itscurtains | Love's no good but it sure beats the hurt

[That was... Christine can only call it the most horrible thing she's seen so far, with that familiar dread that says something worse may come. Four people have died. Four friends Christine had trusted in and relied upon. And four more people she cares about have turned into memories and painful reminders of her failure to do anything meaningful here.

And Christine wallows in that. God, does she wallow. But she also knows that those painful ghosts of the people she loved relied on her to keep getting back up when the world knocked her down. And she has to keep going, if only to honour there memories.

The note she slides under each person's door is very simple, the bright orange gel pen somehow seeming duller in the wake of mourning:]

Food is in the dining hall.
Please come have something, or I'll track you down in an hour and force feed you.
If there's anything at all you need, please come talk to me. We shouldn't have to suffer alone.
-Christine

[There's a few dishes Christine knows how to make: lo mein and beef stew, some simple sandwiches as well. There are almond cookies after the more filling foods are prepared.

Off to the side is a plate with a few dumplings and... what looks like mashed turnips? An odd combination, but they were Angus' favourite.

And Christine is true to her word. If you don't come in an hour, she'll find you. In fact, she makes rounds around the opera house pretty much every hour, checking each room, and... maybe singing softly to herself as she goes.]

O god,
I can't stay, I won't stay for things left unseen
I can't stay, I won't stay, this end has no means
I can't stay, I won't stay, you were just a dream
A sweet sweet dream
You were a dream
But not my dream...

[Speaking of dreams, someone should convince her to go to bed.]

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[Sorry Christine, and anyone else that might be looking for him, Steven is not appearing at this party. Anyone who looks for him will eventually find him in the stables curled up next to a sleeping Lion, with the broken sword he received in your first week here.]

[He keeps glancing down at the sword despondently, and you might catch him singing quietly.]

Everything about this place is dangerous,
Maybe I didn't get it until now
Things just keep getting worse, this-
We keep all giving out,
What would you do?
I don't want to be you...

[Later on the afternoon and evening he does finally succumb to hunger, and sneaks into the kitchen when he's reasonably sure no one else is around.]

[Anyone catching him now is likely to find him sitting on the floor, back against the counters and knees to his chest, hate-eating a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich.]

[Oh. Anne should have realized Steven would be here, as she does the sugarcube thing with the horse-- his giant.... pet pink lion here and all. Anne very politely pretends not to see him as she offers the horse a nice treat-- very gently admonishing it when it looks to the basket she carries.]

No-- No, Tad Cooper is a friend, not a treat. Here's another sugarcube. [Her eyes flutter over to Steven only then.]

Steven, would you like a sugarcube as well?

[Anne, that's a little insulting, he's a person, not a pet.]

...Yeah. Thanks.

[She makes her way over to Steven, flopping down on the ground by him, offering Steven one of the sugar cubes, popping one in her mouth-- then she hesitates.]

Does-- he want one? [do lions eat sugarcubes.]

...Maybe? He doesn't really NEED to eat, but. Sometimes he still catches stuff.

[Because cat.]

I can try giving one to him? Uh- Tad Cooper might. Want to keep a little distance.

[Because CAT.]

That's right. Darling Tad, stay in the basket! [Tad obeys, by continuing to be the most chill, as Anne leaves the basket on the opposite side of her from Lion, and hands Steven a sugarcube.]

[Steven holds the cube out to Lion, who sniffs at it uncertainly before licking it off his palm. There's a faint crunch as he chews once, catlike, and then a deep rumble as he settles back in.]

Oh, hey, I think that means he likes it.

[At least all the animals are happy, looks like.]

I knew it! Kids and animals love sugar. [And Anne, apparently, since he just watched her pop a whole sugar cube in her mouth.]

I've never seen one, so.... pink before!

Yeah. He's special.

[He gives Lion another tummy rub.]

...Does that mean you've seen lions that are pink, just. Not AS pink?

[Christine's definitely out looking for Steven. How could she not? She made a promise to be his bodyguard, and... and Riley is gone, so that's going to become a promise to everyone rather quickly.

But she hears that singing, and it gives her pause. She's not sure if she should make her presence known, or try to sneak away, but... feelings take priority, as they always do for Christine, and she sings along.]

Everybody knows that life is precious
In the opera house, and that means you
And I want to protect you
But somehow you still get hurt
What can I do?

[Curses, he underestimated your professional tracking abilities as both a detective and a bodyguard, Christine. Or, you know, just went to one of the most obvious places possible.]

What do you want me to tell you?
You already know the kind of trouble we're in,
You shouldn't have to worry
about all of my failures or the things that she did
You shouldn't have to be a part of this,
I don't know why you'd want to be
You don't need this,
You don't need me...

[Steven's quiet for a second, looking back down at the broken blade.]

I haven't been able to save a single person here, I couldn't even tell Spinel the truth-

You deserve a better Watson, Christine.

[She's got a lot of experience in tracking you down, Watson. And it's not hard to deduce that where a giant pink lion is, the owner might follow.

Christine looks down at the blade, quietly considering it, and what it could mean for Steven. She's not sure if she should ask. She starts with what he actually tells her.]

I haven't saved anyone either. If anyone deserves better, it's you, don't you think?

[A good detective would have trained their sidekick better than she did.]

[>Steven]

[>deserves better]

[Sounds fake but okay!]

No! This is- it's what I'm supposed to DO, I help people! You, you've been doing so much for everyone, trying to keep us together, trying to cheer everyone up, all I've managed to do is bake things and let people get killed.

[She looks shocked, and then... then incredibly angry at Steven for what he's implying.]

What are you talking about? All I've done is tried and failed! I'm supposed to-to do something amazing too! And I haven't! I've let everyone down, probably more than you ever could!

What? No! You've done tons of stuff!

[Excuse you he is the failure here, how dare.]

You knew all about the Phantom when we first got here, you found those weird secret passages behind the mirrors, you're the one that found the stuff that let Jeremy turn off his squid, you kept Nana safe when you guys were getting dragged down to the Phantom's lair by ghosts or whatever, and you give really amazing hugs!

Steven...

[She... she honestly doesn't know what to say to that. Steven is right. Naturally, he's right, even when there's this terrible feeling in her that she should be better, still has somehow failed.]

You don't get it. It's you that's pushed me to do all those things! You and everyone else! Everyone who keeps dying no matter what I try to do. I should be better than this. I should have helped you, so, so you didn't feel as powerless as I do.

I've been trying for you and everyone else too! And yeah, you guys have been keeping me going, even with- with all this death, because I need to protect SOMEONE-

You- you're great the way you are.

If I am, then you are too... I promise, Steven. You're wonderful the way you are. You're everything I've wanted in... in a friend.

Love's no good but it sure beats the hurt

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