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

1/2

[strangerpeople]

[The first sign that something might be amiss is very difficult to pick up, a hint of glittering light. High in the air appear a layer of thin ice crystals, though they're affected by gravity - until they strike a briefly flaring layer of fire.

Forming water droplets. Fun.

Is this coming from the direction of the central building's door?]

2/2

[mermaidkin]

[Which the hosts positively tear out from. Hiyori carries an axe in both hands and is sprinting so hard that the buttons of his outer suit jacket have come open, displaying the fire rod and ice rod still strapped inside; the purple tie around his neck flaps hard in the wind. Link follows close at hand in a basically similar state holding an identical axe and wearing the suit with the little hint of purple fabric in the shirt pocket; they're naturally approaching the commotion. After taking a deep breath, they cry out in unison.]

Sorry to rain on your parade!

[champion_link]

We'd like you to go now, please! It would be very helpful. You've disrupted our schedule, you see, and that's simply unacceptable!

[notthebreakman]

I'm not getting back in that van.

What are you going to do, anyway? Kill us again?

[champion_link]

We are going to gently dissuade you from performing the activities you are currently performing.

[touchsensors]

What, talking-lun?

[relieable]

[he looks stunned upon seeing Emma and Franciscus, and... everyone? but let him... try to do the thing now. he's still in the doorway, after all.

so he grabs what he needs from his house, then walks over to Link and holds the tunic out for him]

You need to chill.

[mermaidkin]

It's so cute you think it doesn't matter that you're already dead.

[notthebreakman]

It's also cute how you think we give a damn.

[unwittingking]

Are you sure you can't pencil in your appointment to go fuck yourselves to 9:00? Or maybe later?

[I hope you weren't expecting King to hold back the snark.]

[champion_link]

Unfortunately, you are not authorized to alter our schedule.

[unwittingking]

And you can't alter it yourself? Or is this just you purposefully trying to get us to hate your guts?

[Part of him wants to be nice because Link, but he's still possessed or something, so for now it's anger.]

[comesaround]

[ Karma just sighed and shook his head. ]

You realize noone gives a damn about your stupid schedules, right?

[mermaidkin]

If you want to join them on their big snow day, that can very easily be arranged. Though I don't see how superior that is to the indefinite residence we've offered you ourselves. Vita Clotilde-Morris is quite insistent on the similarities, actually.

[beguiledcard]

[ He gives them both the middle finger. ]

[touchsensors]

Oyo.

[mermaidkin]

[Some extremely complex emotion washes over Hiyori's face.]

...you got the clearance level information out after all, huh?

[Then he addresses the crowd.]

Since the other girl thought there was something important to discuss too, I'll remind you Caleb Widogast isn't the only one with a very selective account of his time in a past killing game!

[poorlovefool]

What, are you trying to blackmail us now?!

[because Eric is already freaking out over his state of being and it's rude to interrupt]

[katzenpfote]

I already admitted what I did, so you can stop with the 'oh, he's keeping secrets' thing. I dropped that on the train, so will you stop trying to push that narrative?!

[touchsensors]

[...hm, that was weird.]

I don't really care about that-lun.

[unwittingking]

Are you trying to give a double motive this time? Because I doubt it's going to work.

[His own past isn't the best, but he's not sure he should be judging most of these people regardless.

…most of them.]

[otherworldlyking]

[ He'll just popcorn.gif this for awhile, because wow those sure were weapons.

He's here for fighting or if actually has something to say, but that might be awhile. ]

FAREWELL

[strangerpeople]

[For the dead, there seems to be something creeping around them. The sensation of being drained...tired...nags at them. Like a pull that cannot be resisted no matter what. It creeps around their forms and yanks them away from their friends on this side.

Time is up.

Those who are dead sink into the blackness while the Living can do nothing but watch them go. Whatever grabs at them is also taking that van as well because it did come with them. Why not return it after all. The blackness surrounds the dead, wrapping them like cocoons and all sink down...down into nothing.

And as short as the time was, it is just as short as they are ripped from you, Strangers.]

[poorlovefool]

[Well he is on his way back with his crossbow but apparently he missed the fight, if there is one. He drops it haphazardly, watching this happen.]

Fuck... No! What did you do to them!?

[unwittingking]

[King tries to grab one of them-any of them-Proto, Jun, Atsushi, Eliza, Lala, Kurama-it doesn't matter. This might be their last time seeing any of them ever again, and maybe they can just get one of them to stay if he's quick enough.

But...he's too slow. Anything he grabs just passes right through his paws. And he's left kneeling on the ground, wondering what to do next.]