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

INVESTIGATION

[strangerpeople]

Winery

[otherworldlyking]

[ ...About time there was something in here that had all the drinks.

Except he's not too into the milky thing, but it's whatever. Was there anything off about this room in particular, and would it be immediately noticeable upon him stepping in? ]

[strangerpeople]

[There's a small chalkboard stuffed between one of the wine shelves.]

[otherworldlyking]

[ He'll step over to grab at it and pull it out.

Is there anything strange or eyecatching written on it? ]

[strangerpeople]

[Yes.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE GRAPEVINE THAT IS INFECTED WITH DISEASE?

It is a troubling phenomenon.
The answer to a disease which threatens a vineyard's grape crop can vary.
Usually the answer is a combination of different factors.
Sanitation, medical, chemical, or simply changing the location a vine grows.
Most of the time, grape diseases have a known case and cure.
They are anomalies, or homogeneous to one type of grape species.

But what if a mutation occurs in a disease?
This can result in an uncontrollable blight.
Such a disease may not be controlled by conventional methods.
Indeed, the nature of such a newly-strengthened disease may be difficult to pinpoint.
This is the question that faces us now.
Can a super-blight like this can be cured?
Can it even be stopped from spreading?
What prevents it from jumping species if it already shows such a mutative nature?

In this case, all sectors who have a vested interest in the continuation of the grape crop must take action.
If that is not done, than you will lose not just the grape crop of yourself and your neighbors. You won't just lose grapes altogether, either.
The very existence of our reality may very well be in danger.
That is why we must find a way, if not to eradicate it entirely, than to ensure it will not cause further harm.
We may be able to reverse some of the damage. Not all.
But that is contingent on everyone working together.

[otherworldlyking]

[ ...

On one hand, there's so many words here he hardly wanted to bother, but...all the same, he read it, so.

Anyway, Gehenna would freeze over before he'd just say this all line by line for everyone when the time come for the usual sharing. So, it's probably just faster to take this with him, which he'll do.

Anything else hanging around in here before he decided to make off with this chalkboard? ]

[strangerpeople]

[Nope! It looks like that's it!]

MEATBALL... BUFFET.............

[poorlovefool]

[This place reminds him of a certain skeleton.... the meaty chaos laid upon the table is beckoning him, somehow. He knows better than to eat it, and yet.

Well, maybe the dog will like it. He'll bring Gab there and start taking apart meat just to be sure which ones are safe for dogs. There aren't any clues in the meatballs are there.]

Re: MEATBALL... BUFFET.............

[strangerpeople]

[...funny you should ask.

There seems to be something sticking out of the octopus sushi meatballs.]

[poorlovefool]

[you mean other than the tentacles and sushi rice. what the hell. is this a meatball or a takoyaki?

alright enough judging, what is it.]

[strangerpeople]

[It is a paper.. It’s folded neatly on the back and only slightly gross from the liquids in the borders!]

[poorlovefool]

What the fuck? This isn't a fortune cookie.

[He takes out the paper and unfolds it. If nothing else to see what it's doing in a meatball of all places.

But overall these ingredients seem okayish for doggo so he'll feed Gab while doing so.]

[strangerpeople]

[Through the sauce he can see see what it says.]

ARCADE

[relieable]

[so we're here, finally! Osomatsu has been interested in the arcade since it opened up. it reminds him a little of his memories of Japan...

anyway, he's going to start up that unmarked game in the corner. because why not? he wasn't terrorized enough in the cigar room, apparently]

[strangerpeople]

[Well, it's no longer unmarked when Osomatsu approaches it! It lights up, displaying its title screen, and even helpfully updates to say CREDITS: 1 once Osomatsu is within reaching distance of the controls!

Seems like it wants him to play. So, shall he?]

[relieable]

[ah! okay!]

Only one play, huh? Guess I better make it count.

[so, yes. he presses the button to get it going]

[strangerpeople]

[Like it was with Vita before, this game... kinda sucks. It's a little shooter game with a little vector spaceship and all sorts of fun shapes... but oh, god, the colors. And things just keep flashing, and...

Mind the oncoming pounding headache, Osomatsu!

But at the same time, this game is weirdly addictive. Even with the pounding head and maybe even a little stomach churning, it's like the cabinet is compelling him to play.

And every once in a while, those flashes actually look a bit like... words. It's not going to be easy to catch them, but he can maybe get a couple:

OBEY

WORSHIP

CONNECT

So, keep playing for a high score or fight the game's pull, Osomatsu?]

[relieable]

[Osomatsu is but a simple man. and this arcade game is the most fun he's had here, aside from being a scythe.

so he will keep playing for a while, not really minding the flashing words. he does vaguely wonder why shapes? is this a math game? is he killing math? ...that's his new headcanon for the game]

[strangerpeople]

[Wow, Osomatsu. Enjoy the massive hangover you're going to have after this, and you didn't even get to drink! The worst.

He gets a couple more words out of it:

ABANDON FLESH

but eventually, he has to die. Sorry, Osomatsu, but even if you kept up with playing, something this old would probably just kill screen you eventually.

Which... actually seems to happen, sort of, when what should be the score entry tries to pop up.

Instead, everything just kind of garbles up for a second before just making a loud tone like it's stalling out. Or is it? It seems to be changing a little, but it's kind of hard to make out, and even if Osomatsu were to try it'd probably just make him vomit all over the machine. Please don't puke on Polybius, no one wants that "data."

The noise eventually stops, but the screen fills with more text. This time, it just seems frozen:

01011001 01000101 01010010 01000111 00100000 01001100 01001100 01000101 01010111 01010011 01001111 01010010

He can smash the keys or kick the machine all he wants, it's going to be stuck this way for a while.

Looks like that's it! Want to maybe go play Double Dragon? ...Or maybe he should just get some water and lie down. This sort of headache and nausea can't be good.]

Pool

[comesaround]

[ Someone had to do it, so of course he figures this was a good way to get him out and about to keep his mind busy. He's here and going to try and keep an eye out for anything that might look out of the ordinary, since there was no way there was absolutely nothing here, after all. ]

Re: Pool

[strangerpeople]

[He will find something sticking out from beneath the towels.]

[comesaround]

[ Curiosity wins out and he does note there's something there, so he walked over to go and take out whatever was sticking out beneath the towels. What is it? ]

[strangerpeople]

[A pair of swimming pants.]

[comesaround]

[ Blinking a bit, he turned them over in his hands. One could only assume they may belong to Hiyori, but it was hard to say. Do they seem used at all or dry and like they haven't been touched since it was put here? ]

[strangerpeople]

[They are dry and unused.

Maybe there's something else in this area to find as well?]