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]

[Oh. Christine. As she moves on, Stephen moves closer, and as she's talking about fixing things...his arm is sliding around her shoulders, pulling her close.

So very gently;]

Did you think about what we would have had to gone through, if we had to vote for you?

[He's not trying to seem like he's scolding her. He knows, more or less from experience, how...self-centered, for lack of a better word, grief can be. The memories are still very, very fresh.]

[madgiganticfeelings]

Of course I did! [Her voice is choked with tears.] I thought about it, and I knew you'd hate me for it, and... and I don't know, I just, it felt better than seeing all of you die, or, or waiting for the Phantom to have another stupid motive and for someone else to die in my place!

I thought... I thought this would be the best case scenario. Jeremy would be okay, you'd all be o-okay, and I would... at least leave a mark somewhere.

[If she was the culprit, for once, attention would be on her, and then all those feelings no one ever cared about would be on display. And that's selfish to think too, but it still tempted her, just a bit.]

[37773972]

We wouldn't hate you. That's the problem; we'd hurt, we'd hate the situation, but we could never hate you, Christine. No more than we could hate Red, or Sigyn. Or even Richard, if he'd managed to do what he was trying to.

[He touches her chin with his other hand, trying to steer her to look at him. The bits of tears in his own eyes.]

You're going to make more marks than you can even think about. You just have to give yourself the chance.

[madgiganticfeelings]

[She inhales sharply when her head is turned, when she has to look someone she considers... something like a weird extra father figure to her in the eyes, and when she has to realize that those eyes are welling up like hers are. She hiccups softly, makes a whimper in the back of her throat.]

I, I hope so. But that's all I have right now. And it's hard to have so little.

[37773972]

Trust me, Christine, I know. Maybe not the same, but- I know a little like it.

[He swallows, releasing her face, and- brushing some of her hair back]

I've already had one daughter die. Then Red- she reminded me so much of Maddie, it scared me. And I look at you and Riley and I see what she could have been- please, please don't make me have to go through it again.

[Oh. Those are definitely tears.]

[madgiganticfeelings]

Oh... oh, Stephen...

[To have that secret suddenly dropped in her lap is disorienting, sending her grief all askew. She's not sure whether to mourn Jeremy, mourn Maddie, or mourn the death of her belief that she would never kill. It's too much... especially to consider the grief that she almost put Stephen through.

She holds back her tears, though. At least, she does until she props herself up higher on her knees, getting just a bit of height on Stephen, so she can wrap her arms around his shoulders and lean her head against his.]

I won't. I'm so sorry, Stephen. I won't let you go through that again.

[37773972]

[Apparently it's hugging time, because Stephen is definitely wrapping his own arms around her and closing his eyes. For a moment, Christine is able to see the man who is very much scared for her, and for everyone else here- but only for a moment, because he swallows, brow creasing, and forces his voice steady;]

Dear daughter
Hold your head up high
There's a world outside
That's passing by
Dear daughter
Never lose yourself
Remember that
You're like nobody else

[...and of course it's song that comes out.]

[madgiganticfeelings]

[It's only for a moment, but seeing that fear in Stephen's expression makes her feel like someone's stuck a knife in her chest, and when he starts singing for her, she feels the aching in her heart as viscerally as someone reaching out to that knife and twisting it.

She should pull away, keep him at arm's reach, not confuse him with the parents she misses so dearly back home... but she doesn't want to do that. She wouldn't hurt Stephen like that, nor herself.

She doesn't like labels, but... she'll add one here, if it will help them both cope.]

Life throws you in
To the unknown
And you feel like you're
Out there all alone...

[37773972]

[He's not confusing her for Maddie, mind, it's just...it's so easy to see what he could have had, if Maddie hadn't been sick. A girl as hopeful as Red, as driven as Riley, as passionate as Christine- he still aches for that. And no, he doesn't know anything about her parents - he hopes to God they're not like Jeremy's or Riley's - but...]

These are words that every girl
Should have a chance to hear-

[Just in case her parents haven't told her. And if they have? A reminder.]

'There will be love, there will be pain
There will be hope, there will be fear
And through it all year after year
Stand or fall, I will be right here for you'

[He cracks a smile, then, opening his eyes and looking at her. Pulling away just slightly - just enough to establish that no, he's not her father, but-]

I hope your Mom and Dad know just how brightly you shine.

[madgiganticfeelings]

[There's an odd aching feeling in her when Stephen pulls away, probably from homesickness or possibly just from the catharsis of being able to comfort each other. She doesn't know, but she gives a wobbly smile.]

I think they know. I mean, they've never seen me in a situation like this, but they do love me. I think they know how bright I am... maybe think I'm too bright.

[37773972]

Good. [And he means that. Thank God at least one kid's parents are the right kind. A+ raising, would happily teach your child, etc etc.]

No such thing as too bright. Not in a place like this, anyway.

[madgiganticfeelings]

I suppose I am meant to be a bit of a detective here, huh? Solve this mystery and get us all home safe.

[She's... just a little sad about home not being somewhere Stephen will be, and so her smile is more hesitant.]

[37773972]

Scooby did have a knack for that. And if anyone can, you can.

[madgiganticfeelings]

The only problem is there aren't any Scooby Snacks to power me up.