gathered enough data on it and the dark energy in general to determine the effects it will have on nature, monsters and wildlife if the barrier is taken off. This is the only safe way to actually test their theories.

After all the necessary explanations, everyone is asked to log in to the metaverse. Anyone logging in may notice that there are a lot of glitches as they enter.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, anyone looking at any kind of a screen (their own device, television, a digital advertisement, etc.) will have their mind sucked into the metaverse, due to the virus residing in the program. Their bodies will be left in a sleep-like state wherever they may be.

Wrong Turn at Albuquerque

The Research Center staff intended for all otherworlders to start near the Research Center so they could get used to the metaverse in peace. There are no natives in the simulator, so testing out powers around the city would have been safe as well. However, because of the glitch, people can appear anywhere, either in the city or anywhere on the segments (save from the one closed off location).

Sometimes the scenery and items in the world glitch a little bit, reminding anyone that this is the metaverse. Except the glitches weren't meant to happen. Luckily they're all mostly aesthetical, but some items may work differently than they should. You have a spoon? It actually works like a fork.

Luckily, this doesn't mean they will be without any items. They can open a menu with the device on their wrist that lets them get anything at all from Riki's Rewards during the simulator without any cost. They can think of this as special opportunity to test out all kinds of items before buying them, as they work exactly the same as they would in normal space.

For some reason, the Shady Shop also appears in the menu. That was not anyone's intention as the items are, well, shady.

Other than the two shops there are basic potion and magical item menus that people can use where needed. Even vehicles, such as airships can be summoned through the menus for easier traveling in the segments.

Some might find the glitches concerning and wish to return and tell the researches about them. The problem with that is is that clicking "Log Off" won't do anything at all, even if it's supposed to boot someone out of the metaverse. But that's not the end of the strange things going on.

You're in the Metaverse Now

Along with the otherworlders that were participating in the test, others start to join in as well due to unforeseen circumstances. Luckily, they have the same "settings" as everyone else, so they're not completely without aid wherever they end up in. They also have all of their powers unlocked for the duration of their stay in the metaverse (including all animal transformations).

As part of the strange glitch going on everyone also has access to any powers from previous worlds, if they have experienced other places before. It would seem the powers can also be shared through the item inventory, should anyone want to temporary use another world's abilities. This is possible with even a person's native powers.

And as if that wasn't enough, people who weren't on Ellipsa start appearing as well. Anyone who doesn't currently have a body on Ellipsa has a mark somewhere on their body, signaling that they're just data. This mark is somehow related to the characters that has it and emits a faint light.

All of the people who are just visiting will also be able to enjoy the metaverse the same way as anyone else. They have been sorted into a Seasons and have access to full powers - and the same item inventory. All that's different from the others is that they have no physical body to return to in this world.

Communication is the key

During the metaverse adventures, people are able to communicate through their devices, but the messages will not go out to the "normal" network. So the messages are only between those in the metaverse, but at least the network works the same way as it would in the "normal world".

Happy communicating.

It's Getting Dark, Too Dark to See

The goal of the metaverse is to have a safe environment to test powers against the Darkness. All of the barriers have been taken out, except for the one surrounding the city of Nightwake. The city acts as a safe haven to anyone who needs a break or doesn't want to fight.

Everyone is encouraged to go to where the barriers used to be and use their full, unlocked powers against everything and anything the darkness throws at them to see how well they can fight against it.

Thanks to all powers being unlocked, destroying enemies powered up by the Darkness is a lot easier, but pushing back the approaching darkness still needs something more than just raw power. Though with enough power holders of different seasons working together and ~~crossing the different seasonal element streams~~ fusing together different elements from each season in a single attack, it's possible to halt the advance, much like a barrier would, for 24 hours.

Due to the barriers being off, all creatures are stronger due to the Darkness's influence. Even creatures that normally have no danger level can now at least do Dark damage. Some Slime especially may seek vengeance.

Unfortunately, due to the weird glitch in the system, everyone inside the metaverse is able to feel pain when they originally weren't supposed to, to make the experience safe. It feels very real, and there's a chance any non-lethal wounds will appear on the person's real body.

Effects of "The Darkness"

The Darkness is slowly expanding from all sides. Very slowly, at a snail's pace. Everything it touches turns into black sand, before transforming into something different. Some may even recognize the things that rise from the sand, as they're monsters, fauna or people from their own world, made into more twisted forms. They may even be creatures from a popular media from back home... or at least, someone's home (players').

