The Fifteen Strangers Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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15strangers2020-02-09 12:08 pm
strangerpeople) wrote in 15strangers2020-02-09 12:08 pm
W̧E̷E̡̕K ͡3̴
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.]
. . .
CHARACTERS:
THE AVATAR
THE SNAKE
THE FEAR
THE PARTNERS
THE CREATURE
[There is silence in the clusters. Then.
The SNAKE appears. It is the small girl silhouette that Oso may remember from before. Stencil-like wings unfurl from her body as the AVATAR appears.]
AVATAR: You? You are a Composer-level Reaper, according to my weapon. Have you come to fight me?
SNAKE: Me? No. I learned of you from a certain little boy. He suspects your hand in what is happening...and he was right!
[The AVATAR trembles with hate. The color of the background cracks.]
AVATAR: That little brat! May he be Erased, by my hand, by the darkness which birthed me, by my weapon...!
SNAKE: He's but a child, still. Stupid enough to trust me, at least.
[A pause.]
AVATAR: You have a Reaper's powers but do not fight for the so-called forces of good?
SNAKE: Using my powers to fight for the sake of stagnation? To let the weak live? Idiots. The point of existence is chaos, from which only the strong can survive!
AVATAR: I see...you too, then. You do not need persuasion.
SNAKE: I'll help you willingly, though of course I'll only ask for one thing in return.
AVATAR: Name it.
SNAKE: BREW.
[A world appears before the SNAKE, and she holds it in one hand, while BREW is in her other hand. The planet begins to turn blood red.]
CREATURE: The deal was struck. The SNAKE aided the AVATAR, and in return, the AVATAR gave her aid to traverse space-time with ease. She went to her home world, and altered the timeline accordingly.
SNAKE: See? Only the strong survive! Humanity doesn't deserve the power of Imagination!
[FEAR appears, wreaking havoc on the planet, ripping apart human silhouettes.]
CREATURE: As the final bastion of humanity of the present is assailed, THE PARTNERS, having seen themselves in the mirror of a better future, are sent back to try and stop FEAR. But...
[The PARTNERS are ripped apart as the SNAKE embeds a spore of the madness into the heads of two unseen individuals. Not that Oso needs to see them-he'd figure out pretty quickly who they were.]
SNAKE: You two can revive your mistress with this. I certainly don't need it anymore~
CREATURE: They fail. And yet...
[As the PARTNERS are ripped apart, a small silhouette in the corner of the screen is kneeling, and starts licking a door. Soon, 14 others are running towards FEAR, and the 15th figure, after looking back and forth at the door, charges in last, dealing the finishing blow.]
CREATURE: Though the SNAKE still retains her grip on that cluster, even as we speak...
[Soon, the 15 is whittled down to 6, alongside a dancing seventh figure with a top hat and cane, and they capture BREW. They, and the horrible past they were confined in, vanish, leaving only the large silhouette of a familiar statue.]
CREATURE: Somehow, hope did not yet die!
no subject
Osomatsu finds himself rubbing his face in agitation. there's so much information here, and it's coming all at once. he'll have to recall what he can.
onto the next tape!]
. . . [cw: silhouette body horror]
CHARACTERS:
THE AVATAR
THE JUDGMENTS
THE EMPRESS
THE CORPSE
THE SUN
THE TRUE EMPRESS
T̷̨̛͠͞Ḩ͟È̡͢͜ ͏̨͝͏Ĺ͢͜͝A̴̵̡D̨͜͝͝Y̷̶̨͘ ̵̢͟I҉͢N͏̀ ̵̵̕͝L҉̶͜͞Í̴͜͡L҉͜A͠͝Ç̵̀̕
THE CREATURE
[There is silence, for a few moments. Nothing but black.
The CREATURE'S voice speaks again, this time as the JUDGMENTS appear. They are creatures of multiple wings, holding what looks like stars with spidery legs and tentacles.]
CREATURE: In the weaker clusters of the multiverse, there were those...
[The JUDGMENTS rip an already-open hole bigger through their reality, pulling in the EMPRESS and what looks like Earth. Said Earth smashes into a second, identical Earth, shattering one and maiming the others.]
CREATURE: ...who brought about their own inevitable doom.
JUDGMENTS: You, human, who we have raised on high. You will do our bidding...restore things to the way we demand, and give us our tithe. Sate the hunger of your betters like a good little girl...and in return...
[The JUDGMENTS pull The CORPSE up, putting it into a star until it lights up the screen with an ominous mint green.]
EMPRESS: Oh! My love, you shine brighter than ever! Now, and forever...my SUN!
[At this, a window appears, and immediately shatters. The pieces congeal on the EMPRESS, turning her into a crystalline figure. THE TRUE EMPRESS and T̷̨̛͠͞Ḩ͟È̡͢͜ ͏̨͝͏Ĺ͢͜͝A̴̵̡D̨͜͝͝Y̷̶̨͘ ̵̢͟I҉͢N͏̀ ̵̵̕͝L҉̶͜͞Í̴͜͡L҉͜A͠͝Ç̵̀̕ leap in.]
