itscurtains | [mingle, backdated to Wednesday] What always ends in bloodshed begins as just a game

[So that certainly was a little afternoon adventure, wasn't it? Those hanging around the ballroom might have noticed two absolutely drenched teen girls just... appear out of the floor, shivering and shell shocked. Christine, once they get on solid ground, pretty much falls to her knees to just... stare into space for a minute.

What is this week, honestly?

But as crazy as this all is, Christine knows they have to talk about this with everyone, as soon as possible. So once she helps Nana find some dry clothes and has a little destressing session with The Dads (TM), she's pinning up a note in the hallway.]

Time for another meeting! Nana and I will meet you all in the ballroom around 7. A lot happened these last few days that we need to discuss. Refreshments will be provided, but bring something if you like!

[Christine will be in the ballroom in her Juliet dress (sadly, her cloak is still in the dryer), holding her binder and a weird old flip phone. Hopefully, this goes at least a little more smoothly than past gatherings!]

((Feel free to make prompts before or during the meeting, depending on if you're unlucky enough to see the gals ascending from the trapdoor. I'll be making a few comments myself to cover all the conversation topics. Have fun!))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Okay. For those of you who didn't know.

[Christine looks a little exhausted to have to start on this subject, but best to get it all out in the open:]

Yes, I tried to turn off the SQUIP. Yes, I knew that counted as a murder when I tried doing it.

[You can all scold her now.]

The important thing is Jeremy is okay now. If he deactivates it himself, he doesn't get punished. And the proper way to turn it off was Mountain Dew Red, which I only got out of the merch booth. The Phantom said it wasn't meant to appear in there, but...

[She's not sure if she believes it, considering the SQUIP was a mole.]

Also, please be careful if you find anything that looks like Mountain Dew. [While holding up a beaker of green liquid with little grey pills in the bottom:] Riley got this out of the booth, and I think it has SQUIPS in it. It would be dangerous if anyone took one.

[Hi, I've shown up for my weekly "derail a meeting because BMC is a wild canon and Jeremy cannot handle emotions even remotely normally."]

What the fuck is that doing here?! [He points at the beaker and spends a couple seconds looking wildly around the room before remembering uh. SQUIP's not here.] Dump that. Dump that immediately.

Jeremy?

[Christine jumps at his outburst, looking at the beaker nervously.]

So I was right? It is SQUIPs? Maybe we should take a look at them, I, um, don't want to kill something again.

-any Red left?

Jeremy drank it all, I thought.

That's. You don't. You don't understand.

[You know the kind of pause you make when you realize there it absolutely no way to present something you did and still come out looking like. Y'know. A decent person? Yeah. Jeremy's making that kind of pause.]

I uhhhhhhhhhhh. The SQUIP convinced me that, uh. Everyone. Everyone would be better off? If we were all. Uh. On the same page? So, uh. That's not just. SQUIPs? That's SQUIPs um. Hooked into. Into mine.

[Sometimes, when you're a dumb idiot who just does what people tell you, you make bad decisions.]

...they can do that?

[Christine holds the little vial away from herself with a horrified look. God, it's like Jeremy's SQUIP made a bunch of little jerk SQUIP babies.

At least she doesn't look that angry at Jeremy? Just concerned.]

So it... wanted you to use these to brainwash people?

Not, uh. Not exactly brainwash? It just -

[Let’s teach the pitiful children, who just haven’t a clue -]

- "help" isn't the right word, but it. I think? They're all. There's some kind of intranet? So the SQUIPs can all. They can communicate, I guess? But mine, uh. Took it. Took it further.

[mutters something about giving brain computers to children]

...far enough to control everyone from yours. Okay.

[You know what, sure. That's fine and not terrifying.]

As long as it's off, I guess we don't have to worry about that?

Yeah, but that. The beaker has, uh. Enough SQUIPs for. For our entire school.

...What.

[Jeremy, can you stop just, dropping huge amounts of information like this?]

If it's got that many, how, how do we get rid of it?

That’s what was in that? ...That’s— this is all...?

[ Riley, pale, is realizing just how close she came to being SQUIPed. ]

Y-yeah. Yeah, Riley. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I... just wanted you to stay safe.

N-no, no! It's fine. It's okay. Just...really glad Mountain Dew smells and tastes like soggy Skittles wrapped in artificial sweetener instead of something good.

[ is this implying she would've drank it otherwise, despite the strange packaging? ...maybe. if it was sparkling cider or a protein shake or something then honestly rip to riley ]

Right. Maybe just... for whatever drinks you get from the merch booth, be careful around them? I don't want another SQUIPped friend on my hands.

[She gives Riley a little grin but definitely is feeling her heart stutter a little. God. She needs to get over this soon.]

Right! Right, of course.

[ Riley is a beautiful, horrible contradiction of crippling anxiety, a desire to be perfect, and no impulse control. This is what you all get. ]

[Raises hand.]

Soooo the SQUIP isn't.... y'know.... It's not dead-dead, is he? And you're not in trouble?

I mean, I guess. I guess it depends on how you define dead? Like it's. It deactivated but uh. It's still. It's still physically. In my brain.

[For Spinel's benefit.]

It poofed. Kind of.

But deactivated should mean it's not bothering him anymore, so that's the important thing.

[That's all she has to worry about!]

[mingle, backdated to Wednesday] What always ends in bloodshed begins as just a game

DeSQUIPpening

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