W͜͏̶Ę͏E͝͠K͝͞ ̧1̵͟

[strangerpeople]

W͜͏̶Ę͏E͝͠K͝͞ ̧1̵͟

[The national council just announced the blight to the country.

There was no sugarcoating it anymore. This was a critical time. Saving all of the vines is paramount, but what does one do when the blight hits? It keeps encroaching on the grapes, day by day. Entire clusters, entire bunches, dead and rotting, while allowing the blight to spread, and the leading botanists and viticulturists cannot identify the origin or the cause. They can't even successfully isolate the culprit in their labs; it seems to disappear like air no matter the precautions taken.

It is a catastrophe that seems to be beyond science, and it will result in the complete collapse of the entire country's wine industry. Already, embargoes on this year's crop have forced other grape-growers to close shop for the year after they'd sold their previous stock; it is all too possible that no grapes might ever be grown here again if a cure cannot be found. The tourists have stopped coming. The towns have grown silent.

You, meanwhile, are devastated. With the way your business is going, it will be on the brink of bankruptcy within the year. You will soon have no choice but to close shop and let every grapevine die, let the land go fallow. There must be a cure for this, there must be. Yet everything that can go wrong is.

Then, as you watch the news, it happens. Breaking news. The blight has been found in another country.

It is a pandemic-and it is only getting worse.


-

Well. This is...what else can can anyone say? You all know the deal. You all know what situation you're in. All that is left is to figure out what you can do about it. If there's anything that can be done.

You still feel that compulsion to distrust. To know you cannot win. To know that only the hosts have your best interests in mind. It would be easy to just do all that. But would it be the right thing to do? You can't be completely sure. Indeed, nothing is certain here, except for that damned ticking sound. If only you could stop it.

But you can't stop it. It is inevitable.


There are 15 strangers in this place.]

Comments

[poorlovefool]

That's easier than I was expecting...

[they were so in sync the thought of breaking one of them out of it was definitely a bit intimidating.

But now he's curious so... let's go pick up that cute Abyssinian over there!!]

[1/2]

[strangerpeople]

[The creature lets out a hiss as its being handled, and even as it freezes up, there is burning hatred in the cat's expression. It is clearly unnatural to the cat, almost alien.]

[strangerpeople]

[After a few moments in Eric's living arms, however, there is a shudder in the Abyssinian, and it blinks. Its pupils contract, and nearly instantly, the tics, the odd rhythms all stop in its body. Instead, it lets out a confused honk, its tail swaying lazily and curling around Eric's hand.]

1/2

[poorlovefool]

[He has definitely never seen a cat look this angry and it instantly makes him very skittish, leading to some awkward pets with the palpable fear that his hand is about to get maimed.]

C... Caleeeeb, are you SURE this works- oh!

[poorlovefool]

[that honk was so cute... he's scritching behind the ears more calmly now]

Whaddya know. She likes me now.

[katzenpfote]

Ah... see? They just needed a gentle touch.

[Although... what happens if he puts the cat down? He'll pick it back up if it goes weird again, but he has to check.]

[strangerpeople]

[Once the cat is put down, it...it...





it rolls on its side and stretches, before it gets back up and hops into one of the cat beds, meowing as it curls up.]

[katzenpfote]

Ah, good.

[He's just gonna go and pick up another cat, then.]

[strangerpeople]

[It probably goes without saying that the cat he picks up is very unhappy with this, and its claws dig into Caleb as it is picked up. Seriously, the rage emanating from the creature's eyes is so foreign that, in truth, it's almost like the anger isn't its own at all. As to whose it is, well...who knows, right now.

Eventually, the hatred melts away, leaving a much more amenable, if slightly puffed up, cat. It does look a little scared-Caleb can feel its heart pounding a mile a minute.]

[katzenpfote]

[He waits for the emotion to pass, and then just strokes the cat gently to show it that he means no harm.]

It's all right. You are safe. I will not hurt you...

[strangerpeople]

Meow, meow...!

[It purrs, but its still very confused. Can you blame it, Caleb? :(]

[katzenpfote]

Oh, I know. You have been through a lot.

[He sets it down and nudges it towards one of the cat beds.]

Go on. Rest. It'll be all right.

[Time to hug every cat.]

[strangerpeople]

[Fair warning, the remaining cats are probably going to be a little less willing to be cuddled. Hopefully, Caleb is ready to bandage his fingers and hands after this is done.]

[poorlovefool]

What a relief!

[he'll do that too. why wouldn't he.]

[strangerpeople]

[This cat is downright vicious. It hisses and even swipes at Eric, pure alien loathing dripping out of it. As if to say not yours.

Whatever is causing the cats to act weird to begin with, the remaining cats seem to know what Caleb and Eric are doing, and what it's done to the other now-normal cats. In unison they back away, letting out growls and spitting.]

[katzenpfote]

[He sighs and tilts his head towards Eric.]

Guard the front so they cannot try to run out that way.

[He's just going to go and try to scoop up one of the hissing cats.]

[strangerpeople]

[This one fights. It tries to wrest free, with unusual strength for a cat of its size. It lets out a growl, flailing its legs to scratch at Caleb's face, and even tries to bite.

All in all, not a happy mind-controlled cat at the moment.]

[poorlovefool]

What the fuck is all this...

[but YEAH he's just gonna go shut that door now, leaving the hissing cat alone]

[strangerpeople]

[The remaining cats all claw and hiss at the wall, but because cats are not good at activating atoms, they are trapped. Good job Eric.




They all turn to look at Eric simultaneously with their hate orbs.]

[katzenpfote]

[This is not the first time he's been scratched or bitten and he's faced far worse. He pulls it to his chest, ignoring the blood on his face and hands, and tries to shush it.]

Calm down. Calm down, all right? Ah - stay still -

[His strength isn't all that great, but he's doing his best to hold on.]

[strangerpeople]

[It is a struggle, that is for certain.

But it is a struggle that Caleb eventually wins, as the cat starts to shudder, the change clearly going through its body. Soon enough, there is a quiet, sleepy cat in his arms, eyes normal, sniffing Caleb's face and rubbing its nose in the blood it drew.

Its a slightly weird cat, but its no longer emitting hatred.]

[katzenpfote]

Ah, it's all right. I do not blame you.

[He's not sure how often he did something similar to someone in the Sanatorium, but probably more than once.]

We'll get you clean in a minute, all right? I'll be fine. Let's help your friends.

[He goes to grab another one. How many cats are left?]

[poorlovefool]

Oh jesus that's creepy- stay back, kitties! Or I'll...

[well he does not really want to fight kitties so hopefully they will be deterred if he light-sparks a bit. NOT enough to cause permanent blindness though, he's not a monster ok]

[strangerpeople]

[The light does cause all of the cats to draw back, hissing at the light as if it really could hurt them. It's...actually kind of weird, because some of the cats seem to have fear along with hatred.]

[poorlovefool]

Oh, great, they're scared of me now...

[This will probably make it hard for him to pick up any more of them, huh?

but at least he'll make a good guard now.]

I got the door. I'll leave the rest to you, Caleb!