W̧E̷E̡̕K ͡3̴

[strangerpeople]

W̛E̷͞E̶̵K͏͘͠ 3̸̡

[You got a phone call that morning. It wasn't the realtor for the vineyard, like you had thought. Instead, it was a scientist.

She offered you something you hadn't ever expected: hope.

"I think I've pinpointed where this blight has come from, and how it became so virulent. You were among the first whose crop was infected-I wish to speak to you personally about it."

You meet in a car, and drive to an isolated road. She will not take any chance to speak publicly about it-not yet. She doesn't want to release the information until she is certain. But she felt honor-bound to explain to you, given your own importance in her research. You hadn't known she had sampled your dead and dying grapes, but she did.

"This blight..." She opens a folder, showing you the photos. "Started with a gopher, several years ago. I know, it sounds insane. This disease should only affect certain animal species. But one day, it jumped into vines...the original gopher died a long time ago. But not before it had eaten an entire cluster of grapes in one swallow. It ended up scratching itself on the trellis of the grapevine as it choked to death. Its blood, its body decayed, and helped to water and fertilize that strain of grapes the next year or so, and...well, the seeds from those buds that resulted were sent out to every farm in the area. Then, to every farm in the country, different regions..."

That sounded insane. This woman's theory sounded utterly bonkers. But you can't dismiss it out of hand-you have no better answer.

Before you can say anything more, the woman's phone rings. She answers, and you see her face turn white. You don't have to guess why.

Before, the theoretical gopher had infected the grapes with the blight.

Now, the blight had claimed its first human victim.


-


[The morning hurts. It hurts to know that, even dead, there was that final, terrible moment for the Embarrassing and the Nagging. It must hurt more to know that this will continue, and that there is something out there that is invested in ensuring each and every last one of the Strangers are, if not dead, than broken.

And then, there is IT. IT is the enemy, it seems. But...what is IT? Is IT the one truly responsible? How?

As you try to think on it, you remember your truths, and suddenly, you realize, another has changed:




[That you would. Can you? You know that, whatever your answer, you must find a way to the truth. The alternative is too horrible to even contemplate-if it is even possible to be comprehended. After all-if what you saw is what happens to the dead and condemned, what will become of the living at the hands of the terrible, unknown IT who is your jailer?

Hope that you do not have to find out. Hope there is an answer in the new floor that has opened up in the Building. Otherwise...otherwise you really are doomed.


There are 13 strangers in this place.]

Comments

[strangerpeople]

[Most of the cats start to chase! Meeeeooooow! Not all. The cross-eyed cat attempts to and runs into the honker, causing them to tumble away.

The two cats that were "fixed"?

Nope. Still giving Eric a death glare.]

[poorlovefool]

Heheh! [the clumsy kitties are so cute. he'll keep playing with the regular cats until a few of them lose interest. it's nice to see them so energetic... his idea of giving them various forms of enrichment seems to be working out.

but he's not going to give up on the evil cats either. trying the same method of hugging seems like it'll get him maimed and piss off link, but he's got another toy up his sleeve....

decorative olives!!!!

what? they look jingly. maybe the fixed cats will like this more if he gently rolls a few at them.]

[strangerpeople]

[Well, it does give one of the cats pause, and it goes to look at one of the olives as it rolls around. It starts to look...confused.

The other doesn't fall for the bait.]

[poorlovefool]

[confusion is better than hatred, he ... thinks? let's roll another one at the confused kitty!]

How do you like this?

[strangerpeople]

[As the moments pass, the cat starts to shudder.]

[poorlovefool]

[umm...... that's maybe not as good. he doesn't want to hurt the kitty.

what happens if he takes them away? and can he pet cat while it's distracted]

[strangerpeople]

[The cat that was shuddering lets out a distressed meow. Give it it's toys back!!

It's eyes look less blown out than before.]

[poorlovefool]

Oh! Alright, alright - just kidding!

[he gives the kitty its jingle back. looks like it was a good jingle after all]

[strangerpeople]

[The cat continues to shudder violently as it bats the grape-olive thing back and forth, as if its unable to decide what it wants to be.

Eventually, though, the playing of the grape-olive thing tilts it over to the side of not brainwashed, and it collapses, looking very confused and meowing in distress.]

[poorlovefool]

...!

It's okay... it's okay, you're safe now!

[He feels pretty bad seeing this, after what Hiyori said about the flipping. He's going to pick up the cat and hold it gently while looking it over worriedly. It's not... sick, is it?]

[strangerpeople]

[No. It's just very scared.]

[poorlovefool]

Poor little guy...

[what's done is done. He'll just stay here and keep petting it then. What else can he do?]

[strangerpeople]

[He can always feel the final cat wishing death on him?]

[poorlovefool]

[He would RATHER NOT do that, but it's happening anyway, sending a shiver up his spine. Eric scoots away from the lone evil cat while holding the scared one, because this is triggering his fight or flight response.]

I didn't do anything bad... he came to me. Looks like your power is weaker than you thought. Stupid puppetmaster.