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(link: "Content Warnings")[This story contains graphic ''written'' descriptions frightening imagery, horror genre-typical violence, body horror, gore, blood, murder, self-harm, and suicide. If you would like specific context ''(contains spoilers)'' for any of these elements in order to better judge your comfort level, please click each keyword to see more.]
(click:"body horror")[This story involves elements of sci-fi/horror typical mutation, including the growth of multiple eyes, claws, and other features.]
(click:"gore, blood")[There are written descriptions of blood, viscera, guts, and other types of internal body matter (both human and eldritch creature) throughout the story.]
(click:"murder")[The player has to the optional choice to kill both humans and eldritch creatures through melee means or magic. There are also descriptions of other humans and eldritch creatures being killed.]
(click: "self-harm, and suicide")[The player has the optional choice to try and scratch at their chest to remove an alien element. They soon stop. Later, the player has the optional choice to successfully tear the element from their own chest, which can kill them.]
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<font size="+2">[[Begin]]</font>
(set: $ep to 0)<div class="titlenav"><h1>afflicted</h1>
<h4>[[Credits]](link: "Save")[(save-game: "Slot A")](link: "Load")[(load-game: "Slot A")][[Restart]]</h4></div><br>
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Written & Created by <b><a href="https://jacklavoieart.wixsite.com/jacklavoie">Jack L.</a>
Base theme by <B><a href="https://candygiants.itch.io/twine-2-harlowe-css-pack-1">Candygiants</a></b> on itch.io
Made with Twine 2 (Harlowe 3.2.3) & Procreate (reload:)
(goto: "Opening Page")
(set: $ep to 0)It is 1900.
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:3s)[You live in the state of Georgia, in the USA.]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:6s)[Violent eldritch beings have ruled the world for over fifty years.]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:9s)[Powerful individuals collaborate with these beings to maintain their status.]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:12s)[This is not a secret.]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:15s)[The upper class's ability to oppress people has always been apparent.]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:18s)[[[Only now, they serve Elder Gods to thrive.->Continue]]]
The eldritch gods do not care for material wealth.
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:3s)[They exist to subjugate and consume.]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:6s)[Humans across the world live in fear, poverty, and despair.]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:9s)[Many people seek ways to fight the Elder Gods and the individuals that feed them.]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:12s)[They seek weapons, foster solidarity, learn rituals, use magic, and create community.]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:15s)[You are part of the rebellion against these gods.]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:18s)[[[You are a field medic.->Antarctica]]]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:1s)[Sharp winds howl around you. You are in Antarctica. Listless eyes and pearlescent flesh refract hundreds of feet beneath you, underneath the cracked-glass surface of the ice you walk on. The rebellion has been excavating a creature for years. It's disturbing to think that eldritch monsters have been on Earth long enough to live for thousands of years and then die, unbeknownst to humanity.]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:3s)[Your close friend,[[Gabriel->Gabriel Flores]], walks alongside you.]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:5s)[[[What kind of monster is down there?->What kind of monster is down there?]]]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:5s)[[[How big is this thing?->How big is this thing?]]]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:5s)[[[Let's keep going.->Let's keep going.]]]Gabriel Flores is short, heavyset, and has brown skin. They have curly black hair and wear round glasses. They wear a deep blue waistcoat, fitted trousers, and leather knee-high boots. He is in his mid-thirties. He is transgender. For this trip, he wears a winter coat to protect himself from the cold.
In the rebellion, he is both a historian and a sorcerer. The rebellion has been stealing ancient tomes from the Elder Gods for decades. Some individuals have learned magic from them, to use against the Elder Gods.
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:10s)[Gabriel favors spells that shield and defend.]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:12s)[[[You know him to be kindhearted, intelligent, neurotic, and cautious.->Antarctica]]]Gabriel peers down at the ice and pulls his coat tighter around himself.
"This one's an //Amorphous Beast//- they're the ones that just seem to suffer and moan. Or, at least, we thought that's all they did. We found out a few years ago that they have some sort of power conduit that the Gods use to ferry energy through, so they can use it for magic. And sustenance, I believe. The rebellion's been searching through this one for it for ages. It's been...gross." They wrinkled their nose.
