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.

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[roundandaround]

Rinku's eyes sparkle. She spins in a circle and points in the air, then goes to hug Small Eve, making happy noises. Instincts are only fun when she gets to sing and copy voices, she is not listening to them telling her this tiny child is scary.

"Happy Around! You're so cute, Eve-chan! Are you okay now?"

[wroughtandtempered]

Oh, no, she's hugged. Time to dangle like a limp noodle.

"I'm, um. Better? Not all the way back, so I'm small. But that's better than it was."

[roundandaround]

Rinku puts her back down, bouncing a little on her heels.

"That's great! I was kinda worried, but it looks like it'll be okay now! I didn't know this kind of thing existed... it's called 'heart game,' right?"

[wroughtandtempered]

Oh thank fuck. She gives herself a little shake and sits back on her hindmost haunches.

"That's what Choco-chan calls them. The first one I did I just called dreamwalking."

[roundandaround]

"Huh... okay!" Rinku smiles cluelessly. "I wonder where they came from. Oh, did you need us to do anything else? I know we did the mission thing. That was mostly MK-san, he's really good at this stuff, huh? But I'm really glad we got to help you!"

[wroughtandtempered]

"They seem to happen a lot when something goes wrong in someone's heart? Like— if you stopped being able to be happy, or something. That kind of wrong or broken."

She heaves a HUGE sigh, and tips over onto her side.

"Anyway, you got everything. Thank you for coming! And helping. Even if you didn't have a choice, it was important.

...I don't have a good thank you gift ready for you, sorry. But if you want, I could give you a memory of something happy?"

[roundandaround]

"Really?"

Rinku clearly didn't expect a gift at all, so she doesn't seem disappointed. She nods excitedly.

"Sure, of course! Thank you! Is it something fun? Games? Donuts?"

[wroughtandtempered]

"Something fun, definitely."

She rolls back to her feet and wiggles her way back under the kotatsu. When she comes back out, she's carrying a seashell, which she deposits at Rinku's feet.

"Once it's done, you'll wake up. So make sure you're ready."

[roundandaround]

Rinku crouches and reaches out carefully for the shell.

"Treasure!" She looks up and smiles at Eve. "Thank you so much! I'll see you again, okay, Eve-chan?"

She touches the shell lightly, humming once again.

[wroughtandtempered]

"Bye~"

You remember—

Running along a vast beach— running full-tilt on all eight legs for no reason but for the sheer joy of it, the wind in your fur and ears, and the sound of laughter and yelling (most of it playful demands to slow down) falling further and further behind. The sun is brilliant overhead, and the briny smell of the ocean and all the life in and around it is rich in your nose, infinitely more vivid and detailed than it would have been to purely human senses.




—and then, as you blink the remnants of the memory from your eyes, you're awake.