F̎̋̀͝I͋ͦ̿ͦ̇̈́N̷̏́̊̽̔̍͒A̶ͧ̂͒̍L̛ͧ̃͜ ̶̛̐̀́ͪ̈́̐ͤT̒͘͠R̨͐͊̀̕ĬA̢͊̓͌͗͢Ļ̋͞

[strangerpeople]

F̶̡̯̻̠̤̻͔͋͊ͬͦͤ̊ͯ̆Ḭ͙̜̺͇̽͟ͅN̷̰̥̥̹̱̐͛̎͞A̮͋̎͛͊L̛͚̱̯͈̄ͧ̿̂̋́͡ ̵͓̜͑͊͐ͨ̎̀̚͡Ț̸̢̥̥̲̼͔̻̟̣͂R̦̭̥͇̓ͧͣ̉͠Į̮̻̪͙̺̘͈̰͉̋ͮ̆ͩ́̔̉͌Aͩ̒ͤ͏̖̼̣L̫̥̰͉ͥ̂̐͐̓͑̑̚͢

[It is time.

Though there was no timer, the time was clearly nearing its end. The darkness that encompasses this place becomes even darker as the hours dragged forward, until even the lights of the City's skyline seems to darken along with it. You can almost feel the Noise watching, an infinity set of eyes in the void beyond staring back, as everyone pulls together again to proceed down the street.

The brightest building in the sky is the dome, now. There's no barrier preventing you from going beyond the Central Building now. There's no need for it-the City is completely empty, its streets devoid of life, as everyone inevitably finds their feet bringing them to the dome.







There's no turning back now. Whatever you have, that is what you will bring on this final journey. Not just in items, but in mind, in spirit, and in soul. IT, the avatar of the Thing and orchestrator of your game, will not relent. IT knows it has bent you, but not broken you. Now IT intends to finish the job.

As you round the corner to the dome, you feel the rhythm suddenly take control of you. You feel a sucking sensation grab onto you, and try as you might you cannot fight. You are pulled in. And when you manage to clear your head and eyes, you are inside the building. It is massive, domed, and-





you are only in one corner of it. There is a small table with chairs, with everyone's name on little dot matrix displays in front of chairs. Not all of them, of course. There are 15 chairs, and where the survivors' chairs are white, the chairs of the dead are black, their dot matrixes empty and lifeless.

A glass panel separates this little set up from the rest of the building, which is concealed in red fog. Despite this, a worryingly slack-jawed Link and Hiyori are sitting in chairs on a raised step just behind the glass, their suits still impeccable and their irises swirling more intensely than before. They do not react when everyone comes in; they do not respond if someone tries to greet them. Next to Hiyori is a briefcase and a boombox, which even through the glass it is quite clear the static, pulsing rhythm coming from it is very, very loud. Kyuubey sits in its own chair, meanwhile, its eyes watching and its expression unchanging; a fourth chair sits empty next to them.

There is no visible sign of IT. But IT is there, just beyond the glass, just waiting to unleash ITs full might. It's almost mocking the Strangers, as if to say go ahead, draw your conclusions. You won't win. You can't escape.

Fifteen Strangers, from scattered multiverses. They were brought together once more to kill. Now, they must solve the final riddle. All of the knowledge and experiences they've had have led to this, and their newest evidence may help as well. The survivors have one chance to make this right and stop IT for good. Failure cannot be an option. If it is...no. Don't think about it. Just do it.


The trial for the future of all existence has now begun.]







[It's time!! The Strangers' objective here is simple, but all-important: they must pull all of the evidence you have together, unlock the answers they seek in full, and at last confront IT, the Mastermind.

This is it. There is no turning back. The blight curls ever-further from the darkness between the clusters. Can there be a cure?

Have fun, good luck, and may the right prevail.]

Comments

[unwittingking]

[King's able to avoid getting hit by the tentacle or any glass, though that's not really a good thing right now.

He's on his side, one paw clutching at his chest while another is at his head, grabbing at one of his ears and pulling. It's in him, IT's under his skin and he needs to get it out, but his breathing is heavy and his mind is fogging up, and something in his vision isn't right, and he's scared. Scared this is it-this is the last time he's like this. He doesn't want to go out like this-please don't let it be like this-and he's scared, so God damn scared.

He needs help, but he can't get a word out. The most he can manage is a whimper.

He's scared...]

[carryabigstick]

King-- hang in there...! We're all here with you. Same as before. We're gonna get through this.

[She's going to be covering him in case IT decides to do anything, but also staying close in case he needs her.]

[relieable]

[he looks up in time to see Estelle and King, hears what Link has to say]

G-Get him over... to Link!

[carryabigstick]

Right!!

