week 7

[stagemanagers]

[Seven weeks. Twelve deaths. Five survivors.

When you wake up at the start of the new week nothing in the opera house seems all that different. The Box Office door is still locked tight as it ever was but the box you've been submitting letters to for the past several weeks still appears to be open. The Phantom is still accepting correspondence apparently.

But something within you is different. You remember everything. All the gaps, the missing pieces, entire chunks of time from back home- they're back and neatly fitted where they should be in your heads.

Just like the previous week, there's a distinct lack of contact from the dead after all of their activity before. No moving Tom Jones cutouts, no recording studio mishaps, no mysterious deliveries for Tad Cooper or automatic writing sessions. It's probably fine though.

As the days trickle by you get the looming the end is near.]

[ Sunday Monday Tuesday ]

[ooc: don't forget to submit your final memories, toss in your regain coins and check in for endgame! Reminder, since this is the last week all characters should be at their true canon point memory-wise!]

Comments

[madgiganticfeelings]

[In the early hours of Monday morning, Christine stumbles out of a room. Not her room, mind you, but Room 5, one of the empty rooms. She looks frantic, and is breathing heavily, hands up to her chest.

She can't believe she'd do something like that. She should have gone to Mephisto, she should have asked him for help... She should have done so many other things, but she had insisted on doing this alone.

Shouldn't she be able to do this alone?

Eventually, she kneels down on the floor, still gasping as she tries to bring air to her lungs. She brings her knees up to her chest, before digging around in her cloak. Eventually, she does find what she's looking for, that bottle of outdated soda the Phantom had been kind enough to offer her. She fumbles with the cap for a minute, but... then her motions slow.

She holds the bottle up again, looking at how much is left. She swirls the liquid around dazedly for a while. So little of it left... maybe enough to turn Jeremy's off, but maybe not.

So much has changed since the last time she had this antidote in her hands, but as she thinks of how desperate she was to help someone, no matter the cost to herself... things haven't really changed at all, have they?]

Pathetic.

[She mumbles it to herself a few times, echoing the distorted voice she can almost hear.

She stays seated out in the hallway until she sees everyone leave their rooms, at which point she pulls herself up on her feet and heads through her rounds. She can be found pretty much everywhere during the day, though in the afternoon, she can be found in the recording booth. Every time her finger presses play, Steven's cheerful voice sounds through the speakers, and she sits there, listening quietly. Every time his guitar strums the last note, though, she rewinds back to the beginning, and listens just as intently as she had before.

She had brought books in for her to keep studying, but they sit abandoned next to her.

She does spend a little time reading in the chapel, though. She hasn't spent a lot of time in here, and today, she certainly hasn't lit any candles, but she does let the quiet solitude of the room wash over her a bit.

...One moment, when she doesn't think anyone is nearby, she clasps her hands in front of her, whispering into the darkness.]

I... I'm sorry about this. I know I don't pray very often. My grandma always said it doesn't count unless you pray even when you aren't asking for something, so this is probably pointless anyways, huh?

I don't know who I'm speaking to, but I have to hope it's someone more loving than that. Someone who's... seen how much people here suffered. I've seen too, too many people die, people I loved so much, and-

[Her voice hitches, and she takes a moment to exhale slowly, before forcing herself to press on.]

And I just want to help. If you can... give me a little more strength, so I, so I don't let Stephen down? So I can bring everyone back and get everyone out?

And... and so the Phantom doesn't end up feeling like he has to do something like this ever again. Please. Please, help me... be enough to do that.

[And with that finished, she brings her knees up to her chest and presses her face against them, hidden among the pews for the rest of the evening.]

[likemypicture]

[Anne has been practically living in the chapel the past few days-- she has a lot of people to pray for, and words to have with God. But it's not a surprise Christine might not realize she's there-- she's made herself small in a corner of the back pew, bent over herself completely, silent.