If a Power Holder walks into the Darkness, they won't immediately turn into anything. Instead the transformation is slow and painful. Leaving the area will stop the transformation, but any damage already done remains. If the person changes completely, they might lose their sense of self completely and attack anything in their sights.

What they turn into depends on the individual (player's choice) and the only way to reverse the changes is to die. Luckily that isn't permanent even in the metaverse. The person just gets booted out, but can re-enter anytime they want to (or in this case; is forced to). This was told to anyone before entering the program, so they could go all out and test limits as much as they want.

Wait... Did I Save?

A screen appears either when someone dies or gets forcefully booted out of the metaverse. It has two options: Remember or Forget.

Clicking "Remember" will automatically save everything that happened into a person's memory and proceed to boot them out. Clicking "Forget" will lead the person to a series of "Are you Sure" pop up windows. As the very last resort, the window suggests an option to only partially forget events that transpired in the metaverse. Choosing to still forget everything will make the person wake up from a long, dreamless sleep. The memories erased cannot be found later on, as they have been completely erased from their metaverse-selves. Even someone telling them what happened won't sound familiar.

This option is also available for any visitors during the time they're visiting. Whenever they die they get booted out and can be immediately returned to the metaverse (by the power of players) with or without their memories, depending on what they chose.

Of course, anyone can then tell the person about the very crazy stunts they made the last time they were in the metaverse. They could be complete lies, but they wouldn't have any solid proof, other than "I would never do that".

Time to Say Goodbye

Finally, on March 31st, a message comes from the outside. It's telling everyone stuck in the metaverse that they can finally leave out of their own will and stay out this time. People can then choose to leave immediately be pressing by pressing the "Log Off" button on their screen or take a moment to say goodbye to the temporary visitors of the metaverse.

The screen asking if someone wants to "Remember" or "Forget" appears, once again. This time the Forget option is even more insistent on asking if the person is sure about their choice, especially since the memories that are erased can't be taken back later.

Once everyone who exists on Ellipsa has returned to their bodies, the metaverse will be shut down. All visitors have been booted out and returned to where they came.

OOC TIPS

• Ask 4th Wall related questions here. Read the 4th wall FAQ before asking them.

• You don't need to comment on the plotting post to participate & anyone can participate in the 4th wall (there's no separate invitation needed). However, if you wish to app in later, you need an invite if you're not a friend of the mods.

• This post is open to tag and top-level by everyone! Those arriving for the 4th wall can write 4TH WALL or VISITOR on their post and/or link their top level here!

• Check the Opt-in top-level if you're considering bringing in a character that already exists in the game.

• Smut is not allowed on the event post, so if your thread is heading that way, please move it to a separate entry (like to your musebox or characters' journal).

• Remember to content and spoiler warn as necessary!

• Reminder to players in the game that this month is Activity Check-in month and check-in ends on March 31th, at 23:59 PST.

code bases by tricklet

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ There is nothing. Nothing except everything, and it's killing him —

Him?

No —

Some part of her thinks that maybe she hears something — feels something, perhaps, more real than fraying ripping tearing shredding in and into 1s and 0s — nearby. A familiar voice, a familiar scent. Familiar. Different. Almost lost in the echoing screams. She curls tighter, digs tighter, deeper, blunted nails scratching against her scarf, clawing for — for … something, anything, any kind of purchase before she spirals too deep into the abyss.

It's only getting harder, spiralling out of control she never had to begin with; it's so much, they're so much, too much, too much.

She can't hear herself babble over the maelstrom, pleading for it to stop, for him to stop, please please please — make it stop -

Dad - ]

[ Through his own distress at seeing her laid out and screaming, Macaque focuses on the maelstrom that's happening around that shadow-user, a storm that suddenly started as soon as Choco fell. It's enough of a context clue to make a few guesses. ]

[ And if he's wrong, well. He'll just grab that kid by the fucking throat and shove him right back out of here. Sorry not sorry, he has priorities. ]

Hang on babygirl, I'm on it.

[ A shadow portal opens right in front of the shadow-user, and Macaque sticks his head through. Choco is clearly visible in the background, on the floor, in agony. Macaque is deadly serious as he speaks to this boy: ]

Cut off. The. Connection. Now.