"We got lucky though, and we found something."
[[What did you find?]]
[[Gross?]]
[[I see.->Antarctica]]You cross over the ice together. The frozen beast below stretches underneath the ice ahead of you. Its eyes, lumps, and joints look like an endless sea of gelatin.
"It spans miles," Gabriel answers. "The only reason we were able to find anything was because of the accelerated melting of the continent, combined with the Beast emitting a central energy signal."
[[Yeah, I heard that after the Elder Gods arrived, the planet got hotter.]]
[[How did this thing even live? Do Amorphous Beasts...eat?]]
[[Wow.->Antarctica]](t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:1s)[Ahead, you see people in heavy winter coats. Some wield ice axes and flamethrowers. Others pore over journals and papers while blue sparks dance among their ungloved fingers. You don't recognize many of them. You only know other rebels from Georgia, but it's clear that this excavation is a global effort.
The rancid scent of it hits your nose long before you arrive. Rotting gray flesh squelches underneath your boots. You see teeth, eyes, maws, and tendrils melt together in an ooze of slick, decaying life. Rebels have removed ice for a large swath of the creature, leaving an exposed crater of viscera, snow, and blue-black slush that seeps from the Beast. The crater is over one hundred feet across.
In the center, a small black organ sits inert on a mound of flesh that's about three feet high. It has tubes and tendrils that trace bulging tree root veins underneath the surface. Smaller black veins spider further outwards from the mound, tracing tiny hair-thin patterns into the exposed surface.]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:15s)[A harrowed gray-haired woman approaches you and Gabriel. She gives you a swift nod, and speaks to Gabriel. "I need you to take a look at these energy readings we recorded, and see if you can make anything out." She then looks to you. "I'll find you if anyone needs medical help. There have been few accidents so far, and I don't intend for there to be any more."]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:20s)[Gabriel walks away with her. You are left alone for the time being.]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:23s)[[[Investigate the organ.->Investigate the organ.]]]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:23s)[[[Go with Gabriel.->Go with Gabriel.]]]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:23s)[[[Walk away from everything.->Walk away from everything.]]]"A heart. It's smaller than we thought," they continue, turning towards you as they start to gesture. They mime holding something a tad larger than a human heart. "I hypothesize that Amorphous Beasts grow that large to make their hearts difficult to find. Whenever we try to analyze the heart, it emits strange signals. We can't figure out what to do with it yet, though, so I'm taking a look."
[[They sent you because you're well-read, right?]]
[[What kinds of signals?]]
[[I see.->What kind of monster is down there?]]They grimace. "It's literally miles of old, preserved monster viscera. I'm not jealous of the volunteers who've been looking through it. I think some of them used homemade flamethrowers to speed up the process. The issue is, when the Beast was exposed to warmth, the process of decay resumed. It's not pleasant."
[[Oh...->What kind of monster is down there?]]Gabriel chuckles. They adjust the edges of their gloves and look ahead. "I think so. I've spent a lot of time looking over some of the books the rebellion stole. Most of it's unreadable, but a lot has really helped us out."
[[Isn't reading all day boring?]]
[[That's really neat.]]
[[Right.->What did you find?]]"They're some sort of energy signature. They're not radio signals, or radiation- nothing that the rebels can figure out how to decipher yet. I'd imagine it's emitting remnants of the power that used to flow through it, but that's just my guess."
[[Is it dangerous to get near?]]
[[Got it.->What did you find?]]"Maybe for you." He offers you a slight smirk.
[[Alright, alright.->They sent you because you're well-read, right?]]"Right!? I've found so many rituals that humans are technically capable of performing, it's amazing!" Gabriel clasps their hands together and breaks into a grin. "I'm not the best sorcerer by a long shot, but it's really incredible how much those tomes have taught me."
[[Does everyone who learns magic call themselves sorcerers? Why not something else?]]
[[Can you turn a guy into a frog?]]
[[Very cool.->They sent you because you're well-read, right?]]"I tried wizard, but it didn't feel right. I know some folks use witch too."
[[You should go with wizard.]]
[[Can I call you a witch? Or is that only for women?]]
[[What about magician?]]
