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

[37773972]

I'm sorry, Christine, I'm so sorry. You'll need to find another way to keep it.

[As much as he's focused on trying to calm down Christine, he isn't blind to Jeremy, looking up every few seconds before returning his attention to the other teen. And then there's Mephisto, and he shoots the man a grateful look as he moves next to them to help calm her down.

It gives him time to give more attention to Jeremy. In fact, he's sort of pushing Christine at Mephisto - take her - so he can make his way over to the boy]

...that bottle. Is that the Red?

[madgiganticfeelings]

[Christine grits her teeth as Mephisto approaches her, ready and waiting to fight, but all it takes is a few words. Mephisto's gentle tone and earnest repetition of that stupid title she'd given herself on a whim makes her determination instantly ebb away, letting misery flow in instead.

That would almost be worse, but she isn't fighting now. She's just crying again, as loud and enthusiastic as anything else she does. She doesn't fight when she's pushed into Mephisto's arms, just whimpers a quiet apology and curls in on herself, tear streaked face turned up towards Jeremy as she watches and tries to decide how much he hates her now.]

[isawallflower]

[ It's probably because she's been pushing herself lately, but Riley falls behind, after finding Mephisto. She gets there just in time to see...all this. Stephen approaching Jeremy, Christine in Mephisto's arms It...looks, she hopes, they got there in time.

She leans in the doorway, pulling at her windbreaker with a shuddering breath. There's nothing to say. Riley just...watches, and she lets them take care of it. ]

[heathencall]

[Thanks to Riley, he at least a few moments of practice in this regard. It's just as unexpected as before, but he shoulders the weight of this precious responsibility with ease. He tucks his forehead against her hair, body curling over hers. Close as they are to the others, he doesn't dare try to summon his wings, but he supposes that it's secure enough. He'll protect her, from herself and anything else.]

Thank you, Christine. [He casts a glance up, first to Stephen and Jeremy, and then to Riley. His gaze lingers there a moment.] And thank you.

[He's say more if he needs to, but right now -- Christine is alive because of her.]

[madgiganticfeelings]

[It feels... nice. Nice enough to almost maybe forget what's outside of Mephisto's embrace, but not quite. She leans back, energy just... gone. She can't remember the last time she felt this drained. Has she ever been like this? She remembers that time in third grade when she had the flu and still got up on stage in between vomiting to gleefully perform Hard Knock Life, of all songs, and now... she doesn't know if she'd ever be able to shout out anything, with any emotion, again.

Even her sobs are quieting down as she weakly responds.]

Don't... I didn't do anything.

[isawallflower]

[ What...is she to say? She just thought something was off. Riley almost says so but she's too tired to. Maybe it's okay, to just...accept this moment.

Her shoulders droop and she just nods a little. Christine's alive. They don't have to go to trial, again. That's...alright. She can accept that. ]

[heathencall]

That is exactly why I'm thanking you, you silly girl. [He leans far enough back so that his arms can shift from around her shoulders. He takes his face into her hands, palms surprisingly soft for a creature as gruff as Mephisto is. The pads of his thumbs gingerly wipe some of the tears away.

It's what he's seen humans do to one another in their grief. Hopefully it's the right thing to do here.]

There is courage in giving up. Strength in not acting. [His hands drop to her shoulders, holding her here.] And I have told you many times over -- we need you here.

[madgiganticfeelings]

[She sobs quietly, tries to shake her head away from Mephisto's grip, but he holds her firm, and she can't deny it feels comforting, even if it does nothing to make her feel that she has deserved it.]

I don't... I don't know how much longer I can just try and try, and, and keep failing.

[She loves everyone here so much, but trying to show it only makes things worse. And speaking of that... she glances down at her hands, notices suddenly that the bottle is gone. She looks at Mephisto, suddenly frantic.]

[heathencall]

[Mephisto tries to respond but -- There's a whole lot of stuff happening over with Stephen. His hands move back to Christine's face, holding her still and doing his best to keep her from witnessing anything that might devastate her any further.]

You haven't failed anyone. You gave him exactly what he needed. It's not your fault the Phantom put such rules in place.

[He presses his forehead back to her hair.]

Remember. I am here, the way I am, because of you. That isn't a failure.

[madgiganticfeelings]

[Her face is turned towards Mephisto's, but she still keeps trying to see, because what she can hear is only making her heart threaten to beat out of her chest. Could that happen? Would that count as two suicides then? Would she fail to give up in the way Mephisto wanted?

Her eyes overflow again, and she hiccups softly.]

I know. I know, I, and that means so much but... what, what's happening?

[heathencall]

They're fixing it. Jeremy is going to fix it.

[He doesn't understand the logic, certainly not well enough to break it down for Christine in any meaningful way. He simply shakes his head, fingers working a careful rhythm against her back.

He stumbles for words, and then finds something else.]

So another page is turned
Pray I understand what's happening
But if anything, I do know this
I'll be the best I can

[madgiganticfeelings]

That... but that means he'll die, I...

[She doesn't understand either, and she's so utterly terrified, but an odd thing happens. In amongst all the panic, all the sounds of struggle behind her, all the hot tears burning against her cheeks, she feels that hand on her back, and everything else starts to fade away, until just that tapping is left.

And the singing is there too, and Christine doesn't know the words, but she hums quietly along, in between hiccups, until her breathing starts to settle, at least for now.

When the rest of the world returns, it sounds like it's silent behind her.]

[justmeheere]

[Jeremy's been like of staring off to the side, eyes sort of focused on a specific point when it's obvious there's nothing there. When Stephen talks, though, he blinks and looks over.]

