FINAL WEEK

[strangerpeople]

FINAL WEEK

[Four weeks. Nine survivors.

Everything is...very quiet now. Like, surprisingly so. The lack of Marie's voice is both refreshing and strange after three weeks. But, she is gone, and even if Bottson updates the profiles to reflect that, yes, you still lost someone, you are finally free.

But are you really? There's still a lot of questions that need to be answered. For one thing, were they really inside someone's body? If so, what does it mean for the universe? Who, exactly, is Ivy, and why is her death so important? And--who is really in charge of this?

Whatever the answers are, there are still floors left to explore, with no warning as to what might be on them. It's best to rest and prepare before you do anything more, especially with one of your number still injured. There is still time left, after all, and you'll all want to be ready for whatever might be next.

There are nine strangers in this place.]


SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY

Comments

[fashionfever]

...

Thank you...! [unironically] That makes... one person...!

[backuphero]

[He can't crack now. They're down to the wire. If the pattern holds, even if nobody dies they'll be forced into figuring something out very soon by whatever had Marie convinced she was the God of this place, and he's got to be absolutely together for that, but...

But letting himself feel something that isn't (desperate, fear-driven) happiness or (grief-masking, ultimately hollow) rage isn't cracking. Worry and... warmth. Fondness? Whatever this is, it's not pity, and it's not easy to name.

Who cares if she's still holding the Voodoo Sandal. Angela is getting a hug.]

Nobody else is going to die here. Not if I have anything at all to say about it. So don't... don't even think for a second that you're allowed to, all right?

[fashionfever]

[Why...? Why is he so... soft...? He really is like an overgrown golden retriever... How she wishes she could just get a pet, even a hamster or something...

> cling]

But it's just like you said! I have to - have to get help from someone I can't—can't—

[backuphero]

That's part of being human. We're not... we aren't perfect. That's the point, that we aren't but we still do good things. If you need help, then ask. Don't just... don't hold yourself apart from everyone just because you got handed responsibility you didn't ask for.

[He runs a hand down over her hair, and rests his head against hers. It's like that other time, at the trial, except now he's the one being strong.]

Trust me, I've been there. That's not how "heroes" work, and it's not how regular people work either... and we need both to get out of here, you know?

[fashionfever]

[It is nice to feel warmth. He has a sunshine about him even if wherever they are there's none of the real stuff.]

I... I know I'm strong with you guys... I know we can just... look at the evidence and figure it out and fight for ourselves... r-reach for the stars... but...

[She looks up at Jonathan with shining eyes.]

To get out of here... stabbing a corpse in the neck has NOTHING to do with that! It doesn't help ANYONE else! How am I supposed to watch him get off with a slap on the wrist? No - not even that! He literally has not even gotten a slap on the wrist!

cw: catholic doctrine concerning dead bodies?

[backuphero]

[Jonathan almost sighs. Here we go again, the Problem of Yurick, this is not going to be easy or pleasant.]

Maybe I'm an idiot to have any faith in somebody who almost got me killed when all this started, but... sometimes the worst punishment's the one you inflict on yourself. He's been tearing himself in two since the start of this.

[And he does sigh, then.]

When I realized he'd done that, I wanted to kill him. A couple of weeks ago I might even have tried, but... it wouldn't have undone what was done, and I don't think he understood what it'd mean to some of us that he'd... what it'd mean to have done that to her. He didn't grow up with the kind of church you and I did, if he even was raised in some kind of faith. There's a lot of people who don't see the body as anything but a container for the soul....

cw more attempts at catholic doctrine

[fashionfever]

Okay, but, body or soul or not... he could have gotten you killed! The goal was to get someone killed, right? An innocent person killed! That's, like, the greatest example of a mortal sin, right there!

You know, there are lots of bad guys out there who tear themselves up after getting caught? It's just one more thing for them to tear. Why do you keep wearing their crown of thorns?

[It's a tighter shackle than the ring she used to wear and through the painful magic powers of empathy it hurts her just as much!]

[backuphero]

I -

[Damn it she's got a very valid point, and Indulgence or no Indulgence he's not Mr. Stoker's invented Dutch professor and it's true.]

But... I could have ended up the same way. If I'd shown up here earlier, I... he reminded me of me, right after my father died, so I reached out. I just... I know it doesn't make any sense, but....