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

[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]

[notthebreakman]

About what? The fact that about half of us are murderers?

[poorlovefool]

- Nothing. It won't work. Everyone believes me over them, right? We stand united and everything?

[unwittingking]

At this point? So long as you didn't kill someone just to know what it's like? I'm pretty sure whatever they say is going to be taken with a grain of salt.

[That's a very low bar to set, but that should mean Eric can clear it? Hopefully?]

[poorlovefool]

Exactly. So... now what? They look like they're ready for a fight...

[and he is here in his pajamas, not expecting what he'd ventured out toward to be ANY OF THIS.]

[unwittingking]

I'd prefer not to, but...

[Well, now the corgi has a knife. He's not actively brandishing it or anything, but he's got it and he'll use it if he needs to.]

[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?!

[backuphero]

[This is all wrong. Emma being... off like that was bad enough, but this... this is NOT what Jonathan had PLANNED FOR. This is wrong, this is wrong, this is wrong!

He has to focus or that screaming in his head won't ever stop. For now, Caleb can be the point he focuses on. Caleb, not Hiyori.]

I may not trust you right now but don't engage him!

[Very hypocritical words from someone shaking loose the whip he'd been carrying, coiled, this whole time regardless of narrator oversight, whoops.

He whirls it over his head, hoping cracks with no particular rhythm will at least get the hosts' attention focused his way.]

[katzenpfote]

[He just sighs.]

We can talk about this later.

...mods? Lenga? Both/all?

[backuphero]

Glad you can hope there'll be a later for both of us... ugh, forget I said that! It's a date!

[Not the best phrasing, with the grin he's got forced onto his face right now, but it's not like he did something cheesy and winked or anythi -

Oh. Oh dear. It was a reflex! IT WAS A REFLEX - why is his sense of humor like this - somehow, Hiyori ignoring him to keep needling at Caleb feels safer right now than the alternative.

Plus, if he's focused on talking to Caleb, that means he's not focused on his axe. (Maybe. Hopefully.) Heading his way and trying to yank it away with the whip would be simple under normal circumstances, but this definitely isn't normal....]

[mermaidkin]

[The words "It's a date" so cheekily inflected got Hiyori's head to turn in Jonathan's direction, so he's staring blankly and holding on tightly to the axe flat horizontal across both hands, though the whip cleanly wraps around it.]

...Jonathan Morris, you have to understand by now that it matters very little whether I'm actually holding the axe or not, right?

[backuphero]

[Jonathan meets that uncanny, pupilless gaze - but Hiyori looks startled, almost. He can't look away now.]

What do you expect me to do when you show up armed at a time like this?! I'm not - you really think I know how to turn the other cheek anymore?!

[This isn't how Jonathan wanted anything to go. His temper is getting the better of him, but as familiar as that is, as horribly comforting it might be, he can't let it. The fog will come back, if he does.

It takes an effort to pull back from the edge of blind rage. He forces himself to stand straight, not braced for a fight, and with a few flicks of his wrist the whip withdraws. He coils it without looking down.]

...nice tie.

[katzenpfote]

You should check with your wife first!

[Not the point, Caleb.]

[mermaidkin]

It's not about you! It's about the others! You'd think they could return the favor now that you've stepped up.

[katzenpfote]

And none of them on the train did. You act as if I haven't been hiding from assassins for years.

[mermaidkin]

I—have different priorities from you. My main point is that you've been forthcoming at quite a personal cost, and some of the others have not. Really, it was an unfortunate slip to imply you were still hiding actively.

[katzenpfote]

Ah. Well. They have their reasons. Everyone has secrets. Even you, little mermaid.

[touchsensors]

[...hm, that was weird.]

I don't really care about that-lun.

[mermaidkin]

...no, you're not the type, are you, Lala Hagoromo? You think about the big picture. I wi—if only things had been different...

[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.]

[mermaidkin]

It's not a formal motive. It's just another one of the huge interpersonal distractions to which you people are so very prone.

[unwittingking]

So you're just trying to make us hate each other more than we hate you? That's great to hear.

Especially when you're trying to make us hate who you're possessing.

[Yeah, he's never letting this go. Ever.]

[mermaidkin]

Always glad to be the bearer of good news.

[Hiyori clears his throat.]

