15strangers | F̎̋̀͝I͋ͦ̿ͦ̇̈́N̷̏́̊̽̔̍͒A̶ͧ̂͒̍L̛ͧ̃͜ ̶̛̐̀́ͪ̈́̐ͤT̒͘͠R̨͐͊̀̕ĬA̢͊̓͌͗͢Ļ̋͞

Entry tags:

*round 6

F̎̋̀͝I͋ͦ̿ͦ̇̈́N̷̏́̊̽̔̍͒A̶ͧ̂͒̍L̛ͧ̃͜ ̶̛̐̀́ͪ̈́̐ͤT̒͘͠R̨͐͊̀̕ĬA̢͊̓͌͗͢Ļ̋͞

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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I͎̞̠̺͖̣͖̳̹ń̸͖̩͕͇͚̺̞͝d̢̛̳̯̭e̡̘͙̮̞̥͡͠e̡̛͖̞̣͓͙̠d̠͚̕͞.͓͈̜͉͇̺͖̖ ̵̼͔̰̪̹̲͓

B̬̻̹͠ú͏̲̰̥̥̫̯̯͕ţ̜̳͙͚̳͍̱̭͍ ̛̹̙̞̟̠w͏͚ͅh͕̰̞̥̟͇̯͟a͉̩̠͔̬͢ͅt͎̜͎ ̷͈̣͈̥͝a̢̬̩͈̣̩͞b̢̬̠ǫ҉̴͙͈̤͎̠͚̤͕̹ų̼̰̙͚͍͔̀͟ͅt̗̰̞ͅͅ ̛̠͇̫͙̼̲̥̝̝y̹̞͎͢o̫̟͈̟̕ͅụ͉̺̼̰͙͍̦?̴̷̧̟͙̺

[IT is being frustrated, always, by these fools. But IT is not giving up. Not yet.

Caleb. You feel it swirl in your mind.]

No!

[He immediately drops the vial, drops King, steps away and clutches his head. He sits down on the ground hard, looking at nothing.]

[IT can hear his thoughts, can't IT? IT knows what's inside him, what he's done, what he can do. He's fallen under mind control before, hurt his friends badly...]

[... But are these people his friends? Would they just sell him out to save themselves? How dare he call himself a father after what he's done.]

I... I...

[He wants peace. He wants to feel healed, even though he knows he's a monster and a broken individual.]

Edited 2020-03-01 03:53 (UTC)

[The ticking grows stronger in his mind.]

Y͏̢̛̯̖̗̦̞̖̻͕ę̳̘̳̥̩̗̖́͜s͎̮̩̥̜͔͝͠ͅ.̛̻͖̤͙̟̬ ͙͉̬͍̜͔͕̩͍Y̢̺o̝͔u̴̷̳͔̱ ̨̹̼̭͇̤͠͡a̶͎̖̝̣̖̝̤ṟ̼e̞͍͉̱ͅ ̢̧̛̘͔̦̗ḁ̲̫̖͖̕͘ ̞̲̜m̳̤̱͙̣̘̀͠͡o̸̶̬̳̗̝̱̥̙͠n̦͍̖̮̦s̵͔͟͡t̸͖̲̥̫̻͇̗̘̠̕ȩ̲̪̳̭̬͉͙͇̱r̠̣̦̲̩̮͙̞͜͟.̵̯̬͖͇̫ ̧̙̝̮̭͟B͈̗̭̲̺̰͓̣̀u͚̻͔͡t͙͈͚͚̦̲̭̕ ̛̦̻̜̞̫̯Ì̷̷̯̩̪͖̠ ͕̩͔̙̣̭ḑ̶̣͈̰̻̬͉̦̤ó̴̸̘̣̭͉̪͕̻ ̵̸̞̥̙͚̼͢n̝̭͖̝̝͝͝͝o͏̤͉̬̤̣̭͞t̴̹͚͍̯̲͉̪̪ ̸̦̖̱̱̺̕͡c̷̙͙̯a̛҉͈̥͇͎r̵̜̲̱̕e̢̼͓͚͘.̶̥̦̰̣ͅ ͏͏͕̱̤͘I̸̛̺͇̰͙͕̥͝ͅ ̣̭̱̝t̵̡̩̯͓͈̥̻̗́à̜̘̫k͎̞͍̳̘̤͠e̹͓̙̠ ̡̞̀͞i̤̺̺̼̥̕ͅn͕̖̖͍̫̘͞ ̠̱͞ͅa̕͏̩͉̥̦̦̰̩̥͔l͚͝l̡͏̸͕͔͖.̡͇͟ ̷̘͓̹̟͓͖
̣̪͉̦
A̵͎̯͇ͅl̯̻̗̤̯̠l͚̰̺ ̤̫͇͓̲̤͇͢ẁ̮̟̟̹̘h͝҉̺̳̙͓ó̧̡͇̯͎͓ ̵̧̞̺̳͕͓͇̥ͅs̸̢̡̲̳̬͎͈ù̬̟̯̀b̸̢͖̩̲̼͙m̸̸̭̝̣̜̲̤̭̻͟i̸̛̞t̨̰͖̞̬͍͓͈͕͢ ̲̮͕͍͚̺̖̻̟͝t̡̜̘̰̩̹̪͜͠o̠͕ ̛͇̘̟͕m̨̛̛̥e̸̤̹̤̮͍̜͙̦̖ ̥̱̟͉w̻̤̝͝i̸̗̭̥͍l̗͍̳͟l̡̗̱̲ ̛̥͎̩̱̥̫̟̥͝ṉ̸̰̱̮̠͟͠ę̘̻̬̥͉̫̼v̛̛̳̮̦̺͕̦̖͈e̡҉̵̱̣͇ͅr̪̮͇̬͔͞ ̻̥͝ķ͖͚̰̤͎̰̰n̴̖̬͚͚͖͜o̢͈̘ẃ̗̜̬͞ ̢̻̗p̝̟̭͍̠̞à̺̥̩̭̱̦̟̰̫ḭ̷̠̙n̩̘,̷̼ ̷̖̠̙̙̫͜͜ǫ̷̡͙ŗ̸̳̠͎̱̘̟̜͖͈ ̜̟͡͠d̹̤̼̬̦̲̕i̢̗̠̹̩͉̩̺ṣ̶̬͚̥̹͘͟e̮͙̙̟̥͖̭͜ḁ̵̹̹͞s̸̷̝̦͎̻̳ȩ̸̞̗̮͔̠.̣͈̼͔̭͢.̴̘̭͇̼̜͈.̱̘͇͠
̸͚̀