[[Okay then.->That's really neat.]]"I can't personally do that, but I'm sure someone else could learn."
[[Well, you should learn.]]
[[Noted.->That's really neat.]]"That's just a little too Arthurian for me, personally."
[[You just need to get started on a big white beard, obviously.]]
[[Yeah, you're right.->Does everyone who learns magic call themselves sorcerers? Why not something else?]]"I don't think witch has to be a gendered term, now that I think about it. I'm used to always picking the masculine-leaning choice, since that's what I prefer, being not-quite a man and //certainly// not a lady."
"I think I'll stick with sorcerer, though."
[[Gotcha.->Does everyone who learns magic call themselves sorcerers? Why not something else?]]Gabriel smiles. "As soon as I can grow literally //any// facial hair, I'll get started. I promise."
[[Noted.->Does everyone who learns magic call themselves sorcerers? Why not something else?]]Gabriel opens his mouth to argue, and then pauses. They adjust their glasses and shrug.
"Then they should have shared earlier. It would've made //my// job much easier."
[[Exactly.->What about magician?]]"But that's not what I do, so it's not a great descriptor, is it."
[[Surely you could use some magic to escape some chains and straitjackets though, right?]]
[[I guess so!->What about magician?]]Gabriel tries to stifle laughter. "I mean, yeah, I guess!"
[[See! Told you.->What about magician?]]
[[Okay, sure.->What about magician?]]"I don't know, I feel like that wouldn't be the most efficient use of my time. If I'm being honest."
[[Suit yourself.->That's really neat.]]"As far as I've been told? No. No negative effects have been recorded. Maybe don't lick it, though, if you can help it."
[[Great, I was totally going to lick it. Fun ruined.]]
[[Thanks, I wasn't planning to.]]
[[If you insist.->What kinds of signals?]]Gabriel laughs, and elbows you in the arm.
[[You continue walking together.->Is it dangerous to get near?]]"Good. If it tastes like candy, we'll just have to let that be another cosmic mystery."
[[That's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.->Is it dangerous to get near?]]"Everyone knows magicians are fake, that would be silly."
[[How do you know they're fake? What if they just found those ancient tomes before the Gods took over?]]
[[Those guys that escape those chains and straitjackets are NOT fake.]]
[[Ah...yeah.->Does everyone who learns magic call themselves sorcerers? Why not something else?]]"It was an outcome of increased industry, cars, a lot of man-made things. And //definitely// some of the leviathan eldritch creatures punching holes in the Earth's atmosphere when they descended. That can't have helped." Gabriel's brows furrow.
[[At least we could find this Beast. Silver linings, right?]]
[[That's terrible.->How big is this thing?]]
"What I understand is that they just sort of...sit, and live in pain. I read that the Elder Gods created them to transfer power from other sources. They grow to massive sizes, absorb most things in their paths, and live long anguish-filled lives."
[[That's really sad, actually.]]
[[Nature IS beautiful, Gabriel!]]
[[Hm.->How big is this thing?]]Gabriel replies with a weak smile. "I suppose. None of it's really good."
[[Alright then.->How big is this thing?]]He adjusts his glasses. "It is. It's not enough for the Gods to subjugate other beings. They have to manufacture beings for it too. Amorphous Beasts aren't at all like us, but I can't help but feel for them."
[[That's very sweet. Me too.]]
[[I don't feel anything for creatures like this.]]
[[Yeah.->How did this thing even live? Do Amorphous Beasts...eat?]]"I...don't think nature would do this. And I don't know if this is beautiful. That's a bit of a challenging statement, there."
[[You're entitled to your opinion.->How did this thing even live? Do Amorphous Beasts...eat?]]Even though Gabriel seems focused, and perhaps a bit worried, his face softens when he hears your response.
[[You continue walking.->That's really sad, actually.]]"I'm sure it's hard to, with what the Eldritch gods did to Earth and everyone. The Amorphous Beasts seem a lot like them, on the outside. I don't even know if they feel things the same way we do or have the same level of sentience. I can't help but feel for them anyways. But, that's just me."
