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

[comesaround]

[ That reaction tells him everything he wants to know about how right on the nose he was about who this was. ]

I do. He's over in House Four.

[ A pause, and his smile turns into more of a grin even as he points towards Oso's house helpfully. ]

Before you go, don't suppose you could give me your name? He kinda never gave me one, and I don't just want to call you 'that guy Osomatsu really, REALLY likes a lot'.

[relieable]

[you know that old saying that if someone's taking about you, you sneeze? Osomatsu just sneezed.

upon hearing the commotion, he goes to open the door to his house. something tells him to take a deep breath, and prepare himself. so he finally steps out of the doorway...

uh. whoa?]

[silvertongueheir]

Franciscus. Franciscus Erkens- [And whatever else he's about to say is cut off when Osomatsu emerges from his house.]

Osomatsu. [And he's already walking as fast as he can in that direction. He's not going to break out into a run yet, but the smile on his face is growing to something wide and true, a smile he hasn't had since arriving in the land of the dead.]

[relieable]

[ah.

please excuse Osomatsu for just standing still for a moment, tensing up as though he doesn't want to believe all of this is real. but he sees Emma, too, and other people who have passed on (is that Felicity?????). so he's just... taking everything in.

and suddenly Franciscus is in front of him and he feels very small. he doesn't know what to say. he doesn't know how to act]

Franciscus?

[for real? look, you can't play with his heart like this! he can't take it. he's already breaking]

[silvertongueheir]

Indeed, it's really me. I promise... [He reaches up, focusing, and while his hand almost passes through Osomatsu at first, he manages to make it touch, laying his palm against Osomatsu's cheek. There are tears, glittering in his eyes.]

Are...are you alright? Did they also drag you here right after that mansion? [He heard Arthur talking about that.]

[relieable]

[okay. yeah. he's definitely going to lose it, seeing that Franciscus' hand almost went through him. a ghost? or not? he doesn't know.

Osomatsu doesn't care. he starts to tremble, and it almost feels like his knees will give out under him]

Yeah. Yeah, they did.

[from Cartesio to the Mansion, to this Grapes-of-Wrath mess. he lifts up a shaky hand, wondering if he can touch, wondering what he'll feel]

[silvertongueheir]

[Now that Franciscus is concentrating, Osomatsu will be able to feel skin and flesh under his hand.]

I-I'm so sorry. It's strange...I felt we were there, in the land of the dead, for much longer than that. I hoped you'd have found your way back to Cartesio. To think you've been pulled into another of these games...are you alright? Do...do you have someone here to talk to?

[relieable]

[is he alright, Franciscus asks again, and Osomatsu can't hold back anymore. something inside him snaps]

I'm not alright! It's been super lonely here! And weird! All this time, I've been trying to hold it together, but I just keep thinking of you, and the others, and how I couldn't do anything but stand there like an idiot when the time was right!

[he whines, and it's pitiful, him dropping his head as though he were in immense pain, and he is. he's been carrying it in his shoulders, which seem to sag as his voice breaks into a sob]

I'm sorry! [blubbering now, he crumples up his hands and furiously wipes at the tears with his sleeves] I couldn't even vote for the right person! I couldn't bring you justice! I can't find Hydrangea! Life's been hell here, and all the food tastes like sand!

[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!

[relieable]

[who said anything about leaving? Osomatsu is not going to let Franciscus just get pulled away from him again.

he takes a moment to listen, to collect his feelings. he needs to pull himself back together again. ahhh everything hurts]

You didn't get yourself killed! It's not your fault... It's not...

[he takes a deep breath]

I'm sorry.

[silvertongueheir]

[If Franciscus had his way, he'd hold on to Osomatsu like this forever. But he's heard people talking about whether or not they'll be able to stay...and it always seems like it's not permanent, when the dead get to return, isn't it? But still...for now, he wants to hold on to his one anchor in this world.]

It's...it's alright. [He holds Osomatsu tighter, tears still trickling down his cheeks but slowing now.] It was a horrible accident, and literally neither of us were thinking clearly. It...it must have been terribly confusing... [His voice gets softer.] I...I was so surprised when I saw we'd made it here. I'm so glad I get to hold you again.

...I love you, you know that, right?

