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

[37773972]

Christine.

[And he kind of taps her shoulder to get her attention more on him for a moment]

I don't want you talking about it if it's going to make you too uncomfortable. Only share what you want to. Okay?

[madgiganticfeelings]

I-I'm okay. I want to talk about it.

[It's sort of related to the mess with Jeremy, so she thinks if she at least talks through this, maybe she can find a solution to bridge the gap between them there.]

Jeremy had come to me before our school play's performance, to try to give me a SQUIP. I already knew about them, and I kind of freaked out, I guess? And I told him no. As much as I could before I had to get on stage.

But I didn't know he'd already filled a prop beaker with them before. So I got one on stage. Like my pamphlet said, it looked like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and I know that sounds ridiculous and funny but you have to stick with me here when I say it was honestly terrifying? Especially because it kept insisting the best way for everyone to be happy was for me to confess how I felt to Jeremy.

Or... I think it's how I felt? It gave me the words, though, and they feel like what I wanted to say, but also not. And it's not like I could say or do anything differently, I just...

[Her stomach rebels again, but she swallows hard and exhales.]

I just had to make Jeremy happy. That was the only thing that seemed to matter to me.

[37773972]

[And he listens. It's...it sounds more terrifying than anything, honestly. Thinking of how much control Jeremy's SQUIP had over him - thinking of how much influence - and thinking of Christine, among others, with that sort of thing in his head...]

Lord.

[It's an exhaled breath, before something else occurs to him;]

You said you were talking to- a moment ago-

[WEE WOO WEE WOO]

[madgiganticfeelings]

[She looks at least reassured that he understands and that he thinks it was awful as well. It's hard to look back at it, with a glossy filter placed over everything and with a voice in the back of her mind insisting it's what she wanted. She knows it isn't, she knows better-

She hisses out a breath, and nods slowly.]

She's here again. I don't know why. I promise I didn't drink anything that would have had Mountain Dew in it. And she's just... talking now? But it's making my head hurt.

[37773972]

[Stephen's blood feels cold. To go through this again- with Christine-

But they know what to do this time.]

Then we need to find you some Red as soon as possible. I'm not sure I have any wine, but if it becomes too much- come find me, all right? I'll ask the others if they got some.

[madgiganticfeelings]

I, I have some wine. I was saving it for the party, I didn't... I didn't think I would need it. I hope we can find some more Red soon.

[She hugs herself, but then inhales sharply, and puts her hands down.]

[37773972]

It's something, at least. I'll see what I can find. [HE DOESN'T WANT TO HAVE TO FORCEFEED ANOTHER KID...]

[madgiganticfeelings]

Thank you... I know it's a lot to ask. If Jeremy hadn't drank it all, I wouldn't have to ask you for this...

[Maybe she shouldn't have dumped that tea she had spiked for him before.]

[37773972]

That doesn't matter. We'll find something, Christine, I-['promise' doesn't come out. Instead-] I'll ask the Phantom if I have to.

[madgiganticfeelings]

You don't have to. I can ask him. He'd probably make you make a deal for it, so I should be the one to do it.

[She's not about to make Stephen suffer for her well being.]

[37773972]

I already made one with Mephisto, I'll be fine. [What he meant to say was 'can't be worse', but. There's a sinking feeling in his stomach...]

[madgiganticfeelings]

...Wait. Wasn't the whole point of him telling us who he was so he didn't convince us to make a deal with him? I mean, I guess I've made promises with him too, with the pinky and everything, but...

[Fun thing about truth compulsion is it means Christine's ability to ramble has been increased tenfold.]

[37773972]

Let's just say I figured I could use his help with that mess I mentioned, and he let me offer what I wanted.

[wait]

He learned the pinky from you?...somehow, I'm not surprised.

[madgiganticfeelings]

What did you end up offering him? Not anything really big, right? No souls?

[She blinks at the question, but then dissolves into soft laughter.]

Has he been using that on you too? That was one of the last times we talked when he was still Ariel... When he showed me his wings. He told me he was going to work to get us all out of here, and I made him do a pinky promise. He really caught onto it for whatever reason... But at least that means if he promises something like that, I think he means it.

He'd be sullying his good princess' name if he didn't!

[37773972]

No souls. I promised I'd show him around, instead. [Until the end of his natural life, buuuuuuuuut he's not going to tack that on. Instead he chuckles a little bit, and...]

The pinky thing was...outside of the deal. Sort of.

[madgiganticfeelings]

Outside of it? Hm... are you two keeping secrets from me? Not so sure I approve of that.

[37773972]

I'm not allowed my privacy? [But he's smiling. C'mon, Christine, you're smart. Here's a hint;] Let's just say I'd only be a little annoyed if you did another message like before.

[madgiganticfeelings]

...So what you're telling me is that I have to teach him what it means to seal a promise with a kiss next.

[Her hands are in front of her wide grin. Congratulations, Stephen, you've cheered up the daughter.]

[37773972]

No, we, ah- that's not needed. He already knows.

[Is he a little red? He's a little red. DID THAT ALREADY, ANGUS CAN- oh.]

[madgiganticfeelings]

[Her eyes go wide and she muffles a little snort.]

See? See? I wasn't off base with the message!

[37773972]

Well, now you aren't, but- we had some things to figure out, at the time.

[madgiganticfeelings]

Mephisto told me romance takes time. I can only imagine it being more complicated in a place like this.

[Not like she knows from experience.]

[37773972]

Yeah.

[He lets out a breath]

I think taking it slow is a good idea, anyway. Fools rush in and all that.

[But he is a fool, isn't he?]

[madgiganticfeelings]

It hasn't been that long here... just a few weeks. Though I guess these are kind of exceptional circumstances? I mean, I'm not going to blame you for... comforting each other.

[Christine Canigula, get your mind out of the gutter!]

[37773972]

We- haven't. [POINTEDLY LOOKING AWAY] Nothing's happened like that.

[that's not til next week eyyyyyyyyyyy]