week 4

[stagemanagers]

[Another week, and two more dead. King Richard and Red are both gone, and once again, it was through nothing more than an accident in the heat of the moment. Maybe if you all stay calm and collected, nothing bad will happen again?

Well, maybe not.

When you wake on Sunday, you'll find that you've recovered another one of those memories - or had another dream, if you still wanna be in denial about it. The grounds remain as they are, but this time, the door blocking the stairwell has been unsealed. You can now venture up to the second floor! This is the second time that's happened; it's almost as if you get more space every time someone dies. Or maybe the whole place just seems quieter.]

Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday


(( Welcome to Week 4! Please remember to submit your AC and your memory regains, as well as your coins! You can also still contact the Phantom. ))

Comments

TUESDAY

[stagemanagers]

MOTIVE: GIVE ME THE STRENGTH TO TRY

[inside_yourmind]

[Just like last week, the Phantom does not make an announcement about today’s motive. In fact, he hasn’t been heard from since yesterday’s incident. But that’s not terribly unusual - right?

Regardless, his voice is audible wherever you are, but those who are lucky or who go searching will find that he is standing in the cemetery. To start with, he’s simply standing by the mausoleums, the collar of his black overcoat turned up, facing away from the gates. If he hears anyone approaching he will quickly approach the Daae tomb and vanish - inside it? Behind it? He's no longer visible, anyway.]

They were once a true companion
They were all that mattered
They were a friend, a child, a mother
Then your world was shattered

Wishing they were somehow here again
Wishing they were somehow near
How much are you willing to do
If you could bring them here

You could finally hear their voice again
You know what you have to do
A life for a life - that is the price
To return them to you

[The Phantom becomes visible again, as he rises up onto the roof of the Daae tomb. He perches easily, one foot on the peak of the roof and one on the slope. But, for the moment, he seems to be looking up at the sky rather than at you.]

Carved headstones and offered bouquets
Mem’ries that were treasured
All those dead, like any others
They would be remembered…

[But then he seems to snap back to what he’s doing, and glares down at all of you. It’s a little hard to see behind his mask, but you can just sort of feel it.]

Kill someone this week, and a dead person of your choosing shall be revived in their place.

It’s all the same, nothing has changed
Why can’t we end this game?

[He turns in a dramatic swirl of cape, and leaps from the roof to the top of the wall surrounding the cemetery, and then jumps from there and disappears.]

[37773972]

[There's only one person on his mind.

Stephen turns away, and doesn't- he doesn't run, but he's going to. Go find something to occupy himself.]

[heathencall]

So now you are choosing to prey on our bonds? Cleverly played Phantom.

[He... definitely looks a little stricken by all of this. But he straightens his shoulders all the same.]

But we know better than to play your games.

[isawallflower]

[ As the Phantom sings, Riley’s eyes slowly widen. It take some time for her to realize what he’s talking about? But before he straight-up says it, she’s sort of got the picture.

She stands shock-still for a few moments. Then she leaves, very abruptly. ]

[holyspit]

The only dead people I know are from here and they'd hate it if that's how they got brought back!

[But. Still kind of clutching at his shirt around his stomach, about where a bellybutton would be on someone who had one.]

[mcfife]

[Who would you bring back, Angus? One person in particular? You know who deserves another chance.

No.

Angus clenched his fists and shakes his head. He won't let the Phantom get to him again , he won't-

He's getting a spitting headache over this. Angus hisses and rubs his temoles before slowly turning away to the opera house.]

[etincelledefierte]

[At least this motive doesn’t affect Claudine like the other two have. She still takes note of everyone else’s reactions, though.

She doesn’t turn to go back inside. Instead, she goes into the gardens and comes back with a bunch of white roses. She puts one on every grave save one. Sorry, Betelgeuse, no flowers for you.]

[herwiggles]

[Spinel listens to the song, but her mind seems to be... elsewhere. It's the end result of that glare that snaps her back to attention. It's only when the Phantom says it plain and simple that she finally reacts.

Which is to say. Spinel takes a step back, and another. And another. And suddenly she's hurrying out of the room.]

[37773972]

[After Monday and being given the motive for this week, Stephen is...a little hard to find. For a while he's by the merchandise booth, silently putting in coins, and looking a little ill when he gets to the final item - a bloody kitchen knife.

But after that? After that he heads for the computer room, picking a far corner terminal to stay out of sight. He appears to be looking over some blueprints, thanks to the thumbdrive he got from Riley.

In the evening, after a couple visits to Certain Children, he's back in his room - door closed. Sorting through too many trombones and the rest of the items he's received, figuring out what to put up for grabs.]