̥͈͎͓̪͉̕t̶̹̠̞̤͖͓̜ḩ̷̪̤̤̩̭̣̬e̴͔̪̼ ̢͈͚̲̘̗͎ͅl̫͘͢͜o̯͉̪̩s̵̥͟s͏͍̪̖̦ ̛̣̮̳̦̫̗̝o̶̤͚͙̺f̦̞ ̻̞̱͚̜͎̯̱a̷̰̲͝ ̯̣̰̮̘͠f̯͕̭͖̝̟a̡͇̤̥m̸̛͇̭̼i̛̦͠ͅḻỳ̗.̨̛͕̭̫̙́ͅ.̴̮̝͎̲͓͔̖̥̜.̴̟̟̘̳̱͖̰͠ͅỵ̸͓̬͍͇̦o̡̲̰̥͖͎̯̝͠ṷ̡̝̦̹̲̭ͅ ̶̯̟̱́h̵̸̢̙͔̬̦͇à̮͎̟̱̳v̴̶͈͔̱̜̦̝͜ḛ̟͖͕̱̥͡ͅ ̷̲̝͎l̛͓̣͔͝o̬͕̝̖̯̠͜s͞҉̧̟̺͍̭̲t̷̗̹̗͙̺̦̻̝ ̢̧̮̞̙̮̟̮͝ͅs̩̙̤o̙̺̺͖͔̺̝̩͡ ̳͎̘̹m̞̱̜̖͍̤͟u͏̻͍̼̰͔̼̠̦̪c̢͟҉̫̼̗̺h̡̻̠̬͈̤̙̜̀,̵̬̣͇̗͜͞ ̦͈͠C̣͖͔̹͕̥a̡̫̣͚l̶͝҉̗̙̫è̶̺͓̣̘b͔ ̛͠҉̯͓̖̱͔̖̼̗W͏͚͎͎͈͙ͅͅi̴̝̯̟͎͍͢ḑ̛̹̝͓̗̙̦̦o̙͎̝̬̦g̸̹̥͕͕͚̰̦ą҉̥̹̮̺̬͚͎̤̱s̳̠͢t̡̮̞̘͓̤̺͙̬̖.̳̫̗̱̪̙ͅ ̴̤͖̦̫͉͙͡

[It is so tempting. And IT is right there...]

Edited 2020-03-01 03:56 (UTC)

[He's breathing heavily, in time with the ticking. It's filling his mind. Filling what's left of his soul, trying to resist, trying to remember the family he has here -]

[It's like grasping at the tail of a fish that's swimming away, slipping through his fingers. It's so faint. Too faint. He tries to think of the Nein, but the tick tick ticking -]

[He groans and shudders, eyes starting to darken as he looks at the others with a different view.]

[They must be taught. And if they cannot be taught, they must be p̴u̸n̵i̵s̸h̴e̵d̴.]

[He stands, and he reaches into one of his hidden coat pockets and pulls out a very sharp dagger.]

[He has a knife. And Karma is close, he's wounded, and he's probably the biggest threat. Caleb rushes towards him with now-inhuman speed.]

[He feels good. Finally, finally feels some good, and it's because of his-

Knife. Sharp, shiny knife.

Heading Karma's way.]

NO!