[ Macaque did not come to play and does not foresee playing on any future agendas. He'll ascertain what the fuck is going on here after he takes care of her. ]

[Perhaps it's a coincidence. Macaque was making the portal in front of Lott and Lott just happened to be focused properly that moment. Because when the portal opens, there's no startle nor surprise, just a focused gaze right on him.]

[The moments of warning told Lott what to expect. He knows when the shadows Shift.]

[But then the familiar noise and Lott's gaze is past Macaque and what he said does not matter.] Phi! [Then the boy is gone in shadowy tendrils.]

[Then he is there, up from Korone's shadow because all he needed was to know WHERE she was to get to her.]

[Feral determination is replaced by concern. This isn't an attack, it's her mind and he moves to grab her hands, pull them from her neck.] Squeeze. [She can crush his hands, if it kept her from hurting her neck, and she usually did well with holding hands.]

[Sorry Macaque, nothing matters more than Delphi.]

Edited 2024-03-21 22:17 (UTC)

[ Most times, Korone's cognizant enough to give some kind of "back the fuck off right now or else" warning. ]

[ … This is not one of those times. ]

[ The moment his hands are so close to hers, so close to her neck, they ... aren't, anymore. Because Choco Korone is far faster than the Delphi he remembers, and many, many times stronger, and she fucking yeets him with several orders of magnitude more strength than would kill a human. Easily enough to put a person through several walls, let alone just one - if only he wasn't made of shadows. More dangerous to him is flickerflash of fire magic that flares out of her like a blazing hot shockwave that leaves rippling embers in its wake. She rolls into a crouch, hazy eyed, feathers bristled and the first primary on each wing as sharp as any katana, with a stuttering, deep-chested hissing growl. ]

Hey, don--

[ Macaque's warning to the kid comes a split second too late, and then Choco is unleashing hell on him like any cornered and threatened creature would. Fuck. ]

[ Still, he notices the boy's palpable concern and so throws a curtain of water between him and the fire just in case, and the fire fizzles out upon contact. He's fairly sure the kid would be fine but he's also fairly sure that they know each other and Choco would feel bad about hurting him no matter the circumstance. ]

Cut off the connection and she'll calm down. You clearly know her, how are you confused that she gets like this with telepathic connections or whatever you're doing?

[ Macaque crouches down by her, still not touching, whispering to Choco while keeping the shadow-kid in view. ] It's okay, babygirl. Breathe.

Edited 2024-03-21 22:51 (UTC)

[Lott sees the warning. Verbal warnings are a far second alert, but she may hurt herself and the fact is, Delphi Can't Hurt Him. She's strong, but she didn't have offensive magic and strength means little with him. ESPECIALLY now that the Arbiters aren't limiting him.]

[So he took the chance in the hopes he could offer her hand holding grounding, or at least avoid hurting herself.]

[She's fast, surprisingly so, and he's holding her, so solid enough for her to get a grip to yeet. Though as soon as he's clearing her head, his arms are stretching weirdly, seeping through her fingers, his body slowing, and he's only about ten feet before he stop, hitting nothing in her yard and hovering upside down.]

[That isn't a wholly unexpected outcome. An acceptable risk in his calculations.]

[The fire magic, however, isn't accounted for and that makes him flinch back. Fire isn't as bad as Pure Light, but it CAN actually hurt him.]

[So the water is appreciated and]

[Address it later.]

Cause she DIDN'T get like this from the bond alone? [He came after, she had to learn to deal by the time he came along.] I never learned to block the thing, I never saw a point. Why would it be doin' this to her NOW? [Surprise, confusion, concern. Though he's not panicking now that he SEES her, he just wants to help.]

Edited 2024-03-21 23:04 (UTC)

[ Fire and feathers. A curtain of water.

(...?)

The sprinklers click on.

Everything, everyone, is very wet very, very quickly.

A shift in the balance, waxing and waning, panic tipping into surprise, confusion, concern. Jarring. She (?) — (the vibration in (?) chest, throat, the damp, the scent of safety) — her chest, her throat, she feels. She. Feels. The hissing growl stutters and rattles, sticking like a ball in her throat and she — Choco Korone, her name is Choco Korone, her name is Choco Korone, isn't it? — chokes.

Breathes.