Į̶̘̪̯͎̫̫̙̹̬̼̰͖͒̄̀̆ñ̶̳̞̺̙̪̋̅̑̄̈́̐͠c̶̭̜̾̀̄̌̍̇̂̑͘̕͝͝į̸̫͎̬̱͙̙͈͍̹̞̝̀̀́̀̀̉̄̑̆̈̓́͝ṯ̷̬͕͙̱̼̳̘̖͎̪̤̌̉̕i̴̙̗͚̖̩̯͉̘̱͚̭̞̟͛̏̒͠n̴͉̖̫̯̜̱̠̈́̈́̂͂̐ģ̴̧̛̛̱͇͐̑͑̀̂ ̵̡̘͈̦̟̯͉̄̂̿̀̀̍͂̀̎̅̚y̴̮͙̼͙̣͙̘͕͎̹̌͜o̴̦͙̓̿͂͛͛̓̆̒̏ú̶͇̓̽͋̓̀̀͐́̋̓̚͠ ̴̙̱̣̯̹̫̙̙̥͓̘̊͆̈́͗t̶̫̘̮̬̬͚̫̪́̈́͜ơ̵̛̯̯̝͂͂͆̓͠ ̸̼̘͑y̷̦͖͇̾͑͒͋́̒̎̒̑͒̚͝ã̶̠̗̮̑̌͆͘p̵̤̣̳͉̲̟̦̈́̓̃̾́̿͠ ̶͔͙̝̽͗̋͐̀̒͆̕a̴̝̯̩̖̻̿̽̍̊̀̍̀́̓̈́̈́̌̚͝͝ţ̸̂̔̈́̏ ̵̭̪͖̲̣͚́ỷ̷̛͓̿̏̅̽̇͆̈́͗̓̚ȍ̸̧͇͈̰͕ù̴̙̳͌̾̓͛̿̑̕̕͝r̸͈͉̲̟̹̋̀͘͘͜ͅ ̷͈̀̄͛͐͌͆̚͜͠f̸̢̧͉̟̪̳̜̜͌̐̑̐̓̑ē̷̩̥̰̮̱͘l̵͔̥̳͗̽̈́̆͌̔̀́̑̈̈̊͝l̴̻̮̬͓͖̲͍̻̗̙̘̜̤̳͗͒̔̍͛̈̃̔̓̇̍̕̕͠͝ô̴̹͎̼̫̱͈̮̣̫̆̆͆̌̕͝͝w̸̧̤̤̠͇̤͇͙̞͕͉͗̾̅̎̒̅̍͐̄̚ ̸̡͈̹̫͇̥͈̣̞͈͉̫͗́̎͋̊̆̈́̑̏ͅͅS̴̨͎͔̟̺̈̀̈́ţ̸̡̛͚͍̻̹̯̙͓̦͈̟̗̀̊͑̉̈̏̎̌͌̍̉͘ŗ̵̜͍̟̙̬̝̘̠̙͎͕̂͗͘ͅà̸̛̻̓̽͂̂̊͑͋̍̎̿͑́̀ń̴͔̽͠g̷̡̪̟͇͍̠̳̜͕͍͍̓͗͆͂͊̿̈͐̄̅̍̾̋̓͝ẹ̶̛̊͒̾̄̆̑̈́̕͝͝r̴̛̛͎̰͕͓͓̤̝͉̰͖͔̣̀̋͒̅͗̎͋̚̕͝s̸̨̡͎͖̖̦͈̩̭̻͔̱̯̝͊́̌̅̀̓̕͜ ̷̨̨̡͇͕̺̱͕̭̼̤̳̄͑̄͒̿̂̍͜h̵̜̲̪̳̫̃̓̾̏̑a̷̧͍͍̦̰͎̠̣̪̱͐̐͘ͅͅs̴̡̙̪̼̖̰̩̥̺̫̲̻͒̃͗̆͑͂̚̚͝ͅ ̵̡̰̼̠̻̤̗̼͓̳̦͙̠̙̲̒̀̈̏̂̑͂̌̌̌͒̆͂̀͘n̶̼̺͇͙̼̲̗̻̹̥̎o̸̧̖͚̖̰̮͓̫͈̺̝͉͔̍̃̓̇͆͑͗̋̅́̋͂͋͜͝ṫ̸̛̛͙̪͌̓͒̇̌͠ͅ ̶̟̈̌̑̐͌b̸̗̣̬̱̻̦͚͈̈́̈̏́̿̈́̀̚͜ͅḝ̵̫̉͆̐̾͐̽̈͜͠ḙ̴̡̳͓̪̭̗̦̼͔̦̾͐͒́̋̌̀̓͒̿͜ͅn̴͓͎̻̠̭̥̹̟̙̜̮̤̩̫͚̑͗̌̀͒͋̈́̾́͘͠ ̴̨̧̤̺̳̖̯̭͇͉̫̼̈̒́̀̍̽̅̍͋̔͂̚͝ͅͅd̵̰̺̦̯̹͖͙̣̉̓͂̅̿̾̚̚͝ḭ̶͌̾̏̎f̶̨̨͕͙̞̹̙͈͈̙̘̆f̸̢̨̬̝̯͙͌́̓͛̇̊̇͊̏̓̄̚î̶̙͈̫̟̙̬̭̤͖͕̜͍̅͋̍̎̎̈̈́͝ͅč̵̝̟̹̻̪̘͔̜̝͖̤͉̈́̀ŭ̶̢̢̦̼̭͓̳̩͕̭̪̻͐̾l̴̨̮̞̮̭̫̞̟̙̲̙̫̬̀̅́̍̃̆t̵̢̫̤̞̖̻͎̻͙͔̺̦̘͚̩̏̔͛̍̈́͌̈́͑̎̕͝.̸̡̩̙̬̭̠͙̦̝̙̠̱̆̿̿̃̈̈́̂̄͝͝ͅ

[unwittingking]

[He hates that he's right, at least a little bit. The trials alone were proof enough. Still, he's not going to let him be the last to comment on this.]

And yet, it's been even easier to resist doing anything you say and yelling and hating you.

I wonder why that is.

[Sarcasm, he loves you. He couldn't live without you.]