WEE͠K ̸́4͝

[strangerpeople]

W҉͘E͜͠͝E̕K̡̛͡ ̡͟4̸

[The blight is all-consuming.

Within days dozens are confirmed infected, and you and your unexpected new scientist friend find yourselves trying to work on a cure. If not a cure, a stopgap of some kind. Anything to prevent this thing from destroying everything. It's hard work. It's not going very well. Really, it feels like with every step forward, you're taking ten steps back. Discouraging is an understatement, to say the least.

A week passes, and the death toll rises. It's really starting to look bleak. You constantly second-guess yourself, and even get into a fistfight with your new ally one night. It's getting to the point where you are working on fumes.

Then, unexpectedly, you get a phone call. It's been a long night, and the sun is beginning to rise above the mountains, when it happens.

You and the scientist are not the only ones looking for a cure. In fact, there are at least a dozen others-and they think they may be close to a breakthrough.

But-and you can't believe you're hearing this, after all of the failure you'd experienced throughout this blight-they need your help.]


---


[To say that the end of last week sucked would be an understatement. To say that no one knows what this week will bring is not even in question. Yet even as you wake, you feel a cloud lift from your mind, as one of the truths you've been living with since the beginning has suddenly changed.]




[But is it possible to abide by this new truth? The Hosts, and IT beyond, seem intent on making that impossible. And the rat...well. Obviously the rat's not an ally. Let's not kid ourselves.

There's only one way to find out if more deaths can truly be prevented-and that's to keep going, and hoping that the new floor that has opened up will offer something in the way of an opportunity.

In the meantime.


There are 11 strangers left in this place.]

Comments

[unwittingking]

Let’s just say there’s lots of things that can be in water that you don’t want to swim in. More than just alligators or sharks or...monsters that attack people, generally.

[mermaidkin]

Then maybe you're judging my emotions by my outward appearance more than you should be.

[He shrugs a little shrug.]

...your gift was of such a high quality that the reactions balanced out. But it'd be nice to set a time in future. Let's leave it at that.

[unwittingking]

Alright, I’ll try it when I get some bread. Might get some weird looks, but it could be nice.

[It’s not like they could judge the small corgi man any more, honestly.]

[poorlovefool]

As long as I follow the rules, you can't assassinate me or eat me, right? I think I'll keep doing things on my own terms.

[silvertongueheir]

[Franciscus stares in shock as Osomatsu starts sobbing, pulling him into a hug. Part of him wants to get further into the house before showing such obvious affection, but right now all he can think about is comforting his boyfriend.]

I'm...I'm not mad about that. I-I should be the one who's sorry! I promised to stay by your side, and instead I got myself killed! I wasn't able to figure out what was going on in time and talk Eric down! [There are tears spilling down his cheeks now as well.] I-I don't want to have to leave!

[mermaidkin]

...if you don't want to prove that you're different from my leader, that's your prerogative.

[poorlovefool]

[does he enjoy how easy it is to wipe off a smug look and get a rise out of Eric]

What the hell are you talking about!? Which one?

[mermaidkin]

IT. Pardon the confusion. If anything, the term "IT" leads to even more confusion, you understand.

My point is... IT tells me what to do and when to do it. Aren't you trying to have me go back to making my own decisions? Though that's terribly overrated.

[poorlovefool]

[no he's still confused.]

But wouldn't IT tell you what to tell me?

[mermaidkin]

..............if you accept that's what would happen every time you asked, can you please stop trying to lure me out of a very fulfilling job?

[otherworldlyking]

[ Estelle...but yeah not wrong at how it looked. ]

Just by how it appeared?

[ At the very least, he's glad to have it for sure. And giving it a few test swings; it really was a pity that the power it originally held wasn't there. But, he got used to the idea when he was on the train and regained it there. ]

[mermaidkin]

Always glad to be the bearer of good news.

[Hiyori clears his throat.]

