Pavo Heart Game: Noctua's Grand Adventure

[cryovision]

When you enter the light, you find yourself hovering weightless in a void, as if caught in a moment of falling inertia. In the distance, you hear a voice that seems to shift and twist, familiar and yet unfamiliar.

"You shouldn't be here. But since you already are, let's make a wager. If you can uncover the truth, you'll find me. If you can't, you may be hopelessly lost... What a shame that would be."

You begin falling, and your vision blacks out--

[OOC NOTE: your goals are "reveal the truth" to "find the true heart". All images in toplevels are for general inspo, please make sure you read the flavourtext cause things are not exactly as they are in the images.]

Comments

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[pyrodelusion]

Good... evening, I suppose.

[settling a little once his clone doesn't attack.]

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[cryovision]

You suppose? So stuffy.

[Pavo laughs, and your clone flushes a little... for some reason.]

Would you like a drink?

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[pyrodelusion]

Mm.

[turning his attention towards his... blushing self. Huh.]

Grape juice, please.

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[cryovision]

Grape juice, then.

[Your clone responds in your usual refined but distant tone. He pours a rich, high quality juice just for you, and passes it over, with a small slip of paper under the glass.

When you take a sip, reality seems to fracture. On the one hand, you can see the two of them still there, in the happy bar, picking up a bantering conversation that's full of rude words but still sounds like flirting. On the other, you can see a black and white, near-silent version of the scene, where Pavo is slumped against the bar, dead, skewered by a greatsword while bright red blood, the only colour in the room, drips everywhere, and your clone is cleaning a glass as if it doesn't matter at all.

It keeps flickering. You feel dizzy. Neither world seems to recognise your existence.

What is real? Who were you again?

You're alone. Forgotten by the world. W̸͔͑͌̑͝h̵̳͔̘͛͑͂ǫ̴͋̆̏̿͜͝ ̶̢̜̫̏͊̚à̷̢͜r̴̢͓̖͓̿ë̶̢̗̼́̑̆ͅ ̴̡̦̲͓̥͊͋̚y̶͉̤̲̆̃̃o̴͖͊̍͆͝u̵̯̻̫̓́͘͠?̷̰͊͐̈́̈́͝

