(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.]

Comments

[comesaround]

[ At some point in the early morning, it really shouldn't be surprising to find Karma outside House 11 with a knife in hand and seeming to be focused on going through what appears to be different kinds of motions that involve some form of using his knife being thrust or slashed out. Even having one moment where he tosses it in the air, mimics as if he's dodging a hit in a fight and catches the knife by the handle with ease before swiping it out in a motion almost too fast to see.

Anyone close enough might notice the positively focused, almost angry aura about him as he's doing this. Possibly as if he's imagining someone else at the receiving end of his blade.

Sometime after lunch, it wouldn't be hard to find him in the library, sitting next to a shelf with a various collection of different books sitting piled next to him. It's mostly to pass time, but also these were from different times and places from what he's figured out so he was also trying to see if they were actually any good.

In a small pile nearby the books is some of the things he got from the vending machine the other day. Minus the outfit, of course. Mostly because it did belong to him It was Nagisa's but it counts, okay? and he was keeping it at his place for the time being. Surely someone would recognize these things and come pick them up.

While it was still 'day' out, what might give people concern would be witnessing Karma managing to climb up the side of his house and stand on his roof. Looking up at the sky for a few moments before walking to the very back side of the house so he's standing on the edge, waiting a few seconds before pushing off hard and absolutely booking it across the roof but he doesn't stop.

Nope.

These little houses have just enough room on them to give him proper momentum and he LEAPS off of his, soaring through the air and landing on House 9 amidst a roll for a better landing. Not really caring if he had an audience or not. ]

Huh. Not bad. Could have done that a little smoother.

library

[katzenpfote]

[Caleb stops and stares at the pile and sighs. They really need to find a better place to set things out other than in the library...]

[Ugh. He almost walks past, but spots a very battered book and scoops it up, tucking it into one of his book holsters in his jacket.]

Well, at least that's where it belongs, now.

[comesaround]

[ Karma looked up and raised an eyebrow curiously, before smiling slightly. ]

Oh, good. I really hadn't been sure who's that was.

[ He closes the book he's reading. At least for now. ]

Was it anything really important?

[katzenpfote]

... A personal journal. I've had it for quite some time, hence the state of it. It... helps to put things on paper sometimes when situations are bad.

[comesaround]

I totally agree! I kinda started one after getting here, just in case.

[ He hums briefly before nodding a bit to himself. ]

Probably also good to keep one in case you lose your memory or something, too.

[katzenpfote]

[He visibly flinches at the last statement.]

It is good for that, yes. And with all of the confusing things going on lately where I am from, it is good to have somewhere to sort it out.

And there's only a few people who know this cipher, and I am fairly certain none of them know Zemnian. So it is very safe.

Roof Stuff

[unwittingking]

[Well, he does have and audience. One that cares very much.]

Are you...are people actively trying to give me a heart attack here?

[He’s in shock. Just a bit.]

[comesaround]

[ Blinking a little as he straightened up, Karma shifted so he could look down at King with the most unperturbed look ever. ]

Don't worry so much. I've done things like this before so it's not that big of a deal.

[ He rolls his shoulders and lets off a soft hum. ]

It's a good way for me to keep in shape and use the skills my teacher taught me.

[unwittingking]

[Just...pinching the area between his eyes. He feels like McBurn, because this is just a pain to deal with...]

Karma, I already worry about a lot, even if it’s something I shouldn’t worry about. I can not control it in the slightest.

And can’t you train some other way? Like, going on runs, or...sparing with someone? Not something that could give you a broken limb if you’re not careful?

[Sparing could give you a broken limb, but it’s probably less likely? More people here know how to fight, is what he’s saying.]

[comesaround]

Hm. Guess you've got a point there. You're kinda like a dad in that way, aren't you?

[ His bluntness strikes again! It was kinda the truth in his eyes, so why not say it?

Though he does seem to think that over before sighing, almost seeming to pout. Except not really because he is just looking more and more amused. ]

I probably could, but everyone else was busy at the time when I thought of this and I had wanted a challenge.

[unwittingking]

Ha...ha...yeah...

