The Moon's Successor

Going Crazy?

Oh boy, here we go. The image, the title, we know things are going down.

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─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽The Apartment ☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄Linwan⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

While Linwan was preparing for the day, she kept rubbing at her ears and grumbling about it. Whatever she kept hearing was agitating... "Li!" She squeaked and looked at her mentor, almost dropping her brush and actually dropping her hair tie. "Where'd you go, bright eyes? You okay?" "I... I don't know. I keep hearing things." "Like usual?" "No!" She flinched when he did then looked down when he looked at her in concern. "N-no. I... It's like those whispers from the key again, but also not. It's driving me crazy." "Kid..." "Look, I know we've been delving into whatever the hell is going on and coming up with nothing, but... I really think we should look harder when I get back from work." She heard him sigh before he lifted her face. "You look like you haven't been sleeping. How about you sketch out that key and I look for the information while you work. That way, we can go over it while we eat and you can get some actual sleep." She averted her tired gaze as she thought it over then nodded. "Okay Mac. Let me get ready then I'll sketch it out." "And I'll make breakfast." He went to leave her be but stopped. "Oh! And try not to rub your ears as much, they're already turning red." He actually left as she stared into her mirror. "Huh..." It didn't take long for Macaque to say breakfast was ready, definitely not needing to shout but doing it in case Linwan was hearing those whispers. She hadn't been, thankfully, but began to when she ate and started sketching out the key. Her hands trembled as she tried to finish the sketch but ended up getting up while slamming her hands on the table, which made her mentor look at her worriedly again as she went to the bathroom to sort herself out.

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄Macaque⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

Macaque sat there for a moment while Linwan tried to sort herself, deciding not to listen as to give her privacy. He glanced at her half finished sketch before pulling it to himself and giving it a once over. He paled slightly as he saw that oh so familiar key, then glared at it as he put the pieces together. Linwan had heard whispers and gotten sick from this key, it had given her anxiety over the whispers of freedom from those cannisters, and now she was hearing jumbled up noises mixed with those whispers. He should've known... but he shouldn't worry her, can't scare her, more than she already is. He knew he'd be hypocritical for not telling her, but she looked so tired and close to falling apart already. He couldn't be the one to make it worse. With that, he put the sketch back and waited for her to come back out, but only got to watch her race around. "S-sorry Mac, I'll have to take breakfast with me!" He snickered to cover his worry and tossed a banana through a portal, which plopped the fruit into the girl's hand. "Thanks Mac!" The door shut and he stood up, taking whatever food she left on her plate and eating it while he glared at that sketch again. Maybe he should tell her... Then again...

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽Pigsy's Noodles ☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄Linwan⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

Linwan had been working well despite the whispers getting loud from time to time. She had just finished helping MK with some random nosebleeds he was getting before hearing him speak through the whispers. "Okay! Sixth time is a charm!" "Charm? For what?" "Astral projection with the Monkey King!" She stared at him for a moment. "Woah, Lin. You look tired." "Hm? Oh, no, I'm fine. Just had a rough night. You, uh, get back to your mystic monkey stuff." He nodded with a cheery smile then went back outside before Linwan slumped a bit. After a while of sitting there thinking about it, she quietly asked herself a question. "Do I look that tired?" She heard a whispered 'yes' in her ear multiple times, which made her sigh. "Of course you'd have a damn opinion..." She paused then covered her ears. "Oh, great, now I'm talking to it." Those same whispers seemed to have layered laughter at this girl and her mental decline. "Laugh it up. Once we get answers as to what's happening, I'm personally ending you." 'Good luck, child.' She grumbled as she rubbed her ears slightly raw in irritation. "Stop talking to it Linwan. It wants to make you crazy... And stop talking to yourself!" She went back to cleaning the counters, not even noticing that MK had come back and was now next to her, beginning to put soap on his hands. He hadn't noticed her either as he grumbled about what everyone kept telling him to do. "Go wash your hands, MK. Look alive, MK. Learn to shrink yourself, MK." Linwan glanced over at the boy. "Maybe if someone was here to teach me." "Monkey King isn't around?" He seemed to not hear her shocked question as he kept going. "Oh, you'll figure it out, Bud. Just think little." "Um.. MK?" Linwan watched as the soap glowed gold. "Like I can do this on my own." "M...MK?!" A puff of gold covered the room and made Linwan squeak before she frantically looked around. She heard a tiny "Wait, what?!" before a tiny MK screamed. Her head snapped towards the sink and saw MK fall into the drain which made the girl gasp. "Oh no no nononono!" She stared into the drain. "MK!" She heard his little screams when she turned her ear towards the drain, ignoring the whispers as they dissipated for now. Then she heard it... "The Spider Queen's lair?! How did I end up here of all the lairs!" That made her huff before she rushed out of the restaurant. "Sorry Pigsy, MK needs my help!" Both adults just stared at each other before Pigsy huffed at the food critic, Tang, and went back to work.