15strangers | (no subject)

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[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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Funny, doesn't look like that to me. You're acting just like someone I knew who turned their emotions off. Even down to the referring to people by their full names to keep them at a distance so you don't have to feel anything for them.

You might even know of him, he was one of the ones at the Mall. He was so happy that he was just looking for a place to die.

Can you tell me that right now you are truly happy and if you died this very moment that you'd have no regrets because the life you lived was perfect and happy?

You also dodged my question about your loved ones. If this place is so great, why aren't they all here?

Re... grets...?

[To Vita looking so closely for the slightest sign of vulnerability, the shadow in Hiyori's eyes will certainly seem like he does have some degree of regret, hiding behind his eyelids like the flicker of a mermaid's tail in the return to the cove at the last second as the sun rises.]

Haha... If I died, I'd never have the privilege of eating Link's modern sandwiches again...

[He rolls his eyes, straightening his shoulders back up.]

And I really want a promotion. You're making a lot of assumptions about the value our company places on growth and change, just because of how we implement loyalty and friendship. By the way, Link's culture of origin emphasizes given names while family names are more common in mine; we just wanted a compromise we could both articulate naturally. But as curious I'm sure you are about the whereabouts of that Crow guy, the current location, projected movements, and overall welfare of any and all parties not directly involved in this substage of the project is very strictly classified.

[Oh she's definitely looking because she's trying to find any sort of weakness and he keeps dodging her questions. She's also not going to take the bait regarding Crow.]

Oh, you think you can use Crow against me because of what happened at the Base? [She bursts out laughing. It actually takes her a minute or two to stop.] Your information source is terrible if you think that could work again.

But I think I get what you're saying here. You won't bring your loved ones here because this place isn't as nice and happy as you say it is. That and you do have regrets just like I did when I died. I bet you're jealous of the fact that I was able to change my course and now I am indeed happy and not one thing you've said is even in the slightest bit tempting to me compared to the simple pleasure of spending time with my husband.

[During Vita's entire peal of laughter, Hiyori does not blink once. In general, the hesitation has completely dried up.]

You can project all you like, Vita Clotilde-Morris. I never said any of that. This way of life is an alternative to death, and I'll answer that way as many times as you ask me when I'm on the clock.

But, wow, our information and even latest observation is wonky! Because everything indicated to me that aside from relying ever so slightly more on one person, you haven't changed at all.

I was excited at first for the opportunity to be friends this time. "How can I get through to such a confident and intimidating woman?" I thought. Maybe we would have our perspective being doubted in common...? But that's just not how it works for you. I'm sorry for the mistake.

That already tells me your information is terrible. People change when faced with death. If they are lucky enough to not die or come back from the dead like myself, they will change themselves to ensure they resolve their regrets and will have none when their time truly comes.

You'd have had more luck getting through to me before the events at the Base, if you actually understood what the duty of my clan is. I highly doubt you could ever understand anything about witches, however.

Hang... Hang on.

You can think a lot of bad things about me if you want. Tactless, naive, brainwashed. You might even be right. I really don't care.

And you can project your regrets and resolve onto me too. Everything can just go back to the example of your life, if you like. So, when you boldly make some really specific assumptions about ~my loved ones~ - I might as well bring up yours too, to see what your terribly insightful feelings are. It's not necessarily to trick you into an entire murder, or some other kind of immediate threat. We're trying to recruit all fifteen strangers alive, you know! And more importantly, whatever situation I'm in that you're presumably trying to understand, it's obviously not precisely the same as yours in the base.

But I'm supposed to be some kind of idiot... For... For thinking that you'd ever spend a moment worrying about what's happening to that person on the outside? The outside world, full of destruction that hundreds of people died in the Mall and Train games to alleviate? Is it supposed to be okay because of your powers that you're very sore to have completely lost? Or because of his powers, perhaps? Would he retain them in any and all circumstances, unlike the reapers and liches trapped in this city? And do you think those powers would also protect him from these type of circumstances I'm in now?

This is your trait that's struck me as completely fixed, Vita Clotilde-Morris. While your alliances shift and some moments of vulnerability bring fear, your confidence in these kinds of powers seems absolutely unshakable. And I'll always be around if you want to teach me more, but I have to admit that right now I absolutely don't understand witches at all!

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cw: mention of suicidal ideation

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Trails??? Spoilers???