wroughtandtempered | heart game

She rears up a little and puts both big forepaws on his hand.

"I'm glad it wasn't too bad. I, um. I tried to put some of the sharper things in my head away? But some of them were too close to the thing I needed help with, so..."

Her ears fold back uncertainly, and she sighs.

"And Trauma's always a bitch. ...I'm glad you could help too, though.

Anyway, I'll bring cookies! And if you're ready to go... um. I wanted to give everyone thank-you gifts? But you already saw the memory where I decided I liked you, so... I could just give you something happy instead? If you wanted."

MK smiles brightly and nods. "Yeah it is. I get the trauma bottle, just took me a moment to like, get it. You know?" Sometimes you just gotta put that stuff somewhere to deal with it when you can.

"And I'll bring noodles," He nods. "I mean, if you want. Your cookies are also a good gift after too. You helped me too, with all this. I mean it."

"Yeah. She's not really subtle? But she's not straightforward, either. Except about being mean."

In other words: she's how trauma generally goes.

Very solemnly, Eve continues with: "I always want your noodles. They're good," before proceeding to roll herself belly-up on his feet. A little uncertainly, she adds, "I helped?"

MK nods and shifts into human form. Oh he wants to rub the belly so bad but he doesn't. He does make a cute little noise at how cute Eve is being.

"Yeah. You did. It let me sort some of my own stuff out in my head, being in here. And your grandmother was super nice. Even when she scolded me.

And the ambition I burned, I'm hoping it helps you more than it did me. I think it should keep that fire going for a while for you. Oh wait until you taste my new noodles. They're even better. Dadsy taught me more when I went back home."

"Obaa's like that," she says wistfully. "That was just my memories of her, but... maybe you can meet the real her someday. I think she'd like you.

...I hope burning it doesn't hurt you. I know burning stuff isn't good for me, either, but it was the only way I had to stay warm for a long time," she says, and droops. ...Then perks back up.

"Oh, but— you didn't look at my sketchbook while you were in there! Most of it probably won't mean much to you, but you're in there too. And Macaque, and Evangeline."

"I'd like to meet her for real too," It would be a little weird but it would be nice. "I think I'd like her too."

MK raised an eyebrow and blinked. "Really? Oh. I can go back and look then. I wasn't sure if it would be like, you know, like private stuff. I don't think it will. And I think you can put it to good use. I mean it," Because Eve had people she clearly cared for. People she wanted to build a home with. If she did get what he had, that desire for something just for her from them, that would be part of building a home. She could get it and not fuck up like he did.

"I'll be back."

MK headed off to check out the pages in the sketchbook.

Very seriously, she says: "My private sketchbook is locked up. The one on the desk is okay to look at— it's the things I don't mind talking about wanting."

The rest of what you say, she looks a little bit dubious about— but she nods, accepting it.

"Okay, see you!"

When you check the sketchbook—

Most of the early pages have been torn out, leaving only fragments behind. About midway through, however, pages start being left in; they contain a wide variety of sketches and notes of varying completeness. Some are just of things like lists of ingredients, or jewelry, or bits of a house or an apartment floorplan with lots of little notes: question marks, potential decorations, things like that. Others, however, are pictures of people.

Most of the faces aren’t people you know— a young man with a scarred face caught mid-howl, an older gentleman smiling, a motley group in a clearing raising their voices to the sky. However, there are more familiar faces, as well: Korone with her wings spread and someone else’s clawed hands carding through the feathers. Donnie, excitement written in his body language as he goes off about something, a bracelet around one wrist. Macaque, smirking as he eats peaches out of an absolutely enormous fruit basket. Evangeline, flirting with a two-tailed fox girl, who looks enthused to be receiving (and returning) the attention. There’s even one of you— eating noodles at a picnic in monkey mode, looking peacefully happy and carefree.

Past the sketch the book was left open to, there’s only one drawing.

MK smiles as he sees all the faces, scenes, and then himself. He chuckles.

"I look good eating noodles," He says to himself with a cheeky grin. Then the ring. He smiles and nods to it. He closes the sketch book and sets it down gently. He decides he's definitely going to draw a picture for Eve. In little sausage mode and give it to her when they meet again outside.

He heads back to the kitchen and grabs a cookie.

"Thank you for telling me about that. I like the drawings."

She bounces at him as he re-enters, pulling up just shy of jumping at his legs.

"I'm glad! I really want to help everyone be happy, if I can. And to rest, it's been so busy and bad and there's no way this helped..."

Ugh. She takes a moment to get out the frustration by giving her tail a brief chase.

"That means you, too. So we'll definitely have to do a mindfuck club meeting later.

...Anyway. I don't think there's anything else I really wanted you to see in here? So unless there's anything else you want to look at, I can send you out. If you're ready."

"Definitely need mindfuck club time after this. With good food and good people," MK said with a soft smile.

"And thanks. Yeah. We all need a rest. It would be nice if things could just calm down. Depending on how things go, I know I wanna do a big beach party for people. I hope you can come, depending on, well, things. Like I said. Anyway. Yeah. I'm ready to go. I'm glad we could help each other. And see you later, Eve. When you're less small."

Ohp. MK, you have restarted the wiggles.

"I love the beach," she says, starry-eyed. "I hope I can come too. ...And thank you again for coming! I know it wasn't really a choice, but— I'm glad you were here, MK.

And I'll see you later! ...Sort of..."

As her voice starts to fade out, so too does your vision.

When you blink the darkness from your eyes, you're awake.

heart game - MK, rinku

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