[madgiganticfeelings]

[One of those certain children is still holed up in her room. She hasn't heard the motive, which is probably for the best... After what she did yesterday, she doesn't want to find out if she'd really consider doing it again.

She's out of bed though, at least, sitting and writing in her binder when she hears a knock on the door. She jumps up, tucking the binder under her seat, and pulls it open to find... oh. Probably one of the people most disappointed in her. She shrinks back against the door.]

Hi, Stephen... you can come in?

[37773972]

Hey, Scoob. [He's trying the nickname to see if it cheers her up at all, because she looks...sorely in need of it. He even offers a little smile, trying to seem as unimposing as he can?

Considering his own levels of stress - among everything else - it doesn't quite reach his eyes as he steps in]

Are you up to talk about yesterday, for a little bit, or do you need some more time?

[he's not your dad, he's just your surrogate father figure]

KNIFE THREAD KNIFE THREAD KNIFE THREAD

[isawallflower]

[ Let’s be honest, it’s been a week and it’s only Tuesday. Riley isn’t really...out and about? But she’s entering the lobby when he’s putting in his last coins. She’s going to say something, some kind of shred of normalcy, but instead.

The scent and sight of blood. ]

What- what’s that?

[ It’s probably the stupidest question she could ask. But it’s all that comes to mind. ]

[37773972]

[um]

A knife? [Just gonna. Wipe it on his his shirt...]

OOPS ALL KNIVES

[garbageface]

[ Santana didn't get any coins this time, but it's fun to see what other people get from the creepy merch booth! Stephen's definitely a winner this time -- now that Santana's had her knife for a little over a week, she definitely appreciates the value of a good, pre-owned knife. ]

Nice knife. You gonna learn how to use it?

[37773972]

I'd rather not.

[ESPECIALLY NOT WITH THE BLOOD ON IT?? tell him that's not person blood]

[justmeheere]

[Has Jeremy left his room? Unclear! He has like three weeks of sleep to catch up on. Anyway that's probably where Stephen finds him. He's wearing the gay jacket again. It's comfortable? And also swooshy? Listen, you gotta take joy where you can find it in a murdergame.]

You, um. You don't need to. I'm okay, you know.

Merch Booth

[holyspit]

...Did that come out of there?

[what the hell, stage crew]

[musacal]

[ This particular motive again doesn’t really do anything for Nana, (she has no one dead she wants brought back) but she can imagine it might really mess up some of the others, so she at least wants to stay cheery so as to not worry anyone.

She’s found herself in the Cafe today, experimenting with some of the drinks and seeing what she can make, using a bunch of syrups to experiment with flavours. Intermittently she sips away on one successful creation: banana hot chocolate with whipped cream and drizzle.

Later on she’s having dinner by herself in the garden, seated under the big oak tree. She’s brought her food out here to eat in a little picnic as well as a book to read from the library. Not much, just a history of Shakespeare and his writing style. ]

cafe

[37773972]

[Stephen's taking a break from his attempt at Understanding Weird Blueprints by visiting the cafe, and-]

Oh, sorry, are you using it?

[Stephen there's ton of room you could also make your own drink]

Garden

[heathencall]

[Mephisto has begun spending quite a bit of time outside. Between the graves that he occasionally visits and the stars he stares at, it's become a routine to step out into the perpetual evening air.

Nana breaks that routine in some regard, but... since everything happens so damn much, he'll pop over and... casually seat himself nearby.]

You seem to be in good spirits.

cafe

[isawallflower]

[ This has been....a week and a half. And it's only Tuesday.

Honestly, Riley doesn't really want to go back to the cafe after yesterday. But, she's wondering if anything was left there and-

And, she finds Nana. Riley's a bit of a...a mess, but Nana's. Just a comforting presence, honestly. And that banana hot chocolate with whipped cream and drizzle......oh, that looks really good. ]

Are you. Making more of those?

Cafe

[holyspit]

[Ha ha, motive immunity solidarity amirite. Steven's just. Checking up on everyone, to make sure THEY'RE okay.]

Oh, wow, did you make that? It looks good, what's in it?

[mcfife]

[Angus did not take that motive well, and by the time he emerges from his room, he looks pretty exhausted. All he wants to do is to get some fresh air and rest for once. The garden ends up being the best place for that by process of elimination.

The grass is soft and the sky is dark. He finds a nice spot away from the buttercups only to find that someone has already arrived.]

Oh. Am I intruding?

Cafe

[etincelledefierte]

[Claudine gives Nana a smile and a wave as she comes in, taking a seat.]

Seisho’s three-star chef is branching out, I see.

[It’s teasing, but the most gentle kind.]