Į̶̘̪̯͎̫̫̙̹̬̼̰͖͒̄̀̆ñ̶̳̞̺̙̪̋̅̑̄̈́̐͠c̶̭̜̾̀̄̌̍̇̂̑͘̕͝͝į̸̫͎̬̱͙̙͈͍̹̞̝̀̀́̀̀̉̄̑̆̈̓́͝ṯ̷̬͕͙̱̼̳̘̖͎̪̤̌̉̕i̴̙̗͚̖̩̯͉̘̱͚̭̞̟͛̏̒͠n̴͉̖̫̯̜̱̠̈́̈́̂͂̐ģ̴̧̛̛̱͇͐̑͑̀̂ ̵̡̘͈̦̟̯͉̄̂̿̀̀̍͂̀̎̅̚y̴̮͙̼͙̣͙̘͕͎̹̌͜o̴̦͙̓̿͂͛͛̓̆̒̏ú̶͇̓̽͋̓̀̀͐́̋̓̚͠ ̴̙̱̣̯̹̫̙̙̥͓̘̊͆̈́͗t̶̫̘̮̬̬͚̫̪́̈́͜ơ̵̛̯̯̝͂͂͆̓͠ ̸̼̘͑y̷̦͖͇̾͑͒͋́̒̎̒̑͒̚͝ã̶̠̗̮̑̌͆͘p̵̤̣̳͉̲̟̦̈́̓̃̾́̿͠ ̶͔͙̝̽͗̋͐̀̒͆̕a̴̝̯̩̖̻̿̽̍̊̀̍̀́̓̈́̈́̌̚͝͝ţ̸̂̔̈́̏ ̵̭̪͖̲̣͚́ỷ̷̛͓̿̏̅̽̇͆̈́͗̓̚ȍ̸̧͇͈̰͕ù̴̙̳͌̾̓͛̿̑̕̕͝r̸͈͉̲̟̹̋̀͘͘͜ͅ ̷͈̀̄͛͐͌͆̚͜͠f̸̢̧͉̟̪̳̜̜͌̐̑̐̓̑ē̷̩̥̰̮̱͘l̵͔̥̳͗̽̈́̆͌̔̀́̑̈̈̊͝l̴̻̮̬͓͖̲͍̻̗̙̘̜̤̳͗͒̔̍͛̈̃̔̓̇̍̕̕͠͝ô̴̹͎̼̫̱͈̮̣̫̆̆͆̌̕͝͝w̸̧̤̤̠͇̤͇͙̞͕͉͗̾̅̎̒̅̍͐̄̚ ̸̡͈̹̫͇̥͈̣̞͈͉̫͗́̎͋̊̆̈́̑̏ͅͅS̴̨͎͔̟̺̈̀̈́ţ̸̡̛͚͍̻̹̯̙͓̦͈̟̗̀̊͑̉̈̏̎̌͌̍̉͘ŗ̵̜͍̟̙̬̝̘̠̙͎͕̂͗͘ͅà̸̛̻̓̽͂̂̊͑͋̍̎̿͑́̀ń̴͔̽͠g̷̡̪̟͇͍̠̳̜͕͍͍̓͗͆͂͊̿̈͐̄̅̍̾̋̓͝ẹ̶̛̊͒̾̄̆̑̈́̕͝͝r̴̛̛͎̰͕͓͓̤̝͉̰͖͔̣̀̋͒̅͗̎͋̚̕͝s̸̨̡͎͖̖̦͈̩̭̻͔̱̯̝͊́̌̅̀̓̕͜ ̷̨̨̡͇͕̺̱͕̭̼̤̳̄͑̄͒̿̂̍͜h̵̜̲̪̳̫̃̓̾̏̑a̷̧͍͍̦̰͎̠̣̪̱͐̐͘ͅͅs̴̡̙̪̼̖̰̩̥̺̫̲̻͒̃͗̆͑͂̚̚͝ͅ ̵̡̰̼̠̻̤̗̼͓̳̦͙̠̙̲̒̀̈̏̂̑͂̌̌̌͒̆͂̀͘n̶̼̺͇͙̼̲̗̻̹̥̎o̸̧̖͚̖̰̮͓̫͈̺̝͉͔̍̃̓̇͆͑͗̋̅́̋͂͋͜͝ṫ̸̛̛͙̪͌̓͒̇̌͠ͅ ̶̟̈̌̑̐͌b̸̗̣̬̱̻̦͚͈̈́̈̏́̿̈́̀̚͜ͅḝ̵̫̉͆̐̾͐̽̈͜͠ḙ̴̡̳͓̪̭̗̦̼͔̦̾͐͒́̋̌̀̓͒̿͜ͅn̴͓͎̻̠̭̥̹̟̙̜̮̤̩̫͚̑͗̌̀͒͋̈́̾́͘͠ ̴̨̧̤̺̳̖̯̭͇͉̫̼̈̒́̀̍̽̅̍͋̔͂̚͝ͅͅd̵̰̺̦̯̹͖͙̣̉̓͂̅̿̾̚̚͝ḭ̶͌̾̏̎f̶̨̨͕͙̞̹̙͈͈̙̘̆f̸̢̨̬̝̯͙͌́̓͛̇̊̇͊̏̓̄̚î̶̙͈̫̟̙̬̭̤͖͕̜͍̅͋̍̎̎̈̈́͝ͅč̵̝̟̹̻̪̘͔̜̝͖̤͉̈́̀ŭ̶̢̢̦̼̭͓̳̩͕̭̪̻͐̾l̴̨̮̞̮̭̫̞̟̙̲̙̫̬̀̅́̍̃̆t̵̢̫̤̞̖̻͎̻͙͔̺̦̘͚̩̏̔͛̍̈́͌̈́͑̎̕͝.̸̡̩̙̬̭̠͙̦̝̙̠̱̆̿̿̃̈̈́̂̄͝͝ͅ

