[Heart Game - Ed, Maya, Roxy]

[carptricks]

[It's dark. You're trying to move forward, but it feels like your limbs are weighed down by chains and shackles. Still, you push. You push and you pull and those chains are pulled taut and strained until suddenly--]

[Something snaps]

[You tumble forward, wind blowing past your face, until you lose awareness of anything around you. . .]

((another run ran concurrent to this one here))

Comments

THE THEATER

[soulping]

[The sound of deafening applause reverberates throughout the room]

[You open your eyes to find yourself sitting in a squishy, comfortable red theater seat. You're in the very front row, with dozens of other rows stretching behind you all the way into darkness. That area is pitch black, but in front of you. . .]

[A grand stage framed with Tiamat purple curtains is illuminated for all to see. It isn't empty, as Kaito is standing right in the center, staring at all of you in utter bewilderment]

. . .

Again?!

Re: THE THEATER

[fuhrinkaed]

Yep. Again... apparently.

You're not secretly an evil deep crow or whatever this time, right?

[MAGIC SIGHTING AS WELL FOR POSSIBLE MAGIC AURAS.]

[carptricks]

[THERE IS MAGIC. EVERYWHERE. EVERYTHING IS MAGIC]

[But you're in the middle of a heart game constructed via Echo magic so perhaps that isn't such a surprise]

[Meanwhile, Kaito rakes both hands through his hair with a groan]

Wh-- no! What the heck. . . this is so unfair!

[fuhrinkaed]

[...yup. this isn't gonna help much right now.]

[Sitting down in midair and shrugging.]

Well... I guess if there's anything in particular you want help with, you could ask. I don't mind helping out on a surface level, but... I'm not so good with words or whatever.

[carptricks]

[uuuuugh. scrubs his face with his palms]

You could. I dunno.

Sit here until the game is over?

[he offers helpfully]

[fuhrinkaed]

"I would encourage you all to be extra diligent in your explorations today, hm? I would hate to have to leave your dearest friends in this state due to your idleness."

You wanna take the risk, or should I at least pretend to poke around inside of you for stuff?

[carptricks]

[he flinches]

. . .

Nyssa?

[tch]

I mean-- s'not like there's anything bad going on in here, this time. Not that I can sense, anyway.

[heeeee trails off, gaze flickering away]

[fuhrinkaed]

Bingo.

...Then... tell you what.

I'll look around. If there's bad stuff, I'll try to convince it to help itself. If I can't, I'll make a note of it and tell you later. And of course, I'll try not to get myself too messed up. Not that I think your heart would kill me, but I mean. Y'know?

[carptricks]

[. . . sighs and folds his arms with an impressive grump]

It's not that I need help. I've gotten pretty good at working out my issues myself, lately. S'just. . .

[invasion. of privacy]

There is one thing you can do while you're here though, I guess.

Re: THE THEATER

[thevoidsdarkhorse]

...man, your luck is kinda terrible.

Re: THE THEATER

[carptricks]

[grooooooans]

I'm supposed to have good luck. What the heck is up with this? People trampling all throughout my soul once was bad enough.

Re: THE THEATER

[thevoidsdarkhorse]

Maybe karmic kick back? Normal good luck so gotta have major bad luck happen once and a while?

Re: THE THEATER

[carptricks]

I haven't done anything lately to make karma hate me.

[HE THINKS. . .]

This is so stupid.

Re: THE THEATER

[thevoidsdarkhorse]

...well, it could be because you got waist deep in void. Misfortune is part of that stuff.

[Offers a sheepish shrug as she gets up out of her seat.]

[carptricks]

Oh c'mon, that was weeks ago. Why's it deciding to backfire on me now?

[eyes her as she stands up, but he doesn't move from the stage]

[thevoidsdarkhorse]

'cause it does that. Time matters not to the void. Literally, time dun work in there.

[She rests her elbows on the stage, looking up at him.]

So. Nyssa gave vague warnings of doom if we dun play ball. Is there any part of you that actually wants help or should I just go see how many magic tricks I can learn from iterations of you?

[carptricks]

[his expression twists into one of displeasure]

. . .

I think I'm pretty good at handling my own issues, and I don't sense anything off. Not like last time.

[aka no corrupted mirror shards are in the soul this time around]

I'd prefer it if you guys just sat around and did nothing until the game ended, but if Nyssa's making threats, I guess that's not an option. Huh?

[feytality]

...Eh?

[carptricks]

. . .

H'lo, Eveningstar.

[he's so grump. so very grump]

[feytality]

Fancy seeing you here, Kaito. Lemme guess... we're gonna have a heart to heart?

[carptricks]

[WOW]

. . .

That was terrible.

[feytality]

Gee, someone doesn't appreciate a good joke...

Anyway, I'm here to get Nyssa's gross mitts off of you. You know that, right?

[carptricks]

[stiffening]

Nyssa? What gross mitts? I don't sense anything wrong this time around.

[feytality]

She kidnapped you and put you to sleep! She's probably going to infect you with creepy giggles and evil tea-sipping! C'mon, Kaito, I wouldn't make this up!

[carptricks]

Tea-sipping? Spare me the mental images!

[GROSS]

I'm not saying you're making it up, I just don't like the idea of people trampling around my soul. Y'know?