You don't know. You don't know, you don't--

you don't--

you--

Ḯ̷̤̩̺͈͇̟̇ ̷̺̲̮̰̳̫̼̀̀̇͜d̸̞̥̥͖̹͕͖̹͓͈̊̌̀̀o̷̭̅̉̓n̶̨͚̱̫̞͈̣̱͉̭̓͊̈́͊͜'̵̧̰̖͔̰̺̳͉̳̿ẗ̶̢̰̞̳̬͇̜̰̩̗̬́͆͑̃̚ ̶͈͈̫͇̙̝̖̭͈̔̇͐̾͊̚͝ͅk̸̟̼̫̙̳̿̕ṉ̵̳̪̥̤̄̓͛̆͛͂̊̈́̀̊͗͝o̸̡͆̃̏͂̉͛̐̂̈̐̚ẁ̶̱̲̯̞̘̦͇̱̟͍̻̂̈͒̐̈́͊̔̏̈́͠͝ ̷̜̹̣̹̘́İ̷̛͎͕͙̻͖͓̯̝̹̈͆͆̅̌̍̃̈́̚͝ͅ ̶̧̡̠̭̘̳͎̻̭̰̟̟̘̑̇͑̊͗̓͂̀̅ḑ̸͓̰̮̺̻͎͔̖̀̆̐̀͊͜ǒ̶̧̡̜͓̰̱͇̞͔̣̝̬̜͘ň̴̨̨̡̦͓͇̙̫̫̤͉̽̅̋̃͗͝ͅ'̶̡̢͍̰̲̠͚̰̌̂͆͠͝ţ̶͉̱͖̘̪̖͑͐̀̐̾̆̆̌̍̌͗̕͝ ̸͖͇̬͖̠̗̈́̽̇̈̂͑̈́̐̔̓̂k̴͉̬̳͆̆͝ǹ̸̻͍̥̑͊͒ő̵̗͍̔̈́͛͗̀̿̕̚̚͝͝͝ŵ̸̢͙͉̳̤̰̤̟̹̑̏̅̔ ̶̯̩̼͕̤̱̺̘̝̔̌́͗̾̾́͂̉̕͠Ǐ̶̫̠̈́͜ ̵̛̙͕͚̻̮̘͗̈̿̈́̐͐͗̍͠͝͠d̵̟̝͉͈̐͗̔́̄̾̾̚͝o̷̢̗̝̦̟̬͉̽̉n̴̢̨̛̟̘͇̯̠̩̖̼̒̅̓̋̈́͑̃̒͛̅͜͠'̷̡̰͎̤̼̲́̾͘͜͠t̸̠̥̱̩̣̰̻͉͂̀͂͗̎̈͜͝ ̸͙̼̙͇̈͂͗̀͗͑͝k̷̦̹̦̗͓̻̯̘͕͓̮͒̿̇̈́̑͋̓̚ṋ̸̢̢͍͇͍͌̎͌͛̓͆͑͂̈́́̕͜͠o̷̠̣̺͆w̴̛̫͖̩̓̅͒̈́͋̽̾̾͊̏͝ ̶̻̼̞̑̽̅͑̎̓̅͆̿͆̌̀̕I̸̝͓̙̪̅͌̈̾͐̉̈̉̓͘̕͜͝͠ ̴̧̧͚̘͎̱̹̜͖̣̦͎͖̏̾̓̇͐̍͝d̷͔̤͚̩̪͙̱̤͉͔̀̒̊͐̋͗̚͠ō̸̡̮̰͓̥̟̝̦͇͉̤͛̂̊̒̋̑͗̓̈́ṇ̸̢̭͓͎̻͙͌̓'̵̢̢̥̙̻̬͇̯̥͇̋̔̈̚̚͜t̷̫̰̒̐͐͗̒̓̕ ̴̤̞̫͇̳̩͈͉͙̯̝̒̈́͝k̴͎̱͕̽̂̈́́̊͌͠͠n̵̢̛͕̮̬͔̱͚̲̼̞͙̟̠̄̍̉̽̌́̄̀͘͘͘͠ȏ̷̡̗̼͈̺̖̩̖͌͑̍́͜w̶͕̼͔͔̯̗̽̓̒̌̀̄̆̀̕͠͠ ̷̨̳̟̭͓̩͚̲̭̪̂͛́̄̄͐̽̈̈́Ì̷̯̝͖̜͔̺̔̎ ̸̧̤̪̻̱̱̣͍͍̥͂͋͠d̴̘̟̭̩̱̥̜̣̳̱̻̄̊̔̈̓̉̈́̔̀͌̃ǫ̶̬͔̙̤̻͈̪̱͔̯̤̫̅̿͆̈ṅ̸̛̗͍͚̒'̴̹̗̙͇̠̦̤͇̂͒ț̶̬̱̲̠̈̍͋̕͝͠͠ ̴̛͇̥͉̟̺͒͑̾̋͋̎k̴͇͖̙̗̈̈́̓͆̐͠n̵̢̛̥̤͍̞͈̫͐̽͆͊̿o̷͖̗̤͛w̵̡̹̭͕̩̠̹͓̙͎̆͒͑͒͋̕͝ ̸̡͓̮̞͉͖̝͎̘̯̏̽̿ͅĬ̴̩͉͙̱͚̫̗̙̻͋͊̉͛̔͐͘ ̸̢͉̈́̽̂͐̆̚͝͝d̸̠͉̘̺̱͉̥͇͍͖̆̾͛͌͗̌̎̈̀̔͌̚͜ͅo̵̘͍͖͖̲̠̝̙͎̦̍͑̀͑͛ñ̷͍̒͒̿̏̾̅́̕'̵̤̺̤̫̇̊̓͑̒͋̅͂̏̕̕̕t̷̟̱̟͓̦̹̞̙̣̺͕̰̘͌ ̴̭̞͗̂͑̔̌̕k̴̦̪̟͑̃̽́͗̽̃̍̓̊́n̷̨̛̦̣̟̗̈́̋͋͆͋́̓̀̒͘͘̚o̸̟͈̙̪̙̫͔̠͆̐̑̆̊̐̓̀̓̂̒͂̀ͅw̶̧̬̤̣͔͉̘̬̐͒͗́͋̅̋̂̾͐̈́͜͝ ̵̰͍̓͌̈́̃͐͗̃̌̕I̷̢̠̺͉̪̼̲͐̿̌́̅͗͒̀͜ ̷̳̩̳͍̼͌͜d̸̡̼͕̞̭̘̪̯̍̀̈́̀̎̈́́͠ȍ̵̱̥̲̊͆̽̃̏̆͠n̴̮͇͈̖̼͔̲̞̆̎̇'̷͉̮̓͋͜t̷̡̧͈͕̯̟̰̹̣̮̗̦͂̐̊̿̈́̊̽͘̚͝ͅ ̷̢̤̥̜̼̥͖͇̣̺̓͜͠k̵̛̝̲̣̟͈̓͋̐̈́̿͆̀̎̍̌͝ͅṉ̷̛̩̫̦̠̮́͗̽͑̔͗̾o̵͉̲͉͗̾̇̇̈w̵̡̘̩̹̪͔͕͔̱̖̽̎̊͘ ̵̨̖̱͙̳͖͇͚͙͕̞͇̒͆̓̐̔̇͛͐̚Ì̴̢̡͔̣̦͈̹̺̻̱̇ ̶͎̆͛̋̅̾̋̀̓̈́͌̿͝d̸̡̨̠͈̭̝̟̪̹͇̬̜̋̋̇̈́͝o̶̢͎̮̪͇͎͒̆͗̈́͒̒̃̈́͒̔̀̈́͐n̵̡͉͍͙̳͉̝͍͈̗̱͛̀̏͋́̄̏̄̍̾͘͝͝'̸̢̲̻̲̻̻͖̜͕͛̀͂́̎̀̚t̴͎̖͖̟͖͚͔͕̯̬̊̈́͐̏̆͗́̈́̕̚͜͠ ̸̟̤̰̒̾̕̕k̵̫̝̹͕̈̾̈́̚n̴̨̡̢̲͇͐͛̆̀͠ỏ̶͔̰̉̏̄̑̉̓̾̚͘w̴̢̪͈̓ ̷̡̨̫̰̻̗̬̟͕̻̗̄͂͋̽̀I̴̛͍̜͉̎͂͐̇́̅͆̂͌̑̚ ̴͇̉̆̌̊d̸̡̛͈̮̳͓̫̲̯͓͆̒́͑͐̐͐̓͝͠͠ô̷̦n̴̢͇̠̝͍͔͑̓̽̐̚̕̚'̷̲̙̙̣̩̯̈́̎͊̏t̶̤̩̺͇̳̅̓͒̋͝͝͠͝ ̵̧̜̖͙͍̣̱͂̐͋͛k̴̩͖̉̋̂ṅ̸̰͉̰́͒̾̍ǫ̷̨̣̥̝̹̣̹͉̩͇͐̍̅̈́w̶̠̽͂́̽̋̚ ̵͉͓͉̭̯̪͙̟͎̆̏̅͘͝Ḯ̴̢̧̢̧͚͓̞͉̗̺̘̞͑̾̈́ ̵̡̩̯̳̥̙̠̯̣̖̝̳̃d̴̢͚̟̱̜̜̟̤͙̪̩͑͛̂͒̅͆͗o̸͚̭͍̮̝̝͍̾͐̐͆̿̆͠ͅṇ̷̭͚̞͓̯̟̗͚̺̺͓͚̈͒̉̄̒͌'̷̬̩̬͚͕̮͈̖̬͓̘͗̑̿̐̊̓͒͂́͋͌̏̕t̵͎͚̤́ ̵̛͚̗͍̇͑̍̕k̷̪͕͆̀̔̏̅̃̄ͅn̴̘̺̭͂̈͒́̔͗o̵͍͖̭̮̞̖̱̥̤͛̿̀̀̋̿̎̏̄̉̕͠͝w̵̧͍̙̞͇̌̿ ̷̩̜̒I̵̡̟̼̗̠̜̰͒͊̕͝ ̴̘̻̪͕͚̼̹̾́̂̎̈́͛̏̀̊d̷̯̤̹͍͕̤̰̫̅̈́̂̒̔õ̷̞͖͚̜̲̳̜̗͎̹͕͑͘͝n̵͇͍̥̮͓͓͇̥̫̦̈́̌́̀̾͝ͅ'̵̡̧̯̗̯̮̯͖̪͎̠̆̒̂̅́̇͜͠t̷͔̜̲̓̀̂͐͂̔̕͝ ̴̧͎͍͙̘̺͔̝̖̫̫̻̯̐k̷̼̱͓̥͚̪̇̓̆̀̄̽̾̈́̒̚̕̚͝n̵̢̳̦͙͚̲̳̠̲͉̻̱̈́̌͐o̴͙͊̒͑͑̕͝ͅẃ̷̧̛̰̠̯̯̖̺̀̔̎̑̓̒̚͝ ̷̨̛̜͇̰̜̭͙͓̯̘͙̆͛͜I̶̞̖̠̍̅̏ ̷͍̟̪͇̭̭̞͗͘͝d̷̛̞͎͓̩͒̾͐̄̎͊̔̐̕ͅo̶̡̲̙͓͕͋͐̄͊͐̆͛̇̀͐́ͅņ̴̢̢̨̯̬̙͇̥͇̗̓̇̀̉̑̌͂̄́͘͝͝'̸̟͙̫͂̋̓̈́̑̒̈́͌̃̕̕͜ţ̵̭̫̫͍̫̳͔͕̥̔̈̎ ̷͓͑̂̍͌̚k̸̢̘̼͍͙͎̪͓̻̗̯͎̐͊̚ͅn̸̯̞͖̞̆̉͋̓͋̐̅̒͛͝͝õ̸̢͉͎͍̱͈̭̗̤̲̍̀͛̈̀͝͝w̶̛͇̩̓ ̷̨͈̦͙̯̠̼̖̓̒̊̏̓͂̅͐̎̕I̶̛͇͕̗̰͕ ̴͈̭̺̱̲͇̠̀̽͋͋̇̈́͜d̵͎̥̱̝͍̝̗͕̈́͗̄͜͝ö̸̧̯̺̞̣͈̠̖̫̖͇̟̰̈́̐̈͊͂͂̈̌͊̒͝ň̸̡͖͎͈͍̰̲̜͈̑͆̈̀̆̎̋̍'̶̝̫̺̭̜̮̱̞̝̈́͊̇̒̃ͅt̶̫͔͗͋̅̄͆̈ ̵̖͕̖̹̜̯̃͆͐̿̉̅͑̾̊͠k̸̲̫̭̤̞͇͚͉͌͛̊̕ͅn̸̲̳̼̙̰̗͗̉̏̀ơ̴͚͖̠͍̹̂͆͆w̶̢̨̢̰̙̪̮̰̎̈́̎̒͋̀͊̈̂̚ ̵̢̗͇̜̺̪͉̹͙̾́̌̆́͘̚Į̴̢̧̢̛͍͚̞͈͇̦̞̒̈́̓̋͗́̇̂̒̌̕̕ ̸̧͙͖̘͙̠̼̣̲̟͍̣̉͆͒͆̇̊d̵̛̜̩̻͙̥͇̋̍̊̕ͅo̸̱͖̼̲̫̦̖͔̥͚͉̣͐ͅn̶̡͓̜̲̫̱͙͔̼͍̎̈̄͜'̴̦̺͚̬̬̪̐͒̓̄̓͜ţ̴̜̤͖̼̝̻͑̀͑́̆͂̾͛͋̓̓͌ͅ ̶̧̡̛̭̪̻͖̟͇͕̰̫͇͌͆͒͆͆̇̊͑͆͗̕̕k̶̛͔̞̮͍͖̘̖̱̽͒̓̃̾́́̽͐͒͝n̷͕̪̫̮̝͈͋̍͋͗̔̽̀͂̈́̓͘͝o̸̬̞̼̻̯̗̜̟͉̾̍͒͊̎̍̈́̓̕ẇ̵̢͇̙͚̹͎͎̅̊̿͌́͗́̆͝ ̷̣̦̱̞̗̠̾̂̈́̿̈́͠ͅI̴̙͙̪̎̎̃̀̀̀̀ ̸̪̗̜͈͎̿̈̅̈́̔͆́̉̀̆͑̕͠d̸̼͗̓͊̈́̾̎͋́̕͘ǫ̸̠͚̬̘̭̩̯͍͋̓͛͊̔̿̑̈́͝ṅ̸̢̧̧̩̙̯̠͚̩̰͛͐'̴̡̡͍͚̳͚̺͖̭̪́͒̽͋̃́̃͂͆̈͘̚͝ͅt̷̢̛̮͇͚̯̫̼̥̤̏̓̅̒̉̔̑̓͋͝ͅ ̸̩͉̤̳̈̑̊̃͌͂̕k̴̨͇̮̰̦͈̞̠̺͕͆̓͆̚n̸̞̊̈́͒͑̐̇̂̓͐̽̚o̵͖̺̜̞̲̽͒͐̌̅ẅ̴̼̪̣͈͔̫́̂͂͐̐̃̌͜ͅ ̶̞̔̔́̀͠I̷͇̣̓̓ ̵̧͇̻̫̹̫̣̫̞͍͚͂̉̓d̶̰̪͚̅̍̅̏͘͠ơ̷̡͙͓̭͍̘̹̿͂̌͆͆ͅͅṅ̷͚̭͈̇̋̄̇͐͑̇̚͠͝'̵̹̺̙͕̣̗͔̖̤͇̙͗͆̕ẗ̷̨̞͇̬̝̝͙̬͖̠͈́͗̉́͋̊͘͠ ̷̹̃̓́ͅk̵͕̍̃̒͌̀̐͒̊͒n̷͙̦̘̥̠̔͐ơ̷͙̏̔ẃ̸̦̙͔̹̭͓͒͒̋͛ ̷͎̈́̀̀͆̔̊̈͛͑̚̕͠ą̴̛̘͍͚̹̬̮͋̆͐̑̄͜͝ń̵̛̖͍̙̗̰͕͇͎̗͑̆͒̄͊͠͠y̸͉̔̽̌̋̔̑͂̓̈́́m̶̢͇͕̰̞̝̺͕̝͒̓͆́̎̿̎̄͗͠o̶̺̺̱̣̗̲̣̔̾̆͜r̶̢͍͓̫͗̽̓̏͑͌̈́̓͂͘͜͜ę̴̟͍͎̜̮̠͑̌̏͝ͅ!̷̛̮̝͉̥͇̫͆̊́̐͗͋]