[[Alright.->That's really sad, actually.]]You approach the organ. Ventricles and arteries loop and mesh in unnatural ways around its muscled surface. A slick indigo sheen creates deep blue highlights across its midnight black surface. It looks both alien and perfect. Terrible and pristine.
[[Look closer]]
[[Say hello]]
[[Wait, not yet.->Let's keep going.]]
(text-style:"expand")[[[Heed the Call->Heed the Call]]]
You follow Gabriel and the woman, unsure of what you should be doing. You know how to apply field medicine, and you understand that you're here in case it's needed. You're just not sure what your purpose is when it's not.
You watch them fiddle with a device that traces black lines up and down on a sheet of paper. Gabriel takes out a notebook and fumbles with a pencil while they try to scribble some numbers down while wearing gloves.
[[Ask if you can help.]]
[[Sit on a metal box of equipment.]]
[[Walk away from everything.->Walk away from everything.]]
[[Investigate the organ.]] You begin to trudge away from the crater. The wind feels harsher. The smell of the rotting monster recedes.
[[Be alone for a little while.]]
[[Go find Gabriel.->Go with Gabriel.]]
[[Investigate the organ.->Investigate the organ.]]You approach the gray-haired woman. "Are you sure there isn't something I can do right now?"
She shakes her head. "No. Please, just wait. I can only hope that no one here needs your services." Her tone is sharp.
[[Approach Gabriel.]]
[[Investigate the organ.->Investigate the organ.]]
[[Walk away from everything.->Walk away from everything.]]
(text-style:"expand")[[[Heed the Call->Heed the Call]]]Your butt feels frigid.
[[Ask if you can help.->Ask if you can help.]]
[[Investigate the organ.->Investigate the organ.]]
[[Walk away from everything.->Walk away from everything.]]
(text-style:"expand")[[[Heed the Call->Heed the Call]]]You speak to Gabriel instead. "Do you need help with anything? Maybe I can write down some things, or provide moral support?"
He blinks and looks down at his notebook for a moment. He seems like he wants to help you, but is unsure how. "No, actually, I'm okay for now. I appreciate the offer, though."
[[Investigate the organ.->Investigate the organ.]]
[[Sit on a metal box of equipment.->Sit on a metal box of equipment.]]
[[Walk away from everything.->Walk away from everything.]]
(text-style:"expand")[[[Heed the Call->Heed the Call]]]You sit down on the ice and stare down at a cluster of eyes. They're over thirty feet below the ice. They sit in a dense bouquet, separated by thin strips of pink skin. As you continue to look, you notice that there are two and three irises on each eyeball, some of which are attached by a stretched pupil, as if in mid-mitosis.
[[Investigate the organ.->Investigate the organ.]]
[[Go find Gabriel.->Go with Gabriel.]]
(text-style:"expand")[[[Heed the Call->Heed the Call]]]You feel drawn to this object. You think it would be comforting to hold.
[[Back away.->Investigate the organ intensifies]]
(text-style:"expand")[[[Heed the Call->Heed the Call]]]
(text-style:"expand")[[[Heed the Call->Heed the Call]]]Maybe it's friendly. You give it a little wave.
"Hi there."
It doesn't respond. You feel warmth nonetheless. Perhaps it prefers physical contact.
[[Back away. Let's not touch it.->Investigate the organ intensifies]]
(text-style:"expand")[[[Heed the Call->Heed the Call]]]
(text-style:"expand")[[[Heed the Call->Heed the Call]]]
<center><font size="+4">[[touch the heart->Thanks for Playing!]]</font>
<font size="+3">touch the heart</font>
<font size="+2">touch the heart</font>
<font size="+1">touch the heart</font>
(text-style:"blur")[<font size="-1">touch the heart</font>]
(text-style:"blurrier")[<font size="-2">touch the heart</font>]You approach the organ. Ventricles and arteries loop and mesh in unnatural ways around its muscled surface. A slick indigo sheen creates deep blue highlights across its midnight black surface. It looks both alien and perfect. Terrible and pristine.
(text-style:"expand")[[[Heed the Call->Heed the Call]]]
(text-style:"expand")[[[Heed the Call->Heed the Call]]]
[[Call out for Gabriel]]
(text-style:"expand")[[[Heed the Call->Heed the Call]]]
You shout out for Gabriel. "Hey, come over here!" You hear footsteps crossing the crater, but your gaze is locked onto the organ.
