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

DOWN - RIGHT

[imaginemeandyuu]

The muddy path continues for a while, and slowly the source of light is revealed -- glowing flowers emerging from the mud, soft-petaled and pale lotuses emanating their own light. They reach inward as if searching for something.

They continue on as the path widens; it does so in a bulge around some kind of scene. A young boy, who looks very much like Alma, is clawing his way down this path. On his back is an unconscious pretty boy covered in bandages, but with pale skin showing here and there, and black hair. His bandages are clean and showing no sign of injury -- Alma, however, is covered in wounds, from arrows sticking out of him to injuries all over his arms and legs as if he has clawed his way out of some kind of restraints. He seems on his last legs.

"I'll save you, Yuu. We finally... became friends..."

Just after he says that, more arrows seem to fly out of the muddy walls -- not the spots with the lotuses, but other places -- and sink into him. They seem to miss the young Kanda entirely.

Beyond them, the path splits into two, one twisting further upward, the other twisting further downward.

Re: DOWN - RIGHT

[hallucinogenetic]

[walks straight over to him and crouches down]

Re: DOWN - RIGHT

[imaginemeandyuu]

[looks up to him and starts crying] Please take him? I can't go any further, take him somewhere safe? Please?

Re: DOWN - RIGHT

[hallucinogenetic]

[leans down and picks them both up]

Idiot.

Re: DOWN - RIGHT

[imaginemeandyuu]

No! [he begins squirming and fighting, spraying blood like everywhere] Put me back, I need to stay with them -- I can't leave them--

[More darts fly out, about fifteen seconds since the last batch, and hit both you and Alma.]

Re: DOWN - RIGHT

[hallucinogenetic]

[immediately shifts forward to try to take more of them, blocking them as much as he can, holding Alma firmly despite the blood]

Stop struggling! How the hell do you think he'd feel, not being able to save you?

Re: DOWN - RIGHT

[imaginemeandyuu]

[sets his jaw stubbornly] But I can't abandon everyone! Idiot, you're getting hurt too!

Re: DOWN - RIGHT

[hallucinogenetic]

Do you really still think like this!? You didn't abandon anyone. And it's fine if I get hurt.

Re: DOWN - RIGHT

[imaginemeandyuu]

IT'S NOT FINE! It's never been fine, Y...

Yuu...?

Re: DOWN - RIGHT

[hallucinogenetic]

You protect me just fine.

Re: DOWN - RIGHT

[imaginemeandyuu]

[starts to cry again, big dumb sobs] Then take him, okay? Take him and it'll be okay. I can't leave here, but if I know he's safe it's okay.

[more darts]

Re: DOWN - RIGHT

[hallucinogenetic]

[leans over to take most of those, hissing with pain]

Fuck.

. . . che. This is stupid. You're stupid. What would you do if our positions were reversed, huh? Don't you think I'd want to protect you, too?

Re: DOWN - RIGHT

[imaginemeandyuu]

WELL I don't know, do I? But you'd want to for the same reason I want to stay, right? Please just take him from me... you stupid jerk!

Re: DOWN - RIGHT

[hallucinogenetic]

Either I'm taking you with me, or I'm staying here and getting shot more, you little idiot.

Re: DOWN - RIGHT

[imaginemeandyuu]

YOU'RE SUCH A JERK You never listen to what I want! [flails a tiny, bloody fist against his chest, but it's not like he can resist anything you choose to do right now]

Re: DOWN - RIGHT

[hallucinogenetic]

YOU DON'T LISTEN TO ME EITHER!

Re: DOWN - RIGHT

[imaginemeandyuu]

OF COURSE NOT BECAUSE YOU'RE DUMB!

[More darts]

Hurry up! Go!

Re: DOWN - RIGHT

[hallucinogenetic]

[picks them both up and just starts to walk out of the range of the arrows]

Re: DOWN - RIGHT

[imaginemeandyuu]

[as soon as you start to go, they change -- the unconscious baby Kanda turns into light and sucks inward; the Alma melts into mud and does also, hardening around Kanda.

You're left holding a Core. You know, like the one in your chest.]

Re: DOWN - RIGHT

[hallucinogenetic]

[YELLS AT THE CEILING]

ALMA I'M NOT GOOD WITH THIS SORT OF THING DON'T BE AN ASSHOLE

Re: DOWN - RIGHT

[imaginemeandyuu]

[The darts have stopped coming now!

Where do you want to go from here?]

Re: DOWN - RIGHT

[hallucinogenetic]

[fuck! what do I do with this!]

[GOES . . . RIGHT . . . I'll just take this with me . . .]

Re: DOWN - RIGHT

[imaginemeandyuu]

[Further right, on the path twisting slightly down.]