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15strangers2019-08-04 10:27 pm
strangerpeople) wrote in 15strangers2019-08-04 10:27 pm
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.))
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[He shivers.]
I still don't like mine, but I'd still take it over a bunch of eyeballs all over my body.
[Zack deserves all the sympathy, as far as he's concerned.]
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Yeah-in fact, how about we just change the subject? To...anything actually nice to talk about?
[He'd like to have one lighthearted conversation, please]
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[Although, she has to pause.]
...I, ah. Admit nothing is coming to mind, now that you've sprung that. So... do you have any ideas?
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How about...we talk about my world? You got any questions about it?
[He doesn't mind whatever they are, so long as they don't go into too dark territory.]
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[Give her a moment to think.]
Do all animals talk?
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[Which we are all thankful for, of course.]
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[...]
This may be a bit uncomfortable, but in my world, animals like yourself are typically kept as pets. I imagine there would be... quite a few issues that would arise if we were to discover you had this level of sentience.
1/2
[Should he say it? Maybe...]
2/2
SCREW IT]
That's actually the situation for my world, too. Most dogs are pets, and the alternative is living in the streets, or in the wild, which isn't exactly the best situation. Same goes for cats, too.
We can exist with humans like that, but even then there are some...issues.
But, we at least have a family of super rich ferrets helping give pets more rights and a better life-so much so that me, Bailey and the pups don't even have an owner-we live in a house with a bunch of wolves that wanted normal lives.
What I'm trying to say is...that hasn't changed between universes, but at least we're working on making things better, and I've already got a good situation myself.
[He knows this is kind of an info dump, but he really didn't want her to get upset and think anything bad of it, so he decided to say all he had to say on it and hope she's fine with it.]
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[Well, if nothing else, Ris seems very interested in all that King is saying. It's probably not surprising, given how often she goes on about things she's read to learn new things... yes, feed her all the info dumps. She lives for this.]
I'm sure it's a difficult situation... but I am glad at least you and your family are doing well for yourselves! [...Are. Not were. We don't talk about that.] And that things are moving towards improvement. Change is a slow process, but a worthwhile one.
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Thanks. Most pets are fine with their situations, but...it does come with their downsides.
[A certain dog does come to mind, but he shakes his head, trying to not think about her.]
And yeah, it's really slow, but it helps that the Milton ferrets are loaded. Also extremely lucky, to the point where even one of their mistakes could still make a huge profit.
[In fact...that might've already happened, now that he thinks about it...]
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[She can't help but smile at the description of the ferrets, though.]
Goodness, really? They ought to share some of their luck with the rest of us.
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[He can't help but unconsciously fiddle with the bandana around his neck again, but he focuses on Ris at the moment.]
Yeah, that'd be nice. I'd appreciate having their problems most of the time.
[Mainly stuff along the lines of "Their big events that get ruined but still turns up a good profit due to some random coincidence" rather than some...more recent events...]
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I do have another question, if you don't mind. Only somewhat related to your world.
Where did you get that bandana? It seems important to you.