WEEK 6

[strangerpeople]

WEEK 6



[Fifteen X-Passes. You've finally done it. You can now go free. However, the price has been steep. Too steep.




True, you can leave. Anyone can, now. But simply leaving may be a bad idea. After all, who knows what else Zero has up its sleeve? Who knows what's outside of the HMHS Gigantic? How will they survive? How will they eat? And those are the easy questions that need to be answered. After all, the mystery of Zero, the mystery of Zack, the mystery of who is the cause of all of this and why-those things are also seemingly impossible to answer without some preparation. There's also the new area that's opened up that may yet yield more for the survivors to mull over.


Rushing is surely a bad idea. It's time to prepare. Take the time to get ready for whatever is outside. Stock up on supplies. Write what needs to be written. Say what needs to be said. Get ready for the possibility that whatever is out there, whatever the answers are-they will not be easy, and they will not be quick.


More than that, but-where are all these cuts coming from on your body? Hm. Maybe you keep bumping into things or scratching too hard. Did everyone save Roland get super clumsy or something all of a sudden?


Well. Maybe the answers to all that are just around the corner. So. Let's get ready. The end is near.


There are 8 9 strangers currently on this ship.



Wait. Nine?]

Comments

[superstylishsquid]

She was originally a servant of Mundus, meant to lure him to his death. Him forgiving her once was such a big deal that...I can't imagine her breaking his trust again.

But take a look at this. [He holds the check stubs out to Roland.] Dante changed his name to Tony Redgrave when he was younger, and his main information contact is a guy named James Morrison. Not entirely sure who that third one is, but...this is all in Dante's handwriting.

[godspiousjasper]

Ah? That... doesn't make sense. This is all for his business... these checks all being in his handwriting?

[ He puts a hand to his chin in thought, then points towards some of the writing for what the checks were for. ]

Survivor Support? Rebuild Expenses? Did he have a lot of money to afford all these?

[superstylishsquid]

No...he had a lot of income, but he made such a mess on his jobs that he hardly ever saw any of it. He couldn't even keep the water on consistently. That's what all these overdue bills are about.

[Digging back through the papers, looking for anything else that isn't just more unpaid bills.]

[strangerpeople]

[ What about this birth certificate? Most of the information, such as the parents' names, are redacted. But the first name and birthdate is clear:

菖蒲/Ayame, July 8th. ]

[superstylishsquid]

A...birth certificate, for Aoi's niece?

[godspiousjasper]

Why would that be here??

[strangerpeople]

[ There's more. Keep looking? ]

[godspiousjasper]

[ Absolutely! What else can be found here? ]

[strangerpeople]

[ There's a paper with shakey handwriting on both sides. The same thing, all over, written in blood: They were after me first. ]

[superstylishsquid]

[Does Alastor recognize that handwriting?]

[strangerpeople]

[ Nope. ]

[superstylishsquid]

I don't know...and I don't recognize that handwriting, either. It's not Dante's, and it's not Aoi's.

[godspiousjasper]

That's... good, isn't it?

[ Though he eyes that birth certificate, glancing then to the rest of those papers. ]

Make sure you gather everything we've found here. We need to show that to the others.

[superstylishsquid]

It...at least means neither of them was the first target. [He shakes his head with a sigh. So many puzzle pieces, but it still feels like they're missing the most important ones that bring the picture together.] I'll separate the important stuff on the desk, for now. We should check out the bedroom before we leave.

[godspiousjasper]

Sounds good.

[ A pause. He smiles a bit and heads towards the door of the bedroom area, holding his hand out for Alastor. ]

Come on, then. Let's go check it out.

[superstylishsquid]

[He shuffles the papers around a bit so the important ones will be easy to grab on their way out, then takes Roland's hand.]

Well, this is...nicer looking than expected.

[godspiousjasper]

[ There's a small chuckle on his end, and something may have initially looked odd to Alastor just before his hand connected with Roland's. He had appeared to step forwards and gave a 'smooch' to the air and then back in a span of about a second, but as their hands connected?

Alastor would finally feel as if he had his cheek kissed. ]

Indeed! I can't say I was expecting that.

[ Nope. Not addressing what he'd done~ ]

[superstylishsquid]

[He sure does start at the feel of a cheek kiss out of nowhere, before it clicks what just happened.]

I see you figured out more of what your power can do.

[Have a cheek kiss in return before he starts moving around the room to take a proper look around.]

[godspiousjasper]

I did! It took some thinking to figure it out, though.

[ He just beams at the cheek kiss he got in return, too happy to step forwards to the bedroom.

What awaits them here? ]

[strangerpeople]

[ What awaits them, indeed? As you turn and walk into the bedroom, it comes out of nowhere-blood. A pool of blood in the room, one that is calf-high as you wade through it.

Well, by now you're used to that. You've seen enough to choke an elephant. No-it's the person in the center of the room that's not supposed to be there. He's very dead, after all. Yet here he is, staring back at you, completely covered in blood that glows.

His left eye-his green eye-is wide and horrified. His right eye is covered in blood.]

...

Friend...friend, is...

[He looks down at his hands. His blood-caked hands.]

Is this all my fault...?

[His eye widens.]

Is it?! By god, please, tell me...! Did I invite this malodorous guest in!?

[superstylishsquid]

[The blood doesn't bother Alastor, as long as he reminds himself that it's not real enough to stain his boots, but the sight of the person covered in glowing blood is surprising. He tilts his head...does he recognize them?]

Who are you calling stinky? We got a good scrubbing after yesterday.

[godspiousjasper]

[ Roland stopped short once all the blood showed up, but then there was that person in the room and they... were just staring at them.

Was the blood glowing??

He swallowed deeply, only brought back to himself as Alastor responded to the man who'd spoken before. ]

Yeah.. we're clean.. just... what do you mean by is this your fault?

[ Going to take a step towards this person. He has a bad feeling but... he's sure he might know them somehow. ]

[not_a_lego_maniac]

[Yes.

Both men can recognize Zack.]

....all my fault...I let it in. I let it in...

[superstylishsquid]

[And this...doesn't seem like a shade, like last time. Those weren't really speaking coherently. So he steps forward and reaches out, stopping just before he'd actually touch the...figment?]

Let what in?

[godspiousjasper]

Please tell us, Zack. We want to help you...

[ He's got a firm grip on Alastor's arm, just in case something violent happens here. ]