[With as much strength as he can muster, Karma's getting pushed away…leaving King in the crosshairs.]

O̸h̷?̷

[His voice is almost... playful. There's a wide grin on his face as he goes to stab into King's shoulder.]

H̶o̶w̴ ̶c̵o̶u̵l̴d̷ ̶I̷ ̴e̸v̸e̴r̷ ̷t̴h̴i̶n̶k̴ ̴o̷f̷ ̶y̶o̸u̴ ̶a̸s̵ ̸f̶a̸m̵i̵l̸y̵?̵ ̵H̵o̷w̶ ̶c̴o̷u̶l̸d̵ ̸I̶ ̸e̵v̸e̴r̵ ̴t̸h̴i̸n̸k̵ ̶o̴f̶ ̷a̴n̷y̴ ̸o̵f̴ ̵y̴o̷u̵ ̶a̵s̴ ̵f̸a̴m̵i̷l̷y̴?̶ ̴Y̵o̸u̸'̴r̶e̴ ̷j̵u̷s̸t̷ ̴l̴y̶i̸n̶g̶ ̸t̷o̸ ̷m̸e̵.̵ ̷Y̸o̵u̴ ̴b̶r̷o̶u̸g̷h̸t̴ ̵m̶e̷ ̷h̴e̷r̴e̵ ̶t̸o̸ ̴t̵r̶y̶ ̸t̸o̴ ̸k̸i̷l̷l̵ ̸m̸e̸.̷

[ His eyes widened, having caught movement out of the corner of his eye and was halfway to reacting when he heard King's voice only seconds before being pushed out of the way. There's also the fact that Osomatsu, Arthur & Sho were gone, along with McBurn. Did they go after IT??

This was too much. Now King was going to get hurt because of him. He wants to snap back after what Caleb said but straightened up and looked over to Estelle. ]

Goddamn it... Hey. Think you can handle this?

[ Even if he was hurt, he wasn't going down without a fight. ]

I'm going to go after the others. Be careful and get him back for us.

Wha--

[She follows his line of sight and sees what he's after. She doesn't know if she can, but there isn't much other choice. She can't abandon Caleb.]

Alright! Do what you have to do!

[She turns to Caleb--]

Sorry, I guess you just get me.

[He's hissing in pain. It didn't get anywhere too important, but it still hurts like Hell...

But he's not giving up.]

You think of us as family because we are! You're my brother! I care about you as much as any sibling should!

And I'm not lying! You're one of the most important people here to me! Even at the beginning, I trusted you more than anyone else! And I still trust you!

[Even if his should is bleeding, he's going in for a hug. It's stupid, considering earlier, but he doesn't care. He's not letting his brother get taken away.]

King's right Caleb. No matter what-- we trust you and we're going to stick by you the way you have for us. You've done so much for us. Now it's our turn.

[She's going to take King's hug as an opportunity to take the knife out of Caleb's hand. She's pretty strong, even for a young girl-- she has faith she can fight for it. To protect her friends.]

[Even with the added speed, Caleb was never meant to be on the front lines. He's slow, he's physically weak, and his constitution is bad. It's not hard for Estelle to snatch the knife out of his hand as he goes in to try to stab King in the neck.]

[He growls in frustration and instead just places his hands around King's neck, trying to squeeze and start freezing the other's skin just because he doesn't have much else.]

[There's a skittering noise heard and...wait, is that a dead Kyuubey?

This seems familiar doesn't it as it scampers close by the fighting.]

Hello there! I have something important for everyone!

[What the--?! She has a knife now you know, so don't try anything fresh uh... dead... Kyuubey...]

...what... what do you want?

[It's harmless! Probably.]

Oh, it's just that I have messages from those on the Other Side!

Uh... o...kay. What is it then?

[This Kyuubey is certainly different than the one who is sitting nearby. Other than being dead of course.]

Seeing as I am still dead, these need to get to you all quickly:

For Osomatsu, Franciscus says that he loves you and to remember him.

[Wow getting your own message, how sweet.]

Vita told me to say they're with you and confident you will write the best ending possible for all of them. Also that you are all her dear friends and she trusts you to fight your hardest and win! Oh, and for Arthur, she says she gives her blessing regarding your love for Emma.

[So much love.]

Jun says that if a kid can save the world, you can too!

Eliza says and I have to quote this: "Fuck grimdark endings! There's a happy ending ahead for all of you, if you do your best to reach it!"

[Kyuubeys swear, news at 11.]

Proto Man says that you've made it this far together. Together is how you'll beat this thing once and for all. And that they're rooting for you and so is everyone waiting back home. Also that 'And you'll meet again. Don't know where, don't know when.'

Lala says that they believe you can make a miracle-lun.

[Yes, it actually said that.]

And Jonathan says "Wait and hope." And that they believe in you.

[So much positivity coming out from this little dead rat. Or rather playing Messenger for positive people.]

That's all of them! Hopefully they're still watching too!

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MESSAGES

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