She doesn't mean to eavesdrop on Christine-- but you know, she's here, so. She at least doesn't disturb her, trying to focus instead on her own prayers, her own promises and vows to God, what she intends to do and trade and plee for the option to have two decent men spared. So it's a bit after Christine finishes speaking that she finishes up herself-- and carefully, quietly, slips out of the pew, taking a few steps to where Christine's voice had come from.]

...Christine? [Probably best to speak up before she approaches too closely, forbid they end up with another awful accident on their hands.]

[madgiganticfeelings]

[There's a slight gasp as Christine lifts her head, eyes wide, but the voice she hears is kind, so she at least knows she's not in danger. She still feels guilty, though, at the possibility of Anne overhearing what she had been muttering about.

She tries to play dumb, offering a sideways smile and hastily rubbing at her eyes.]

Hi, Anne. I guess I should have expected you'd be around here. It's a beautiful place...

[likemypicture]

[She's polite about it at least, perching at the end of the pew where Christine is, gazing forward.]

It is, isn't it? I have... a lot to pray for, right now. [She hesitates, only for a brief moment, wondering if she should let Christine know what she heard.]

Your grandma's wrong. It counts.

[madgiganticfeelings]

[That... was not what Christine wanted Anne to say, but it's about what she should have expected. She groans softly, propping her chin back in between her knees.]

So you heard all that, huh? I thought I'd go somewhere no one would overhear me having a breakdown this time, at least, but...

[likemypicture]

Ja, I heard. [Anne reaches over, and gives Christine an awkward little pat.]

I'm sorry, I should have said something, but I was in the middle of my own little chat with God. I believe He's more loving than that, but I would be lying if I didn't say my faith is being tested. And I don't appreciate my faith being tested-- not when we have the von Jülich-Cleves-Berg sisters to thank for making reformation cool! [The last part-- seems to be said rather scathingly away from Christine, and--- Anne's not sassing God like that, is she?

No Way--- she is]

[madgiganticfeelings]

It's... it's fine. It's not a big deal. I wasn't really... saying anything important.

[She sighs heavily and leans back to look up at the ceiling. She giggles a little at Anne's tone, but it's weak.]

I don't know if God is loving or not... I haven't been to church in quite a while. That's... probably shameful of me to say, isn't it?

[likemypicture]

[Anne offers a tiny shrug of her shoulders.]

You don't have to worry about the same things a girl had to worry about, when I was your age. Religion was at a very dramatic point-- Henry declared his own church, but then his daughter, Mary, tried to bring the country back to The Church, and once she was gone-- well. That was past my time. It would have been shameful then, but it's likely just as shameful to convert for political purposes.

You'll just have to take my word for it. I've been religious my entire life, and I want to believe in a loving God. He just... is sometimes loving in ways that we cannot understand.

[madgiganticfeelings]

I find it... a little hard to believe that any of this could be seen as God's love.

[Unless it counts as such that she met people she had learned to care for so much... but so many of those people had been taken away from Christine. She sighs softly.]

I hope whoever it is we're praying to here, it's not like Mephisto's God.

Room 5

[heathencall]

[There are advantages to not being a sleeper. Being able to roam the halls and check for children sleeping in them is one of them. He anticipates having to retrieve Christine and carry her to her own bed.

At first he doesn't think anything is particularly amiss, save that Christine might have fallen asleep sitting up. But as he draws closer, he can tell that she's awake, and moving around. He's silent as he watches her take the liquid out and -- ]

Christine?

[madgiganticfeelings]

[Christine jumps as Mephisto interrupts her, and she quickly tucks the bottle back away. Not to hide it, exactly... but she needs it safe, and she's shaking too badly right now for that.

She tries to smile, but she knows it won't work. She's too exhausted to even keep up a front, and... she knows she's going to have to bring this up at the meeting anyways.

So after a moment, she just sighs and shakes her head.]

I didn't have time to call for you... I'm sorry.

