(no subject)

[strangerpeople]

W̡͜E̶EK ̵̕2̕͠


[The blight would not stop.

The world's leading experts have been trying to find a cure, to no avail. Th blight keeps changing, keeps foiling all attempts at being fully understood. It's almost sentient, or at least more sentient than any disease that's been encountered before. People fear the disease jumping from what's left of the grapes into other plants, into animals, or even humans.

You can only watch as entire economies and ecosystems collapse. You can only bury your head in your hands as your own business comes to its end. The destruction of the clusters of grapes has not simply destroyed the wine industry, either-other businesses are being destroyed by the plague. Food, transport, retail, nothing is untouched.

You look on your own vineyard, its yield almost entirely blackened and dead.

This can't keep going on.


-

A week has passed since everyone's arrival. No one has died, yet. But surely no one is holding their breath to see if they would survive this unscathed. They are veterans of the game, and they must know that whoever it is that is in charge demands their pound of flesh. The question is when it will happen.

It is the second week, after all-and when the second week of the game comes, death is not far behind. Not even when you wake up, feeling something different in your mind as you remember the truths you originally woke up with, deep in your mind. You feel...lighter, somehow, when you realize there is a change.


Even so, there are 15 strangers left in this place.]

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MO̷͜T̡I̢͝V̴̨̀E͢:́ ͢͠You͜͠r͏͝ ͜͡G҉re̢at͏͜è͞s͘͢t D̶̨e͏sir͘͞e̴͘

[strangerpeople]

[True to their word, a certain commercial first airs on the televisions at 9:04 AM on Tuesday. There’s the silhouettes in two suits that leaves it easy enough to guess despite the display only using black and white. Hiyori and Link are standing in a studio.]

Welcome to the second Tuesday of your stay in the City. We notice that you continue to desire... Trips outside. Contact with loved ones. Pretty much anything besides acquiescing to our leader. So... we've decided to give you a chance at what you apparently want more than to be fifteen strangers alive and obedient! Anyone who kills and gets away with it could receive whatever! You! Desire! Tell them what they could win, Link!

[At the word ‘win’, they both blink, completely in sync.]

Weeeeell, Hiyori, there’s a wide variety of prizes that we have here, all designed to be exactly what you most want! [Various zany images ensue.] A new car! A house! Your boss’s head on a stick! A lifetime supply of pasta! A lifetime supply of donuts! A lifetime supply of pasta and wide variety of sauces! An all expenses paid trip to Fiji!

[The lights go out.]

Or… maybe something else?

[The voices ring out in a series of spotlit short cuts.]

Whatever you desire. Whatever you desire. Whatever it is you desire. Whatever your heart desires. Whatever you desire. Whatever you desire. Whatever you desire. Whatever it is you desire. Whatever your heart desires. Whatever you desire.

[The two hosts standing alone on the studio again.]

For any questions, please call the following toll-free number: 3-162-227-7660!

For any questions, please call the following toll-free number: 3-162-227-7661!

For any questions, please call the following toll-free numbe—

For any questions, please call—

—questions, please—

—free nu—

[The message repeats every 15 minutes from 9 AM to 7 PM. During the airing of the message at 1:19 PM, Hiyori and Link blink on the word “house” instead.]

Open to all...? (After the first broadcast.)

[backuphero]

[Jonathan's literally sitting cross-legged on "his" front lawn, an extension cord running back into the house from behind the TV sitting on the front porch.]

Well, I'm disappointed, but I'm not surprised!

[touchsensors]

Donuts-lun.

[No one can truly understand the extent to which this makes her Tired.]

[katzenpfote]

Unfortunately for them, I’ve already been tempted by that.

[‘Sup Jonathan, there is a wizard in non-Victorian travel clothes standing in front of you. They’re pretty stinky.]

[There is also a bengal cat sitting politely next to the stinkwizard.]

[illusionarymelody]

[Well of course his wife wasn't going to let him watch it alone if he felt he should to ensure someone sees it. So she's sitting right next to him and leans in to rest her head on his shoulder.]

Not surprised either.

[beguiledcard]

[ He's just walking by, muttering. ]

That makes two of us - or maybe all of us, at this point...

[ Pausing to flash Jonathan a small, tired smile. ]

Here's to hoping, since we've all been through this and seen how it goes... nobody'll give in to it.

[ But, uh... Vita's around, so he won't be sticking around long. Just gonna wave after that and leave. ]

[unwittingking]

Same here.

[Still holding up the Light Bright towards the TV]

[otherworldlyking]

...Had to happen at some point.

[ So yeah, he's agreeing with Jonathan's sentiment, actually. ]

[necroyalty]

This is insulting, if I'll be honest.