(text-style:"expand")+(text-style:"shudder")[[[Heed the Call->Heed the Call]]]
(text-style:"expand")+(text-style:"shudder")[[[Heed the Call->Heed the Call]]]
(text-style:"expand")+(text-style:"shudder")[[[Heed the Call->Heed the Call]]]
(text-style:"expand")+(text-style:"shudder")[[[Heed the Call->Heed the Call]]]
(if: (history:) does not contain "Go back to sleep")[(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:5s)[Your mouth feels dry. Your head is heavy and your ribs ache.]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:8s)[You are lying prone. A soft shadow rests on the canvas ceiling.]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:11s)[[[Move->Move]]]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:11s)[[[Speak->Speak]]]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:11s)[[[Go back to sleep->Go back to sleep]]]]
(if: (history:) contains "Go back to sleep")[Your mouth feels dry. Your head is heavy and your ribs ache.
You are lying prone. A soft shadow rests on the canvas ceiling.
[[Move->Move]]
[[Speak->Speak]]
[[Go back to sleep again->Go back to sleep]]]The muscles in your chest strain as you try to sit upright. You can wiggle your limbs just fine, but your torso feels dense. You hear a voice to your right.
"Oh! Hey, you don't have to get up, it's okay, it's fine- just don't move." You hear the shift of a chair moving, and see Gabriel in your field of vision. His hair is disheveled, and there are dark rings underneath his eyes. "Just, take it slow if you sit up. I'm glad you're awake."
[[Try to move again]]
[[Speak->Speak 2]]"Where am I? What happened?" Your words tumble out in a quiet murmur.
"You're still in Antarctica, resting. You're in one of the rebel base camp tents." You hear the shift of a chair moving, and see Gabriel in your field of vision. His hair is disheveled, and there are dark rings underneath his eyes. "I'm glad you're awake."
They take a long breath. "You...touched the heart." Their brows knit with unease. "It's good that you don't remember what happened, maybe. Because the heart you touched is now...er, inside of you. Where your heart was." They fix their stare on your chest, grimacing.
[[Look down->Look down]]
[[Avoid looking down. Look anywhere but there.->Avoid looking down. Look anywhere but there.]]You decide that you're not ready for this yet.
[[Zzzzz->Discover Powers]]You lurch upwards. The bones and muscles in your chest prickle and sting with the movement. Your arms feel weak with the effort and your head is still leaden. There's a sunken feeling in your sternum.
[[Speak->Speak 2]]
[[Look down]]
[[Avoid looking down. Look anywhere but there.]]"Where am I? What happened?" Your words tumble out in a quiet murmur.
"You're still in Antarctica, resting. You're in one of the rebel base camp tents," Gabriel answers. "You...touched the heart." His brows knit with unease. "It's good that you don't remember what happened, maybe. Because the heart you touched is now...er, inside of you. Where your heart was." He fixes his stare on your chest, grimacing.
[[Look down->Look down]]
[[Avoid looking down. Look anywhere but there.->Avoid looking down. Look anywhere but there.]](t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:3s)[<font size="+2">Thump.</font> (text-style:"superscript")[(text-style:"smear")[thump.]]]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:5s)[<center><font size="+2">Thump.</font> (text-style:"superscript")[(text-style:"smear")[thump.]]</center>]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:7s)[<h2><font size="+2">Thump.</font> (text-style:"superscript")[(text-style:"smear")[thump.]]</h2>]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:9s)[The shiny black mass lodged in the skin of your chest pulses. Dark tendrils snake underneath the surface of your skin. Inky veins radiate from the large beating organ that sits where your own heart used to be. There is no wound nor bleeding. Only this heart that has usurped your own.]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:13s)[[[Scream->Scream]]]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:13s)[[[Start crying->Start crying]]]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:13s)[[[Ask how this happened->Ask how this happened]]]
(if: (history:) contains "Wait. Where's my normal heart?")[(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:13s)[[I think I'm done talking for now.->Atlanta timelapse]]]You look around the room. There's a small oil lamp sitting on a table beside your cot. Gabriel is sitting on a chair next to you. There are a few medical supplies on a small table in the corner. Some yellowing books are stacked near Gabriel's chair, along with pencils, notebooks, and other scraps of paper. The tent flaps are pulled taut and closed with a length of rope. You can hear the faint crackle of a fire outside.
