idolpro | Heart Game: Talon

Was it this late when you stepped into the Game Tower...? Now the sky above is dotted with a few scarce stars, occasionally obscured by some light cloud cover drifting by. Most of the night sky has been washed out by the bright lights of the city which, by the way, is spread out far below the rooftop that characters find themselves on. There's a faint buzz on their phones. When checked, the screen shows a Game Notice:

Win Condition:
1. Locate the True Heart
Or
2. Leave a Lasting Mark

The skyscraper towers high above the streets, easily dwarfing any other building in sight. The city is some dozens of stories below, and the sound of the wind rushing by is louder than anything that can be heard from the streets. Occasionally the wail of a siren pierces the distance, but it's easier to spot the lights of an ambulance or police car zipping through the roads than it is to hear them. If you look closely enough, and for long enough, you might notice figures in the distance leaping between buildings, sometimes in pursuit of a siren or with an emergency vehicle trailing in the distance behind them.

The roof itself is expansive—the building must take up the better part of a city block, judging by the space available up here. A helipad (sans any helicopter) takes up the entirety of one side of the roof, complete with what looks like a freight elevator for moving things from the roof further into the building. The elevator itself has a keypad lock on it, but a staircase entrance beside it has no obvious lock in place.

The rest of the rooftop is empty save for a small, hooded figure perched atop one of the parapets along the edge of the roof, feet dangling over open air.

[ OOC NOTES:

1. Powers are on. THIS INCLUDES CANON POWER SETS.
2. Characters may keep any equipment they had on them when entering the heart, but there is a risk it will be taken away during the run. However all equipment taken will be returned when you exit the heart.
3. Significant changes/damage to the heart will reset each time someone new enters an area for the first time. For example, if Bob kills the sentry at the entrance of the heart, the sentry will respawn for Sally when she arrives. This way everyone can experience the different areas.
4. CAVEAT TO THE ABOVE: exceptions made for anyone specifically going through the heart with a partner(s), or anyone who requests to react to damage that's been done. The goal here is to allow everyone to have fun in the heart at the end of the day. ♥ ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I know.

[ carrying her out, then, a bit of a ways, moving a little slowly until the deeper stabs and slashes heal up and she can tromp forward on her hind legs more easily again.

and calls out: ]

Bbbaaaaby. It's okay, nnnoow.

[ Talon is still waiting in the hall, standing tense and rigid at the far end of it. He'd stepped back when Talia came through the door first, only catching himself with a startled sound when Nychta follows her. ]

Nychta... What is going on?

Found thisssss.

[ Shakes Talia a bit-- pauses, then retakes human form; her hand is smaller but her grip no less strong, squeezing tight around her wrists. ]

She was using a machine to try to control us. That's trashed now.

Also, she tried to kill me.

[ His mouth works uselessly a few times, a flurry of emotions playing out across his face in the span of seconds. He shifts as if he's going to walk towards them, but something keeps him still. ]

...Why?

[ Talia grits her teeth, but she knows by now better than to press her luck in this particular situation. "It is a mother's duty to save her child," she says, "Even from himself. You prance about in your father's ridiculous costumes. You prance about in Hell itself. If you refuse to see reason then force is the only option left to me." ]

Duty? That's fucking rich. Even if he's doing shit wrong he's still his own person. You just want a fucking puppet. You could try, I don't know, being a fucking parent instead of an owner. Mother's duty should be to fucking protect their kids, even if it results in something you don't want.

[ a pause, brow furrowed. ]

It's not like I fucking know anything about raising a kid but I want to think I'm being a more supportive person than you are.

[ Talia hisses through her teeth, "Of course you cannot understand." ]

[ Talon hasn't come any closer. He's still at the end of the hall, shoulders rigid and fists clenched tight enough to draw blood as his nails cut into his palms. ]

She is right, Mother. I am never... I do not want to be any of the things that you want. ... I don't understand why you refuse to accept that.

[ Talia doesn't answer this time. She only curls her lip in distaste. ]

Yeah, 'course I can't. I never had the privilege of being in your position. Only ever in his. ... if his father makes him happy, why wouldn't you want to encourage that. I can't understand that sort of thinking at all.

I can figure out pretty easy why you wouldn't accept that Talon's his own person apart from you, though. But if you loved your kid at all the least you could do is listen to him.

[ She twists in Nychta's grip, ineffective but determined all the same. "It is because I have love for him that I refuse to watch him abandon his potential and follow his father into an early grave!" ]

[ yanks back against her, pulling her in so nychta can fist her other hand in Talia's shirt. ]

You could have done that by being a fucking mother instead of trying to control him like he's a fucking puppet! You tried to make him hurt me, you tried to make me kill him-- then what? You're gonna make him kill all his friends so he's alone, and doesn't have anybody but you to rely on?

Fuck you! He doesn't fucking deserve a mother like this.

[ PRETTY MUCH

Unfortunately Talon still has more hope for her intentions than that, so this version of Talia has her own opinions, such as: "I would never have allowed you to actually kill him! His survival is the—" ]

[ But finally Talon has heard enough. He's pressed his palms against his ears, fingers clenching in his hair ]

Enough! I don't want to hear any more of this! Nychta I—I want to leave. You broke the machine. She's been beaten. We cannot make her change any more than she can make me.

[ Nychta looks back at Talon, frowning.

...

but she releases Talia, all at once, trotting away from her to Talon instead, taking his hands-- gently. Her voice is soft. ]

Alright-- alright. We'll go.

[ Talia hesitates a few moments, scowling darkly at the pair before hurrying off into the shadows.

Talon takes a shuddering breath and nods stiffly once Nychta's gotten to him, already turning away from his mother. ]

Okay. ... Thank you, Nychta.

[ hesitates, a moment, before tugging him into a hug. ]

... sorry. I shouldn't have brought her out.

[ Hugs her back tightly, only now starting to relax ]

You were trying to help.

Doesn't matter if I hurt you doing it.

[ ... picks him up. he's not that much smaller than her, but... ]

Come on. We'll find somewhere nicer for you to be.

[ He should be indignant about this, but maybe....maybe it is just nice to be held by someone who gives a shit sometimes. ]

Where are you thinking?

... I don't know. I thought we could ask your butler guy for help.

Mm, Pennyworth will know some of the best places.

He'd know better than me, anyway.

[ ... alright. carrying back to where alfred is, then ]

[ Pennyworth is just where he was left, standing stoically beside the desk in the parlor. His eyes widen when Nychta returns with Damian though, and he hurries towards them with concern lining his face ]

Young Master Wayne—?!

[ He turns his attention to Nychta ]

What has happened?

[ she gently sets him down on his feet again ]

Uh-- his mother was trying to control him.

...took care of it, I think.

His mother—

[ His tone is harsh, but he catches himself before he voices any of his actual feelings on that and sets a hand on Talon's head instead, petting his hair in worry. ]

If that is the case, then we all owe you our thanks.

[ shifts, uncomfortably, taking a step back ]

She's still around. I didn't want to-- ... y'know. But I did break her machine.

Heart Game: Talon

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