Because she does that. She has to do that. She can breathe, even if it feels like it's through a straw. She can breathe and she has to breathe and her name is Choco Korone and she —

… recognises …

A wall starts to go up, shaky, flimsy, brick by brick, hand over hand, because she knows this connection and she can't, she can't, she's going to drown in it if she doesn't do something fast; something now. She'll lose what little ground she's managed to gain, clinging to it like a battered raft in a storm, white-knuckled, by the skin of her teeth, because she's Choco Korone and she — remembers -

A different wall slams down, because she is Choco Korone and Choco Korone was Sparrow, and with Sparrow comes shields. A mental one in this case, and it's a complete, air-tight block between her and the rest of the world. In the sudden blessed, ringing silence she can finally, finally, finally start to pull her jagged edges back together through a panic attack that is entirely her own. She squeezes her eyes shut tight and covers the back of her neck with both hands, pressing hard with flat fingers and palms. ]

[ Macaque sees Choco start to relax, slightly, and figures that she or someone -- perhaps Donnie -- put up a block finally, since the shadow-kid says he doesn't know how. Macaque opens a portal and grabs a huge mug of cocoa and holds it in Choco's line of sight, but not too close. She could reach out and easily lean on him if she wanted to but the last thing she needs is for him to push into her space. ]

I'm here if you need me. Drink this if it'll help. [ It never hurts to have comfort mechanisms nearby. ]

[ Macaque turns to the shadow-kid, not a trace of antagonism in his expression. He wants to find out what's going on, but it's clear that nothing intentional happened here. They have a "bond" and it perhaps predates or otherwise used to work around Choco's aversion to telepathic/empathic connection, and it took her my surprise in an environment where she was already struggling. Shitty situation, no one's fault. ]

I take it you know her from one of your previous kidnappings. I'm not sure when her extreme aversion to connections like your bond falls in the timeline of her life, but at this point, at this moment, it's too much. Also she wasn't expecting it, and this place... [ he shrugs tensely, it's bothering him too. ] But we'll figure something out. I'm guessing once the shock wears off she'll be glad to see you.

Edited 2024-03-22 16:40 (UTC)

[At the very least, Lott isn't dragged into Korone's negative emotions. He can keep his head together, not offer a feedback loop, and he can at least keep himself from getting too panicked even as he worries.]

[The panic won't help. Didn't help in the Forest and he has a better understanding of Thought over Emotion now that he can actually REMEMBER Vio.]

[He moves closer, touching back down to the ground, but giving her more space. A fully don't touch. He watches for the smaller signs, in case she's about to get violent on herself. Even as the sprinklers turn on, the water doesn't really cling to him, body not fully solid as he is ready to move if he has to.]

[She's lashing out.]

[He understands that.]

Keep breathing, Phi. You can do it. [His voice is gentler, calmer, studying her, taking in the differences. There is so much more tension she didn't have before. More akin to her brother than she had been in the Forest.]

[Its worrying, but he tries to keep it from growing too much.]

[He tries to keep the pang of hurt as he feels the barrier come up, but he understands that too. Just because he never bothered to hide, he knew the others did. They did far too often.]

The Forest. I'm used to this kind of body language more from her brother than her. Maybe its a memory thing. She didn't have them in the Forest and I know I'm different with all mine, and she has a lot more memories than me.

The fire's new. Usually she can't hope to hurt me, even when the Arbiters were makin' me weaker.

She's putting up the barrier. [He's watching her fingers though. Still flat. Good. He keeps his eyes focused solely on her, watching for any dangerous shifts.]

[ She can breathe.

She can … she can breathe. She has to, through the haze of unreality, lighter than air and heavier than mountains. She can and she has to. One, two, three, four. Hold. One, two, three, four. Out. One, two, three, four. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. There's a mug in front of her and she tries to make her fingers work well enough to take it, because … because hands are a thing. fingers are a thing. She has them. She has hands, and fingers, and she can touch and feel and pick things up with them.

It takes a minute or five to manage, moving slow like she's swimming upstream through a tidal wave of molasses. Like she's doing that while she can barely feel her own body.

When she finally succeeds in the monumental task that is holding a mug, it hits like a shock where she feels woollen, bleeding its warmth into her. She takes a breath and it smells like hot chocolate. Real? … She takes a clumsy sip and then an equally clumsy but much larger gulp, chasing away the pins-and-needles nothingness with a heat that doesn't burn. Real. It's real. She's real. The scent of safety, the sound of a familiar voice — … familiar …

Voices?

