[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))

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[thevoidsdarkhorse]

[...okay, the fact you just hang out in likes is adorable.]

[Let's take down these chains and INVESTIGATE.]

[soulping]

[( '-') maybe there are reasons for that]

[The chains fall away easily and you open the door to find--]








[a Magikarp falling out of the room and landing RIGHT ON TOP OF YOU. the contact sends a knife of fear, panic and anxiety down your spine]

[FUCKING FISH--]

[thevoidsdarkhorse]

[Maybe I will just ship you two.]

[rjwaoiejwaoew]

[BUT IT'S A POKEMON AND THAT INVOLVES SPARROW DERE, WHY DO YOU GIVE ME SUCH A CONFLICTING FEELING?!]

[Jerking back from the fish.]

[soulping]

[the fish Pokemon flops onto the ground, muttering it's typical karp karp karp! as it does so. the poor thing]

[but now that it's out of the way, you can see clearly into the room you just opened. it's a deep closet with several shelves lining the back of it. there are a bunch of different items on said shelves too. and in case you were wondering, yes there is a fish tank in there]

[thevoidsdarkhorse]

[...okay, even with fear and panic, its' a fish Pokemon ):]

[Can I pick it up to put it in the fish tank?]

[soulping]

[you can]

[. . . you feel the same sense of fear and petrification when you touch it again, though. phobias, man. they suck]

[thevoidsdarkhorse]

[Nope nope nope nope IT IS A LIFE AND YOU DO NOT LET LIFE DIE EVEN IF YOU'RE TERRIFIED LALONDE, JUST THINK OF SHIPPING CHARTS.]

[The fastest throwing fish in a fish tank EVER]

[soulping]

[KER-SPLASH]

[the fear fades into relief, and the Magikarp swims around the fish tank happily]

[thevoidsdarkhorse]

[OH THANK GOD.]

[Just...breathe for a minute and will look at the stuff on the shelves.]

[soulping]

[some of the items in the closet are super mundane; there's a box of tea and a carton of vanilla ice cream. some of them are more pointed; there's a small figure of Nyssa thrown at the very back, along with a beat up fedora]

[and then there's an iron key, easily missed unless you're looking around carefully. it's covered in cobwebs]

[thevoidsdarkhorse]

[...tea and vanilla ice cream?]

[And whats' with the fedora?]

[But what's that key?]

[Picking it up.]

[soulping]

[you have acquired one (1) iron key. add to your inventory, y/n?]

[thevoidsdarkhorse]

[Hmmm]

[HMMMMMMMMMMMMM]

[I will add to inventory.]

[Gonna touch the tea and vanilla.]

[soulping]

[the tea imparts the feeling of disgust and distaste. ew tea]

[the vanilla ice cream imparts a feeling of indifference. it's not chocolate, so it's not nearly as good]

[thevoidsdarkhorse]

[....nerd]

[What about this fedora?]

[soulping]

[absolute, unconditional, deep-seated and pure hatred]

[thevoidsdarkhorse]

[Holy shit.]

['-']

[Let's just leave that then.]

[Pokes around the shelves. Any other secrets here?]

[soulping]

[nope! nothing else of note, anyway]

[thevoidsdarkhorse]

[Hmmm, well, I have a key.]

[Walking on out and will close and chain up the door again.] So, know anything 'bout keys?

[soulping]

[Aoko is still sitting on the sofabed]

Eh? What about them?

[thevoidsdarkhorse]

Found a big ol' key and seemed important?

[soulping]

[she frowns, her brows wrinkled]

I don't know anything specific about that. But. . .! Kaito's heart is big, so it might be useful somewhere else?

[thevoidsdarkhorse]

Fetch quests it is. Shoulda known.

Still, no sign of my foe. Don't need help here, do ya?

[soulping]

[Aoko shakes her head]

Mmm! As I said, this area is safe. And I wouldn't let anything bad happen to it, anyway.

[thevoidsdarkhorse]

[Nods.] Fair nuff.

I'm gonna go see if I can find him then.