heart game - MK, rinku

[wroughtandtempered]

I’m sorry. I tried— I tried, but I can’t keep going—

I don’t think I can do this alone, so— Please. Please—

I need help.

Comments

[roundandaround]

"Yeah..."

Rinku shivered. She went over to touch the house photo instead.

"I don't think I'd wanna keep the bad ones, but aren't bad memories also part of the person? So I don't know if she'd want to lose those either. Aren't we supposed to not wreck anything?"

[wroughtandtempered]

It's an oil painting of a house in Art Deco style. The frame is lightly charred, but still solid enough.

Touching it, you hear an echo of a conversation between Eve and another voice:

“...If— if it's like that for both of us. If this is what we've got... when the dust settles. Do we want to work on making it home for real? ...I've been sort of half-assing it, since I don't need a lot. But we both— if we can have better, we deserve better.”

“Ha. You've been half-assing it? I've been trying every time. … But yeah. We deserve better here. So. Let's give it our all, yeah?”

“...Yeah. ... This is the first time I've lived in a house in years, okay, settling the fuck down took a while.”

“Oh. …Oh, nah, no, we're gonna keep working on winning and see if we can get some dope upgrades or something and make this a home. All right?”

—and then a sense of profound regret and helplessness rolls over you, before curdling into grief and longing. You know that in the end, this promise was broken.

[roundandaround]

Rinku cries out.

Maybe she was unprepared. She clenches her fist in front of her chest and leans on the wall. She breathes in and out hard, shaking from the feeling influx.

"...I think she lost somebody, MK-san. Like with Shion-chan and Rika-chan. How people disappear from these places and go home sometimes. She wanted to live with somebody, and then it didn't happen."

[noodleboi]

"Just take a deep breath. Try to center yourself. ...We lose people and it hurts. It lasts. We don't want to burn that then either. She might forget that person. Forget the happy memories too. Do you need me to touch the other ones? I'm almost done with the desk."

[roundandaround]

Rinku takes a breath and looks at the photo, then at MK. She rubs her arms, trying to stave off the cold, and stands up taller.

"It's okay. If Eve-chan needs the help, I'm gonna do my best. Okay?"

She breathes in and out like he asks, and then goes to touch the clinic photo. That one's something from Ellipsa. Maybe it'll be nice.

[wroughtandtempered]

It's an oil painting of the clinic.

Touching it fills you with determination, with an undercurrent of spite. This is yours— your heritage, your dream, and you won’t let it be taken from you again.

[roundandaround]

She braces herself for pain, and the result... makes her blink, then smile. She turns to MK and nods.

"This one's good too. ...I don't wanna lose you guys either, or anyone. Eve-chan's right. I'm gonna try the last one."

She looks hopefully at the animal family and touches it.

[wroughtandtempered]

It's an oil painting of a kitchen, with several individuals at a kotatsu— oh. Hmm. The image changes depending on what angle it’s viewed from. From one, the people look human; it’s Reika and a busty woman with copper hair and eyes curled into each other, while a black-haired older woman in a beautiful kimono makes tea at a stove in the back and looks on fondly. From another, it’s a blonde wolf and a large copper-colored snake resting with their heads on each others’ backs, and an anthropomorphic crow in the back (though they’re still making tea).

Touching it fills you with longing, aching affection, and quiet guilt. There’s a soft echo of Eve’s voice:

“Someday, I’ll see you again. I promise, you won’t grieve me forever.”

[roundandaround]

She sniffles. Rocking from side to side, she watches the image change.

"They must really love you too, Eve-chan."

Time to report back to MK.