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

[huh? that gets Osomatsu to pause, turning to look at the other young man]

...Me? I'm fine, I guess. For now.

[no one usually asks him how he's feeling! he's caught off-guard, for sure]

[ Oh... That's different. But it gets an understanding smile. ]

That's good. It's... tough to stay that way in this kind of situation. For me, reaching out was always one of the hard parts, but...

[ He looks down. ]

To tell you the truth, I think that's what saved us - sticking close together, even when trust felt... stupid or maybe even pointless. We're all in this together so I think it's important to act that way.

[oh... this guy is... reaching out! to him! and Osomatsu inhales sharply. he looks surprised for just a second longer, before he grins]

I think so, too!

[even though everything is telling him to be wary, to only trust himself. he doesn't like that at all. he bows his head respectfully]

I'm Osomatsu Matsuno! You can call me Osomatsu, if you want. Matsuno's fine, too.

[ How dare . . . Akira's smile widens the tiniest bit as he nods. If he seems a little surprised by this guy's reaction, at all, that's... maybe for a reason. ]

Good.

[ There's a returned bow of his own head. ]

I'm Akira Kurusu. Nice to meet you, Matsuno. You can call me Akira, if you want.

Akira, it is!

[he looks pleased]

Where are you from?

[ He's relaxed a little bit since they started talking. ]

Japan - in fact, I was in Tokyo each time one of these games took me. What about you?

I'm from a place called Cartesio. But I have seen Tokyo!

[sort of?]

'Seen' it? As in on TV?

[.........it's complicated!]

Yeah. It looks cool!

[ He can't help laughing quietly. ]

It is pretty cool, yeah. There are a lot of places to see and things to do. What year was it?

[another complicated question]

Must've been... 2019? Yeah, 'cause it was almost spring.

[ A pause, and then a nod. ]

Definitely after my time, then. What year is it for you back home, then?

Oh, that's what I thought you were asking! If time hasn't moved, I'd say it is still around then.

...I'm not sure what year it was when we were in the Spider Mansion, though. I just know it was in the past. Like, way, waaaaaay in the past!

[ Huh... ]

I know time moved for us, when we were trapped in our game, regardless of the world or the timeline... I can't say whether it was the same for all of you guys, obviously.

[oh... oh that is not good news. Osomatsu would rather time not keep moving outside. but, then, what else does he expect?]

I see... Guess I was hoping that we were in a pocket dimension, or bubble, or something like that.