[heathencall]

[It's hard to miss the glimmer of red in the bottle. As up close and personal as he'd been with Jeremy's own purging, it's not hard for his mind to jump to conclusions. It's another secret, another stone that sends his stomach sinking.

It outright plummets when she speaks.]

I told you to find me. [It seems silly to say, considering the fact that she'd already answered the question. He says it anyway.] Christine, I desperately need you to start listening to me.

[madgiganticfeelings]

[She hadn't even intended to keep this a secret, not the Red. It was hard to find a time to mention it, when it seemed like everything fell apart so soon after her acquiring it.

But there are parts of that story she's not telling. Mephisto will worry himself sick over something that, as far as she can tell, can't really be solved. She doesn't want to be the cause for something like that... though she can tell when he speaks, that she already has.]

I'm sorry, okay? I didn't... I had already made plans to move the body somewhere private when you told me you wanted to come! I thought if you showed up, the Phantom would get mad! I wanted to listen to you, I swear I did, but...

[heathencall]

[He grits his teeth as she speaks. He wants to snap again, but it wouldn't be fair to subject to her. Instead, he breathes out sharply through his nostrils. All the same, when he rests his hands on her shoulders, there's a tight grip there.]

Do you understand how fragile our situation is, Christine? [The words the Phantom had written to him stick heavily in his mind.] We are alive, and will continue to live, by the grace of the Wizard alone. He is unstable -- and that's the Phantom's words, not my own observations. The more we act up, and act alone, the higher the risk that we all die, with no chance to bring back our friends.

We need to work together, think together, if we are going to get through this. We cannot be five bodies working separately, but allies working together in unison.

[His next breath shakes.]

If you continue in this manner, I cannot guarantee our blood won't stain your hands by the end of all of this. Do you understand that?

[madgiganticfeelings]

[She tries to pull away from his firm grip, at first out of surprise and fear, but as he speaks, that fear is only doubled and combined with anger. She glares back at him, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears.]

You think I don't know that we're all in danger? You think I was just doing all this out of stupidity, is that it? Like I didn't see from the way Stephen talked about him?

[She knows how dangerous he is, and knows that she can't trust that the Phantom is giving her all the information she needs. She can't simply put the resurrection of her friends into those hands! She has to save them... and here Mephisto is, accusing her of doing the exact opposite.

She's frozen for a moment before she grits her teeth and slaps Mephisto's hand away, pulling away from the other at the same time.]

If anyone's blood is spilled, it's not going to be yours! Why the hell would I do anything I thought would end with anything but everyone being alive?!

You said I would get us out of here! Don't go back on that belief now!

[heathencall]

[Mephisto visibly winces as his hand is slapped away. The pain doesn't matter (stings at his knuckles maybe). More, it's the act of being pushed away from her. Nevertheless, he pushes on. She can hate him for what he says, so long as it means she comes out alive.

He's Mephisto, after all. A demon in his own right. If he has to put the fear of god into her to save them all, he will.]

You don't seem to grasp the gravity of it, no. [He bares his teeth.] You're being reckless. Stupid. And I know you're better than that, Christine.

[He stands at his full height, now, almost menacing over her hunkered down form. It's sure to be a hell of a sight, if anyone comes upon it.]

The Wizard is unstable. If he sees us visibly acting out of line, he. Will. Kill us. That's it.

And so far, the only one I've seen belligerently misbehaving in public view is you.

[Now, though, his voice softens. Call it guilt. Call it mercy.]

You can get us out of here. But you can't do it alone. None of us can.

[madgiganticfeelings]

[It hurts for her too, to push him away. She doesn't want him to hate her, doesn't want him angry with what she has to do. She had her reasons for all of this, though, and Mephisto wasn't even bothering to understand that. He seemed determined to ensure she couldn't do anything alone.

She had thought her real parents were a bit controlling.

She flinches with each insult he hurls at her, her hands curling into fists as she looms over him. Not that she could do anything to him, in this position, but she still feels the urge to lash out regardless.