[poorlovefool]

I'll pass. That was a yes or no question, Hiyori.

[mermaidkin]

[INCREDIBLY DEEP SIGH]

No. IT won't tell me to tell you that The Little Mermaid is an incredibly depressing book I never want to see again.

[katzenpfote]

I'm not sure what to do that would be helpful at this point...

[katzenpfote]

[Again, he doesn't dodge.]

Of course I trusted you that little. I've been on the run for years and years, I don't trust anyone without good reason - and at the time, I had no good reason. For all I knew the whole lot of you could have been Scourgers, ready to attack me at a moment's notice.

[katzenpfote]

... I'm not following.

TUBES!!!

[poorlovefool]

[Well, uh... that sure was a wild ride with the dead, leaving an awkward mood hanging over the rest of the day.

But eventually, Eric is going to see if Osomatsu wants to check out the tubes, and then head over, still carrying the crossbow with him to defend against clone rage.]

Damn, it's so creepy in here.

[telecosmetic]

[She promised Jonathan, so fine, she's going to leave it at bloodying his nose before poking him in the chest somewhat hard.]

Nnngh-you fucking idiot! Were you really planning to take that whole thing on your own shoulders? [She spins away and stomps off, before turning back.] For the record, once we make it back I'll be glad to help get rid of that guy! Not for you, but because someone like that needs to be stopped!

[relieable]

[here they are, two men on a mission. Osomatsu is curious about whatever's inside, and he hopes that it's not anything too awful. but...]

No kidding, you don't wanna be alone in this place, that's for sure.

[let's see what fresh horrors await them]

Where should we look, first?

[katzenpfote]

Of course I was. It's not anyone else's thing to shoulder. I'll probably die trying to fight him, but at least one of his 'projects' will have stood up to him.

[mermaidkin]

...no, you're not the type, are you, Lala Hagoromo? You think about the big picture. I wi—if only things had been different...

[poorlovefool]

[Eric's startled that he already knows what they're planning to do, but Arthur did telegraph it pretty hard, and they're shoving things at Link too... he regains his composure, what little he has at any given moment.]

Why? Because IT would make you happy no matter what you have to deal with? Cause you're not acting like it.

It's just a stupid book! What are you so afraid of?

[telecosmetic]

[She doesn't turn to face him, but she's definitely rolling her eyes.] Ugh, no you're fucking not. If that guy's torturing kids I'm sure almost everyone here is gonna wanna fight him. My abilities might just be illusions, but I've got plenty of connections to call on too.

[mermaidkin]

Oh, wow, first time I've been called cute in my entire life! [He gestures "catch a blown kiss and put it in your pocket".] I'd be thrilled if I weren't married to my work.