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

[katzenpfote]

Well. Do you remember what they were trying to serve us when we escaped Perduance?

[unwittingking]

…right, Chaesun was offering meatballs.

They are doing it to mess with us.

[poorlovefool]

These meatballs are really weird too, it had octopus and sushi in it.

Is all of that shit something this Chaesun likes?

[unwittingking]

No idea. You'll have to ask Caleb or McBurn. When we got to Perdurance I was looking around the hour-looms.

…don't ask.

[He can already feel the question coming on.]

[poorlovefool]

I don't even know what a Perdurance is...

[unwittingking]

Place that was trying to be sold to us as a paradise, turned out to be where most train incidents ended, with the people getting brainwashed by a sun that could also turn them to glass if they're not careful.

[…I'm sorry he's just like this sometimes.]

[poorlovefool]

.......I fucking hate the multiverse, man.

Then again, this place is kinda the same, just without the glass.

[unwittingking]

You and me both. Or at least universes like the ones these happen in.

I'm not sure if getting turned into glass is better or worse than getting eaten by...Noise? Was that what it was called? Either way it's kind of a toss-up on which is better.

[Not that either of them could be considered humane, let alone good.]

[poorlovefool]

Let's just hope none of us get possessed by Noise and find out.

[unwittingking]

I swear if that’s possible, I might...eat a piece of clothing or something.

[He’d say he’d eat his hat, but he’s got no hat, so!]

Are we sure it’s not just clones or something? Or they’re made to look like people we know?

[poorlovefool]

You really think that's possible...?

[well as it happens...]

[unwittingking]

I’m hoping it is, considering the alternative.

[Does anyone want to consider the alternative here? It’s not a pretty one.]

[katzenpfote]

She promised to stop that, at least?

[poorlovefool]

If this is the lady you talked about before, I remember how much you believe in her, so I guess that's that.

But... do you think she put all the weird stuff in the meatballs?

[katzenpfote]

... Some people have weird taste buds.

[Case in point, he pulls out some... is that bacon? It's definitely bacon or some sort of jerky. He starts chewing on it - how long has that been in his pocket?]

[poorlovefool]

[Please tell me it's at least cooked bacon. Either way, it looks greasy.]

Yikes... what taste are you after there, lint?

[katzenpfote]

[Yes, it's been cooked. And through a washing machine, apparently, given the vending here.]

Hm? Oh, no. More something to chew... I was surprised when this came out of the machine, but we do seem to end up with a lot of it any time we stay in an inn. Beauregard and Nott are the worst pocket bacon offenders.