(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

[unwittingking]

Why are you so short?

Because that’s what most corgis are like. We’re short.

So I’m stuck with a puppy. Great.

I’m not a puppy, I’m a corgi; it’s my breed.

[If you’re outside Crab-o-Licious, that’s what you’re hearing. Apparently someone is talking with an annoyed King-someone who’s voice you don’t recognize.]

So, what’s wrong with your face?

Nothing? My face is fine.

No it isn’t. Dogs are supposed to be cute. Meanwhile, you look like...that.

And what’s that supposed to mean?

Oh, I think you know exactly what that means.

[Entering the restaurant, you’ll find...King glaring at a hat. A hat that glares back. Also, there’s a cat on another chair napping-basically, there’s a lot of stuff in here, minus a soda can.

So...an interesting sight.]

[katzenpfote]

[Caleb casually walks by and attempts to put his own glaring hat on top of King's, smushing them.]

What, no, hey!

Quiet, you two.

[unwittingking]

Wha-get him off of me! This is demeaning!

No.

[This is why having a friend like Caleb is nice. They get to share moments like this.]

[katzenpfote]

[Caleb just produces a flame in his hand directly where the two hats can see him, and enjoys the silence for a few moments.]

I think this is yours.

[He holds out a distinctly greyish scarf.]

[Behind him, a dog pads up and looks at King, followed by Frumpkin.]

[unwittingking]

Apparently they like giving you my things.

Thanks.

[Taking the scarf, before gesturing to all the stuff.]

You want anything from here?

[katzenpfote]

Last time it was Mithos with mine.

[He looks over at it and shakes his head.]

Nothing here is mine, it seems. I mostly just wanted to get your scarf back to you... I know how important it is to have your familiar clothes.

[He tugs on his jacket, and shrugs.]

It's been a bit since I've gotten to have these clothes back... they didn't show up last time.

[unwittingking]

Then I guess they are doing it on purpose.

Are you sure? I still have to get you that tea I told you about. I wouldn’t mind giving...I don’t know, the wine? I think it’s the same from the train, the mushroom kind.

[Not that he could taste it...]

And it’s good to hear you got them back finally. Wonder why they didn’t show up on the train.

[because too many people were getting your popcorn King It’s a mystery!~]

[beguiledcard]

[ Alas, he's gonna be missing that argument, given he isn't to a point where he can, ah... go in there, just yet. Though King does manage to have Akira hanging around the place more than thirty seconds!

Because, just as soon as he sees one of the objects in King's hand, he's coming to a pause. From the look in Akira's eyes, that's something that's very uncomfortably familiar. ]

May I [ dim, grim kind of smile as he points at the journal ] have a look at that?

[unwittingking]

[He was half tempted to throw that hat in the furnace

King’s just trying to carry out what objects he still has, from two very different books to what he’s pretty sure is the Phantom of the Opera’s mask, to a journal he didn’t bother to read yet. He’s just lucky so many of them are wearable...

He stops as Akira talks, turning to him. Lisa, who’s walking by his side, also stops to look at him.]

Oh, sure.

[He’ll offer the book to him. Well, try to anyway, with how much he’s holding...]

[beguiledcard]

[ He looks at Lisa, his expression softening a little before he smiles, and then he nods with gratitude and takes said journal.

After flipping through it, he lets out a sigh... ]

Yeah... This is it, all right...

[ Just dragging a hand over his face. ]

It's not empty this time, but definitely not the one I kept while in the Mall... Guess they're trying to toy with me over this, too.

[ Sorry, King, he needs a moment. His hands are actually trembling a tiny bit as he looks at one of the pages in particular. ]

[unwittingking]

[Carp, he’s seriously got to stop upsetting people by doing random things. This is a disturbing pattern.

He sets the various things down and puts a paw on Akira’s leg, trying to be comforting.]

Hey. It’s okay. You’re not the only one they’re toying with, so you don’t have to be alone on this.

[He’s trying to be soothing, and Lisa’s brushing up against Akira’s legs, so hopefully the both of them can get through to him?]

[beguiledcard]

[ It doesn't take long, at least. He takes a slow breath and nods as he closes the journal. ]

Yeah... Sorry.