[She's going to pick King up under one arm and haul ass over to where Link is so she can drop him off.]

Just a little bit longer... you'll feel better if you stay close to Link, okay?

[unwittingking]

It's…it's wrong, I need...I need to make it right, but...

[He's not responding to Estelle directly, just muttering to himself as he keeps pulling and pawing-no, clawing at himself, trying to get it out, get IT out...]

[otherworldlyking]

Remember what you swore to me.

[ He's not the most comforting person but it's better than nothing, right. ]

[unwittingking]

I try and I try...and I can't, I can't...

[He's trying, but it's not doing much good by the looks of it.]

1/2

[otherworldlyking]

Tch.

[ He's not suited for this and he knew it. This was a giant pain in the ass but he'll try or otherwise this was going to get worse if one of them fell to this thing. ]

[otherworldlyking]

...How long are you going to listen to that thing?

You spoke to me—and raved—about your conviction. Is this really what it amounted to in the end?

Didn't think that you're the type of person to give in so easily. Look at them, the people you care about—and think about them. How they won't bother giving up on you. So why should you continue to let IT make you quit?

[ Unfortunately, he's probably too late, but he tried. ]

[necroyalty]

King.

[ She sighs deeply, whispering the next few words after humming the first part of a lullaby she remembers her mother singing. ]

The rest of us are here.

If we go, we go together.

[15unknowns]

[IT knows what you've done, King.]

Y͙͔̱͜o̖̹͕̟͙̠͈͟u͈̲͔ ͏̟͚ķ͉͕̼͕̦now͏̣ ̭̻͓̬̘y͖͟o̡u͚̹̩̮ ͚̥̀c͏a̦̘̬̟̤͔͖͝n̫̮͈̝͈̝ ̺̼̯̰͇̙͕̀n̠̮͙͞e͖̜͎̼̼̝v̗ͅȩ̬̘̩̗̞̥͎r̲͔̭͈͚ ͍̝go̶͖͈̤͎̤̭̥ ̼͎̣h̷̝̗̞͔̪͉͉o͚m͎̜̯̺͜e̪,̰̰̕ ̱ḏ̣̝͎̱ͅò̖n͏̹'͔̙̮̟̣ṭ͇ ̡̮̱̟̤͇̗͉ỳ̻̦̻o̹u̢?̲̪̝͖͎̞̤͟

[IT's assault is unrelenting. Everyone can hear them, but for King, he might as well have been the only one in the room.]

You̝͉̭ ̻͓̦̫a҉̠͇̣͔̹re̤ ̭̜̙̞ͅa ͕͚̠̝͍̙͍s̮̝̗̻͈͝i̡̭̯̪͓n̜̜͖̰͈ͅn̘̕e͖͚̲̣͇͝ͅr.͔͇͓ T̬͚̳̫h̕e͔͉͖r͉̻͉̱̻̩̹ȩ̩̬̩ ̣̖̥̹̘w̴̪̮̰i͓̜͙͖̱l͍̖̳ͅl̞͝ ͈̮̰b͏e̹̺̙̼͇̜ ͉̰̗͉ͅn͍̱ó͚̯̼͔ ͔͉̮̟̠͈͟p̼͍̫̱̙ea͎͕̣̟̗̱̲͢c̬̹̩̲̤ę̤̻ ̷̖̣̦͔̮̳f̷̩͔̥̜̱͚o̘͠r ̠y̦̪̳͚̤̗o̮̦̻̘͇̻u̼̫.̬̣ Ba̵̫̲̠̫̤i̠̬̳l̹̺͖̩͈̟e͇͔̞̳y͙̱̙͈̰͙͎,̮͇̞̗̕ ̭̝t͓̯̹̣ẖ͇e͏ ̴̱̙̝̫ͅp͎͇͙̕u͙p̷͉̭̪̠̭̤s͉,̯ ̯̼y͟o̙ur ̲̟̺͕̭̺̪f̣̘̰͎͞r̮͚̯̬i̯̜̮͇e̴̮̙͚͍n̖̖͉̯͙̜͢ͅd̪͎̙̺͚̰s̢̼.͢ ̴͉̳͎͇̪T͉̮͢h̬̼͎͞e̳̣̟͚ͅy҉̰͚̼ͅ ̟̬͇͇̮͍͡w̱il͔̟̭̮ĺ ̼̮̤ͅf̺̹̞͉̭͓͜i̜̟̪̫̜͙n̛̦̖̥̦d̻̦̼̺͕̱ ̙o̰̗̝̠̙ú͔͎̜̰ţ̼̳̝̞.̬̕

T̰̮̀h̞̗̗̦e̸̳̠̤͙y͝ ̲̞͔̩̫͖a̷̙̯̘̮ͅͅl̴̥̖͔̩̤w̬̯̩̱̬ͅaý͈̭s̭ ̨̰̦̲̦̙d̬̰͢o̹͕̣̞̳̟.̹͎͈̤̮

[Compared to King's terror, IT's promise is like a soothing balm.]