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[pyrodelusion]

[

f

falls off the barstool, gasping.]

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[cryovision]

[You're left that way for a bit -- seconds or hours, it's hard to tell when everything's so jumbled. But eventually you feel a solid hand on your shoulder, and the visions abruptly cut out.

You're in the happy bar. Everything is fine. Pavo's steadying you at the shoulder, kneeling besides you with a slight frown.]

Did you see something ugly?

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[pyrodelusion]

[WRAPS HIS ARMS AROUND THIS PAVO IMMEDIATELY, DESPERATE.]

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[cryovision]

Whoah, whoah! Take a deep breath, Noctua. I'm right here.

[He pats you on the back, but for some reason he seems a little stiff about it.

Your clone on the other hand is leaning over the bar with a really uncharacteristically concerned face.]

Are you alright...?

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[pyrodelusion]

...I think the juice has gone bad.

[he says lamely. he doesn't like the stiffness from pavo, pulls away after a beat and goes to sit back down.]

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[cryovision]

[Pavo lets him go, standing up and going to sit back down. Before he does he brushes himself off, almost like he's dusting away the impression of your arms.

Clone!Noctua looks much more worried, looking you up and down for any damage.]

...My apologies.

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[pyrodelusion]

[that stings, so he focuses on his clone.]

That's all right. Just... maybe don't serve it to anyone else.

[subtly checking the slip of paper.]

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[cryovision]

[Your clone seems to relax a bit, since you're not injured. He glances over at Pavo, and then schools his face into the usual Noctua-brand resting bitch face.]

Understood.

[The paper is a note. It reads:

A secret:

Don't do anything in the upstairs room. Find the lock and run.]

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[pyrodelusion]

[...hm. ok.

glancing around for the lock.]

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[cryovision]

[You can't immediately see it, but if you go looking you'll find it on the wall, behind a free-standing cabinet!]

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[pyrodelusion]

[yeah, he goes looking.

touch.]

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[cryovision]

[another lock lit, another distant click! you're on a roll, other than the whole dying and being thrown into horrible trauma part]

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[pyrodelusion]

[hhhhesitates

and uses elemental sight.]

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[cryovision]

[You turn on Elemental Sight, and everything goes grey. The colour is instantly seeped out of the room, and the sounds of the rowdy bar fade to a distant din. The people are all still there, but you can barely hear them, and they are acting as if you don't exist.

All the frames on the walls have been turned backwards.

Noctua is cleaning the glasses behind a bar at which slumps a silent Pavo, with a greatsword through his chest. The only colour in the room is the blood spilling over the bar and his seat and pooling on the floor.

You're alone, now, except for Noctua's sharp eyes.]

You really should have accepted the lie.

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[pyrodelusion]

...Perhaps.

[white as a sheet, but coming carefully closer.]

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[cryovision]

[From this different angle, you can see that, dead as he may be, Pavo has a satisfied smile on his bloody lips.

Your clone is still not hostile! In fact he looks a little sad.]

...Honestly, you're the last person "I" wanted to see this.

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[pyrodelusion]

[fuck. winces at the expression.]

I... imagine so.

What do you represent?

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[cryovision]

[He hesitates a moment, but eventually answers in a soft voice.]

...Love.

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[pyrodelusion]

--What?!

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[cryovision]

[Makes! A face! It's the same kind of awkward huffy face you make, sometimes. The details are flawlessly memorized.]

Is that really that shocking that "love" would have this face?

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[pyrodelusion]

I... No wonder I'm the last person "you" would want to see this.

But... why is Pavo dead here?