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]

…am I hallucinating right now? Or is this some freaky dream I'm still having?

[He just wanted to get breakfast?? What is this mess]

[telecosmetic]

[Eliza glares at him a little, too.] Why didn't you warn anyone about Caleb?

[unwittingking]

…because he's fine?

[Physically speaking, his mental state might not be the best.]

There isn't anything to warn people about, is there?

[telecosmetic]

He murdered someone and got away with it! And lied about that to everyone here! [She sweeps out an arm to encompass the general audience they have.] Have you already forgotten what he did to Minato?

[unwittingking]

[…right. He keeps forgetting about that...]

Eliza, I'm pretty sure he still feels horrible about that himself. He regretted it back on the train, I'm pretty sure he still regrets that now. And that's not going into why he did it.

He feels guilty enough as it is. Do you really want to make it worse?

[telecosmetic]

He didn't regret it enough to confess before everyone voted for Minato! [She actually snaps that part out.] And if he really felt guilty, he'd have left Minato alone on the Eventide! And told everyone instead of hiding it!

[A pause, before she mutters something under her breath.] Right. [Her voice gets louder again.] I'm saying it out loud now, I'm a murderer too! But instead of letting my older brother die in my place I spoke up and confessed!

And then that bitch killed him for the dumbest possible motive...

[touchsensors]

I'm glad confessing was so easy for you-lun.

[This is probably not the time or place...]

[katzenpfote]

Will you stop it already?! I did not know that they were false promises at the time, and I'm sorry if I want to get a chance to kill the person who turned me and countless other children into assassins who are willing to kill their parents for the Empire.

Did you really think that I would have let a chance to get that person out of the picture slip away?!

[unwittingking]

[Okay, this is going a bit too far, time to step in with Dad Mode.]

Eliza, please! Yes, he made a mistake, and two people suffered for it. I won't say you're wrong on that. But did you try to ask him why? Why he thought it was necessary to kill someone? Why he thought he needed to get away with it? Why the motive made him do it?

I'm not saying you're wrong in getting angry, or in thinking what he did was wrong, but you should at least try talking with him first. Okay?

[Of all people, he figured she might understand, since she knew he killed...]

[otherworldlyking]

[ He'll just yawn ]

Who cares anymore? He's not the only one who did that anyway.

[telecosmetic]

Fuck you too. [She flips him the bird, but that's it. Not gonna bother more with him.]

[whitemoontiger]

N-No, it's definitely not a dream.

[ Atsushi raised his hand in a small wave, coming up with a smile on his face. This really felt entirely too surreal right now. ]

Hey there, King. It's good to see you again.

[unwittingking]

[He can't help but let out a short, forced laugh at that, a small smile on his face.]

Any chance this can end here, then? Everyone coming back to life from...driving back to the world of the living?

[whitemoontiger]

I wish.

[ He laughed softly as well, seeming a bit sympathetic as he knew this whole thing was way too simple and easy. ]

I'm not really sure how long all this will last or anything but... for now i'm here. I had to come along with the others and now I'm glad I did.

[unwittingking]

[He wishes they could just leave. Take that van and get the Hell out of here. But if there isn't anything they can do...]

I don't blame you. I'd want to see what's going on too.

Is...everyone there? In whatever afterlife you came from? Tali and Zack and Beatrice too?

[He needs to check.]

[whitemoontiger]

[ He blinked a bit before nodding. ]

Y-Yeah! I don't really see them a lot but they're there. Kinda hard to miss Zack since he's pretty loud and is always with Eliza.

[byanyother_name]

Do you hallucinate often? You might want to get that looked at.

[It's gentle sass, at least?]

[unwittingking]

Not really, but I don't usually see dead people, so you can see the problem here.

[A gentle bit of sass back.]

Any chance you're here to stay?

[byanyother_name]

I've always been able to see dead people so I'm afraid I can't relate.

[Kanyeshrug? Kanyeshrug.]

We weren't even sure this was where the trip would lead, honestly. But... my wings aren't usually visible on the living plane and I don't think that's a promising sign.

[unwittingking]

Fair enough.

[He sighs at that.]

Figures it wouldn't be that easy, but I had to ask. Any ideas on how to bring you back, then?

[It should be possible-happened in two games at least, why not here?]

[dragonmouth]

[ A very tiny teenage girl with black hair and the best sword arms in this entire van pokes her head out. ]

...I'd think not.

[unwittingking]

[He's actually stunned into silence for a moment. It wasn't good, seeing what happened to the others, but...it always felt like Tali hit hardest. They had a chance to save her, and they failed. Even if it meant she was executed at the trial, it still might've been better than that heart break.

So he takes a couple steps forward, though not exactly thinking much on where he's going.]

Is...is that really you, Tali?

[dragonmouth]

[ This is never exactly great, but... Tali looks at him, for a minute, tears welling in her eyes. ]

I'm-

I'm so sorry for everything, I-

[ "I honestly thought challenging someone to a duel to the death would turn out well."

Yeah.

Teenagers. ]

[unwittingking]

It's...it was a stupid mistake, right?

I won't say it's all okay, but...I can understand it. People make mistakes. Something I learned before and it's more or less getting drilled into my head now.

[Especially that those mistakes can get people killed.]

Just...please tell me it's you, and not me just completely losing it or something?

[He knows it's unlikely, but the last time he saw her...it wasn't pretty. Even worse than some of the others.]

[dragonmouth]

It's me.

I was stupid, I thought that challenging someone to a duel instead of murdering them like a coward was somehow better, I...

[ Thousands of tears and a few seconds later: ]

I didn't think about what would happen at the trial.