T̜̦͞hey͖͚̞͇̫̮̩ c̠͢a̹l̺͈̼͠l҉͚̠͓̖̬͇ ̲̼͈͈̪̜͠m̖̯̟͍͖e̸͕͕̞̼̰̥̗ E̺̼̻̥̦̻͘c҉̺͉̜̳͉̫h̳̝̤̰͟th͕̜̺͉͍̘̼r͉͇̜͚o͓̺͍̖̫̤͟s.̬̝̞ ͝E̼̞̲͎̮n̨̟̱͇̹̺e̞͍m͇̜̳̤̫y̦̺͕͎.̴̹̤ ̻̦̭̮̮̜͡B̭̬̯̬̱̞ṷ̱t̜̙ ̡͖̤̖am͈̠ ̨I̻͖̣̙̫̯̬̕,͚͕̘̭̯ ̧̘̻r͟ͅea̪̦̫ḽ̜͇̠̩͎̥͢l̹̞̝̲̲̻̕ý͍̭̰,̻ ̭͢w̹͢h̕e̳͙͈͇͕̟͙n͏̺̣ ̙͇͇̻̭ͅI͎̣͇̯͠ ̧͓̟o̗f҉̯̰̻͈̤͈̲f̪̹̻̯̝̙e͓͕̺͘r҉̞͇͍̺ͅ ̟̣y̟͎͈͍̬o̦͈u͎͈͚̠̥ ̸͖͙͙ș̞͘o͇ ҉̖m̠̖̙̮͔̩ụ̜̞̠c̶̪̣ͅh̦̙͔̫̬̀?̲̼̤

Y̲͖͘o̶̥u̙̻̯̬ ̦͓̕cḁ̛͈̩̮̘n͔̭͚͖̲͡ͅͅn͕͖̤͙̰̝͜o͈ṭ͚̠̗͞ ̦͉̟̮̩͈t̕r̸̪̠͖ͅu̼̹s͙̟̰͖͔͖̺ţ yọ͚̘̬̳̮ͅu̬ŕ̝̹̝̝͉s̹̥̙ḛ̭̰̞l̗͓̲̹f̠͓̯̬ͅ.͡ ̯͍̟S̤͍͇̖ơ̰.̞͚̭̼̳͡.̬̥͎͞.͙̫͙̦̀

[IT crawls through King, like a rumbling purr.]

T̨r͚̞̬u̡͉͈̮̖̞͇s̖͉͉̬̜t ̷̩m̲̺͢ͅḛ̫͔͉͈,̷̞ ̬̟̯̳̗a̢̠͉n͙̞͞ḑ̖̭͙̹ ̲

l̮͙̀e̦̘͖̟t̓̀͋͂͏̠ ̬͔͙͋̂̂̄m̸̬̭̜̬̙̲̔̑̒́̒ͫ̓ͅe̛̜̝̺͂̈́̑ͬ̂̍ ̫͔̙̾̈ͬ̚͝ͅi̯n̢̅̐̓ͫ̈́̒.̡͋̈͛̎̄̿̊

[unwittingking]

[The twitching, the pulling, the muttering...it stops. He hears what IT has to say. About his life. That it's not going to be the same. It will never be the same. And he can't...he doesn't want it, but...

He listens.

He's open for IT.]

[katzenpfote]

[He sees that ceasing of motion. He has a bad feeling for what it means.]

[He has no hope of moving King in the form he is now, so instead he does the only thing he can think of.]

[He runs up to King and hugs him from the front, as if he's trying to shield the canine from IT.]

[1/2]

[15unknowns]

[Good. Good.

I̛͆͛Ț̠̹̍͌̑̚ ̬͍͌͗̍͗̉͞I̙̿̄̽̉͌̔S͉̮͉ͧͩͫ͗ͦ͝ ̩͈͚̝͉̤͟Yͩ̾O̳ͫͣ̔̐͐̓U̯̜̖̻̥̻̠̚.̘̝̮͈̻͉]

[unwittingking]

[Immediately, King finds himself adrift in his own mind, as IT and he become something like one. He is adrift in a sea of void, floating in infinite nothing. He is unable to fight like this, but also, unable to muster strength as he watches his body act quickly.

With strength that is clearly not his, he shoves both Caleb and Estelle away from him.]

