Laios's Heart Game

[myhungryass]

It's dark, and you are not quite conscious. You have the sense that you are climbing; that you have been climbing for a long time. You can feel the burn in your thighs, the ache in your calves. You're a little too hot, and what you're wearing is a little too heavy. You have the sense of taking a last weary, heaving step onto a plateau.



You find yourself in a dark, blank place, dominated by a huge, dead monster, building sized, as big as a tower. Each of its enormous heads that you can see laid out before you is easily the size of a ballroom. There is blood on its lips and nostrils, blood crusted around its empty eye-sockets, but there is a feeling of hollowness about it. On second thought, you're not quite sure if it's a corpse or a moult.

There is no sign of the stairs you vaguely remember climbing. You are standing on the surface of some opaque black liquid. It feels almost completely solid under your feet, springy, but your footsteps leave ripples spreading out in rings... all around you is a velvety, impenetrable darkness. The only thing you can see is the vast, lifeless beast in front of you, illuminated as if by spotlights, though no actual light-source can be found.

Its orifices are mostly clogged with blood, but somehow, as you stare at it, one vaulted nostril on the wolf's head begins to seem like an archway... the lolling tongue hanging out of the rhinoceros's head like an entry ramp... the exposed, hollow eye-socket on the eagle's head like a portal...

Of course, if you're not quite ready to step inside a monster, you could keep walking around its body and see what you find.

Comments

[myhungryass]

"Thank you so much!" He takes it and starts eating it with enthusiasm. "...it's good..."

[scentsibility]

Mm, I'm glad. Here, take as much as you want.

[myhungryass]

He's gonna. "You should try some, too. Food tastes better when it's shared."

The food in question is fairly decent beef jerky. If Al has some, it's a bit tough and salty, but tasty. It has a nice peppery kick and a pleasant chew.

Also, it tastes like gratitude and friendship, so enjoy that.

[scentsibility]

Oh ... this flavor is ...

[ it has nothing to do with its scent. Al is surprised by it and having a Feel for some reason?? ]

[myhungryass]

"It's surprisingly delicious for something this plain and simple, isn't it? Maybe it's just that I'm hungry..."

[scentsibility]

It's not just you. Maybe it's like you said ... food tastes better when it's shared.

[ he stays like that for a few minutes, munching on the snack together, but eventually he tilts his head a bit. ]

So ... what was all of what I saw before here? The big monster and the houses that were a bit off ...?

[myhungryass]

"A bit off?" He seems kind of confused. "I don't know exactly what's outside of here, but whatever you saw—it's all me. All Laios."

[scentsibility]

All ... you? Even that huge creature?

[myhungryass]

"It must be..." Thoughtful. "Though I can't say I know what you're talking about. There's a lot I still don't remember."

[scentsibility]

Ah. Alright. Maybe I should keep looking around ... ?

[myhungryass]

"That's probably the best idea." He offers a sheepish grin. "I do think there are some memories I haven't taken yet, so if you can bring those to my real self, maybe I'll understand better? He should be around somewhere..."

[scentsibility]

Memories? Like this one?

[myhungryass]

"Like my book. You saw the memory inside it, right?"

[scentsibility]

Oh! Yes! So I should bring it with me?

[myhungryass]

"No, I've already remembered that one. When you pick up one of the ones that I haven't remembered yet, you should be able to feel the difference, I think...? Although they probably won't all be books."

[scentsibility]

Ah ... okay! I'll keep looking for them and bring them back to you!

[myhungryass]

"But not me. A different me. Ugh, sorry, this is confusing... this is why I hate mental effects..."

[scentsibility]

It is a little confusing ... but I'll just hang onto them then, and I should know when to give them to you, right? You but other-you, that is.

[myhungryass]

He thinks about that, then nods. "I think that's a good idea. That sounds right."

[scentsibility]

Mm, okay. Where should I go from here, do you think?

[myhungryass]

"If you close your eyes and go back into the wagon, you should be able to get out of here."

[scentsibility]

Ah, dream logic ... right.

[ he hands him more of the snacks. ]

Here, take this at least. and I guess I'll talk to you you later?

[myhungryass]

"Thanks!" He'll take them. "Yeah. Good luck..."

[scentsibility]

[ he waves, closing his eyes and he ducks back into the wagon. should he try going to the front of the wagon since he was just out the back ... ? ]

[myhungryass]

As soon as he ducks into the wagon with his eyes closed, he finds himself stepping out of the snake, back outside, onto the dark water.