[ He manages a small smile, though it's definitely not his most successful attempt. ]

This journal was part of my probation. For... "punching" a very politically powerful man I never actually laid a hand on.

[ So, somebody has experience with wrongful accusations, lol. ]

[unwittingking]

It’s okay.

[He tries to be soothing as he says that part.

The next part...let’s just say he’s trying very hard to repress an annoyed sigh.]

Let me guess, you said something he didn’t like, and he decided to abuse his power to get revenge on an actual teenager?

[He sounds like he wouldn’t be surprised if he got in one go.]

[illusionarymelody]

[Vita is going to just take advantage of the hat being annoying to go look at the stuff. She's going to quiet grab the novel and then try to sneak away without being noticed.]

[unwittingking]

[Well, you could’ve gotten unnoticed by King, but-]

Oh, hey! An old lady! Hi old lady!

[Rude hats have good perception.

King turns around, pushing the hat off the table with a paw while looking at Vita.]

OW!

And which thing are you taking?

[illusionarymelody]

A book that is mine. Doubt you'd have much interest in it since it's a romance novel.

[And she really doesn't want to explain to King of all people about this book and who its about. Dorothee is a very unique sort of writer.]

Also tell your hat I'm not an old lady.

[unwittingking]

I don’t think he’s going to listen to either of us. But you can try to get it through that thick head of his.

[AKA feel free to hurt the now grumbling hat.

As for the book, he seems surprised at first, before his face settle onto a sort of smirk.]

Well, didn’t know you were into...that kind of literature.

[He may or may not have looked through the book. Just a little bit.]

[illusionarymelody]

Maybe give it a punishment for being so rude? I think burying it would work well.

[Or at least she's assuming it's a magical object and wouldn't be harmed by such a thing.

As for the book, I would think my taste in literature is none of your business. My husband is fully aware of the fact that my friend Aurelia obtains books she thinks I'd be interested in.

[And if King did look at the book, it's pretty clear it didn't come from Jonathan's world, but if McBurn said much about Erebonia then maybe some things may sound familiar. It would have been published in 1205. Despite the content, it is well written, Dorothee is a very skilled writer.]

[unwittingking]

[It might be magic, or at least he’s pretty sure it is.]

Maybe. Or I might leave it in the furnace, so long as destroying it doesn’t count as a murder.

[The hat, to it’s credit, stays quiet instead of making things worse.

It was less actually reading it and more flipping through the pages to see what it was about. He just understood that it wasn’t earth (probably) and what type of romance it is.]

Yeah, but I just figured you’d go for a more traditional romance, you know?

[AKA this is surprisingly progressive for a book from someone that’s living in the 1900’s.]

[incendiarize]

[Having trouble with that there gauntlet, King? And with the hat. Arthur has one of those. He just left it somewhere, honestly.

Here he'll lift that gauntlet for you.]

Nice, I was hoping this'd turn up soon.

[unwittingking]

Oh, it’s yours?

[He’s...kind of surprised Arthur can lift it.]

Well, glad I could get it back you.

He didn’t need anything else to make him an eyesore.

Shush.

[Hat...]

[incendiarize]

[Lift it, slide panels and check things, he knows exactly what this piece of equipment is. Knows it like the back of his hand.]

Thanks! Looks like it's empty, but I might be able to fix that, depending what reagents we have - shut up, yarny - around...

[unwittingking]

I don’t know if I should be impressed or worried that you either made or got your hands on a gauntlet that can be used as a weapon.

[He’s going to say both, but trust that Arthur won’t do anything with it for now.]

So what are reagents? And who’s yarny?

[Is he talking to the hat?]

[incendiarize]

Built it myself! It's for alchemy! Reagents are the stuff I use to make my formulas. [It's fantasy chemistry, King.]

Yarny's the hat. I got one earlier. It was annoying, so I left it in the cat room.

[unwittingking]

YOU DID WHAT?!

Good idea, maybe I should try that.

[He stares at the hat, who goes silent, and apparently finds the ceiling more interesting to look at right now.

King turns back to Arthur, but not before picking up some vials.]

Any chance that’s what these are?

[It’s just a guess, but they look like fantasy world weapon stuff.]