Heart Game: Duality - Round 2

[idolpro]

Your sleep is restless, and it's hard to settle as your eyelids refusing to stop twitching, and you can feel an itch at the back of your mind, flashes of uncomfortable thoughts dipping in and out of your dreams, constantly interrupting your tries to relax. ... Are you even asleep?



...



Apparently you were, because you wake up with a start, cheek pressed uncomfortably to steel flooring and flickering lights overhead. Unfortunately, you don't feel very rested at all.

Comments

[asonoficeandfire]

[There is no movement for now. Want to proceed?]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[We are proceeding!]

[learntofly]

[ Off they go!! Shark's gonna keep petting the kitten to try to make sure it stays quiet ]

[asonoficeandfire]

[The moment you come to the first bend, the corridor goes dark.

Here's a nifty memory from the House.]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[He knows where this is going just as he sees Absinthe and that backdrop. Duality had told him as much.

But still.






GODDAMN IT, ABSINTHE. Why are you like this!?]

[learntofly]

[ Shark nearly shrieks, only just managing to slap a hand over her mouth to keep herself quiet. She can't grab for Intensity with an armful of cats, so she just steps closer to him, a little trembly in the wake of that particular memory ]

[asonoficeandfire]

[It ends abruptly after he dies. The corridor lights up again, but this time it's tinged in red.]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[Shifting to look back at Shark]

If this whole hallway is going to be like this, are you sure you want to continue? A lot of things have happened to Duality - both here and back at home.

[learntofly]

Obviously I don't want to. Who the hell would want to see a bunch of horrifying shit their teammate's been through? But this is... Duality is...

[ Stops to take a couple of steadying breaths, ruffling the kitten's fur again ]

It's impossible to go back. And you said you were told something down here would help, so—so I want to help. Even if it's terrible.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

And you're sure about this?

[learntofly]

... I don't want to be the kind of teammate who can't even face what you've all been through. I'm sure. I can deal with how bad it is after we're done.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Then if you're sure.

[He takes the cat back from Shark and sets it on his shoulder again. That also frees up one hand to take hers.]

Then let's make sure we don't get separated.

[learntofly]

[ Squeezes his hand and nods ]

Let's go.

[asonoficeandfire]

[There's only one way, right ahead, to the next bend.]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[To the next bend it is then]

[asonoficeandfire]

[You're treated to a nice hallucination this time. It almost feels real, the pain a punch to the gut before it clears.]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[JESUS FUCKING---

Did they really just boil and lazy hackjob Duality to death?!!!!!

He stumbles a couple of steps, gripping Shark's hand probably a bit more tightly than he intended.]

[learntofly]

[ Shark is stumbling to her knees at his side, but manages not to let go of his hand.

Jesus fuck!

JESUS! FUCK!!

It's all she can do to cover her mouth and swallow down the bile rising in her throat, sucking in breaths as deep as she can to try to keep herself together. She hardly notices how tight Intensity's grip has gotten. ]

[flamebound]

[The light in the hallway takes on a darker shade of red after this.]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[Okay. So.

What-- what if we pick up the pace?

Can we outrun bad memories? Surely Intensity has done this once before!!!]

[flamebound]

[Sure, you can try, but you will also run into Emet Selch and... Duality?? in this very corridor.

The child has no scar. He looks like he's five.]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[Are you another illusion?

Stands on his tip-toes (god this is the worst) to poke Emet-Selch in the forehead]

[firstworldproblem]

[He just sighs. If you manage to poke his 'third eye', he will step back with a frown.]

Hello to the both of you. Here.

[Handing him both small child and jacket-as-a-blanket wrapped cat.]

[learntofly]

[ This is the weirdest thing, but so much better than all these fucked up memories.

While Intensity's dealing with verifying Emet's realness, Shark crouches down to get on little Duality's level ]

Hey... Are you okay, kiddo?

[420blazeit]

[ as soon as she's confident she can pretend she's fine she's going to stroll in from the corridor behind them covered in blood, stab wounds, and a few burns. don't ask. ]

Sup. [ she's got a mech with her the size of a go-kart following behind and it's got a cat inside, sleeping. ]