week 5

[stagemanagers]

[That was...an absolute shitshow. More beloved friends are dead in a mess of a trial that's left Angus half the man he was, Riley in a free fall and the Phantom...somehow still standing despite taking two stabs to the torso.

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 door blocking the stairwell on the second floor has been unsealed. You can now venture up to the third floor! You have so much space now, it's just a shame it's all come at the cost of eight lives.

But despite the tragedy you have made progress! The trip into the Phantom's lair yielded some hints to the past of the Opera House, your house manager's apparently grim hobby and the possibility of an ally outside the Opera House. Who knows what this week will bring?]

Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday


(( Welcome to Week 5! Please remember to submit your AC and your memory regains, as well as your coins! You can also still contact the Phantom. ))

Comments

[heathencall]

[He looks up at Stephen, then back down at his work.]

It is.

[37773972]

[...well then. He'll...go back to what he was doing, now that it's confirmed. He doesn't need to bring up that he has one - he's pretty sure Mephisto remembers him in a skirt - but after a minute or so of searching the racks, he speaks up again]

She taught me a few moves. Do you think it'd make her smile if we did them by her...?

[HE'S NOT SAYING THEY SHOULD. It's just. A thought.]

[heathencall]

I think I've had enough humiliation for one week, thank you.

[Mephisto's voice comes out sharp, though if Stephen cares to look he's at least vaguely amused. He would do any do anything for Riley.

... But he won't do that.]

[37773972]

[He does look, surprised- but then relaxes a bit.]

Fine. You can watch.

[It'll give him something to laugh at, right?]

[heathencall]

We'll see.

[He grunts and holds the top up, at least... relatively satisfied by the effort. Orange isn't exactly his color, and it's a style that's drastically outside of his usual preference but...

It's worth it for her.]

[37773972]

[If you're gonna wear the top, Mephisto, you need to wear it where she can see it. Now that they know she's still around them...

He slings a couple potential pieces over his shoulder and moves to take a look.]

I don't know if I should be surprised or not that they know our sizes. [Because that sure looks like it'd fit Mephisto's body type.]

[heathencall]

I think that's the least alarming thing we've come across since arriving here.

[He tucks it under his arm for the time being. He'll put it on later.]

How are you feeling? [He nods to Stephen's arms.]

[37773972]

[Honestly, Mephisto isn't wrong. Stephen nods, then glances down at his arms and rotates them at the elbow- only a small grimace suggests discomfort]

Well, if the sickness he mentioned includes infection, I haven't noticed anything yet. They hurt like normal.

[It's more or less an ever-present ache, now, that occasionally fluctuates]

How's your wing?

[heathencall]

I'm not worried about it.

[The honesty syndrome may not have set in yet, but it wouldn't have made a difference. Maybe he can be injured, but he doubts his body can be so manipulated as to become ill.]

The wing is fine. Recovering well, I would imagine.

[37773972]

...do you mind if I take a look at it? Just for my own sake.

[heathencall]

[Mephisto's shrug is vague and noncommittal, but he does turn around and offer Stephen an opening.]

[37773972]

[And Stephen's not going to unwrap them completely- not only because he couldn't rewrap them very well - but he will try and (gently!!) adjust the bandages so he can at least see how the healing progression is going]

cw: injury descriptions

[heathencall]

[Depending on how much you know about bird law anatomy, it probably looks like a very freshly wounded wing! There's no infection brewing in the cuts, at least, and the chemical burns look to be doing their best to heal.

The feathers aren't exactly pretty -- that's left and not eaten away by chemicals are pretty stained up -- no longer bright red, but an ugly brown.]

So?

[37773972]

[Stephen's mostly looking for things like inflammation or discolorization, the same kind of thing he'd look for in his own arms. As he has said, he does not know Bird Science.]

It looks about how I'd expect, honestly.

[heathencall]

[So far, so good, then!]

Hardly hurts at all anymore

[Mostly because he's gotten used to painkillers but. Shh]

[37773972]

Maybe Santana can help you with PT, then. We're working on mine.

...if you need it in the first place.

[heathencall]

Unless Santana is hiding wings I don't know about, I don't believe she can help.

[His arm didn't go unscathed either, but he'd at least retained some amount of motion despite his injuries.]

[37773972]

If she is, she's doing a good job. I was thinking more- trying to help you work it, that kind of thing. Since the pain's under control.

[heathencall]

I'm recovering fine on my own, thank you.

[The meds are giving him a headache though. At least he's pretty sure it's the meds. Maybe it's just the conversation.]

[37773972]

[He holds up a hand in a pacifying gesture- or as much as one as he can make] Just a thought. [He still feels guilty, alright? And wants to do something. Concern lingers on his face, but he doesn't press the issue. Instead;] I guess I'm just on edge with the shift from promise to threat.

[heathencall]

We changed the status quo last week, Stephen. This has to be expected.

[Not that Mephisto wasn't entirely bothered, but thus far he hasn't seen much tin indicate that any of them will actually fall ill.

Even if he had managed to cure Shilo whatever illness she had.]

We've struck a blow against him, he's going to want to strike back now.

[37773972]

This isn't something we can just ignore, though. If we are going to get sick, then- how far is he willing to go, to push us?

[The others were promises- and two were accidents, not even trying to take the bait. Only Riley rose to the occasion, so to speak, and Angus- but both were sick, in different senses of the word.]

[heathencall]

[He doesn't like to think about it. He doesn't want to think about those that are going to get hurt this week -- because what have they done to actively prevent it?

His head spins for a moment, but he's sure it's just aggravation.]

We do what we always do. We keep our spirits high, show him that this won't work.

[37773972]

[Stephen remembers worrying a bit last week, over possible threats- he wonders if Mephisto was as tired of it then as he must be now. But the angel's surety is calming, and he nods, finding strength in it.]

...right. If he wanted us dead outright, there's faster ways.

[heathencall]

Exactly.

[He rubs at his temple, breathing out slowly.]

I'm not going to lose anyone else, Stephen.