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

[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.]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Where the fu---

[Oh right. Small child]

Where did you come from?

[firstworldproblem]

Beyond the sludge and memory is a room of frigid ice. 'Twas a lake in the middle was this freezing creature.

[Motions to the cat.]

There was also another Duality though he seemed more monstrous though intelligent and thoughtful. To be careful you did ask, but I saw no reason to let the creature freeze on the island in the middle of a pond.

[Deposits cat in arms or at least tries to.]

And now the creature is your problem.

[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?

[flamebound]

You're...

[he seems to struggle a little with the name.]



Shark.

[learntofly]

Oh... You remember me even now, huh?

[ Crap what does one actually do with a child?? ...Offers him one of the kitten plushies? ]

I brought you something.

[firstworldproblem]

Delightful. He recognizes you. I do think he was fearful of myself not knowing who I was. He is probably best off with you.

[Yes, he is trying to dump the child on you.]

[learntofly]

Well, he is our teammate, so that's probably for the best.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Our party's gotten bigger.

[Gesturing to the new cat and now tiny!Duality]

We need to decide if we're going to head back as is or not. ... Though I'm worried about that Duality in the middle of frozen lake - as our local bartender has put it.

[learntofly]

So we're bringing him with us?

[ That's honestly kind of relieving ]

... I don't want to leave him alone if he's in a place like that. If you want to go ahead, I'll come with you.

[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. ]

[flamebound]

[oh. more people.

here's a five year old Duality]

[420blazeit]

[ ...OMG, IT'S A TINY CUTE CHILD. ]

[ she crouches down and puts on her best smile. ]

Hey there.

[firstworldproblem]

[He doesn't know what to comment on first. Her appearance or the mech.]

I see an experience you have had. Are you alright?

[420blazeit]

[ por que no los dos. ]

Sure did. [ her smile tightens juuuust a bit, but then she just chuckles and waves it off, so she doesn’t have to hold it. ] I’m fine, yeah. Just went into a room I probably shouldn’t have.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[Of course he's gonna ask!]

D.Va! What the ---?

[Right. Small child]

What happened to you?

[420blazeit]

Me, [ taking a step back. ] pft, [ and another. ] nothing. [ aaaand another. ] I'm fine, [ gives him a smile too. ]

[ walk. with. her. ]

[ she doesn't go too far, because she's not looking to trigger another nightmare. she's had enough of those. ]

[flamebound]

[Stares at him.]

Intensity...?

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[Crouches down in front of him]

What are you doing here?