It's too much to untangle right now. She's deep in the dissociative weeds still, even as she's working bit by bit, step by step, to untangle herself as best she can. To come back. Home. … Home? … She can't get her words to work, but after a false start of two, she finally manages a chirp — one that Mac will recognise immediately as her call-sign for Donnie, mate-safe-home. ]

[ A slow breath once she seems to be drinking the cocoa, and Macaque diverts the spray from the sprinklers away from him and Choco and her drink. She needs the heat to help her get grounded. ]

[ He chirps at her: safety, reassurance, comfort, and pulls out his phone to text Donnie. ]

Someone from Choco's past showed up, apparently they have a telepathic or empathy bond that he doesn't know how to shut off, so she put up a mental wall. We're more or less okay here but she's asking for you.

I'm on it, babygirl. I'll get him for you.

[ With a sigh, back to the shadow-kid. ]

Fire is this place's magic. And she has all her previous memories, so that might be the issue. She has a big reaction to connections like your bond.

Her mate will be here soon, and he'll calm her down more. He'll probably be able to set up a better shield too, until she's ready. [ In fact, when he gets word from Donnie he'll open a portal for immediate access (assuming he's not at home). ]

[The boy is not at home and Macaque gets an instant response. Because it's automatic.]

I am currently doing something very dangerous and cannot answer the phone right now. If you require aid I may be able to offer remotely, send the request in five words or less. If aid does not come in a timely manner assume I cannot do it.

...the chirpin' and wings are also new. The girls didn't buy into the animal aspects as hard as Giovanni and I did.

[His eyes do finally look at Macaque though, though very focused on his throat.] So that's new. And the mate, which is...

I'm guessing.

A time is weird between dimensions things 'cause I saw her like three weeks ago, but Roxy did imply stuff was going on when she showed up the other day.

Do the chirp thing again?

[ The hot chocolate helps. A lot. And so does the steady cadence of those voices, though there's something more to unpick there. ... or rather, there will be, when she has the capacity to think that deeply.

For now, all she does, all she really can do, is hold the mug tight, take frequent sips, and lean gently, carefully, slowly, in Macaque's direction. She chirps again, a wordless request to be held. ]

[ Macaque glances at his phone, and that's how the timing goes sometimes. It's fine, he'll handle it, and Donnie will see the text when he's done with whatever's tying his hands. ]

She's been a lot of places. Everyone added their own layers, including more time. [ Some neutral, like the pigeon thing, and some very much horrifying, like Nyssa and all the torture. ] It'll take a minute, but she'll come back now that she has the mental space to recover.

[ He wraps her in a tight embrace, hands low on her back, keeping up a steady stream of affectionate and soothing chirps. Care, support, family, love. ]

Donnie will be here as soon as he can. Keep breathing, I've got you.

[There is a spark of jealousy as he sees Korone lean into Macaque. He wants to help. She's important to him, and he's not even sure if its safe to approach-]

[The shadows flicker around him and he swallows down the feeling.]

[She hasn't rejected him. She's just going to what's most recently familiar. As long as its not rejection, its fine.]

[Instead he focuses hard on Macaque's throat.]

Roxy said somethin' about a surgery, but the reunion should be soon. I think she was worried, but she's surprisingly adept at covering up the small tells.

[His hand moves to his own neck and then]

[Chirps. Off at first. A few attempts and then he has it. Care, support, family, love. A direct mimicry of Macaque's tone.]

[ Real. He's real. He's undeniably, unmistakably real, solid and warm and strong. Safe. Korone buries her face against his shoulder.

She lets herself lean into this. Into him. Soaking up his — Sensei's, Macchan's, Dad's — scent and the sound of his chirps, the rise and fall of his chest as he breathes, familiarfamiliarfamiliar, letting them guide her back to reality one slow, faltering step at a time.

… Then she hears another set of chirps, and her feathers floof. Not so bristly as to read as alarmed (no reason to be scared, Macchan is here), but absolutely, definitely deeply surprised. Almost bewildered. She jerks her head up fast enough she almost makes herself dizzy, looking around, staring blearily as if from the bottom of a deep, deep pond — at …

…

… She knows that face. She knows that voice. She knows — she —

Forces his name out through the barbed straw of her throat, so quiet it's barely more than a whisper, ]

L-L … ott-?