[He’s...not good at hiding that fact, is he? And that forced, awkward laugh likely isn’t helping.

He’ll just cough and go to the next topic.]

What about McBurn? I’m pretty sure he’d be up for a good fight, even if he was dealing with something else at the moment.

[Pretty much everyone saw him fight the host on a whim. It’d be more surprising if he didn’t accept an offer for a fight.]

his place?

[beguiledcard]

[ He lifts his eyebrows at the dress... ]

Soooo... that thing sure likes to give dresses, huh? Maybe it's trying to tell us to pick up a new hobby.

[comesaround]

[ This was completely expected at some point, so really, he's not entirely surprised when Akira sees the outfit and makes a comment about it. ]

Who knows?

[ He shrugs and moves to brush his fingers along the shirt's surface before drawing it back. ]

Either way it's not even one that would fit me. It's actually something Nagisa wore at one point.

[beguiledcard]

[ He blinks, and then he's laughing softly... ]

By choice, or...? Either way, I have to say whoever picked it has good taste. Very cute.

[comesaround]

Definitely not by choice. It was for an undercover thing and he's the only one who could have pulled off looking like a girl without actually being one.

[ Karma can't help but chuckle a bit at the memory itself. ]

I know, right? Definitely cute. I mean, it looks better when worn, but that's not happening here anytime soon.

library;

[otherworldlyking]

[ Oh hey, that's sure an item that looked quite familiar. ]

I'll be taking this.

[ Going to yoink that combat orbment now. ]

[comesaround]

Don't suppose you could tell me what that is or what it does? I've been curious about it since I got it.

[ Oh hey. He totally remembers McBurn from when he fought one of the Hosts, but hadn't thought of going to talk to him. It'd be fun to fight him at some point, wouldn't it? ]

[otherworldlyking]

[ All in the name of good fun, of course.

He'd probably be up for a round too, just to see what Karma was made of. ]

It's a combat orbment. People back on my world use it to help with fighting battles.

[ We're starting off basic here. Also because he was a dead-ass lazy bum when it came to these things, but hey. ]

[comesaround]

Yeah? Like something to enhance the way you fight or give you extra abilities?

[ Having the upper hand was important where you could get it. This was no different and didn't effect his desire to want to fight with others here and there. It was fun to test himself against people from other worlds to see how they fought, after all. ]

library

[touchsensors]

Oyo?

[If Karma didn't know who the glove belonged to before, he'll probably make the connection when Lala walks by with identical symbols all over her. If not that, the fact that she immediately walks over and picks it up might be a good hint.]

This came out too-lun?

[comesaround]

[ By this point he really hadn't interacted with her yet, but this was sure one way to ensure it happens. Seeing her with the glove certainly made a lot of sense now to who it belonged to. ]

I'm guessing it's not just a simple glove, either. What's it do?

[ Besides just looking cute and all. ]

[touchsensors]

[Well, looking cute is its main function, and also her main function.]

It's linked to my personal AI-lun. If my ship is in range, I should be able to make contact-lun.

[She taps one of her antennae to the heart-circle, to absolutely no effect.]

[comesaround]

Oh, so it's tech-based. Can't say I know too many people that have their own ship, though.

[ Seeing it altogether made sense now as it matched perfectly with her. She was very bright and 'cute' which reminded him a lot of Ritsu. ]

House 11

[carryabigstick]

[Estelle watches his movements like a hawk. She's used to detailed, intricate movements and those with great skill using various weapons. So she recognizes true talent when she sees it.]

You're pretty good. Now I'm definitely pumped up.

[She's ready for a fight let her fight.]

[comesaround]

[ It takes a second before he registers that she was actually there and watching him. That almost deadly aura around him seems to dissipate a bit, and he grins as he does turn his attention over to Estelle at last.

She wasn't at all the source of his ire so there was no need to be in that same mindset he had been before. Not that it means he doesn't wanna fight any less, though. ]

Yeah? So you think you could keep up, then?

[ Karma's stance literally says he could literally go right into a spar about now, especially since his adrenaline was now going pretty strongly at this point. ]