But she forces herself not to snap at him, her voice level and cold as she raises her head in defiance of him.]

Really? I'm acting out of line? Name one thing I've done that counts as acting out. I saw a body without your express permission, but with the Phantom's. And since he's the only authority here besides the Wizard, I don't really think there's a problem here.

[She just barely manages to bite her tongue against pointing out the belligerence that is involved with yelling at a child.]

[garbageface]

[ Santana enters the recording studio while Christine is still listening to Steven, and she keeps her distance for two repetitions of the track. She’s telling herself she’s letting Christine have her moment. That’s partially true, but every so often, Santana will fidget with the ordinary black hair tie that’s keeping her hair pulled back. It probably doesn’t mean anything. It’s fine.

In the silence before Christine presses play again, Santana speaks up. ]

Hey. Heard you and Medieval Times this morning. Didn’t sound great.

[madgiganticfeelings]

[Christine's finger hovers over the the play button for a moment, but gradually, she drops her hand with a soft sigh. She turns back to Santana and doesn't even bother with a pretend smile this time, just shrugging her shoulders.]

Yeah, well. I might have acted a bit out of line, but he might have overreacted. Things are okay now.

[Maybe. Hopefully. She's not sure if that anger and distrust will linger.]

I'm just a little annoyed. I mean, I was trying to help everyone!

[garbageface]

[ So was Stephen, Santana thinks. But she’s not quite enough of an asshole to say that. ]

Look, all I heard was raised voices, not specifics. So what exactly did you do that was so out of line?

[madgiganticfeelings]

I met with the Phantom to see one of the bodies they moved out of the crypts. Mephisto didn't want me to go alone, but it was too late for me to change plans, so I went by myself.

...And there was some stuff with my SQUIP I wasn't telling him about, I guess? But I didn't know how to tell him.

[All of it is completely understandable for her to do without 'going off on her own' and 'being reckless.']

[garbageface]

[ oh that’s...messed up. ]

Where does he keep the bodies? Have they been there this whole time?

[ At the mention of the SQUIP, Santana frowns. SQUIP stuff is never good. ]

Yeah, I mean, it is hard to go “Hey weird alt universe surrogate father of mine, did you know that I had a computer shoved into my brain against my will.”

[ a pause. then, what Santana is actually worried about: ]

Your squat isn’t acting up, right?

[madgiganticfeelings]

Some sort of cold storage in his lair, as far as I can tell. He didn't let me go down there...

[So she can really only guess what the rest of the bodies look like... not that she wants to see another one.

She can't help but laugh at Santana's unique description, though... and there is a faint flush in her cheeks for her to acknowledge that Christine and Mephisto are like family now.]

Something like that, I guess. I... don't think I ever told him I got it by accident, but he knew I had one. And it turns out even when it's "off," it's not off?

So it turns out I might still be able to hear it talk once in a while and I get headaches and stuff.

[The last bit is said all in a rush, like she might be able to slip it past without Santana hearing.]

[garbageface]

[ under her breath: ]

Oh my god why would you put a body storage in your lair that’s so gross.

[ Santana Lopez, expert at knowing when people are cheating on each other before they even know it themselves, does not miss a beat. Her brow furrows; she’s clearly concerned. ]

What’s it saying to you? How much of that red stuff do you have left?

[madgiganticfeelings]

Isn't it? Like, I feel like there should be plenty of space in here, he shouldn't have to have that this close to where he's sleeping and all.

[She wishes that they could just focus on that instead of something that should just be her problem. She sighs, shaking her head. She should have just kept this quiet.]

Just... stuff. About how stupid I am. How I'm not strong enough for this. That back when we were all sick, I should have...

Never mind.

[Santana saw what she was like and can probably put those pieces together.]

I have a little bit of Red but... I'm saving it for Jeremy. I know you hate him but he doesn't deserve to be brainwashed.