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

[poorlovefool]

Is that... The Little Mermaid, or something?

[he can't read japanese, but it's a mermaid, and it's little]

[relieable]

[haaa]

Ningyo Hime. Mermaid Princess. Yeah, I think it's the same thing.

[poorlovefool]

So we have a fairy tale book and a tunic...? What the hell. They're just personal items, aren't they.

[katzenpfote]

But from who?

[relieable]

[a long pause]

If the tunic belonged to Link, then maybe this book belongs to Hiyori? He was wearing a swimsuit in today's motive video.

[poorlovefool]

What do swimsuits have to do with mermaids? It's not like the prince went back to the sea.

[he pauses.]

...wait a minute. He keeps calling me Prince Eric - like the fucking Disney character?!

[he technically is fused with part of a daedric prince but oh my god]

[relieable]

[???????]

Swimsuits and mermaids both have to do with swimming? I dunno anything about Hiyori!

[poorlovefool]

It would help if we knew more...

[unwittingking]

Let’s hope he doesn’t try to find you your Ariel, if that’s the case.

[NO ARRANGED MARRIAGES!]

[poorlovefool]

Of course not! I already have my mermaid! [He says as he sparkles like the ocean surface.]

[unwittingking]

[Huh. So his power is anime sparkles. Okay.]

Let’s hope that’s enough for him too, then.

[They wouldn’t...he’s not going to finish that thought, they already executed corpses. They have already hit rock bottom, now he’s hoping they didn’t bring pickaxes.]

[poorlovefool]

Y-yeah, let's. Man, I really don't think I wanna know where your train of thought is headed.

[unwittingking]

[Yeah, he knows that feeling, so he’ll just give Eric a thumbs up and let it be.]

[incendiarize]

Did....ney?

[....something comes to mind and Arthur just starts whistling a tune he heard from Ricky. It should be familiar to some. Because this is helping.]

[relieable]

Disney...

[he... knows this song too, unfortunately for Prince Eric]

The seaweed is always greener, in somebody else's lake...

[katzenpfote]

[... He just stares at the two and sighs before launching into a Zemnian-accented version of song.]

[touchsensors]

[what is happening]

[poorlovefool]

[laughing at these two]

Is this the remix?

[katzenpfote]

Eh, no, just reminded me of when we went after a... sea witch? We’re not entirely sure. But we followed that song to find her after we were banished from the pirate island.

[poorlovefool]

You sure have a lot of stories... makes me think I oughta get out of the house more.

[katzenpfote]

I'd be happy to tell you some time if something insane isn't going on.

More than usual.

[poorlovefool]

Thanks for clarifying. [he laughs] I'm up for listening. I could use some more inspiration.