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

[unwittingking]

I think I will, but I won't get my hopes up. I have a feeling that the best that I could find would be a PG-13 rating, where the worst that could happen is a single f-bomb.

[He hasn't searched too much, but it's good hunch in his opinion.]

[otherworldlyking]

...You think it's really that kiddy-fied? Not that those ratings mean much to me.

[ But he could figure it out somewhat. ]

[unwittingking]

Call it a hunch that they wouldn't have anything remotely violent, wanting us all to be friends with IT and all. And yes, that includes them being hypocrites.

[Plus, he sees it being more than likely they'd actively want to annoy them with that.]

[otherworldlyking]

[ ...He'll blink, silent for a moment, because that sure would be a thing indeed. ]

Sounds like that's exactly the case, if they're bothering to make things like this kid-friendly when they've got us sitting through annoying trials.

[unwittingking]

Yup. A whole bunch of hypocrites are behind this, and I bet they're laughing at us now.

[He can feel when he's being mocked.]

[otherworldlyking]

Can't quite imagine our Hosts doing that with that programming they seem to have.

[ He thought about Hiyori a little because he was actually much more interesting than Link. He seemed rather capable of emoting, but he couldn't imagine him laughing that easily. ]

Then again if their Leader asked them to, then they would.

[unwittingking]

Yeah, maybe not the hosts if they're not told to, but who or whatever is brainwashing them? They're definitely laugh at this, if they actually can feel anything other than smug.

[He appreciates someone else seeing through the brainwashing.]

[otherworldlyking]

[ It's definitely for lack of trying, as ironic as that was. ]

I'm sure their Leader could feel something else, especially if they're defeated in battle.

[ Though McBurn's well aware that it's not exactly a fight he'd want to immediately run headfirst into without knowing how to approach—if that's even possible. Even if he liked to fight anyone or anything, friend or foe, he could be smart about these things when dealing with a powerful challenge. ]

[unwittingking]

I’m not sure how easy that would be, but honestly I’d pay money to see that. And hey, they did give us a whole arsenal to work with in the weapon storage room. Even if some of us aren’t trained that well, I’m pretty sure some people here could work it out.

[At the very least, from what was said before? He’s pretty sure several people here would be willing to help train the others, McBurn (possibly) included.]

[otherworldlyking]

As long as they're not hopeless and a waste of time, they could probably be trained enough to make sure they wouldn't get in the way.

[ That sounded harsh, but it was what it was.

McBurn's apparently trained two people before so it wasn't impossible. It just depended on how much effort he was willing to put in. ]

[unwittingking]

Don't worry, I already know how to run as fast as I can.

[Yeah, he's just automatically assuming he's one of the people being talked about here. He is a small, after all. Not very easy to get in the way, but easy to take hostage or just be generally useless.

At least he's not taking offense to it?]

[otherworldlyking]

[ McBurn actually assumed King would have fought, though that's because he seemed like a fight-y person regardless of height and such.

So yes, apparently King had made that impression on him even without facing him in battle. ]

It's a good start if you'd be in the way. Don't doubt that there'd be other ways to pitch in, anyway.

[unwittingking]

[He can be good in a fight, it's just that he's better as either A. The Stealth Fighter, or B. When Against Other Animals. Fighting humans or God-like beings full force? That's a good way to get punted across a room.

He considers it for a moment.]

I could probably bite them, if I really needed to. And worst comes to worse, I actually do know how to use a baseball bat.

[And who knows what a laser bat can do...]

[otherworldlyking]

[ Even McBurn could imagine the scenario of King being punted. ]

Biting them's probably not the best idea. Wouldn't say it would be bad to hit them with a bat, though.

[ Depending on the strength stat. ]

[unwittingking]

Yeah, probably not. And at least the bat could probably burn them...however a laser bat works.

[Seriously, how do those things work?]