15strangers | (no subject)

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*round 6

(no subject)

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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They don't make you all happy? You know, visitors to the cafe.

Edited 2020-02-03 20:22 (UTC)

Uh, right. [that's a small relief, that there aren't going to be more strangers showing up out of the blue.]

...Still, getting to take a friend home is part of the fun, wouldn't you think? Most cat cafes have that kind of rescue thing going on.

And anyway, what do you mean we 'might' get a pet store? Don't you know what else is here, Mr. Host?

They do...? [He's pretty... confused...] Well, I never actually went to one. Or at least don't remember going to one. I guess I didn't know.

So, on the topic of things you suspect that I would know. There's not a pet store in the immediate area. But if you accept your fate, maybe you could get transferred somewhere you will. Moving away is normal enough, right...?

I could also file a formal request to the higher ups to have them consider the question of adoption right now. But you'd have to keep your cat like this. [He scritches the cat in his lap under the chin. They both look right into Eric's eyes.]

They don't have a lot of them in Nebraska either... I just read about it on the internet once.

[He's taking in this information now... his hand lifts to clutch into his bangs at the suggestion to 'accept his fate', his mouth twitching against the spontaneous urge to agree. It's as if a string was pulled for only a second.] What was that?? I-I mean. I wouldn't know, I've only moved houses once and the situation was pretty goddamn extreme.

[Eric sighs and flops down sort of near to where Hiyori's sitting, in order to interact with one of the free cats roaming closer. For comfort as much as it is to ensure it doesn't enter their bubble.]

It's not for me. I'm sure most of us would want one if we got the chance. I don't see why your bosses would have an issue if they already understand the value of a pet for attachment to a place. That bastard shot Gab in the bad timeline just so we wouldn't stay in it for him. It should work the other way too... but not if they're like that. No one here understands that. I don't think your leader understands us either.

[this is a lot of bullshitting to save a bunch of cats... wonder if he'll take the bait, er, advice.]

[Hiyori is listening pretty closely, satisfied that Eric's engaged enough to sit down, pursing his lips and following the reasoning, gears turning in his head. But not if they're like that slams the brakes.]

Hang on. You're talking like you've gathered how much I know about your situations... So I won't cut corners.

[His brow creases. So does the cat's.]

Do you only have a backyard full of tigers because you cut their claws back to the length you wanted them?

Huh?

[kind of hard to say whether his recreation would be actively less vicious, when in the end it came down to his imagination. eric definitely thinks a tiger is scary, so probably not. he doesn't think hiyori is making the point he means to make, though. the cat crawls into his lap.]

I think that's rich for you to ask. Which one of us do you think is the one trying to trim claws? You gonna tell me your boss appreciates wildness now?

Actually, it depends which one you ask.

[This is just that funny to him...]

Still... In the end, there's just the boss that likes cats when they're being "nice" and the owner that likes cats when they're being "naughty". Even if one is better than the other, either way it's a condition. When they're in this City, the ticking is out there to reclaim them at any moment. Why bother switching?

['which one?' huh.... that's a bit surprising. he'll have to ask about that later.]

Because I want to. [it doesn't require much thought and yet it makes him feel helpful!]

So, are you gonna ask the higher-ups or not?

[plural, he keeps it in mind.]

...

It'll just... be one of those, right?

[Gesturing at the 8 (?) "free" cats over there right now. Oh yeah, that last one is with Eric, even.]

Heck, that one, maybe.

Well, yeah - but what matters is whether we all can have permission, right?

[he did say he probably wouldn't be the only one...!! but he won't mind taking this one]

[He's actually doing the math on this and he doeSN'T LIKE THIS ]

There's less of them than there are of you all, as it turns out... What if the distribution ends up unfair...?

There's already going to be some people with more pets than others whether it's cats or other animals. We can figure it out.

[the sock exchange is a thing my guy]

[Putting hand to forehead.]

But... If it went that far... the last two would have to go back and forth again... Why would you do that to them...?

Back... and forth?

[Eric tilts his head so he's looking up at him from his spot at the ground but also kind of leaning away. The lap kitty yawns.]

Uhhh. What the hell are you talking about?

The more times it changes, the more it hurts. Haven't you ever stood on your head and then gotten right-side-up again too fast, Prince Eric?

[The cat titled #7 begins to walk back and forth over his lap.]

If you drop a cat face-up close enough to the ground, you know, it doesn't land on its feet.

Wait, you're gonna keep calling me that?? [He let it slide the first time because it was sarcastic enough, but wow. He's not sure if this is better or worse than being 'Mr. Sparkles']

That sounds bad, but it doesn't explain why they'd have to go back and forth in the first place, or why it'd have to be two... Do you mean you have to at least have cats for you and Link?

...I can be negotiated with, but the absence of a surname in the final resident profile made us think it was unfair to differentiate you... Queen Ambrosine, Enforcer McBurn, there are similar cases.

[This is a distraction from the cats though... Hiyori clearly does not like that he is losing.]

It's not... Strictly necessary... After this, we'd probably give up... But this is what I mean. Our group's initial acquisition of the cats was switch #1. You and Caleb Widogast's recent rebellion, switch #2. When we originally reclaimed one each, that was switch #3. So for you to get those two specifically again, would be switch #4... Doesn't that make sense?

[that sure is an explanation.]

Huh. I don't know if I should be insulted or proud that no one in any of these game's been able to figure out what my last name is.

[might as well keep it that way though, even if it lands him with a weird title.]

... Sounds like you think it's only fine when you guys do it.

What, would you have taken Mira's if you could...?

[He shrugs lightly.]

And likewise you think you're "saving" them, don't you? It doesn't matter, we guess. We do have other places to stop today. Can't fight the good fight here forever.

That's for me to know, but I will say her old man isn't trash like mine.

[so he's moving on now, huh? Eric stays put, hugging the cat. They definitely saved them no matter what Hiyori thinks!!]

See ya.

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