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 - Further Right (down)

[imaginemeandyuu]

You take the path that slopes somewhat downward. It's only a mild slope, but the mud gets softer as you go, and it's easier to slip and fall. Likewise, the mud itself starts to move the further down you go, carrying you with it as it drifts very slowly downward. You can still move back the way you came, but it's likely to be a gross, slippery experience.

It flattens out into a wide section of tunnel which is just... well, it looks like a flat plane of mud. But as the first person who steps out into it will discover, under the mud is a variety of holes that go down indefinitely, also filled with mud. You won't drown, of course, it's not sucking you down, but whatever unlucky person just steps out into it will now be swimming in mud.

The holes aren't huge -- maybe three feet in diameter -- but the fact you can't tell where they are makes them a pretty effective pitfall.

...however, they seem not to be the only ones who fell in, as you can see a child's hand sticking out of a pool of mud and grasping around, as if trying to claw its way out but unable to rise.

There is no way out except the way you came.

Re: DOWN - Further Right (down)

[hallucinogenetic]

[LIKE, I CAN'T EVEN, BE MAD, ABOUT ALL THIS MUD, BUT STILL, I'M MAD]

[grabbing that hand and yanking him out]

Re: DOWN - Further Right (down)

[imaginemeandyuu]

The hand pops off! Hollow. Underneath is another hand, like a nesting doll.

Re: DOWN - Further Right (down)

[hallucinogenetic]

............................................................

For fuck's sake.

[GRABS IT TOO]

Re: DOWN - Further Right (down)

[imaginemeandyuu]

[POP]

Re: DOWN - Further Right (down)

[hallucinogenetic]

. . .

[gets in, reaching deeper, not just for the hand]

I SWEAR—

Re: DOWN - Further Right (down)

[imaginemeandyuu]

Once you're in, you can wrap your arms around a small, familiar body, and haul him out.

The child is drenched with mud to the point he's unrecognizable as any particular individual, but you probably know from his reaction: He hiccups, coughs up mud, and starts to cry inconsolably.

Re: DOWN - Further Right (down)

[hallucinogenetic]

[. . . just flops next to him, holding him against his chest]

Ugh.

Re: DOWN - Further Right (down)

[imaginemeandyuu]

Yuu, yuu,yuu, yuu, yuu, yuu... [He's sobbing and sobbing]

Re: DOWN - Further Right (down)

[hallucinogenetic]

Yeah. I'm here.

Re: DOWN - Further Right (down)

[imaginemeandyuu]

[presses himself to Kanda's chest, wailing]

Re: DOWN - Further Right (down)

[hallucinogenetic]

O-oi . . . oi, stop crying, shh . . .

[soothing enough, though]

Re: DOWN - Further Right (down)

[imaginemeandyuu]

T-they won't stop... [hiccuping]

Re: DOWN - Further Right (down)

[hallucinogenetic]

Why?

Re: DOWN - Further Right (down)

[imaginemeandyuu]

I, I was so lonely...

Re: DOWN - Further Right (down)

[hallucinogenetic]

. . .

[draws him closer]

I know.

Re: DOWN - Further Right (down)

[imaginemeandyuu]

[He reaches up muddy arms and slides them around Kanda's shoulders.]

...Y-you're so nice now...??

Re: DOWN - Further Right (down)

[hallucinogenetic]

Shut the fuck up, I just love you, you idiot.

Re: DOWN - Further Right (down)

[imaginemeandyuu]

[lets out a wet laugh and presses small hands to his cheeks]

You're still a jerk, huh... I'm happy. You grew up nicely, Yuu... even if we were apart.

Re: DOWN - Further Right (down)

[hallucinogenetic]

[. . . leans into that touch]

We'll be together again.

Re: DOWN - Further Right (down)

[imaginemeandyuu]

...Okay.

Can I give you a hand?

Re: DOWN - Further Right (down)

[hallucinogenetic]

............

Re: DOWN - Further Right (down)

[imaginemeandyuu]

You'll need it to get where you're going...

Re: DOWN - Further Right (down)

[hallucinogenetic]

If you actually just give me a hand again I'm going to throw you back in the mud.

Re: DOWN - Further Right (down)

[imaginemeandyuu]

W-would you? Never mind then... I don't want to go back there, it's cold and lonely...