That's. Yeah. That's Mountain Dew Red. [A beat.] I'm. I'm gonna say something and you can't. You can't ask questions again.

[37773972]

I won't. [Now that he has a better idea of what's going on, he can promise that. But before anything, he's going to sort of pull Jeremy off the floor- not quite in to a hug, but at least helping him sit up- and keeping an arm around his shoulders.

Something easily turned in to a hug if Jeremy gives any sign at all he's receptive, in other words. But he's not sure yet, trying to gauge how he's taking all this. For all he knows, Jeremy just wants to get the hell out of here and be in his room alone- or as alone as he can be.]

[justmeheere]

[Jeremy kind of leans forward and mumbles, low enough that hopefully nobody else in the room will be able to understand:]

I need. I need - get me drunk and then hand me the bottle. That's. That's the only way to fix this.

[This would be why he said "no questions" again. Just let him do it, dad!!!]

[37773972]

[Stephen...was afraid of this. He stares at Jeremy for a long moment, thinking- not just of Jeremy, not just of the Phantom. But of the computer that has, arguably, only been attempting to fulfill its programming.

He also thinks on how things that are just doing what they were born to do can still be trouble. Kudzu overgrows. Influenza can kill. And the SQUIP...

Stephen leans in as well, speaking quietly]

The Phantom said this counts as a suicide. It's not going to trigger a trial. [He thinks? If he understood correctly? Nonetheless, he's pulling out the sprite bottle he's - with only one or two exceptions - kept at his side since getting it from Anne, after first speaking with Jeremy and his SQUIP]

SQUIP. We'll take care of him.

[...for what comfort that can be to a computer.]

cw: suicide talk

[justmeheere]

It won't. It - that's the loophole. If I kill it myself, I'm just. It's me, right? So. So it's fine. Everything is fine. Everything -

[He takes a shaky breath, hiccuping slightly.]

- everything gets fixed.

[37773972]

[He's unscrewing the bottlecap, the scent of alcohol strong. One-handed, too, because the other hand - arm - is still around Jeremy's shoulders, and now this is a hug. For manyfold reason.]

Not everything, Jeremy. But you're going to fix the rest - and we'll help.

[With that, he shoves the bottle in Jeremy's mouth, holding him in place strongly enough to (hopefully) override resistance as he forces his head back.

Drink or drown.]

[justmeheere]

[It's almost familiar. People keep forcing him to drink things for whatever reason and there's always a moment where he sputters before he remembers how to swallow. He doesn't fight it as much as he has, in other instances, but his fingers still twist in Stephen's shirt. It's to ground himself, maybe.

He drinks.]

[37773972]

[As soon as Jeremy swallows, Stephen's pulling back the bottle. He knows from experience by now, how much it takes to deactivate the SQUIP, more or less, and it's not much; he sets the alcohol down to the side, taking Jeremy's other shoulder to help him steady after the forcefeeding.]

Hey. You still with me, Jeremy? This is your last chance to back out, you need to know that. Just tell me when you've made the choice.

[He doesn't want Jeremy to back out, honestly. He wants this to go as quickly as possible, as painless as possible after what already happened, and for the best case-]

Mephisto! We need the Dew.

[His voice is sure, unwavering; apparently, he's pretty confident that this is, if nothing else, not a Bad Idea.]

[justmeheere]

[Jeremy swallows several times before shaking his head.]

I'm good. [It's quiet, but raw.] Let me. Let me fix this.

[heathencall]

[It takes some juggling, to free the bottle form Christine's hands and move close enough to hold it out to the others. He tilts his head away from the quiet conversation he's been having with Christine for the second time, this time to look between the two men.]

I hope you know what you're doing. I don't want to see her hurt anymore than she already is.

[He hesitates for just a moment, then passes the bottle off.]

[37773972]

Unless the Phantom's going to flat out lie to us, we do. [Reassurance, not indignation. He absolutely understands where Mephisto's coming from, and god, if he's wrong...

He passes the bottle to Jeremy in turn, resettling so he's sitting next to him. Still hug-holding, supporting, but Jeremy isn't restrained in any way, shape, or form.

This is his decision. His choice. His action.]

1/2 (cw: seizures)

[justmeheere]

[Jeremy's fingers curl around the bottle, trying to keep his hand steady. He's not quite sucessful as he pulls away from Stephen. He's made up his mind, but a lot's happened in the past few minutes and he's just. There's a lot of emotions right now and he can't stop the way his hands shake as he moves away from Stephen. He doesn't bother standing. That seems like an unnecessary step when he could just bring the bottle up to his mouth and tip his head back, chugging the entire thing.

Nothing happens for a moment, besides the huge gasping breaths Jeremy takes.

He lets his hand drop, the bottle clattering to the floor. For a moment it looks like Jeremy might say something, but then his body starts to violently convulse. It looks like a seizure, effectively, and he tips over until he's on the floor, shaking and twitching. Eventually, he stills.]

2/2 cw: suicide talk

[inside_yourmind]

[There may be no other outward sign of what's happened from Jeremy, but the Phantom's voice booms out from somewhere - it's actually pretty loud, like maybe he's close by.]

The SQUIP is dead. Given how many of you were involved in its murder, no investigation is necessary - we are all fully aware of what has occurred. As I have stated before, this will officially be ruled a suicide.

Please feel free
To go about your business
You must be pleased
To get away with all this

Now you all have seen
How the world has always been
How a "monster's" life means nothing in the end...

[........that seems to be all he has to say. Maybe witnessing a mob descending on someone like that triggered a few things? Regardless, the man is true to his word; the trial doors remain shut, and no punishments will occur.]