[ Macaque glances over at the chirping too, less dramatically but his gaze piercing for one second only before softening. It's an attempt to exert some control over a situation that has to be confusing, to give her some comfort, to use what clearly works. Macaque can understand that. And this kid might be a visitor, and Choco knows him and they have some bond clearly, and it's a rough situation all around and probably this kid has no idea what he just did, so Macaque won't be making a thing of it. ]

[ If the kid sticks around, or makes a habit of chirping like that? Macaque is absolutely going to tell him to Not. What he just did, inadvertently, was steal something intimate and personal for his own use, and he did so without even asking. ]

[ But things are as they are so he keeps his tongue behind his teeth and just holds Choco until she's ready to move. ]

[When it comes down to it, Lott goes with what works. His usually means of trying to help didn't, so of course he went with what was. When it came to comfort, it all came down to mimicry anyway.]

[Its not like he really has anything of his own to use. Just all the pieces of borrows from those around him.]

[Shadows were not known for their ability to comfort, not for most people.]

[There is a pause in the chirps as she fluffs up, but no. No, bewildered is fine. She's panicking. Confusion was an acceptable reaction when it came to panic because then that stopped the spiraling with a distraction and made the sound again, edging closer.]

Hey Phi. [He holds out a hand to her.] I think its been a while.

[ Her feathers remain thoroughly puffed, and while she does lower her head back down to lean her cheek against Macaque's shoulder, she manages to angle herself well enough that she can still peek out at Lott.

Lott.

Some kind of clarity is beginning to break through the haze. "Some" and "kind of" are keywords. It's as hard and heavy going as moving, and her mental math — both literal, because he's asking her a number question, and less so, because Lott is here — is sluggish. So it'll, uh, take a hot minute or three before she manages to string together some kind of an answer, and even when she does manage that much … her words still don't want to work.

Korone closes her eyes tight and swallows back the frustrated tears that threaten to start prickling. Thunks her head down against Mac's shoulder.

But she does, after another moment, first manage to make the signs for "over a year," and then reach back out to Lott. Slow and clumsy, still, like someone trying to use a limb that's still half-asleep. ]

[ It's unambiguously a good sign that she's able to reach out to him. Macaque remains where he is, being her support for as long as she needs one. ]

She lost her words. I'm not sure if she did this with you, or if you know her signs, but I think she said something about more than a year.

--Here, let me...

[ He chirps some more: he's a friend, you're safe here, how long since you saw him?, what do you need? ]

You don't need to rush. [He sees the struggling. He doesn't need her to rush. She sees him and that is enough to settle the darker feelings that want to bubble under the concern and want to help.]

[She sees him. She will get there.]

[Then he sees the frustration and signs and]

[He huffs, though he's quick to take her hand when she extends it, squeezing it and some tension eases from his shoulders.]

Phi, ya forgettin' I was a mute? Though if ya knew how to do this when we met, I might have to be annoyed with ya. The hand signs are a lot easier to figure out then whatever is going on with sounds. Probably could have done a conversation sooner over the days of watchin' everyone's mouths.

Though I'm glad yer screamin' less now. Bein' frustrated ain't so bad. Take yer time, get yer head on straight.

Edited 2024-03-22 21:35 (UTC)

[ Macaque's chirps are easier for her to parse.

(It's getting easier, bit by bit, moment by moment, as the vice around her heart and lungs slowly starts to loosen. It opens up space for something uncomfortably like shame to bubble up alongside the frustration, but — Korone tries her very, very best to squash that, or at the very least to bury it deep, deep down where it won't sting so bad.)

Still … she does her best to listen to Lott, and she does her best not to cringe when he asks about her forgetting. It's a sore spot she tries desperately not to think too hard about. She burrows deeper against Macaque, tucking her wings in close and tight, and gingerly squeezes Lott's hand.

Chirps, soft and shaky, Tighter. Time.

Please squish the living daylights out of her until her brain fully reboots, please, okay, thank you. ]

[ Macaque squeezes her with both arms, using as much strength as he needs to be just shy of hurting her. He knows from experience that she'll want that. ]

She's asking for us to be patient with her until she gets her head together.

...Do you have a mark on you that wasn't there before you got here?

Still sensitive about the amnesia, huh? Sorry, I figured out I really like gallows humor, guess that's just me.

I know. Its hard to figure out it out when her whole body is screaming, but now the specifics aren't masked so hard. [He crosses his legs, still holding her hand, eyes looking her over. Taking in the differences, checking for injuries.] Phi has never been subtle in her feelings, I just ain't the best at figuring out the right kind of comfort. Holdin' hands has been the only consistent one with her.

I mean, depends how deep things get in the soul, but I couldn't see the multi-colored triforce on me before.

Edited 2024-03-22 22:05 (UTC)

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