[[Speak->Speak 2]]
[[Look down->Look down]]Gabriel looks to oil lamp set beside your cot. His stare is pensive. Reaching a decision, he looks back to you and leans forward.
"It latched onto your hand and..." He glanced down to his own hands. "Sort of crawled up to your chest, and started to burrow, like some sort of animal. It dug its roots in, and made room..."
(if: (history:) contains "Call out for Gabriel")[A deep frown forms on his face. "You shouted for me right before it happened. I didn't know what to do, and I...just, I sort of watched, I didn't want to make it worse. Your eyes were glazed over, and it didn't look like you knew what was happening. I'm sorry."]
(if: (history:) does not contain "Call out for Gabriel")[Gabriel shakes his head. "Some others saw it happen, but I didn't. It looks like it hurts, though."]
[[Look down again->Look down]]
[[Start crying->Start crying]]
[[What am I supposed to do with this thing? What's going to happen to me??]]
(if: (history:) contains "Wait. Where's my normal heart?")[[[I think I'm done talking for now.->Atlanta timelapse]]]You let out a panicked scream. The force of the sudden inhale, and the sharp exhale cause a round of hot needles to stab at your ribcage. Your mind is a quaking flurry of anxiety, despair, and shock.
[[Reach out for a hug->Reach out for a hug]]
[[Gather your thoughts, and ask how this happened->Ask how this happened]]
[[Try to tear out the heart]]Tears start to well up in your eyes. Before you can consider holding them back, they overflow and spill down your cheeks. The taste of salt sparks at your lips. You feel your body start to heave with sobs as your face contorts into a miserable twist of panic and sorrow.
[[Reach out for a hug]]
[[Let the tears subside, and ask how this happened->Ask how this happened]]
[[Lay down, and go back to sleep again.->Go back to sleep]]Gabriel rests in the chair, and folds their hands on their lap. "Well, you're alive, so that's good. And the Amorphous Beast's heart is supposed to be some sort of magical conduit. So, I'm not really sure what effect that might have on you, if anything happenes at all."
They wring their hands. "The Elder Gods typically create portals to derive power from an Amorphous Beast's heart, and those are incredibly difficult to open. I would imagine the Beasts also suck the power through some sort of portal." As they continue to speak, their tone becomes analytical. "The issue here is that there's no discernible place for you to absorb energy from. So, you have a conduit, but there's nothing flowing through it."
"I was discussing some of this with [[Cora->Cora]] while you were asleep. We don't have the necessary tomes to open any sort of portals, but she said that the heart could still, maybe..." They wince. "...be used as some sort of weapon? We just don't know how."
[[A weapon? Cool.]]
[[A weapon? No way.]]
[[Wait. Where's my normal heart?]]
[[Ask how this happened->Ask how this happened]]
(if: (history:) contains "Wait. Where's my normal heart?")[[[I think I'm done talking for now.->Atlanta timelapse]]](t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:1s)[You open your arms, and lean forward. The movement pulls at your sore muscles. Gabriel wraps you in an embrace. You shiver, and press your face down into his shirt collar.]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:3s)[[[Ask how this happened->Ask how this happened]]]You claw at the mound embedded in your ribcage. Your nails dig into your skin as you try to find purchase on something, ''anything'' to remove the alien organ. Streaks of blood cross your chest as you scratch at yourself.
"Hey- oh, no, //please//, don't do that- we can figure this out! Don't hurt yourself!" Gabriel stands up and reaches his hands towards you. He doesn't touch you, but his hands are locked in a hesitant stance of wanting to calm you without making things worse. "It's okay, you're okay right now. You're safe," he pleads.
You realize that even if you were strong enough to tear a heart from your chest, you don't know if you would have the fortitude to do so.
