Alma Heart Game

[imaginemeandyuu]

You fall into mud. It is sticky and sucking and cloying and whether you stay still and try to remain calm or struggle and try to get out, you're sucked downward. You can't breathe, you can't (of course) see, and you can feel the crushing weight of earth on you. When the blackness becomes overwhelming, you find yourself somewhere else...

Comments

UP - LEFT

[imaginemeandyuu]

When you take the path to the left, the flesh making up the walls slowly widens. It hardens as you go on, as if into scales or bone -- it still looks like flesh, but it's no longer squishing. It hollows out into a wide, cave-like area.

This cave is full of what seems like stalagmites and stalactites -- sharp bone spurs spiraling up from the ground. On each of these, resting like a carving or a mask, is a face -- Alma's face, as if peeled off and abandoned.

The faces near the entrance bear smiles, bright and wide, though resting as they are on top of the spikes it's clear there's nothing behind them, hollow eyes and hollow mouth showing the spike behind it.

As you proceed there seem to be more and more of them and they bear more and more types of faces. Twisted, angry, despairing, ecstatic.

"It won't come off, it should come off, it must come off, come on, come on."

Alma -- or at least, it mostly looks like Alma, though his body is even more twisted and bestial than usual, spikes larger, tail whipping back and forth, his exoskeleton heavier than you're used to and more gnarled -- is rubbing his face against a spike, apparently trying to peel it off.

"They'll be upset if they see it, it has to come off, come off, come off!"

Past where Alma is, the path splits, one slanting slightly further up, the other slanting slightly further down.

Re: UP - LEFT

[appleofhiseye]

[well this is about as horrifying as expected]

A...Alma?

Re: UP - LEFT

[imaginemeandyuu]

Oh! Hello, Apple! What's up??

Re: UP - LEFT

[appleofhiseye]

Well, a lot of things, I think, but they're manageable. The spikes are a little concerning, please come away from there.

[slowly coming over to stand next to him]

Re: UP - LEFT

[imaginemeandyuu]

Can't! Shan't. Have to get this off.

Re: UP - LEFT

[seaside_cherry]

[It is probably too late to be worrying about upsetting anyone]

Pumpkin!

Re: UP - LEFT

[imaginemeandyuu]

Hey Melody! Don't worry about a thing, just keep going!!

Re: UP - LEFT

[seaside_cherry]

[Nope nope nope running towards him I am going to hug you]

Re: UP - LEFT

[imaginemeandyuu]

No, no, you mustn't, you'll get dirty...

[gets...hugged though, not fighting it]

Re: UP - LEFT

[yourewaitingforagate]

What the—Pumpkin!

[running toward him]

Re: UP - LEFT

[imaginemeandyuu]

What's the problem? Don't worry, don't worry, just don't look!

Re: UP - LEFT

[yourewaitingforagate]

Don't worry? You're taking your face off! Cut that out!

[grabbing for his shoulder, trying to pull him away from the spike]

Re: UP - LEFT

[imaginemeandyuu]

I'm taking it off and putting it away!

[pulled back]

Re: UP - LEFT

[emomachine]

[D:!?!?]

Pumpkin!

Re: UP - LEFT

[imaginemeandyuu]

It's okay! Just pretend you never noticed!

Re: UP - LEFT

[emomachine]

What are you talking about? You're going to hurt yourself!

[grabbing to pull him away]

Re: UP - LEFT

[imaginemeandyuu]

So what? Pain's meaningless!

Re: UP - LEFT

[karlsefni]

- Pum. . . pkin.

[that's. uh. huh.]

[well at least it's not flesh anymore]

Re: UP - LEFT

[imaginemeandyuu]

[well it's still flesh just hard flesh]

It's okay, just pretend you never saw this!

Re: UP - LEFT

[karlsefni]

[i can pretend it's not flesh if it's hard!!!]

What are you even doing?

Re: UP - LEFT

[imaginemeandyuu]

Taking it off! Shh, it's okay, just don't notice.

Re: UP - LEFT

[goneastray]

[ Was totally here all along and stuffs. Also is probably freaking out! ]

Pumpkin! Stop!

Re: UP - LEFT

[imaginemeandyuu]

CAN'T STOP won't stop!

{though Chieri just convinced him to calm down, so he gives her his face a moment later]

Re: UP - LEFT

[goneastray]

[ T-That's good right... ??? ]

Re: UP - LEFT

[imaginemeandyuu]

[he's smiling, anyway, as he starts to glow and vanish]