idolpro | Shrike's Heart (#4)

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!heart games

Shrike's Heart (#4)

The woman before you is beautiful—fair of features, with lovely golden skin and luxurious long black hair, petite. You have the immediate and distinct impression that she's just let go of your hand, and she steps back, and smiles.

It's not quite a happy smile.

"I'm sorry," she says. "There's just nothing I can do, as things are. But the way is there; it just needs to be lit."

You open your mouth—maybe to say something, or to express confusion—but you have to cough, and taste something metallic, spattering black blood onto the ground in front of you. Then you realize—blood seeps from opening wounds in your arms, your chest, your stomach, your face. It rims your eyes and trails from your nose and you feel like you're dissolving—

—and you fall through the ground like it's the surface of a lake, and go down, down, down.

> Wake Up

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[not answering questions about Shrike, huh...?]

No problem.

[He gets to work filling up the kettle]

What were you doing hiding in the blankets?

...well, if I stayed still and quiet, maybe this all wouldn't be noticed?

I'm good at that, but maybe not good enough.

And... I think it'll be time, soon. If you want to see her.

I would.

[puts the kettle on]

If you don't mind me asking, what do you think would make you happy?

[ she looks confused, even as she starts separating noodles out between a few plates. ]

...me?

That doesn't really matter.

Why not?

[ she finishes plating the translucent glass noodles, and heaps them with a sauce with vegetables in it, before turning around to present it to him with a pair of chopsticks in it, sticking straight up. ]

I don't exist anymore. I'm just bits and pieces of memory.

Thank you.

[He takes the plate.

And looks at the chopsticks sticking straight up.

Is this a death offering? Is he dead? It does kind of seem like he might be, after that first room with the corpses and the void hole. Is he allowed to eat this, though? What's the protocol for accepting food as a dead person????? But he doesn't want to refuse a meal that this nice child has just given him, that seems rude, hhhh]

Even if you're just a memory, you're still important. Otherwise you wouldn't be here.

I'm sorry if I am drawing the wrong conclusion, because I'm not the best at understanding this kind of thing, but I suspect maybe you're my friend's childhood...? Or maybe her inner child, itself?

So, if you are hurting, or scared, or want love and a home with people who care about you, that's still really important. And even if you're a version of Shrike from the distant past, it's not too late to have those things that you wish for. In fact, now is maybe the best opportunity for it of all.

Maybe. I, um, try not to wish for things anymore, since I don't get them, but I can't... stop myself entirely. Maybe I'm just leftovers from what she left down there in the dark. I... don't really know.

[ she reaches up to one of the cabinets, and finds a tin of tea; an earthy green with crisped rice in it. ]

Is there something you still wish for?

Mm... my mother’s esteem, my brother’s friendship, a way to have the home I left and the home I wanted. Or, um—something like that.

But everything here is always... ending. There’s always an ending.

I'm sorry. That's really rough.

I know it's not much but... would you like a hug?

..........yeah. If you—really don’t mind.

Of course not.

[He opens his arms, inviting]

C'mere.

[ she still hesitates, like she's not sure how to go about this, hands held up to her sides awkwardly. like she hasn't done this before. ]

[He wraps his arms around her and pulls her close. This hug is warm and full of affection.]

[ she goes still for a moment, and then sinks into it, closing her eyes and throwing her arms around his waist. ]

I'm sorry things have been so rough.

Things will get better. Please don't give up.

Mm. There's someone else who should probably hear that, though.

I'm... really glad, though. Getting to have these kinds of friends...

[he pets her hair]

There are a lot of people who care about you. And I'll tell that to as many parts of you as I can.

...Thank you. That this is here at all...

...it's something.

I hope it takes a while for your mom to get back. Give you a little peace and quiet for a while so you can fix the place up how you like.

[one last fond pat on the head]

Ah... I'm going to try this food you made before it gets cold. Is that alright?

Of course! It was for practice so, um, it might not be that good, but it's practice for friends, so...

[ it's nothing exquisite, but it's tasty, and actually pretty spicy. ]

[He slurps up a big bite of noodles.]

..Mm~~! Ish delishuf!

[nom nom]

Oh, whew, that packs a punch.

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Shrike's Heart (#4)

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