Ge̡t ̕of͞f̕ ̕me.̵

[katzenpfote]

[He falls backwards but is careful not to land on his wrists. He's been knocked prone enough times to know how to not eat total shit. He gets up and looks King in the eyes.]

No. You are my brother. I will not abandon you.

[unwittingking]

Yóu͞?͝ ҉M̨y ̵brother̢? H́m.͜ ̨You͜ r͟e͠a͟ļly ͟are̸ p͡ec̵uli͝a͘r ͝about͟ w͏h͏o̷ y̸ou ̨thi̴n̡k̡ you'ŕe̴ ̧re̕la͟t͝ed͞ t̢o.͠
̀
̶W͏e̕l҉l͟, ̴i͡f y̕ou w̷on'̧t̷ ͝abandon͢ ͢me,̸ ̵y͘ou o̡ug̕h͡t͞ ̶t̷o̢ ̨tu͞rn͡ to IT ͡t͏h̀en҉. ̡Th̕e̡n ̡we͠'͜ll҉ ͞a͢lway͠s̷ ͘be tog̡e͞th̶e͝ŕ. I̢sn̴'͟t̴ ́th͡at́ t̀he mos̡t͢ ̕log̡ical co̢nclusio̷n͟?

[It looks like King. It almost sounds like him. But his voice is...strange. Two-dimensional.]

[katzenpfote]

Bullshit. The most logical conclusion is to go home to your family. Your family who love you. Whatever you've done, I am sure they love you.

And I care about you deeply, as well. I am not going to let you stay in such a horrible place. We've been through too much to stop now.

[Even as he can feel IT trying to push at his own mind, he holds tight. Frumpkin leans against his cheek and he tries to focus, tries to summon emotion like the arcane shield he does in battle.]

[It's... difficult. Feelings always are. There's holes in his defenses, huge ones. But if he doesn't try, he'll have failed for no reason.]

[unwittingking]

[The look of horror and disgust on King's face as those words is...indescribable. It's stretched, snarl so toothy that there's no way King could make those movements naturally. It's like a gnarled monster's mask that one would wear for a stage play.

But in the next instant King is swinging a punch towards Caleb's diaphragm, faster than a snake.]

[katzenpfote]

[Even while trying to push the thing from his mind, he sees that punch coming.]

[He doesn't resist it, crying out as he's hit and wrapping an arm around King's shoulders as he comes in close.]

[This is going to look weird to everyone else, but he presses a quick kiss to King's forehead.]

[carryabigstick]

[Estelle gets pushed off, but she's not done yet.]

Like hell I will! I haven't given up on you once and this time sure as heck won't be any different!

[unwittingking]

T͟hàt͝'̕s ͠a ̛lot ̶o̢f̵ ̡br̵a͘va͞do ͞fro͝m̷ ͜the̛ ̀ĺìk̛e̛s of yoų. You ̷càn't͜ ͢eve̶n fo̸l̛l͝ow͘ s̢i͠m̢ple̡ di͘r͘èc͢t̛ion̸ś! T̷s͜k͠.
͜
͞Y̴ou're̕ ̵r͠ea͟lly͜ ͘ģòi̷ǹg to ̕m͘a̛ke̢ ̢th̨is ͡h̢a͏r͏d on̡ ͟yo͏u͝rsel̨ves.

[At this, he draws a knife. A special knife.]

But̷ ͝s̨o̵ b͢e i͢t.

[carryabigstick]

Yeah, well-- maybe I am just a simple girl who doesn't always get it right.

But that's why I have my friends! And that's why I need Joshua.

[She has her bo staff, but she only intends to use it for self defense or as much as she needs to in order to knock him out safely.]

I'm only part of a whole without them! But I'm still strong enough to fight the likes of you!

[unwittingking]

Y̶o̢u're ̧rįg͞ht͞ ̷on ̴o̢n̛e th̨in͡g-yo͢u'͠re only part̛ of̡ ̡a͜ w͢h̶o҉l͝e̢.҉ Bu̴t bein̷g̵ ̕w̷ith҉ ĮT,́ ̴y͞ou ̶w̧ill̶ always b́e ẁho͡l҉e̶ a̶n̨d co̴mpl̶ete. I̶T̡ is͝ s̷tro̡nǵe̸r̕ ̛t̴h͞an͜ yo̧ư i̕n̨ ev̧e͘ry ̡wa̧y.̸

[Casually flipping the knife.]

You'͏re pr̀e҉t̵tý simpĺȩ ͞to ͜not̸ ́r̨ea͝l̛i̧ze͞ t͞h́at͡,̴ in҉d͡eed͘.͏

[katzenpfote]

King! We're here. You will be safe. You will get home to them. You will be all right.

... You're family. I will help you. You can do this. Fight.