I̝̻̣̱͖͚͗̈̆̕T̤̞̠͎̘̜̤ͬͭ̋ͬ͂̃̇́ ̣̱̳̗̋̾̑ͥͥ̀B̮̺͇̝̼̺ͯ͌̾͗̿͋Ē̝̞̼̣̻͙̙̒ͭG͓̜̅͐̽̐͞Ï̜̳̥ͯN̯͙̮ͧ̀Sͫ͐̂͏͖

[strangerpeople]

I͔T̫͉̄ͮͮͪͧ ̲̜̪̥̓̈́͂̚̚B̫̲̼͕̦͓͕ͩ̏̊͆E̥̱͚̦͓̍G̠̬͓̟̥ͪͣ͆ͬ̓I̅ͯͣ̿N͐̉̎̂ͫͧS͑͆̒ͣ̆


[There is a blight in the vineyard.

It started without warning, deep into the crop. No one noticed. The blight was an insidious little thing, cultivating itself in the weaker vines over the long winter. Then, when summer came, it struck, and there was no stopping it.

The farmers could only watch the blight ravage their gardens. Grapes shriveled up by the bunch, day by day. Sometimes, it would be hours between the time a perfectly healthy vine caught it, and the time when the fruit was little more than black ash and slag. The problem was so serious that it threatened the very future of the business. It was all the farmers could do to try and isolate the sections of the vineyard still healthy, and the parts that were as good as dead.

Then, one day, it happened. The business recieved a phone call.

The blight was no longer just in their vineyard. It had spread to neighboring farms, and everyone was demanding answers. Yours could not have been where it started. It just couldn't have been.

Where did this pestilence come from? Could it be stopped?

You do not know, and you fear what the answer may be.



-



Good morning, Strangers.

Wake up. Look around. Do you feel like this might be familiar? Not your surroundings, but the circumstances. Do you feel the fear in your stomach? Do you sense the wrongness that permeates the air?

You should. Because your gut is right. You are exactly in what you think you are. Right now, there is no other explanation. There is only the sureness of experience informing you that you have been plunged into a game, once more without your consent. A game where blood will be spilled, and death will happen.

The only other thing you are sure of are the thoughts that pop up when you think of your circumstances. No matter what you do, you cannot shake the finality, the truth of what you are thinking. You cannot deny your own beliefs, after all, when they are so embedded, so imprinted on you, that they are as a part of you as anything else, like your face, or fingers, or hair.

And so perhaps you remind yourself, as you ready yourself to leave the house, of the truths you know to be real.



So steel yourselves, Strangers. You know what to expect; there will be others like you, trapped here. Maybe it will, this time, be for forever.

So welcome, one and all. Welcome to the City at the very End, in the eye, the center. A City that gave in long before the code distorted and collapsed and unleashed a virus on reality. Make yourselves comfortable.

You are not going


an̛͡y͠҉w̸h̢ȩ͢r̸͝e̸.]

Comments

[unwittingking]

…fine. Lie to yourself.

[See if he cares, 'cause he doesn't.]

Are you or the other guy gonna start explaining what's going on, or are you just here to let us all know that we're going through the whole "murder for these motives" thing yet again?

[Seriously. While these happen so often it's concerning, it's also getting very old.]

[champion_link]

... Ah. You think that sort of thing is going to happen. If you were happy like us you wouldn't need to think of such things as a possibility, but when you are not happy like us...

In any case, murder is very helpful in some situations.

[unwittingking]

Hey. I was very happy before all of this insanity happened. In my home, where I didn't have to deal with the problems of celestial beings from different dimensions.

I can be happy.

[Why is he taking this so seriously? Because he's irritated about the entire situation and this guy isn't helping.]

So. Is it happening, or are you just gonna hold us hostage for who knows how long?

[champion_link]

That depends on your behavior. But you will learn to love it here like we do.

[unwittingking]

…okay, just to be clear, are you say we might be able to just...leave here eventually and not see anyone die if we just try to like this place?

[That is not a bad deal to him because he just wants for there to be no death and also to go home, so...yes or no]

[champion_link]

If you all became happy like we do, there would be no need for killing.

[unwittingking]

But if we’re all happy and everything, will we get to go home?

[Putting emphasis on the last part, because that is where his focus in on most.]

[champion_link]

[... ?]

You already are home.

1/2

[unwittingking]

[...he just sort of...stares, for a couple seconds...then...]

2/2

[unwittingking]

Go fuck yourself with a rusty jackhammer you piece of shit.

[Just. Deadpan. He’s pissed off now. He doesn’t care about what his brain is saying. This guy can go to Hell.]

[champion_link]

You don't need to be crass, King Milton. We only want to help.

[unwittingking]

THEN LET ME GO HOME-TO MY ACTUAL HOME! DON’T PUT ME THROUGH THIS BULLSHIT AGAIN! LET ME GO BACK AND FIX THINGS WITH THE EMPRESS AND ALL OF THAT SO I CAN GO BACK TO HOME! SO THAT I ONLY HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHO MY KIDS MAKE FRIENDS WITH INSTEAD OF WHETHER OR NOT THEIR LIVES ARE AT STAKE!

DON’T GIVE ME THIS BULLSHIT THAT THIS IS MY HOME, BECAUSE IT WILL N E V E R BE MY HOME, YOU SACK OF POORLY PACKAGED HORSE SHIT!

[Yeah...he’s just pissed now.]

[champion_link]

There is no need to be so upset.

[unwittingking]

Oh, don’t bother pulling the “There’s no need to be upset” card!

[Why yes, that was in a mocking voice, why do you ask?]

I have plenty of reason to be upset, and you know it! So at least try to be like The Conductor and FUCKING OWN IT!

[champion_link]

I understand you are angry, but that will only make things worse.

[unwittingking]

Oh, you understand?

Then understand this!

[Just. Giving him two middle fingers. He doesn’t care if it does nothing, it makes him feel just the slightest bit better.]

[champion_link]

[He just sighs at King.]

[touchsensors]

[?????? your local lala does not understand this gesture]