T. EMPRESS: This madness must stop! I am here to avenge our Earth, the lands you stole through the Wefts, and all of the dead of the-!?
[The TRUE EMPRESS turns, letting out a gasp of horror at the SUN.]
T. EMPRESS: No...this can't be...what have you done to him!? To yourself!?
EMPRESS: I gave him life...and now he is more beautiful than ever!
T̡̢͠҉҉H̨͝Ę́͘͠͠ ̸̡͡L҉̨҉A̵̢͢͞D̡́͜Y̸̵͠͡͡ ̀͡͏̴Į̶͘͞͠N͢ ̧͠L̢̕͜͜I̵̛L̷̨͘͝͡A͢͝C͏͝͞: You corrupted his memory and soul. Your love is as Clockwork as that foul Law now.
[T̡̢͠҉҉H̨͝Ę́͘͠͠ ̸̡͡L҉̨҉A̵̢͢͞D̡́͜Y̸̵͠͡͡ ̀͡͏̴Į̶͘͞͠N͢ ̧͠L̢̕͜͜I̵̛L̷̨͘͝͡A͢͝C͏͝͞ draws a gun.]
T̡̢͠҉҉H̨͝Ę́͘͠͠ ̸̡͡L҉̨҉A̵̢͢͞D̡́͜Y̸̵͠͡͡ ̀͡͏̴Į̶͘͞͠N͢ ̧͠L̢̕͜͜I̵̛L̷̨͘͝͡A͢͝C͏͝͞: Is this the pitiful creature who destroyed my love? You are not even worth killing. The Counsel of Peace that could have been, the Message of Seven Cities Fallen, it shall never be avenged after all...
T. EMPRESS: Wait! I can stop this! Maybe I can fix the SUN!
[Strange symbols begin to float in the air.]
T̵̡͘̕H͏̷E͏̛̀͝ ̴̧͘͢L̢̕A̴̛͘͝D̶̡͢Y̶͘͜͟͝ ̵̨̀I̕͢͝N̵̵̛ ̧͢L҉̶͞Ì̢҉L̴̸̨͞A̡̡͘͞͝C̡̨̛̕: Wait, no! The Red Science of the SUN is too unstable, there's no way a single human can-
[The TRUE EMPRESS grabs her head and screams, as her body suddenly, violently shifts with massive spikes coming out of it. The silhouette rapidly and painfully grows, until there is a massive, spike-laden monster above the shreds of clothing beneath it.]
T̵̡͘̕H͏̷E͏̛̀͝ ̴̧͘͢L̢̕A̴̛͘͝D̶̡͢Y̶͘͜͟͝ ̵̨̀I̕͢͝N̵̵̛ ̧͢L҉̶͞Ì̢҉L̴̸̨͞A̡̡͘͞͝C̡̨̛̕::...Well, I will admit this is the fourth-least terrible scenario that could have occurred.
[A spore wafts onto the monstrous TRUE EMPRESS' form.]
CREATURE: Even the best intentions may not be able to save this universe...
T. EMPRESS: It is all clear to me. I need more Time. To close the Wefts...to feed those hungry stars...what I am going to do, my ally, will be terrible. I may be cursed for it. But it may yet save as many as can be possibly saved. I only wish it works.
CREATURE: ...but that is why I am here.
[And just like that, the CREATURE appears on screen for the first time. It looks like a cat with long ears, and it bows its head reverently to the TRUE EMPRESS.]
CREATURE: If it is a wish you desire, I can grant it. You don't have to do it right now, it is clear you are not ready. But whatever assistance you need we'll still give it to you, within limits.
T. EMPRESS: And in return you will grant my wish?
CREATURE: Of course!
T. EMPRESS: Hours are what are needed, and the lands that are drawn in by the Wefts created by the SUN bring in possibilities. The people of Albion will never accept what I would ask of them, and so the burden must fall on the unfortunate innocents. Bring the people of the Wefts together, and let them kill. I hope only that they might forgive me.
CREATURE: And thus, the madness of the murder games continues, as the TRUE EMPRESS prepares herself to-
[And then a group of Strangers appears. They proceeds to rip multiple versions of the CREATURE apart, punting it and setting it on fire and so on, as the TRUE EMPRESS makes her impossible wish. The screen becomes static, the SUN lets out a scream, and--
It ends.
There's no END OF PART 5. It appears that whoever made this final tape...well. They didn't get the chance to finish it.]
no subject
and then it stops. why?
he hurriedly looks around for more unmarked Betamax tapes]
no subject
no subject
he feels like that's enough investigating here for now. he's already got a wealth of information (and new questions) to share with the other strangers.
so, after stacking the tapes neatly back in the storage room, in order, he's just going to leave. for now]