15strangers | WEEK 4

WEEK 4

[After the meeting, Lilac gives everyone a small vial of something red. Those who left the meeting receive it from the rats on the crew. She gives instructions as to how to take it. Take in a drink, preferably tea. Drink it slowly. Make sure you can get to your bed once you finish. The headache will come quickly.

Nevertheless, even as everyone slips into sleep, they are visited once more by the Conductor in what must have been a dream. Or was it? It's not clear.

She is quiet as she speaks, looking out the windows, even though the view is obscured by the glass.

"I know you think me as a monster. Maybe I am after all these years. I have no illusions. But I cannot regret the things I've done.

"Nor can I regret the Bazaar...it was so wonderful. It opened my eyes to the truth of things and opened doors I never could have seen on my own. It was the first time I felt true love for another. I wasn't the only one-my daughter, too, passed through the Wicket. Saw the sea more sunless within the Bazaar's body. Learned as I learned. She sought to rival me in symbols, in marking skin."

She closes her eyes.

"She is dead now, of course. Everyone I knew in the Neath-on our Earth-is. Well. Almost everyone. London endures, naturally. But the Echo Bazaar...it's beautiful promise...it's gone. The Seventh City will never fall, and it's Message will forever remain undelivered. Of all the creatures in the universe who might remember it, I am alone in honoring it.

"Perhaps it's noble. Perhaps it's foolish. In any case, maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe it's the thought that's important. As long as I am here, there is yet a possibility that the deed may be finished, somehow.

"Still, I wonder. Maybe you have the answer.

What happens to a Message, when neither the sender and receiver exist anymore?"

As the day dawns, everyone wakes up to the sound of howling winds and darkness. Their head hurts, but they do have a new memory to accompany the ache. They are also at a new port. It is a dark place, teetering on the edge of safe space and the unknown in between void, where those who enter rarely return. Or, so you have to assume, right? Either way, that blackness on the deep horizon doesn't look particularly fun to try to drive through.

There is a legitimate fear in Lilac's expression that betrays her for the first time, as she lets everyone disembark, including the unicorn and the young man, who quickly jump onto another train to get away from this place. She also refuses to leave the train. She does leave you with a fair warning.

The Synod of Carcels is dangerous, in its own way, and everyone can feel it. Everyone can feel something hanging in the air. It's not natural. It's bending reality. It's also not something that started with you or your arrival. Yet it threatens to become that way, to become part of you. You can feel the temptation gnaw at you. You can hear the winds whisper of it. There is a hunger here-and knowledge as well.

The question, of course, is whether the price to uncover those things is worth it-and what will be found here with the price that is paid. But as the Conductor said-a reckoning cannot be postponed. Not forever.

There are eleven strangers left in this place.]

((IMPORTANT OOC NOTE: This week and it's investigations involve major Fallen London spoilers, in particular spoilers regarding Seeking Mr. Eaten's Name and one of it's endings. If you, as a player here, are playing Fallen London and do not wish to be spoiled, let us know, and we will make sure you are not given any ending spoilers to the best of our ability. We will also be marking spoiler-filled comments with tags, and we request that our players do likewise, in consideration for those who might look through this post in the future.

With that said, have fun, and remember-all shall be well.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He pauses his shaking and turns to Zack, still annoyed, but clearly not at him.]

I appreciate the sentiment, but if this thing ends up broken, I don't think he will want to talk to me. At all.

[He?]

[Zack blinks.]

Who?

Him, the-

[He lets out a frustrated sigh, pinching at the area between his eyes.]

Kitsune. One of the celestial beings that I know that should be able to help us. Usually he uses this statue to communicate with mortals.

[He turns back to the statue, shaking it more.]

BUT APPARENTLY NOW ISN'T ONE OF THE TIMES HE FEELS LIKE TALKING THROUGH IT!

Uh... Okay?

[Zack doesn't know crap about celestial beings like this but there's exactly one problem with this theory.]

I thought someone took the magical powers shit out of our stuff before they got dumped in the baggage claim?

[Because his magical phone ain't working and for some reason Eliza's Pokemon can't access their moves, so logically...]

[Now that manages to make King freeze right then and there.

He slowly turns toward Zack.]

Are...are you serious?

[... Well, to answer that he digs an egg shaped phone out of his pocket and slides it open. Behold, the noisy light show.]

See this? If this was working, then I would be going into magical mode right now.

[In response to this, King's horrified look drops to an annoyed one as he sits at the base of the statue.]

Welp. I've got nothing, then. All I've got is turning into cats, and I doubt that's going to be useful, so I've got nothing.

[Then, a bit quieter.]

Why couldn't I have been born as a toothbrush.

[Zack didn't get that last part, but...

... He does remember what the guy Eliza killed said about what he used to do?]

Uh... You sure about that? Maybe you could turn into a tiger or something that could maul someone.

[That...gets him to stop and think for a second.]

That could be useful, yeah.

Only problem is it doesn't change the fact that The Amazing Purple Eyesore can manipulate time. If I tried doing that to anyone on her side, I'd probably get a leg torn off or something.

[Yeah, only a second, though.

Also, how does Zack like King's nickname for The Conductor? He thinks it's kind of good.]

[Yeah, that gets a laugh out of him.]

Heh... Never said ya had to use it against her, but whatever.

Who else would I use it on, though? Yeah, there's people I hate, but she and that Empress of hers are the only ones I'd actually want to hurt.

[Well, also the audience from the second trial, but he doubts he's ever seeing any of them again.]

Uh... [He opens his mouth.

... He closes his mouth.]

Well, ya got me.

Uh-huh.

[Sigh]

The most I can do is be a sort of comfort animal for people when things are going badly.

[Which will either be very awkward, or very weird on his part.]

... Aren't you already a comfort animal as you normally are?

…I guess? But if everyone here is used to non-talking animals that walk on four legs, it would probably be awkward to stay like this when comforting them.

[Pet the talking corgi, Zack. It's completely normal.]

What, talking to them ain't enough?

[He's actually? Not sure how comforting works?]

Well, it helps, but usually for comfort animals kind of...hug, or lay against you, or...something like that.

[He's met a total of one (1) therapy dog before, this is kind of difficult for him to describe.]

Oh... Well, anyone can do that sorta thing!

[He kind of wants to go into detail, but then he'd be veering into a sore spot he doesn't wanna touch right now.]

For some reason humans find it comforting when dogs do it? Look, I don't know all the answers-this is like trying to describe why the sky is blue when you don't know science very well!

[And he is not a science expert!]

... Okay, then show me, I guess??

[Zack knows jack about science. You should know this by now.]

…show you what???

[How the comforting thing works? Why the sky is blue?? THIS IS REALLY NOT CLEAR TO HIM???]

The dog... Comforting thing?

Do you...need comforting?

[He's not sure whether he should be serious or not, considering Zach does not seem like the type to want comforting.]

... I dunno! Maybe?

[He would appreciate it but does not realize it.]

Can I get an answer that will reassure me I won't get punted across the room for hugging you?

[It's never happened to him, but he just doesn't want to take any chances.]

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