[relieable]

[it's very nice to be held like this! actually, more than just very nice. it's wonderful. for the first time in this whole game, Osomatsu feels safe]

...I know.

[his voice is so quiet, muffled against Franciscus' clothes, his eyes half-closing]

I love you, too.

[silvertongueheir]

[It's the same for Franciscus. For the first time since he died, he actually feels warm. Like everything's going to be alright. Finally, he nudges Osomatsu's chin up a little.]

...I'd like to kiss you. Would you prefer we do that indoors? [People've already seen them hug out here, and Karma apparently knows about them already, so he's not that worried about them being in public right now. He's missed Osomatsu too much to worry about that. But if Oso would prefer being in private...]

[relieable]

[oh! oh... Osomatsu is a bit... not self-conscious? mostly he's still reeling from this experience. at the question, he nods, and pulls away, taking Franciscus' hand to lead him inside.

this is... rough. but it's also a shot in the arm, maybe the one he needed? because now, all Osomatsu is thinking about is getting everyone back to their homes safely. they're there, Franciscus is here. maybe he's not alive, but he's present. that's what matters]

[silvertongueheir]

[Franciscus lets himself be led inside, reaching out an arm to close the door behind him. Right now, he can actually believe everything will be alright. He can momentarily believe that they're coming home, together, even if the lack of a heartbeat and breath belies his true state. He turns to face Osomatsu again once they have some proper privacy, gently reaching out a hand to tilt his chin upwards so that he can lean in for a kiss.]

[relieable]

[still charming, even when he's dead, Osomatsu thinks as their lips meet. the lack of breath is... frightening to him. but it's still Franciscus, he believes. at least, he hopes it is. he hopes this is not some horrible fever dream where he's just going to wake up and have him be gone.

worse yet, he hopes this Franciscus is not one of those... weird clone things? he doesn't know what they are. the things that people see right before they die here. wouldn't that be fun? a scary shadow puppet here to lure him to his end.

if he can, Osomatsu will reach up to grip Franciscus' sleeve to keep him close]

[silvertongueheir]

[It does feel strange, to not even have to come up for breath. But Franciscus is concentrating enough on staying solid that Osomatsu can certainly grip his sleeve-and he returns the favor, reaching out to grasp the back of Osomatsu's clothes, fingers clenched tight to keep hold of him.]

[relieable]

[that feeling is also wonderful, causing Osomatsu to shudder a bit. he doesn't want to get too carried away, because... well, he's still dealing with a lot of stuff and his mind is all over the place. but this is a nice break from the sadness and horror happening around him.

even now, it's difficult, because Franciscus is obviously not alive. it hurts his heart.

when he finally pulls back to breathe, he noses at Franciscus' face. they probably shouldn't hole up in here together alone for much longer. even though that sounds kind of nice]

[silvertongueheir]

[Franciscus nuzzles back, a light smile still on his face. There's a part of him that wants to go further, as well, to ask about the bedroom of this house...but he's also content with this for now.]

Ah...I missed this.

[And then he frowns a little when he hears some commotion outside beyond a certain other Pokemon trainer punching a wizard.]

Are those your captors...?

[relieable]

[ah, right. the Hosts! Osomatsu moves to the window and peeks outside]

They're the Hosts, at least. They were previously pulled into past games and now they're... like... brainwashed? We think. But we dunno for sure. Actually, Link might be connected to Zelda in some way.

[IN SOME WAY]

[silvertongueheir]

[Franciscus peers out the window as well.] They do have somewhat similar features.

...does the other one usually carry an axe?

[relieable]

Uh............. no?

[an axe? why do the hosts have weapons? they must be mad! Osomatsu goes to open the door so that he can hear]

[silvertongueheir]

[Franciscus also moves to observe the situation. He almost snorts at the contrast between their use of weapons and the politeness in their tone.]

I'm not even sure how we'd get back. [There's no portal in the sky here.]

[relieable]

...How did you get here in the first place?

[maybe instead of kissing they should be trying to figure out things. yeah... sorry, Osomatsu is distracted by everything]

[silvertongueheir]

We found an abandoned van being devoured by static, and our abilities were able to stop that encroachment. It had enough fuel to drive us to a portal that those Kyuubey had been traveling through. And, well...then we found ourselves here.

[That does sound weird now that he says it like that.]