[[Reach out for a hug->Reach out for a hug]]
[[Start crying->Start crying]]
[[Ask how this happened->Ask how this happened]](if: (history:) does not contain "Pass out.")[A look of immense social discomfort crosses Gabriel's face. His eyes dart across your face as he seems to search for words to explain. Instead, he leans down, and reaches underneath the cot. He's slow to lift up a glass jar.
Streaks of blood paint the inside of the jar. A velvety sodden red shape throbs within it. You can make out the shapes of ventricles. Deflated veins and arteries are torn at their ends. The heart looks like it was ripped out.
It still beats in a rhythmic pattern.]
(if: (history:) contains "Pass out.")[You blink. The image of Gabriel and the surrounding tent have a gentle spin on them. As long as you don't move, you can enjoy the fascinating sensation of the world whirling around without you.
"Are you okay?" Gabriel asks. He has put the jar back down, out of your sight. "I mean, er, as okay as you can be, I guess."
You nod. The spins begin to dissipate.]
[[Pass out.]]
[[What do I do with my own heart?? Can I put it back?]]
[[What's going to happen to me?->What am I supposed to do with this thing? What's going to happen to me??]]
[[I think I'm done talking for now.->Atlanta timelapse]]Cora Obianagha is a petite woman with dark skin. She wears her hair in greying mid-back length locs. She often wears high-waisted pleated trousers and colorful linen blouses. She is in her late fifties. She is transgender.
In the rebellion, she is a strategist and organizer. Rebels respect her extensive knowledge, experience, and intellect.
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:7s)[She is currently located in Boston, Massachusetts.]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:9s)[[[You know her to be optimistic, charismatic, logical, and energetic.->What am I supposed to do with this thing? What's going to happen to me??]]]Gabriel seems relieved at your reaction. "Yes, if there's some power you could channel, then I bet we could find it. I just want to make sure that everything's done safely. Your life is the rebellion's priority." His lips flatten into an unsure line. "Or, at least, it's my priority."
[[I'm cool with being a powerful god-weapon. It's awesome.]]
[[Wait, you mean people might be okay with me dying or something if the heart is a good weapon?]]
[[Okay.->What am I supposed to do with this thing? What's going to happen to me??]]"I know, I know, it's not ideal. You shouldn't have to do anything you don't want to. You always have a choice," Gabriel replies. He sets his face in a look of attempted assuredness.
[[I'm obligated to though, right?]]
[[I really don't want to help in that way, if it comes to it. Thanks for understanding.->What am I supposed to do with this thing? What's going to happen to me??]]
[[Okay.->What am I supposed to do with this thing? What's going to happen to me??]](t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:2s)[The rush of blood in your ears becomes deafening. Darkness encroaches at the edges of your vision. Your cranium feels like lead as you feel yourself sink backwards into the cot again. A sharp ringing sounds, and then goes silent.]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:5s)[The dreamless abyss shelters you.]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:7s)[[[Face the world again.->Wait. Where's my normal heart?]]]"I'm not sure that that's possible. It looks like it's alive, but...it was sort of just torn out, and thrown on the ground." Gabriel speaks in a quiet voice. He doesn't want to alarm you, but he also wants to answer your questions with honesty. "Maybe, with magic? The Beast's heart is really stuck in there though, and I don't know if it's possible to replace it without causing more harm."
[[I'm a fucking monster.]]
[[I guess this is fine.]]
[[Alright then.->Wait. Where's my normal heart?]](t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:1s)[Weeks pass. You sail back to the United States. Your health remains unchanged, save for the occassional ache in your chest. You keep your human heart in the jar, by your bedside, under a cloth. Even though you can't see it, you can hear it beat in time with the Beast's heart.]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:3s)[You and Gabriel have tried to figure out what to do with, or about the Amorphous Beast's heart. You've had no luck. Some of the other rebels are wary of you. Most are sympathetic.]
(t8n:"fade")+(t8n-delay:5s)[Right now, you are sitting on a bed. You're staying with a few other rebels in a large Victorian-style house in Atlanta, which has been converted into an undercover base for the rebellion. The base has been nicknamed [[The Orchid->The Orchid]] because of the curious choice of fading plum color that the owner has painted it.]