[unwittingking]

[...well, disappointing that he can’t shove the Light Bright in their faces, but like Hell is that going to stop him. Especially when he’s already sure his greatest desire would be ignored by these two.

So instead of responding verbally, King merely holds up his Light Bright, with the following message made:

FUCK YOU

...he doesn’t care if it’s immature. They deserve this in his eyes.]

[otherworldlyking]

[ ... Oh my god, King.

He was decently amused with that? Like, wow. ]

[relieable]

[he did it... he freaking did it.

he's just laughing hysterically]

mods?

[incendiarize]

[Well, fine! Arthur goes to watch the teevee at house 7, even though he'd really rather be sleeping. And he just grumpily looks at any other Strangers.]

Don't buy it.

[He then plops down cross-legged on the floor, and this didn't work out great in the mansion but new place new rules. He closes his eyes and focuses on the future. Near future. Go go gadget Approach powers. Higgledy hurder show him if there's murder.]

Approaching Inspiration

[strangerpeople]

[He's...he's in Weapons Storage. He just walked in, looking around, trying to find something. He's not anyone else, either. He's him.

He looks down, scratching his head. What the heck is happening? Is he in his past? His future? Huh???

That's when he spots the glint, hidden behind a bunch of swords. He goes to reach for it, and...his eyes widen.

Glasses? They look just like he does when he's in weapon form. Before he can ponder why in the world they are there, Arthur is back in the present, blinking.]

[beguiledcard]

[ He doesn't even watch the whole thing. Just long enough for the "kill and get away with" routine before he walks off.

Instead of looking upset, however, he just looks... tired. How shocking.

For a while, he isn't paying close attention to his surroundings, so he could easily be overheard saying things like: ]

As if anyone could give what I want most...

[ Or: ]

Damn it...

[comesaround]

Just remember they're doing this to try and get in our heads, Akira.

[ Yup. Guess who'd been nearby and kind of intending to stick close to you right now, Akira. He has all reason to considering things. Though he does pause after a short moment before finally adding on: ]

They couldn't give me what I want most, either.

[poorlovefool]

And... What's that?

[he's not exactly being quiet, so Eric assumes he's talking to him, as he's pretty out of it himself. He's looking rattled, although to be fair, he usually does.]

Vending Stuff (Oso (I assume!), Ambro, etc!)

[beguiledcard]

[ So he'd done the... sock... stuff just before the motive drop.

But it's not until after the TV announcement is done, he can be found sitting on the ground, in front of his assigned house, staring down at some stuff.

The rose, though? He'll be holding that out to Kurama in particular. Anything else that is Very Obviously someone's item will be handed to the person directly, just as soon as he sees them (but it's fair that they see it before he sees them, if that's preferred).

... Also, he can be seen wearing the red wig at some point later in the day. ]

[byanyother_name]

[He can't use it properly but Kurama is still glad to have it. And he can't deny that, even with the motive on his mind, he still enjoys the connotations, when it's Akira returning it to him. Kurama smiles, coy and flirtatious, as he takes it.]

Are you asking me on a date?

[incendiarize]

[Enjoying the bag of bits, Akira? It's a good bag of weird stuff. And there's a good boy strolling by and detouring over!]

Oh hey, you got my--

[.....glasses. He goes still and his eyes widen, possibly the second-most-distressed Akira has seen him. He's all but diving for the glasses.]

What are these doing here?!

[necroyalty]

[ Ambro usually stays holed up in the library or perusing the dressing room most days, but when she accepts the photograph from Akira, she falls silent just for a moment. ]

...this was here?

house

[relieable]

[look at that photo! that sure does belong to someone else. upon receiving it, Osomatsu looks relieved]

This thing keeps gettin' passed down.

[maybe that's why it looks a little worn]

open to all, sometime after the first broadcast

[narcoolepsysensei]

[Nanaki is in his house, although he's not by the door this time like he usually is around this time.

He'll call 'come in' if anyone knocks, but he can be found sitting silently at a table, looking intently at something. He's quick to flip it over whenever someone approaches, though, smiling at whoever's decided to come in.]

Good morning. Can I help you?

[His voice is never very emotive, but today, it's flat.]

his house??

[otherworldlyking]

[ He'll yawn... ]

Doubt it.

[ McBurn was probably the entirely wrong person for this, but they had to interact at some point. Also because I do what I want.

He wondered who would be more susceptible to the motive, and though he could care less about their well being, it might be good to gauge their capacity to act. And maybe it'll lead to a quicker trial if things went south. ]

What'd you think of their offer?

[carryabigstick]

Uhhhh yeah, no way that sounds creepy or anything.

[Honestly. What the heck.

It's not like she doesn't have anything she wants. There are things that come to mind straight away. However--]

What I want is none of your business! I can take care of that myself!