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]

[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?

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[cryovision]

[His expression now is... pretty much identical to the one on yours.]

...That was a useless piece that died four years ago.

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[pyrodelusion]

...I killed that part of him.

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[cryovision]

"I" would argue I made that choice on my own.

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[pyrodelusion]

How?

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[cryovision]

"I" knew what you would do. At the time, "I" thought it was right, and necessary, to make you do it.

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[pyrodelusion]

I...

Why, damnit... any other time, I may have been able to accept you.

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[cryovision]

You might have. That's exactly why.

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[pyrodelusion]

Pavo-!

[his voice breaks]

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[cryovision]

[Your clone quietly turns around to rearrange the shelves rather than look at that face.]

...Don't you already know that much about "me"? At that time... because I couldn't be good to you the way you needed, and because I couldn't stand to lie to you anymore, I needed to lose you. All those complications... All these conflicting feelings...

[He sighs, a bit.]

The "sense of security", with you and your father, was too much to bear. So it was "my" choice to have you kill it.

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[pyrodelusion]

[ssssinks to his knees with a sob. sorry clone. this hurts to hear.]

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[cryovision]

[Of course it does. It's a painful thing all around.

Your clone keeps his distance for a moment, but ultimately comes out from behind the bar to kneel next to you and pull you into his arms.]

Don't cry, Noctua. It's not your fault.

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[pyrodelusion]

[leans on his clone, shaking.]

I...

I don't want to be used like that again. To hurt you.

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[cryovision]

...Okay.

[He can't exactly promise that! He's not the whole Pavo, after all. But he hears it, and gently kisses your forehead.]

"I" will remember everything you've said.

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[pyrodelusion]

Okay...

[It's weird to press closer to... himself, but knowing it's part of Pavo takes priority.]

Okay.

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[cryovision]

...I'd like it if you stayed here, with me.

[in this room, where you belong??]

But... You want to see "me", don't you?

Re: ANGEL'S SHARE

[pyrodelusion]

...I do.

I can... come back, maybe?