HEART GAME: REQUIEM (run 1)

[idolpro]

You awaken in the ☆ZRAEL dorm common room. It’s dark. Darker than usual, and the reason why is immediately apparent: the lamps are all extinguished, the stars have disappeared, and the moon has shifted to new. The ocean below the glass panes of the floor is silent and still. Everything feels cold and unmoving, not unlike a painting.

Comments

MARCY'S HOUSE

[stakesthesame]

The door locks closed behind you again.

Everything looks much the same as you left it. The patio is still littered with the bloodstains from both you and the monster. Nemesis and Hurricane sit against the cave wall, across the water, huddled together-- they stop and stare as you exit, then look away.

The monster is curled on the roof of the house, evidently nursing its wounds.

Re: MARCY'S HOUSE

[avestan]

[approaching Nemesis and Hurricane]

Yo. You guys should know, all that shit I said earlier was garbage.

Re: MARCY'S HOUSE

[stakesthesame]

"... you already lied to us once," Hurricane says. "So what's stopping you from lying again?"

Nemesis stays silent, head bowed.

Re: MARCY'S HOUSE

[avestan]

Oh, for- I wasn't lying at any point. Remember that price I paid? It made me think I didn't care about Req. So when I said I didn't care, I really meant that. But it's not what I think under normal circumstances.

Re: MARCY'S HOUSE

[stakesthesame]

They both stay quiet for a moment.

"So..." Hurricane starts, uneasy, then stops, apparently at a loss of what to say.

Nemesis lifts her head. "-- so what are you going to do about it? You can't take back what you said."

Re: MARCY'S HOUSE

[avestan]

[...opens his mouth

then closes it and stays quiet for a moment]

I dunno. I really fucked up there, didn't I.

Re: MARCY'S HOUSE

[stakesthesame]

"So fix it," she says, muttering, and curls up again.

Hurricane gestures to the monster.

Re: MARCY'S HOUSE

[avestan]

Y'know, that thing didn't seem all that willing to fight. It only killed me because I kept attacking it.

Re: MARCY'S HOUSE

[stakesthesame]

"Yeah," Hurricane says. "Funny how that works."

The monster hunches its shoulders, shuffling a bit as if to get more comfortable.

Re: MARCY'S HOUSE

[avestan]

Come on, don't give me that. Killing is all I'm good for, of course that's the first thing I tried! Especially since I wasn't thinking about what that might do!

[okay but raising his voice to call out to the monster]

Hey, you up there! Sorry for trying to kill you!

Re: MARCY'S HOUSE

[stakesthesame]

It lifts its head to stare at him over its shoulder.

And hisses.

Re: MARCY'S HOUSE

[avestan]

Yeah, I know. You've got no reason not to hate me after that.

[flops down to the ground and rubs at his face]

Maybe I should just sit here and wait for the game to end or something. At least that way I probably wouldn't hurt her more.

Re: MARCY'S HOUSE

[stakesthesame]

The monster's eyes narrow, and it says, in a familiar voice, "So you're just going to give up, after all that?"

Re: MARCY'S HOUSE

[avestan]

Oh, so you can talk after all. Guess I should've known.

And I mean, there are a couple things I can say, if you're willing to listen.

Re: MARCY'S HOUSE

[stakesthesame]

"... fine."

Re: MARCY'S HOUSE

[avestan]

I'm really not the best guy you could get for this. I'm kind of a shitty friend, and this sincerity crap gives me the hives. But if there's a chance it's gonna help you...

I've already told you this before, Req. You're not a monster.

Re: MARCY'S HOUSE

[stakesthesame]

Quiet.

But the monster's form shrinks, slowly, until all that's left is Requiem. A little younger than you know her, maybe sixteen, her hair no longer than her shoulders and a little messy.

But still injured, still holding her shoulder where that gunshot wound bleeds, and the other couple of stab wounds bleeding sluggishly. She's frowning, head hung, but she slowly and uneasily tries to make her way down from the roof.

Re: MARCY'S HOUSE

[avestan]

[getting up and going over to try and help her get down]

Re: MARCY'S HOUSE

[stakesthesame]

She'll hesitate, noticeably, but after a moment accepts your help, if only because it's kinda hard to drop like ten feet from the roof while injured and not regret everything.

She doesn't say anything to you, though.

Re: MARCY'S HOUSE

[avestan]

...You didn't want me to give up. So that means you want me to help you, doesn't it?

Re: MARCY'S HOUSE

[stakesthesame]

She's quiet for a long moment.

"... even if you tried to kill me, I still love you."

Re: MARCY'S HOUSE

[avestan]

[an even longer moment of quiet]

I love you too. Even if I tried to kill you.

Re: MARCY'S HOUSE

[stakesthesame]

A beat. And then she carefully leans in against your shoulder, stiffly.

Re: MARCY'S HOUSE

[avestan]

[carefully goes to hug her, ready to pull back if she doesn't accept it]

Re: MARCY'S HOUSE

[stakesthesame]

I mean the hugging is fine she is just also in a lot of pain right now.

Eventually, Hurricane and Nemesis come back over, both looking a little worried.