Examine your heart
Leave The Orchid"No, no, you're still //you//, just a little different," Gabriel insists. The higher pitch at the end of his voice gives away his disbelief in his own words. "We'll get through this, okay? We'll try." His voice wavers at the end.
[[Thanks...I appreciate that.]]
[[Fuck off!]]
[[Okay then->What do I do with my own heart?? Can I put it back?]]Gabriel tries to manage a genuine smile. He still seems downtrodden. "That's the spirit."
[[Yeah.->What do I do with my own heart?? Can I put it back?]]Gabriel's shoulders untense, lowering a small amount. They nod. "I'll stick with you. You won't have to be alone."
[[Thank you.->I'm a fucking monster.]]Gabriel frowns. His gaze drifts off to the side.
"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."
[[Shit- no, //I'm// sorry. That wasn't right of me to say. You don't need to apologize.->No apologies]]
(link: "You better be.")[(set: $ep to +1)(goto: "I'm a fucking monster.")]
[[It's alright, don't worry about it.->I'm a fucking monster.]]Gabriel takes in a deep breath. "Understood." He paused, smiling a little. "Thank you, you're a good friend."
[[Likewise.->Fuck off!]]"You're taking this really well. I'm honestly kind of impressed. It's really scary, at least, looking from the outside in. I'm worried about you."
[[I just kind of have to roll with it, you know?->A weapon? Cool.]]
[[Yeah.->A weapon? Cool.]]"No, no, not like that. I really don't think anyone would be like that, especailly not Cora," he reassures you. "Just, it could be dangerous, is all."
[[Understood->A weapon? Cool.]]"Maybe some people think you are, but I don't believe in that kind of thing. You should be able to make whatever choice you want. It's your heart now, technically. Your body."
[[What if people hate me, though?]]
[[But if I end up with really powerful powers or something, and millions of people could die, don't I have to?]]
[[Hm. Yeah.->A weapon? No way.]]"Then I guess they're wrong. I'll still respect you, I promise. I don't know if that means very much to you, but I care."
[[Thank you.->I'm obligated to though, right?]]
[[Okay, whatever.->I'm obligated to though, right?]]"No. I mean, well." He purses his lips. "I think you should, but I don't think anyone should make you. Like, I think it's the right thing to do, but no one should force anyone to do anything. Does that make sense?" Gabriel's shoulders slump.
"Maybe we should just burn that bridge when we get to it."
[[I think people should probably make me do the right thing.]]
[[Yeah. No one should force anyone to do anything like that.->I'm obligated to though, right?]]
[[I don't really know what I think about this.->I'm obligated to though, right?]]"If that's what you believe in, wouldn't you just make the self-sacrificing choice anyways, since you think people should make you do it? Or is that getting too deep? I might be overthinking things."
[[I guess if it comes down to it, I'll try to help as much as I can.->But if I end up with really powerful powers or something, and millions of people could die, don't I have to?]]
[[I still don't really know what I'd do.->But if I end up with really powerful powers or something, and millions of people could die, don't I have to?]]The Orchid is an eccentric Victorian-style home in the Druid Hills neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia. It's nestled in a crowd of mismatched houses. Electric street cars trundle down the street outside. The windows all have dark curtains. The trim on the home is deep blue-violet, and the rest is painted a chipped, fading plum. The ceiling of the porch is painted haint blue. Though the house is aging, it's apparent the owners have made sure to repair falling shingles and stained siding, even if the end result makes the home look more patchwork than intended.
The owners, Mr. and Mrs. Kirschbaum, are rebels who are happy to open their home to others who share their passion for the cause against the Elder Gods. The inside is often crowded with members of the rebellion. There are numerous branches of the rebellion across the world. This one is the most active in the southeastern US. The kitchen is frequently busy with folks cooking food to feed one another, and the common spaces are populated with people organizing, chatting, and laughing.
[[There are three to four rebels to each room. Though the quarters can be cramped, there have been few interpersonal conflicts. The life of a rebel against the eldritch gods isn't ideal, but most agree that it at least feels nice to //try// and fight back.->Atlanta timelapse]]Thank you for checking out the Afflicted demo!